--: Author's POV: -- (A/N:- I'll try to post pic in the comments for the gifts)
The group sat in a wide circle on the grass of the Manila Baywalk. The sunset turned the sky into a brilliant orange, and the sea breeze cooled the humid air. Ci-N jumped into the center, acting as the master of ceremonies. "Alright, let's see the goods! One group at a time!"
RAKKI, CI-N, DAVID, AND EREN
--: Rakki's POV: --
I handed Ci-N a heavy box first. "For the biggest kid I know." He tore it open to find a Collector's Architecture Set. He let out a yelp of joy, holding it up like a trophy. "I'm building this tonight!"
Next was David. I gave him a distressed denim jacket with a custom patch. He put it on immediately, giving me a rare, cool smirk. "Perfect fit, Rakki. Thanks."
Finally, I gave Eren a designer messenger bag. He swung it over his shoulder and winked. "Finally, something as stylish as me!"
--: Author's POV: --
The boys didn't wait to strike back. Ci-N handed Rakki a garment bag containing a light pink gown, a full-length, one-shoulder dress featuring draped fabric, a ruched bodice, and a daring high slit.
David handed her a box of hand-painted artisanal chocolates.
Eren finished it off by draping a luxury silk scarf around her neck. "A beautiful girl needs a beautiful accessory," he teased, leaning in close.
Rakki turned a deep, bright shade of scarlet, her eyes darting away.
Seeing the blush, Ci-N immediately jumped between them, shoving Eren back by the shoulders. "Hey! Back off, Eren!" Ci-N barked, though his eyes were wide and comedic. "Stay away from Rakki! Don't you have enough girlfriends already? Go find one of your other fifty 'acquaintances' and leave ours alone!"
Eren burst out laughing, raising his hands in surrender. "Jealous much, Ci-N?"
" This kid is growing fast...hahaha" Percy chimmed in
"I'm not a kid you uncircumcised brat and I'm protecting the merchandise!" Ci-N huffed, making the whole group roar with laughter.
KANING, KAVIN, MJ, AND BLASTER
--: Author's POV: --
Kaning handed Kavin a handmade scrapbook. Kavin's usual smirk vanished as he flipped through the pages of their memories. He looked genuinely touched, his eyes lingering on a photo of them at the flower market. "It's Beautiful" was the only thing he managed to say.
Kaning then turned to MJ, handing him a professional action camera.
MJ cheered, already planning his next rooftop stunt. "Kaning! This is exactly what I needed!"
Kaning then reached for a specially wrapped box and handed it to Blaster.
"I heard from Jay-Jay that you're really into music producing," Kaning said with a warm smile. "So I found these studio-grade, noise-canceling monitor headphones."
Blaster's jaw dropped as he saw the brand. "No way! These are the best for mixing tracks! How did you know?"
"Jay-Jay told me it's your passion," Kaning replied. "I figured you needed the best gear for your beats."
Blaster let out a loud laugh, immediately putting them around his neck. "Kaning, you're officially my favorite person today! These are a game-changer!"
Kavin stood up and clipped diamond stud earrings onto Kaning. "To keep you sparkling," he murmured.
MJ gave her a beautiful designer backpack
And Blaster then presented her with a bucket hat.
MICA, CALIX, FELIX, AND DREW
Mica gifted Calix rare 'Grail' sneakers.
Calix nearly fell over in excitement, immediately checking the size.
"No way! How did you find these?"
Mica handed Felix and Drew high-end branded button-down shirts.
Felix and Drew nodded in approval, impressed by her taste.
"Clean. Very clean," Felix noted.
Calix presented Mica with a massive luxury makeup vault.
Felix gave her a A pair of designer sunglasses
And Drew gave her a charm bracelet with her name on it.
Mica squealed with delight, already swatching colors on her arm.
FREYA, EDRIX, EMAN, AND JOSH
Freya handed Edrix a heavy, sleek watch box. "To make sure you're never late for our dates," she teased. Edrix didn't say a word; he simply knelt down and opened a box containing a pair of staggering designer heels. "And these are to make sure you're always the tallest, most beautiful woman in the room."
Freya then gave Eman an apron with customised name and Section E written on it.
And gave a Josh trendy athletic gear.
Eman and Josh immediately started flexing, much to everyone's amusement.
Eman gave her Makeup pallete
And Josh gave her premium leather handbag.
GRACE, DENZEL, AND PERCY
Grace gave Denzel a custom leather belt. Denzel ran his hand over the leather, looking proud. "I'll wear this every day."
She gave Percy a vintage camera bag. Percy swung it over his shoulder. "Now I can carry all those extra memory cards in style!"
Grace then reached into a bag and pulled out a small, soft plush toy.
"I couldn't leave our little one out," Grace told the group, holding up the toy. "I'll give this to Grazel as soon as we get back to our house."
The group all let out a collective "aww" at the sight of the cute toy.
Denzel handed Grace a luxury skincare set.
Denzel then reached into his largest shopping bag and pulled out a tiny, ruffled designer dress. "I bought this for her," Denzel announced, showing the miniature outfit to everyone. "She has to look as stylish as her mom."
Percy added an instant photo printer to the pile of gifts. "This is so you can print out all the photos we take today and show them to her later," Percy said.
ELLA, ARIES, AND RORY
Ella handed Aries a premium leather wallet with a secret note inside.
Aries actually blushed, quickly stuffing the note into his pocket.
