Chapter 16
A Quiet Moment
(Arushi POV – Football Field, 12 PM)
Lunch break na, and as usual, I needed some time alone. I didn’t want to be with anyone today, so I walked all the way to the football field. Minsan lang ako magtago dito, pero it’s the perfect spot when I need to just be by myself.
Wala akong pakialam kung may mga tao sa canteen o kung saan man sila. I just wanted to sit under the tree, away from all the noise.
I sat down on the grass, took off my shoes, and just let the wind brush against my face. I pulled out my headphones and plugged them in, choosing a song to help drown out all the chaotic thoughts running in my head.
I hit play on the song: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.
The melody filled my ears, and for a moment, it was just me and the music.
---
A Sense of Unseen Eyes
The song’s soft intro surrounded me like a cloud, calming me down as I closed my eyes. Hindi ko na iniisip ang mga lectures, o kahit ang mga tao sa paligid ko. Wala. I just needed peace.
But then... I felt something.
It was subtle at first. Parang may… presence na hindi ko maipaliwanag.
I paused the song and pulled the headphones down from my ears. Parang may something na nagmamasid sa akin.
I scanned the area around me. Wala namang ibang tao. I could only see the empty football field, the few scattered trees, and the distant buildings.
Pero may kakaibang pakiramdam—parang may mata na nakatutok sa akin.
I looked to my left, then to my right. Still, no one.
I shook my head, thinking I was just imagining things. Siguro yung hangin lang o kaya naman, may mga paranoid thoughts lang ako.
But the feeling wouldn’t go away. It felt like someone was there, even if I couldn’t see them.
---
Doubts and Worries
I decided to ignore it. Kailangan ko talaga ng alone time. The last thing I wanted was to start thinking about weird stuff or get freaked out by nothing.
So I closed my eyes again, and pressed play on the song. The soft melody of the song filled my ears once more, the lyrics echoing in my mind:
Somehow, the words hit a little too hard. Hindi ko na kaya tanggihan na parang yung song na yun ay may deeper meaning, at hindi lang sa context ng kanta. Ang weird lang kasi… at that moment, parang yung lyrics were about me.
Was I really being watched?
I shook my head again. Maybe I was just overthinking. It wasn’t like there was anyone out here. It was just me.
---
The Feeling Intensifies
I stood up to stretch, trying to shake off the unease I was feeling. Ang tagal ko nang nandito, and I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I felt like someone was standing behind me, watching my every move.
Hindi ko kayang lumikas. Parang may invisible force na nagbabalot sa paligid ko. Parang andiyan lang sa likod ko.
Hindi ko na napigilan, and I quickly spun around to check.
Wala.
No one was there.
I sighed and put my hands on my hips, frustrated at myself. What was I doing? Ano ba ‘to? I wasn’t a kid anymore. I shouldn’t be scared of stuff like this.
But still, the feeling lingered.
---
Questions I Couldn't Answer
I sat down again under the tree, my thoughts spinning.
I was thinking about Professor Haneul earlier. The way she kept looking at me. How our conversations felt like they were loaded with unspoken meaning. Parang may mga hidden messages in between. Hindi ko na alam kung anong pinapasok ko.
Pero kung seryoso nga siya sa mga tingin nya, ano kayang ibig sabihin noon?
I decided not to focus too much on that.
Instead, I tried to focus on the song again. I let the music fill me, hoping it would drown out the weird tension in the air. Pero parang hindi kaya ng kanta ang nararamdaman ko.
I closed my eyes and just breathed.
"Every single day, every word you say..."
The lyrics seemed to echo inside my mind. Hindi ko na kayang i-ignore pa. The whole vibe felt a little too real now.
I started to feel paranoid again. What was going on? Was I really just imagining all of this?
---
The Shadow that Wasn’t There
While I was still lost in my thoughts, I noticed something move in the corner of my eye.
I immediately looked up.
A shadow.
A figure—tall, slender—was standing behind the tree not too far from me.
No.
There was no one else out here.
I knew it. I knew I wasn’t crazy.
I stood up quickly, heart racing. For a second, I felt my breath catch in my throat.
I felt my legs freeze for a moment as I stared at the shadow. Hindi ko maipaliwanag, but something about it felt different.
It was like…
Someone was watching me from a distance.
But when I took a step forward, the shadow was gone.
---
The Realization
I was breathing heavily now. Was I paranoid? Or was I right all along?
I knew I wasn’t alone earlier, and the fact that the shadow disappeared when I moved just confirmed it.
But why did I feel so... exposed?
I quickly grabbed my phone and texted Citrine.
I waited for her response, still looking around like some creep. I felt like I was losing my mind.
She texted back quickly.
I texted back, frustrated. “I’m not imagining things, I swear. Something’s off today.”
But, as much as I tried to convince myself, I couldn’t shake that feeling.
Who was out there?
Was it just a coincidence that I felt watched, or was it something more?
---
The Unknown
I stood there for a moment, trying to steady my breath. My heart rate was all over the place, and the eerie feeling still hung in the air like a thick fog.
When I finally calmed down, I tried to shrug it off.
Maybe I just needed more sleep. Maybe I was too stressed out from everything that was going on with Professor Haneul, school, and just life in general.
