THE GROUP CHAT — SECTION E EXPLODES
We had barely finished celebrating our results when all our phones buzzed at the same time.
DING DING DING DING—
Cin looked down first.
"Oh hell— guys. The GC is popping off."
Yuri leaned over his shoulder.
"What now? Another school rule? Another field trip? Another—"
Cin's eyes widened.
"Bro… it's about GRADUATION."
Everyone instantly froze.
David snatched his phone.
The message read:
🏫 SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT
— Graduation Ceremony: 3 weeks from today
— PROM NIGHT: This Saturday
Prepare accordingly.
…
Cin blinked.
David blinked.
Yuri blinked twice.
Then — BOOM.
All of Section E erupted at once:
Cin: "GRADUATION IN THREE WEEKS?!"
David: "PROM! PROM! PROM!"
Yuri: "I need a suit— I need a suit NOW."
Edrix: "I am NOT dancing. Don't even ask."
Blaster: "Shut up, you're dancing."
Drew: "WE'RE SO CLOSE TO FREEDOM."
Felix: "BRO I'M GOING TO CRY."
Meanwhile, Keifer — leaning calmly against the wall — just looked at me with that soft, knowing smirk.
"Prom, huh?" he murmured.
My cheeks heated instantly.
"D-don't say it like that—"
"Like what?" he teased.
"Like I'm already planning how to ask you properly?"
I froze.
Cin screamed in the background, "WE'RE GOING SHOPPING. NOW."
And that was it.
SECTION E — DECISION MADE
Cin clapped his hands loudly.
"Boys. Mall. After school. We need outfits. We need shoes. We need cologne. We need—"
"Self-control," Yuri muttered.
"—NO," Cin continued. "WE NEED DRIP."
David slung an arm around my shoulder.
"Jay Jay, you're coming. No escaping. No excuses."
I blinked. "Why me—"
"Because you just recovered," Cin said, "and you deserve to look like a walking legend at prom."
Yuri nodded solemnly.
"And because if we go without supervision, Cin will buy sequins for us."
Cin gasped.
"SEQUINS ARE CLASSY!"
"No," Yuri deadpanned.
Keifer slid his hand into mine, warm and sure.
"You okay with going?" he asked softly.
I smiled.
"I'd like that."
Cin clapped once more.
"OKAY SECTION E — TO THE MALL WE GO. WE SHALL EMERGE HOTTER THAN EVERY OTHER SECTION."
David raised his fist.
"FOR HONOR!"
Yuri sighed.
"For fashion…"
Edrix mumbled.
"For suffering."
Keifer leaned toward me, voice low.
"For you."
My heart skipped.
And with that, Section E marched out like a dysfunctional army headed for battle—
Destination: the mall.
Mission: prom prep.
Status: absolute chaos forthcoming.
PROM DRESS SHOPPING — JAY & STELLA
Jay's POV
The plan was simple.
Section E + me + mall = chaos.
But the moment we stepped inside the mall, Stella appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my wrist and said:
"Borrowing Jay. You losers can pick your tuxes without her."
Before any of them could argue, she dragged me off—Cin yelling "BRING HER BACK IN ONE PIECE!" behind us.
Stella looped her arm through mine.
"Okay, prom is in two days and you're NOT showing up in your usual black hoodie. We're going full femme-fatale."
I groaned.
"Do we have to?"
"Yes. Keifer is going to LOSE HIS ENTIRE MIND, and I want a front-row seat."
She pulled me into a boutique filled with gowns that cost more than my life.
We searched, rejected dresses, argued, laughed… until Stella froze.
"Jay. Try. This. One."
She held up a deep red dress — satin, elegant, with a thigh-high slit and a shape that screamed trouble.
"I can't," I whispered.
"You CAN… and you WILL."
She shoved me into the changing room.
When I stepped out, Stella actually covered her mouth like she'd seen a ghost.
"Oh my god. Baby girl, Section E is going to faint. Keifer might actually pass away."
I blushed so hard it hurt.
"It's too much—"
"It's PERFECT."
We paired it with heels — simple but deadly — and some accessories and even with my death glares some lingerie STELLA insisted on.
By the end, I was carrying eight shopping bags and Stella looked like she'd just won the lottery.
We walked back to meet everyone, chatting and laughing.
Section E was waiting — Eman, Blaster, Rory, Edrix, Josh, Calix, Felix, Drew, Denzel, Kit, Mayo, Eren… all lounging around like they owned the place.
Cin spotted the bag.
"SOOO what did you two buy?"
Stella smirked.
"Something that will make your brains fall out."
The boys collectively groaned.
