Chapter 12
Arushi POV
Cafeteria, 12 PM
Tahimik akong kumakain habang yung tatlo kong kasama ay hindi pa rin maka-move on sa nangyari kanina sa lecture room.
Si Raegan, syempre, ang unang sumabog sa tawa.
Si Citrine, na busy sa pagnguya ng fries, napataas lang ang kilay.
Sumimangot si Forest at napabuntong-hininga. "Kaya nga. Tangina, ang talas ng pandinig ni Professor Haneul. Para siyang may built-in radar sa tenga."
Halos madurog ang kaluluwa ni Forest kanina sa lecture room. I swear, hindi ko siya nakita ganoon ka tahimik ever since.
Deserve niya rin naman.
Nasa kalagitnaan kami ng pag-uusap nang biglang tumahimik ang buong cafeteria.
Parang may invisible na force field na dumaan.
Naramdaman ko agad na may dumating.
Pag-angat ko ng tingin sa entrance…
There she was.
Professor Carter Celest Haneul.
The Walking Ice Queen.
Ang daming studyante na biglang nagbulungan.
"Damn, she’s so unreal."
"Shit, sobrang hot niya, pero ang intimidating."
"Bakit nandito siya sa cafeteria?"
Napansin kong ilang studyante ang umiwas ng tingin, kunyari hindi siya nakita, habang yung iba naman nakatingin lang, tulala.
Even the cafeteria staff looked stunned.
Pero si Professor Haneul?
Walang pake.
She walked towards the coffee station, her steps precise and effortless. She had that aura—yung tipong kahit hindi siya nagsasalita, alam mong hindi mo siya dapat istorbohin.
My eyes followed her movement.
She ordered coffee, waited for a few seconds, then took her drink.
She didn’t even glance at anyone.
Damn.
Napairap ako. "Shut up."
But just as she said that—
Professor Haneul turned slightly to our direction.
Our eyes met.
For a second, everything else blurred out.
It was just her and me.
Her cold, piercing gaze locked onto mine.
I didn’t flinch.
I didn’t look away.
I just stared back.
After what felt like an eternity, she simply sipped her coffee, then walked away.
Pagkaalis niya, dun lang ulit bumalik ang ingay sa cafeteria.
Si Raegan? Mukhang lalagnatin.
Si Forest? Mas lalo yatang nataranta.
Si Citrine? Tangina, mukhang may ibang iniisip.
At ako?
I exhaled.
I wasn’t sure kung bakit—
Pero I just knew…
This wasn’t the last time na magtatama ang tingin namin ni Professor Haneul.
__
Pagkaalis ni Professor Haneul, doon lang bumalik sa normal ang cafeteria. Pero tangina, ramdam mo pa rin yung bigat ng presence niya kahit wala na siya.
Si Raegan, putlang-putla.
Si Forest, halos hindi makakain ng maayos. Parang hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa nangyari kanina sa lecture room.
Si Citrine, ibang usapan.
Nakatingin lang siya sa akin.
Napataas ang kilay ko. "So what?"
Nagpapaka-chill lang ako, pero deep inside, alam kong may point siya.
Bakit nga ba parang may tension kanina nung nagtama yung tingin namin ni Professor Haneul?
And why the hell do I keep dreaming about a faceless girl—na ngayon, parang unti-unting nagiging si Professor Haneul sa utak ko?
Nag-ayos na kami ng gamit at lumabas ng cafeteria.
Habang naglalakad papuntang lecture room, hindi ko mapigilan ang isang bagay na naiisip ko—
Was it just my imagination?
Or was Professor Haneul staring at me a little too long earlier?
___
Lecture Room, 1 PM
Bored na bored na ako sa lecture namin. Nakatingin lang ako sa professor ko, pero hindi ko na talaga siya pinapansin.
Masyado akong na-stress sa mga nangyayari sa paligid ko.
Why did I keep thinking about Professor Haneul?
Ano bang connection namin ni Haneul? Wala.
I didn't even know her that well, and yet, my mind wouldn't stop obsessing over her.
At saka, yung faceless girl—baka naman nananadya lang siya, di ba?
Laking gulat ko nang marinig ko ang kilalang boses ni Margarette, ang school council vice president.
What the hell?
Napatingin ako sa kanya, and for a moment, I felt like I was caught doing something wrong. Ang weird. Lalo na at mukha siyang malakas magpa-impress sa lahat ng tao—and here she was, calling me out.
Pero si Raegan—hindi nakapagpigil.
Citrine and Forest couldn't stop laughing silently. Yung klase nilang super silent pero kilig na kilig na tawa.
I rolled my eyes.
As I walked towards the door, I could feel the eyes of my classmates on me. Pero I didn’t care. Margarette was waiting, and something about her presence felt... different today.
Paglabas ko ng lecture room, naramdaman ko agad yung weird tension sa paligid. But Margarette was smiling, as always.
Hindi ko alam kung anong pakiramdam ko. I felt like something was about to happen, and I was completely unprepared for it.
Pagpasok namin sa empty room, she closed the door and locked it. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinabahan.
It was just the two of us now, at nag-stand siya sa harap ko with a serious look. I couldn’t understand her.
I felt a strange mix of confusion and discomfort. What the hell is this?
My heart started to beat faster, and I couldn't stop myself from asking, "What do you mean?"
She stepped closer, her smile still in place, but her eyes were intense. "You ignored it, Arushi."
I froze. Hindi ko alam kung paano mag-react. Si Margarette, ng school council, yung perfect student na laging ina-admire ng lahat, nagkokonfess sa akin?
Wala akong masabi. Gusto ko nang maglakad palayo, pero bakit ganito ang pakiramdam ko?
My mind was racing. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin na I wasn’t interested.
I looked at her, trying to steady my breathing. "Margarette... I—"
She cut me off before I could say anything else.
"I’ve seen the way you look at me in class.
You don’t say anything, but I know you’re intrigued.
And I can't help myself anymore." She took another step closer, making me instinctively take a step back.
"I like you, Arushi. More than a friend. More than just a crush."
What the hell is happening right now?
My chest tightened. I didn’t know how to respond.
I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but at the same time, I wasn’t interested. I had no feelings for her. Not like that.
I looked down, trying to control my emotions. "Margarette," I began, my voice cold. "I don’t—"
But she wasn’t backing down. "You don’t have to say anything now, Arushi." Her voice softened, and she reached out to touch my arm. "I’ll wait. I know you’re confused. Just know that I’m here if you ever want to talk. If you want to figure this out."
I felt her fingers on my skin, and for a moment, it made my body tense up. Why did I feel so uncomfortable?
I pulled my arm away, stepping back. "Margarette, I’m sorry. I don’t feel the same way. I don’t want to lead you on."
There was a brief silence. She looked at me with a mix of surprise and disappointment. But it was quickly replaced with that familiar, fake smile of hers.
She quickly turned on her heels and walked towards the door. Before she left, she paused and glanced at me over her shoulder.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door. What just happened?
Was I really just caught in the middle of something I didn’t want? Or was this just another one of Margarette’s games?
But the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t even want it.
With a deep breath, I left the room. I needed to clear my head before I lost control of my emotions. I needed to figure out why everything seemed so off lately.
Was this just the beginning? Or was it something much bigger? The tension between me and Margarette, and now with Professor Haneul lurking in the back of my mind?
I had to face it. But for now, I just wanted to forget it all.