Chapter 2
Stacey was walking down the hall for her 1 PM class in the next building when, out of nowhere, someone bumped into her. "What the hell?" she muttered under her breath.
Of all the things she hated, it was clumsy people who didn’t pay attention to where they were going. Papers scattered across the floor, and the girl who had collided with her was already kneeling down, hastily trying to pick them up—without even apologizing. "Don’t you think you should apologize first?" Stacey snapped, a hint of irritation in her voice. She couldn’t stand people who acted so careless.
The girl looked up at her, and Stacey’s eyes widened in disbelief. "I was in a hurry. I’m so sorry, Ms." The apology was polite, but the realization hit her like a slap. It was Mariah—Aiah—the crowned queen from last night’s pageant.
Stacey’s blood began to boil. Of all people, she thought. Aiah. The woman everyone adored, and now, here she was—right in front of her, looking a little flustered but still carrying that same undeniable elegance. Her frustration only grew. "Seriously?" Stacey couldn't keep the edge from her voice. "You’re the Ms. University and this is how you walk around, bumping into people?" Aiah’s face softened, but her eyes remained calm as she finished picking up the papers. "I didn’t mean to, okay? I’m sorry again." Stacey’s frown deepened. It wasn’t just the fact that Aiah was apologizing; it was that something about her... her calmness, her poise... was getting under her skin more than she cared to admit.
“God, this woman—I hate her!” iritado niyang sigaw, wala siyang pakialam kahit marinig pa siya ng lahat ng tao sa hallway.
Pagdating niya sa Gonzalo Building, agad siyang sinalubong ni Gwen
“Sa sobrang pula ng mukha mo at salubong na kilay, mukhang alam ko na kung anong nangyari,” sabi ni Gwen, nakapamewang at may halong biro ang tono.
Stacey huffed, crossing her arms. “She’s so full of herself. Konting sorry, tapos gano’n lang? Parang ako pa 'yung mali!”
“Si Aiah na naman, no?” Gwen smirked. “Grabe, girl. Talagang may magnet ka sa stress pag siya ang topic.
Gwen is her only friend here in the university. They were friends since elementary and they are also in the same modeling company. At alam niyang iritado siya sa presensya ni Aiah since day 1 ng pag transfer niya.
“Grabe, girl. Simula pa lang talaga ng first day niya, ayaw mo na sa kaniya.”
“Hindi lang basta ayaw, Gwen. Naiinis ako sa kanya—sa lahat ng aura niya, ‘yung parang... she’s always perfect,” Stacey spat, rolling her eyes. “Tapos kanina, nagmamaganda pa habang nagso-sorry.”
“Stace…” Gwen placed a hand on her arm, gently. “I know she gets on your nerves. But don’t let her get to you like this. Sayang energy mo.”
“Too late,” Stacey muttered, her jaw clenched. “Kahit anong gawin niya, may effect talaga siya sa akin, and I hate that.”
On the other hand, Aiah was struggling to arrange the papers she’d been holding for almost an hour now. Halos nagkahalo-halo na ang mga documents niya—‘yung para sa case study, at pati na rin ‘yung para sa student council.
Shit, it’s almost 2 PM and she still hadn’t compiled them properly.
At sa sobrang malas niya, sa dinami-rami ng pwedeng makabangga sa hallway, yung babae pang ‘yon.
That pair of chinita eyes that stared her down so intensely last night—unfamiliar, pero sobrang nakaka-pressure.
And now, she probably just made things worse. The girl looked even more pissed off after their accidental bump. Nice one, Aiah -___-
I felt guilty.
Kasalanan ko naman talaga, and instead of apologizing properly, inuna ko pa ‘yung pagkalat ng papers ko.
She looked so annoyed... and I couldn’t blame her. Kung ako rin ang nabangga ng walang paalam, maiinis din ako.
Hay, Aiah.
I hope next time we run into each other, good shot na ako sa kanya. Kahit konti lang. Kahit hindi na masungit ‘yung tingin.
Lord, one more chance please. I swear I’ll do better
“Hoy, Mariah Queen, masyado ka naman atang tulala diyan.”
She snapped back to reality the moment she heard her full name—only one person said it like that.
Maloi stood in front of her, hands on her hips, brows furrowed like she was ready to scold someone.
