Pag-ibig sa gitna ng Silid-aralan

Chapter 9: Unspoken Connections

Roel’s POV

Maaga pa lang, ramdam ko na ang excitement ng buong school. It’s Monday, the first day of Foundation Week, at alam kong magiging busy kami sa booth. As I approached the school grounds, nakita ko agad ang mga makukulay na booths na itinayo ng iba’t ibang sections. Bawat isa ay may kanya-kanyang theme, at halatang pinaghandaan ng lahat ang kanilang presentations. This week is going to be intense, pero iba rin ang thrill na nararamdaman ko.

Pagpasok ko sa campus, narinig ko agad ang mga tawanan at kwentuhan ng mga estudyante. Parang isang malaking fair ang buong lugar, na may halo ng excitement at competition sa hangin. Habang naglalakad ako papunta sa booth area namin, nakita ko ang mga kaklase kong abala na sa pag-aayos. Si Anna Marie, masaya at animated na nakikipag-usap kay Maylene habang nagdi-decorate sila ng mga banners. Si Francis at Rey naman ay naka-focus sa pag-set up ng mga final touches sa structure ng booth.

But it was Diana who caught my eye. Tahimik siyang nag-aayos ng display, pero halata ang determinasyon sa bawat galaw niya. She seemed so focused, her brows slightly furrowed as she meticulously arranged the sweets and other items on the table. Hindi ko mapigilang ngumiti habang pinagmamasdan siya. There was something about the way she worked, so serious yet graceful at the same time, that always drew me in.

“Hey, Roel! Over here!” tawag ni Anna Marie nang mapansin niya akong papalapit. I shook myself out of my thoughts and walked over to where she was.

“Morning!” bati ko, sabay abot sa kanila ng ilang extra materials na nadala ko. “Ready na ba tayo?”

“Almost,” sagot ni Anna Marie habang inaayos ang ilang posters. “Just a few more things to finalize.”

Tumango ako at nagdesisyong tulungan si Diana sa pag-aayos ng display. Lumapit ako sa kanya, at bago pa man siya makapagsalita, inabot ko na ang isa sa mga poster na hawak niya.

“Good morning,” bati ko, trying to sound casual. “Mukhang busy ka na agad.”

Tumingin siya sa akin at ngumiti, pero parang may halong kaba sa mata niya. “Good morning,” sagot niya. “Oo, kailangan nating matapos ‘to bago magsimula ang event.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll finish on time,” sabi ko, trying to reassure her. Habang nag-aayos kami, napansin ko ang slight tension sa kanya. She was trying to stay focused, pero alam kong may iba siyang iniisip.

“Excited ka na ba sa Foundation Day?” tanong ko, trying to start a light conversation.

“Medyo,” sagot niya, na parang alanganin. “Busy lang talaga, pero exciting din.”

Napansin kong hindi siya masyadong nagsasalita, kaya nagdesisyon akong ibahin ang topic. “By the way, about the book you borrowed… Kamusta na ang pagbabasa mo?”

Bigla siyang napatingin sa akin, at kita ko ang slight blush sa pisngi niya. “Malapit ko nang matapos,” sagot niya. “Thanks again for lending it to me.”

“Anytime,” sabi ko, smiling. “If you need more, just let me know.”

Nagpatuloy kami sa pag-aayos ng booth hanggang sa matapos ang lahat ng preparations. Nang oras na para buksan ang booth, dumating na rin ang ibang mga kaklase namin. Halos lahat ay excited na makita ang mga customers, at naririnig ko ang usapan nila tungkol sa kung paano nila ibebenta ang mga items namin.

Dumagsa ang mga estudyante at teachers sa school grounds, lahat ay abala sa pagbisita sa iba’t ibang booths. Kitang-kita ko ang pagod at excitement sa mukha ng bawat isa. Tumingin ako kay Diana, at nakita kong abala siya sa pag-entertain ng mga customers. Every time she smiled or laughed, it was like everything else faded into the background. Hindi ko mapigilang mapangiti habang pinagmamasdan siya.

Habang busy ang lahat, lumapit si Anna Marie sa akin. “Roel, mukhang maganda ang takbo ng booth natin, ha. Sales are doing well.”

