Chapter 35
The silence lingered—not awkward, not heavy this time. Nandiyan lang. Tahimik pero hindi mabigat. Hindi rin pilit. Just...present.
Kairi sat on the edge of the chair, her back no longer rigid, hands resting loosely sa lap niya. Wala na iyong tensyon sa balikat niya. She wasn't trying to win anything now. Just...be.
Across from her, Miss Herrera shifted. She reached for the stack of papers on her desk at nagsimulang ayusin ang mga ito into a single pile. Smooth, unhurried. The rustling of paper was the only sound between them for a moment.
Kairi tilted her head slightly. "Miss, are you done?"
Miss Herrera didn't look up right away. "I've been staring at the same paragraph for ten minutes."
Kairi raised a brow. "Why?"
Miss Herrera gave a small smile as she lined the pages against the desk edge. "Because someone was sitting across from me, glaring holes into my skull."
"I wasn't glaring," Kairi muttered.
"You were," Miss Herrera said, calm. "I couldn't focus."
Kairi leaned her elbow on the armrest. "You always look like you're focusing. Especially when he's around."
Napatigil si Miss Herrera sa pag-aayos ng papers.
"Kairi—"
"Miss, you know what's weird?" Kairi cut in, bago pa siya matapos. "Kapag walang ibang teachers, Sir Mark calls you Gianna. Just like that. Walang 'Ma'am,' walang 'Miss.' Just Gianna. Like you're close."
Miss Herrera's expression didn't change right away. She pressed the papers into a neat pile, her eyes focused on the desk.
"He does that sometimes," she said, voice neutral. "I don't always correct him."
"You don't correct him," Kairi repeated, narrowing her eyes.
Miss Herrera glanced up, meeting her gaze. "It doesn't mean anything."
"It sounds like something."
"I don't think it is."
"Ewan. Naiinis ako."
That made Miss Herrera blink—subtly startled. "Why?"
Kairi shrugged. "I don't know, Miss. Naiinis lang ako. Basta."
Miss Herrera studied her for a beat, then returned to the papers. "So, not jealousy."
"It's not," Kairi said too quickly.
Miss Herrera hummed. "Just righteous concern over faculty naming conventions."
"Exactly," Kairi said, deadpan.
A quiet laugh escaped Miss Herrera then—mahina lang, pero totoo.
Kairi glanced at her, mouth twitching despite herself. "He's annoying."
"He's polite."
"He's smug."
"He's helpful."
Kairi crossed her arms. "He tries too hard."
Miss Herrera glanced at her, amused now. "You're listing adjectives like you're building a case."
"I am," Kairi grumbled.
Miss Herrera leaned back sa upuan niya, folding her hands on the desk. "And what verdict are you hoping for?"
Kairi hesitated.
Then, soft—
"I don't like when people think they can be familiar with you like that. Like you're theirs."
Natigilan si Miss Herrera. Whatever comeback she had, nawala.
For a second, wala siyang nasabi. Tinitigan lang niya si Kairi.
"Kairi..." Her voice had changed again. Softer. Warmer. "No one here owns me. Not him. Not anyone."
Kairi looked at her sharply, but Miss Herrera held her gaze.
That silence returned—electric again, but not painful this time. Just thick with everything they both already knew.
Then Miss Herrera glanced at the clock and stood, slowly gathering the rest of her things.
"It's late," she said. "We should go."
Kairi didn't answer, but she stood up too.
They didn't speak as they moved around the room—Miss Herrera picking up her folder, Kairi slinging her bag over her shoulder again.
When they stepped out into the quiet hallway. The kind of quiet that came at the tail end of the day, when the last of the students had gone home, and the building exhaled.
They walked side by side.
Not touching. Not rushing.
Pero may bago. Hindi tense. Hindi rin mabigat.
Just real.
Like maybe—just maybe—tomorrow wouldn't feel so impossible.
The sun had already dipped below the skyline, casting a pale orange glow through the quiet school parking lot. Lumalalim na ang dilim, but the air felt calm. Miss Herrera clicked the car doors open with a soft beep.
Kairi shifted her weight, ready to speak, pero bago pa siya makapagsalita, Miss Herrera turned to her.
"I'll take you home," she said gently. "If you're ready."
Kairi blinked. The question had barely formed on her lips.
"Okay..." she said, trying not to sound too grateful. Medyo nahiya pa siyang ngumiti.
They got in. No music. Just the gentle hum of the engine, and the faint rustle of a folder being placed on the back seat. The city lights blurred past the windows, a slow parade of red tail lights and neon signs. The kind of traffic that made everything slow down without asking permission.
For a while, tahimik lang lang silang dalawa.
Then Miss Herrera's voice broke through the silence, casual but careful. "What's your plan for tomorrow?"
Kairi looked out the window, then leaned her head against the glass. "Hmm...matulog. Then kain. Then rehearse ng defense rebuttals habang naliligo."
"Sounds productive."
"Very."
Miss Herrera made a slow turn, her fingers light on the wheel. "Do you remember that local art exhibit we went to?"
Kairi glanced at her. "The one in that converted warehouse?"
"Yes. Well, " Miss Herrera continued. "The group that organized that exhibit is running a community program now. They're doing volunteer work this weekend. A sort of casual art session with kids from nearby barangays—just painting and crafts, nothing formal."
"Oh," Kairi said, sitting up slightly. "That sounds fun. And chaotic."
"It usually is."
There was a pause.
Then, soft—
"Would you like to come? If you're free during the day."
Kairi blinked. "You want me to—wait. As in, tumulong? Or like, manood lang?"
Miss Herrera shrugged. "Whatever you're comfortable with. It's not a requirement. But I think you'd be good at it."
Kairi nodded. "Sure, Miss. I mean, wala rin naman akong gagawin during daytime. We're saving the stress for nighttime."
Miss Herrera raised a brow. "Sleepover prep?"
"Research defense," Kairi confirmed. "We'll be practicing tomorrow night. Zoe and Maya are sleeping over para ma-finalize namin lahat before Monday."
Miss Herrera gave a quiet hum. "Right. The big day."
"You sound suspiciously calm about it," Kairi muttered.
"I'm not the one defending."
"Still. You're on the panel."
"I am."
"And gigisahin mo na naman kami."
Miss Herrera didn't deny it. "Only if you're not ready."
"That's not comforting."
She glanced at Kairi with a hint of a smile. "What, you want me to go easy on you?"
"Gusto ko po ng fair fight."
"I always aim for fairness."
"Miss, you say that, but—" Kairi gave her a look. "You say that like hindi ikaw iyong tipo to throw trick questions just to see kung magpa-panic kami or...ako."
Miss Herrera didn't look guilty in the slightest. "Panic builds resilience."
"Unfair," Kairi muttered.
Miss Herrera turned to her briefly at a stoplight. "Then make sure you impress me."
Kairi rolled her eyes. "Isn't that the root of the problem?"
Miss Herrera just smiled.
The light turned green, and the car eased forward again—quiet streets, slow momentum, headlights painting soft patterns along the road.
For once, the silence wasn't something to break. Just something to share.