“Ha?” Aiah blinked, clearly lost.
“Okay ka lang ba?” tanong ni Nicolette, mas kalmado ang tono, habang nakasilip mula sa likod ni Maloi
"gisultihan tika nga mag-absent ka na karon ug magpahulay" sabi pa nito. Maloi was confused sa sinabi nito kaya inulit niya ulit ang sinabi niya "told you mag absent ka na muna today at mag take rest"
“Oks lang ako, guys,” Aiah said quickly, trying to brush it off with a small smile. “Nakahinga lang ako ng maluwag na naipasa ko on time ‘yung research papers tsaka ‘yung org papers.
“Grabe ka talaga, Patron ng Kasipagan,” Maloi, the ever-stressed Architecture student, joked. “Sana sapian mo rin ako niyan para matapos ko na ‘yung tambak kong plates.”
“Boang!” Aiah laughed. “Wala lang choice kundi magsipag.”
“Asan na sila Jho at Miks?” she added, glancing around. “Kain tayo sa labas, oh—celebrate natin ‘yung pagkapanalo ko kahapon.”
**
After finishing her last subject, Stacey and Gwen decided to hang out. They were just waiting for Sheena—who was Gwen's ka-situationship, someone she was pretty close with—and Lucas, her one-month boyfriend.
A few minutes later, a black SUV pulled up in front of them. It was her boyfriend, along with Sheena. The two were schoolmates from a different university.
Lucas opened the door for her. "Hi, how’s your day, baby?" He was looking as handsome as ever. She kissed him on the cheek. His black long-sleeve shirt suited him perfectly. Hmmm, so handsome.
"Don’t ask her that, Lucas. She’s in a bad mood," Gwen responded for her. She shot her friend a side-eye.
Sheena, sitting in the back seat next to Gwen, leaned over and gave Stacey a quickbeso on the cheek.
"Bakit siya may beso bebe, ako wala?" Napairap lalo siya sa tanong ni Gwen. Corny nitong dalawa wala namang label.
"Mag-inarte kung may label na okay?" at nagtawanan naman sila apat sa hirit niya.
She could feel that Lucas wanted to hold her hand, so she gave it to him without hesitation. She met Lucas back in her previous university, and the guy had courted her for almost a year before she finally said yes. He was kind, a true gentleman, and very serious about life. His sincerity was one of the things that made her fall for him. She could tell he really cared for her, and every moment with him felt reassuring.
"San niyo gusto kumain?" tanong ni Gwen sa kanila, habang nakatingin kay Lucas at Stacey.
Lucas looked at Stacey, waiting for her to answer. It was clear they were all deciding where to go, and Gwen was just trying to get the ball rolling.
"Dun nalang tayo sa bagong bukas na Japanese resto sa may Magsaysay, tapos sa taas nun may club. Hindi naman ata maaga class niyo bukas?" Sheena suggested, looking at the group with a playful smile.
Lucas nodded, agreeing to the plan. "Sounds good to me. How about you, Stace?" he asked, looking at her.
Stacey smiled, already excited about the idea. "I’m in! Let’s go!"
When they arrived at Kabuki, the newly opened Japanese restaurant just 15 minutes away from their university, they could see that only a few tables were left. It was clear that people were curious about the new spot. The place had a modern, yet cozy vibe, with a mix of traditional Japanese decor and contemporary touches. The scent of freshly prepared sushi and grilled dishes filled the air.
"Looks like we're not the only ones excited to try this place," Stacey remarked, looking around at the crowd.
Gwen grinned. "New places like this are always a hit. I bet the food’s amazing."
They were quickly seated at one of the last available tables, and the waiter handed them menus, ready to dive into their much-anticipated dinner.
Hoy, dahan-dahan naman, bebe!" Gwen scolded Sheena, who was quickly devouring sashimi, one piece after another.
"Gutom ako eh, mmm, sarap nga food dito," Sheena mumbled, clearly enjoying every bite.
Lucas turned to Stacey with a smile. "You want more sushi, baby?" he asked, holding up another piece of sushi.
"No, thank you. I’m full na po," Stacey replied with a smile, gently pushing the plate away.
She was satisfied with the food, but more than that, she was enjoying the relaxed vibe of the evening with Lucas and their friends. It felt like the perfect way to unwind after a long day.