The restaurant doors slid open with a soft ding, like it was about to witness chaos in HD.
Inside smelled like pure heaven: fried chicken, garlic butter pizza, steaming siomai, and desserts that made my brain short-circuit. The all-you-can-eat buffet had rows of stations: sushi, pasta, fried food, desserts… basically everything I'd dreamed of.
Section E stormed in like a pack of hungry wolves. David was still half-asleep but somehow had a plate in his hand. Rory and Edrix were loudly arguing over who got the best table for dessert scouting. Ci-N quietly surveyed the sushi station, calculating who might grab the shrimp first—but kept it all in his head, like a silent genius.
And then Section A appeared—Aries with his arm lazily over Ella, Mica pulling Calix along, and Freya glaring at everyone like we were all beneath her.
Then… Rakki.
She spotted Ci-N immediately. He froze for a second, pretending to check the dessert menu, though I could tell she caught him off guard.
"Ci-N," she said softly, "don't take all the shrimp."
He shrugged nonchalantly, "I wasn't planning to," while secretly adjusting his plate strategy in his head.
Percy, of course, couldn't leave it alone. He grabbed a tray and leaned toward Ci-N. "You're taking all the good stuff!"
Ci-N didn't answer—he just calmly picked a shrimp or two, like he didn't even notice Percy.
Percy huffed, trying to push him. Ci-N shifted slightly, enough to dodge, leaving Percy flustered and waving his arms.
I snorted, shoving a dumpling in my mouth. "Look at them. It's like watching toddlers fight over candy."
Rory elbowed me. "I love this chaos."
Aries groaned, "Can't they just eat quietly for five minutes?"
Ella leaned on him, whispering, "Where's the fun in that?"
Freya muttered under her breath, "Idiots."
Mica and Calix were whispering and plotting their dessert strategy, giggling like little conspirators.
And me? I was sitting next to Keifer, plate stacked dangerously high, heart full of food and the thrill of total buffet madness. Ci-N and Rakki quietly exchanged a few glances, Percy flailed, and the rest of Section E and A were all over the place.
The best part? There was still more food coming.
And I… could barely wait.
Section E and Section A were all over the buffet like it was the last supper. David was still half-asleep but somehow managed to pile dumplings like a pro. Rory was loudly complaining that someone took the last slice of pizza, and Edrix was trying to defend the dessert table like a general.
Ci-N quietly grabbed a few shrimp and placed them on his plate with precise efficiency. Rakki noticed and smiled, sliding a sushi roll toward him without saying a word. He caught it, just barely smirking, and set it neatly beside the shrimp. You'd never know the kid was fourteen and secretly a genius.
Percy, of course, saw this and immediately tried to hover over Ci-N, waving a fork in the air. "Hey! Save some shrimp for the rest of us!"
Ci-N didn't respond. He just casually rearranged his plate like he was unbothered—and Percy huffed like he'd lost a battle.
I, on the other hand, was busy stacking siomai, fries, and desserts on a plate that could've fed a small village. My eyes kept sneaking toward Keifer, who was watching me with that half-smile of his that made my heart do dumb things.
"You're piling that high, huh?" he said softly.
I shrugged, trying to act casual. "Yeah… you know… for efficiency."
He leaned a little closer, voice low. "If food was a test, you'd ace it. But… I'd still let you cheat."
I choked on my fries. "Excuse me?"
Keifer smirked. "You heard me. I'd let you cheat… just this once."
I nearly dropped my drink. "Who even says stuff like that?"
He shrugged, eyes locked on mine. "Someone who thinks your smile is worth more than all the shrimp in the world."
My brain short-circuited. I had to focus on the buffet before I melted entirely.
Meanwhile, Section E was chaos incarnate. Rory and Edrix were arm-wrestling over a plate of sushi, David was still snoring through it all, and Ci-N and Rakki were quietly exchanging small, secret smiles, completely ignoring the noise.
Freya stood off to the side, arms crossed, muttering under her breath about idiots everywhere. Mica and Calix were whispering and giggling at each other, plotting their next dessert heist.
And me? I was stuck somewhere between stealing a brownie and trying not to melt every time Keifer leaned a little closer.
The buffet staff probably wanted to cry.
But we didn't care.
We were in our element.
After the buffet chaos, everyone finally drifted home. Section E complained the whole way, Edrix groaned like his stomach was holding a rebellion, and Rory muttered about needing a nap before dinner. Ci-N quietly calculated how many calories he'd eaten—but kept it to himself, as always.
I got home, kicked off my shoes, and flopped onto my bed, half-full, half-hyper from sugar. My phone buzzed.
Keifer calling.
I blinked.
…okay.
I answered.
"Hello?"
"Jay-Jay." His voice, calm as ever, but there was something soft under it.
"Keifer," I said, trying to sound casual, even though my stomach suddenly felt like it was doing somersaults.
"I just… wanted to say something before I forget."
My heart did that stupid little jump. "Yeah?"
He took a deep breath. "I… love you. Until the scientists find the end of the universe."
I froze. And then… I giggled, the sound bubbling out before I could stop it. "I… love you too."
YES I HAD FINNALY CONFFESED TO HIM