Chapter 25
(Arushi POV – Inside Professor Haneul’s Car, Monday, 5:45 AM)
Tahimik ang loob ng sasakyan, ang tanging maririnig lang ay ang mahinang tunog ng makina at ang malumanay na paghinga naming dalawa.
Nasa passenger seat ako, habang si Professor Haneul ay nakatutok sa pagmamaneho.
Pero ako?
Well... I'm staring at her.
Hindi ko mapigilan.
Her face—so damn gorgeous.
Her sharp jawline, her high cheekbones, at ang perpektong pagkakahulma ng ilong niya—parang hindi totoo.
She's like an angel.
No.
More like a fairy.
Parang galing siya sa isang fantasy novel, isang karakter na hindi dapat nag-e-exist sa totoong buhay.
Pero heto siya ngayon, nasa tabi ko, driving so effortlessly cool—parang isang leading character sa isang movie.
Napakagat ako sa labi.
I can't help but admire her beauty.
And then—
SHIT.
Bigla akong natauhan nang magsalita siya, her voice smooth but firm.
Mabilis kong inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya at tumingin sa labas ng bintana, hoping she didn’t notice na kanina pa ako nakatitig.
Lumingon siya sandali sa akin, her sharp eyes scanning me.
Tumango lang siya at bumalik sa pagmamaneho, pero hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili kong magtanong.
This time, hindi siya agad sumagot.
Para bang iniisip niya kung paano sasagutin ‘yung tanong ko.
Then, after a few seconds—
Biglang bumigat ang atmosphere sa loob ng kotse.
Tumingin siya sa akin saglit bago muling bumalik ang mata niya sa daan.
Napabuntong-hininga siya bago sumagot.
So ganun pala ‘yon?
She’s just doing her job—nothing more, nothing less.
Pero bakit parang ang laki ng effort na ginawa niya para lang sunduin ako?
Bigla niyang dinugtungan, her voice dropping into a lower, more serious tone.
Damn.
She sounds so damn intimidating—pero at the same time, hot as hell.
I swear, there’s something about her voice that makes my skin tingle.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ibabaling ang utak ko sa ibang bagay, pero isang bagay ang sigurado—
This ride is getting more and more dangerous for my sanity.
__
Tahimik ulit ang loob ng sasakyan.
After niyang sabihin na "Next time, don't make me wait," wala na siyang sinabing kahit ano.
Ako naman?
I'm too stunned to speak.
Damn.
Ang intense ng boses niya.
Parang may warning pero at the same time, may halong something else na hindi ko ma-explain.
Hindi ko alam kung dahil lang ba sa aircon kaya biglang bumaba ang temperature sa loob ng sasakyan, pero I swear parang may something sa atmosphere ngayon.
Parang… ang bigat.
Parang ang init.
Pero hindi dahil sa panahon.
Napakagat ako sa labi at pilit na tinutok ang tingin sa labas ng bintana, trying to focus on anything but her.
Kaso, kahit anong iwas ko—
Hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili kong sumulyap sa kanya.
And damn…
She looks so effortlessly attractive.
Nakapamulsa ang isang kamay niya habang ang isa naman ay nasa manibela.
Her knuckles slightly flexed, at ang mga mata niyang half-lidded, focused on the road—parang ang chill niya lang pero may aura ng undeniable authority.
The way she sits, the way she drives, the way her fingers slightly tap the steering wheel—
Shit.
Bakit ang hot niya kahit simpleng nagda-drive lang?!
Napailing ako sa sarili ko at napalunok.
Get a grip, Arushi.
Baka kung saan pa mapunta utak mo.
Sinubukan kong alisin ang atensyon ko sa kanya at kinuha ang phone ko.
Binuksan ko ang screen, nagbasa ng messages, anything to distract myself.
Pero syempre, ang malas ko—
Nagsalita ulit si Professor Haneul.
Napaangat ako ng tingin.
Nagkatinginan kami for a second bago niya ulit tinutok ang mata niya sa kalsada.
Napakunot noo ako. "Bakit nyo po tinatanong?"
Wait.
Did she just—
Did she just observe my face that closely?!
Napanguso ako. "Di naman po siguro."
Hindi siya sumagot.
But the way her lips slightly pressed together, parang hindi siya convinced.
Damn.
Bakit parang may pake siya masyado?
I mean, she's my trainer pero hindi naman niya kailangan maging this concerned, right?
Bakit parang ang mysterious ng sagot niya?
And why does it sound so freaking cryptic?!
Magsasalita pa sana ako, pero—
Biglang huminto ang sasakyan.
Nandito na kami sa university.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.
Pero bago ako lumabas ng kotse, narinig ko ulit siyang magsalita—
Napatingin ako sa kanya.
Bumaba ako ng sasakyan, pero habang papalayo ako, ramdam ko ang tingin niya sa akin.
At for some reason…
It sent a strange, thrilling shiver down my spine.
__
I was walking towards the gym, still trying to process everything that happened inside Professor Haneul’s car.
Damn.
That ride was intense.
