Let Me

Episode 3

I blinked once, straightened my posture, and let my expression soften into something carefully blank, confused, polite, detached.

Like he was just another stranger.

Like I had never known him at all.

“Sorry…” I tilted my head slightly, eyes scanning him with deliberate innocence.

“Do I… know you?” nasabi ko kaagad.

I saw Maloi being shocked by what I said.

“Ahhh, Archangel, I mean…Mr. Ferrero…” she quickly corrected herself, panic flashing in her voice as she turned to him. “Sorry… do you need anything?”

For a second, I saw him shift his gaze, first to Maloi, then back to me.

And that’s when I felt it.

The weight of his stare.

Not loud.

Not obvious.

But sharp enough to cut through my act.

I kept my face steady.

Blank.

Perfect.

If I didn’t react, then nothing about me would give me away.

Simple.

I am limot-you na.

Wala na ‘yun sa akin.

Nothing.

He exhaled slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully.

" No.. I just know a person who's not even recognized me.. for all our.... ", nanlaki kaagad ang mata ko ng maintindihan ang sasabihin niya.. He remembers everything and makes announcements talaga.. Before he can finish tumayo kaagad ako.

"Omg... the time is up na.. ... lets go na girllsss... Malalate na tayo... Sorry, Mr. Ar… or whoever you are… nagmamadali kami eh…", sabi ko pa habang naguguluhan na ang iba sa ginagawa ko.

" You need to explain everything to me My Dear Kaiah Luna.. ", Bulong ni Roxanne sa akin..

"Oo na.. sa bahay na okay... ",

"Sayang naman yun Luna.. Si Archangel na yung kausap natin.. Hindi pa tayo nagtanong sa Case study natin. ", nagulat kaagad ako sa sinabi ni Maloi..

"As if he will know.. Hindi naman halatang alam niya.. ", sabi ko kaagad.

Napanganga kaagad sila sa sinabi ko. "Hindi mo talaga siya Kilala Luna?.He is so Elite you know.. He is from the Home School.. Yung Elite na school na pagmamay-ari ng mga Ferrero. They are well known.. and.... everyone is admiring them..Bakit hindi mo sila kilala?", si Stacey naman ngayon ang nagsalita.

Tumaas lang ang kilay ko at nagkibit-balikat. "They are familiar, pero hindi naman ako interested.So let's go na okay?", inosente kong sabi.

Narinig ko pa ang pagbulong-bulungan nilang dalawa. Kaya tumingin lang ako kay Roxanne ngayon na nakangisi na sa akin.

Natapos ang araw na hindi ko na naisip pa yung lalaking yun.

As if.

If I didn't meet the girls, hindi ako magiging conscious on how my virginity was lost just because I am curious and hungry for my freedom. Now, I realize how important it is.

Night came

Roxanne and her boyfriend came to my house. And guess what—Iyon ang topic namin.

"“Bakit hindi mo maalala ang lalaking iyon…?” Mahina pero mariing tanong. “He’s stunning—handsome… the perfect man in the world. Bakit, Luna?” Kumunot ang noo ko.

"The moment I saw him again, naalala ko bigla di ba?.. Sadyang I am not in my right mind noon dahil sa kalasingan. Bakit ba kailangang magkita kami again ? ", nakapout kung sabi.

Kita ko kaagad ang pagngisi niya . "That was called destiny. Ayiehhh. ",

Kantsaw niya sa akin.

Naging matagal din kami nag usap ni Roxanne. Until we end our night na medyo kalmado na ako.

Buo ang decision kong to not be affected and to ignore him. One night stand lang yun and walang meaning. That's it.

Pero iba ang nangyari kinabukasan.

I swear, this was just supposed to be a normal day.

Like… why is he here?

Hindi pa rin nag-sisink in sa’kin. As in. I already convinced myself kahapon na coincidence lang ‘yon. One time thing. Tapos na. Move on.

I am in the middle of Maloi and Stacy. Si Joanna nasa harap namin, busy sa pag-aayos ng notes niya, habang ako… trying to look normal.

Pumasok kasama ng ibang lecturer ang isang lalaking kailanman, hindi ko kayang makita.

Parang biglang nag-slow motion lahat.

He immediately roamed around as if he was looking for someone. Kaya madaling nagtagpo ang mga eyes namin.

“OMG… Archangel is here, guys… ang gwapo niya talaga.”

“Grabe, parang model.”

“Parang hindi tao.”

The whispers spread like wildfire, halos sabay-sabay, puno ng excitement at paghanga.

I tore my gaze away first, forcing my expression back to neutral—walang kahit anong bakas ng pagkilala.

Walang Luna na nakakakilala sa kanya.

Ano naman kung may nangyari sa amin.

