The university hallway was a mess of students rushing to avoid the sudden afternoon downpour outside. In the middle of the corridor, an elderly janitor had accidentally knocked over a bucket of soapy water, and a group of freshmen were laughing as they hopped over the spill.
Without a second thought, Jay stepped out of the flow of traffic.
"Mang Jose, let me help you with that," she said, her voice warm and steady. She grabbed a "Caution" sign from the nearby wall and began helping the old man mop the floor, all while maintaining that bright, effortless smile.
From a few feet away, leaning against a locker with Sandro and Paolo, Keifer watched her.
"See? I told you," Paolo whispered, nudging Keifer.
"She's like a saint. Most girls would be worried about their shoes getting wet. She just dives in."
Keifer didn't answer. He was watching the way Jay's brow furrowed slightly—a tiny crack in her perfect expression—before she smoothed it over with another laugh as she handed the mop back to the janitor.
He found himself mesmerized. In his world, everyone wanted something. His friends wanted his status, girls wanted his attention, and his father wanted his obedience.
But Jay? She just seemed to want everyone else to be okay. It was both beautiful and incredibly frustrating.
"Hey, Partner!" Keifer called out as Jay finished. He jogged over, his basketball shorts swishing.
"You're late for our 'study' session. And by study, I mean watching me eat fries while you explain what Actus Reus means."
Jay wiped her hands on her jeans and turned to him. "Patience, Watson. Kindness doesn't have a schedule."
"Neither does my stomach," he joked, falling into step beside her.
As they walked toward the student lounge, a girl from the cheering squad, Cheska, suddenly appeared. She was dressed in a trendy cropped top and had a look of ownership on her face. She immediately latched onto Keifer's arm.
"Keifer! You missed practice! My dad is asking if you're coming over for dinner tonight," Cheska said, her voice high-pitched and "sticky." She didn't even acknowledge Jay's presence.
Keifer gently unhooked his arm, though his tone remained light.
"Can't, Cheska. I have a date with a Law book and my partner here."
Cheska finally looked at Jay, her eyes scanning Jay's simple t-shirt and tied-back hair with disdain.
"Oh. The scholar. Well, don't keep him too long. He has better things to do than read."
Jay didn't flinch. She didn't even look annoyed. She just gave Cheska a dazzling, polite smile.
"Don't worry, Cheska. I'll make sure he's productive."
As Cheska strutted away, Keifer looked at Jay curiously. "You're not going to say anything? She was pretty rude to you."
Jay just shrugged, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "People are usually rude when they're insecure, Keifer. Why would I add more negativity to the world?"
"You're weird, Mariano," Keifer muttered, but there was a new note of respect in his voice.
They reached a quiet bench in the corner of the lounge. As Jay opened her laptop, the sky outside turned a bruised purple, and a low rumble of thunder shook the windows. The lights in the lounge flickered for a second.
Keifer noticed Jay's breath hitch. Her fingers, which had been moving gracefully across the keyboard, suddenly froze.
"You okay?" he asked, his joking tone vanishing.
Jay blinked rapidly, her smile returning so fast it almost looked painful. "Of course! Just... a bit tired. Now, let's talk about the difference between civil and criminal liability."
Keifer let it go, but he didn't miss the way she gripped her pen until her knuckles turned white.
He realized then that while Jay was busy solving everyone else's chaos, she was carrying a silent storm of her own.
And for the first time, Mark Keifer Watson wasn't just amused. He was concerned.