Chapter 47
Miss Herrera's eyes lingered on the page, on the familiar lines of her own face rendered in Kairi's hand. Her voice was low when she spoke.
"So this," she murmured, tilting the notebook slightly para mas makita ni Kairi ang drawing. "This is what you were hiding from me before."
Kairi's throat tightened na parang may buhol na ayaw matanggal. "I—it's nothing..."
Miss Herrera arched a brow with the faintest smile tugging at her lips, calm but cutting. "That doesn't look like 'nothing' to me. You caught the lines too well. The posture. Even the eyes..." Her fingertip brushed lightly across the sketch. "You're good, Kairi."
Ramdam ni Kairi kung paano nag-init ang buong tenga niya, parang lumalabas na sa balat ang hiya. "It's not that good."
"You're deflecting."
"I'm not."
"You are." Miss Herrera's tone had that mix of firmness and amusement na alam ni Kairi—impossible to argue with. Miss Herrera flipped the notebook closed gently, tap-tapping the cover once with her palm. "I like it."
Blinking fast, Kairi felt her heart slam against her ribs. "It's just a sketch—"
"And I'm telling you I like it." Miss Herrera's gaze sharpened, fixing her in place, unyielding. "You can try to brush it off, but walang magbabago. Take it, Kairi. It's a compliment."
Nabura ang lahat ng mga salita na sana ay isasagot ni Kairi. Ang tanging nagawa na lang niya ay ang tumango. "Okay..."
Miss Herrera set the notebook carefully down on the desk, her movements unhurried. Pero kahit isang segundo, hindi nawala ang tingin niya kay Kairi. Not once.
Then she stepped closer.
Kairi felt it instantly—the warmth of her presence, the faint scent of perfume. Her breath caught and before she realized it, her back was brushing lightly against the desk.
Miss Herrera leaned in, one hand braced against the wood malapit sa gilid ni Kairi, trapping her without touching. The memory from last night flickered sharp and vivid—lips brushing Kairi's neck and fingers pressing along her ribs, careful but unrelenting.
Now, Miss Herrera's gaze dropped briefly to Kairi's lips, bago bumalik sa mga mata niya. And she just stood there, close enough for Kairi's pulse to betray her, racing wild beneath her skin.
Her voice was low, edged with something heavier. "You don't need to hide from me. Not your notes. Not this. Not even yourself."
Kairi swallowed hard, her hands gripping the edge of the desk. Panic and want tangling so tight na hindi na niya alam alin ang mas matimbang.
Pero Miss Herrera still didn't touch her. She lingered—too close, dangerously close that the air between them thinned with every breath. Her eyes stayed locked on hers, daring her silently to look away.
Kairi didn't. Couldn't.
Then Miss Herrera moved.
Her hand lifted, dahan-dahang umakyat, brushing along the edge of Kairi's jaw with the back of her fingers.
Parang sinundan niya ang linya ng mukha nito hanggang ang palad niya ay dumausdos sa pisngi, cupping it gently.
The warmth of it made Kairi's chest twist tight, her lips parting without thought.
Miss Herrera leaned in, slow and deliberate. Her breath brushed faintly against Kairi's mouth bago niya tuluyang isinara ang pagitan.
The kiss started soft. Controlled. Unhurried. Una, isang press lang, then another, until it lingered—longer, surer. Her lips shaped against Kairi's with intent. Bawat galaw ay measured, as if she wanted Kairi to feel every second of it. She kissed like she was teaching her the rhythm of restraint.
Kairi let out a muffled sound that was low in her throat. Her fingers curled tight against the desk edge, parang kailangan niyang kumapit para hindi tuluyang bumigay. Instinct took over—she leaned forward, chasing, hanggang mas lumapat pa nang buo ang labi niya kay Miss Herrera.
The kiss deepened. Hindi magulo, hindi minadali. Sure. Steady.
Nang subukan ni Kairi na dumikit pa, Miss Herrera's other hand rose, settling gently at the side of Kairi's neck. Not harsh, not restraining—just enough to steady the pace. Hindi niya ito pinayagang magmadali. She kept Kairi right there, exactly where she wanted her.
Kairi's breath turned uneven, humahabol sa pagitan ng bawat halik. Her lips parted against Miss Herrera's again and again until, finally, she whispered—shaky and low. "You're doing this on purpose."
Miss Herrera drew back a fraction, just enough for her words to land. Her eyes were focused, her lips still brushing Kairi's. "Maybe I am."
And before Kairi could answer, she kissed her again—longer this time.
The world outside the room faded, until all that remained was the press of lips, the faint sound of breath catching between them, and the quiet, loaded control of every kiss Miss Herrera gave her.
Miss Herrera was the first to steady the air between them. Dahan-dahan siyang umatras, just enough to put a breath of distance, though her thumb lingered for a second at the edge of Kairi's cheek before she finally lowered her hand. Her lips carried the faintest curve.