As if he can talk about it to my friends, especially at school. Kaya, chill Luna. Everything will be okay.

“Class,” one of the lecturers started, breaking the tension I was trying so hard to ignore. “We have a guest for today’s session..Archangel Rex Ferrero. ..one of our senior medical students.”

The name landed in the room like something sacred.

Everyone reacted.

Na kahit ako, namangha sa ganda ng pangalan niya. Pamilyar pa sa akin, pero hindi ko maalala.

Halos tumili ang mga kaklase namin, lalong-lalo na si Maloi na halatang may gusto talaga.

The lab fell quiet the moment Archangel stepped forward.

Parang automatic,no one even needed to say “be silent.” His presence alone did it.

“Alright,” he started, voice calm, controlled. “Today, we’ll be doing a basic IV insertion.”

Halos sabay-sabay nag-straighten ang posture ng mga kaklase ko. Si Maloi, obviously, naka-focus na parang nasa harap niya ang future husband niya.

“First rule,” he continued, already wearing his gloves, movements precise. “If you’re not confident with your hands, don’t touch the patient.”He walks directly towards where I am.

Soft yung tone, but firm. Nakinig ako at nag-focus.

Nakaka-intimidate.

Nakaka-command ng attention.

I stood beside him, assisting, trying to keep my breathing steady. Ang lapit niya. Too close. I could hear every small movement he made, every shift of his gloves niya.

“Preparation is everything,” dagdag niya, picking up the catheter. “You don’t guess. You don’t hesitate.”

His eyes flicked to me—quick, deliberate.

“You understand?”, deretsong sabi niya sa akin. Narinig ko pa ang kaunting tili nina Stacey pero hindi ko na pinansin pa.

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Pero deep inside? My chest was anything but steady.

He turned back to the class, lifting the patient’s arm slightly. “You locate the vein first. Huwag bara-bara. You look. You feel.”

He demonstrated, fingers pressing lightly against the skin,confident, practiced.

“See this?” he said, motioning slightly. “This is a good vein. Stable. Hindi gumagalaw masyado.”

“Sir, masakit po ba ’yan?” tanong ng isa, medyo kinakabahan.

“It will,” he answered honestly. “But your job is to make it as quick and clean as possible.”

No sugarcoating.

Hindi mo aakalain na ang lalaking nasa harap ay ang lalaking subrang experto sa kama.

I swallowed quietly.

Still the same.

“Luna.”

My name again.

"Kaiah Luna. ", Tawa niya uli

I forced myself to look at him. “Yes, sir?”

“Come closer.”

I was already close.

Pero, I stepped in anyway. Ang seryoso niya kaya ...

Now, I was right beside him, my shoulder almost brushing his arm.

“Hold this,” he instructed, handing me the gauze.

Our fingers brushed.

Just for a second.

But it felt wrong.

It is so Familiar, Dangerous.

I pulled my hand back slightly, but not enough to make it obvious.

He noticed.

Of course he did.

“Steady,” he murmured, low enough for me to hear.

I clenched my jaw slightly.

“I am,” I replied, just as low.

He didn’t respond.

But I felt it—the shift.

That quiet tension between us that no one else seemed to notice.

“Angle is important,” he continued, louder now, back to teaching. “Around 15 to 30 degrees. Too deep, you miss. Too shallow, you fail.” He inserted the needle smoothly.

Clean. Precise.

No hesitation.

“Flashback,” he said, pointing slightly. “That’s how you know you’re in.”

The class leaned in, impressed.

“Wow…”

“Ang galing…”

“Grabe…”

I stayed still.

Focused, or at least pretending to be.

Because the whole time, I could feel him.

Aware of me.

Too aware.

“Your turn,” he suddenly said.

My head snapped slightly. “What?”

The class went quiet.

Of course.

“Demonstrate,” he added, stepping back just enough to give me space—but not enough to actually leave.

My heart skipped.

Seriously?

I took a breath, forcing my hands to stay steady as I picked up the catheter.

You’ve done this in practice.

You know this.

Focus.

But then, he leaned in again.

Too close.

“Let’s see,” he whispered, voice barely there.

“If you really forgot… or you’re just pretending.”

My grip tightened.

But I didn’t look at him.

I couldn’t.

Instead, I focused on the task, on the vein, on the angle, on everything that made sense.

Anything but him.

Anything but us.

And with one controlled motion

I inserted the needle.

Clean.

Precise.

Just like he did.

The class reacted instantly.

“Uy, ang galing!”

“Natural!”

“Perfect!” I exhaled slowly, keeping my composure intact. The small achievement make me happy and I am about to looked at him, being proud.

Pero bago pa ako tuluyang makalayo, he spoke again.

Soft.

Close.

Only for me.

“Hindi mo talaga maalala?”.