Chapter 4
The next morning, I sat at the breakfast table with my family. The sunlight spilled softly through the kitchen window, but I felt the weight of exhaustion clinging to me. I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before—I had been playing Call of Duty: Mobile until almost 3 AM.
Hindi ako nakatulog ng maayos because my heart pounding with excitement for tomorrow.
I couldn’t wait to see her again.
It was strange, really—I didn’t even like her, not in the way people usually mean when they say that word.
But there was something about her, something mysterious and magnetic that pulled me closer, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.
“Did you stay up late again?” Dad asked, his voice laced with concern as he looked over his coffee cup.
“Yeah,” I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “I just couldn’t fall asleep.”
Dad sighed heavily, setting his cup down with a slight clink. “Are you trying to kill yourself? Going to bars, staying up all night, and now you’re not eating properly either. This isn’t healthy.”
“I won’t die, Pa,” I said quickly, trying to keep my tone light, but I caught the tiredness in his eyes. I didn’t want to worry him more than necessary.
Mom reached out, her hand briefly touching mine. “Take care of yourself, Sylvia,” she said softly, her voice gentle but firm. “Stop being so stubborn and listen to us.”
“Opo,” I said quietly, not wanting to start an argument. I knew they only wanted the best for me, even if I sometimes acted like I didn’t care.
Just then, Avery tried to change the subject, breaking the tension with a bright smile. “Good luck pala sa new university mo,” she said cheerfully.
“Thanks,” I replied, keeping my answer short but sincere. Deep down, I hoped this new chapter would finally be the change I needed.
"Mambababae lang 'yan doon," dagdag pa ni Madelyn kaya tiningnan ko ito ng masama.
“Stop talking nonsense,” sagot ko, rolling my eyes.
“Sylvia,” Grandma’s voice cut sharply through the air, demanding my attention.
“Yes, po?” I replied, already bracing myself for another sermon. Seriously, Madelyn could be so annoying sometimes.
“Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t disappoint me,” she said firmly, her eyes locked onto mine.
I simply nodded. “Yes, Grandma. I wouldn’t dream of disappointing you,” I said, forcing a smile that felt fragile and brittle on my tongue.
The rest of lunch passed in silence, heavy with unspoken warnings and expectations. After we finished eating, it was finally time to leave. A strange excitement bubbled inside me, unexpected and new—I was actually looking forward to school for the first time in a long while.
“Pero bakit ka nga lumipat ng university? May gusto ka doon, 'no?” tukso ni Madelyn habang inaayos ko pa lang ‘yung mga gamit ko sa bag. She was lounging on the couch like she owned the place, sipping her iced coffee habang ako, halos ma-stress kakaisip kung nakalimutan ko na naman ‘yung ID ko o hindi.
I rolled my eyes and tried not to react, pero syempre, hindi rin nagpapahuli si Avery na biglang sumabat mula sa kusina habang nagbubukas ng chips.
“Meron talaga ‘yan. Hindi sumasagot,” dagdag pa niya, her voice full of mischief. “Gosh, look at her face, oh. Ayaw talaga mag-admit. May nagpa-transfer effect!”
They both burst into laughter like they cracked the funniest joke in the world. Ako? I just zipped my bag slowly, trying my best not to look affected.
“It's just because of my friends, okay? Stop giving it meanings,” I replied, medyo defensive, pero kalma pa rin ang tono ko. I was trying to sound casual, like it wasn’t a big deal. Pero halata naman sa mukha ko na gusto ko nang lumabas ng bahay at tumakbo palayo sa mga tanong nila.
Pero as expected, hindi sila natahimik.
“Maganda ba ‘yung target mo doon? Sino ba siya? Gusto kong makita,” sagot ni Avery, nilapitan ako at tinapik ‘yung balikat ko, like she was encouraging some kind of juicy confession. “Ano ba? May picture ka? Social media? I-send mo sa group chat!”
