I SEDUCED UNCLE AXEL

Chapter 1Akira's POV"Hey, Akira!" my friend Jane shouted, dropping her bag onto the table with a thud."What?" I replied listlessly, rolling my eyes at her."Pay attention to your suitor, Clark!" she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.I looked at Clark, who was currently waiting outside our classroom. He was still wearing his neatly pressed uniform and carrying his favorite black tumbler. Honestly, I had no complaints about him. He was handsome, tall, and intelligent. He was the kind of guy most girls would easily fall for—but I just couldn't reciprocate those feelings."I never told him to court me, Jane," I replied, avoiding her gaze."But it's obvious he likes you. Seriously, girl! If I were you, I would've said yes a long time ago!" she joked, laughing.I forced a smile. It wasn't that I was being snobby, but there was a reason why I couldn't open my heart to Clark—because it had long been occupied by someone else.I quickly patted Jane's shoulder. "Let's go, we might be la

Chapter 3 Dumiretso kami sa kabilang building kung saan ang Educational Psychology namin. Isa ito sa mga paborito kong subject dahil mahilig akong mag-observe ng mga tao at mag-analyze ng behavior nila. Minsan nga, naisip ko rin kung paano ko maiintindihan ang sarili kong nararamdaman — lalo na pagdating kay Ninong Axel. Pagkapasok namin, agad akong naupo sa tabi ng bintana habang si Jane naman ay naupo sa tabi ko. Ilang minuto lang, pumasok na si Ma’am Castillo, ang professor namin. "Good afternoon, class," bati niya na may malapad na ngiti. "Good afternoon, Ma’am!" sabay-sabay naming sagot. "Today, we’ll be discussing the different psychological theories that can be applied in teaching and learning," aniya habang nagsusulat sa whiteboard. "But before that, I want to hear your insights. In your opinion, how important is understanding human behavior for a teacher?" Nagtaas ng kamay ang ilang kaklase ko, at isa-isa silang nagbahagi ng sagot. Tahimik akong nakikinig, sinusubukan d

Chapter 5I felt the weight behind her words. It was as if she knew what I was truly feeling, but she chose not to ask further."Akira," she added gently, "the important thing is that you're happy too, okay? It shouldn't just be other people who are happy."I looked down, trying to hide the tears welling up in my eyes. "Yes, mom.""Go ahead and rest in your room. I'll take care of things here.""Thank you, mom," I replied before finally going up the stairs.As soon as I entered my room, I threw myself onto the bed. Finally, no one was watching. I let the tears I had been holding back flow freely.I sobbed silently, letting every pang of pain come out.Godfather Axel... he had someone else.And there was nothing I could do but accept it."Let's move on," I whispered to myself, trying to muster my courage.I wiped the tears from my cheeks and took a deep breath. I couldn't drown myself in sadness forever. I had to show that I could handle it.I got out of bed and looked in the mirror. I

Chapter 7 "So, you still need to take the teacher's license exam, Akira!" Uncle Axel suddenly broke the silence. "Yes, Uncle," I replied, forcing a smile. "But I'm still thinking about when I'll take the exam. I want to rest for a while first." "That's not bad," Grace said, looking at me from the passenger seat. "You deserve to relax after everything you've been through in your studies." I just nodded, but I still felt a slight nervousness in my chest. I also couldn't understand why I was so self-conscious whenever Grace was around. Maybe it's because I know how I feel about Uncle Axel, no matter how much I try to deny it. "But don't take too long, okay," Uncle Axel said again, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "Don't waste your momentum. You're a good student, Akira. You'll go far." Something warm flowed through my heart at his words. It was just simple praise, but enough to make me happy—even though I knew it meant nothing. "Thank you, Uncle," I replied softly, try

Chapter 9The next morning, I woke up early. I stood in front of the mirror, looking at myself."Akira, you can do this," I whispered to myself. "For yourself. For your future."That day, I decided to start anew—carrying all the lessons I had learned, as well as the self-love I had long denied myself.And even though some pain remained, I knew the day would come when everything would become lighter."Akira, take this," Mom said, handing me a rosary. "For Mama Mary to guide you!"I took the rosary from Mom's hand and held it tightly. I felt her love in that simple object."Thank you, Ma," I said softly, looking at the white beads of the rosary. "I'll pray that everything will be alright."Mom smiled and stroked my hair. "Mama Mary is always there to guide you, anak. Just believe in yourself."I nodded, trying to strengthen my resolve. Despite the nervousness, there was also a little peace brought about by Mom's words."You know, Akira," she added, "it's not just for your exam. Carry th