Chapter 5

005_When Miss CEO meets Mr. Agriculturist

Pagdating ni Ael sa BSBA orientation hall, agad siyang sinalubong ng maingay na paligid. May mga estudyanteng nagkukumpulan, may mga nagse-selfie, at may ilan na halatang kabado pa rin kahit simula pa lang ng college journey nila.

Ael stayed composed as usual.

She chose a seat near the middle row again, enough to observe but not too visible. She placed her bag beside her and quietly took out her notebook.

Business Administration.

Her chosen path.

“Ang dami pala natin no?” biglang sabi ng babae sa tabi niya.

Napalingon si Ael.

Nakaupo sa right side niya ang isang babae na medyo energetic ang aura, nakatali ang buhok sa messy ponytail, at may hawak na pastel highlighters.

“I’m Lira,” sabi nito habang nakangiti. “Ikaw?”

“Ael,” sagot niya calmly.

Lira blinked. “Short answer girl ka pala.”

Ael didn’t react much. “I prefer efficiency.”

“Wow,” Lira said, amused. “Okay, noted.”

Bigla namang may sumingit na isa pang babae sa kabilang side ni Lira. Mas tahimik ang aura nito, naka-glasses, and very organized tingnan. May color-coded notes na agad sa desk niya.

“Don’t mind her,” sabi ng babae. “Ganyan talaga ‘yan. I’m Mira.”

“Ael,” ulit niya, polite pa rin.

Mira nodded. “Nice. So we have a quiet one, an energetic one, and me na malapit ma-OCD sa notes.”

Lira laughed. “Grabe ka naman sa sarili mo.”

Ael just watched them.

Hindi siya sanay sa ganitong setup. People casually talking like they already know each other.

“First day pa lang natin, pero parang buong sem na tayo magkakilala,” sabi ni Lira.

Mira nodded. “Mas okay na ‘to kaysa mag-isa.”

Ael looked at them for a moment.

“Being alone is not a problem,” she said.

Lira tilted her head. “But being with people is also not a problem.”

That made Ael pause slightly.

Hindi siya sumagot agad.

The orientation started shortly after. The dean welcomed them, followed by rules, curriculum overview, and expectations. Ael listened carefully, taking mental notes.

But at the side of her awareness, naririnig niya pa rin ang dalawang babae.

Lira was whispering reactions like “Ang dami pala subjects” and “May calculus pa tayo??”

Mira was quietly writing everything down, occasionally whispering reminders to herself.

Ael stayed silent.

Pero habang tumatagal, napapansin niya na hindi na lang siya basta observer.

“Anong major mo?” biglang tanong ni Lira sa kanya during a short break.

“Finance track,” sagot ni Ael.

“Wow,” Lira said. “So future CEO ka?”

Ael blinked once. “No.”

Mira looked up. “Why not?”

Ael hesitated for a second.

“Because I don’t want to be defined by a position,” she said.

Sandaling katahimikan.

Then Lira smiled softly. “Ang deep mo naman agad.”

Ael looked away slightly. “It’s not deep. It’s practical.”

Mira leaned forward a bit. “Same idea, different wording.”

That made Ael glance at her.

“Explain.”

Mira adjusted her glasses. “Some people want titles. Some people want control. But both are still chasing direction.”

Lira nodded. “Oo nga. Ako gusto ko lang ng stable life. Business is just… pathway.”

Ael listened.

For the first time in a while, hindi siya nag-iisa sa thought process niya.

“Stable life,” she repeated quietly.

Lira smiled. “Yes. Like, may income, may peace, may freedom to choose.”

Ael didn’t answer immediately.

Freedom to choose.

That phrase felt familiar, but also distant.

Biglang bumalik sa isip niya ang mukha ni .

The way he talked about soil. The way he said agriculture is not just supply chains.

She frowned slightly.

“Hey,” Lira said, noticing her expression. “Okay ka lang?”

Ael snapped back to the present. “Yes.”

Mira tilted her head. “You looked like you were thinking too hard.”

“I always think,” sagot ni Ael.

Lira laughed lightly. “Grabe, I like you already. You’re weird in a smart way.”

Ael didn’t know how to respond to that.

Weird.

That was not usually how people described her.

The orientation ended after an hour. Students started standing up, forming small groups, exchanging contacts.

Lira immediately stretched. “Okay, I need coffee after this.”

Mira nodded. “Same. Library tour next?”

Lira looked at Ael. “Join ka?”

Ael hesitated.

She usually didn’t.

But something about staying alone today felt different.

“Okay,” she said finally.

Lira blinked. “Wait, you said okay?”

Mira smirked. “Progress.”

As they walked out of the hall together, Lira kept talking about random things, while Mira occasionally corrected schedules and details.

Ael stayed in between them.

Not leading. Not following.

Just… there.

And for the first time, she realized something small but unfamiliar.

Her world was not only structured by plans.

Sometimes, it was also shaped by people who unexpectedly walked beside her.

And somewhere far from the business hall, in another part of the campus, a different world continued to grow quietly.

A world of soil, farming, and hands that understood the earth more than numbers.

A world where belonged.

And without knowing it yet, Ael’s world was slowly starting to connect with his.