And Keifer?
He just raised a brow at me, eyes narrowing with that curious, dangerous interest.
Stella elbowed me.
"Just wait till he sees you on prom night."
My face?
Redder than the dress.
KEIFER'S POV —
I parked the car in front of her house, engine still humming, but my heart?
Yeah… that thing was sprinting like it had somewhere important to be.
Jay unbuckled her seatbelt, already grabbing her shopping bags, the red dress I had peak of hidden inside like a secret weapon designed specifically to ruin my sanity.
She reached for the door.
Nope.
Not happening.
I grabbed her wrist gently.
She turned back, confused.
And then I kissed her.
Soft at first — just enough to make her freeze.
Then she melted into it, fingers curling into my shirt like she always did when she forgot how to breathe.
When we finally pulled apart, she blinked up at me, cheeks flushed, lips swollen, looking like trouble wrapped in innocence.
"Keifer…" she whispered.
I rested my forehead against hers, still catching my breath.
"You're not walking out of my car without that," I murmured.
She raised a brow. "Without what?"
I smirked.
"Service tax."
Her jaw dropped, then she shoved my shoulder, trying not to smile.
"Idiot."
"Your idiot," I corrected."and also Profanity "
And I kissed her again...
She rolled her eyes — but she didn't deny it.
And as she stepped out of the car, dress in hand, I swear I'd never been more certain:
Prom night was going to destroy me.
In the best way possible.
JAY'S POV — Home
The moment I stepped inside, I barely had time to take off my shoes before I was ambushed.
Angelo stood in the hallway with his arms crossed like some disappointed father.
"Where were you, Jay? No texts, no call—nothing!" he said dramatically.
Tita Gema peeked from the kitchen. "Anak, you scared us! Even Aries was pacing like a ghost."
Aries appeared behind them with the same stern face he only reserved for me.
"You better have a good reason," he said. "Also—your results. What did you get?"
I blinked. Oh. Right.
"Uhm… 98.7," I said casually, trying not to grin.
Tita Gema gasped, Angelo's jaw dropped, and Aries… Aries actually smiled.
"Good job, Jay," he said, giving a small, rare nod. "I got 97.5."
I stuck my tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes.
After all the dramatic scolding and hugging and more dramatic scolding, I finally escaped to my room.
I closed the door, leaned against it, and my heart softened remembering Keifer's kiss before he drove off.
"Service tax… idiot," I whispered to myself, smiling like an absolute fool....
JAY'S POV —The Morning
I woke up to screaming.
Not the horror-movie kind.
The chaotic-teenagers-who-have-no-volume-control kind.
"JAY JAAAAY!"
"WAKE UP, SHORTY!"
"BRO OPEN THE WINDOW!"
"HE'S GONNA LOSE HIS VOICE!"
My eyes flew open.
What the hell.
I stumbled to the window, pulled the curtains—and froze.
Keifer.
Standing in front of my house.
With all of Section E behind him like a full-force boyband.
Eman holding a giant speaker.
Rory waving a banner.
Felix and Calix recording like they were livestreaming a concert.
Kit, Mayo, Edrix, Blaster, Denzel, Eren—ALL OF THEM yelling and grinning.
And Keifer?
Keifer was holding a bouquet of deep red roses…
and started singing Our song:
"Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng buhay ko…"
My soul LEFT my body.
From downstairs I heard Tita Gema gasp,
"AY LORD—WHAT IS THIS?!"
Angelo: "I KNEW THAT BOY WAS UP TO SOMETHING."
Aries, dead serious: "She is NOT going outside like that."
Too late.
I sprinted away from the window, grabbed anything halfway decent, brushed my hair with my fingers, ignored my heartbeat trying to escape my chest, and ran downstairs.
Tita Gema, Angelo, and Aries stood by the door like judges waiting for my performance.
Outside?
Chaos.
Neighbors came out.Kids were screaming.
Old ladies were smiling like they were watching a teleserye.Phones everywhere.
And in the middle of it all was him.
Keifer looked up the moment I stepped out, smile softening.
Everyone else yelled louder.
He lifted the banner high—huge, messy, colorful letters:
"PROM WITH ME, JAY?"
I walked toward him—heart punching my ribs, palms sweating, knees basically jelly.
He didn't even wait for me to answer. He whispered:
"So… is that a yes, Jay?"
I didn't say yes.
I launched myself at him.
His eyes widened for half a second before I grabbed his hoodie, pulled him down, and kissed him right there—
in front of my entire neighborhood, my tita, my brothers, and the loud idiots from Section E.
Everyone screamed.
