Chapter 12
1224 Words
Wednesday – 7:52 AM – Classroom, South Wing
“Reminder,” their professor called out, tapping the whiteboard. “Final presentation next Monday. No extensions. No excuses.”
Aira wrote it down, already feeling her chest tighten.
Another presentation.
Another high-stakes moment.
She glanced sideways. Calix gave her a small, encouraging nod.
But even that didn’t stop the weight from settling in.
> “I’ve been okay lately,” Aira thought.
“So why does it feel like I’m slipping again?”
10:18 AM – Org Room
Papers were stacked. Schedules were messy. Everyone looked like they were two sips away from a breakdown.
“Group 3, you’re next for the creative media pitch,” the org head announced.
Aira and Calix were in the same group—along with Mira and two others.
Mira nudged Aira. “You okay? You’re zoning.”
Aira blinked. “Yeah. Just… too much to think about.”
1:06 PM – Cafeteria, Corner Table
She stared at her untouched spaghetti.
“You need to eat,” Calix said gently.
“I will.”
“You’re doing that thing again,” he added. “Where you don’t say anything until you break down later.”
Aira sighed. “I’m just overwhelmed, okay?”
Calix didn’t press.
He just slid his cup of iced tea toward her. “Take what you need.”
3:22 PM – Surprise Visit (Family)
“Airaaa!”
Aira’s eyes widened as her younger brother, Mico and ana her younger sister , tackled her outside the dorm gate.
“Mom?” she blinked.
Her mom stepped out of the car with a smile. “We were in the area. Mikko insisted.”
She looked between Aira and Calix (who had just exited the dorm), eyebrows lifting.
“Oh,” she said, teasing. “Is this…?”
“Ma,” Aira warned.
But Calix stepped forward politely. “Hi po. I’m Calix.”
Her mom shook his hand. “So you’re the one she keeps not talking about.”
Mico laughed. “But ate blushes when she reads messages !”
Ana said " yes thats right" then they laugh
“TRAITOR,” Aira muttered, pulling him into a side hug.
4:17 PM – Coffee Shop Nearby
They sat as a group—Aira, Calix, her mom, Mico and Ana . Light conversation. Some teasing. Aira half-annoyed, half-relieved.
Her mom leaned in as Mico and ana played on her phone.
“You look different,” her mom whispered.
“Different?”
“Less guarded.”
Aira stayed quiet.
“Not because of him,” her mom added. “But maybe because you’re starting to feel safe again.”
That hit harder than she expected.
6:03 PM – Back at the Dorm
“I didn’t mean to crash your schedule,” her mom said as they hugged goodbye.
“It was actually… nice,” Aira admitted.
Her mom smiled. “Your eyes smile now too. That’s how I know.”
As they drove off, Aira turned to Calix.
“Sorry about them.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “Your mom’s great. And Mikko’s definitely a future threat to humanity.”
Aira laughed—genuinely this time.
8:11 PM – Study Lounge
Group 3 gathered for their upcoming presentation. Slides open. Scripts messy. Deadlines looming.
Aira tried to focus. Really.
But her brain buzzed.
“You okay?” Mira whispered.
“I’m trying,” Aira muttered.
And she was.
Trying not to fall behind.
Trying not to fall apart.
Trying not to fall—harder—for someone who made it all feel okay, even when it wasn’t.
Late Night – Aira’s Internal Monologue
> “Is it selfish to want love when you’re still building yourself?
Is it wrong to let someone hold your hand while you figure out who you’re becoming?
Maybe…
maybe that’s what real love does—
it holds space.
Not answers.”
Monday – 9:13 AM – Auditorium, Presentation Day
Group 3 was third to present. The lights were hot. The audience was full of critical eyes and tired classmates.
Aira’s note cards felt slippery in her hands.
“Ready?” Mira whispered.
“Not sure,” Aira answered honestly.
Calix looked at her, gave a small nod. “You got this.”
But in her head, that didn’t feel true.
9:35 AM – The Presentation Begins
They moved through their slides—visuals, case studies, brand pitches.
Aira took the mic, her turn to explain the campaign execution.
Her voice cracked on the first word.
She cleared her throat. Tried again.
> “Our concept revolves around emotional value—how storytelling builds authentic engagement…”
But halfway through her slide, her vision blurred.
She skipped two bullet points. Forgot a transition. Her voice slowed.
People were polite. But she felt it.
The drop. The self-doubt. The panic.
10:04 AM – Post-Presentation Silence
They stepped offstage.
Aira immediately sat on the hallway bench, hands trembling slightly.
Mira sat beside her, rubbing her back. “You didn’t mess up.”
“I did,” Aira muttered. “It was shaky. I forgot points. I looked lost.”
“You were human,” Mira corrected.
Calix stood across from them, letting her have space—but watching her like she might vanish.
Flashback – Aira, 16 Years Old
First class debate. First time she froze onstage.
Her ex said afterward: “Nakakahiya. Don’t expect me to watch next time.”
She never forgot that.
She never forgot how failure looked on her—ugly, unwanted.
10:37 AM – Calix’s POV – Quiet Corner Outside
He found her sitting behind the old science building—her usual hiding spot.
“Hey,” he said gently.
Aira looked up, eyes tired. “Please don’t say ‘you did great.’ I really don’t want comfort right now.”
“I won’t,” he said, sitting beside her.
“I don’t want to cry either,” she added, voice breaking.
“I know.”
He didn’t touch her.
Just sat there.
Let her breathe.
10:49 AM – Aira’s POV
> “He didn’t try to fix me.
He didn’t offer shallow praise.
He just came to sit in the quiet.”
“Why is it so hard to accept that I can fail?” she finally asked.
“Because someone once made you believe failure meant unlovable,” he answered, voice soft.
“And now?”
“Now… maybe we rewrite that belief.”
She finally let herself lean against his shoulder.
1:13 PM – Café Stop Before Home
Calix ordered for both of them. One iced chocolate. One carbonara. No questions.
“You’ve done enough for today,” he said. “So let me do something small.”
Aira didn’t argue.
And when the food came, she took the first bite with slow relief.
She was tired. She felt raw.
But she wasn’t alone.
7:48 PM – Dorm Room
Aira changed into her oversized hoodie, curled up on her bed with her laptop open, presentation feedback email unread.
She didn’t click it.
Not yet.
Instead, she opened her journal.
Midnight – Aira’s Journal Entry
> “Today, I cracked.
Not shattered.
Not failed.
Just… cracked.
But someone sat in the silence with me.
And in that silence,
something softened.
Not the world.
But maybe… me.”
- Writer
