The bell rang loudly, marking the start of the class. Aiah and Marco quickly straightened up in their seats, fixing their posture as the room grew quiet and the lesson was about to begin.
“Good morning, class,” the adviser greeted, placing her materials on the table. “Today, we’ll continue where we left off last week.”
The students straightened in their seats, some pulling out notebooks, others pretending to be more alert than they really were.
Aiah quietly flipped to the right page in her notes. She listened as the adviser discussed the topic, occasionally raising a question to the class. Aiah wrote the important points carefully, highlighting a few keywords.
There were moments when the adviser would pause and look around the room. “Any questions? Wala? Okay, let’s move on.”
After almost an hour, the bell rang, but before the students could relax, the next subject teacher walked in immediately.
“Alright, everyone, let’s not waste time. Open your books to page 72.”
Aiah sighed quietly, but still complied. She opened her book, ready for another round of discussion. Like before, she kept her focus on the lesson. Marco occasionally made a comment under his breath, but Aiah just smiled faintly without losing her attention from the subject.
The back-to-back discussions made the time feel slow, but Aiah reminded herself to keep up.
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A few minutes before recess, Jeremy stood up from his seat and walked toward her desk. His steps were steady, but there was tension in the air.
Jeremy stopped right in front of Aiah’s desk. His expression was calm, but there was tension in his posture. “Aiah, pwede tayo mag-usap?”
Aiah didn’t move her head, just her eyes. “About what?”
He took a deep breath. “Last Friday. I just… I want to apologize. I didn't mean to put you in that situation. I guess… nadala lang ako.”
Aiah’s voice was steady. “Noted.”
Jeremy hesitated, then continued, “I’m just asking for another chance. Hindi na ako magco-confess sa harap ng maraming tao. Just you and me this time.”
Aiah leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “Jer, kung hindi ako pumayag in front of everyone, what makes you think I’d say yes now?”
There was a flicker of frustration in Jeremy’s eyes, but he masked it with a small smile. “So… wala na talaga?”
Aiah tilted her head slightly, her tone still calm. “Jer, it’s not about ‘wala na.’ It’s about ‘wala talaga.’ Ayokong bigyan ka ng false hope. You deserve someone na pareho ang nararamdaman sa’yo… and that’s not me.”
Jeremy’s jaw tightened. “Ganun na lang?”
Aiah gave a small smile, this one more like a final warning. “Ganun na lang. Kasi kung ipipilit mo pa, ikaw lang masasaktan.”
The bell rang, signaling recess, but the room stayed quiet for a moment. Marco didn’t say anything; he just gave Aiah a knowing glance.
Chapter 22
Start from the beginning
