Chapter 5
714 Words
Monday – 8:47 AM – Campus Lawn
Mira threw a piece of bread at Aira’s head. “Girl, you’re spacing out again.”
Aira blinked. “Sorry. Antok lang.”
“Antok my foot. Since when ka tumititig sa sky na parang nasa music video?” Mira smirked.
Aira rolled her eyes. But didn’t deny it.
Aira’s POV – Internal Monologue
> “There’s something terrifying about peace…
Because the moment you start to feel safe, you also start to wonder:
What if this disappears?”
Aira wasn’t used to waking up not waiting for pain. But lately, mornings were light.
Not perfect—but not heavy either.
And Calix? He was still there.
Still quiet. Still kind. Still patient.
Which only made it harder not to care.
10:02 AM – Library Hallway
Calix waited by the door, holding a notebook.
“Hey,” he said, soft smile.
“Hey,” sagot ni Aira, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.
He handed her a pen. “Alam kong nawawala lagi ‘to sayo.”
She stared at the familiar black gel pen. “Seriously?”
“May name mo na rin ‘yan, promise,” he said. “Permanent marker, girl.”
Aira chuckled.
11:49 AM – Lunch with Calix (Outdoors)
They shared a bench, same setup as usual—food in silence, soft laughter between bites.
But this time, Aira asked something she never dared before.
“Calix… do you ever get tired of showing up for people who don’t know how to receive it?”
He paused. “Yeah. Pero minsan, ang pagiging present… hindi naman dapat laging may sukli.”
“But doesn’t it hurt?”
“Kung ang basehan ng pagmamahal ay sukli, eh di lahat tayo lugi.”
Aira went quiet.
She didn’t realize it yet, but something inside her shifted.
Tuesday – 4:03 PM – Dorm Hallway
It started small.
Aira messaged him.
AIRA:
You free later? Might need your brain sa lit.
Seen. No reply for 3 hours.
7:28 PM – Rooftop Garden
Aira sat with Mira and their orgmates, half-listening.
Calix was usually here by now. He always made time.
But today? Wala.
No message. No soft “hey.” No half sandwich or mint candy.
Mira noticed. “Okay ka lang?”
Aira tried to shrug. “Maybe busy lang.”
But her chest felt… heavier than she expected.
Flashback – Aira, 19 Years Old
“Ba’t parang ikaw pa nagha-habol?” Mira had asked her before.
“Because I didn’t want to lose someone who felt safe.”
Now, she was wondering—
Is this what it feels like when you’re the one left waiting?
9:51 PM – Aira’s POV
She stared at her phone. Calix still hadn’t replied.
She wasn’t mad. Just… confused.
And maybe a little scared.
Because she knew that the deeper she let someone in, the more it would hurt if they chose to walk away.
> “Maybe I’m not ready.
Or maybe… I just didn’t expect to want someone to stay this badly.”
Wednesday – 10:19 AM – Cafeteria (Reunion)
“Hey,” Calix said, approaching.
Aira kept her expression neutral. “Hi.”
He sat beside her. No food this time.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Medyo nagsink in na everything. What you shared. What I shared.”
“You okay?” she asked.
“Honestly? I got scared too.”
Aira blinked.
“You’re not the only one who’s afraid to be let down,” Calix continued. “It’s easy to say I’ll wait. Harder when I realize… I might also be hoping.”
The silence between them wasn’t awkward. It was honest.
The Softest Closeness
Calix gently reached for her hand on the table. “If you need space, I’ll give it.”
Aira looked down, then said, “No. I don’t want space. I just don’t know what to do with all of this.”
“What if we don’t need to know yet?” Calix whispered. “What if we just… sit in this moment, together?”
Late Evening – Journal Entry
> “I thought love would come back loud.
I didn’t expect it to return as someone sitting beside me
saying nothing,
but meaning everything.”
- Writer
