Adrian's POV
Walking into the Section E building should have been a simple, quiet affair after yesterday's chaos. Simple? Yeah, right. As soon as Yuri set Ciel down, the teasing started. Hard. Relentless.
"Hey, Ciel, are you sure you're not here to spy on Adrian?" Rory called, nudging her with a smirk.
Ciel's cheeks turned pink, but she just grinned. "I'm just… helping him… manage his… uh… fame!"
Manage his fame? More like manage me losing my mind from embarrassment, I thought. Great. That was exactly what I needed — public humiliation first thing in the morning.
Calix leaned close. "Bro, she's blushing. Admit it, you like the attention."
I groaned. Do I look like I enjoy this? I could feel my ears burning. "Shut up, all of you."
Yuri, ever the troublemaker, smirked at Ciel. "Are you sure you're not staying over because… he's here?"
Ciel shot him a playful glare, then winked at me. Why does she have to do that? I froze, blinking, unsure whether to laugh or run.
"And," she continued, ignoring the boys, "since you're training after school, Adrian… you have to come too. Walk home with me, and you can watch us practice."
She wants me to watch them? My brain short-circuited for a second. I wanted to protest, but what could I say? "Uh… sure," I mumbled, trying to act casual while feeling my face heat up. Great, now I'm the official spectator… wonderful.
The boys weren't letting me off easy. Blaster leaned in. "Look at you, superstar. You're practically glued to her every move now!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Yes, because that's exactly what I wanted — my life becoming a rom-com with a live audience.
Kit chuckled. "Better get used to it. Tomorrow's game is going to be full-on chaos, and she's probably going to egg you on the whole time."
Ciel, meanwhile, looked at me with that mischievous glint in her eyes, making my stomach do somersaults. What is she planning now?
I gave her the weirdest look possible. "You're up to something."
Her smile widened. "Maybe."
As we walked to class, the teasing bounced around like a relentless ping-pong game. Every glance, every smirk, every joke felt like it was aimed at me — and half the time, it probably was.
But… somehow, it was hard to be annoyed when Ciel's laugh cut through the chaos.
Kiefer's POV
Adrian looked like he was about to explode, but honestly, it was hilarious. The way he flinched at every little joke — especially from Ciel — made the room feel alive.
"So tomorrow's the inter-section basketball game," I said, trying to regain some order. "Each section needs five players. Who's in?"
Yuri, Mayo, Felix, Rory, and Kit were the obvious choices. Nod, nod, nod. Done.
"Training starts after school," I added. "No excuses. Adrian, you're coming too."
He groaned audibly, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he muttered, but the twitch in his eye said he was still calculating how to survive the teasing.
Ciel piped up, leaning toward Adrian with a grin. "See? Told you I'd watch. Walk home with me, and you can check out our practice."
Yuri raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Are you sure it's just the game you're interested in?"
Ciel waved him off, still smiling slyly. "Just the game, Yuri. Now let's not make him more nervous than he already is."
I caught Adrian's death-glare toward her, which made everyone else laugh even harder. This was going to be fun — chaotic, teasing, and slightly dangerous for his sanity.
Jayjay's POV
After leaving the basketball court, Kiefer and I walked toward his car, the crisp evening air buzzing with leftover festival energy.
"You think Adrian's going to survive?" I teased, bumping shoulders with him.
Kiefer grinned, eyes glinting. "With Ciel involved? Not a chance."
We laughed, teasing each other lightly as we drove. The conversation bounced between silly jokes, festival plans, and a little bit of… playful teasing about feelings. Small glances, soft smiles, gentle nudges. It was easy, comfortable, warm.
By the time we reached my house, I was laughing so much my cheeks hurt. Kiefer parked, and I hopped out. "Thanks for the ride!" I said, smiling.
Inside, I froze for a moment. My mom was standing there, a familiar presence filling the living room. I ran forward and threw my arms around her, squealing with excitement. "Mom!" she laughed, hugging me tightly back, and I felt all my stress melt away.
The rest of the family trickled in behind me, and even Kiefer gave a small wave, smiling warmly. "What are you doing here?" I asked my mom.
"I came back for the festival week," she said. "I'll be here for the final day when all the winners are announced."
I squealed in delight, my heart filling with happiness. After hugs and chatter, I finally went upstairs to my room, my excitement barely contained.
Just as I flopped onto my bed, my phone buzzed. Percy was calling.
"Hey," I answered.
"When will the festival end? When will they release the final results?" he asked, voice curious.
"Friday," I replied, grinning.
He paused. "Why?" No answer. Then, finally: "Okay, thank you." Click.
I leaned back, smiling to myself. Festival week was chaotic, teasing, and exhausting—but moments like this… moments like family… made it perfect.