When He Borrowed My Pen

01

Two years earlier.

Senior high school

My life has always been messy and stressful. Between endless deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities, I barely have time to breathe—much less date someone. Being a student leader means constantly being on, even when I’m already exhausted.

Maybe that’s why love always felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Today was no different.

The council’s event proposal got rejected again.

Half the officers were panicking in our group chat, while our adviser kept reminding me of the revised deadline—due today.

My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.

“Pres, paki-approve na po.”

“Pres, may kulang daw sa form.”

“Pres, si sir naghahanap sa’yo.”

Pres. Pres. Pres.

I swear, sometimes I forgot what my real name was.

By 4 p.m., I was still at my desk, surrounded by paperwork, cold coffee, and the faint smell of stress. My laptop fan was whirring louder than my thoughts. I sighed, slumped back, and muttered,

“Pag may isang tao pa talagang tumawag sa'kin ng, ‘Pres,’ I might just resign and tumira sa Mars.”

So when I finally hit “send” on the last email, I packed up without thinking. I needed to breathe—somewhere far away from the chaos of my responsibilities.

That’s how I ended up in my usual café.

It wasn’t fancy, but it felt like mine—the one place where I could drop the whole “President Sierra Leigh Vergara” act and just be Leigh. I liked the low hum of the espresso machines, the faint indie music, and the smell of toasted beans that always greeted me at the door.

Maybe that’s why I always came here when life felt too loud.

I chose my favorite corner seat, the one near the window, and opened my laptop again—out of habit, not motivation. I was halfway through reviewing a pile of reports when a soft voice interrupted the steady buzz of the café.

“Uh… miss, do you have a pen I could borrow?”

I looked up.

And there he was.

Shet. Lord, ito na ba talaga ang plot twist ng buhay ko?

The kind of guy who looked like he accidentally walked out of a dream—messy hair, slightly nerdy vibe, calm eyes that could read a thousand thoughts. May pagka chinito na moreno din siya.

Hayst type na type ko talaga…

For a solid three seconds, I forgot how to function.

“Uh… hello? Miss?” he said, waving a hand in front of me.

“Oh! Pen? Yeah, here!” I stammered, pulling one from my tote bag. My hand trembled slightly as I handed it over.

He smiled—just a small curve of his lips—but it felt like the whole café shifted.

“Thanks,” he said simply, and walked back to his table.

I tried to go back to work, but the moment felt like a paper jam in my brain.

“Ano ba, Leigh, focus. He just borrowed a pen, not your heart,” I muttered under my breath, tapping my keyboard like that could erase the image of his smile.

But my eyes had other plans.

They kept sneaking glances his way—the way his brow furrowed as he read, how he bit the end of my pen when he was thinking, how calm he looked doing nothing at all.

Maybe that was what drew me in—peace.

Something I hadn’t felt all day.

And then, as if the universe wanted to mess with me a little more, the barista called out,

“Iced Matcha Latte for Miss Leigh!”

I blinked. Huh? I haven’t even ordered anything yet.

I walked to the counter and took the cup, confused. My name was written neatly on the side—and right below it, a small note:

“Take it easy, Pres ♡”

My lips parted. Pres?

I turned slowly toward his table.

He was there—pretending not to look, earbuds in, but I caught the tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

For the first time that day, I smiled too.

The matcha was sweet—maybe sweeter than usual.

And for someone who’d spent the whole afternoon putting out fires, being told to take it easy by a stranger felt oddly personal.

Maybe that’s what I needed—not another meeting, not another proposal, not another “Pres.”

Just a quiet reminder to breathe.

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