“Yeah, everyone’s really putting in the effort,” sagot ko, na may halong pride sa boses ko. “Lalo na si Diana, she’s really good at handling customers.”

Tumango si Anna Marie at ngumiti. “Napansin ko rin. She’s really into it. Pero napansin ko rin na parang mas close kayo ngayon.”

Napatingin ako kay Anna Marie, surprised by her observation. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Roel,” sabi niya, rolling her eyes. “It’s obvious. You like her, don’t you?”

Napatigil ako sa sinabi niya. Gusto ko sanang i-deny, pero hindi ko alam kung paano. To be honest, hindi ko rin sigurado kung ano ba talaga ang nararamdaman ko. I just know that I’m happy when I’m with her, or even just seeing her smile. Pero instead of admitting anything, nagdesisyon akong mag-focus na lang sa trabaho.

“She’s a good friend,” sabi ko finally, avoiding the deeper meaning behind her words. “And we work well together.”

Anna Marie gave me a knowing smile, pero hindi na siya nag-push ng topic. “Well, whatever it is, it’s nice to see you two getting along.”

Bago pa man ako makasagot, lumapit si Diana sa amin. “Roel, may kailangan lang akong i-check sa supplies. Can you take over here for a bit?”

“Sure,” sabi ko, kahit na medyo distracted pa rin ako sa sinabi ni Anna Marie. “I’ll handle it.”

Habang umaalis si Diana, sinundan ko siya ng tingin. Gusto kong sundan siya at tanungin kung may gusto ba siyang sabihin sa akin, pero napigilan ko ang sarili ko. Alam kong hindi pa ito ang tamang oras. Kaya nag-focus na lang ako sa trabaho at sinubukang huwag magpahalata na may iniisip ako.

Pagbalik ni Diana, kita ko ang slight fatigue sa mukha niya. Alam kong pagod na rin siya, pero hindi niya ito pinapakita. I admired her for that, pero alam ko rin na kailangan niyang magpahinga.

“Diana, you should take a break,” sabi ko habang inaabot sa kanya ang isang bote ng tubig. “We’ve been working non-stop since this morning.”

She looked at me, surprised by my concern. “I’m okay, Roel. But thanks.”

“No, seriously,” sabi ko, insisting. “We can handle things here. You should rest.”

Nagdalawang-isip siya, pero sa huli, she nodded. “Okay, fine. But just for a bit.”

Ngumiti ako habang pinapanood siyang umupo at mag-relax kahit sandali. As I watched her, I couldn’t help but feel protective of her. Alam kong hindi pa malinaw sa akin ang lahat, pero masaya ako na nandito siya. There was a sense of peace that I couldn’t quite explain whenever she was around.

As the day went on, nagpatuloy ang magandang sales ng booth namin. Lahat kami ay pagod, pero fulfilled. Alam kong this is just the start of a long week, pero excited ako sa mga susunod na mangyayari. I found myself glancing at Diana often, catching her eye a few times. Each time, she would smile at me, and it felt like the sun shone a little brighter.

Nang mag-break ang mga estudyante para sa lunch, nagkaroon kami ng chance para makapagpahinga. Umupo ako sa isang bench malapit sa booth, pinagmamasdan ang mga dumadaan. The campus was alive with activity, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride for our booth. It was simple but well-executed, thanks to everyone’s hard work.

“Roel,” narinig kong tawag ni Anna Marie mula sa likod. Lumapit siya at umupo sa tabi ko. “You okay? You’ve been staring off into space.”

Ngumiti ako, trying to shake off my thoughts. “Yeah, just tired, I guess.”

“Sure, that’s all it is?” tanong niya, raising an eyebrow. “Because it seems like you’ve got something on your mind.”

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should share my thoughts with her. But Anna Marie was a good friend, and I knew she wouldn’t judge. “I don’t know,” I admitted, sighing. “It’s just... Diana.”

She nodded, waiting for me to continue.

“I can’t explain it,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “It’s like... every time I see her, or when we’re together, I just feel happy. But at the same time, I’m confused. I don’t know what this is.”

Anna Marie looked at me thoughtfully. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now, Roel. Sometimes, feelings just take time to sort themselves out. Just... go with the flow for now.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I agreed, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. There was something about Diana that made me want to understand these feelings sooner rather than later.