Jay POV
I honestly thought today would be peaceful.
I was wrong.
The moment Section E gathered for the Social Life Project, chaos started.
"FELIX!" Ci-N shouted.
"I didn't do anything!" Felix shouted back.
"Then why are you holding three sandwiches?"
Felix looked at the sandwiches.
Then at Ci-N.
Then back at the sandwiches.
"Evidence."
"Evidence for what?" Ci-N asked.
"That food exists."
I immediately nodded.
"Valid."
"THANK YOU, JAY!" Felix said dramatically.
Ci-N looked like he was about to resign from life.
Meanwhile Rory and Edrix were arguing over who would carry the project materials.
Drew was quietly doing actual work.
Mayo was writing notes.
Sir Alvin was trying very hard not to lose his patience.
A normal day.
"Everyone!" Sir Alvin said.
The whole group became quiet.
Well...
Almost quiet.
Felix was still chewing.
Sir Alvin pointed at him.
"Swallow first."
Felix immediately obeyed.
I almost laughed.
"Today you are gathering information for the Social Life Project," Sir Alvin said. "And if any of you create problems, your grades will suffer."
Everyone nodded seriously.
Then Felix raised his hand.
"Sir, does eating during research count as participation?"
"NO."
"Just asking."
A few hours later we were actually making progress.
Which was shocking.
Drew was interviewing people.
Ci-N was organizing information.
Rory was helping with photographs.
Even Edrix was behaving.
Then lunch time arrived.
The best part of the day.
Everyone gathered around a long table.
Food immediately appeared everywhere.
Sandwiches.
Rice meals.
Snacks.
Juice.
Everything.
I happily sat down.
Then Keifer sat beside me.
"Jay," Keifer said.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Eat your own lunch."
I blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Keifer pointed at my plate.
Then pointed at his.
I looked away.
"Those are unrelated matters."
Keifer laughed.
I quickly stole one fry.
"JAY."
"What?"
"You literally took it."
"It looked lonely."
Felix immediately pointed at me.
"SEE?"
"See what?" I asked.
"Food thief."
"I am not."
"You absolutely are."
I gasped.
"Betrayal."
A few minutes later everyone was eating.
And talking.
And laughing.
And making too much noise.
Normal Section E behavior.
"Can you all be quiet?" Mayo asked.
"No," Rory replied.
"Please?"
"No."
Edrix nodded.
"I support Rory."
Mayo looked offended.
Drew quietly continued eating.
Then Ci-N looked around.
"Where's Yuri?"
The table became slightly quieter.
I looked around too.
He wasn't here.
Strange.
Normally he would be with everyone.
Maybe he was helping Sir Alvin.
Maybe he was somewhere else.
I didn't think much about it.
After lunch we continued working.
The afternoon passed surprisingly fast.
For once, nobody got into serious trouble.
A miracle.
As I was organizing papers, Keifer walked over.
"You look tired."
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
"Because I am."
Keifer shook his head.
"Come with me for a minute."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
I rolled my eyes.
But followed him anyway.
A few minutes later we found a quiet spot behind the community center.
No shouting.
No Felix.
No chaos.
Peace.
I sat down on a bench.
Finally relaxing.
"Better?" Keifer asked.
"Much better."
"Good."
For a few moments neither of us spoke.
The breeze was nice.
Everything felt calm.
Too calm.
Then suddenly—
A door slammed.
Both of us looked up.
And froze.
Yuri.
He was standing there.
His expression looked strange.
Not angry.
Not happy.
Not joking.
Just...
Tired.
Very tired.
"Yuri?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
His eyes moved from me.
To Keifer.
Then back to me.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong
Jay POV
My heart nearly stopped when I saw what Yuri was holding.
"YURI!" I shouted.
My voice echoed through the room.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Yuri, what are you doing?" I asked.
My hands were shaking.
My entire body was shaking.
Keifer immediately stepped in front of me.
Protectively.
"Jay, stay behind me," Keifer said calmly.
"No!" I cried.
My eyes never left Yuri.
