After finishing organizing the papers, I took my bag. I wasn't planning to look at Oxem again, but our eyes met, and I couldn't resist. On the other side, he was sitting, but his gaze was still fixed on me, even though he was talking to Peter. I felt more flustered when he stood up and started walking towards me.
"Done?" he asked."Ahm… yeah. I should probably go ahead. They seem to be enjoying their conversation. I won't bother them. Where's Auntie? I'll say goodbye."Mang Kiko and I followed him inside the house to bid farewell to his mother. Yeshua just waved goodbye to me as I left. It seemed like they weren't planning to go home yet because they still had many stories to share. I wonder where they're getting all those topics?Inside, we saw Auntie fixing things in the kitchen. She looked at us when Oxem called her."Why don't you stay for lunch?" Auntie asked. "I'm cooking for the kids. There's plenty, and they might not be able to finish it all."I forced a smile before replying, "No, thank you. I need to say goodbye before lunchtime."She nodded, accompanying me outside. She saw our car where Mang Kiko was waiting."Thank you for accommodating us, Auntie. And for allowing us to use the farm for our project.""You're welcome, dear. You're Yeshua's friend, so I'm happy to help. Good luck with your project, okay?"I thanked her again before turning to Oxem. I also expressed my gratitude for his help with our group. Thanks to him and Yeshua, our work on the farm was expedited. Although he wouldn't receive any grades from it."See you soon," he said.I didn't know what that meant. I didn't understand why we needed to meet again. It's not like I'll be coming back here. It depends on whether it's necessary. But I think it's not. I made sure I double-checked the requirements.Once inside the car, I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like I'd been holding my breath for no apparent reason. I feel so exhausted. My social battery must have been drained.I looked outside again and saw Oxem still watching our car. Even though I knew the windows were tinted, I still felt uneasy. It's as if he could see me from the outside.I watched him through the side mirror until he disappeared from my sight. I don't know what's happening to me, but I feel tension. Every time our eyes meet, it's like all the air in my body is being sucked away. I feel suffocated for whatever reason.It's a good thing we finished what we needed to do on their farm. It's unlikely that we'll see each other again, especially since our senior high school building is separate from the college students.When I got home, I just sent lunch to my room. I wasn't in the mood to eat in the dining area. I have a table and chairs in my room, so I'll eat there. At least I can study while eating.Midterms are approaching, so I need to focus. I need to excel in all our subjects. I'm sure my mom will check my report card after the exams. How can she not, considering she's friends with our adviser, Ma'am Ocampo? She knows everything about my school activities, even my friends. That's why she reacted that way when she found out I wasn't paying attention in class. She knows Yeshua is my friend, and she wants me to outperform her in everything. So, I'll do everything to make sure that doesn't happen.The next day, our General Math teacher surprised us with a quiz. Many failed except for me. This is one reason why I study every day. We never know when our teachers will decide to give us a surprise exam. That's the difference between me and them.After class, I headed straight to the parking lot. I need to study.I stopped in my tracks when I saw Oxem in the parking lot. He was looking at me as if he had seen me leaving our building and had been watching me ever since.I tightened my grip on the books in my arms. I didn't expect to see him so soon after our encounter yesterday. And here I thought I wouldn't see him again, at least not this early.I approached him slowly because our car was near where he was standing. Was it really me he was waiting for? I mean, why would he?"Hi there," he greeted. "We meet again."I nodded. "Right. Sooner than I expected. Do you study here too?" I noticed he was in civilian clothes, so I couldn't tell if he was a student or just picking someone up."Yeah. First year of college." That explains the attire. College students are allowed to wear civilian clothes on Wednesdays and organization shirts on Fridays."I see." I averted my gaze because I didn't know what else to say. It's not like we're close. We've only met once, or twice if you count the incident at the milk tea shop."Are you heading home?" he asked."Yeah. And you?""I'm just going to pick up Yeshua. We're planning to eat out. Do you want to join us?"My eyes widened slightly, but I quickly recovered. "I'm okay. I mean, it's a cousin's bonding thing. I don't want to intrude."He chuckled lightly. "You won't be intruding. That's why I'm inviting you, right? It's okay to join. I don't think Yeshua minds either. You're friends, after all." He took out his phone from his pocket. "I'll just text her that I'm here."He quickly typed a message, and I spoke up, "I really can't go. I'm sorry." He