Chapter: Promise Before the Stage
(Jay's POV)
Festival Day Two wasn't over yet.
Because the biggest event of the night was still waiting.
Battle of the Bands.
And guess who was representing Section E?
Of course.
Keifer Watson.
Lead guitarist.
Lead troublemaker.
Lead heart-problem creator.
The stage was set in the main courtyard. Lights flashing. Speakers testing. Students crowding in groups. Section A standing in neat rows. Section E pretending they weren't nervous.
I stood near the side of the stage, arms crossed, pretending I wasn't anxious.
Keifer's band members were tuning their instruments.
Blaster was hyping everyone up.
Denzel was screaming unnecessary encouragement.
Aries walked past me.
"You look tense," he said casually.
"I'm not."
"You're twisting your ring."
I immediately stopped moving my fingers.
He smirked slightly. "Relax. He's good."
"I know."
And I did.
Keifer stepped down from the stage briefly, scanning the crowd.
His eyes found me instantly.
Like always.
He walked straight toward me.
No hesitation.
No drama.
Just straight through the noise.
When he stopped in front of me, everything else felt quieter somehow.
"You look nervous," he said.
"I'm not," I replied immediately.
He leaned closer slightly. "You're a bad liar."
I rolled my eyes. "Focus on your performance."
He didn't move.
Instead, he stepped closer.
Too close.
"What if I win?" he asked softly.
"You'll brag for the next three years."
He smirked. "Obviously."
Then his expression shifted slightly.
Serious.
"But if I win…" he continued, lowering his voice, "I'm kissing you."
My brain short-circuited.
"In public?" I whispered sharply.
"Maybe."
"You're insane."
He tilted his head. "You don't want me to win?"
"That's not what I said."
He stepped even closer.
My back lightly hit the side wall of the stage structure.
I didn't even realize I had stepped back.
Until—
He placed one hand on the wall beside my head.
Pinning me there.
Not aggressive.
Not forceful.
But deliberate.
The noise of the crowd blurred.
"You think I'm joking?" he murmured.
My heart was beating way too fast.
"We're not even official," I said quietly.
"I know."
His other hand brushed lightly against my waist.
Not grabbing.
Just resting.
"You still care," he said.
It wasn't a question.
I swallowed.
"You're very confident."
"I'm very sure."
"Of what?"
His eyes softened just a little.
"That I want to win for you."
That hit harder than it should have.
I tried to keep my voice steady. "You should win for your band."
He smiled slightly. "I am."
His thumb traced lightly against the wall near my shoulder.
"But I'll kiss you for me."
My face was definitely red now.
"You can't just pin people to walls like this," I whispered.
"I can if they don't push me away."
He wasn't wrong.
And that realization made my stomach flip.
The crowd cheered loudly as another band finished.
We could hear Section E shouting from afar.
"KEIFER."
"SECTION E."
He leaned a little closer.
"So," he said softly, "when I win…"
I interrupted quickly, trying to regain control. "If."
"When," he corrected calmly.
"…you'll what?"
He looked straight into my eyes.
"I'll kiss your lips."
My breath hitched.
Not nose.
Not neck.
Lips.
I tried to sound brave.
"And if you lose?"
He smirked.
"I don't lose."
That arrogance.
That confidence.
It was annoying.
And attractive.
Which made it worse.
I pushed lightly against his chest. "Go. They're calling your name."
He didn't move immediately.
For a second, his forehead almost touched mine.
"We may not be official," he said quietly, "but don't ever think you're standing alone."
My chest tightened.
Because earlier that day, I had felt exactly that.
Alone.
He stepped back finally.
But before turning away, he leaned in and whispered near my ear—
"Get ready."
"For what?"
"For your victory kiss."
I stared at him in disbelief as he walked back toward the stage.
Section E surrounded him like bodyguards.
Aries appeared beside me again.
"You okay?" he asked.
I didn't trust my voice.
So I nodded.
He followed my gaze toward the stage.
Keifer grabbed his guitar.
The lights dimmed.
The crowd roared.
Aries crossed his arms calmly. "He's playing like he has something to prove."
I swallowed quietly.
"Yeah," I said softly.
"He does."
The first chord echoed through the speakers.
And as the music started—
Keifer looked straight at me.
Not at the judges.
Not at the crowd.
At me.
And suddenly—
That promise didn't feel like a joke anymore.