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All Chapters of She Didn't Know He Noticed: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

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Chapter 20

The lights were still too bright when I finally stepped away from the stage. My ears were ringing from the applause, my hands still shaking slightly as I held the bouquet close to my chest. Second Runner-Up. The sash felt heavier than I expected, not because of the fabric, but because of everything it symbolized.I walked toward the stairs leading down from the stage, careful with every step. The heels were stable this time, but my legs were tired, not physically, but emotionally. Para akong galing sa digmaan na naka-smile lang sa labas.“Diane.”I stopped. I didn’t need to look to know who it was.“Sevi,” I said softly, turning around.He was standing a few steps below me, hands in his pockets, wearing a simple black polo and jeans. No sash. No spotlight. Pero sa dami ng taong dumaan sa buhay ko, he stood out without trying.He smiled—yung familiar na hindi pilit, hindi scripted.“Sayang,” he said gently. “You should’ve won.”I chuckled, shaking my head as I took the last step down.

Chapter 21

There’s a certain kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from crying. It comes from holding yourself together for too long. That was where I found myself after everything, after the pageant, after the public judgment, after Sophie’s downfall, after Ryan’s silence. Para akong nakatayo sa gitna ng bagyo na biglang tumigil, pero basa pa rin ang damit ko, nanginginig pa rin ang katawan ko. I realized something important in that quiet aftermath.Ayoko nang gumanti. Hindi dahil hindi ako nasaktan. Hindi dahil hindi ako galit. Kundi dahil sawang-sawa na akong maging galit.Revenge felt tempting at first. I won’t lie. There were nights when I imagined saying the perfect words, doing the perfect thing that would make them feel exactly what I felt. Yung tipong pantay na tayo.But then I asked myself—pagkatapos nun, ano? Would I finally be happy? Would the heaviness disappear?The answer was always no. So I let karma do its thing. Tahimik lang. Walang announcement. Walang drama. And karma didn’t d

Chapter 22

The bench felt colder than usual that afternoon. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa hangin, o dahil matagal na akong umuupo roon mag-isa. The same bench. The same tree. The same spot where laughter used to come naturally, now replaced by silence that pressed against my chest.I poked at my food, appetite gone again.Ang arte mo, I scolded myself. Hindi naman kayo.But feelings don’t disappear just because you tell them to.I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice someone standing a few steps away.“Diane.”I looked up. Sevi. He wasn’t smiling. Not worried either. He looked… certain.“Can I sit?” he asked.I nodded, shifting slightly to make space. He sat beside me, elbows resting on his knees, staring straight ahead. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Tahimik. Mabigat. Parang may unsaid words na nakabitin sa pagitan namin.“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said finally.I let out a small breath. “Hindi.”“Don’t lie,” he replied gently. “You don’t have to.”I looked down at my hands.

Chapter 23

The morning of the camping activity felt strangely heavy and light at the same time., Heavy, because I knew I would be trapped in one place with too many emotions I didn’t fully understand yet. Light, because for once, there was no stage, no competition, no judgment. Just trees, tents, bonfires, and people pretending to be carefree.As I climbed the steps of the bus, the familiar scent of vinyl seats and early-morning coffee greeted me. The chatter inside was loud, laughter, teasing, bags being shoved into overhead compartments. Halatang excited ang lahat sa mga activities. Ako rin naman ay excited din. Pero hindi na katulad nuon. Gaya nga nang sabi ko, nakakaramdam ako nang bigat. Hindi natin alam ang mga mangyayari.I scanned the seats instinctively. Then I saw it. An empty seat. Window side. My heart gave a small, hopeful jump.Without overthinking, I walked straight toward it and sat down. I placed my bag on my lap and leaned slightly toward the window, watching the campus slowly

Chapter 24

The bus hummed softly as it rolled out of campus. I tried, really tried, to focus on the view outside. Trees blurring past. Morning light filtering through the glass. Anything but the fact that Sevi was sitting right beside me.Too close.Not touching, but close enough that I could feel the warmth from his arm.I adjusted my bag on my lap, pretending to be busy. My heart, on the other hand, was anything but calm.Normal lang ’to, I told myself. Isang bus ride lang.But then the bus suddenly jolted over a small bump. I wasn’t prepared. My body tilted slightly, and before I could stop myself, my shoulder brushed against his. Not hard. Just enough. I froze.“Sorry,” I blurted out instinctively, turning toward him.He looked at me, surprised, then smiled.“It’s okay,” he said softly.My cheeks warmed. I nodded quickly and turned back to the window, but my heart was already betraying me, beating faster than it should.A few seconds passed.“Diane,” he said quietly.“Yes?” I replied, still

Chapter 25

If boredom had a sound, it would be the facilitator’s voice echoing through the clearing that morning.“And now, we’ll do another trust-building activity—”I stared at the laminated instruction sheet in my hands, eyes glazing over.Another one?I shifted my weight, glancing around. People were yawning openly now. Someone behind me stifled a groan. Even the trees looked uninterested. Without thinking, I muttered under my breath—“Ang boring naman nito.”I barely heard it. But he did.“Talaga ba?”I stiffened. I slowly turned my head. Sevi was standing beside me, lips curved in that familiar half-smile, eyes amused.“Narinig mo ’yun?” I asked, mortified.He nodded. “Malinaw.”“Sorry,” I whispered. “Hindi ko sinasadya—”He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Gusto mo bang tumakas?”My heart skipped. “…What?”He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting. “Escape. Saglit lang.”I blinked. “Sevi, we’ll get in trouble.”He shrugged. “Sino ba makakaalam?”“Lahat,” I said flatly. “We’re literall