Ang bigat ng atmosphere, parang every word niya may hidden meaning—pero baka ako lang ang nag-ooverthink.
Huminga ako ng malalim at inikot ang balikat ko, trying to shake off the tension in my chest.
I need to focus.
This is training.
At kung sino pa man ang trainer ko—whether si Professor Haneul o ibang terror na prof—kailangan kong seryosohin ‘to.
I checked my phone.
5:55 AM.
Damn, I need to hurry.
But just as I was about to turn the corner—
A figure suddenly blocked my way.
Napatigil ako.
Tumingala ng bahagya.
Margarette.
The student council vice president.
Maganda siya, no doubt. Long wavy hair, sharp eyes, at ang signature confident smirk niya—like she owns the place.
Pero… bakit siya nandito?
At bakit ganito siya tumingin sa akin?
She was staring at me, her gaze intense, unreadable.
I was about to speak—
Pero biglang…
She grabbed my collar and pulled me forward.
And then—
Her lips crashed against mine.
"—!"
My brain short-circuited.
What the f—
Margarette is kissing me.
Margarette. Is. Kissing. Me.
Nawala ang sense of time.
I could feel her warm breath, the soft pressure of her lips—pero hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko.
My hands were frozen mid-air, as if my body couldn't decide whether to push her away or pull her closer.
She held the kiss for a few seconds—too long yet too short—then slowly pulled back.
Nanatili siyang malapit, her lips still hovering over mine, her breath ghosting against my skin.
Napatingin ako sa kanya, still dazed as hell.
Then, she smirked.
And just like that, she walked away—like nothing happened.
"..."
What. The. Actual. Hell.
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!
I stood there, completely stunned.
Margarette kissed me.
Margarette. The vice president. The damn campus crush.
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE?!
I touched my lips, trying to process what just happened—but then my stomach dropped.
Because when I lifted my gaze—
I saw her.
Professor Haneul.
Standing at the entrance of the gym.
Her arms were crossed, and she was looking straight at me.
Oh, f—
I don't know how long she’s been there.
I don't know what she saw.
But judging from the way her eyes slightly narrowed—
She definitely saw something.
I panicked.
Mabilis akong naglakad papunta sa gym, avoiding her gaze like my life depended on it.
Play it cool. Act normal.
Pero tangina, paano ako magiging normal kung mukhang nakita niya ang ginawa ni Margarette?!
Nandito na ako sa loob ng gym.
Pero kahit anong gawin ko—hindi ko maalis sa isip ko yung nangyari kanina.
My lips still tingled from the unexpected kiss.
Tangina, Margarette.
Bakit niya ‘yon ginawa?!
At higit sa lahat—anong nakita ni Professor Haneul?
I bit my lower lip, subtly stealing a glance at her.
She was standing a few feet away, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Pero sa sobrang tahimik ng paligid, ramdam ko yung tension sa ere.
Then, she finally spoke.
Her voice was calm—too calm.
Parang wala lang.
Pero may kung anong tono sa boses niya na hindi ko maipaliwanag.
Nagulat ako sa tanong niya.
Hell no.
Hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit ‘yon ang unang tanong ni Professor.
Like, bakit ‘yon ang concern niya?
She stared at me for a second, as if gauging if I was telling the truth.
Then, she hummed softly and looked away.
Just that.
Napakunot ang noo ko, but I decided to push the conversation elsewhere.
I looked around.
A bunch of gym equipment—treadmills, weights, punching bags—pero walang anything related to architecture.
Tumingin siya ulit sa akin, raising an eyebrow.
Napaatras ako ng bahagya.
Naglakad siya papunta sa isang equipment—a set of dumbbells.
Then, she picked one up and tossed it lightly in her hand.
She placed the dumbbell back and faced me.
“If you don’t have enough stamina, paano mo tatapusin ang event?”
I blinked.
Wait. What?
Endurance?
She sighed and shook her head, as if disappointed sa tanong ko.
Shit.
May something ba akong hindi alam?!
Nanlamig ang kamay ko bigla.
She took a step closer, her sharp eyes staring right into mine.
My throat went dry.
Ano ‘to?!
Anong klaseng training ‘tong pinasok ko?!
__
Tangina.
Ano'ng ibig sabihin ni Professor Haneul?
Napatitig lang ako sa kanya, waiting for her to explain.
She crossed her arms, her sharp gaze locking onto mine.
Hah?
She continued, her voice steady and serious.
Napasinghap ako. Endurance? Execution?
Hindi ba dapat drawing-drawing lang ‘to?!
Professor Haneul sighed, as if she was already expecting my reaction.
Well… technically, yes?
She must've read the expression on my face because she shook her head, clearly disappointed.
"If you want to be an architect, you need to understand more than just the aesthetics. You need to know the physics behind structures, the materials needed, and most importantly..." she took a step closer, lowering her voice, "...you need the endurance to finish what you started."
I swallowed hard.
Napatingin ako sa paligid ng gym.
Does that mean… I'm not just competing in an architecture contest?
This is a test of physical and mental endurance?
Shit.
Did I just sign up for some architect version of The Hunger Games?!