Chapter 24
Days passed, and Miss Herrera continued to notice the change.
Kairi was back to her old self—or at least, a version of it.
She was in class every day, always on time.
She took notes diligently, participated when asked, even volunteering to answer questions.
At kahit minsan, tumatawa nang mahina kasama sina Zoe at Maya kapag may pagkakataon.
She was no longer staring off into space, no longer sneaking glances at the door as if debating whether to walk out.
At higit sa lahat—wala na si Alice sa tabi niya.
Dapat masaya si Miss Herrera. Dapat gumaan ang pakiramdam niya. Ito naman ang gusto niya, 'di ba? Na bumalik si Kairi sa dati. Na maging okay siya.
Pero bakit parang may nawala?
One afternoon, as Miss Herrera walked past the library, she caught sight of Kairi through the glass window.
She was sitting at a table, alone, reading. Her brows were slightly furrowed, lips pursed in concentration, completely absorbed in whatever book was in front of her. She took notes now and then, flipping the pages with an absentminded ease.
It reminded Miss Herrera of the first time she saw Kairi there. Pero noon, may kasama siya.
Noon, nandoon si Alice. Ngayon, mag-isa na lang si Kairi.
Miss Herrera stood frozen for a moment, just watching.
Kairi seemed at peace—content, even. There was no sadness in her posture, no tension in her shoulders. She wasn't avoiding anyone, wasn't escaping.
She was just...there.
Moving on.
Bago pa siya mapansin ni Kairi, Miss Herrera turned away.
She should be happy for her.
The change wasn't just in the library. It was everywhere.
The Kairi she knew was back. Or maybe, even better. Mas composed, mas focused. Pero isang bagay ang hindi nagbalik. Kairi no longer visited her after class. No lingering near her desk, no waiting outside the door, no stolen moments between lessons.
The only time they interacted now was during discussions, when Kairi answered questions with the same confidence as before. Hindi na siya nag-aalinlangan tumingin kay Miss Herrera, hindi na iniiwasan ang mga mata nito.
Pero may nagbago.
Dati, tuwing nagtatama ang mga mata nila, may bigat sa tingin ni Kairi. Parang may gustong itanong, may gustong sabihin pero hindi magawang ituloy. Now, there was none of that.
Now, when their eyes met, it lingered for just a second too long. Not cold. Not desperate. Just...steady.
Miss Herrera told herself that this was a good thing. That she should be proud.
Kairi had finally let go.
But deep inside, a quiet voice whispered—
Then why does it feel like I wanted this, but not like this?
Miss Herrera barely had time to react. Napatingin lang siya, automatic na tumango, and for a split second, her lips parted—parang may gusto siyang sabihin. Pero bago pa niya mahanap ang tamang sagot, Kairi was already walking away, her footsteps blending into the hallway noise.
Miss Herrera blinked. What just happened?
It wasn't just the fact na si Kairi ang unang bumati. It was how she did it—like it was the most natural thing in the world. No lingering stares, no hesitation, no trace of the girl who, just weeks ago, seemed unsure of how to act around her.
And it happened again.
In the stairwell, Kairi nodded at her with a simple, "Good afternoon, Miss."
And again.
And again.
Lagi.
Laging si Kairi ang nauuna. Laging kalmado. Laging magalang. Laging kontrolado.
At sa bawat pagkakataon, may kung anong kirot sa loob ni Miss Herrera—something unsettling.
Miss Herrera wasn't the type to believe in coincidences, pero lately, parang sinusubukan siya.
Nasa convenience store lang siya, standing in front of the refrigerated drinks section, scanning the rows of bottled coffee. Hindi naman siya usually namimili nang matagal, but today, she was taking her time. Baka pagod lang siya, or maybe she just needed the momentary silence.
She barely noticed anyone around her—hanggang sa may gumalaw sa peripheral vision niya.
