Chapter 2: Roast Period
Jay's POV
If Keifer thought I was going to stay quiet after yesterday, he clearly skipped common sense class.
I walked into Section E like I owned rent there.
The boys were already loud.
Blaster throwing paper balls.
Rory laughing like a broken speaker.
Yuri arguing with Mayo about something stupid.
And there he was.
Keifer.
Leaning back like he pays everyone's school fees.
The moment I stepped in, he looked at me.
Smirk activated.
"Oh look," he said loudly. "The motivational speaker arrived."
I dropped my bag on my desk.
"At least I speak with motivation," I replied. "You speak like autocorrect gave up on you."
"OOOOHHHH—"
The class exploded.
Cin slapped David's shoulder. "She started early!"
Keifer tilted his head.
"You practice those lines in the mirror?"
"No," I said calmly. "They just come naturally when I see your face."
Rory stood up dramatically. "Round one goes to Jay!"
Keifer grinned slowly.
"Careful," he said. "You're too confident for someone who just got here."
I crossed my arms.
"And you're too loud for someone with no achievements."
Emman coughed loudly to hide his laugh.
Yuri whispered, "Bro, she's violating you."
Keifer leaned forward on his desk.
"You talk too much for a girl."
Ah.
There it is.
I walked closer.
"And you think too little for a boy."
Blaster fell off his chair.
Eren literally hit the desk laughing.
Keifer rubbed his jaw like he was trying not to smile.
"Okay," he said. "Let's test something."
He stood up and pointed at the board.
"Spell 'confidence.'"
The class went quiet.
I didn't even blink.
"C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E."
I paused.
"Something you pretend to have."
David screamed, "SHE ADDED BONUS DAMAGE!"
Keifer clicked his tongue.
"Fine. What's my weakness then?"
I smiled sweetly.
"Attention."
The room went silent again.
"You ask personal questions because you need reactions," I continued casually.
"You tease because silence scares you."
"You act untouchable because you don't know how to handle someone who isn't impressed."
Even Yuri stopped smiling.
Keifer stared at me for a second.
Then—
He clapped slowly.
"Not bad."
He walked closer.
"Now my turn."
Uh oh.
He leaned slightly toward me.
"You act savage because you think it makes you untouchable."
"You roast fast because you don't like people getting too close."
"You speak first so nobody sees you hesitate."
My smile dropped for half a second.
Just half.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
The class went "OOOOOOH."
I leaned in too.
"You done?"
"Not yet," he said softly.
"You're interesting."
I smirked again.
"And you're tolerable."
Rory shouted, "They're flirting!"
"SHUT UP," we both said at the same time.
The class went crazy.
Keifer laughed under his breath.
For the first time, it wasn't mocking.
It was genuine.
I turned away first.
Because even in roast battles—
You never let the enemy see the pause.
But one thing was clear.
This wasn't normal teasing anymore.
This was a game.
And neither of us planned to lose.