“Sobra siguro ‘yung crush mo. Napa-transfer ka nga bigla nang walang kaabog-abog,” dagdag pa ni Madelyn, sabay tawa. High-five pa silang dalawa as if they just solved a mystery case.
I sighed loudly this time, shoulders dropping as I grabbed my water bottle.
“They’re so annoying,” I muttered to myself.
“Bahala kayo d’yan,” sabi ko, sabay lakad papunta sa pinto. I just wanted to breathe. Outside. Away from these two chismosas.
But of course, hindi pa rin natapos doon.
“Landi well! Pakilala mo ‘yan sa amin soon, ah!” hiyaw ni Avery mula sa loob. Narinig ko pa ‘yung tawa niya na sobrang lakas, as if she found my whole situation absolutely entertaining.
“Support kami sa’yo!” sigaw naman ni Madelyn. “Kung kailangan mo ng cheer squad, kami na ‘yon! Go for the gold!”
I didn't think about them anymore and just walked towards my Ate's car. My Ate offered me a ride in her car, since it was my first day here and I hadn’t brought my own vehicle. I didn’t mind—it was nice to have someone familiar with me. I figured we’d probably go home together as well.
The drive lasted about twenty minutes. I stared out the window, lost in my swirling thoughts, watching the city blur past like a moving painting. The quiet hum of the engine filled the car until Ate finally broke the silence.
“Sylvia, I’m telling you one more time,” she said firmly, breaking through my daydream, “stop whatever it is you’re planning. It’s not worth it.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Gosh, Ate, I’m not going to do anything reckless. Please just stop worrying,” I replied, shooting her a tired glance. She gave a slow nod but didn’t say anything else.
It's not like I'm dropping a bomb into her University.
“We’re almost there,” she said, glancing ahead as the campus came into view.
We pulled up and parked, and immediately I noticed the dozens of students already milling about. Their curious eyes locked onto Ate’s car as soon as we stopped. I overheard whispers and snickers, and it was obvious—they all knew her vehicle very well.
I smirked, nudging Ate gently. “Looks like a lot of students here already know you—and they seem to like you."
"Small things," mayabang sagot nito.
Agad akong bumaba ng sasakyan, at halos maapakan ko na ang mga matang nakatingin sa akin nang sabay-sabay. Ang daming estudyanteng nagbubulungan-bulungan, at naririnig ko pa ang mga nagsasabing:
?"Uy, sino 'yan?"
?"Ang pretty nung girl!"
?"Wait, girlfriend ba niya ‘yon??"
?"She’s so hot, grabe!"
?
Napangiti ako sa katarantaduhan na pumapasok sa isip ko. Hindi ko pinalagpas ang pagkakataon—hinawakan ko si Ate nang mahigpit sa bewang, kaya lalo pang umingay at napatingala ang mga nagmamasid sa amin.
“What are you doing?” tanong ni Ate, halatang irritated sa ginawa ko.
“Let me be. Gusto ko lang silang biruin,” sagot ko habang nakasimangot ng konti at nakangisi.
“You're being childish. Itigil mo ‘yan,” sabi niya, pero hindi ko na siya pinansin at naglakad na lang nang may konting ngiti sa labi.
Halos hindi ko mapaniwalaan ang mga mukha nilang gulat at pagka-shock sa ginawa ko—halatang baliw na baliw sila kay Ate, at sa totoo lang, sino ba naman hindi? Kilala siya sa campus, kaya ang tingin nila sa akin ay parang ako na rin ang pinag-aagawan nila.
Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad, at habang papasok na kami sa gusali, mas lalong dumami at tumindi ang tingin ng mga estudyante kay Ate. Kitang-kita ko sa mga mata nila ang paghanga at pagkasabik—mukhang may hindi ko pa alam na kwento si Ate dito.
“‘Yan ang classroom mo,” sabi ni Ate, tumuturo sa isang pinto. “Maybe your friends are already there. Go on, go say hi.”
