Chapter 68
By the second semester of her third year, Kairi had stopped noticing how much she had changed.
The changes had happened gradually, over months and years.
Hindi na siya iyong tahimik lang na student na umaasang hindi siya matawag ng professor o instructor.
She no longer rehearsed every sentence in her head three times before speaking.
Somewhere between first year and now, she had become comfortable standing in front of a room.
That morning, she stood alone at the front of the classroom, finishing a presentation most of her classmates had chosen to do in pairs.
Her final slide faded behind her as she wrapped up the last part of her explanation, answering one final question from their professor with the same steady tone she'd held for the entire presentation.
Pagkatapos niya, natahimik sandali ang class.
Then their professor nodded, clearly impressed.
"Excellent presentation, Miss Ferrer," sabi nito habang sinusulyapan ang notes niya bago muling tumingin kay Kairi. "Especially the way you handled the questions. Very thorough."
Nagbigay lang si Kairi ng maliit at polite na tango. "Thank you, sir."
Habang pabalik siya sa upuan niya, nagsalita ulit ang professor.
"Have you ever considered teaching?"
Halos sabay-sabay na natawa ang buong klase.
Napatawa rin si Kairi at umiling. "No, sir."
"That's unfortunate," the professor replied, smiling. "You explained the material better than some graduate assistants I've met."
The class laughed louder at that and Kairi could only smile awkwardly.
By the time class ended, the joke had somehow followed her.
A few classmates passed by her desk, still teasing her with Ma'am Ferrer and Miss Ferrer, while she packed her notes into her bag, refusing to entertain any of it.
Then may umupo sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi niya.
"Hey, Prof Ferrer."
Kairi didn't even look up.
"No."
Napatawa si Sophie at sumandal sa desk, like she'd expected for that answer. "You should reconsider. You already sound like one."
Kairi zipped her bag shut. "I literally just answered questions."
"With diagrams," Sophie pointed out. "That's commitment. Napansin mo ba na kalahati ng klase nag-te-take ng notes habang nagsasalita ka?"
"That's called preparation."
"No, Kairi. That's called teaching."
Tumayo si Kairi at isinukbit ang bag sa balikat niya. "It's called wanting to pass."
Ngumisi si Sophie at sumunod habang palabas sila ng classroom.
"I can already see it. Miss Ferrer. Or Ma'am Ferrer." Napatingin siya kay Kairi mula ulo hanggang paa. "Very intimidating."
"Please stop."
"Pero isipin mo nga," patuloy ni Sophie habang bahagyang binabangga ang balikat niya habang naglalakad sila sa hallway. "Patient ka, malinaw kang mag-explain, at apparently, professors are already recruiting you."
Kairi gave her a look.
"That's a very generous interpretation of what just happened."
"It's the correct interpretation!"
Napailing na lang si Kairi, rolling her eyes.
Of course Sophie would take one harmless comment and turn it into an entire career path.
Pagdating nila sa cafeteria, nandoon na sina Zoe at Maya na parehong mukhang matagal nang naghihintay at malapit nang mainip.
"Finally," sabi agad ni Zoe pagkakita sa kanila. "Some of us are starving."
"Some of us have classes," Sophie replied as she slid into the empty seat. Then, without wasting a second, agad niyang itinuro si Kairi. "Also, your girl here? Ina-admire na ng professors."
Kairi sat down immediately. "I was not."
"She was!" Sophie insisted.
Napatingin si Maya sa kanilang dalawa. "Anong nangyari?"
Sophie leaned forward, halatang excited na ikwento ang buong pangyayari. "Our professor literally asked kung naisip na ba niyang maging teacher."
Halos mabulunan si Maya sa iniinom niya. "What?"
Kairi pointed at her. "See? 'Yan ang tamang reaction."
Napakunot-noo si Sophie. "Bakit ganyan ang reaction niyo? I think she'd be good at it!"
Mas lalo lang natawa si Maya, clutching her fork.
"No!"
"Why not?" tanong ni Sophie.
Bago pa makasagot si Maya, si Zoe naman ang napailing habang pilit pinipigilan ang tawa.
"Kairi and teachers have a complicated history."
Sophie blinked. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Kairi answered immediately.
"It sounds like something."
"It isn't."
Lumipat ang tingin ni Sophie kay Zoe. "You know."
Zoe smirked and took a sip of her drink. "I know a lot of things. Hindi ko pa rin sasabihin."
