Jeff took a deep breath.
"I mean… where do I even begin?"
Rover came closer, knees brushing against his.
"From the beginning."
Jeff blinked at her, almost incredulous. "Really?"
She nodded once, lips curving into a small, determined smile. "Yup. I want to know how you became… you. Start from the beginning."
Her gaze never wavered, bright with a childlike curiosity.
"I mean, I don't even have my memories of my past yet," Rover admitted, her voice lowering, and almost wistful. "But you do at least to some extent. So it's only fair you share yours. To even things out."
Jeff studied her face for a long moment, caught between hesitation and the warmth in her eyes. Slowly, he gave in.
"…Alright. For starters…"
They move closer together against the headboard, Rover tucked her legs under herself, resting her chin in her hand as she stared at him intently, like she was memorizing his every expression.
Jeff leaned his head back, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"…I was born into a completely normal, struggling middle-class family," he began, his voice slower now, steadier. "The kind living paycheck to paycheck, just trying to get by. Nothing glamorous about it."
He gave a dry laugh, shaking his head. We lived in a third-world country with a shitty government, but… still.
His gaze grew distant, softened by memory. "I had a family. A loving one. My childhood was… normal. Nothing special happened in those early years."
Rover tilted her head, frowning slightly. "No. I don't believe that. I want to know what you were like when you were a child. That matters too."
Her insistence made him laugh again, more genuine this time, though tinged with embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah… you really don't want to meet that version of me."
Rover's lips curved into a teasing grin, eyes narrowing in playful challenge. "I do. I want to know everything. Even the embarrassing, awkward little Jeff."
Jeff groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "God, you're a stubborn woman, you know that?"
"Mhmm," Rover hummed, leaning closer until their shoulders fully pressed together. "Get used to it."
Jeff leaned his head back against the wall. "Nothing happened when I was in high school either."
Rover arched a brow, disbelief flickering across her face. She turned to him, lips twitching.
"Really? I wonder what you were like at school."
Jeff smirked faintly, almost smug. "I was one of those nerdy popular kids back then."
Rover tilted her head, curiosity sparking. "You? Mister grumpy and moody all the time? How did you, of all people, get popular?"
Jeff gave her a look that said you already know. He gestured lazily at himself, a grin tugging at his lips.
"You know me, my love."
Rover narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion. "So… you were a womanizer."
He shot up instantly, waving his hands as though swatting away the accusation. "Of course not! What kind of person do you take me for?"
She snorted at his defensive tone.
Jeff sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I was just… good at socializing. Despite my hobbies and quirks being considered weird and niche at the time. I also joined and competed both in swimming and track and field. I was really athletic back then."
His lips curved into a proud smile, eyes brightening as he leaned back.
"It also couldn't be helped that I'm charming."
Rover rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible. "Oh, really," she said flatly, dripping with sarcasm.
Jeff chuckled, unbothered. "Anyway, I was just a typical teen. Worrying about grades, crushes, who to ask to prom, competitions, thinking about college. You know—stuff like that."
"Prom?" Rover echoed, blinking.
Jeff hesitated, lips parting. "…Right, you wouldn't know." He rubbed his chin, thinking of the simplest way to explain. "It's… a dance. With a partner of the opposite sex, usually. A tradition in high school where you pick someone to dance with, celebrate youth, that kind of thing."
Rover's eyes lit up with curiosity. "So… who did you take?"
Jeff froze. His mouth opened, closed. "Does it even matter?"
"Nope." Rover shook her head quickly, but the mischievous gleam in her eyes betrayed her. "But I'm curious. I promise I won't be jealous."
Jeff gave her a long, wary look, then sighed in surrender. "It was my girlfriend at the time."
Rover's lips immediately jutted into a pout. "I lied. Now I am jealous."
Jeff groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Relax. It was nothing serious. The relationship didn't even last three months."
"Why'd you break up?"
"She cheated on me,with some asshole I thought was my friend."
Rover's expression darkened instantly. "She what? Why would she cheat on you?"
