Academically Yours (Jayfer)

Chapter 26
Jayjay’s POV

It started with Bianca cornering me in our dorm.

Then Lumi joined.

Then Freya.

Then Mica.

It was an ambush.

Bianca crossed her arms. “So. You and Keifer.”

“I’m sorry—what about us?”

Lumi sat on the desk. “Do you like him?”

“No.”

Freya raised a brow.

I sighed.

“I might.”

Silence.

Mica dropped her snack bag.

Lumi screamed into a pillow.

Freya fake-fainted onto the bed.

Bianca grabbed my shoulders. “You might? Babe, you stare at him like you want to throttle him and kiss him at the same time.”

I rubbed my face. “I don’t know how to like someone. I don’t know how to… want someone like that.”

They all softened.

Bianca reached out, squeezed my hand. “Start small. Just let yourself feel. You deserve that.”

The next day, Keifer and I met at the auditorium to finalize our co-CEO pitch.

It was late.

No one was supposed to be there.

Just us.

We ran through the slides. Debated word choices. Bickered about the layout. And slowly… moved closer.

He pointed something out on the screen behind me, and I turned — too fast — and our hands brushed.

I froze.

He didn’t move.

He was looking at me again — that look. The one that had been haunting me for weeks.

My throat tightened.

“You’re always looking at me like that,” I whispered.

“Like what?”

“Like you want me.”

He didn’t deny it.

Instead, he said, “Is that a problem?”

I swallowed. “I don’t know. I’ve never… I don’t know how to be touched. Not like that. Not without feeling like I’m doing something wrong.”

Keifer stepped closer.

Voice quiet. Careful. “Then tell me how.”

“I don’t know how to ask.”

He reached out, slowly — fingertips hovering just beside mine.

“You don’t have to ask.”

He brushed his fingers against the back of my hand — light. Gentle.

And I let him.

I didn’t move away.

I leaned in.

Just a little.

His eyes flicked to mine. Then to my lips.

“Jay,” he whispered.

I was already there.

And then—

We kissed.

Not explosive.

Not perfect.

Just real.

Shaky. Careful. Soft like we were afraid we’d ruin it.

And when we pulled apart—

Applause.

“WHAT THE—” I turned—

The curtain behind the side stage had pulled back.

Section E. Bianca. Lumi. Freya. Mica. Yuri. All of them.

Freya was filming. Yuri was crying. Edrix was doing a backflip.

Mica yelled, “FINALLY, YOU IDIOTS!”

Section E Groupchat
🧠 Freya: jayfer canon. they kissed. it’s over for all of us.
📸 Lumi: this one has the best lighting
🧢 Yuri: i believed in them since day one
🔥 Mica: I TOLD YOU THEY WERE ENDGAME
👑 Jayjay renamed the group to:
“i am deleting all of you from my life”

Later that night, Keifer walked me home.

He didn’t try to hold my hand.

But when I opened the door, I turned and whispered:

“I don’t know what this is yet.”

He nodded. “Me neither.”

“But… you can stay.”

His eyes softened.

“You sure?”

I hesitated.

Then reached out — barely brushing my pinky against his.

“I want to try.”