JAYJAY'S POV:
When I woke up, sunlight was already spilling through my curtains.
I frowned and reached for my phone beside the bed.
1:07 PM.
"…Oh."
Right.
The date.
I sat up quickly, running a hand through my hair as I stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment.
Why am I nervous?
It was just Keifer.
…Which was probably exactly why I was nervous.
I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The date wasn't even going to last that long anyway—Keifer mentioned yesterday that he had to be home before evening, so we'd probably be out until around 4:30 or 5.
Still.
It was a date.
An actual date.
After showering, I changed into a simple fitted shirt and jeans. Nothing too fancy. Just comfortable. I fixed my hair, then paused in front of the mirror before reaching for a few makeup products.
"Just a little," I muttered to myself.
Light makeup.
Nothing obvious.
Definitely not because of him.
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.
Keifer:
Outside.
My stomach immediately tightened.
Great.
I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
The moment I reached the living room, Angelo looked up from the couch immediately.
"Where are you going?"
"Out," I answered casually.
"With who?"
"…Friends."
His eyes narrowed instantly.
"What friends?"
"Why are you interrogating me?"
"Because you're suspicious."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm literally just going out."
Another honk sounded from outside.
Angelo stood up and walked toward the window. The second he looked outside, his expression changed.
Slowly, he turned toward me.
"…Keifer?"
I looked away. "Okay, and?"
"And you said 'friends.'"
"He is my friend."
"A guy picking you up alone is not 'friends,' Jay."
Especially Keifer.
I groaned. "Can you relax?"
"No."
Typical Angelo.
Strict. Overprotective. Annoying.
Ever since Aries started getting busier, Angelo somehow got even stricter with me—as if he thought I'd suddenly disappear if he looked away for five minutes.
"Be home before evening," he said firmly.
"I know."
"And answer your phone."
"I know."
"And don't let him drive too fast."
I stared at him. "You act like I'm twelve."
"You act like you forget common sense."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him before heading toward the door.
"Jay," Angelo called again before I could leave.
I turned around.
His expression softened slightly, just for a second.
"…Be careful."
And there it was.
The real reason he was strict.
He worried too much.
"…I will," I replied quietly before finally leaving.
The moment I stepped outside, Keifer was already leaning against his car.
And annoyingly enough—
he looked good.
His eyes landed on me immediately, and a grin appeared on his face.
"Well, look at you."
I rolled my eyes as I walked closer. "Don't start."
"Oh, I'm definitely starting," he replied while opening the passenger door for me. "Makeup too?"
"It's light makeup."
"So you did put makeup on."
I stared at him flatly. "You're observant today."
Keifer smirked as I got into the car. "What? You put that on for me?"
"No."
"That was too fast."
"Because the answer is no."
"Sure."
I hated the way my face warmed slightly.
And I hated even more that he noticed.
"You're blushing," he said immediately.
"I'm literally not."
"You literally are."
I looked out the window. "Drive the car."
Keifer laughed softly under his breath before finally pulling away.
—
The samgyeopsal place was surprisingly crowded for a weekend afternoon.
The smell of grilled meat filled the air while conversations echoed around the restaurant. Keifer sat across from me, casually grilling meat like he did this every day.
"You're terrible at this," I commented while watching him almost burn one side.
"I'm multitasking."
"You're failing at multitasking."
"Wow," he said dramatically. "And here I thought this was a romantic date."
I nearly choked on my drink.
"You said that way too confidently."
He grinned. "So you admit it's romantic."
"I didn't say that."
"You implied it."
"I hate talking to you."
"No, you don't."
Unfortunately…
he sounded way too sure about that.
The conversation flowed easier after that.
Too easy.
We talked about random things—school, Section E being chaotic as usual, Rory almost getting kicked out of class last week, and Ci-N somehow managing to make everything louder than necessary.
For a while, it actually felt normal.
Light.
Easy.
The kind of normal I wasn't used to anymore.
Then my phone buzzed.
I glanced down absentmindedly at first.
But the second I saw the name—
my fingers tightened around the phone.
**Levi.**
My expression stiffened for the briefest second.
Just one text.
But somehow it already felt heavy.
Keifer noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?"
I looked up too quickly. "Nothing."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That didn't look like nothing."
I forced myself to relax before locking my phone screen.
"It's just Angelo," I lied smoothly. "He's telling me to come home early."
Keifer immediately nodded like that explanation made perfect sense.
"Yeah, that sounds like him."
I laughed softly. "You have no idea."
"Your brother scares me a little."
"He scares everyone a little."
"That actually makes me feel better."
I smiled despite myself, but my grip on my phone never fully loosened.
Because even while sitting across from Keifer—
part of my mind was already somewhere else.
Back to Levi.
Back to the League.
Back to whatever was waiting for me after today ended.