Code Red : The Series

Chapter 7

“Hmmmmmnn, what a day!!”

I stretched, amazed by today, I woke up earlier than usual. It's 6 in the morning palang. You know, the reason why sometimes late na me magising is because I'm studying for the whole night.

My class will start 9 am pa, and it's only 6 palang... There's still 3 hours to prepare huh. After I opened my room's window, I finally made my face through the kitchen.

“Senorita, so early today.” Dad said, who's right now is just sipping his coffee and focuses on a huge news paper.

“Morning, Philios Dan Ferrer...” I replied to him.

From humble beginnings to a tycoon, that's the story of my dad. He started with a dream and a few shops, then built a hotel in bustling Seoul and a thriving company back home in the Philippines. Four massive businesses later, he's one of the richest guys around. It wasn't easy, but his hard work paid off big time!

My dad's a business whiz with partners all over—Seoul, Dubai, you name it! He started teaching me business when I was just a kid, and now, at 19, I've already got two businesses of my own. Smart move focusing on quality, not quantity, right? Especially since I'm his only child, and his whole empire is headed my way someday

My dad was a powerhouse, once running seven businesses—three with my mom, before she disappeared over ten years ago. No big drama, dad says she just fell out of love. It's a bittersweet memory, overshadowed by the success he's built since. Even now, the pain of her absence lingers.

Later, I'm in the kitchen, baking cookies with Rui, my friend and personal chef.

“Rui, would you help me bake cookies?

“Yes naman ma'am, pero aga nyo pa ngayon ” She exclaims.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Aughh, is it my first time ba?? Sometimes I woke up earlier tho.”

"No ma'am! First time talaga" she teases.

"Just get started already..." I sigh, waving her towards the ingredients.

Nineteen-year-old Rui Aroha Salvini, the daughter of my mom's former maid, is practically family. We're close, and now that her mom's retired, she's become my constant companion. Amazingly, she's also a first-year law student—quite the multi-tasker!

But her work here is not that hard, because we have two cooks—Rui and her uncle. This leaves her plenty of time pa for her studies, and she often studies with me. She's incredibly bright, never falling below fifth in her class.

"Okay okay, ma'am! " Rui chuckles, mirroring Stel's easygoing nature.

The cookie urge hit me...I rarely have time to bake, but Cleiy loves them.

Flashback

“Just give it to me na kasi Stel, no more asking!” I snapped at my cousin. She keeps asking lots of questions, why not she'll just give it already.

“Nagtatanong lang ehh!! Bakit ba kasi?!”

“Look, it's already past 9 pm and you still aren't giving it to me!! I still have to study Stel!! Now, give it or no one's talking to you tomorrow!!” I threatened.

“Oh ito na nga~, ito na."

"Just say it, I'm ready to take notes," I said, grabbing my notebook.

“09********5 ayan!! Number ni Cleiy” She said as I wrote it down.

“Good, now bye,” I replied, ending the call quickly.

I realized I forgot to ask Stel if Cleiy was still awake. She might be asleep already, and I hoped not. I dialed the number Stel just gave me, feeling frustrated. I'll kill this girl talaga if it's a wrong number.

The phone just rang and rang, but no one answered. I called again, and again.

The phone you dialed cannot be reached at the moment, please try again—

“AARGHHH!!! What the heck, Stel?! Damn it!!!” I screamed, realizing this might not be Cleiy’s number.

“I’ll get you for this!” I said angrily, about to call Stella when—

The number from earlier called me back.

“Ahhhm, hello? Ate ark, ikaw bayan?” Someone said through the phone.

I don't know what has gotten into me at that moment, because I literally jumped when I heard her voice. Though my heart races, I wanna know why I'm feeling this.

“Oh uhmm, how—how do you know it's me?” I asked.

“Nagtext kasi sakin si ate Stella, sabi nya hinihingi mo daw number ko sa kanya. Sorry po ah, naka mute kasi ringtone ko, may ginawa lang din.” She replied.

“No, no it's ok, doesn't matter anymore—anyway, how are you? Uhhmm... Aren't you tired?, sorry, Stella is just really a happy-go-lucky girl...”

“Okay lang, wala naman akong problema sakanya...” I-I don't know what to say next.

"God, help me. I feel out of words. I don't know what to say..." Said to myself while doing my best not to bite my nails. For real, what's next baa??

“Wala ka na po bang gagawin?” She started again after silence.

“Uhh, Later, I'll study later...”

“Bakitt mamaya pa? Pwede namang ngayon.” She suggested.

“No I'm—I'm still spending some remaining time for myself.” I replied knowing damn well that ain't true.

“ahhh, sige po.” is this the end?

“Wait Cleiy, do you have socials ba? Like Ig or anything... You know... We can be moots.”

“Hmmm... Meron, f*******: lang at Ig.” She replied

“May I know your username?” I swear on heaven and earth, I don't know what I'm saying. It just keeps coming out of my mouth!!

“Cleiy Santos, sa sss tsaka CookiesCleiy sa Ig.” The answer sparked a question in my mind.