Chapter 26

I didn’t realize how long I’d been staring at the same patch of ground until my eyes started to blur. The campsite had gone quieter. Most people were busy preparing for dinner or fixing their tents, but I stayed where I was, sitting on a low rock near the trees, elbows on my knees, chin resting on my hands.Ryan’s words kept replaying in my head like an unwanted echo."May kakaiba. Alam ko ang kaibahan ng kaibigan at sa mahigit pa sa kaibigan."I shook my head slightly, as if I could physically shake the thoughts away."No. Stop," I told myself. "Huwag mong pansinin yun."“Diane?”I looked up. Sevi was standing a few steps away, concern written all over his face. His brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed together like he wasn’t sure how to approach me.“Kanina pa kita hinahanap,” he said softly. “Okay ka lang ba?”I straightened immediately. “Yeah. Okay lang ako.”He didn’t look convinced.“You sure?” he asked, sitting down beside me. “Parang ang lalim ng iniisip mo.”I forced a

Chapter 27

Hindi ko alam kung anong tunog ang unang lumabas sa akin. Hindi sigaw. Hindi hikbi. Parang… hininga na nabitawan ko nang hindi ko namalayan. Pero sapat na ’yon. Sapat para mapahinto silang dalawa.Agad na umatras si Sevi, para bang napaso. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang makita niya ako. Para siyang batang nahuling may ginawang bawal—gulat, takot, at puno ng tanong.“Diane—”Hindi ko na hinintay ang susunod. Tumalikod ako. Hindi ako tumakbo. Ayokong bigyan ang sandaling ’yon ng drama na hindi ko kayang panindigan. Pero bawat hakbang ko palayo ay parang hinihila pabalik ng bigat sa dibdib ko.“Diane, wait!”Narinig ko ang yabag ng paa niya sa buhangin. Mabilis. Magulo.“Diane, please.”Huminto ako. Hindi dahil handa akong makinig. Kundi dahil kung maglalakad pa ako, baka bibigay na talaga yung mga tuhod ko. Dahan-dahan akong humarap. Nasa harap ko si Sevi, hingal, buhok magulo, mata puno ng kaba. Ilang hakbang sa likod niya si Nikka, nakapako sa kinatatayuan niya, nanlalaki ang mga mata

Chapter 28

Pagkatapos ng camping, bumalik ang lahat sa dati, o ganoon ang akala ko.Monday morning. Maingay ang hallway, puno ng yabag ng sapatos, tawanan, reklamo tungkol sa assignments, reklamo tungkol sa kulang na tulog. Normal. Parang walang nangyari. Parang walang nagbago. At sa isang banda, gusto kong maniwala na ganoon nga.I fixed my bag on my shoulder and walked inside the campus, steady ang hakbang ko kahit may kakaibang bigat sa katawan ko. Hindi masakit. Hindi rin masyadong malinaw. Parang pakiramdam na may mali, pero hindi mo kayang pangalanan.Siguro pagod lang, sabi ko sa sarili ko.Hindi ko pinansin. Hindi ako pwedeng tumigil dahil lang sa pakiramdam. Hindi na ako ’yon.Everyone was minding their own business. Walang tumitingin nang matagal. Walang bulungan. Walang awkward silences kapag dumadaan ako. Parang bumalik sa dating ritmo ang mundo, at ako, bumalik din sa pagiging mag-isa.Mag-isa.Hindi na bago. Hindi rin masakit gaya ng dati. Sanay na ako. Mas tahimik, mas kontrolado.

Chapter 29

Paalis na sana ako ng clinic. Maingat ang bawat hakbang ko habang inaayos ko ang bag sa balikat ko. Medyo mahina pa rin ang katawan ko, pero ayos lang. Ayokong magtagal. Ayokong maging sentro ng kahit anong atensyon. Gusto ko lang bumalik sa normal kung may normal pa bang natitira.Hawak ko na ang doorknob nang marinig ko ang papalapit na yapak sa likod ko. Mabagal. Maingat. Parang nagdadalawang-isip. Napabuntong-hininga ako, hindi na lumingon.“I said I’m okay, Ryan,” sabi ko, medyo pagod na ang boses. “Baka hinanap ka na ni Sophie. Please stop.”Tahimik. May isang segundo ng katahimikan na parang may mali.“Ryan?” Isang boses ang sumagot. Mababa. Pamilyar. At sa isang iglap, parang bumalik lahat ng hindi ko gustong maramdaman. “Huh?”Nanlamig ang batok ko. Dahan-dahan akong humarap. Hindi si Ryan ang nasa likod ko. Si Sevi.Nakatayo siya ilang hakbang ang layo, parang natigilan din sa sinabi ko. Hawak niya ang strap ng bag niya, parang hindi niya alam kung itutuloy pa ba ang paglapi

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