The next morning at the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Jay walked into the courtroom ready for another battle.
Files organized.
Hair perfect.
Confidence back.
Across the room, Mark Keifer Watson was already there.
Calm.
Focused.
Annoyingly composed as always.
Jay dropped her files on the table.
"Morning, Watson."
Keifer glanced up.
"Morning, Mariano."
Luke Reyes walked in right on time, coffee in hand.
"Good morning, my favorite courtroom enemies!"
Jay groaned.
"Your Honor."
Luke raised a finger.
"Yes?"
"Please stop calling us that."
Luke grinned.
"No."
Then he opened a folder.
"Now, for today's preparation session."
Jay immediately felt suspicious.
"Preparation session?"
Luke nodded happily.
"Yes. Since both of you are working on the same case material today…"
He pointed toward the hallway.
"You'll be using the preparation room together."
Jay blinked.
"…together?"
Keifer sighed.
Luke clapped.
"Have fun!"
The Preparation Room
The small room was quiet.
A table.
Two chairs.
Stacks of files.
Jay sat down on one side.
Keifer sat on the other.
Silence.
Jay opened a file.
Keifer opened another.
Five minutes passed.
Then Jay sighed.
"This is weird."
Keifer didn't look up.
"You're the one talking."
Jay glared at him.
"You're annoying even when silent."
"Thank you."
She rolled her eyes.
Outside the Door
Percy was crouching near the hallway corner.
Jane stood beside him.
"Percy."
"Yes."
"You look ridiculous."
Percy whispered dramatically,
"This is a stakeout."
Behind them, Keigan and Keiren were also hiding.
Keiren whispered,
"Kuya is trapped."
Keigan nodded.
"Ate Jay too."
Jane crossed her arms.
"If they kiss, I'm recording it."
Aries stood behind them.
Not crouching.
Not hiding.
Just watching the door.
Very seriously.
Inside the Room
Jay was flipping through a stack of papers.
Then she noticed something.
A notebook.
Old.
Worn.
She picked it up.
"Watson?"
Keifer looked up.
"What."
Jay opened the notebook.
Her eyebrows lifted.
"Why is my name written in here?"
Keifer froze.
Jay slowly turned the page.
More notes.
Law school notes.
Her name written next to arguments.
Next to case ideas.
Jay blinked.
"…you studied my arguments?"
Keifer rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe."
Jay stared at him.
"Since when?"
Keifer shrugged.
"First year."
Jay nearly dropped the notebook.
"FIRST YEAR?"
"You were competition."
Jay narrowed her eyes.
"You hated me."
"I still do."
She pointed at the notebook.
"This says otherwise."
Keifer leaned back slightly.
"You were good."
Jay blinked again.
"…is that a compliment?"
"Don't get used to it."
Jay smirked slightly.
"Wow."
He frowned.
"What."
"You've been obsessed with beating me for years."
Keifer sighed.
"That's not obsession."
Jay grinned.
"That's exactly what obsession sounds like."
Keifer opened his mouth to respond—
But the door suddenly clicked.
Locked.
Both of them froze.
Jay stood up.
"…did that just lock?"
Keifer walked over.
Tried the handle.
It didn't move.
Outside the hallway—
Luke Reyes walked past the group hiding there.
Percy jumped.
"Your Honor!"
Luke smiled innocently.
"Oh hello."
Jane pointed at the door.
"…did you lock them in?"
Luke sipped his coffee.
"Accidentally."
Percy grinned like a villain.
"Best accident ever."
Aries sighed.
Inside the room—
Jay crossed her arms.
"We're locked."
Keifer leaned against the door.
"Seems that way."
Jay sighed dramatically.
"This is your fault."
"How."
"You exist."
Keifer almost laughed.
Jay noticed.
And for a second…
She almost laughed too.
But neither admitted it.
Outside the door—
Percy whispered excitedly.
"THEY'RE TRAPPED."
Jane nodded.
"Romantic tension level: extreme."
Keigan grinned.
"Kuya is doomed."
Keiren whispered proudly,
"Ate Jay is winning."
Aries crossed his arms again.
Still watching.
Still protective.
But even he could see it now.
Something between Jay and Keifer had changed.
And inside the locked room—
The rivalry that started in law school was slowly turning into something neither of them understood yet.