The sky over the city park was the soft kind of blue that made everything look peaceful — which was ironic, because wherever Jay and her circle went, peace packed its bags and left.
"So? You jealous?" Keifer teased.
Aries scoffed. "Please. I don't get jealous."
Behind him, Jay pointed at him. "He's totally jealous."
Percy smirked. "He is. And so is loverboy Watson over there. Both jealous of ME. Take that, life."
Keifer threw a leaf at him.
But Percy only smirked harder. "Wow. Nature attacking me now. Romantic."
Jay was already stepping onto the skate platform. "Can someone stop flirting with leaves and help me?"
Percy rushed like he was her coach at the Olympics.
Aries disliked that.
Keifer disliked that MORE.
They were still walking from the car park when Percy stretched his arms above his head and declared, "Okay, who wants to eat?"
Everyone stopped.
Jay blinked.
Aries stared
.Keifer nearly tripped.
"We just had lunch," Aries deadpanned.
Percy shrugged dramatically. "And? The stomach is a mysterious creature. Mine is a black hole. Jay agrees."
Jay nodded immediately. "Yes. I am ready. Let's go."
Aries threw his hands up. "OF COURSE you're ready. You just inhaled two plates of pasta."
"It wasn't inhaling," Jay defended, flicking his forehead. "It was eating with passion."
Keifer snorted.
Percy put a dramatic hand over his chest. "See? This is why she's the best. Food soulmates."
"Food piglets," Aries corrected.
Jay kicked his ankle without looking. "Shut up."
Jashfer chuckled from behind them — soft, amused, and gentle. He looked like a man who had found something he didn't expect: a daughter who fit perfectly into the spaces he never realized were empty.
But the moment Keifer walked beside him, the CEO energy reactivated.
"Sir—" Keifer started automatically.
Jashfer Raised his eyebrow.
Keifer froze.
Keifer "Sorry. Um… Dad."
Percy gasped like someone slapped him. "OH MY GOD. HE SAID IT."
Aries rolled his eyes. "You sound like an auntie reacting to a wedding proposal."
"I AM an auntie emotionally," Percy retorted. "Also, shut up. This is a milestone."
Jay laughed — the small, soft one that only came out around people she felt safe with.
Jashfer's expression warmed. "Good. Call me that from now on."
Keifer nodded, cheeks slightly pink.
Jay caught that.
Aries caught that too, and muttered, "He's already acting like son-in-law. Gross."
Jay slapped his arm again.
The atmosphere was bright, chaotic, alive.
Until—
A voice sliced through the air like a rusty knife.
"Well. Look who it is."
Jay stiffened.
Percy straightened.
Keifer and Aries turned instantly, shoulders coiled tight.
Greenwood Academy students.
The ones who used to target Jay before she transferred.
A girl with bright green nails and a venomous smirk stepped forward. "Still here? I thought illegitimate kids didn't show their faces in public."
Isn't that Jay Mariano?" one girl whispered loudly. "The illegitimate one?"
Another boy snorted. "Yeah. No father, no brother, no real family. Just money."
Jay froze mid-step, fingers tightening around Percy's hand.
Percy's laughter stopped cold.
Aries lunged.
Keifer stepped forward with murder in his eyes.
But they weren't fast enough.
Because the switch flipped in two people.
The funniest, loudest, most clownish members moments ago —
PercyandJashfer
— turned into cold silence.
The man who just moments ago was laughing like a gentle father now radiated quiet, lethal power — the kind that made even the wind hesitate.
Percy's grin returned, but it wasn't friendly anymore. It was the grin of a predator in designer clothes.
Percy cracked his knuckles slowly, eyes turning icy. "Repeat that."
The Greenwood girl faltered.
Jashfer stepped beside him, voice terrifyingly calm."You insult my daughter again, and I will make sure your family business collapses in a week."
"You— you're—"
"Oh, you know exactly who I am." Jashfer smiled sweetly. Sweetly. "You want to test me?"
The group stumbled back as if monsters had risen in daylight.
"Touch her and die," he said simply, voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Oh wait— you already did, when you spoke."
Jay didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Keifer it looked like his veins were about to come out from his body
Aries muttered, "What the hell did we just witness?"
Jashfer didn't even have to speak. His silence was the threat. The entire group backed off faster than Percy's ego could recover.