Tumango ako, na tila ba paalis na siya, kaya pinisil ko ang kamay niya ng konti.
“Thanks, Ate. Bye,” sabi ko, hinalikan ko pa siya sa pisngi. Hindi naman ako nagulat nang biglang sumigaw ang mga estudyante, na para bang sila’y nasabligan ng tubig sa ingay.
“Crazy," narinig kong bulong ni Ate, kaya napatawa na lang ako at naglakad papunta sa loob ng classroom.
Pumasok ako, at doon ko sila nakita—ang mga kaibigan kong sina Cecilia, Eliana, at Kinsley, na abala sa kanilang kwentuhan.
“SYLVIAA!” sigaw ni Cecilia na parang nakakita ng multo. Grabe, ang drama!
“Stop shouting,” sabi ko, halatang nahihiya sa dami ng nakatingin sa amin, pati na rin sa ibang section na sumilip sa bintana. Parang buong unibersidad ay puno ng tsismosa.
“Miss you so much!” yakap ni Kinsley nang mahigpit, halos mapilitan akong ngumiti sa sobrang lakas ng kanyang pagyakap.
“Ugh, parang ilang taon niyo na akong hindi nakita,” reklamo ko habang pinipilit humagod sa ulo ko dahil sa kakulitan nila.
“Hindi kami makapaniwala na kaklase ka na namin!” dagdag ni Kinsley, halatang excited na excited na makita akong kabilang na sa kanilang grupo sa unibersidad.
“I know you guys love me, pero huwag naman niyo naman ipahalata ng sobra,” biro ko habang pinagmamasdan silang tatlo na may mga ngiting parang gusto na akong kainin sa saya.
“Yabang ah!” tugon ni Cecilia na may nakakalokang tawa.
“By the way, where’s my seat?” tanong ko habang umiikot ang tingin sa paligid ng classroom, sinusubukang hanapin ang pwesto na para sa akin. Ang daming tao kasi at bagong environment, kaya medyo naguluhan ako.
“Doon ka sa amin, may bakante,” sagot ni Cecilia habang tumuturo sa isang bahagi ng silid na may ilang bakanteng upuan, malapit sa kanila.
“Walang seating arrangement?” tanong ko, medyo nagtataka habang iniisip kung paano ang klase dito na parang walang fixed na upuan.
“Nah, hindi na uso ‘yan dito. Pili ka lang ng upuan, basta makinig ka ng maayos,” paliwanag ni Eliana na may kalmadong ngiti. “Walang problema basta makinig ka at maging attentive.”
Tumango na lang ako, pakiramdam ko okay naman ‘yan, kahit na medyo kakaiba sa dati kong experience.
Habang naglalakad kami papunta sa mga upuan namin, napansin kong si Eliana ang katabi ko, at sa harapan naman ay sina Kinsley at Cecilia.
Patuloy ang usapan ng mga kaibigan ko, punong-puno ng saya at gulat na andito na talaga ako kasama nila.
Biglang tumahimik ang buong classroom, at lahat ay tumayo. Napatingin ako sa pinto kung saan pumasok si Ms. Sanchez.
“Good morning, Ms. Sanchez,” bati namin ng sabay-sabay.
She is wearing a brown skirt suit. The suit consists of a cropped blazer with a double-breasted closure and a high-waisted skirt with a wrap-around detail. She's is also wearing a white sleeveless top inside her cropped blazer.
She looks hot.
"Ganda, diba?" bulong ni Kinsley sa tabi ko.
"Yeah," sabi ko and I'm still looking at her.
"But it sucks because she already have a boyfriend," dagdag pa nito.
"They'll probably break up," I said.
"No, they are already been for 7 years. Kulang nalang ikakasal na sila," sagot niya sa akin.
Seven years? Damn. But honestly, I didn’t care. What could seven years possibly mean if she could fall for me in just one week? Time doesn’t always decide things—sometimes it’s the intensity of the moment that counts.
