Jayfer : Fated hearts

Jay Jay held tightly onto Aries hand as they walked into the long hallway of their new school. At seven years old, Jay Jay had already learned to be careful, and Aries, at eight, followed her with trust and a hint of curiosity. Their kuya, Angelo, had just dropped them off, reminding Aries for the tenth time to "watch your sister, okay?"

Aries only sighed like an adult trapped in an eight-year-old's body.

But the moment they turned down the main hallway-

"STOP MAKING THAT FACE!"

"I'm literally not doing anything-"

"YES YOU ARE!"

A fight had already broken out. Three boys-Mark Keifer Watson, Yuri Hanamitchi, and Percy Rey Collins-were rolling on the floor like tiny tornadoes.

“Stay back, Aries,” Jay whispered, pulling him slightly aside.

But fate had other plans. A punch flew… and it hit Aries. His small body tumbled slightly before he regained balance. Furious, he ran forward to join the fight. Jay Jay grabbed his arm.

“Stop it! All of you!” she yelled, trying to separate them.

One boy stopped mid-punch. His eyes softened when they met hers, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Jay Jay didn't know it yet, but this boy, Keifer, had a crush on her even at this young age. He stepped back, lowering his fists.

The chaos didn’t last long. A stern voice rang through the hallway.

"ALL OF YOU. PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. NOW."

Jay Jay, Aries, Keifer, Percy, and Yuri trudged behind the teacher, their footsteps echoing in the silent hallway.

---

In the principal’s office, silence reigned… except for a whisper or two.

"Well... it's not our fault," Percy muttered, glancing at Keifer.

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Yeah... Keifer's going to get punished for sure. He's the one who started it!"

Before anyone could go further, “My big brother is coming,” Aries muttered nervously. “He’s… scary. He might punish you.”

Percy’s eyes widened. “Yes! I saw him this morning—he looks terrifying!”

Jay Jay frowned. “Stop badmouthing my kuya. He’s not scary—he’s just… protective.”

Keifer scoffed, arms crossed. “Whatever. Why would I get punished for this?”

"Yes, you did," Percy whispered. "You punched Yuri because you don't like his face."

"That's not-okay maybe," Keifer snapped.

The principal sighed and asked everyone to introduce themselves.

“Mark Keifer Watson,” said the boy who had started fighting, his tone confident.

“Yuri Hanamitchi,” muttered the next boy.

“Percy Rey Collins,” added another.

When it was Jay Jay’s turn, she glanced at Aries and said, “Jasper Jean Mariano, Jay Jay for short.”

“And this is my brother, Micheal Aries Fernandez.”

Instantly, Jay Jay smiled shyly. Keifer smiled back-too quickly, too obviously. Even as children, there was a spark of connection. The others, seeing this, slowly joined the circle.

---

Just then, the door opened. Angelo stepped in, his tall frame looming over them. His sharp gaze swept over the children as they were hiding behind Jay Jay.

So Jay Jay quickly explained, “Kuya, there was a fight in the hallway… we were just passing by…”

Angelo raised an eyebrow as Aries added, “…and a punch landed me.”

Jay Jay nodded vigorously. “I tried to stop it… only Keifer actually stopped fighting. The teacher separated the others, then they called you, Kuya.”

Angelo turned his gaze to the three troublemakers. Percy tried to explain:

“So… what really happened is… Keifer got irritated at Yuri’s facial expressions and punched him. I tried to separate them but accidentally hit Aries. Jay separated Keifer, but the others kept fighting. Then the principal called you.”

Angelo’s eyes narrowed, landing on Keifer. “Apologize.”

Keifer blinked... then shouted: "I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE!" He sprinted out of the office like a wild squirrel.

The principal sighed. "As usual. He's suspended."

Jay Jay sighed, rubbing her temples. She looked at Keifer and felt… something she didn’t yet understand. He was fiery, stubborn, but for some reason, she felt connected to him.

And just like that, the threads of fate began to weave, tying Keifer, Jay Jay, Aries, Percy, and Yuri together—forever.

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END OF CHAPTER 1

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Word counts: 683