"WOOOHOOO!" "ABOUT TIME!" "GO KING!" "GET IT, JAY JAY!"
Angelo and Aries didn't scream—they just chuckled, shaking their heads like of course this is happening.
Keifer's hands came up to cup my face, pulling me closer, kissing me back like he didn't care if the whole world was watching.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless, he whispered against my forehead:
"I'll take that as a yes."
And yeah…
It absolutely was.
KEIFER'S POV — Operation: Date for Prom
This was either going to be the most romantic thing I'd ever done…
…or the dumbest.
Probably both.
But for Jay?
Yeah, worth it.
I'd been planning this since last night.
Did I sleep?
No.
I paced my room like a criminal plotting a heist.
First step: kidnap Section E at 6 a.m.
Cin opened the door with murder in his eyes.
Eman threatened to throw something at me.
Rory said, "Bro, it's SATURDAY."
Felix and Calix were already recording—traitors.
But the moment I said,
"It's for Jay,"
All of them:
"OKAY WE'RE IN."
By 7 a.m., we were in front of her house.
Step 2 Operation: Ask Jay to Prom (a.k.a. Potential Public Embarrassment)
I'd pulled off a lot of things in my life.
But coordinating section e at seven in the morning? Yeah. That was new.
"Eman, don't drop the speaker!" "Rory, stop hitting Calix with the banner!" "Felix, record properly—NOT YOUR FOREHEAD—" "Mayo, NO, we are not doing fireworks!"
They were all excited. Too excited.
But for once, I didn't mind the chaos.
Because it was for her.
Jay.
I checked the bouquet again—perfect.
I checked the banner—crooked, messy, absolutely Section E.
I checked my voice—already dying.
Then I looked up at her window.
She appeared.
Sleepy hair. Drowning in an oversized shirt. Confused.
Beautiful.
I swear my chest squeezed so hard I almost forgot how to breathe.
And then it began.
Eman blasted the music.
The boys started yelling.
I started singing:
"Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng buhay ko…"
Her eyes widened. Her jaw dropped. Her hands flew to her mouth.
Worth it.
Every second of planning, stress, and almost strangling my classmates—worth all of it.
Then she disappeared from the window and my heart stopped.
"BRO SHE FAINTED??" "NO WAY—" "SHUT UP—"
But then the door opened.
And there she was.
Jay, rushing out, cheeks red, trying not to smile like an idiot.
Her family behind her like they were about to interrogate me on national television.
I lifted the banner.
"PROM WITH ME, JAY?"
She stared.
The world went quiet.
And then—
She ran straight into me.
Not a hug.
Not a shy moment.
Jay grabbed my collar and pulled me down into a kiss—fast, warm, breath-stealing.
Section E exploded.
"OH MY GOD—" "HE DID IT—" "THEY'RE FINALLY—" "KISS AGAIN—" "NO DON'T—ANGELO IS LOOKING—"
Angelo covered his face.
Aries sighed like he'd expected this disaster his whole life.
And me?
I kissed her back, hands sliding to her waist, smiling against her mouth, because there was no universe where I wouldn't.
When she finally pulled back, breathless, she whispered:
"I would've said yes even without the whole circus, you know."
I laughed, forehead against hers.
"You deserve the circus."
---
Jay hid her face in my chest, still burning red, and Section E was ready to scream again—
but that was the moment Kuya Angelo finally snapped.
"OKAY. THAT'S ENOUGH. EVERYONE OUT!" he barked, clapping his hands like we were stray dogs.
Rory jumped so hard he dropped the banner.
Calix almost tripped over Eman's speaker.
Denzel saluted for some reason.
Aries just pinched the bridge of his nose.
Tita Gema shooed the boys like she was chasing chickens away from her garden.
And just like that, the crowd scattered—laughing, teasing, replaying the kiss, arguing who recorded it best.
Jay squeezed my hand one last time before Angelo cleared his throat in the most big brother way possible.
"Inside. Now."
She gave me a tiny smile—small but enough to punch the air out of my lungs—and hurried in before her brothers dragged her.
I watched the door close behind her.
Seven in the morning and she already looked like the sun.
Inside the house, her voice carried faintly:
"Tita, Kuya, please stop—he just asked me to prom!"
"You CALL THAT just—?!"
I couldn't help but laugh. I sped off in my car and the only thing in my mind was "Tonight you're mine and only mine Jay Jay.. "
Meanwhile, Jay?
She ran into her room, shut the door, and collapsed on her bed face-first—
blushing so hard she probably looked like a tomato with legs.
Promposal: successful.
Kuya Angelo's patience: not..
Her face:red as roses....