Jay POV
29 May — My Birthday
I woke up to my phone buzzing nonstop.
Messages.
Notifications.
Group chats exploding.
But before I could open any of them…
One message popped up on top.
📱 King of ulupongs ❤️ 🐍 :
Happy Birthday, Baby 😚😚
I blinked.
Checked the time.
12:01 AM.
I stared at the screen.
"…Of course he stayed awake."
I smiled like an idiot.
I typed back:
📱 You're the first one.
Almost immediately, 📱 he replied.
I know. I planned it.
I laughed quietly, hugging my pillow.
Then my phone rang.
King Of ulupongs ❤️ 🐍 calling.
I answered in a whisper, "You're crazy."
"Had to be first," he said. "It's your birthday."
"Did you set an alarm?"
"No."
"Then how—"
"I stayed up."
My heart melted a little.
"Happy Birthday, my love ," he said again, softer this time.
"Thank you," I whispered. "That means a lot."
"You're officially older now."
"Rude."
"You survived another year."
"Barely."
He laughed. "Make a wish."
"I already did."
"What?"
"I wished that you'd be the first person to say it."
There was silence.
Then he said quietly, "I'm glad I was."
Then he added softly, " I love you Jay until the scientist find the end of the universe."
I whispered back, " I love you too, Keifer."
I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling.
Best start to a birthday ever.
I woke up to the smell of cake.
Which was strange, because my mom only bakes when something important happens.
I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone.
More birthday messages.
More chaos.
Then I heard whispering outside my room.
And giggling.
Definitely suspicious.
I opened my door slowly.
And—
"SURPRISEEE!"
Confetti popped.
Balloons flew.
Someone shoved a party hat on my head.
I froze.
"…It's too early for this much happiness."
My mom hugged me first. "Happy Birthday, my girl."
Tita handed me a bouquet of pink flowers. "29th May miracle."
Aries stood there holding a cake that said Happy Birthday Troublemaker in messy icing.
Angelo was behind him with wrapped gift boxes.
"You people are insane," I said, smiling.
My mom lit the candles. "Make a wish."
I closed my eyes.
Made a secret wish.
And blew them out.
Everyone clapped like I'd won an award.
"Now gifts," Aries announced.
Kuya handed me a small box.
Inside was a silver bracelet with a tiny heart charm.
"So you don't forget we love you," he said.
I hugged him. "I won't."
Tita gave me a pastel notebook and pen set.
"For all your dramatic thoughts."
Accurate.
Then Aries handed me a neatly wrapped box.
"Open it," he said.
Inside was a soft hoodie in my favourite colour.
"So you stop stealing mine," he muttered.
I gasped. "This is better than yours."
He smirked. "Obviously."
My mom handed me the last gift.
A small envelope.
Inside was a handwritten letter and a photo of us together.
My eyes stung.
"Best gift ever," I whispered.
She kissed my forehead. "Happy 18th Birthday, Jay."
I looked around at everyone.
Messy kitchen.
Half-melted candles.
Confetti everywhere.
And my heart felt full.
Best morning ever.
Evening: The Get-Ready Chaos
My room looked like a makeup store exploded.
Dresses on the bed.
Shoes on the floor.
Hair tools everywhere.
Music blasting.
And four girls circling me like stylists on a mission.
Rakki clapped her hands. "Okay, birthday girl, SIT. You are not allowed to move."
"I was just going to grab water—"
"No," Mica said, pushing me onto the chair. "Hydration later. Beauty now."
Ella held up two dresses. "Pink or black?"
"Both?"
"Not an option," Freya said, already curling my hair.
Rakki chose the black dress. "This one. Trust me."( the same dress as Ashtine wore in Gabriella challenge )
Mica started doing my makeup. "Soft glam. Nothing dramatic."
I laughed. "You literally put glitter on my eyelids."
"Birthday rules," she replied.
Ella fixed my earrings. "Keifer is going to faint."
I froze. "Why did you say his name like that?"
Freya smirked. "Oh, she said his name."
"Stop it," I said, blushing.
Rakki spun me toward the mirror.
I barely recognized myself.
Hair softly curled.
Glossy lips.
Dress perfectly fitted.
"…Wow," I whispered.
Mica crossed her arms proudly. "We did that."
Ella grabbed my phone. "Group photo."
Flash.
Freya hugged me. "Happy Birthday, Jay."
My chest warmed.
"Thank you for making me look like a princess."
Rakki grinned. "You are a princess."
Mica added, "With attitude."
Ella laughed. "And mood swings."
I smiled at my reflection.
Best friends.
Best outfit.
Best birthday.
Now I was ready for the party.
Arrival at the Party (With Everyone I Love)
The car slowed down outside the venue.
Music floated through the open doors.
Fairy lights glowed like tiny stars.
I could hear laughter even before stepping out.
My heart started racing.
Mom fixed my hair one last time. "Birthday girl, ready?"
