JAY-JAY POV
The classroom slowly became emptier.
One by one, Section E started leaving with their guardians.
Parents yelling.
Older siblings lecturing.
Everyone pretending they weren't scared.
Normal morning chaos.
Cin got dragged out while still shouting,
"JAY-JAY DON'T FORGIVE KEIFER TOO FAST."
"I literally hate you."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT YOUR FACE SAYS."
The door closed before I could throw something at him.
Peace.
Finally.
Well…
almost.
Because Keifer was still there.
Leaning lazily against the wall with his bag beside him, looking completely calm while everyone else got picked up.
But nobody questioned it.
Not the principal.
Not Section E.
Because everyone already knew.
Keifer lived alone.
No parents.
No guardian.
Just him in that stupid huge house by himself.
And somehow…
he acted like that was normal.
The principal looked toward him briefly.
"You're heading home yourself?"
Keifer nodded once.
"Yeah."
Like always.
Simple.
Unbothered.
Like it didn't matter.
Yuri looked at him for a second before grabbing his own bag.
"Text when you get home."
Keifer smirked slightly.
"You sound like a worried mother."
"You almost fought six people yesterday."
"Fair point."
The boys laughed quietly.
But I stayed silent.
Because for some reason…
watching Keifer sit there alone while everyone else left felt strange.
Not sad exactly.
Just…
wrong.
Maybe because he flirted too much.
Laughed too much.
Smiled too much.
It was easy to forget he went home to nobody.
Then Tita Gema walked over to me, fixing my messy hair again.
"You ready to go, anak?"
"Yeah."
Aries was already waiting near the door looking impatient as always.
Kuya Angelo was talking to the principal quietly.
Everything felt normal.
But when I looked back again—
Keifer was already standing up to leave alone.
And for some annoying reason…
my chest tightened.
Then suddenly—
Keifer looked over at me.
Of course he did.
He always noticed when I stared.
That stupid smirk appeared immediately.
"What?" he asked lazily. "Miss me already?"
I rolled my eyes instantly.
"You're actually unbelievable."
"But you were looking at me."
"Because you look suspicious."
"That's not what your face said."
Annoying.
Absolutely annoying.
I crossed my arms.
"You flirt too much for someone who almost got suspended yesterday."
Keifer grabbed his jacket casually.
"And yet you still keep talking to me."
Before I could answer—
Aries suddenly called out:
"Jay-Jay. We're leaving."
"Coming."
I grabbed my bag quickly.
Then paused slightly before looking back at Keifer again.
Bad idea.
Because now he was looking at me softer.
Less teasing.
More real.
Which honestly made me more nervous than the flirting.
Then he smiled slightly.
"Bye, pretty girl."
My heartbeat betrayed me immediately.
I hated it.
Actually hated it.
Meanwhile Rory immediately screamed from the hallway:
"HE NEVER STOPS."
The boys started laughing again.
And I walked out before Keifer could say anything worse.
But even while leaving the classroom…
I still looked back one last time.
And there he was.
Standing alone.
Still smiling like nothing bothered him.
Even though everyone knew—
after all the chaos ended—
Keifer always went home by himself.
And somehow…
that thought stayed in my head the entire way home.
END OF CHAPTER 34