Echoes of Red [BINI AU]

Chapter 6

Third Person's Point Of View

Sheena was engrossed in her coding, and the dim glow of her computer screen illuminated the room, casting long shadows on the walls as she immersed herself in her coding. Beside her, Jhoanna tapped away on her own laptop, occasionally glancing over at Sheena with a furrowed brow.

As Sheena's fingers flew across the keyboard, the rhythmic click-clack of the keys filled the air, punctuated only by the occasional frustrated sigh. She was deep in concentration, her mind consumed by lines of code and complex algorithms.

"Shee, narinig mo na ba yung about sa new café na nagbukas downtown?" Jhoanna asked, breaking the silence with a casual tone.

Sheena paused for a moment, tearing her eyes away from the screen to look at Jhoanna. "Huh? Ah, oo. Nakita ko nga kanina sa facebook," she replied, her voice distracted.

Jhoanna nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "I heard they have the best coffee in town. We should check it out sometime," she suggested, hoping to draw Sheena's attention away from her work for just a moment.

Sheena's brows furrowed slightly as she tried to focus on Jhoanna's words. "Yeah, that sounds cool, Ate Jho," she murmured, her mind still half in the code she was working on.

Sensing Sheena's distraction, Jhoanna leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is everything okay, Shee? You seem kind of... off today talaga," she said, concern lacing her words.

Sheena hesitated for a moment, torn between her desire to confide in Jhoanna and her instinct to keep her troubles to herself. But in the end, the weight of her worries proved too heavy to bear alone.

"It's just... I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, you know? With school and everything," she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Jhoanna reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Sheena's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay to feel that way. We all have our moments," she said, offering Sheena a comforting smile.

Sheena sighed, feeling a wave of relief wash over her at Jhoanna's words. "Thanks, Beh. I guess I've just been so caught up in my work that I haven't had time to think about anything else," she admitted, her voice soft.

Jhoanna nodded sympathetically, squeezing Sheena's shoulder gently. "Well, why don't you take a break for a bit? I'll make us some banana drinks mamaya, so that we can relax for a while," she suggested, a warm smile on her lips.

Sheena's lips curled into a grateful smile as she nodded in agreement. "Okay, look forward ko 'yan ha. Thank you," she said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation.

As Jhoanna got up to prepare their drinks, Sheena couldn't help but feel grateful for her friend's unwavering support. In moments like these, she realized, it was the simple gestures of kindness that made all the difference in the world.

Meanwhile, in Mikha's perspective, the hum of the classroom filled the air as Stacey continued to chatter away beside her, her words washing over Mikha in an unending stream. But Mikha wasn't listening – she couldn't afford to.

Stacey's voice droned on, but Mikha's attention was elsewhere. She was hyper-aware of their surroundings, acutely conscious of the risk they were taking by engaging in conversation. If they were caught... well, Mikha didn't want to think about the consequences.

"Can you believe what happened last night? It's all over social media!" Stacey exclaimed, nudging Mikha's arm eagerly.

Mikha felt a surge of irritation bubbling up inside her, but she forced it down, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Uh-huh," she murmured absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the front of the classroom.

Stacey's words faded into the background as Mikha scanned the room, her heart pounding in her chest. They were skating on thin ice, and Mikha knew they needed to tread carefully if they wanted to avoid detection.

But their luck ran out sooner than expected. Just as Mikha was about to tune Stacey out completely, their professor's voice cut through the air like a knife, calling them out for their distraction.

"Lim, Sevilleja – is there something you'd like to share with the class?" the professor asked, her tone laced with thinly veiled irritation.

Mikha's heart sank as all eyes turned to them, the weight of their professor's gaze heavy upon her. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her spine as she struggled to come up with a plausible explanation.

Stacey faltered beside her, her eyes widening in panic as she searched for words. But Mikha's frustration bubbled to the surface, fueled not just by the risk of getting caught but also by her disdain for their professor.

She couldn't stand the man – he was more than just strict; he was downright creepy, with rumors swirling around him like a dark cloud.

As their professor's gaze bore into them, Mikha felt a surge of defiance rising within her. She knew she should stay quiet, play along, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not this time.

With a sharp inhale, Mikha squared her shoulders and met their professor's gaze head-on. "Actually, sir, we were just discussing the assignment," she said, her voice steady despite the nerves churning in her stomach.

Stacey shot Mikha a look of disbelief, but Mikha ignored her, refusing to back down. She knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but she couldn't stand idly by and let their professor intimidate them – not when there was so much at stake.

Their professor's eyes narrowed, and Mikha braced herself for the inevitable backlash. But to her surprise, he merely grunted in response, his attention already drifting back to the front of the classroom.

Mikha couldn't help but roll her eyes as their professor turned away, his attention now fully absorbed by the whiteboard. She resisted the urge to scoff audibly – the man was clueless, completely oblivious to the fact that his students couldn't care less about his lectures.

"Konting oras na lang, tapos na 'tong kalbaryo," Mikha muttered under her breath, her words laced with a hint of sarcasm. She knew she should keep her thoughts to herself, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at the small act of rebellion.

Stacey shot her a warning glance, but Mikha merely shrugged it off, refusing to be cowed. She had no intention of playing nice with someone like their professor – not when she knew they deserved so much better.

As the class dragged on, Mikha found herself growing increasingly restless, her mind wandering back to the events of the morning. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her like a dark cloud, her thoughts consumed by the stranger they had encountered on the way to school.

But as much as she tried to push the encounter to the back of her mind, Mikha couldn't shake the feeling that it was only the beginning of something much bigger. And she couldn't help but wonder what other secrets lay hidden beneath the surface of their seemingly ordinary lives.

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