Falling For Mikhaela Janna Lim

Chapter 3: Pestilence Viel

MIKHA'S POV

I've been roaming around the campus for an hour now and I already found good spots where I can relax away from human noises.

First, the libraries, the rooftop, the bench near the abandoned building, and the school garden na wala masyadong dumadayo.

I'm kinda exhausted too and as I checked my watch, it's already lunch time kaya I decided to go to the nearest cafeteria.

Habang nag lakakad naririnig ko pa rin usapan ng ibang students, mentioning my friends name.

"Andito pala members nong Pestilence Veil."

Pestilence Veil ang name ng band nila -or should I say, ng band namin?

I'm the one who thought about it.

Pestilence, a deadly disease na madaling kumalat, it causes widespread illness and death katulad ng COVID-19 pandemic or, in simple words, destructive, like a powerful disease.

Veil, I don't know what the Tagalog word for that is. Bandana ata? Basta, it's something used to cover something pero madalas sinusuot sa ulo or mukha.

Ang ginagawa namin songs explore themes of love, loss, and longing.

Our music acts as a veil, shrouding listeners in a dark, emotional experience that delves into the complexities of love's ability to both heal and harm.

I'm the one who composes it pero bihira lang ako sumali sa recording.

Love can be a pain in the ass. Hindi ko pa ranas pero based on poems that I read and different books.

It's like, I love the idea of love but there's a half of me na gustong maranas 'yon pero may part din na ayaw.

Love can bring us joy but, at the same time, sorrow, hatred, trauma, and scars.

As a person who loves to read, minsan naiisip ko na rin kung mabuti ba na nagbabasa ako dahil maraming akong nalalaman na mga bagay-bagay or hindi kasi dahil sa dami kong nalalaman parang enough na sa'kin 'yon to stop having a reason to not wish to experience it.

"Oo nga, we saw them kanina sa may parking lot."

"Oh, nagpa-picture ba kayo?"

"Hindi, mukhang bad trip sila kanina."

"Pero in fairness kahit puro sila babae, ampopogi tignan."

"Si Nic, second year, blockmate nong kapatid ko, architecture kinukuha n'ya."

"Si Gwen, second year. I heard she's taking Med daw. Si Jhoanna ba, alam n'yo kung anong course? S'ya yong crush na crush ko eh."

"I saw some tweets kanina, asa student hall daw yon baka for orientation so means first year pa lang s'ya?"

"Yep yep, journalism daw tinake non eh."

I just mentally smirked.

That's what I'm talking about kaya gusto kong huwag sumama sa kanila.

Wala pa man lang isang araw ang class sila na ang laman ng usapan.

Too much attention.

I despise attention.

I've just shrugged my thoughts off and focused on my way as I entered the cafeteria.

I looked around and saw a bunch of students na nakapila kaya I proceeded to fall in line.

It's kinda therapeutic to me doing this kind of stuff without worrying that there's someone who threw different stuff at me.