MY PRETEND BOYFRIEND

Chapter 2

Sophia Laurel couldn't calm her heart for hours after what happened. Adrian Martinez had confessed his love for her. To be honest, he wasn’t bad-looking—he was actually quite handsome. But the thought of him kept replaying in her mind. She feared she might lose sleep tonight, haunted by the possibility of him showing up in her dreams like a nightmare.

But Sophia was determined. I can handle this. I just won’t think about him, she told herself. No matter how much he tried to impress her, she knew she wouldn’t fall for him. She didn’t even bother following him back on i********:.

Adrian, however, was relentless. He seemed to have come prepared for whatever challenge lay ahead.

“Sophia, may tissue ka ba? Kung wala, kukunin ko na lang para sa’yo.”

Sophia froze. He had no shame following her even to the restroom. She spun around to glare at him, trying to keep her cool. “Wala na,” she replied curtly, striding away from him. But Adrian wasn’t one to take a hint.

“Sabi ko, huwag mo na akong guluhin! Ano ba? Sa ganyang ugali mo, mas lalo kitang aayawan.”

“Eh, aantayin na lang kita sa labas ng classroom mo,” he said with a grin.

“Lumayo ka! Wala ka bang klase?”

“Pupuntahan kita ‘pag may free time ako,” he replied, completely unfazed.

“Hindi na kailangan! ‘Wag ka nang magpunta!”

“Eh, babalikan kita mamaya.”

“Sabi ko, hindi kailangan! Hindi kita gusto. May gusto na akong iba.”

“Sino yun?”

“Huwag mo nang alamin, okay? Wag mo na akong guluhin.”

Adrian smirked. “Oh, sige. Kitakits na lang bukas!”

Sophia groaned. This was more exhausting than dealing with her past relationships.

Fed up, she confided in her friends Yvonne and Kath, recounting Adrian’s antics over the past three days. Truth be told, her friends had already witnessed his persistent pursuit, but Sophia had reached her breaking point.

“Huwag ka masyadong ma-stress, tutulungan ka namin,” Yvonne said, patting Sophia’s shoulder.

The three of them brainstormed ways to get rid of Adrian. Their best idea? Find a handsome, rich, and popular guy for Sophia to pretend-date.

“May nahanap ka na?” Sophia asked, scrolling through her phone.

“May mga nakita ako, pero lahat sila may girlfriend na,” Yvonne admitted.

“Gusto mo ba isama yung mga seniors?” Kath suggested.

“Okay lang. Mukhang wala naman akong ibang choice,” Sophia sighed.

They spent the next hour hunting for potential candidates. Sophia even considered rekindling a connection with Ivan, her ex. He was the senior president, a well-respected figure in their university. She knew Adrian couldn’t compete with someone like him. Although their breakup had been over something trivial—a disagreement over dinner plans—Sophia hoped Ivan would sympathize with her current predicament and agree to help.

When she finally explained her situation to Ivan, he laughed. “Sophia, you’re really something. But fine, I’ll help.”

The only problem? Ivan had recently started dating someone new. Sophia now had to explain to his girlfriend that their “relationship” was just pretend.

What a mess, Sophia thought. Adrian Martinez, you’re driving me insane.

Finally, everything was settled smoothly. Sophia and Ivan agreed to help each other until Adrian, the persistent engineering student with a high-pitched voice, finally vanished from her life. Once that day came, Sophia promised herself to immediately return Ivan to his girlfriend, restoring their perfect partnership.

The time for Adrian’s removal seemed to have officially begun.

Although the welcoming ceremony for new students had passed, the much-anticipated "Freshy Night" was finally here. The event drew a large crowd, from freshmen to seniors, professors, and even outsiders. The packed hall buzzed with excitement, making it hard for anyone to breathe comfortably.

Freshy Night promised to be a thrilling event, featuring a campus star and moon competition, a campus queen election, and even a live band performance to keep the energy high.

Sophia and her friends couldn’t miss this big night. She sat between Kath on her left and her fake boyfriend Ivan on her right. Yvonne was seated directly in front of her, leaning forward in anticipation.

“Ngayon ay oras na para sa talent competition ngayong taon para sa mga Stars and Moons ng inyong faculty. Handa na ba kayo?” the emcee’s voice boomed through the speakers.

“Handa na!” the crowd roared.

“Kung handa na kayo, let's all welcome them on stage!”

The hall erupted in cheers and applause as representatives from various faculties entered the stage. The energy was electric, with the audience’s enthusiasm reaching its peak.

Sophia, however, sat quietly, trying to enjoy the performances with her friends. When the representatives from the Faculty of Law entered, loud cheers echoed through the hall.

In truth, Sophia could have been one of the competitors on stage. However, her seniors thought someone with a "brighter presence" should take her place. She didn't mind—especially since it meant she could avoid any unnecessary schemes from Adrian.

The performances began one after another, running seamlessly for two hours. While Sophia tried to enjoy the show, she couldn’t help but glance around, worried that Adrian might suddenly appear. Thankfully, there was no sign of him.

Her focus shifted back to Ivan, her ex-boyfriend and temporary fake partner.

“Uhaw ka?” she asked.

“Umm, konti lang,” Ivan replied.

“Here, take this,” she said, handing him a bottle of water.

“No thanks, I only drink mineral water these days,” he declined.

“Ugh, tinatamad ako lumabas.” The thought of navigating the crowded hall to find a drink was exhausting.

“It’s okay,” Ivan replied, his casual tone making Sophia feel slightly guilty.

“Anong brand gusto mo?” she asked, feeling the need to compensate.

“No need. I’ll head to the restroom and buy something on the way. Sa tingin mo, mas maganda ba sa kanan o kaliwa ang daan?” Ivan asked, his indecision surfacing as usual.

“Kanan, mukhang mas konti ang tao doon,” Sophia suggested.

“Kanan? Pero parang mas gusto ko sa kaliwa,” Ivan muttered, appearing genuinely torn.

“Eh, ikaw pa rin naman ang magde-decide,” Sophia said, barely hiding her impatience.

“Pero dahil sinabi mong kanan, doon na lang ako pupunta,” Ivan decided, adjusting his posture to leave.

“Okay. Ingat ka.”

“Hmm... Pero parang mas okay nga sa kaliwa.”

Sophia sighed internally. Bahala ka na nga. Sundan mo na lang ang t***k ng puso mo.

Ivan’s indecisiveness reminded her why they had broken up in the first place. As much as she appreciated his help now, she couldn’t help but feel relieved that their relationship had ended long ago.