stopped typing and looked at me. "Not that I don't want to, but I need to study. Midterms are approaching."He nodded slowly and put his phone back in his pocket. "I see. I understand. Next time, maybe? After your midterms."I bit my lower lip. "I don't know," I whispered.We stood in silence for a moment. I looked away due to embarrassment. Honestly, I wanted to go. I wanted to join Yeshua and him, even if I felt out of place. I didn't mind. I wanted to go and get to know him. Even though I knew I had nothing to say to him, at least I would learn more about him.But I surely couldn't leave without my mom knowing where I was going. And she would definitely be angry again if she found out I went out instead of studying. She might even tighten her grip on me, and I might not be able to leave the house anymore."I need to go," I said. "Enjoy your bonding."I turned away and walked straight to our car. Mang Kiko opened the door for me before I got in. I closed my eyes tightly so I wouldn't have the urge to look at Oxem again. Maybe if I saw him, my mind would change, and I'd forget about my mom's anger."Are you okay, Bivianne? Is something bothering you?"I looked up at Mang Kiko. "I'm okay. Maybe I'm just hungry." Right. Hungry. My stomach has been twisting and turning since a while ago."If that's the case, let's go home. Cassady must have cooked something by now."He started driving away. Just like before, I'd eat in my room while studying. Cassady would occasionally come back to bring me snacks and something to drink. I saw her entering my room, tiptoeing to avoid making noise. I could still hear her, though.I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head at what she was doing. I'm just not in the mood to study right now. If it were a normal day, I wouldn't see or feel her presence at all. But I couldn't help but wonder what I'd be doing at this time if I agreed to join Yeshua and him.Regret is slowly creeping in. I tried to focus on what I was reading to forget about what happened earlier. I was successful because I finished what I needed to study for the day.The next day, I went to school early to study in the room. There might be more surprises or surprise quizzes, so it's better to be prepared.But before I could even sit in my chair, Yeshua arrived wearing their varsity jersey. I rolled my eyes because I knew why she was there. She should already know my answer.She took the seat in front of me since our classmates weren't there yet. "No need to look at me like that," she said. "I know you won't agree to play in our game. I just wanted to invite you to watch somehow. We got a temporary player, but it seems like she might disappear with just a gust of wind."I chuckled. "Even if you managed to convince me, I'd just stand in the middle of the court. At least she'd try to play for you."She took a deep breath. "So, will you come? So my stupid cousins won't get their hopes up for nothing. Don't worry; they're harmless. They just really want to get to know you, especially since they didn't talk to you much the other day. They didn't even know you were my friend."I tried not to show that her words affected me. "Am I your only friend?""Unfortunately, yes."I furrowed my brow. "What are you trying to say?""That we're both loners?" She laughed at her own words. "You know my only friends are the members of the futsal team, and there are only four of us. Besides, my cousins know them well, so they're curious when they found out I have another friend they didn't know much about."I was stunned by what I was reading, but my attention was no longer on the book."So, will you come? So my cousins won't hope in vain. Don't worry. They won't take long. After you watch, you can leave. This is my last year in high school, and I won't be able to play in college. So it's a big deal if you watch."I sighed. "Okay. I give up. I'll tell Mang Kiko that I'll be an hour late on the day of your game. Happy?""Yes!" she exclaimed. Our classmates looked at her. "That's a promise, okay? No backing out!""I don't back out once I've said something. You know that."She happily hopped out of the room, while I smiled to myself. There's probably nothing wrong if I'm an hour late getting home. I can always extend my study hours until six in the morning.But no matter how much I convince myself, I can't help but worry. Surely, my mom will be angry again with what I'm about to do.Bivianne"Congratulations, everyone!" I greeted them as we left the venue. We had stayed a bit longer inside since they proceeded straight to the awarding ceremony."Thank you, Ate Bivianne!""Thanks, Bi!"They all hugged me at once, and we almost lost our balance. Thankfully, Oxem quickly caught me around the waist, preventing us from falling."Calm down, guys," Oxem said. "You might hurt yourselves."They pouted, making me smile as I hugged each of them one by one. "I guess we won’t get hurt if I hug you all individually."They all grinned widely and returned my hugs. After that, we walked down the hallway. I thought we were heading to dinner, but to my surprise, they went straight to a room to review their game.Before they could enter, I blocked their way. "Hold up! I know you’re used to reviewing your game right after playing, but you guys won! You need to take it easy and celebrate before coming back here."Instead of answering, they all looked at Oxem. I raised an eyebrow at hi
