Chapter 7
Jayjay's POV
I barely slept.
Again.
But this time, it wasn't because of pressure. Or grades. Or fear of being second.
It was the debate.
Today, I'd be standing in front of the whole class — next to Keifer — arguing an economic model we both knew like the backs of our hands, but in very different ways.
He was confident. Laid-back. The type who smirked his way through contradictions.
I was composed. Calculated. The type who planned three counters in advance.
And yet — I was spiraling.
By the time I reached the mirror that morning, my eyes were bloodshot. My hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. My thoughts kept screaming what if I mess this up what if I look weak what if he wins what if—
I took a deep breath.
Straightened my blazer.
You've been worse than this and still survived. Walk in. Breathe. Destroy.
The classroom was packed.
Miss Reyes sat near the front, arms crossed, notebook in hand.
The rest of the class buzzed with excitement like it was Fight Night.
I stood beside Keifer at the podium, our cards in front of us, our glares locked and loaded.
He leaned toward me just before the debate started.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low. "You look... tired."
I didn't look at him. "I'm fine."
He didn't press. Just nodded — and the bell rang.
It was a war.
Words flew. Arguments clashed. Every time he spoke, I interrupted. Every time I countered, he pushed back. There were no stumbles, no soft moments, no kindness.
It was precision and fire.
And the class? Ate it up.
At one point, Keifer smirked and said, "You're so determined to win you forgot we're on the same side."
I turned my head slowly. "Try harder and I might believe you're not dragging me down."
The room howled.
And Miss Reyes just sat there — amused, calm, quietly scribbling in her notebook like she was watching a rom-com unfold in real time.
When it was over, the room burst into applause.
We sat down. I could barely breathe. My heart was pounding. My notes were a mess.
I felt like I had just sprinted through a storm barefoot.
Keifer nudged me with his elbow. "You were brilliant."
I said nothing.
Because for a second, I didn't know whether to say thank you... or cry.
I didn't say a word after class.
Just packed up my things and left.
I walked alone until I heard footsteps behind me.
"Jay," Keifer called, catching up.
"I'm fine," I said, faster than necessary.
"You didn't eat lunch."
"I wasn't hungry."
He didn't push. Just walked beside me quietly.
We didn't talk. Didn't touch. Just... walked.
When we reached the gates near my dorm, he stopped.
"You don't always have to be fine, you know."
I didn't answer.
I just nodded and went inside.
An hour later, my phone exploded.
Group Chat: Section E 💥
Mica: "GUYS. I messed up."
Ci-n: "What did you do."
Freya: sends link
Mayo: screaming emoji
Edrix: "WE'RE VIRAL."
I opened the link.
They had posted a thread of the photos from the library, the park, and the classroom.
Keifer's glances. My expressions. The debate tension. The walk home.
Someone even caught the lip flicker moment.
The post was titled:
"Academic rivals who accidentally act like soulmates: a Jayfer thread 📚❤️"
And it had 3,000 retweets.
#Jayfer was trending.
People were making fan edits. Theories. Writing captions like "he looks at her like she's the essay he never wants to end."
I slammed my head into my desk.
"I'm going to change my name and live in a forest."
In class the next day, Miss Reyes stood in front of the board. Calm. Composed.
"I want everyone to prepare," she said. "Something important is coming up. You won't know what it is yet. But when it arrives, you'll need to be ready — personally, academically... emotionally."
Her eyes met mine. Then flicked to Keifer.
I swallowed.
I was spiraling again.
But this time, it didn't feel like I was falling alone.