"First you wanted that engagement," I said. "And now this? How can you do this to your own best friend, Yuri?"
Yuri's expression twisted.
Pain.
Guilt.
Regret.
Everything was written across his face.
"Please," I begged.
"Yuri, please."
His hand trembled.
"Please don't do this."
Keifer remained calm.
Far calmer than either of us.
"Jay," Keifer said softly.
"Nothing is going to happen."
Yuri laughed bitterly.
A broken laugh.
"You don't understand."
His voice cracked.
"You don't understand anything."
"Then explain it," Keifer said.
Yuri looked at him.
Then at me.
Then away.
"I have to do it."
The words barely came out.
"I have to."
"Why?" Keifer asked.
"What mission?"
The room became silent.
Yuri closed his eyes.
I could see tears forming.
"Please," I whispered.
"If this is about me, then blame me."
My voice shook.
"If you're angry, be angry at me."
Yuri immediately looked at me.
"Jay—"
"Don't involve him."
I could barely breathe.
"Please."
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then suddenly—
Yuri's shoulders dropped.
The anger disappeared.
The fight disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
Leaving only exhaustion.
Only pain.
He looked completely broken.
Then he let go.
The object fell harmlessly to the floor.
A loud sound echoed through the room.
And Yuri immediately took a step forward.
Not toward Keifer.
Toward me.
As if he wanted to explain.
As if he wanted to apologize.
But before he could—
"Stay away."
Keifer's voice was cold.
Colder than I had ever heard before.
Yuri froze.
The room felt heavy.
Too heavy.
My vision suddenly blurred.
The stress.
The fear.
Everything hit me at once.
"Jay?" Keifer said.
I tried to answer.
But the room started spinning.
"Jay."
The last thing I heard was Keifer calling my name.
Then darkness.
Keifer POV
The moment I saw Jay sway on her feet, my heart stopped.
"Jay!" I said.
Before she could hit the floor, I caught her.
Her body went completely limp in my arms.
My chest tightened instantly.
"Jay," I said, shaking her shoulder gently.
No response.
"Jay, look at me."
Nothing.
The color had drained from her face.
For the first time in a very long time, panic hit me.
I immediately lifted her into my arms.
"Move," I said.
My voice came out colder than I intended.
Everyone stepped aside immediately.
I carried her straight toward the medical room.
"Keifer, what happened?" Rory asked.
"I don't know," I said.
"Is she okay?" Mayo asked.
"I said I don't know," I replied.
I hated how helpless I felt.
I hated seeing her like this.
I hated it.
The nurse quickly checked her while I stood beside the bed.
Every second felt like an hour.
Finally the nurse looked at me.
"She is okay."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"She is exhausted and dehydrated. She needs rest."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
The nurse left.
I looked at Jay sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Then my eyes moved toward the door.
Yuri.
He was standing there.
Silent.
Broken.
Looking like he hated himself.
Good.
Because right now I wasn't sure whether I wanted to listen to him or punch him.
Maybe both.
I walked outside and took out my phone.
Then I called Kuya Angelo.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Keifer?" Angelo said.
"What happened?"
I glanced through the glass window.
Jay was still asleep.
Then I explained everything.
The silence on the other side was terrifying.
"What?" Angelo finally said.
His voice turned dangerous.
"He did what?"
"I handled it," I said.
"You handled it?" Angelo asked.
"Keifer, are you serious right now?"
"I am."
Angelo let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm coming back."
"No," I said.
"What do you mean no?" Angelo asked.
"I said no."
There was silence.
Then he asked,
"Why?"
I looked toward Yuri again.
He was sitting alone on a bench.
His head lowered.
His shoulders shaking slightly.
Like he was barely holding himself together.
Then I sighed.
"Because something is wrong."
"What?" Angelo asked.
"I don't know yet," I admitted.
"But this isn't Yuri."
Angelo remained silent.
Finally he said,
"Fine."
"But if anything happens to Jay—"
"It won't," I said firmly.
"I promise."
The call ended.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
Then I walked back inside.
