Chapter 4: Footnotes and First Names
502 Words
Kinabukasan, Hannaia found something unexpected sa kanyang locker sa hallway ng nursing department. Nakatiklop nang maayos ang isang dark gray hoodie—yung hiniram niya kahapon habang umuulan. Nasa ibabaw nito, may maliit na papel na nakadikit.
"Stay dry. –Z"
Napangiti siya nang hindi sinasadya. "Z? Anong palayaw ’to? Superhero?" bulong niya habang tinitiklop ang note at tinago sa likod ng ID case niya. Kahit basa pa ang dulo ng buhok niya at bitin ang tulog, nabawasan kahit papaano ang bigat ng araw niya.
Sa kabilang building, Zac was leaning on the handrail of the second-floor corridor ng engineering building, watching the campus crowd again. Same view, same tree, same girl—pero ngayon, may hoodie na siyang hindi suot.
“’Di na siya nilalamig siguro,” he thought, sipping his coffee, this time with less sugar—trying to match her taste again.
Later that afternoon, nagkita ulit sila. This time, sa photocopy station sa may main library.
“Hey, student nurse girl,” bati ni Zac, sabay salubong ng ngiti habang naka-line din sa pila.
Hannaia turned, eyebrows slightly raised. “Engineering boy. You left something in my locker.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, leaning on the counter. “I figured you’d return it eventually. I trust nurses not to steal garments.”
“Wow. And I trust engineers to build bridges, not make lame jokes.”
He laughed. “Fair. But you didn’t deny you’re keeping it.”
She smirked. “For laundry. Then I’ll return it.”
“Cool. So what’s your name, nurse girl?”
She paused, as if deciding whether to tell him. “Hannaia. Hannaia Ramoa.”
Zac blinked. “Ha-na…? Wait, paano ulit?”
She spelled it slowly, and he repeated it, wrong twice.
“Close enough,” she said. “Ikaw naman. Mr. Z?”
“Zac. Zac Marcelli.”
“Zac,” she repeated, then nodded. “Noted. For return label purposes.”
They both laughed, the tension from earlier melting away like steam from a fresh cup of coffee.
Habang hinihintay ang print job nila, they ended up talking more—about weird professor quirks, favorite comfort food during stressful weeks, and how both of them hated early morning classes but still always showed up.
“Alam mo, akala ko tahimik ka,” Hannaia said.
“I am,” Zac replied. “Pero ikaw kasi ‘yung maingay, kaya nabawasan ‘yung pressure.”
“Excuse me?” she said with mock offense.
“Joke lang. Friendly ka lang pala. Unexpected.”
She smiled, softer now. “Ikaw rin. Akala ko suplado.”
They walked out of the library with their printed notes and a slightly changed atmosphere—still familiar, still casual, but warmer.
Names were now exchanged. Small jokes thrown. Smiles freely given.
Something had shifted. Subtle, but certain.
And somewhere between the photocopy machine and the sound of her laugh, Zac realized—he liked the sound of her name a little too much.
- Writer