A few feet away, Kairi was standing next to Maya, holding a bottle of soda, a mildly amused expression on her face as Maya gestured dramatically about something. They were talking—casual, effortless—so normal that for a second, Miss Herrera felt like an intruder in their moment.
Napaisip siya kung dapat ba siyang umalis agad, pretend she didn't see them. Pero bago pa siya makagalaw, Kairi's gaze lifted—at nagtagpo ang mga mata nila.
A brief pause.
Then, Kairi nodded.
Isang simpleng tango lang. Just a fleeting acknowledgment.
And after that, bumalik na siya kay Maya, continuing their conversation as if nothing happened. Miss Herrera, on the other hand, remained frozen. For a moment, parang nakalimutan niyang gumalaw.
Pinilit niyang bumalik sa ginagawa niya, acting as if she wasn't affected, pero sa buong oras na nasa convenience store siya, she was aware of Kairi's presence somewhere in the aisles.
The low hum of coffee machines, the rich scent of roasted beans hanging in the air—ito ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit gustong-gusto ni Miss Herrera ang mga coffee shop. Tahimik pero hindi masyadong isolated, just enough space from everything else.
She had just placed her order at the counter, pulling out her wallet, when she heard it—
Isang pamilyar na boses mula sa pick-up counter.
"Order for Kairi!"
Napatigil ang kamay niya sa wallet. Her gaze shifted automatically, like she had no control over it.
And there she was.
Kairi, suot ang casual clothes, looking more put together than before. Mas maaliwalas tingnan, na para bang tuluyan nang nabura ang bigat na matagal niyang bitbit. She grabbed her drink without any rush, casually thanking the barista.
Mukhang hindi niya napansin si Miss Herrera. At least, not at first. As Kairi turned toward the exit, her eyes flickered to the counter—catching Miss Herrera standing there.
A pause. A second too long.
Then, a polite smile.
"Enjoy your coffee, Miss."
And before Miss Herrera could even open her mouth, bago pa niya ma-process kung anong dapat niyang gawin, Kairi was already walking away. The bell above the door chimed softly as she left.
Miss Herrera stood there, frozen, staring at the empty space Kairi had just occupied. Then—
"Ma'am, here's your coffee."
Napapitlag siya nang iabot ng barista ang coffee niya. At doon niya lang napagtanto na hindi siya nakasagot.
Miss Herrera loved bookstores.
Tahimik, maaliwalas—unchanging. Isang lugar kung saan walang biglaang surprises, walang dapat iwasan. Just shelves upon shelves of stories waiting to be read, untouched by the chaos outside.
She exhaled softly as she trailed her fingers along the spines of neatly arranged books, scanning the titles with quiet interest. Then, she spotted one. A familiar name, an author she liked. She reached for it, fingertips brushing against the cover—
Only to pause mid-motion.
Another hand had appeared at the same time.
Miss Herrera froze.
Kairi.
She was standing just beside her, close enough that their arms almost touched, but not quite. Wala sa mukha nito ang kahit anong gulat. No hesitation, no awkwardness—just the same calm, unreadable expression she had carried for days now.
For a second, neither of them moved. Their fingers hovered inches apart, mere breaths away from touching, and yet, it felt farther than that.
Then, Kairi blinked once—slow, deliberate—before smoothly stepping back, subtly gesturing toward the book.
"Go ahead, Miss."
Miss Herrera hesitated.
Dapat ba niyang kunin? Hindi naman big deal, 'di ba? It was just a book. And yet, for some reason, it felt like accepting it meant something.
She shook the thought away, forcing herself to move.
"Thank you," she murmured, fingers closing around the spine of the book.
Kairi nodded, expression steady, before picking another book from the shelf—something completely different—at pagkatapos ay naglakad na siya palayo, effortlessly blending into the quiet atmosphere of the bookstore.
Miss Herrera watched her go, that odd tightness in her chest returning.
She turned the book over in her hands, staring at the cover—but her mind was stuck on something else entirely.