The whole Section E was already there.
Felix.
Rory.
Mayo.
Ci-N.
Edrix.
Drew.
Everyone.
All looking worried.
"Is Jay okay?" Felix asked.
Ci-in looked he is ready to cry at any moment
"She's okay," I said.
"She got dehydrated."
Everyone visibly relaxed.
"Thank God," Rory said.
"She scared us."
I nodded.
"Let her rest."
Then suddenly—
A small groan came from the bed.
Everyone turned immediately.
Jay slowly opened her eyes.
"Why are you all looking at me?" she asked.
Felix pointed dramatically.
"Because you tried to give us heart attacks."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Jay rolled her eyes.
"Drama queen."
"Thank you," Felix said proudly.
The room immediately filled with laughter.
For the first time since everything happened, the tension eased.
A little.
Just a little.
Then my eyes moved toward the door again.
Yuri was still standing there.
Silent.
Watching.
Guilty.
Broken.
And somehow...
I knew the real story hadn't even started yet.
Jay POV
The room slowly became quiet.
One by one, everyone stopped talking.
I was still sitting on the bed while Keifer stood beside me.
Nobody noticed when Yuri quietly stepped inside.
Nobody except me.
He looked horrible.
His eyes were red.
His hair was messy.
And for the first time since I met him...
He looked completely lost.
"Yuri?" I said softly.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he kept staring at the floor.
The room felt heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Silent.
Finally, Keifer spoke.
"What happened, Yuri?"
Yuri laughed weakly.
Not his usual laugh.
A broken one.
"You still care enough to ask?"
Keifer crossed his arms.
"You are my friend."
Yuri immediately looked away.
Those words seemed to hurt him.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then Yuri suddenly sat down on the chair nearby.
His hands covered his face.
And then—
"I am tired."
My heart clenched.
Yuri never admitted weakness.
Never.
But right now...
He sounded exhausted.
"Tired of what?" I asked.
Yuri lowered his hands.
Everything in his expression screamed pain.
"Everything."
Silence.
Then he laughed again.
"I messed everything up."
"No," I said immediately.
"You don't understand," Yuri said.
His voice cracked.
"No one understands."
Keifer remained calm.
"Then help us understand."
Yuri looked at him.
Then at me.
Then back at him.
And suddenly his eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't want any of this."
The room became completely silent.
"I didn't want the engagement."
"I didn't want the fights."
"I didn't want the Hit List."
My stomach twisted.
Yuri looked down.
"I wanted everything to stop."
"Then why didn't you tell us?" I asked.
Yuri laughed bitterly.
"Because I thought I could handle it myself."
He wiped his eyes quickly.
"But I can't."
Keifer slowly pulled a chair and sat down across from him.
For the first time, neither of them looked angry.
Just tired.
"Start from the beginning," Keifer said.
Yuri nodded.
For a moment he couldn't speak.
Then finally—
"It started with my mother."
Both of us froze.
"My mother is in trouble."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"And I was told that if I didn't obey..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
I felt my chest tighten.
Yuri looked completely shattered.
"I was scared."
The confession left his mouth quietly.
But it hit harder than any shout.
"I was terrified."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"I didn't know what to do."
I immediately stood up.
Then walked toward him.
Yuri looked surprised.
Before he could react, I hugged him.
Tightly.
For a second he froze.
Then his shoulders started shaking.
And all the emotions he had been holding back finally broke free.
"I am sorry," Yuri whispered.
"I am so sorry."
I closed my eyes.
"You're an idiot."
A weak laugh escaped him.
"Yeah."
"You should have told us."
"I know."
"You made us worry."
"I know."
"You made Keifer angry."
Yuri immediately pointed toward Keifer.
"That one is scary."
Keifer rolled his eyes.
Despite everything...
A small smile appeared on my face.
For the first time that day...
The tension eased.
Not completely.
But enough.
Because finally—
Yuri wasn't carrying everything alone anymore.
And for the first time...
The three of us were facing the truth together.
End of chapter
Ashdres for real
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