(Keifer's Point of View)
The sound of the morning bell hit like a warning again.
It's funny how it always rings the same, but every day feels different.
I got to school earlier than usual.
Maybe because I didn't want to walk in with Jayjay today.
She said she was helping Ci-N with something, but honestly, I just needed a quiet start — something I rarely got anymore.
When I stepped into the classroom, Adrian was already there.
Sitting in Jayjay's seat.
He looked up when I came in. "Morning."
"Hey," I said flatly, putting my bag down beside his.
It wasn't anger. Just… observation.
He didn't seem to care that he was sitting in her spot. Most people wouldn't dare.
"Jayjay's always early," I muttered.
"I know," he said, not looking up from his notebook. "She texted Ciel. Said she'd be a bit late."
Of course she did. Ciel. That girl was already acting like she'd been here for years.
When Jayjay finally came in, smiling as always, something eased in me — like the day could start now.
"Morning!" she chirped, dropping her books on her desk.
"Morning," I replied.
She grinned. "Wow, no sarcasm? You okay?"
"I'm fine."
Ciel peeked from behind her. "You two fight when I'm not around?"
"No," Jayjay said quickly.
"Yes," I said at the same time.
The two girls burst out laughing, and even Adrian smiled.
I didn't miss how his eyes softened when Jayjay laughed.
It wasn't creepy — it was quiet. Like he was just… noticing.
Later that day, we got assigned a group project — pairs.
And of course, our teacher decided to mix things up.
"Keifer and Adrian."
The class reacted like someone had dropped a bomb.
Ciel: "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Jayjay: "You sure about that, ma'am?"
Teacher: "Completely sure. Maybe they'll learn something from each other."
Jayjay gave me a look. "Don't scare him."
I smirked. "I won't."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I'm not easily scared."
"Good," I said. "You'll fit right in, then."
We worked in the library after school. It was quiet — too quiet.
Adrian wasn't talkative, but he wasn't awkward either.
He read, wrote notes, then looked up.
"You're close to Jayjay."
I didn't look at him. "Yeah."
"She's… strong."
I nodded. "She had to be."
He didn't ask anything else. Just went back to writing.
That's when I realized — he didn't want gossip. He wanted to understand.
And weirdly, I respected that.
An hour later, Ci-N and Ciel barged in, carrying chips and drinks.
"Library party!" Ci-N yelled before getting shushed by the librarian.
Ciel giggled. "We brought snacks for our hardworking geniuses."
Adrian sighed but smiled. "You're supposed to be doing your own project."
"Yeah," Ciel said, "but ours is boring. Yours looks intense."
Ci-N peeked at our notes. "You guys are writing like detectives. Chill."
I pushed him away lightly. "Some of us like good grades."
Jayjay walked in a few minutes later, holding a milk tea. "And some of us bring refreshments."
"Finally," I said, taking it from her.
"That's mine!"
I shrugged. "Too late."
Adrian actually laughed this time — a small, real laugh that made everyone pause.
He didn't laugh often, but when he did, it filled the space.
That evening, while we all packed up, Adrian said something that stuck.
"You and Jayjay… you're lucky," he said quietly.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He zipped his bag. "You have something most people lose before they realize it's real."
I didn't know how to respond to that.
Maybe because deep down, I knew what he meant.
Jayjay wasn't just someone I liked — she was my calm, my reason to stay grounded when everything else was chaos.
And for the first time, I realized Adrian wasn't a threat.
He was just another person trying to hold himself together.
"Hey," I said before he left. "You ever need someone to talk to — about school or whatever — I'm around."
He gave a short nod. "Thanks. Same to you."
We didn't say it, but I think that was the start of a real friendship.
Group Chat Later That Night:
Ciel: KEIFER AND ADRIAN ARE BUDDIES NOW 😱
Jayjay: omg really? 😭
Ci-N: wait what dimension is this
Adrian: apparently the one where
Keifer steals milk tea
Keifer: still not sorry
Jayjay: he'll regret it tomorrow 💅
That night, lying in bed, I scrolled through our chat and smiled.
Things were starting to feel normal again.
Maybe too normal.
Because I couldn't shake this quiet feeling — that the peace we had now…
was the kind that comes right before another storm.