Her grip on his arm tightened unconsciously, as if she couldn't fathom hurting him like that.
Jeff forced a shrug, trying to play it off. "That's all in the past now. When I found out, I immediately dumped her ass. In the most humiliating way possible."
Rover leaned in, eyes sparkling with interest. "How?"
Jeff smirked slyly and shook his head. "That's a secret. Sorry, my love. Some things even I won't tell you."
"Come on, really?" she groaned, tugging on his sleeve like a petulant child.
"Yup," he said simply, lips curving into a satisfied grin.
(He would never admit it aloud—how he'd gone scorched-earth with evidence, He posted the evidence of her cheating on every social media, the school, and even sent the evidence of screenshots and videos alike to her parents. Anonymously of course completely eliminating the possibility of her playing the victim and the fallout completely destroyed her reputation and made her a social outcast. Some truths were better buried. Especially from Rover.)
Rover folded her arms, huffing. "Fine. Then what about that guy?"
Jeff's smirk returned, sharper now, though his tone stayed casual. "Let's just say… he had an 'accident.' that required several facial surgeries and being bedridden for months."
Rover blinked, then laughed, covering her mouth as her shoulders shook. "Sounds like karma got them."
"Yeah. Karma."
"Forget about that," he muttered, shaking his head as if brushing away the remnants of their laughter. Trying not to dwell to much on his past.
Rover picked up on it instantly. Her brow furrowed, her smile fading as she adjusted herself, tilting her body toward him.
"Jeff?"
Jeff let out a slow breath. "And then… college."
Her head tilted, curiosity flickering in her gaze. "College? What's that? I forgot to ask earlier."
Jeff glanced at her, almost amused by her innocence. Almost. He rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. "It's… an educational institution. Like Huaxu Academy, except you can choose what you want to become. Your desired profession you want to study for your future."
Rover's lips parted slightly in awe. "That sounds… amazing." She leaned in closer, her chin resting on her knees as her eyes searched his face. "So? What profession did you study?"
Jeff smirked faintly, though there was no arrogance in it only self-awareness. "I studied to become a nurse."
It was my pre-med course. I was planning to become a doctor with specialty in neurosurgery but life has other plans.
Rover blinked, tilting her head. "A nurse… huh. Even after knowing that about you, it still surprises me."
A chuckle slipped from Jeff, and he nodded. "Surprised me too. I never planned on it. My family's full of nurses. Guess I just followed their footsteps. But… I also wanted to help people in a way that mattered. Something… meaningful."
Her expression softened. Her lips curved into the smallest smile, her eyes shimmering with warmth. "I think it suits you," she whispered.
Jeff glanced at her, and for once, he didn't deflect. "Is that so? Thanks." His voice cracked ever so slightly, but he cleared his throat, forcing the memory to roll forward.
"I passed the entrance exam to the top prestigious state university in my country," he continued, his tone nostalgic, weighed down with both pride and sorrow. "Full scholarship to boot. My parents were ecstatic. I can still remember… the pride on their faces. It was like their sacrifices were finally worth it."
Rover's smile faltered. Her chest ached as she imagined those proud faces she would never meet. She wished she could.
Jeff's gaze dimmed. "Back then… I thought it would only get better from here on out." His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "What a naive thought that was."
The heaviness in his tone made Rover's stomach tighten. She reached out this time, brushing her fingers against his arm. "Jeff…" she murmured, concern etched across her face.
He shook his head quickly, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I'm fine." His attempt at reassurance was shaky, but he pressed forward.
"My first semester of college was easy. Just like high school, just… busier. But the second semester…" He paused, swallowing hard, his eyes narrowing as though replaying a memory he didn't want to see.
Rover leaned closer, her curiosity igniting again, but gentler this time. "What happened?"
Jeff hesitated, then let the words fall from his lips like a bombshell.
"I became a spy."
Rover froze. Her jaw dropped slightly, her brows shooting upward. She stared at him, utterly flabbergasted. "What?" Her voice cracked with disbelief. "Are you serious?"
Jeff's expression didn't waver. His eyes locked onto hers, dead serious. "Dead serious."