Tita smiled. "You look beautiful."
Aries opened the door dramatically. "Grand entrance."
Percy stepped out first, scanning the place like a security guard. "If anything goes wrong, I'm blaming the DJ."
I laughed. "Relax. It's my birthday, not a mission."
The moment I stepped inside—
"JAYJAY!"
Section E turned at once.
Balloons everywhere.
Confetti on the floor.
A giant banner that read:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR MUTYA
Rory clapped. "Finally!"
Felix added, "We were about to eat the cake."
Blaster whispered, "We still might."
Mica pulled me forward. "Birthday queen arriving!"
Then my family walked in behind me.
Mom waved.
Tita smiled proudly.
Aries high-fived Percy.
Angelo nodded at everyone like he approved the setup.
Cin whispered, "Your family is cooler than ours."
I grinned.
Keifer stood near the cake table.
He was looking damn sexy , hot and handsome in that black torso.
Control Jay , he is already yours... control.
The moment our eyes met—
He froze , eyes moving from my bottom to my top and then he smiled.
That soft, warm smile.
"You're late," he said.
"You're early," I replied.
He looked at my family, then back at me. "They came too?"
"Of course," I said. "It's my day."
He leaned closer. "You look amazing."
My cheeks burned.
"Happy Birthday, my love ," he said.
I smiled. "Thank you for being first."
Music grew louder.
Lights sparkled.
My friends gathered around.
My family stood close.
And suddenly…
This wasn't just a party.
It was love, laughter, and memories.
All in one room.
" Yuri's not here ? " I asked.
" He said , he will be back in two days ." Keifer replied.
Then I cut the cake and fed the first bite to Keifer , then my family and Section E.
After the cake-cutting chaos, frosting somehow ended up on Blaster's nose, Rory tried to steal a second slice, and Percy guarded the chocolate fountain like it was national treasure.
"Hey!" I laughed. "One at a time!"
Felix raised his hands. "We waited the whole day for this cake. No regrets."
Unforgettable Dance
Music shifted into a fast beat and suddenly Rakki grabbed my wrist.
"Dance floor. Now."
"I just ate cake!"
"Even better," Mica said. "Energy boost."
Before I could protest, Section E pulled me into the middle of the floor. Fairy lights sparkled above us. Someone turned up the volume. And suddenly everyone was jumping, laughing, spinning, and screaming lyrics.
Rory tried to copy a dance move from Blaster and failed horribly.
Edrix recorded it.
"For blackmail," he said calmly.
My mom clapped along from the table, shaking her head with a smile.
"Kids these days," she said, but she was laughing.
Keifer stood near the edge, watching us with that soft smile again.
I walked over. "Why aren't you dancing?"
"I'm enjoying the view," he said.
I crossed my arms. "That's not an answer."
He sighed dramatically and held out his hand.
"Fine. One song."
I took it.
The music slowed just a little. Nothing too serious. Just enough for swaying and laughing and stepping on each other's shoes.
"You're having a good birthday," he said.
"The best," I replied. "I didn't expect all of this."
"You deserve it," he said simply.
We were interrupted when Percy crashed into us.
"PHOTO TIME. Everyone. Now."
Groans filled the room.
But everyone gathered anyway.
Family. Friends. Section E. Balloons in the background. Cake crumbs on the table.
Flash.
One perfect moment frozen.
Gifts Time
Gift time turned into its own kind of chaos.
Ella clapped loudly. "ATTENTION EVERYONE. Birthday protocol. Gifts. Now."
Blaster groaned. "Finally. My arms are tired from carrying Jay's present."
I sat on the couch while everyone gathered around, phones already out for recording.
Rory handed me a big glittery bag first.
"Open mine. Mine is cool."
Inside was a fluffy teddy wearing a tiny party hat.
I laughed. "This is illegal levels of cute."
Felix added, "He named it."
Rory nodded proudly. "Sir Fluffington."
Next, Ci-n handed me a neatly wrapped box.
"Don't shake it," he warned.
I opened it carefully. Inside was a silver necklace with a small star pendant.
"For when you forget how bright you are," he said.
"…Why are you suddenly emotional?" I asked.
He shrugged. "It's your birthday. Don't make it weird."
David pushed forward with another box.
"Open mine before Percy steals the spotlight."
Inside was a mini instant camera.
"So you can stop using my phone to take pictures," he said. "And because you like memories."
I hugged him. "You're secretly sweet."
"Don't tell anyone."
Blaster handed me a gift bag next.
Inside: a cute bracelet set and a handwritten note.
"Emergency accessories," he said. "For bad days."
The rest of the Section E also give their gifts .
And then they all gave me a neatly wrapped gift box together.
Inside was our whole Section E photo frame .
The same one , we clicked on the Christmas .
My heart melted a little.
Then Rakki, Mica, Ella and Freya stepped forward together.
"We did a group gift," Rakki announced.
