First period.
Everyone looked like they'd rather die than exist.
Especially David—already asleep on the desk and class hadn't even started.
I looked at the corner drew usually sits in and he wasnt there , Probably fixing things out with his family . .. after all he does need his time
Ci-N was drinking Yakult like it was medicine, staring at the board like he was solving physics in his head.
I was also thinking deeply.
…About food.
Mostly siomai. Maybe fries.
Food thoughts = brain on.
Rory tapped my shoulder.
"Jay. Focus. Phase one."
I blinked. "Food or mission?"
"Mission."
I nodded like that was obvious.
He handed me a thin envelope—simple, white, nothing dramatic.
"That's it?" I asked.
"Yes?" Rory said. "We're not making a telenovela. We just need Freya to get it."
Right.
Simple.
Clean.
Sneaky.
HALLWAY
We stepped outside just as Freya walked by, heading to Section A.
Freya always looks like she's walking somewhere important even if she's just going to the water dispenser.
She spotted me and paused like, why is Section E out here this early.
I held the envelope out.
"This is for you."
She stared at it first.
Then at me.
Then at the envelope again.
"…from who?"
I shrugged. "Someone."
I wasn't lying. We actually didn't put a name.
She took it slowly.
Careful.
Like it might contain a jump scare.
She opened it just enough to peek inside—
and for half a second, her expression softened.
Not a smile.
Just… something less sharp.
But then she cleared her throat, turned away, and walked.
Normal. Controlled.
Rory whispered, "She didn't throw it."
"That's… progress?" I said.
He nodded like a proud parent.
BACK IN SECTION E
David hadn't moved from his sleeping position.
At this point, I wasn't sure if he was asleep or just meditating through life.
Ci-N looked up from whatever math universe he lives in.
"Did she accept it?"
"Yeah," Rory said.
Ci-N nodded. "Statistically expected."
I didn't know what that meant, but I nodded too so I didn't look dumb.
Edrix walked in a few minutes later.
He looked around like something felt off.
Then he looked at me.
Then at Rory.
"You two are being quiet."
We froze.
Quiet = suspicious in Section E.
"What did you do?" he asked.
I opened my mouth. "Noth—"
He cut me off.
"Jay, you always sound like you're lying when you say 'nothing'."
Rude but true.
Before we could defend ourselves, Freya walked past the door on her way back to Section A.
She didn't look inside.
But she held the envelope in her hand, tucked neatly like she wasn't planning on throwing it away.
Edrix saw it.
His eyebrows almost flew off his face.
"Why does Freya have an envelope?"
Rory and I stared at the floor.
David snored.
Ci-N pretended to read but was definitely listening.
Edrix looked at us again, squinting.
"…What did you do?"
Rory whispered, "Abort mission."
I whispered, "Retreat."
We both slid to our seats like criminals.
Edrix didn't buy it.
He sat in front of us and kept staring.
Like he was waiting for the truth to crawl out on its own.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second period.
Sir wasn't even done writing the date on the board when Keifer suddenly stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked out.
Just like that.
No explanation.
No "sir, CR."
Nothing.
He just ghosted the room like he had somewhere more important to be.
Everyone looked for one second…
Then went back to whatever they were doing.
Except me.
I blinked at David. "He just… left??"
David shrugged. "Probably hungry."
I gasped. "Same."
But then I realized Keifer NEVER leaves in the middle of Sir Alvin's class.
Sir Alvin talks too much for anyone to even breathe, let alone exit.
I glanced at the door again.
"Should we check?" I whispered.
Ci-N didn't even look up from his notes. "He'll come back if he's alive."
David snored like that was the official diagnosis.
But I couldn't focus.
Sir Alvin's voice turned into background noise.
My brain was full of food AND Keifer leaving.
Which was confusing because food always wins.
Felix suddenly looked at me with the most annoying grin ever.
"Oh. My. Gosh."
I blinked. "What."
"You're WORRIED."
I stared at him. "No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
"No I'm—"
Calix turned around from the row in front. "Guys, Jay Jay misses Keifer."
"I DO NOT—"
Ci-N looked up. "According to my calculations, she does."
What are you a professor ?
David lifted his head from the desk. "She misses him," he said before falling back asleep.
And suddenly all fifteen boys were staring at me like they were watching a K-drama
Rory: "Ayy, our girl's in loooove."
Mayo: "Write that down, write that down."
Josh tapping his desk like a drum: "JAY MISSES KEEIFEEERRR~"
I buried my face in my hands.
"I literally just asked where he went."
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Worrying."
"STILL NOT—"
But once class ended, I didn't even pretend to pack slowly.
I shot up, grabbed my stuff, and made a beeline to the gate.
Rory jogged beside me. "You're actually going?"
"I just wanna check if he's okay."
Rory smirked. "That's exactly what someone who misses him would say."
I kicked him lightly. "Shut up."
