Professor Arceta

The faint hum of the air conditioning filled the faculty room as Aiah Arceta sat at her desk, leafing through a stack of papers she barely registered. Her thoughts were elsewhere—on the sharp, biting tone Colet had used in class and the unexpected coldness that seemed to have settled between them.

A melodic humming broke through her thoughts. Aiah glanced up to see Jhoanna, her fellow professor, leaning against the nearby desk, her lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“I heard may debate ka daw sa student mo kanina,” Jhoanna said, a teasing lilt in her voice. “That’s quite new. Hindi ba usually, tahimik sila sa harap mo kasi takot lahat?”

Aiah sighed, rubbing her temple. “She’s on my nerves.”

Jhoanna raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “She? Sino ‘yan? Dati di mo pinapansin ‘yung mga ganyang bagay. What’s so special about this one?”

Aiah hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she admitted, “Actually… I’m close to her. Ewan ko nga kung bakit bigla siyang naging cold sakin. Parang overnight, biglang hindi ko na siya kilala.”

Jhoanna’s smirk widened. “Suspicious,” she said, wagging a finger at Aiah. “Ikaw, may friend na student? That’s news. Lahat ng estudyante mo halos takot lumapit sayo.”

Aiah shot her a glare, but Jhoanna just laughed, enjoying her rare moment of teasing dominance over her otherwise intimidating colleague.

Before she could push further, the door opened, and Jeremy walked in, his usual confident stride filling the room with an almost casual authority.

“Napapadalas ata ang dalaw ng manliligaw mo,” Jhoanna whispered with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she leaned closer to Aiah.

Aiah didn’t dignify the comment with a response, but her sharp exhale betrayed her annoyance.

“Hi, Professor Jhoanna,” Jeremy said warmly, offering a polite nod.

Jhoanna smiled back, her interest piqued but her instincts screaming to retreat from the brewing awkwardness. “Excuse me, I suddenly remembered a meeting,” she said, slipping out of the room with a grin that screamed have fun.

Jeremy turned to Aiah, his expression earnest. “Hey, Aiah, do you have plans for lunch? There’s this new restaurant outside the school—I thought we could try it.”

Aiah frowned slightly, already imagining the stares and whispers that would follow such an outing. “Let’s just eat at the canteen,” she said, standing and gathering her things.

Jeremy blinked, a bit surprised but quickly recovered with a smile. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

The canteen buzzed with its usual lunchtime energy—students crowded around tables, trays clattering, and conversations overlapping in a chaotic symphony. But when Professor Arceta walked in with Jeremy by her side, a ripple of silence spread through the room.

Whispers followed them as they moved to the food counter.

“Ang gwapo nung kasama ni ma’am.”
“Bagay sila. Si ma’am maganda rin kasi.”
“May boyfriend pala si ma’am Arceta?”

On the other side of the room, Maloi lightly tapped Colet’s shoulder. “Hoy, Colet,” she said, nodding toward the counter. “Yan, yan ‘yung guy kahapon sa faculty room.”

Colet turned, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Aiah with Jeremy. She frowned deeply, her lips jutting out in a pout she wasn’t even aware of.

Maloi chuckled. “Eh bakit parang naka-nguso ka na?”

“Wala,” Colet murmured, her voice barely audible. “Tao sila, hindi bagay…”

Maloi tilted her head. “Ano’ng sabi mo?”

“Wala,” Colet said quickly, stabbing her food with her fork.

Jeremy scanned the crowded room, spotting Colet and Maloi’s relatively empty table. He approached with a polite smile.

“Ladies,” he said warmly, “can we share your table? The other ones are full.”

Maloi nodded enthusiastically, smiling at Jeremy. “Of course! Sige lang, sir. May space pa naman.”

In stark contrast, Colet looked like the universe had just conspired against her. Her frown deepened, and her hand tightened around her fork.

As they sat down, Jeremy struck up polite conversation with Maloi, his easygoing demeanor putting her at ease. Colet, however, barely glanced at him, her attention fixed on her plate.

From across the table, Aiah subtly observed Colet’s pouty silence. With a small smirk tugging at her lips, she stretched her leg under the table and lightly kicked Colet’s shin.

Colet jerked upright, startled, and her eyes snapped to Aiah’s.

“Eat your food,” Aiah said calmly, her tone laced with quiet authority.

Maloi blinked at the sudden interaction, sensing an undercurrent she couldn’t quite decipher. Colet, meanwhile, flushed with a mix of irritation and embarrassment.

“Fine,” Colet muttered, finally taking a bite of her food but refusing to meet Aiah’s gaze.