"Seven years without a ring? That’s not even worth waiting for," sabi ko, tumingin sa kanila ng diretso. "If they really love each other, baka dapat married na sila, or at least, may proposal na."
Totoo naman ang sinasabi ko.
I mean, bakit ka magpapakahirap pa sa isang relasyon kung wala namang commitment na lumalabas kahit matapos ang pitong taon?
Sa panahon ngayon, hindi na uso ang matagal-tagal lang na 'di sure ang future. Kung mahal mo talaga yung isang tao, gagawin mo yung paraan para maipakita mo yun — kahit sa simpleng proposal lang.
If only, Miss Sanchez would give me a chance, baka sa loob pa lang ng isang linggo, naka-propose na ako.
Nagtingin sila sakin ng medyo naguguluhan si Kinsley.
“Yon nga eh... Pero parang sobrang busy pa ata sa buhay nila,” sagot ni Kinsley, nagkukunwaring seryoso.
Nakatingin ako sa kanya, nagdududa.
“Busy? Is that even a valid reason? How busy can you be to the point na hindi ka nagkakaroon ng oras para sa taong mahal mo?” tanong ko, konting hinawakan yung arm niya para imbes na sarkastiko, medyo seryoso.
Nangiti naman si Eliana, tapos sumulpot sa usapan.
“But sabi nga nila, ‘love can wait’.”
Naipit ako sa sinabi niya. Love can wait? Iyon ba talaga ang totoo? Or is that just an excuse?
But before I can even respond, Miss Sanchez called my name.
“Quiet now. New student, please introduce yourself,” Ms. Sanchez said the moment she sat down, her voice calm but firm, demanding attention.
I stood up confidently, shoulders back, ready to make an impression. “Good morning. I am Sylvia Quincy Diaz Gomez, 23 years old. I promise to make sure this name will be memorable—unforgettable, even. That’s it. Thank you,” I finished, flashing a subtle smile before sitting down.
Almost immediately, I heard the whispering and quiet giggles around me. Some classmates were joking about whether I was Ms. Gomez’s youngest daughter. Of course, the usual comments about how pretty I was didn’t stop either.
“Kung walang pag-asa kay Miss Gomez, sa bunso nalang tayo,” I overheard a classmate whisper.
“Bunso? As if papatol siya sa’yo,” Kinsley whispered back, making me chuckle quietly.
“Alright, get out a sheet of paper. We’re having a hundred-item quiz,” Ms. Sanchez announced abruptly, silencing the chatter instantly.
“In-game na naman siya,” Kinsley muttered from the front, clearly unimpressed.
“Does she always do this?” I asked Eliana in a low voice.
“Nah. From what I’ve noticed, she only gives surprise quizzes like this when she’s mad,” Eliana replied, eyes still fixed on Ms. Sanchez.
“Did I give anyone permission to speak?” Ms. Sanchez’s voice cut through the room like a sharp blade, instantly demanding silence. “I asked for paper, not commentary. If you want to discuss, take it outside.”
Everyone froze. They weren’t wrong—Ms. Sanchez was definitely masungit. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever smiled before.
“Okay, question one,” she said, and I was like, Wait, where’s my paper?
“You have ten minutes,” Ms. Sanchez announced, and suddenly the questions appeared on the television screen in front of us.
?Question 1: Structural Engineering (20 points)
?
?A proposed multi-story reinforced concrete building is planned to be constructed on a site with a soil profile consisting of clay and sand layers.
The following design parameters are provided:
?
?* Concrete compressive strength, $f'_c = 30 \text{ MPa}$
?* Yield strength of steel reinforcement, $f_y = 420 \text{ MPa}$
?* Column load: 1500 kN
?* Column cross-section: 400 mm × 600 mm
?
?a) Calculate the required area of steel reinforcement $A_s$ for the column using the ultimate strength design method. State all assumptions. (10 points)
?