Ella gave Rory a pair of designer shades.
Rory put them on immediately. "How do I look? Like a movie star?"
Aries hauled over a massive professional makeup vault.
Rory added a silk scarf.
Ella laughed, "Now I can stay glamorous!"
GORYA, THYME, AND REN
Gorya handed Thyme a hand-knitted scarf. Thyme wrapped it around his neck immediately, ignoring the heat. "It's the best thing I've ever owned."
Gorya then gave Ren a professional sketching set.Ren gave her a gentle, appreciative smile. "Thank you, Gorya. This is perfect."
Thyme gave her a high-end DSLR camera. "Capture everything," he said.
Ren handed her a rare vintage vinyl record.
Gorya beamed, feeling the love from both of her boyfriend and her bestfriend.
JAY-JAY AND KEIFER
Jay-Jay reached into her bag and pulled out two different, high-end streetwear hoodies.
"I couldn't forget Keigan and Keiran," she said, holding them up for the group. "I'll give these to them when we get back; they're definitely going to love the streetwear vibe."
Jay-Jay then pulled out a third hoodie—a sleek, premium black one—and handed it shyly to Keifer.
Keifer took the fabric, raising an eyebrow as he looked at it. "Just one?" he asked, a playful, dangerous glint in his eyes. "No couple hoodies for us, Jay?"
Jay-Jay stuttered, her face already warming up. "I... I thought you'd prefer your own style..."
Keifer leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive hum that only she could hear. "It's okay. It's not like it matters anyway... since we're going to be sleeping in just one hoodie tonight."
Jay-Jay's brain momentarily short-circuited as her face turned a bright, hot crimson.
Keifer let out a dark, satisfied chuckle at her reaction before tucking the hoodie under his arm.
He watched her with a faint, knowing smirk, but his gaze intensified when she reached back into her bag for the something smaller.
Jay-Jay took a deep breath and pulled out a pair of hand-braided couple bracelets, intricate and dark.
She took Keifer's hand, her fingers trembling slightly as she tied the first one around his wrist.
"I made these myself," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. "So you're always connected to me, no matter where we are."
Keifer's expression, usually so guarded and sharp, softened into something profoundly tender as he looked down at the braid on his wrist.
"I'm never taking this off, Jay," he vowed, his voice low and thick with genuine emotion.
Jay-Jay then slid the second, identical bracelet onto her own wrist, the matching set serving as a silent, physical bond between them.
Keifer reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, velvet-lined box.
He took her left hand and slowly slid a shimmering silver promise ring onto her finger.
Jay-Jay gasped as she caught sight of the delicate engraving on the inside of the band: Jayfer.
"My promise, Jay. Always," he said, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made the rest of the world vanish.
Keifer then leaned in close, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear as he lowered his voice to a dark, dangerous velvet.
"The ring is for the world to see," he whispered. "But don't forget the black bag I left in the car. That's just for my eyes... when we're finally alone tonight."
Jay-Jay's entire face erupted into a shade of scarlet that put the sunset to shame.
She looked down at her lap, her heart hammering against her ribs, utterly unable to find her voice.
The group, catching the intimacy of the moment even if they couldn't hear the whisper, erupted in a deafening chorus of cheers and catcalls.
__________
"Alright!" Thyme shouted, standing up and dusting the grass off his pants to break the tension.
"The gifts are done, and the sun is officially gone. Let's head to the Walled City before the ghosts take all the good carriages!"
______
The group began to stand up, gathering their mountains of shopping bags as the streetlamps along the Baywalk flickered to life.
The laughter from the gift exchange was still ringing in the air as they started the long walk back toward the idling SUVs.
Jay-Jay walked beside Keifer, her fingers still tracing the "Jayfer" engraving on her new ring.
"I can't believe we spent so much time here," Kaning said, looking at the dark horizon. "We still had so much to see in Manila."
"Don't worry," Jay-Jay replied, offering a reassuring smile. "We'll show you everything after our trip."
"She's right," Keifer continued, looking at his friends. "We all need to head back to the mansion tonight to finalize our college forms."
--: Jay-Jay's POV: --
Just as we reached the cars, Ci-N suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as if he had forgotten something vital.
"Wait! Jay-Jay! I forgot the most important part!" Ci-N shouted, running toward me with a huge, mischievous grin.
I stopped and looked at him, confused. "What is it? Did you leave a gift at the park?"
"No!" Ci-N panted, skidding to a halt. "We all got our letters today. We're going to LSE with you!"
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at him, completely stunned. "What? All of you?"
"Even though some of us had lower percentages," Drew explained, beaming with pride. "The courses which we chosed weren't crowded, so we all got in!"
I looked over at the rest of Section E—
who were all nodding and grinning back at me.
The weight that had been sitting in my chest for weeks—the fear of being separated from them after graduation—instantly vanished.
"You're serious?" I asked, my voice cracking with pure happiness. "We're all going to be together in London?"
"You're stuck with us, Jay," Eren called out from the car door, laughing. "Section E doesn't break up that easily!"
A massive, genuine smile broke across my face, and for the first time all day, the stress of the Fernandez mansion felt like a distant memory.
I looked at Keifer, who was watching me with a satisfied expression, and I knew right then that this trip was only the beginning of our real adventure.
(A/N:- I really don't know a about LSE, I just added this because I didn't wanted to seperate them)