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RAE’S POV
The Varsitarian office wasn’t even that big, but damn, it suddenly felt like a boxing ring.
I wasn’t supposed to be here.
Like, seriously.
Hindi ko naman trabaho maghatid ng kung ano, pero si Den kasi—
“Rae, ikaw na kumuha ng files kay Xyren! Ikaw naman pinaka-close sa kanya eh!”
Bullshit.
I wasn’t “close.”
We just… happened to cross paths.
And she happened to talk to me sometimes.
And I happened to—
Okay.
Never mind.
Pero dahil tinutukso ako buong araw, sumuko nalang ako para matapos.
I pushed the door open quietly.
Inside, may tatlong tao.
Pero siya agad yung nakita ko.
Xyren.
Hair tied low, glasses on, typing like her life depended on it.
May earphones pa—white, the ones na parang laging nalalaglag—but she still looked annoyingly focused.
Bakit ba lagi syang mukhang…
busy?
productive?
serioso?
Cute?
Tangina, stop.
“Kumatok ka man lang,” sabi nung guy sa gilid na naka-varsitarian ID din.
“Sorry,” sagot ko.
Xyren looked up—slowly—like her brain had to switch tabs para makilala ako.
Tapos she blinked.
“Oh… hi?”
Hi.
Just hi.
Ganun lang.
Pero bakit parang…
Okay enough.
“Akin daw ‘to,” I said, holding up the envelope
Den told me to get.
She stood, walked toward me, and I swear her perfume—
Tangina.
Not my business.
She handed me the signed waiver.
“Sorry, natagalan. I had to reprint some stuff.”
“Okay lang,” I replied, calm as always.
At least mukha namang calm.
Inside my head?
Putek naman, bakit ang composed niyang tignan? Sino ba nagpa-pogi sa kanya?
She tilted her head a bit.
“You’re early ha. Kala ko si Den or si Pat yung darating.”
“They were loud,” sagot ko. “So ako nalang.”
She laughed—soft, konti lang—pero enough para tumama sa sikmura.
Then she said something pa na hindi ko inaasahan.
“You always look so serious, you know that?”
“I’m not,” sagot ko.
She raised an eyebrow.
“You kinda are.”
And for half a second, gusto ko syang biruin, or roll my eyes, or smile—
Pero nauna syang magsalita ulit.
“You’re training later, right? I’ll try to drop by. For photos.”
Ayun na naman yung “focus” mode niya.
Pero inside?
She’s coming? She’s really coming?
Putangina okay wait lang bakit ako biglang na-excite?
I cleared my throat.
“Sure. Up to you.”
“See you, Rae.”
That was it.
I walked out.
Heart normal on the outside.
Heart stupid on the inside.
---
XYREN’S POV
The moment she stepped out, sumandal ako sa desk.
Girl.
Tangina.
What was that.
I wasn’t even wearing makeup today.
Loose shirt, joggers, messy hair.
I wasn’t even supposed to TALK to anyone.
But Rae?
Rae always walks in like she’s a calm earthquake.
Tahimik pero nakaka-distract.
And why does she stand so close??
Like?
Girl?
Personal space?
Pero ayun.
Heart ko biglang nag—tung-tung-tung.
I sat back down, pretending to type kahit di ko alam saan ako tumigil.
My brain kept replaying her voice.
“They were loud. So ako nalang.”
So ako nalang.
Oo ikaw nalang.
Xyren Elise?!?!
Girl bakit ang smooth nun???
Bakit parang—effort??
Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung nangyari but suddenly my face felt warm.
Focus, Xyren, tangina.
You’re a Varsitarian writer, not some infatuated freshman.
Pero while I typed, I kept thinking.
Did she really come here just for the papers?
Or Den just used that as an excuse?
Or… did she kinda want to see me too?
STOP.
Brain, stop.
You’re hallucinating.
I checked the clock.
She had training soon.
Dapat hindi ako pupunta.
Pero—
Pero—
Tangina, gusto ko makita reaction nya kapag andun ako.
I closed my laptop.
Fuck it.
I’ll go.
---
RAE’S POV
I wasn’t expecting anything.
Promise.
I was doing my drills.
Focusing.
Being normal.
Then Addie shouted:
“OH MY GOD. MAY BISITA SI RAE!”
I looked toward the entrance.
And there she was.
Xyren.
Holding her camera.
Trying so, so hard to look like she wasn’t there for me.
Den smirked.
Zyra squealed.
“ayieeee.” erupted sa girls
Punyeta.
“Why are you here?” I asked, walking toward her.
“For photos,”
She said, trying to sound professional.
Pero kita ko yung konting ngiti niya.
“Huh,” I muttered.
“Kala ko busy ka.”
“I was,” she answered.
“But… I dunno. I wanted to finish this.”
Sumigaw si Ryllie
“PUTOL YUNG EXCUSE!! SABIHIN MO NALANG RAE NAMAN KASI—”
“Ry, shut up,” I snapped, face heating up.
Pero Xyren laughed.
Soft.
Warm.
Genuine.
And something stupid in my chest tightened.
Tangina naman.
“Just do your thing,” she told me, lifting her camera.
So I did.
Trying to ignore her eyes following me.
Trying to ignore whispering.
“Uy, Xyren kinikilig oh.”
She came.
She actually came? Bakit?
But I liked it.
More than I should.
---
XYREN’S POV
After practice, pinapanood ko sila mag-cooldown.
Then Rae walked toward me—wet hair, towel over her shoulder, expression calm pero may konting pagod.
“Thanks for coming,” she said quietly.
Shit.
My heart actually skipped.
“No problem,” sagot ko.
“Part of my job naman.”
“Hmm.”
She stared at me for a second longer than normal.
Just a bit.
Just enough to melt my internal organs.
Then she handed me something cold.
Iced tea.
“Sabi mo favorite mo ‘to last time,” she said.
I froze.
“That— that was like… one sentence I said.”
“I remember,” she answered.
Fuck.
My soul left my body.
She remembered???
Addie shouted across the gym.
“AYAN NA NAMAN SILA! PANG MMK!”
Rae rolled her eyes and walked away, mumbling,
“Bwisit.”
But she was smiling.
And me?
I held the iced tea like it was a love confession.