"You still have to study for your exam on Thursday."
Kairi blinked. Her lips were still tingling. Her brain was struggling to catch up sa bilis ng nangyari. The words landed a beat late, halos absurd against the pounding in her chest. She let out a shaky laugh, leaning back sa gilid ng desk. Parang kailangan niya ng something solid to hold her up.
"Right, right. Exam."
Miss Herrera gave her a look—half-warning, half-amused.
Kairi tilted her head, eyes narrowing in mock seriousness na para bang pinag-iisipan niya talaga. "So...are you going to give me a hint, Miss? Maybe slip me a question or two? I mean, if you're going to distract me like this..."
The corner of Miss Herrera's mouth lifted, barely there. "Is that really how you want to pass? Cheating your way through?"
Kairi laughed under her breath, shaking her head. "Come on, Miss. Wala naman akong sinabi about cheating. Just...insider knowledge. For survival."
That earned her the faintest laugh from Miss Herrera—low, quick, but real. "You'll survive without shortcuts, Kairi. You always do."
Her smirk softened at that. Parang may bigat iyong mga salita na hindi niya inaasahan, enough that she couldn't help but echo back, almost teasing. "Always?"
Miss Herrera didn't answer that. She only straightened, smoothing the hem of her shirt as if putting the moment back in order. Then she reached for the notebook resting beside Kairi.
Kairi frowned. "What are you—"
A sharp rip of paper cut her off.
Her eyes widened as she watched Miss Herrera carefully tear out a page. The sound was too clean, too deliberate, and Kairi froze as the older woman folded the sheet neatly in her hand.
"Miss, what are you doing?"
"I'm confiscating it."
Kairi blinked. "Confiscating? What, like it's contraband?"
Miss Herrera didn't bite. She folded the page once more, pressing the crease neatly, and kept it tucked between her fingers. Her tone was calm, almost casual. "Hindi ko itatapon, if that's what you're worried about."
Kairi's frown deepened. "Then, bakit mo kinuha?"
That earned her a sidelong glance, lips curving faintly—pero hindi malinaw kung amused ba or something else. "Because it's mine now."
The words landed with a weight that made Kairi's chest tighten. She opened her mouth to argue, to demand it back, pero walang lumabas na salita.
Miss Herrera moved first, closing the moment as if nothing unusual had happened. She walked toward the door. "Come on. It's late."
Kairi hesitated before pushing herself off the desk, trailing after her. Her steps echoed quietly against the stairwell, but her mind wasn't keeping up—still stuck, replaying that last line again and again.
It's mine now.
Pagdating nila sa gate, the night air wrapped around them—cooler and calmer, parang biglang tumahimik ang mundo.
Even the hum of the street felt softer. Miss Herrera stopped just before stepping out, turning back with her usual composed expression.
Pero kahit gaano siya ka-steady on the outside, her eyes betrayed her—lingering longer than necessary, holding Kairi in place like an invisible thread.
"Focus on your studies, Kairi. I expect you to do well tomorrow."
Kairi folded her arms across her chest, trying to look casual kahit ramdam niyang hindi pa rin bumabagal ang tibok ng puso niya. A half-smirk tugged at her lips, her defense slipping into place. "And if I don't?"
Miss Herrera's lips curved again. That same small but certain smile. "Then I'll know you weren't listening to me. But you will. You always surprise yourself, even when you pretend otherwise."
Kairi scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes to hide the warmth crawling up her neck. "Nakaka-pressure naman yata, Miss."
"It's not pressure," Miss Herrera replied. "It's trust."
The single word lodged itself in Kairi's chest. Trust. She hadn't expected it, and now it caught her off guard, cutting through her usual armor of jokes and smirks. Her chest tightened, and for the nth time, she didn't know what to say.
And then, before she could recover, Miss Herrera's hand lifted and reached out.
The touch was light, fleeting, as she ruffled Kairi's hair.
It was brief pero ramdam ni Kairi ang bigat nito—fondness wrapped in discipline, care tangled with unspoken boundaries.
One second, two, and then it was gone, but the weight lingered.
"Go back inside," Miss Herrera murmured, gentler now, almost like a secret.
Kairi blinked up at her, throat tight. Her heart twisted in a way she couldn't laugh off. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words refused to come.
Miss Herrera stepped back, the softness slipping from her features as her composure slid neatly back into place. She turned toward the street, and the sharp rhythm of her heels began to fade, each step pulling the moment further away.
Until finally, the only thing left was the cool night air, the restless echo of her footsteps in Kairi's mind, and the wild, uneven beating of Kairi's heart.
She stood frozen at the gate, pulse racing, thoughts spiraling, and on her lips—the ghost of a smile that refused to fade.