*Continuation of Flashback*
Jay-Jay's POV
By Friday morning, the air at campus was electric — that strange mix of gossip, curiosity, and the faint scent of cheap perfume.Everyone knew something was about to happen.They just didn't know what.
I could feel it — the weight of whispers following me down the hallways, the way eyes trailed behind me like shadows.
It had been three days since the rumor broke. Three days since my name became something for others to chew on.
And though I tried to keep my head high, to smile, to say "I'm fine" like a mantra — the truth was, every word had carved a little more out of me.
Until today.
Until I walked into the courtyard and saw her.
Clara Hyune.Perfect hair. Glossy lips. That same innocent expression she always wore — like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
She stood in the middle of a small crowd, surrounded by her friends. Their laughter floated across the courtyard, cutting through the noise like shards of glass.
I could've walked away.
I should've.
But when I heard my name — my full name — roll off her tongue with that mocking lilt, something in me snapped.
"…and she still pretends like she's better than everyone else," Clara said loudly, flipping her hair. "Like, come on. We all know how she got here."
Her friends giggled. One of them whispered, "Do you think her boyfriend's coming to pick her up again today?"
"Probably," Clara smirked. "Some people just know how to climb."
Laughter.
The sound echoed in my chest like thunder.
Dane was there too — just at the edge of the crowd, his expression frozen between disbelief and horror.
And before I knew it, my feet were moving.
Dane's POV
"Jay—wait!"
Too late.
She was already storming across the courtyard, eyes blazing, every step deliberate and sharp.
Students turned, sensing the tension like blood in the water.
Clara straightened, her smug expression flickering for the first time. "Oh, look who it is."
"Hi," Jay said sweetly, voice low but shaking. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," Clara said, feigning innocence. "What about?"
Dane swallowed hard. He knew that tone. Jay wasn't here to talk.
She was here to end something.
Jay-Jay's POV
"What about?" I repeated, smiling — that polite, brittle smile that comes before a storm. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe about how you've been using my name like it's your new favorite word?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb, Clara. You've been spreading lies about me. About Keifer. About things you know nothing about."
Clara's eyes widened — then she laughed. "Lies? Jay, honey, calm down. I was just joking."
"Really?" My hands were trembling now. "Because your jokes ruined my week."
"Then maybe you shouldn't make yourself such an easy target."
The laughter from her group was like gasoline on an open flame.
Something inside me — something that had been holding itself together through every rumor, every whisper, every fake smile — finally broke.
And before I could stop myself—
SLAP.
The sound cracked through the courtyard like lightning.
Silence fell.
Even the birds went quiet.
Clara froze, one hand flying to her cheek.
I could feel everyone staring — hundreds of eyes, wide, shocked, disbelieving.
"Don't you ever," I said, voice low, trembling with fury, "use my name again. Not when you have no idea what it means to work for something. To earn something."
Clara's lips parted, but no sound came out.
Dane stepped forward, trying to defuse the tension. "Jay—"
But I wasn't done.
"You think you can make me small? That your words can define who I am?" I took a shaky breath. "You don't get to decide that. I do."
The crowd was still. Some students were recording, but I didn't care. Let them. Let the world see.
I turned to leave — but then Clara muttered, "No wonder he pities you."
I froze mid-step.
"What did you say?"
She smirked faintly. "You heard me. Keifer only sticks around because he feels sorry for you. Everyone knows it."
For a second, I saw red.
But instead of another slap, I did something worse.
I smiled.
"You really think pity feels like love?" I said softly. "Then you've clearly never been loved properly."
And I walked away.
Keifer's POV
The video hit social media within the hour.
By the time I arrived on campus, half the student body was buzzing.
I didn't need to see the footage — I already knew what happened.
Dane had texted me three words that made my stomach drop.
She slapped Clara.
Now I was standing at the gates, watching students scatter as I made my way through.
When I found Jay, she was sitting under the old acacia tree near the parking lot — her safe spot. Knees pulled to her chest, eyes red.
"Hey," I said quietly.
She didn't look up. "You saw?"
"I heard."
