Where the Cloud Drifts (REVISED Ver.)

CHAPTER ONE: Coffee and Us

HER

Acceptance is the key—yet here I am, struggling. The irony isn't lost on me. Napagalitan na naman ako ng boss dahil hindi ko nakuha ang soil analysis ng tama.

Or let's be honest: wala akong nagawang tama.

When did this all start? Ah, right. Nung nakita ko yung ayaw ko nang makita.

It's been five years, yet I still don't understand why I get bitter every time I see him. Normal lang naman siguro iyon, diba? To see the person who was once a part of your life, someone you once loved deeply.

The kind of love that makes you feel like you're floating—dreamlike, perfect.

Pero minsan, kahit gaano ka ka-in love, it's not enough to hold on. There's never a good enough reason for someone to leave you when they choose themselves.

Hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit, but here I am, still haunted by it. My work, my studies—lahat naaapektuhan ng bigat na iyon. And for what? For someone who no longer even pays my tuition. Bakit ganito?

"Nakikinig ka ba sakin? Azciel!" The sharp voice of my lab head specialist snapped me back to reality.

Of course, I'd snap back quickly after a week of being nothing but dead weight at work.

"Yes po, Ma'am." I nodded, accepting every word of criticism.

Wala din naman akong magagawa. It's part of the job I signed up for. Throw in my master's studies, and here I am—acting like a hero when, in truth, I'm barely hanging on.

The lecture dragged on for what felt like an eternity before I was finally allowed to leave. Tamang-tama, everyone outside the office was already looking at me.

Their eyes, full of judgment.

Akala mo nakapatay ako, or they're wondering why someone like Azciel, someone they'd labeled as "magaling sa lahat", is suddenly getting reprimanded.

Oh well. This is just me.

I've never been one for friendships in the office—hindi na uso sa akin ang kaibigan.

I learned the hard way that personal attachment can be draining. I'm past that phase.

Nakakapagod magbigay ng commitment, only to receive less than what you're worth in return. The bare minimum is all anyone ever seems to give.

Lahat naman tayo may nararamdaman, right? I'm not the only one. Kailangan ko lang tibayan ang loob ko, because I never expected everything to fall apart all at once.

Tao lang. Napapagod at nawawalan ng gana.

I grabbed some food from the cafeteria and went back to work. Kahit nagkamali, kailangan ko pa rin ayusin ito.

Although the issue was in the statistical analysis, they blew it out of proportion just to have something to talk about.

Still, I love the quiet solitude of the laboratory. No one dares disturb you here, not when you're deep into work, surrounded by silence.

I frequent different laboratories—one focuses on animals, another on plants.

But right now, I'm all about plants, since I'm pursuing my master's in forestry. At first, it was overwhelming. I had no clue where to start. Produkto ako ng sirang sistema ng edukasyon, after all.

That's why I kept studying. I wanted to pursue medicine, but the risks... they were too high. Take a risk, sure, but always be prepared for the consequences.