Chapter 45
Pagbalik ni Kairi sa classroom, diretso siya sa upuan niya. At hindi pa man siya nakakaayos, Zoe and Maya were already giving her looks—raised brows, parehong curious.
Zoe leaned in a little, lowering her voice. "What was that about?"
Maya chimed in with same hushed tone. "Yeah...You looked ready to kill someone earlier and now you're smiling like you got away with it."
Kairi just shrugged, lips tugging up. "Wala iyon. I'm fine."
"Fine, huh?" Maya gave her a pointed look. "Hindi ka naman okay kanina bago ka tinawag sa labas ni—"
Zoe nudged her under the table, firm but subtle. "Maya."
Napakurap si Maya, then glanced around. Malapit lang pala ang iba nilang mga kaklase.
"Right," she muttered. This time, mas mahina na. "Anyway. Umalis kang parang sasabog na. Now you're back and you're...not."
Zoe raised a brow, lips twitching. "Let me guess. You and someone talked it out?"
Kairi just bit back a grin and turned to her laptop. "Maybe."
That was all she gave. Pero sapat na iyon para magkapalitan ng tingin sina Zoe at Maya—both trying not to look too curious, kahit halata namang they were dying to know more.
Pagkatapos ng klase, Kairi found herself standing sa harap ng classroom ni Miss Herrera. She peeked in—sakto namang patapos na si Miss Herrera sa pag-aayos ng gamit, ready to leave.
The moment their eyes met, Kairi straightened and raised her hand, knocking lightly on the doorframe.
"Hi, Miss Herrera."
Her teacher blinked as her steps slowed. "I thought you were going straight home to review. Study for exams?"
Kairi smiled, stepping inside. "I was...but I figured this is more productive."
Before Miss Herrera could answer, Kairi reached behind her, pulling the door shut. The soft click of the lock seemed louder in the quiet room.
Miss Herrera gave a low laugh, arching a brow. "Oh? We're locking doors now?"
For a brief second, Kairi leaned her back against the door bago siya umalis doon, pushing herself forward.
"Depends, Miss," she said, stepping closer. "Are you planning on escaping?"
Miss Herrera chuckled, shaking her head. Pero bago pa siya makagalaw, nakalapit na si Kairi—hands resting lightly on her teacher's forearms, guiding her backwards—slow and steady.
Miss Herrera let herself be led, a faint smile tugging at her lips hanggang sa umabot siya sa edge ng chair niya.
Then Kairi slid her laptop out of her bag, placing it on the desk. "I figured you wouldn't mind looking over our lit review."
Miss Herrera sat, crossing one leg over the other, arms folding. "So this is an ambush consultation."
"Something like that," Kairi said, opening her laptop. "Please. Help us, Miss."
Despite the teasing, Miss Herrera leaned in, her tone shifting into professional critique. "Mmhm...Your flow's better here...transitions are smoother...and these references finally make sense."
Kairi stood close, one hand braced on the desk beside Miss Herrera, leaning in just enough to see the screen, just enough that their shoulders brushed. Her head tilted slightly, eyes flicking from the laptop to Miss Herrera's face, listening...watching.
Miss Herrera kept speaking, fingers scrolling through the document. Focused, sharp, completely in her element—parang wala siyang nararamdaman na kahit anong shift sa hangin.
Until she caught it.
Natigilan siya saglit nang mag-angat ng tingin—at sinalubong siya ng titig ni Kairi.
"Kairi," she warned, voice low but soft. "Focus."
"I am," sagot ni Kairi, leaning closer. "On the most interesting subject in the room."
Miss Herrera sighed, sitting back in her chair, a half-laugh in her voice. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
"Not really," pag-amin ni Kairi, her grin widening. "Miss, pwede ba akong magtanong?"
"That depends," Miss Herrera answered, fingers drumming lightly on the desk. "Should I be worried?"
"Maybe," Kairi smiled, her tone light but her eyes burned with intent. "Do you...actually realize how impossible you make it for me to focus?"
Miss Herrera let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. "Well, I'm not responsible for your lack of discipline."
"You are," Kairi said easily at lalo pang lumapit sa guro. "You look like this, talk like this...there's no way I can just...sit and listen."