Inside was a scrapbook filled with photos, notes, stickers, and little memories written on every page.
Mica pointed. "Page 7 is when you tripped at the mall."
"Why is that documented?" I cried.
Ella laughed. "Because it's iconic."
Freya smiled. "Now you can never forget us."
I hugged all four of them at once.
"You're my favourite humans."
Kind of gift I was waiting for
The room was still buzzing from gift time when the DJ lowered the music.
The gift I wasn't ready for
Keifer cleared his throat.
Everyone turned.
Even Cin stopped chewing.
"Uh… can I have everyone's attention for a minute?" Keifer said.
Rory whispered, "Oh this is serious."
Ella's eyes widened. "Oh my God. OH MY GOD."
I looked at Keifer. "Why do you look like you're about to give a school speech?"
He laughed nervously. "Because I am."
He walked to the middle of the room. Percy slowly backed away with the camera already recording.
Keifer took a breath.
"Jay… today is your birthday. And everyone here knows how much you mean to all of us. But I just want to say what you mean to me."
The room went quiet.
My heart started racing.
He looked at me.
"When you laugh, everything feels lighter. When you're sad, I just want to fix it. When you're happy, it feels like I'm winning at life."
Rakki grabbed Mica's hand.
My mom covered her mouth.
Keifer reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
The entire room gasped.
Percy whispered, "NO WAY."
Keifer dropped to one knee.
My brain stopped working.
"Jay," he said softly, "you're my favourite person. My best day. My safe place. My chaos. My calm."
He opened the box.
Inside was a simple silver ring.
"On your birthday, I just want to ask… will you be mine? Will you be my fiance? "
Silence.
Then—
Freya screamed.
David shouted, "SAY YES."
Kit whispered, "If you say no I will faint."
I stared at Keifer, my eyes burning, my heart doing cartwheels.
"…You planned this," I whispered.
He smiled. "Of course I did."
Then he said ," So Jay , would you give me an official chance to call you JASPER JEAN MARIANO WATSON?"
I nodded. "Yes."
The room exploded.
Cheers. Clapping. Screaming. Confetti somehow appeared again.
Keifer stood up and slid the ring onto my finger.
"Happy Birthday, going to be Mrs. Watson," he said.
My voice shook. "Best gift ever."
He gave me a quick peck on my lips .
After he took a step back ,
My mom hugged me.
My friends tackled me.
Section E chanted ' Jayfer '.
And under fairy lights, surrounded by everyone I loved—
My birthday turned into the beginning of something unforgettable. 💍✨
The cheering lasted so long the DJ had to turn the music back up just so people could hear each other again.
Ella was crying.
Rakki was crying.
Mica pretended she wasn't crying.
Freya definitely was.
My mom hugged me so tight I could barely breathe.
"On your birthday?" she said softly. "You'll remember this forever."
Tita wiped her eyes. "He did it properly. On one knee and everything."
Aries stared at Keifer. "Bro… you had this planned for how long?"
Keifer shrugged. "Long enough to be terrified."
Angelo nodded in approval. "Respect."
Section E surrounded us like paparazzi.
Rory: "So when's the wedding?"
Felix: "Can I be best man?"
Blaster: "I called dibs on cake leftovers."
Mayo: "I got the whole thing on video. HD."
I looked at the ring on my finger, still not fully believing it was real.
Keifer leaned closer. "You okay?"
I laughed. "I think my soul left my body and came back."
"Good sign," he said.
The DJ switched to a slow song.
Ella gasped. "They're playing a couple song!"
Everyone started pushing us toward the dance floor.
"Go!" Rakki said. "Birthday girl and her man."
"Don't make it weird," I warned.
Too late.
Keifer placed one hand carefully on my waist, the other holding mine. We moved slowly, awkward at first, then easier.
"You're shaking," I said.
"So are you."
"Because you proposed in front of everyone."
"Worth it."
Fairy lights glowed above us. Phones flashed. My friends swayed around us.
For a moment, the noise faded.
It was just music.
Lights.
And the boy who stayed up till 12:01 just to say happy birthday first.
"You really surprised me," I said.
He smiled. "Mission accomplished."
When the song ended, everyone clapped like we'd performed on a stage.
Later, as the night wound down, I sat with my family and friends, opening late-night snacks and scrolling through the photos Percy and Felix took.
My birthday banner in the background.
Confetti in my hair.
Keifer on one knee.
My shocked face.
"That one's my favourite," Rakki said.
"Frame it," Freya added.
I leaned back, tired but happy.
Best morning.
Best party.
Best surprise.
And as the lights dimmed and laughter filled the room one last time, I knew—
This birthday wasn't just a celebration
+++++++++++++++++++
Keifer and Jay are officially engaged now 🎉 🎉
This is the longest chapter I have written till now with more than 2400 words so target will be big .
Next chapter Target : 15 comments ( one comment per person )