Maybe Next Time

Chapter 4

I rested my chin on the desk as I listened to Joyce and Naina discussing Korean Pop. I couldn't really relate since I'm more into Korean dramas, so I just listened. The two of them are huge K-pop fans, and I know that Naina is especially obsessed with BTS. She even feels like she's married to Jungkook.

I remember a time when we had a little spat. During a recitation in one of our subjects, we had a mini game where they played music, and we had to guess the artist.

Unfortunately, Naina couldn't answer until a song by Jungkook played. We were all surprised when she had a mental block and forgot the voice of her "husband." Dahil nga likas sa amin ang mag asaran. Inasar ko siyang "Wala ka pala eh. Hindi ka legit fan."

I didn't realize it would upset her, so she ignored me for the rest of the subject. I was puzzled by her silence until I learned she didn't appreciate my joke.

The funny part is that she apologized to me, and I apologized to her too. She was almost in tears, but I understood; she might have been just tired. Since then, I've stopped teasing her about BTS and supported her instead, even liking all her BTS-related posts.

Natigil lang ang pag uusap ng dalawa ng biglang pumasok ang professor namin. Sinabihan niya kaming ilabas ang mga calculator namin dahil magsasagot daw kami ng income statement. Financial Analysis kasi ang pinag aaralan namin sa Finman2. Itinuturo sa amin kung paano ang tamang pag-analyze ng bawat financial statements. Dahil napakahalaga ang decision making ng isang financial manager o financial analyst sa magiging steps at plan na gagawin ng isang company. Dapat alam namin kung ang isang company ba ay kumikita o hindi.

Our professor gave us two hours to complete the exercise. We needed to memorize how to create an income statement for both a manufacturing and a merchandising company. The process is more complicated for manufacturing since it starts with raw materials.

Since the three of us were familiar with creating income statements, we finished quickly. This meant we had time to chat, but I didn't expect them to dive back into discussing K-pop. It seemed like they could go on forever about how talented their favorite boy bands are.

With nothing else to do, I listened to the discussion between my classmates and my professor. They were talking about the upcoming college fest, an event where different colleges in our university compete. It's like a more elaborate version of high school intramurals, and it's highly anticipated because it counts for significant points with professors.

Suddenly, our professor's gaze landed on me, and she smiled. I felt a pang of anxiety, wondering if I had done something wrong. I smiled back, though it felt awkward since my classmates in the front row could hear everything

"Ano nga ulit ang pangalan mo iha?" tanong ni ma'am.

"Zaylee po ma'am." sagot ko naman.

"Ang ganda naman ng pangalan mo. Kasing ganda mo."

"Hala. Hindi po ma'am."

I was embarrassed by the compliment. Hindi kasi ako sanay ey, and it was even more awkward with my classmates listening. I don't consider myself beautiful, maybe just my name, but not me.

"Bagay sa iyong sumali sa college fest. Sali ka ha" sabi ulit ni maam.

"Hindi na po ma'am."

The compliment lingered in my mind, leaving me feeling self-conscious. I appreciate kind words, kaso minsan ay nag ooverthink ako dahil baka inuuto lang nila ako.

I glanced at Naina and Joyce, who were still engrossed in their K-pop talk. I tapped them on the shoulders and suggested we head out.

Nag aya si Naina na kumain kami ng paborito niyang pizza roll at triangle. Hindi ko alam kung anong tawag sa triangle na iyon basta hugis triangle siya at may cheese. Pumayag rin si Joyce dahil bibili raw siya ng burger.