But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.
Was it my imagination? Or was someone really watching me?
Either way, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I wasn’t alone.
At least for now, I was going to have to live with it.
__
Nakatambay pa rin ako sa ilalim ng puno sa football field, nakaupo sa damuhan, habang hawak ang phone ko. Malapit na mag 12:40 PM, 10 minutes before my next class, pero wala pa rin akong gana kumilos.
I still felt weird after what happened earlier. That feeling of being watched… hindi pa rin siya nawawala.
Mas lalo pang nawala ang gana ko kumain. Kahit gutom ako, parang hindi ko kayang lunukin ang kahit anong pagkain. My appetite was completely gone.
Napabuntong-hininga ako at nag-open ng group chat namin. Wala namang interesting na usapan doon. Then, out of nowhere, nag-pop up ang message ni Min-Jae.
Min-Jae: “Andyan ka pa sa spot mo? Punta ako dyan.”
Nagtaas ako ng kilay. Bakit kaya siya pupunta rito?
Before I could even reply, dumating na siya. Seryoso siyang naglakad papunta sa akin, hawak ang isang juice at sandwich. Tumigil siya sa harap ko at iniabot iyon.
Tumingala ako sa kanya, medyo naguguluhan. “Anong trip mo?”
She sighed, crossing her arms. “Seryoso ka? Wala ka talagang kinain?”
I shrugged. “Wala akong gana, dude.”
Napatingin ako sa sandwich at juice na hawak niya. Gusto ko siyang deadmahin, pero the way she was looking at me… alam kong hindi siya titigil hangga’t hindi ko tinatanggap yun.
So I rolled my eyes and grabbed the sandwich. “Fine.”
Min-Jae smirked. “Good girl.”
Umupo siya sa tabi ko, at sabay kaming natahimik.
---
Habang kinakagat ko ang sandwich, napansin kong mag-isa lang siya.
Napanguso ako. “Figures. Tigang na naman siguro sila.”
Min-Jae laughed. “Baka! Pero ikaw? Anong problema mo? Bakit wala kang gana?”
I hesitated. Should I tell her? Hindi ko rin alam kung paano ko i-e-explain yung feeling kanina without sounding like a paranoid freak.
Napakunot-noo siya, obviously hindi naniniwala. “Baka may iniisip ka?”
Napatingin ako sa football field, avoiding her gaze. “Wala, dude. I swear.”
She stared at me for a few seconds bago bumuntong-hininga ulit. “Okay, fine. Pero kung may problema ka, sabihin mo sa amin, ha?”
I just nodded, not really wanting to continue the conversation.
---
That Unshakable Feeling
Habang nag-uusap kami ni Min-Jae, I couldn’t help but glance around. Kanina pa kasi ako may pakiramdam na may nakatingin sa amin.
Pero every time I checked, wala namang ibang tao sa paligid namin.
Min-Jae caught me looking around and raised an eyebrow. “Anong hinahanap mo?”
Pero hindi siya nagpatinag. “Ano? Parang ang weird mo ngayon ah.”
She tilted her head. “Kakaiba, as in…?”
Nag-aalangan man, nag-decide akong sabihin na rin. “Kanina pa kasi, parang may nakatingin sa akin. Pero pag tumitingin ako, wala naman.”
Napatingin siya sa paligid, as if trying to spot something. “Baka nagkataon lang?”
I sighed. “Maybe… pero hindi ko alam. It just felt too real.”
Min-Jae didn't say anything for a while. Then she shrugged. “Baka stalker mo?”
I scoffed. “Yuck, ‘wag naman.”
She grinned. “Or baka secret admirer? Pero seryoso, kung may gumagawa ng creepy shit sa ‘yo, let me know. May dala akong pepper spray sa bag.”
Natawa ako. “Ano ‘to, self-defense 101?”
Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. “I doubt it. Pero thanks.”
---
A Sudden Silence
While we were talking, napansin naming naging sobrang tahimik ang paligid.
The usual background noise—yung sigaw ng mga students sa malayo, yung tunog ng hangin sa mga dahon—biglang nag-mute.
Nagkatinginan kami ni Min-Jae. She must’ve noticed it too.
A weird chill ran down my spine.
I swallowed hard. “You feel it too?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Parang—”
Naputol ang sentence niya nang biglang may gumalaw sa peripheral vision ko.
I turned my head sharply, but there was nothing there.
Nothing.
Pero swear, I saw something move.
I forced a small smile. “Wala, akala ko may nakita ako.”
She didn't look convinced.
Nagkibit-balikat ako at ininom ang juice na binigay niya. Kailangan kong kalmahin sarili ko. Baka imagination ko lang ‘to.
Pero deep inside, I wasn’t so sure.
---
A Class to Distract Me
Tumingin ako sa oras—12:50 PM na.
Min-Jae stood up with me. “Sabay na tayo?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Habang naglalakad kami pabalik sa building, hindi ko maiwasang lumingon ulit sa likod ko.
The football field was still empty. No one was there.
Pero kahit wala akong nakikita…
I still felt it.
The presence.
The stare.
The unseen eyes that refused to leave me alone.
___