Aries whispered to Keifer, voice trembling with impressed horror, "Did they just— transform?"
Keifer nodded slowly. "Yup. From sitcom uncles to mafia CEOs in half a second."
Jay exhaled deeply and stepped between her father and Percy.
"Guys. Relax. I can handle stupid people."
Percy interrupted, "Oh please, baby sista. Did you think we'd let random extras in your story talk trash? This is our drama. They don't get screen time."
That made even Aries laugh.
Jashfer finally smiled again, looking at his daughter — really looking at her — with a kind of pride that went deeper than bloodlines or corporate names. "You've handled worse, haven't you?"
Jay smirked, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. "Well, I had good teachers."
Keifer leaned in, whispering, "I'll take credit for that."
"Sure," Jay said sweetly, "you can have credit for half my chaos."
Percy gasped dramatically again. "What about me?"
"You get blamed for the other half."
Jay rolled her eyes. "Also, while we're clearing things up…"
Everyone looked at her.
Jay crossed her arms, smirking."So actually… I knew you guys were stalking me way before we met."
Jashfer blinked. "You what?"
"What?" Percy squeaked.
Jay shrugged. "League records. I saw your names."
Percy slapped his forehead. "I TOLD you to change the car plate!"
"You insisted on neon green," Jashfer snapped.
"It was aesthetic!"
"You nearly got us caught!"
"We DID get caught!"
Jay was laughing hysterically now.
Keifer leaned to Aries and whispered, "They're… scary but cute?"
Aries whispered back, "Scute."
Jay turned around. "I can hear you."
"GOOD," Aries said.
Percy leaned back dramatically. "Okay, okay, so maybe we did keep an eye on you. That's called responsible brother behavior!"
Aries smirked. "More like overprotective stalker behavior."
"Shut up, horoscope," Percy retorted.
They were still bickering when—
"JAAAAAAYYYY!"
A wall of voices exploded from the distance.
The air changed.
Jay turned.
And there they were.
Section E.
Running.Shouting.Waving.Existing like main characters in a K-drama entrance shot.
cin was in front, sprinting like his life depended on it.
Behind him yuri was yelling something unintelligible
.Felix was missing one shoe.
calix was half-running, half-gasping.
Angelo walked calmly behind all of them, like the only normal organism in the world.
As soon as cin reached Jay, he tackled her into a hug.
"You emotional idiot! You didn't tell us you were having dramatic family moments in the PARK!"
Jay wheezed. "You weren't supposed to know—"
cin pointed at Keifer, accusing. "HE TOLD US. Snitched like a good boyfriend."
Keifer's ears went red.
Keifer blinked. "Why am I getting blamed for this?"
Freya hugged Jay next. "Look at you. Park princess with trauma. Love that for you."
david arrived and patted Jay . "We were WORRIED."
Mica finally caught up. "Why… does… everyone… run…"
rakki arrived last, breathless. "WHY ARE YOU ALL SO FAST— Oh hey Jay!"
Angelo gave Jay a small nod — and that was enough to make her exhale softly.He understood without words.
And then—
They all noticed the frozen Greenwood kids.
Percy cracked his neck menacingly. "Wanna insult Jay again? Go ahead. Twice even."
drew immediately struck a pose beside Percy. "Yeah. We have nothing to do today."
yuri added, "We can fight. I'm in the mood."
josh smiled sweetly. "Let's release some tension."
Keifer cracked his knuckles.
Aries popped his neck.
The Greenwood group fled so fast one of them dropped a shoe.
Jay burst into laughter.
Her father scratched his cheek. "You have… interesting friends."
Keifer wrapped an arm around Jay's shoulder, subtle but protective. "They're family."
Aries stood on her other side. "So don't worry about your daughter, Mr. Mariano. We've got her."
Jay smiled at both of them.
Jashfer's gaze softened.
Percy clapped his hands suddenly. "Okay, enough drama. Let's EAT."
david cheered.cin cheered.rory cheered.drew cheered.Jay cheered the loudest.
Aries muttered, "You're all monsters."
"And hungry ones," Jay added.
They began walking toward the restaurant, laughter echoing across the park.
And for a moment — with her father smiling behind her, her friends arguing beside her, and Keifer and Aries fighting over who gets to walk closest to her…
Jay felt something she hadn't felt in a long time:
Not lonely.Not scared.