?b) Discuss potential structural concerns when designing a high-rise building on a clayey soil profile, and recommend suitable foundation types. (10 points)
?
“Ayoko na Lord, tama na po,” whispered by Cecilia, her voice trembling, clearly struggling with the questions.
This would be tough for anyone who wasn’t well-prepared, I thought, watching my classmates furrow their brows and scribble frantically on their papers.
The tension in the room was almost suffocating.
Beads of sweat formed on foreheads; pens clicked anxiously against desks.
Some glanced repeatedly at the clock, as if willing the time to stretch.
Pero para sa akin, it was pretty straightforward. I finished way before the time was up, carefully reviewing my answers to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I was confident. The questions made sense, and I knew the material well. It was almost like a puzzle I enjoyed solving.
When I glanced at Ms. Sanchez, she was looking at me—but quickly avoided eye contact, like she knew I was ahead of the game. Her usual sharp gaze softened for a brief moment, but then she turned her attention back to the rest of the class.
“3 minutes left,” Ms. Sanchez said, and the panic in the room escalated. Some students’ faces tightened; others hastily scratched down their last answers. The pressure was almost unbearable. The scratching sounds of pens were like a frantic heartbeat echoing in the quiet room.
“Are you done?” Eliana asked, peeking at my paper. I nodded confidently.
She looked up, surprised. "Ikaw na talaga."
Mukhang tapos na rin siya, pati si Kinsley at Cecilia. Even Cecilia seemed to have gotten a grip on the test, her earlier panic now replaced with focused determination.
As Ms. Sanchez clicked the remote, the next slide appeared on the projector. The questions were harder—more complex problems that required deeper thinking and calculations. But honestly, for me, they were still manageable. The harder questions only made the quiz more interesting.
“’Yun na ‘yun?” I whispered to myself, raising an eyebrow.
I caught snippets of my classmates’ complaints and whimpers—some whispering about how impossible the quiz was, others outright letting out frustrated sighs.
One student quietly sobbed, clutching her head.
I couldn’t understand where they were having trouble because to me, the questions seemed like basic drills.
I leaned back for a moment, trying to suppress a smirk. It felt like I was on a different level. Maybe it was preparation, maybe it was just natural aptitude, but I was confident I was going to ace this.
Finally, after almost an hour of intense focus, the moment arrived. Ms. Sanchez announced, “Time’s up, please hand in your papers.”
The room buzzed with a mix of relief and dread. Hands slowly moved to stack papers on Ms. Sanchez’s desk. I folded my paper neatly and passed it forward, exchanging glances with Kinsley and Cecilia, who looked both exhausted and relieved.
I caught one last glance from Ms. Sanchez—this time a quick, approving nod before she turned away to collect the rest of the papers.
"And now," Ms. Sanchez announced, "we'll have a recitation."
"Ang lala talaga," bulong ni Kinsley.
"However," Ms. Sanchez said, her eyes glinting with a hint of mischief, "if Gomez can answer this next question correctly, you're all free to go." She looked directly at me. A test. I accepted.
Tumayo ako at naghiyawan ang mga kaklase ko at kaibigan ko para sa akin.
"Kaya mo 'yan! Please!" hiyaw ni Cecila.
"The temperature and pressure of nitrogen in a tank are 28°C and 498 kPa, respectively. Determine the specific weight (N/m3) of the nitrogen if the gas constant is 30.3 m/K." tanong nito.
"Mentally," Ms. Sanchez said, "You have one minute."
I heard my clasmate whispering na hindi ko raw kaya 'tong sagutin. But I just ignored them and start solving in my mind. Hindi pa natapos ang 1 minute but I already have an answer.
"65.7,"
Nakatingin lang ito sa akin at tumahimik mga kaklase ko dahil halatang hindi rin nila alam yung sagot.
"Class dismissed," sabi nito at naghiyawan mga kaklase ko.