AT KIEFER'S HOUSE
Rory stopped at the street corner.
"I'll wait here. Go. Confess your—"
I shoved him. "ONE MORE WORD AND I'M LEAVING YOU HERE."
I walked up to Keifer's gate slowly, trying not to look like a stalker.
Gate slightly open.
My stomach twisted a little.
(Also hungry. But different hunger.)
I knocked.
"Keifer?"
Silence.
I pushed the gate a little and peeked in.
"Jay Jay?"
My soul left for three seconds.
Keifer appeared at the doorway, hair messy, hoodie half-zipped, looking like he just woke up from a breakup and a nap at the same time.
I pointed at him.
"You left."
He rubbed his neck. "Yeah, uh… I'm sick. Didn't wanna stay in class."
But the way he said it…
Something felt off.
"Oh."
I tried to keep my voice normal, but the worry still slipped through.
Not dramatic — just… there.
Before I could even ask more, someone peeked behind him.
Honey.
Her perfect hair tied up, her tablet in her hand like she was running a whole company from Keifer's living room.
"Hii, Jay," she said gently. But her eyes flicked to Keifer like she was checking on him every five seconds.
Okay.
Something was definitely wrong.
Keifer stepped out, closing the door behind him a little too fast — like he didn't want me to see inside.
He frowned at me. "You walked all the way here?"
"No," I said. "I teleported."
He let out a weak laugh — tired, but not the normal kind of tired.
His eyes…
Red.
Not sick-red — worry-red.
I lowered my voice. "Keifer… how bad is it?"
He exhaled, looking away.
"It's not me."
Honey touched his arm lightly.
"She should probably know."
My whole brain froze.
"What happened?" I asked, suddenly more serious than I'd planned.
Keifer swallowed hard.
"It's Keigan," he said quietly. "He… he locked himself in a room. Since this morning."
My mouth fell open. "What? Why??"
"I don't know yet."
His voice cracked a little.
"He won't talk to any of us. Not me. Not Honey. Not even Keiren."
Honey nodded, her expression tight. "We've been trying everything. He's not opening the door at all."
And suddenly, all the teasing from school, all the chaos, all the jokes—
Gone.
Just this.
Raw, real, scary.
I stepped closer without thinking.
"What do you need?" I asked softly.
For the first time today, Keifer actually looked at me — really looked.
"Just… stay for a bit?"
Keifer leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded like he wanted to sleep for twenty hours straight.
Honey slipped back into the living room to get water, leaving us alone.
Great.
My social anxiety and his bad attitude were now roommates.
I cleared my throat.
"So… can I talk to him? Keigan?"
Keifer didn't look at me.
"No."
Cool. Amazing. Sensational.
Rejected in one word.
"Why not?" I asked.
"He doesn't like people," he said flatly.
"But I'm not people," I argued.
He raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you?"
"…a disappointment," I replied proudly.
His mouth twitched—like he didn't want to laugh but almost did.
Almost.
I stared down the hallway where Keigan was locked in.
"What actually happened?" I asked softly. "You said it wasn't just being sick."
Keifer hesitated.
And Keifer NEVER hesitates.
His jaw tightened.
"He panicked. Badly. Locked himself in that room and won't talk to anyone . Every time I try, he yells."
Something tugged in my chest.
"I get it," I said.
He scoffed. "No, you don't."
"I do," I said, voice lower.
"I used to lock myself in rooms too. For hours. Days sometimes."
He finally looked at me—really looked.
Not annoyed.
Not bored.
Just… surprised.
"Why?" he asked quietly.
"Why?" he asked quietly.
I laughed once, not the funny kind.
"Because the world felt too loud. Or I felt too wrong. Or both. So I hid."
Silence.
Then Keifer rubbed his face, sighing.
"He's not… okay."
"I know," I said. "I wasn't either."
He stared at me like he was seeing a different version of me—one that wasn't always loud and sarcasm and food cravings.
A softer one.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"How'd you stop hiding?"
"I didn't," I said. "Someone opened the door for me first."
Another silence.
A heavier one.
"Do you want me to try?" I said. "Talking to Keigan?"
He shook his head at first.
Then stopped.
Then shrugged, defeated.
"…He might listen to you more than me," he admitted quietly.
"He thinks I'm too… harsh."
"You are harsh," I said.
He glared.
"But you're also scared," I added.
It hit him.
Right in the feelings he pretends don't exist.
He didn't deny it.
"…Fine," Keifer muttered. "Try. If he screams at you, that's on you."
"Cool," I said. "If he throws something, that's on him."
Keifer actually snorted.
Then he led me to Keigan's door, knocking once.
"Keigan," he said. "Someone wants to talk to you."
Silence.
Then a soft, shaky:
"…Not you."
Keifer looked at me.
I took a deep breath.
Time to open someone else's door the way someone once opened mine.