"You must really like cookies? Or is that just your username?"

“Favorite ko talaga yan, binibigyan kasi ako ng pinsan ko palagi.” She replied.

“At yun nga pala, thank you po ulit sainyo ni ate stella, madami na yung binigay nyo sakin.” She added.

“I told you, money is not the problem.” I replied.

“btw, how much do you like cookies ba? Rate it on the scale 5-10” I said, teasing her.

“10/10 miss.”

“Duh, don't call me that nga!” I chuckled, joking about being mad at her.

“Eh, okay naman yan, ano ba gusto mo? Love? Sweetheart? Honey?” damn.

“Just kidding okay!! Anyway, if you have work right now, you better be doing na, and sleep!!” I said.

“Sige.”

“Hey!! Ano ba!! But okay, advance goodnight then—” and ended the call.

Did she just end my call? Damnmit, if only she knows how much I went through to say that—

My phone sounds like it notified me of a text.

“Goodnight.” My eyes went bigger, shocked that she... Texted me goodnight. And I can't help, but smile.

“Goodnight again, see you tomorrow little girl.” I relied.

I didn't realize, my smile had gotten ear to ear. I've been smiling widely since she texted me. Aughh, what did she do to me?!

Oh damn, I almost forgot.

My fingers flew across my phone screen, searching i********: for "CookiesCleiy." There she was! A single, perfectly baked cookie as her profile picture—how cute. Then, a quick follow, and...onto f*******:. Though, my f*******: account is only used for the occasional academic necessity.

I typed in "Cleiy Santos," and bam, top of the search results. Her profile picture: a radiant smile, bright eyes—pure, unadulterated cuteness.

The "Add Friend" button practically begged to be clicked. She was probably swamped, so no need to wait for acceptance. Besides, I had a mountain of textbooks calling my name. "Study time," I whispered, a grin stretching across my face. The night, however suddenly felt a lot brighter.

—"I'll find you." A voice echoed in my head, instantly erasing my smile.

"Kleiford Zycs Saint-Halton."

"Oh please, don't make me think of that person again!" I muttered furiously, my grip on the pen tightening dangerously close to snapping it.

-

While waiting for our table, a notification popped up. Cleiy had accepted my f*******: friend request and followed me back on i********:! It was 10 Hours ago, that time when I decided to get my track on studying.

A smile spread across my face. I checked Messenger, half-expecting an announcement, but instead, I saw Cleiy was online..

Cleiy Santos

Active

“Hey~ up so early aren't we?”

Seen.

Reacted "😆" to your message.

“Sup”

You reacted "👀" to their message.

“Getting ready?”

“Yep, time is gold❤️”

You reacted "🙏" to their message.

“Ikaw, what time start ng class nyo?”

"9 am pa”

Reacted "😯" to your message.

“Okie, gora na muna ako, ate.”

You reacted "❤️" to their message.

“See you later, little girl.”

Active 1 minute ago

I almost forgot, she's only grade 12.That's why she really has to hurry up na because their class will start by 7:30 unlike our more flexible college schedules.

“Ma'am, everything's ready—equipment and ingredients." Rui announced.

"Alright, I'll be right there!" I called back, my attention already drifting back to my phone as I logged out of Messenger.

Stella's POV

Hrhmmm, 7:30 na... Sakto palagi dating ko dito kila eve. Nako nako nako, tulog pa ata ang babaeng yun.

As usual, the maids greeted me when I entered. I'd told them before not to bother, but they insisted it was proper etiquette.

I was heading to the kitchen for some chocolate nang bigla akong binati ng dark spirit.

“Oh jiha, you're here.” It was Tito, Eve's dad.

“Good morning po, Tito. I just arrived.” Dapat hindi mawala ang 'po'

“You don't have to go to her room. She's in the kitchen.” aba.

“Okay, okay, Tito.” I said as I left.

Dali dali akong pumunta dun sa kusina nila eve, What was she up to? Was she already eating? She's awfully early today. I wonder who changed her.

“Alright... just.. put....in..th..plastic... .”

“Huy!!”

“AY Putangna!!” Sigaw sa gulat ni Rui.

“Uy!! Rui ikaw pala yaaaann! Evee! Aga mo today!! Laughs ”

I couldn't help but laugh at Rui's reaction. She was completely shocked, while Eve was furious.

“Why did you do that, Stel?!” Eve snapped.

“Ano baa, hindi naman mabiro!!” Sabi ko sabay akbay kay Rui, mas matangkad to ha! She's standing 5'7, 2 inches taller than me.

“Buti pato si Rui, diba dai?”

“omsim!!” sagot din ni Rui.

Arkhava's POV

“Tskk. This two, get out of here na nga!! I can do this naman eh!!” I hissed. They're so loud kasi, all they do is laugh.

Especially Rui—she teased me mercilessly earlier, laughing every time I made a mistake. Those two are alike; they're both crazy.

"Ma'am, tulongan na po kita" Rui offered, struggling to disentangle herself from Stella's arm.

