Chapter 82 #2
"Then what is it, Miss?"
Gianna hesitated for only a moment before speaking.
"Could you please stop calling me 'Miss'?"
Kairi blinked. "Huh?"
"You don't have to call me that anymore," Gianna explained, meeting her eyes. "You can just call me Gianna."
For a moment, walang nasabi si Kairi. Simple lang naman dapat ang request. Pero somehow, it felt heavier than it sounded.
She studied Gianna's face before a small laugh escaped her. "You've really changed."
Gianna tilted her head, more curious than defensive. "Have I?"
"You ask a lot now."
"What do you mean?"
Kairi smiled and started counting on her fingers.
"You keep asking me things. 'Can I drive you home?' 'Would you like coffee?' 'Can I help with your thesis?' And now you're asking if pwede na kitang hindi tawaging Miss."
She paused, then gave Gianna a knowing look.
"The old you would've just told me what you wanted me to do."
Gianna glanced down at the laptop, thinking about it for a moment.
"You're right," she said, letting out a small breath. "I probably would've said something like, 'Call me Gianna from now on,' and expected you to do it."
"You wouldn't have even asked kung okay sa akin."
"No," Gianna admitted. "I probably wouldn't have."
Kairi watched her for another moment, the realization settling more clearly now that she had said it aloud. "You ask permission for everything now."
Gianna rested both hands lightly against the laptop. "I don't want to assume anymore."
Simple lang ang pagkakasabi niya, matter-of-fact, pero naiintindihan ni Kairi what sat beneath them.
They weren't really talking about a name.
Years ago, Gianna had made decisions for both of them because she had convinced herself that leaving was the only way to protect Kairi.
Siya ang nagdesisyon kung ano ang kaya ni Kairi, kung ano ang kailangan nito, kung ano ang mangyayari pagkatapos, at kung dapat ba itong magkaroon ng say sa lahat ng iyon.
Now, even with something as small as what Kairi called her, Gianna was deliberately leaving the decision in Kairi's hands.
"I spent a long time deciding things for both of us," Gianna said quietly. "I don't want to do that again."
May bahagyang kumirot sa dibdib ni Kairi.
She looked at Gianna for a long moment before giving a small nod.
"You know, hindi ko napansin kung gaano mo kadalas ginagawa 'yan until now." She smiled faintly. "You really have been asking me about everything."
Gianna gave a small smile. "I didn't realize it either."
Kairi leaned back against the sofa, studying her thoughtfully.
"So you really want me to stop calling you Miss?"
"I'd like you to," Gianna said, her voice carrying no pressure. "But if it feels strange, you don't have to force yourself."
Kairi pretended to think about it far more seriously than necessary. She looked toward the ceiling and folded her arms as if she was weighing an extremely important decision.
Gianna waited.
After a moment, Kairi looked back at her with a small smile.
"Hmm."
Gianna raised an eyebrow.
"I'll try."
Gianna's smile grew, subtle but unmistakably genuine.
"I think that's all I can ask."
More than two hours passed before either of them realized how late it had gotten. Paragraphs had been rearranged, citations double-checked, awkward transitions rewritten, and more than a few sentences had met their end after Gianna convinced Kairi that they were doing more harm than good.
At some point, tuluyan ng iniwan ni Kairi ang sofa at umupo na lang sa rug, cross-legged, with her back resting lightly against the front of it.
Nasa coffee table ang laptop, angled just right para madali siyang makapag-type, habang si Gianna naman ay nanatili sa likod niya, enough to see the document without constantly asking Kairi to move the screen.
The arrangement had turned out to be surprisingly efficient and neither of them seemed interested in changing it.
"Okay," Kairi announced after another round of typing, flexing her fingers before resting them on her knees. "I rewrote it."
Bahagyang yumuko si Gianna para basahin ang paragraph over Kairi's shoulder. "The whole thing?"
"Mhm. Judge away." Lumingon si Kairi sa kanya with a warning look. "Although I thought we agreed na you weren't judging."
"I said I wasn't judging you," Gianna reminded her, already reading through the revised section. "There's a difference."
"That's exactly the kind of technical distinction na ginagawa ng former teacher."
Napatawa nang mahina si Gianna bago muling ibinalik ang attention sa screen. Isang braso niya ang nakapatong sa tuhod habang dahan-dahang binabasa ang bawat linya.
This time, pinilit ni Kairi na maghintay nang hindi nangungulit. Kahit unti-unti nang lumalaki ang urge niyang itanong kung okay ba talaga, pinigilan niya muna.
Nang makarating si Gianna sa dulo ng paragraph, bahagya itong tumango.
"This is much clearer. Mas maayos na ang argument mo ngayon and the transition into your evidence feels less abrupt."
Kairi immediately brightened. "Finally."
Gianna smiled. "But I think the second sentence could still be stronger."
"There it is," Kairi said, dropping her head back against the sofa with exaggerated disappointment. "I knew hindi magtatagal ang good news."
"It's only one suggestion," Gianna said, pointing toward the middle of the paragraph. "Right this part, if you introduce the evidence before making the claim, the conclusion will feel more earned."
Bahagyang yumuko si Kairi para basahin ulit ang sentence.
Ilang segundo siyang nag-isip bago tumango. "Oh. I see what you mean. I can move this part and—"
"Hold on."
Bago pa maabot ni Kairi ang keyboard, Gianna instinctively reached forward and caught her wrist, stopping her hand above the laptop. The movement was so automatic that neither of them reacted immediately.
Nakatingin pa rin si Gianna sa screen habang ipinapaliwanag kung ano ang naiisip niyang mas magandang transition, pero napunta na ang attention ni Kairi sa kamay na nakahawak sa wrist niya.
"Don't delete it yet," pagpapatuloy ni Gianna. "I just thought of a better way to phrase the transition. If you let the quotation lead into your analysis instead of stating the point immediately, I think mas natural ang connection."
Nakinig si Kairi, pero nanatili ang tingin niya sa kamay ni Gianna for another second bago siya tuluyang tumingin sa kanya.
"You know," sabi nito nang may maliit na ngiti sa labi. "The way you're holding my wrist makes it look like pinipigilan mo talaga akong sirain ang thesis ko."
Gianna finally looked down. Nagbago agad ang expression niya nang mapansing hawak pa rin pala niya ang wrist ni Kairi.
Agad niya itong binitiwan.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking."
Napatawa si Kairi habang kunwari ay hinihilot ang wrist niya. "I know. I'm kidding. Although akala ko you were about to confiscate my hands."