Natatawa pa rin si Maya, habang si Sophie naman ay mas lalong na-curious.
Napabuntong-hininga si Kairi at sumandal sa upuan, already regretting this conversation. "Let's just say I've had bad luck with teachers."
"How bad?" tanong agad ni Sophie.
Kairi gave her a flat look. "Enough."
That made Zoe nearly snort into her drink.
Napatingin si Sophie sa tatlo, clearly aware she was missing something important. "Okay, now I definitely need context."
"You're not getting it," Kairi said.
"Ang damot naman."
"Protective."
"Of who?"
Kinuha ni Kairi ang kutsara niya. "Myself."
That made Maya laugh again.
After a moment, Sophie leaned back, still staring at her. "So you're seriously not considering teaching?"
"Hmm..." Kairi paused. "Maybe one day."
The entire table went silent.
Napakurap si Zoe.
Napakurap din si Maya.
Kahit si Sophie, mukhang hindi rin inasahan ang sagot. Kanina lang, panay ang tanggi niya.
Kairi ignored all three of them, casually picking up her spoon and starting to eat like she hadn't just said something completely unexpected.
Nagkatinginan ang tatlo. Confused, suspicious, and very much concerned.
Si Kairi naman, bahagya lang na nakangiti habang kumakain.
Let them wonder.
That evening, the apartment smelled faintly of garlic and soy sauce.
Nakatayo si Kairi sa harap ng stove habang hinahalo ang niluluto sa kawali.
Si Maya naman ay nasa tabi niya na abala sa paghiwa ng mga gulay.
Meanwhile, Zoe sat comfortably on one of the dining chairs with her legs crossed and doing absolutely nothing useful except watching the two of them like she was part of the process.
After a while, napasilip si Maya sa kanya at napakunot-noo. "May balak ka bang tumulong o committed ka talagang maging useless tonight?"
Zoe looked offended by the accusation. "Excuse me. Hindi ako useless. I'm supervising."
Kairi laughed under her breath as she stirred. Si Maya naman, tinitigan lang si Zoe, unimpressed. "You're literally sitting there watching us cook."
"And you're both doing great!" Zoe said at mas lalo pang sumandal sa upuan. "Why would I ruin the rhythm?"
Umiling si Maya at bumalik sa paghiwa. "Honestly, hindi ko talaga alam paano ka pa natitiis ni Sophie until now."
"She loves me," sagot agad ni Zoe without hesitation.
"That explains a lot," bulong ni Kairi.
Some things really never changed.
Makalipas ang ilang sandali, biglang nag-ring ang phone ni Kairi mula sa coffee table sa living room. Without taking her eyes off the pan, she tilted her head toward it.
"Zoe, answer that."
Napabuntong-hininga si Zoe na parang inutusan siyang magbuhat ng ref, pero tumayo pa rin siya. Pagtingin niya sa screen, agad siyang napangiti.
"It's Ate Ella!"
Parehong napalingon sina Kairi at Maya.
"Answer it."
Agad na nag-connect ang video call and Ella appeared on screen looking relaxed, lounging somewhere dimly lit with her hair tied back loosely.
"Hello, children."
Zoe scoffed. "You're thirty."
Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm twenty-six."
"Ancient."
Napatawa si Ella.
Bitbit ang phone, bumalik si Zoe sa kitchen at itinapat ang camera kay Maya bago kay Kairi.
"Look who's cooking."
Ella blinked.
Then blinked again.
"No way. Kairi cooks now? Hindi lang nag-iinit ng leftover?"
Kairi frowned immediately. "Why is everyone acting like this is impossible?"
"Because it is," sagot ni Ella. "This needs documentation."
Napatawa si Maya. "She's actually getting better, Ate. We all are!"
"That's even more concerning."
Kairi pointed the ladle at the screen. "I'm hanging up."
Ella laughed. "Don't you dare."
Hindi nagtagal, naging usual chaos na ulit ang usapan.
Nagtanong si Ella tungkol sa university. Nagreklamo si Maya tungkol sa projects at deadlines. Nagreklamo si Zoe tungkol sa existence niya in general. At si Kairi naman, nagreklamo tungkol kay Zoe na puro reklamo.
It went on like that until Kairi finally narrowed her eyes at the screen.
"So bakit ka ba tumawag?"
Bahagyang umayos ng upo si Ella, blinking like she'd forgotten. "Oh. Right."
"I knew you never call just to be nice."
Napahawak si Ella sa dibdib niya. "That's deeply offensive, cousin!"
