His Ephemeral Signs

Chapter 03

03 : Second Thoughts

JULIAN

Kinabukasan, habang nananatili ako sa isang tahimik na sulok ng library, ang init ng mga papel sa aking mga kamay ay tila hindi makapag-alis ng lamig sa loob ko. The usual comfort of solitude surrounded me—until the sudden rustle of footsteps made its way toward my table. I didn’t bother looking up, thinking it was just another student, pero nang umupo siya sa tabi ko ay nakilala ko agad ang pamilyar nitong enerhiya.

Damien.

His presence was unmistakable, palpable. Masyadong malapit, as if the room wasn’t big enough for him to sit anywhere else. His scent—a mix of soap and a hint of sweat—lingered in the air. I froze for a second, the words I was reading slipping away from my mind.

“Hey,” he said, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts. “Mind if I join you?”

“Uh, sure...” I mumbled, trying not to show how his sudden presence caught me off guard. My mind scrambled for an excuse to leave, but before I could come up with one, he pulled out his notebook and placed it in front of me.

“Can you help me with something?” tanong niya habang dahan-dahang inilalapit ang notebook niya sa akin. The equations on the page seemed straightforward, but my mind was elsewhere. All I could focus on was the brief brush of his arm against mine—warm, deliberate, almost like it was meant to happen. With his scent... crisp and familiar, lingered in the air between us, pulling me deeper into the moment.

“Sige,” tipid kong sagot. I tried to focus, flipping through the pages, explaining the numbers and formulas, but all the while, his eyes were on me. And when I glanced up, his gaze felt heavier than the numbers on the page.

“Do you get it?” I asked, forcing myself to keep my tone neutral.

“Yeah, I think so...” He looked away for a moment, then smiled back at me. “You’re good at this.”

I could only nod, feeling the tension coil tighter in my chest. Then, before I could say anything else, he leaned in closer. “Hey, you should come watch my practice later.”

“A-ano--”

“You don’t have to... if you’re not cool with it,” he added quickly, flashing a grin, “but it’d be cool if you did.”

“Sure.” It slipped out before I could stop myself. And just like that, the awkward weight between us vanished as he stood up.

“See you later then,” he said, casually waving as he left, leaving me in the library with nothing but the lingering warmth of where he had been sitting.

***

Pagsapit ng hapon, pinanood ko na lang ang mga paa ko habang dahan-dahan akong pumapasok sa gym. The sound of sneakers squeaking against the court, Damien’s voice cutting through the noise—it all hit me at once. Napansin ko agad siya, moving through the court with confidence, kasama ang mga katropa niya.

Of course, he wasn’t alone.

Nagtataka pa nga rin ako kung bakit ako nandoon. Maybe... I shouldn’t have come. Pero noong nakita ko siyang tumawa, kumakaway sa mga kasama niya, something in me stirred. His smile was effortless, contagious even, pero hindi para sa akin iyon. He didn’t even glance my way.