Miss Herrera tilted her head, playful. "And yet, here you are...trying."
"Barely," Kairi grinned. "I'm being good."
"You're standing dangerously close for someone being good."
"Am I?" Kairi teased, lowering her voice. "Then I shouldn't ask my next question."
Miss Herrera leaned back, lips quirking. "Try me."
Kairi's voice softened, low. "Do you want me to kiss you again...or is that too distracting for an academic setting?"
The room stilled.
Miss Herrera's eyes narrowed, playful but testing. "And what happens if I say yes?"
Kairi smirked. "Then I'll take that as an official recommendation."
"And if I say no?"
Nagkibit-balikat lang si Kairi, her grin turning more challenging. "I'd probably still ask you again...in a better setting."
Napatawa si Miss Herrera—mahina, mababa na para bang aliw na aliw. Dumikit nang bahagya ang daliri niya sa wrist ni Kairi kung saan nakapatong ang kamay sa desk. "Bold today, aren't we?"
"I'm learning from the best," bulong ni Kairi.
Miss Herrera's eyes softened, her smile lingering, pero hindi siya agad sumagot.
Kairi felt her pulse kick up, waiting—anticipating—ready for whatever was coming.
Miss Herrera's thumb traced lightly over Kairi's wrist before she leaned back, her smile deepening with that familiar glint of playful warning.
"Not now," she said softly, firm but not unkind. "And definitely not here."
Kairi let out a quiet breath, pero hindi nawala ang ngiti sa labi niya. "Worth a shot."
Miss Herrera tilted her head, amusement flickering in her gaze. "You're getting dangerously confident."
"Maybe just a little," Kairi murmured, still leaning over the desk.
"Careful," Miss Herrera teased, her gaze flicking quickly to Kairi's lips before returning to her eyes. "We don't want you forgetting how to breathe again."
Kairi huffed a small laugh, finally straightening. "That was a one-time—"
"—incident," Miss Herrera finished for her, grinning. "Which I had to fix."
Kairi rolled her eyes, pero ramdam niya ang init sa mukha niya. She reached for her laptop, pretending composure, when Miss Herrera's voice cut through again.
"Your literature review is well structured now," Miss Herrera said, her tone shifting back to being a professional—pero hindi nawala iyong softness sa mata niya. "You're done here."
Kairi paused, fingers still on the keyboard. "Or...pwede mo akong ihatid pauwi."
Miss Herrera's brow arched, the corner of her mouth tugging upward. "Ah. So that's your real agenda."
Kairi leaned a little closer, grin playful but her voice softer. "Not exactly."
Miss Herrera tilted her head, waiting.
This time, Kairi hesitated. Her smile faltered into something smaller, more careful.
"Miss, kanina...sa hagdan. When I snapped. When I couldn't even look at you this morning." She swallowed, her voice quieter now. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...make things harder. I just—"
Miss Herrera lifted a hand, not quite touching her, but close enough to still her words. "You already explained yourself, Kairi," she said calmly, steadily. "And I heard you. That's enough."
Kairi's lips parted, wanting to argue, but Miss Herrera's gaze held hers until she gave a small nod. "Still. I hated feeling that way. I hated that it was about you."
Something flickered in Miss Herrera's expression—something she masked quickly with a small smile. "You're learning. That's what matters."
Silence lingered for a beat, warm instead of heavy this time, until Miss Herrera shifted, glancing at the clock above the blackboard. Her smile turned a little wry.
"As for taking you home..." she shook her head lightly. "My car's still at Ella's. Remember?"
Kairi blinked, then huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Oo nga pala. I forgot."
"Of course you did." Miss Herrera's tone was fond, but her next words turned firmer as she stood, gathering her folders. "And I still have things to do at the faculty room. So you—" she tipped her chin toward Kairi's laptop—"Need to go."
Kairi groaned, slumping dramatically into the chair she'd been leaning on. "You're really not going to let me win today, are you?"
Miss Herrera smirked, already heading toward the door. "Not today."
Kairi zipped up her laptop, still grinning as she followed her to the door. "Then baka bukas."
Miss Herrera shot her a look over her shoulder, half amused, half warning. "We'll see."
And just like that, the lock clicked open again, pulling them back into the world outside.