I'm Getting Older While He's Not (Unconditional Love Trilogy #1)

Kabanata 1: Ang Paglalapit

Tumingin siya sa akin nang masama na parang naapakan ko ang ego niya. The flirty look of him quickly became anger. Tinignan niya ako mula taas hanggang baba habang magkadikit ang kilay.

“Tama naman sila. To be honest, kaya kayo nababastos kasi nagpapabastos kayo. Ang pagpakita niyo sa lalaki ng katawan niyo is like a door opening to everyone.”

I looked at him as if I were about to annoy him further. His tone made it clear that he was extremely irritated by what I had said. Well, he started this, tatapusin ko lang.

“Kapag ba tinaga kita sa leeg. Hindi ko kasalan kasi hindi ka naka-turtle neck?”

I heard him curse under his breath. It looked like he realized he was beaten. He quickly averted his gaze and turned his back on me, trying to walk away.

Well, victory on you, Quezhia. You did well.

I let out a deep breath once he was far enough away. It felt like I was floating in the air, filled with joy, as a calming song played in the background. One man down, one man down.

"Pst, Miss Carter," It felt like the calming music came to a halt, and I fell back to reality when I heard a man’s whisper coming from behind me, causing my brows to furrow in confusion. Tang-ina talaga ng mga ito.

Base on what I heard, I recognized this voice . So, I won't turn around and I might even slap his face intentionally. Pinahiya niya ako sa harap ng classmate namin tapos pinamukha pa niya sa lahat na hindi ako ka mahal-mahal?

“Why? Have you ever been in love? Have you ever loved?” I mumbled, mocking at what he said earlier.

“Very good, Mr. Gonzales,” Sir Belindo praised him. Of course, oo, natalo ako. Buwiset kasi na Ethan 'to! Natanggal pa ang angas ko. “Okay class, let's give them around of applause.”

I shook my head and shot a glare at the teacher standing in front of the class. If only he hadn’t tried to show off by coming up with a debate, my life would still be peaceful. But now? It feels like I've been hit by a sniper, even though I wasn’t the target.

I rolled my eyes as I heard them clapping. Sir made us stand in front of him, and I noticed Ethan smiling at me—but I just ignored him. Everyone was applauding, but I knew all the praise was really for Ethan. Of course, lalaki, eh.

When a man achieves something remarkable, everyone praises him as if he's a rare phenomenon, fueling a sense of superiority—a confidence built on individuals that often lead to arrogance. Yet, when a woman outshines a man, her success is brushed aside, dismissed as if nothing happened.

Fuck this society's mindset.

"Okay, take a sit."

Plastic akong ngumiti kay sir Belindo sabay diretsiyo sa puwesto ko. I noticed that everyone is looking at me, laughing. Mukhang tuwang-tuwa sila sa nangyari.

"Kainis! Nagpa-debate pa kasi itong tao na ito. Natalo tuloy. Tapos si Ethan? He accused me na hindi kamahal-mahal," naka kunot noo kong sabi sabay padabog na umupo sa upuan ko.

Laking gulat ko nang tinignan lang ako ni April nang nakakaasar, kaibigan ko na laging nagpapakulo rin ng dugo ko.

Everyone seems to hate me, and I can't even figure out why. The only person who’s been there for me is April—my one and only friend on campus since we started high school. We’ve known each other since elementary school, back when we had a much bigger group of friends. But as we grew older, that circle slowly got smaller, and now it's just the two of us—and that's okay. April is fun to be around, and I genuinely enjoy her company as my friend.