"No need, Rui. You two stick together. You look good together naman." I said, resuming packing the cookies.

The sudden silence made me uneasy. I glanced back at them. They were now apart, both acting strangely… Weird people.

—

“Wow, that's a lot! Mauubos mo bayan?” Stella asked once we were in the car.

"Of course, what do you think?" I replied.

“Ayy wee?? Pahingi namannnn, Isa lang Eve~!!” she begged.

"No, Stella, didn't Rui already give you some?" I said, gently pushing her away.

"She only gave me one" Stella complained.

"I said—"

Ting

My phone buzzed with a notification. A thrill shot through me. I hoped—I really hoped—it was from her.

Cleiy Santos

Active

6:09 AM

“See you later, little girl.”

8:02 AM

Seen.

Reacted "👍" to your message.

“😡😡”

Seen.

Reacted "😆" to your message.

“Sorry ate ark, di nako naka reply kanina, nagmamadali na po kasi ako.”

Reacted "👍" to their message.

“I told you to cut the po's”

Seen.

Reacted "🤗" to your message.

“Why are you on your phone anyway, don't you have a class right now?”

“Vacant namin ate”

“oh, good good.”

“What about later? Do have any vacant time too?”

“Meron ate, 2-3 pm ngalang. Physics namin kaso absent daw muna si sir”

Reacted "🥳" to their message.

“Good timing. Come to my private place later, I'm looking forward~”

“Sa alin?”

Reacted "🤔" to their message.

“Just punta nalang kasi”

“Okie, sabi mo eh”

“Bye bye na po muna!”

“Alright, be there ha”

Reacted "❤️" to your message.

“Wow naman~, grabi ngiti natin ngayon sis ah” Stella commented, noticing my phone. I quickly hid it.

"It's nothing, Stella," I said flatly, turning my gaze to the window and subtly covering my mouth to hide my smile.

"hmm... kanina ang aga nagising, tapos ngayon, panay ngiti sa ka-chat... Huyyy!!” she teased, playfully bumping my shoulder

“I told you it's nothing! Okay?! Nothing.” I insisted turning my gaze to her again.

“Hays, so sad. You're not telling me anything ha... Haysss” she said, dramatically feigning sadness.

"Tsk. Go away!" I said, shoving her playfully

—

The silence in my room was thick, broken only by the gentle hum of Taylor Swift's "Don't blame me" playing on my laptop. It was Wednesday, a day with a lighter class schedule, and I'd been waiting for Cleiy since 11 am. Stella had been here earlier, but her tight schedule had only allowed for a quick lunch.

“Don't blame love make me crazy~” I sang along, lost in the melody.

"Oh lord save me my drug is my bab—"

A loud knock startled me, making me quickly turn down the music and pause the song. I slammed my laptop shut. Peeking through the peephole, I saw Cleiy... her face still damp with sweat, wiping it with a towel. My heart skipped a beat, and I immediately threw open the door.

“Hey Cleiy!!” I greeted, my voice a bit too high-pitched.

"Hi—hi ate Ark." She said, still wiping her face.

"Oh, get in na nga!!" I said, pulling her inside.

"Ang init talaga dito sa pinas~" She complained, her voice a soft melody.

My gaze fell on her, and I couldn't help but stare. She looked beautiful, her black oversized long-sleeved shirt open, revealing a plain black t-shirt underneath. Her white hair was pulled back, and she was fanning her neck with her towel.

The world seems to stop and it made me gulp, but was it too loud that made her look at me?

But then, her face shifted from cool to a warm smile in a heartbeat.

“Bakit mo po pala ako dito gustong papuntahin?" She asked, letting her hair down and straightening her posture.

"Uhh-ehrmm... I-I wanna give you this—wait," I stammered, nervously scrambling for my bag and pulling out the cookies I had baked for her.

"Uhh, this—this is for you," I said, offering her the plastic jar.

"Cookies?" She said, her brow furrowed in confusion. She seemed to be thinking for a moment before her face lit up.

“Cookies?!! Wow!! Saan mo to binili ate??” She asked, her eyes wide with excitement. She snatched the cookies from my hand, her fingers brushing mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.

"Uhh, I actually made it myself," I said, my hands shaking uncontrollably. My heart was racing so fast, I thought I might have a heart attack.

"Wow talaga?!!! Thank you po!" She said, throwing her arms around me in a hug.

Oh no, my heart! She might feel it pounding against my ribs! I didn't know what to do, should I hug her back? I looked like a statue na here!!

But my arms moved on their own, pulling her closer. Her hug was warm, her scent intoxicating. I held her tighter, and she pushed back slightly, surprised by my sudden intensity.

"At-ate?? Wait lang..."

"Oh—goshh, sorry! I didn't mean it!" I said, pulling back and looking away. My cheeks were burning.

"Thank you ulit ate Ark." she said, a sweet smile gracing her lips. Her eyes, almost closed, were sparkling behind her glasses.

I was still half-hiding my face in my hands, but my heart was screaming. I had never felt this way before. What was this feeling?