"When did you have time to prepare this?" I asked while we were eating. We both ordered steak and paired it with wine. "I'm sure you were super busy earlier preparing for the tournament.""While you were sleeping," he replied with a smile. "I honestly didn’t know what I would do if you had refused to sleep earlier. That was the only time I had to prepare all of this.""I didn’t realize. I must have been really tired then, so I didn’t suspect anything. And this is too extravagant for just a few hours of preparation.""I can’t take all the credit. Khaianne helped me to speed up the setup, and the staff pitched in too."I smiled. "Thank you so much for this, Oxem."He smiled back. "Thank you so much, too, for coming with me.""It’s my pleasure."We continued eating while chatting. It had been a while since we last dined out together due to how busy we both were. In a way, the kids’ tournament turned out to be a blessing in disguise, giving us a chance to have a date.After dinner, we hea
BivianneI jumped up from my seat when the game ended. A wide smile spread across my face as I watched Oxem and the players hug each other. If my palms were red earlier, they were definitely bruised now.They won. They did it!I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched everything unfold in front of me. They shook hands with their opponents and even exchanged hugs. It seemed like they had known each other for a long time and frequently faced off in tournaments.After their game, the next one quickly prepared to start. Oxem passed by where we were seated and invited us to step out. I guess they’re done for the day. They’ll be in the finals tomorrow. I wonder if we’ll have time for a date, given their busy schedule.As Roberto mentioned earlier, they went straight into reviewing their game. They didn’t seem to have any complaints because, even before Oxem said anything, they were already focused on the replay. Each of them was reviewing it on their own. They spent a few minutes watching before
After we finished eating, we took a short rest. Rodmarc was still chatty, but compared to earlier, the nervousness on his face was now obvious. Khaianne, Roberto, and Oscar also had serious expressions. Even Oxem’s expression was hard to read.I gently squeezed Oxem’s hand. He looked at me, so I gave him a reassuring smile.“It’s going to be okay,” I said. “You need to be there for the kids.”He smiled immediately. “You’re right.” He kissed my forehead. “Thank you.”When we entered the room, several computers were set up for their dry run. I didn’t know much about what happens during a dry run, but I figured this was my chance to learn more. If I’m going to sponsor more e-sports teams in the future, I need to do it right.Khaianne and the whole team sat on the right side of the room. On the left side, five of the staff members joined them. Everyone, including Oxem, wore headphones. He handed me a pair, which I put on as well.They tested the sound. Since I had headphones on too, I cou
BivianneWe’d been on the road for almost six hours, partly due to traffic. We only had one stopover before continuing the journey. When the kids finally fell asleep, I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I realized these kids do get tired after all. I thought they wouldn’t stop talking until we arrived.I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Oxem looking at me. I immediately understood what he wanted. I glanced at the kids, now sound asleep, and quietly stood up. Oxem helped me until I was seated next to him.As soon as I sat down, he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my neck. I glanced to the side, where two of the staff members were seated, but thankfully, they were asleep as well.He sighed against my neck, sending a ticklish sensation through me. "I didn’t know I had to compete with the kids for your attention."I smiled. "I haven’t spent time with Khaianne in a while. He really missed me.""And I know you missed him too." I did
"Meeting adjourned," I said after our several-hour-long meeting. I gathered my things before leaving the meeting room and headed straight to my office.Jane, my new secretary, followed behind me, listing my schedule for the rest of the day. Once I sat down at my desk, I immediately began reviewing the new documents that had just arrived earlier.I had already finished a lot yesterday, but it felt like they doubled again today. On top of that, we have another meeting at three o’clock with the shareholders, which will definitely take up a lot of my time.After Jane left my office, I continued with my work. My phone rang on the desk, and when I glanced at it, I saw Oxem’s name on the screen, which instantly made me smile. I put it on speaker."Hi, beautiful," greeted Oxem. I could slightly hear Khaianne and her teammates in the background, seemingly playing."Hi, handsome. I miss you.""I miss you too." I could sense the sadness in his voice. "What time will you be out later?"I glanced