Shaina was walking home with Rodel since they had two days off from classes. She decided to go home and clean their place for a bit before returning.
Earlier, Rodel and Neil had invited her to hang out. But on their way home, she noticed two people walking ahead of them. One of them caught her eye—someone familiar. She stopped in her tracks.
Her brow furrowed. They knew their adviser was in a relationship with the principal's son, who often visited or picked up his mother from school.
They'd also seen the two on occasional Sunday dates, holding hands and eating out together.
"Isn't that the guy who's dating Ma'am?" Neil asked, tilting his head in curiosity. Rodel followed his gaze.
Shaina nodded slowly. She couldn't be mistaken—it was him.
"That's not Ma'am Celestial with him, though," Neil pointed out.
Rodel and Neil exchanged glances. Rodel sighed.
"Let's go. We shouldn't meddle in other people's problems. Besides, Ma'am shouldn't find out through gossip."
"Wait." Neil suddenly took out his phone and opened the camera.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Shaina asked, alarmed.
"Don't worry. I won't show this to Ma'am… unless she gets cornered and starts lying. Then we'll have proof," he said, snapping a quick picture.
They noticed the man looking in their direction. "Let's go," Rodel urged, and they hurried away before he could call out to them.
Shaina sighed deeply.
"Are we really doing the right thing by not telling Ma'am that her boyfriend might be cheating on her? And they're still new, right?" She questioned the two beside her.
"Let it go," Rodel said. "Like I said, we can't interfere—especially in our teacher's personal life."
Shaina could only sigh again. Just when their adviser had finally started to look truly happy…
They continued walking in silence.
"She might get hurt if we tell her prematurely," Rodel added. "We need to be considerate too, you know, Ma'am."
"You're right. We shouldn't interfere or take control of someone else's life," Shaina finally said with a heavy breath.
***
Frank had a pounding headache.
"Let's go, Faith," he said as soon as Mariely arrived.
She looked at him in surprise. "Is something wrong?"
He didn't answer.
"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked again, concern written on her face.
He just shook his head. She sighed, choosing to stay quiet during the car ride. She stared silently at the passing scenery.
"I'm sorry," Frank finally said. "I'm just not feeling well."
She looked at him and gave a soft smile. "It's okay, don't worry. I understand."
They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they arrived:
"Do you want to stay here for now?" Mariely asked, concerned. "It's not good to travel when you're not feeling well. Come on, rest here."
He was about to decline when a sharp pain shot through his head, forcing him to clutch his temple.
"Come on," she urged, helping him inside. He didn't protest anymore. Her family welcomed him in.
"Wait, I'll get some medicine. Is it a headache?" Mariely asked.
He nodded slowly.
"Drink some warm water first, son," her mother offered gently.
"Thank you, Tita," Frank replied politely.
Her mother nodded and led him to the couch. He leaned back, trying to manage the pain in his head and the heavy feeling in his body.
"Take the medicine, then get some rest," Mariely said.
He took the pills gratefully. "Thanks, Faith. I'll rest here for a while—are you sure it's not awkward to sleep on your couch?"
She smiled. "Go ahead and rest. Don't worry."
He felt her kiss his forehead. "Would you be more comfortable in my room?" she offered.
"Is that really okay with you?" he asked.
"Of course. Go rest there," she said warmly.
They entered her room.
"Sorry if it's messy, but you can lie down here," she said, adjusting the bed for him.
He simply nodded. Her room was simple and neat—he noted that silently.
Once he lay down, his body relaxed, and drowsiness quickly took over. Soon, he was in a deep sleep.
***
Mariely let him rest. She quietly turned on the aircon so he wouldn't get too warm. Then she left the room to work on her assignments elsewhere.
"Oh, Ely, why are you here?" Her older brother asked when he arrived home.
"Frank's asleep in my room. He's not feeling well and needed to rest," she explained.
"In your room?" he repeated, surprised.
"Why? He's just sleeping," she replied, frowning a bit.
"He could've used my room instead, you know?" he offered.
"That would've surprised you even more," she teased.
"You're impossible," he muttered, peeking inside the room briefly before shutting the door again.
"Make sure he eats dinner before leaving," he reminded her.
"Thanks, brother." She smiled at her brother.
She knew Nathan didn't fully approve of her choice, but he had respected her decision and let her be.
"I'm swallowing a lot here, you know, because I see that you're happy. I just hope he takes good care of you," he said sincerely.
She hugged her older brother. He hugged her tightly in return and gave her a few comforting pats on the back.
"You haven't changed yet," he said.
"Later, brother," she replied. "You go rest first."
He nodded and headed upstairs to his room.
She sighed deeply.
She was starting to realize that relationships weren't just about happiness—they also measured how strong your understanding and commitment to each other really were.
She focused her attention back on her work. She entered her room quietly. It was dark—she hadn't turned on the lampshade—so she carefully made her way inside by touch until she found it.
Thankfully, Frank didn't stir even as the light came on. She used the dim setting so he could sleep soundly.
She grabbed some house clothes and headed to the bathroom to change.
Even now, she maintained her sense of modesty and respect. She thought, What if he wakes up and sees me undressed? What would he think?
She changed quickly and put her clothes in the laundry.
"Ely, is Frank still asleep?" her mother asked.
"He's in a deep sleep. I think he's exhausted from work."
"Poor thing. Let's just let him rest for now. He'll eat when he wakes up," her father added.
She nodded. Soon after, her brother came down.
"Where's Frank?" he asked.
"Still asleep."
He nodded silently. They ate dinner quietly.
Since Frank was still resting in her room, she decided she'd sleep in the living room that night to give him space and let him recover fully.