[PROFESSOR SERIES II]
Astrea Zaire Luceria thought she was incapable of loving someone. But the moment she laid her eyes on a certain Art Professor, she found herself falling for her even from a far distance. Not having any courage to approach her...
A/N: This chapter only revolves around Vivien and Astrea. We'll be escalating the scenes in the upcoming chapters.
Third Person's POV
The place was magical. Astrea only sees it in pictures or videos, but now, she's standing in front of the lake, admiring the peaceful scenery.
Pumakawala siya ng isang malalim na buntong hininga sabay pikit ng mga mata niya.
It helped her relax somehow. With all the chaos that was happening around her recently— she didn't know how badly she needed this moment.
Gumaan na rin ang nararamdaman niya ng mabasa ang text ng Tita Sandra niya pagdating nila dito, she said that she'll be staying with The Lacsamana's for the night. Astrea felt safe upon knowing that information.
She was damn scared of what happened earlier, she didn't even know how a lot of things are happening recently— Her life has been boring for the past few years since her parents' death. The only thing that really kept her out of boredom was the thought of admiring the woman whom she thought she'd only be doing from afar.
But now.. their lives are entangled together.
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"Hey," the familiar voice broke the silence, pulling the younger out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to see the Professor standing beside her, a gentle smile on her face as she glanced at the lake.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She said softly, her gaze lingering on the water that shimmered under the sunset. "I used to come here a lot when I needed to clear my head."
Tumango naman si Astrea, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened, but at this moment, standing here with Vivien, she felt lighter—like the chaos wasn't so suffocating anymore.
"I can see why," Mahinang tugon niya. "It's so.. peaceful."
Vivien glanced at her, the concern from earlier still lingering in her eyes. "You seem like you needed this too," She said, her tone soft yet knowing.
Astrea let out a small chuckle, though it sounded more like a sigh. "Yeah. I didn't realize how much until now."
They stood in silence for a moment, the sound of the gentle breeze rustling through the trees filling the space between them. Astrea wasn't sure what to say, but being here, next to her, felt right. Like maybe, for once, she didn't have to carry everything on her own.
"You can tell me if there's anything that bothers you." Vivien says in a gentle voice after that long silence.
Astrea's chest tightened at her words, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a lump form in her throat. She quickly swallowed it down, trying to keep her emotions in check, but the softness in her voice made it harder to do so.
For the past few months, as they grew closer, it was always Astrea who had been there for Vivien. She was the one who listened—the one who saw her, even when Vivien didn't realize it. Astrea was the silent anchor, the one who understood Vivien, even when she struggled to understand herself.
