Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I pouted and glared at her. "You're the one who can't stop teasing me."

"It's not my fault you're the hopeless romantic who fell for your hot godfather," she joked again, but I couldn't help but smile.

Our professor, Sir Ramon, entered silently, carrying a thick notebook and laptop. He was an older professor known for being strict, but he was easy to talk to outside of class.

"Good afternoon, class," he greeted, checking the names on the attendance sheet.

"Good afternoon, Sir!" we all replied in unison.

"Today, we'll be discussing lesson planning and effective classroom management techniques," he said, opening his laptop. "Since you're future educators, you need to learn how to be organized and efficient inside the classroom."

I tried to focus on the lecture, but my mind was stubborn. Ever since I woke up this morning, Godfather Axel's image kept flashing in my mind. His favorite black suit, his muscular physique, and his captivating smile—it was as if my brain had its own way of reminding me who truly occupied my heart.

"Miss Quezon?"

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Sir Ramon call my name. All eyes were on me, and I felt myself shrinking.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Can you tell us the importance of setting rules and regulations inside the classroom?"

I swallowed. Thankfully, I remembered something from his lecture.

"Ah, Sir, setting rules and regulations helps maintain discipline and order in the classroom. It also creates a safe and conducive learning environment for students," I replied, trying to calm my nerves.

"Very well," Sir Ramon nodded, and he continued with the discussion.

I sighed, then felt Jane's gentle tap on my arm.

"Akira, next time, don't let your mind wander, okay? Maybe Godfather Axel is on your mind again."

I just shook my head, but I couldn't stop a small smile from forming.

Yes, Jane was right. There was a big age gap between Godfather Axel and me. But how could I stop my heart when it was the one whispering his name?

As Sir Ramon continued his lecture, I tried to listen to every word he said. But no matter what I did, a part of my brain refused to focus.

"Akira," Jane whispered while pretending to write notes. "What's your plan? Are you just going to keep staring and fantasizing about Godfather Axel?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not fantasizing, Jane."

"Oh, really? Then why do you seem more excited about him than the romance movies we watch?"

I just shook my head. My friend's mouth had no brakes sometimes.

"And, Akira," she continued, "think about it, Godfather Axel is forty. I mean, yeah, he's hot. But aren't you uncomfortable? There's such a big gap between you two."

"It's not that big, I guess," I whispered, making sure our neighbors couldn't hear. "Besides, he's more mature. Unlike guys our age who are just playing around with life."

"Tsk. But what if he has a girlfriend? Or worse, a wife?"

My world suddenly stopped. I didn't know the answer to that either. Godfather Axel, even though we were very close during family gatherings, never really talked about his personal life. He was always serious and quiet.

"Then there's even less of a chance," I replied softly, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.

"But what if he doesn't?" Jane sighed. "Akira, admit it. There's still a chance."

I shook my head. "It's not that easy, Jane. I don't even know how he feels. Besides, hello? He's my godfather. He might think I'm crazy."

"Maybe you're his weakness too," Jane joked, winking.

"I'm not going to think about that. Let's just finish this lecture," I said, forcing myself to focus back on the discussion.

But no matter how hard I tried to concentrate, one thing was clear—despite all my arguments, my heart continued to whisper his name.

"Jane, can you please be quiet? And besides, we're about to finish this class. We might fail here!" I whispered to her, giving her a stern look.

Jane shook her head but didn't reply. She seemed to know I was right. In a few months, we would finally graduate with our BSED degrees. Just one more step and we would officially become teachers.

As Sir Ramon continued his lecture, I tried to shift my attention to my notes. But no matter how hard I tried to focus, it was as if our conversation with Jane was still in the back of my mind.

Godfather Axel.

Why, out of all the people I could have fallen for, was it him? A man almost two decades older than me. But no matter how much I tried to control it, my heart couldn't help but race whenever I saw him.

It wasn't just because of his looks—he looked like a CEO who always dressed neatly and formally—but because of the way he treated me. He's always gentle. His eyes are observant, always watching, but there's tenderness and respect in them.

"Akira," Jane whispered again, and I noticed that Sir Ramon was doing roll call.

"Quezon, Akira?" our professor called.

"Present, Sir!" I replied immediately, giving a small smile.

"Good. Make sure you're listening. It's a waste if you miss this lesson."

"Yes, Sir," I said, looking at Jane who was still clearly laughing.

"Akira, focus," I whispered to myself.

But no matter how hard I tried to focus on the lesson, I couldn't stop a question from repeatedly coming to mind.

What if there was a way to know if Godfather Axel felt something for me too?

After our class with Sir Ramon, Jane and I immediately gathered our things.

"Finally! Sir is done. I thought we'd be here forever with all this discussion," she complained while putting on her bag.

"Oh, like you were listening," I teased. "You were chattering the whole time."

"Well, you were too! If Godfather Axel wasn't on your mind, you'd probably be the star student of Sir Ramon," she replied with a wink.

"Oh, Jane. Enough of that," I replied, pulling her out of the classroom. "Let's go to our next subject."