Rover stammered, still processing. "How… how does that even happen?"
Jeff leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly, his eyes shadowed. "That's… a long story."
Her curiosity, once innocent, now burned like fire. She shifted closer, slipping her arm through his, her body pressing lightly against his side. "We've got all night," she whispered, snuggling into him. "So tell me."
Jeff's chest tightened. He looked down at her at her wide, expectant eyes, her soft hair brushing against his shoulder, her stubborn closeness. For a moment, he considered shutting her out, burying it like he always did. But her presence…. I can't win against her can't I. To think I can even say no now is concerning .
And with a long, weary sigh, he finally said, "Alright. It started like this…On a normal day in college I was doing assignments at that time, a shady-looking guy approached me out of nowhere."
"Shady?" Rover frowned
"On the surface, he looked normal. But he gave me the creeps." Jeff's mouth curled bitterly. "Out of nowhere, he said I was being summoned."
Her eyes widened.
"I thought he was faculty," Jeff continued, shaking his head at the memory. "I figured something was wrong with my paper outputs or documents, so… I followed him. Just like that."
laughed bitterly. "It was the most awkward walk of my life. I asked a shit ton of questions, but he didn't say a damn word."
Rover's nose wrinkled, exasperated. "To think you followed a complete stranger…"
Jeff rubbed his temple with a groan. "Yeah… I had zero 'stranger danger' back then." He snorted at himself, then grew serious again. "Anyway, he led me to this secluded building on campus. I walked in, and boom—next thing I know, I'm escorted into a room that looks like an interrogation chamber. Three guys in suits waiting for me."
Her eyes widened again, a mix of disbelief and irritation. "Jeff, how did you not see that coming?!"
He raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing weakly. "Sorry! Despite being smart academically, I was… kind of a dumbass."
"They sat me down and started reading my file out loud,"
"Your file?" Rover echoed.
"Yeah," he muttered, his jaw clenching. "Everything about me. My family, my friends, my grades, my hobbies, my entire history up to that point. All of it, in a three-page dossier."
Her eyes hardened.
"I was immediately on alert. Like, how the hell do they know all this?" He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "I tried to leave, but I wasn't strong back then. Three against one, maybe more on the outside. Odds weren't in my favor."
Rover stared at him, equal parts amazed and horrified. "The more I hear this, the more I know how… naive you were when you were younger."
Jeff threw his head back and laughed self deprecatingly. "Oh, you have no idea."
Jeff leaned back against the wall, his eyes unfocused as if replaying the memory in his head. "So yeah… I'm sitting there in this cramped room, three men in suits across from me, staring like I was some kind of specimen. One of them flips open this little folder and just starts reading."
He gestured with his hands as though holding invisible papers, his tone dropping into mock authority. "My full name. Born in blah blah blah. Parents' names. Middle class median. Schools attended. Academic standing: Top percentile. Athletic activities: swimming, track. Personal hobbies: gaming, writing, martial arts, music. Social circle: exceptionally notable…"
He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "I sat there thinking, what the actual fuck is going on? These guys knew everything."
Rover's face tightened, her brows knitting together. She hugged her knees closer to her chest as she leaned toward him. "That's… terrifying. And you just sat there?"
Jeff smirked without humor. "What else could I do? I tried to stand, but the moment I tried, one of them was already behind me, hand on my shoulder, pushing me back down." He mimed the weight of the grip.
His laughter died down, replaced by a tired sigh. "I thought I was being kidnapped. Hell, maybe I was. But then the guy in the middle, just smiled and said… 'Congratulations, you've been selected.'"
He dragged a hand down his face, groaning. "Like it was some kind of game show prize. Meanwhile, I'm sweating bullets thinking, selected for what? Organ harvesting? Human experiments?"
Rover leaned closer, her hand brushing against his arm, "Jeff…"
Her eyes searched his, and for a moment, Jeff almost looked away. But then he forced a grin, shrugging like it was nothing. "That was the day I realized my life wasn't going to be normal anymore."