Chapter 57 - Serve

Jay-jay's POV

Two weeks!

We've been working at Eman's restaurant for two weeks. It was exhausting, but we were getting used to it. The price he paid for the ice cream was worth it. He cooked for us—fine dining! Even his brother knew about it. I told him to let me know if anything was wrong so he wouldn't get angry. He was okay with everything—except when it came to the late-night shifts. We barely had any free time.

"Jay! Clean up table two!" Yuri ordered.

Oh, daba? We were used to it! I followed the instruction and walked over to the table near the door. As I was heading there, I saw a car pulling up. Aries' car! And his classmates were with him. Just my luck.

I quickly took the tray with the plates and glasses to the kitchen and called out, "Guys! Aries' group is here!"

Everyone froze, waiting for Keifer to say something. But Eman spoke first.

"Don't mess with them!"

Please, just talk to him.

They all turned to Keifer, who was quietly staring at me.

"Eman's right. No one is going to start a fight!" Keifer shouted.

I quickly went back outside to take care of the other customers, but unfortunately, Aries' group seemed to be the only ones who needed service. No choice! The rest of the crew was busy. I took a deep breath and grabbed a menu.

I was about to greet them, but before I could say anything, Freya grinned and spoke first.

"O.M.G! So, it's true! You're actually a waitress!" she said, smiling.

I forced a smile back. Fake meets fake!

Just then, someone spilled a tray of water on their table. I assumed it was Yuri—he always did that. But when I turned, it was Keifer.

"Hahaha... Keifer? 😍

What the hell?!" Michael laughed, slapping the table.

The other customers turned to look, confused by the commotion. I noticed Kiko smirking at me like he had something to say.

Keifer looked at them with a poker face, but I could see the tension. He seemed so angry that Aries might end up in the hospital.

"Keifer... seriously? Are you okay?" Michael asked.

"I don't know..." Keifer replied blankly.

"What you saying my friends?"

Suddenly, he turned and directed the question toward someone approaching.

"B-why?"

Mica?!

Keifer was acting weird.

Michael's amused expression faded. It wasn't funny anymore.

"You're here too, Mica?" Freya asked.

Bobita!

"No! That's just a hologram!" I blurted out sarcastically.

Freya immediately raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Umm... I'll take your order," Mica interrupted.

"No! We want Jay and Keifer to serve us," Aries demanded.

I glanced at Keifer, waiting to see if he was okay with it. He simply replied, "Okay."

So, we stood there, waiting for their orders. It felt like they were deliberately teasing us.

I stole a glance at Yuri, who was busy talking to another customer. Ugh! I wish I was over there instead. Just then, Keifer stepped closer—way too close. What is happening?! Why is he standing so near?! My heart started pounding faster than ever. I couldn't move. I froze. I swallowed hard. Woah. Woah. Woah.

Keifer leaned in even closer and whispered, "Don't move."

AAARRGGHHH!!

His lips were way too close to mine. I blinked. Jusme! I could feel his breath, warm against my skin. I can't breathe! I need oxygen! Someone gets me an oxygen tank!

"Ehem."

Kiko cleared his throat, breaking the moment. We both turned to look at him, but Keifer still didn't step back.

Just wait a minute...!

"I'll have the Ultimate Burger," Kiko said, handing me the menu.

I took the menu and quickly jotted down his order, trying to calm down.

"I'll have the same, with bottomless iced tea," Michael added, handing back the menu.

Keifer wrote it down while I stood there, still trying to recover.

The rest of them ordered as well. Freya was being extra annoying, as expected. Aries requested extra chili. Some wanted their chicken half-cooked; others didn't want it overcooked. So much drama!

Keifer took the order slip to the kitchen. I returned the menus to the counter, only to realize Kiko had followed me.

"Jay..." he started. "...Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

I glanced at the wall clock. My shift was far from over. I couldn't leave my friends. They'd be mad at me.

"It has to be here. I'm still on duty," I replied.

Kiko sighed but nodded. No choice.

"I wish I could've spoken to you earlier. I haven't talked to Aries about this because I wanted to hear your answer first."

What? I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know someone was interested in me. Honestly? I felt flattered. I used to have a slight crush on Kiko, but it wasn't the same anymore. Maybe because so much has happened.

I glanced at Aries' table. Would I ever be able to make real friends with them?

"Kiko... I..."

"Is there a problem here?" David's voice cut through.

Kiko tensed.

Oh no! Are they going to fight?!

"Nothing—" I tried to stop it, but Kiko interrupted.

"Nothing. We were just talking," he said calmly.

David and Kiko locked eyes, sizing each other up. I looked around—people were watching. Please, don't start a fight!

"David, maybe you should head inside," I said, trying to break the tension.

"You too. You should go inside," he shot back.

"S-sure." I awkwardly scratched my head.

I could tell David didn't want to leave, but I wouldn't let him stay here alone.

"Jay... I'll wait for your answer," Kiko called after me.

I didn't reply. David and I walked into the kitchen.

"You're really flirting with Kiko?" David asked bluntly.

Some crew members overheard him. Suddenly, all eyes were on me.

"H-huh? No! I don't know!" I stammered.

David raised an eyebrow. "Do you like Kiko?"

Yuri, who was nearby, also turned to me.

"W-what...?"

"You do," Keifer said flatly.

I swallowed hard.

It's just a crush! That doesn't mean I'm into him!

"No... I don't have any intentions of going astray," I muttered.

I quickly left before they could ask more questions. When I got back to the counter, Mica was there setting up menus.

"Watch David," she whispered.

"Huh? Shouldn't I be watching Kiko?"

"No one told you about David and Kiko's fight before?"

Oh. Right! Kiko once mentioned knocking David down.

"I've heard about it, but I don't know the details," I admitted.

"I don't either. But Kiko has a scar on David's jaw," Mica said before leaving.

Now I was even more confused. What really happened between them? I had to find out.

There might be a sudden fight between the two. But David was smart—he probably wouldn't let Kiko bring him down just yet. I wished I knew what had happened between them and why they fought in the first place. One thing was certain: David wouldn't be able to get a job with all this going on.

I knew only one person who was willing to go to school even when things were difficult to explain.

"Ci-N! Let's take a break!" I called out.

He nodded and followed me. We exited through the back door, and I handed him the burger we had cooked.

"I have a question," I said, taking a bite.

"... About David and Kiko?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Did they fight?" I nodded again.

"I don't know," he answered before taking another bite of his burger.

Ugh! I hadn't even gotten any useful information yet.

"I just know that Kit and Eren complained about them. They talked to David, but we never found out what was discussed. Then we heard they were already at the old factory. By the time we got there, David's face was bleeding, and Kiko was holding a pipe."

My eyes widened. Wow! So, I did get some information. But why would Kiko do that? A fight was a fight, but this seemed serious.

I needed to talk to David or Kiko about this. No doubt, I was very intrigued by the whole situation.