"So bakit nga?"
"My birthday!"
Kairi deadpanned. "You called to announce your own birthday? Alam naman namin kung kailan ang birthday mo."
Ella rolled her eyes. "Not that. I'm celebrating. Friday."
Maya looked up. "Ohhh. Saan, Ate?"
"I made a reservation at a craft beer place."
Agad na napa-cheer si Zoe. At mukhang interested si Maya. Si Kairi naman, she looked skeptical.
"You invited us to a bar?"
"It's not just a bar," depensa agad ni Ella. "Maganda doon. You'll like it. So you're all coming, okay?"
Nagkibit-balikat lang si Kairi. "We'll see."
Ella leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You are coming. Especially you."
Napahinto si Kairi.
"And why is that?"
Ella shrugged too casually. "Because I said so."
"That's not a reason."
"It's enough!"
The conversation drifted after that into work, family, and the latest ridiculous thing Lara had apparently done.
At one point, halos mabitiwan ni Zoe ang phone katatawa. Samantalang si Maya naman, ilang beses tumigil sa paghiwa ng gulay para lang makapag-react sa kwento.
Then, habang nagsasalita si Ella, something shifted.
Her eyes flicked away from the screen toward someone or something beside her.
The next second, naka-mute na siya.
Natigilan ang tatlo.
And when Ella looked back and found all of them staring, she frowned. She unmuted after.
"What?"
Zoe grinned instantly. "Who's there?"
"No one."
"Ang bilis namang sumagot," sabi ni Kairi.
"Very suspicious, Ate," dagdag ni Maya.
Napatawa si Ella, pero it sounded awkward. "It's nothing."
Kairi leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. "That's exactly what guilty people say."
"There's nobody."
Lumapit si Zoe sa phone. "New boyfriend?"
"No."
"A friend?" tanong ni Maya.
Ella hesitated a little at napansin iyon ng tatlo.
Napasinghap si Zoe. "You hesitated!"
"I did not!"
"You absolutely did!" Kairi said.
Ella groaned, dragging a hand over her face. "Why did I call you people?"
"Because you're in love," Zoe answered immediately.
"I'm hanging up."
That only made them laugh harder.
Before disconnecting, itinuro ulit ni Ella ang daliri niya sa screen. "Friday."
"Maybe," Kairi said.
Ella's eyes narrowed. "Friday nga!"
"We'll see."
Ella looked directly at Kairi this time.
"Kairi."
"What?"
"Come."
The shift in her tone made Kairi blink.
Hindi na siya nang-aasar. Hindi rin siya nakikipagbiruan. Mukha siyang seryoso.
Then, just as quickly, Ella smiled again like nothing happened.
"Bring these two."
Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Bossy."
"I know. Birthday ko eh."
Ilang minuto pa silang nagkwentuhan bago tuluyang tinapos ni Ella ang tawag.
The screen went dark.
For a second, tahimik ang apartment maliban sa mahinang sizzle ng niluluto nila.
Tapos agad na lumingon si Zoe sa kanila.
"She's dating someone."
"Definitely," pagsang-ayon ni Maya.
"One hundred percent."
Bumalik si Kairi sa paghahalo. "I don't know."
Zoe stared at her. "You saw that."
"I saw something."
"That was the face of someone hiding a partner."
"Or hiding a body."
Maya laughed so hard she nearly dropped the vegetables. "Bakit iyon lang ang options mo?"
Nagkibit-balikat si Kairi. "Both feel realistic."
Still laughing, Maya glanced at her. "Kailan ba huli mong punta sa place niya?"
"A while ago."
"Was she living alone?"
"Yeah." Kairi stirred the food thoughtfully. "At least noong huli akong pumunta."
Zoe crossed her arms. "See? Progress."
Kairi frowned. "Toward what?"
"People move in together, you know."
"That's not evidence."
Zoe placed a hand over her chest. "It is. In my heart."
Napatawa ulit si Maya. At maya-maya, natawa na rin si Kairi.
Napuno ulit ng tawanan ang apartment at mas lalong naging warm ang pakiramdam ng buong apartment.
Pero kahit nakikitawa siya, part of her mind stayed stuck on Ella's face.
On that strange shift. Doon sa sandaling pag-iwas nito ng tingin. Sa biglang pagbabago ng boses niya. At higit sa lahat, sa paraan ng pag-imbita niya.
Hindi lang siya basta nag-aya.
She insisted.