She laughed weakly. "Guess I'm famous now."
I sat beside her, not touching her yet. "You okay?"
"I don't know." She rubbed at her face. "It felt good. For like… a second. Then I realized everyone saw. And now I'm that girl who slapped someone in public."
"Jay," I murmured.
"I tried to ignore it," she went on. "I really did. But she just—she wouldn't stop. And the way she said your name like it was some kind of insult—"
That's when her voice broke.
I reached out, pulled her against me. She didn't resist.
Her head fit perfectly beneath my chin.
"Let them talk," I said. "Let them make noise. You stood up for yourself. You don't owe anyone an apology."
"I just…" Her voice was muffled. "I don't want to make things harder for you."
"You can't," I said simply. "Jay, there's nothing in this world that could make me ashamed of you."
Her breath hitched. "You mean that?"
"Every word."
We sat there in silence for a moment, the air heavy but calm.
Then she whispered, "You knew about the rumor, didn't you? Even before I told you."
I hesitated.
"Keif."
"Yeah," I admitted. "I knew."
"And?"
"I handled it."
Her head snapped up. "What does that mean?"
"It means," I said carefully, "you don't need to worry about Clara anymore."
There was something in his tone — something cold and final — that sent a shiver down my spine.
But I didn't ask. Not tonight.
Instead, I just leaned against him, watching the sun dip lower behind the buildings.
Dane's POV
Clara didn't show up to class the next day.
Rumor was, she'd been called into the dean's office. Something about "defamation" and "student conduct."
He didn't ask who reported her.He didn't have to.
Keifer had influence — not the flashy kind, but the quiet, dangerous kind that moved things behind the curtain.
Dane knew better than to interfere.
Still, he couldn't help but feel… conflicted.
He didn't condone what Clara did — not at all. But she was his sister. And watching her fall apart after Jay's slap, after whatever Keifer did next… it hurt in a way he couldn't explain.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
This was only the beginning.
Jay-Jay's POV
Monday came, and with it, silence.
No whispers.No laughter.Just space.
People still stared, but not with mockery — with something else. Maybe fear. Maybe respect.
When I walked into class, even my professor gave me a small nod.
And for the first time in weeks, I could breathe again.
At lunch, Dane approached me, tray in hand.
"Mind if I sit?"
"Sure."
He sat down carefully. "You okay?"
"Getting there."
He nodded. "She won't bother you again."
I looked at him. "You talked to her?"
"Sort of." His jaw tightened. "She's… grounded. And probably terrified of Keifer right now."
I blinked. "Wait, what?"
He shrugged. "He came by after school. Let's just say she got the message."
I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. "Oh my God, he didn't—"
"Don't worry. No one got hurt. Just… intimidated."
"That's not better!"
He laughed softly. "He loves you, Jay. Maybe too much."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I know."
That evening, Keifer came to pick me up again.
The usual smile was there, but his eyes — his eyes looked different.
Softer. Proud. Maybe even relieved.
"Hey, fighter," he teased as I climbed in.
"Don't start," I warned, cheeks warming.
"Too late. You're trending, you know."
"Please stop."
He chuckled, reaching over to brush a stray hair from my face. His thumb lingered just a second longer than necessary.
"You did good," he said. "You stood your ground."
"I nearly injured her badly."
"But you didn't."
I looked out the window, trying to hide the small smile tugging at my lips.
He leaned closer, voice low. "Next time someone messes with you, though, call me first."
"Next time?" I turned to him, eyebrow raised.
"Just saying," he said with a grin. "You've got quite the right hook."
I rolled my eyes. "That was a slap, Keif."
"Still counts."
We both laughed, the tension finally breaking.
And when he dropped me home, just before I stepped out, he caught my wrist gently.
"Jay."
"Yeah?"
He leaned in — close enough that I could feel his breath, smell the faint mix of mint and rain.
"You don't have to fight alone anymore."
Then he pressed a soft kiss on my lips.
Warm. Steady. Unshakable.
And in that moment, I realized — this wasn't the end of a fight.
It was just the beginning of a bigger one.