The morning sun crept into the glamping tent, smelling of salt and... was that garlic rice?
Jay-jay blinked her eyes open, feeling the warmth of Keifer's arm draped over her waist. For a second, it was peaceful. Then, the sound of a megaphone shattered the silence.
"GISING NA, MGA LOVEBIRDS! THE BUFFET IS OPEN, BUT THE KITCHEN HAS RULES!"
Keifer groaned into his pillow. "I am going to buy that megaphone and melt it."
They stepped out of the tent to find a surreal sight. On the beach, the Section E boys had set up a magnificent breakfast spread: longganisa, danggit, tocino, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a mountain of sinangag. The aroma was enough to make Jay-jay's stomach growl audibly.
However, the food was placed on a high table behind a literal obstacle course made of driftwood, ropes, and—for some reason—buckets of slime.
Felix stood there with a whistle, wearing a referee shirt. Ci-N was holding a scoreboard that currently read: WATSONS: 0 | BREAKFAST: 100.
"Good morning, Boss! Good morning, Mutya!" Josh waved from behind a laptop. "Since we delivered your dinner last night, we figured we'd host your breakfast. But in Section E, nothing is free."
"What is this, Felix?" Keifer asked, crossing his arms. He was wearing a black tank top and lounge pants, looking effortlessly intimidating even with bedhead.
"This," Felix announced, "is the 'How Much Do You Know Your Spouse?' Obstacle Course. To get the longganisa, you must pass the 'Sync Walk.' To get the danggit, you must answer a trivia question correctly while Keifer carries Jay-jay through the 'Slime Zone.'"
"And if we refuse?" Keifer raised an eyebrow.
Edrix calmly picked up a piece of crispy danggit and ate it. "Then we eat it all. And Ci-N has a very high metabolism today."
Jay-jay looked at the crispy fish and then at Keifer. "We can do this. It's just like high school, except we're married and people actually respect you now."
"Fine," Keifer sighed, stepping onto the starting line.
Their ankles were tied together with a silk scarf (probably one of Seraphina's).
"Question one!" Ci-N shouted. "What is Jay-jay's favorite midnight snack when she's stressed?"
"Easy," Keifer said, stepping in perfect sync with Jay-jay. "Instant noodles with an egg, but the egg has to be soft-boiled."
"Correct! Move forward!"
They shuffled forward, nearly tripping when Keifer tried to take a "CEO-sized" step while Jay-jay took a "Mutya-sized" one.
They reached the 'Slime Zone'—a pit of green goo they had to cross.
"Keifer, pick her up!" Felix commanded.
Keifer hoisted Jay-jay into a bridal carry, his muscles tensing.
"Question two!" Josh smirked. "What was the exact date Keifer realized he was head-over-heels in love with Jay-jay? Not when he said it, but when he knew it."
The boys leaned in. This was the real test.
Keifer didn't even hesitate. He looked directly at Jay-jay, ignoring the slime pit beneath him. "October 14th.when I realised she was pure for any plan She looked ridiculous, and I realized I never wanted to see anyone else's face for the rest of my life."
Jay-jay's heart did a backflip. "Keifer..."
"AWWWWW!" the boys chorused. Even Edrix looked a bit moved.
Pass! Go get your tocino!"
By the time they reached the table, Keifer and Jay-jay were breathless, slightly sticky, and laughing. They had answered questions about their first fight, Jay-jay's shoe size, and the name of the first person Keifer wanted to fire (it was Felix).
They sat down at the table, finally digging into the feast. The boys joined them, forgeting the "referee" roles and piling food onto their plates.
"You know," Ci-N said, his mouth full of rice. "We did this because we missed you guys. The penthouse is too quiet when the King and Queen are away."
Jay-jay looked at her "family"—the chaotic, loyal, and slightly insane boys of Section E. She looked at Keifer, who was currently peeling a salty egg for her with a smile on his face.
"Thanks, guys," Jay-jay said, her eyes shining. "But if there's a drone at lunch, I'm throwing my shoe at it."
"Noted!" Felix laughed. "Lunch is a surprise anyway!"