Patience and Affection

Prologue: ❝The Ripple❞

The campus was alive with the hum of activity as the first week of the new semester unfolded. The early morning light bathed the university grounds, casting long shadows from the towering trees that lined the walkways. Students hurried to their classes, books in hand, their minds already buried in thoughts of lectures, assignments, and the all-too-dreaded exams that loomed in the distant future. Amid this sea of students, two paths converged in a way that would set off a series of ripples, changing everything for the people involved.

Wayne Jeon moved through the crowded campus like a ghost, his expression as unyielding as the concrete buildings that surrounded him. He was already tired, not from physical exertion, but from the mental weight of it all. Engineering was a demanding course, and his second year was proving to be even more unforgiving than the last. Wayne thrived under pressure, though-at least, that's what he told himself as he pulled out his schedule and scanned it briefly before heading to his first class of the day.

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Maxwell was in the middle of a lively conversation with a group of friends. His Psychology classes were something he genuinely enjoyed, but it was the people he met along the way that made university life worth living. Maxwell's presence was like a magnet; he was the type of person who could make friends with anyone, and he relished in the energy of those around him. Today, he was talking animatedly with Rhiannon, Isabel, and Andrea, all of whom were laughing at some ridiculous story he was in the middle of telling.

"Alam mo ba kung anong sinabi niya sa akin?" Maxwell's voice rose in pitch, imitating the person in his story. "'Max, ano ba, kung kaya mong magbasa ng isip. Gamitin mo 'yun para sa exam!'"

"Grabe! Paano niya na naman naisip 'yan?" Rhiannon's voice was tinged with disbelief, but her grin betrayed her amusement. She loved teasing Maxwell, but she loved it even more when he made her laugh.

"Natural na talento," Maxwell replied with a dramatic flourish, causing Isabel to shake her head in mock disapproval.

"Talagang natural na talento ng OA," Isabel quipped, earning a round of chuckles from the group.

Their laughter was cut short, however, as the warning bell rang, signaling the start of the next period. The group exchanged quick goodbyes and promises to meet up later, scattering in different directions to make it to their respective classes on time. Maxwell's smile lingered as he watched his friends go, but it faded slightly as he realized he was running late himself. He jogged across the campus, dodging slower-moving students and narrowly avoiding a collision with a distracted professor.

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As Maxwell rounded a corner, he came face-to-face with Wayne, who was walking in the opposite direction. The two collided, and Wayne's books went flying, scattering across the ground. For a moment, there was silence as both of them registered what had just happened. Then, Maxwell, ever the extrovert, broke into a sheepish grin.

"Pasensya na, bro," Maxwell said, bending down to help gather the fallen books. "Hindi kita nakita."

Wayne sighed, crouching down to retrieve the rest of his belongings. "Okay lang," he replied curtly, not looking Maxwell in the eye. He wasn't in the mood for conversation, especially not with a stranger.

Maxwell handed Wayne the last of his books, noticing the engineering textbooks and complex diagrams on the pages. "Engineering ka, no?" he asked, trying to strike up a conversation. "Ang hirap siguro niyan."

Wayne simply nodded, his expression remaining neutral. "Oo."

Maxwell sensed the resistance but was undeterred. "Ako, Psychology. Pero minsan parang engineering din ang hirap, lalo na kapag wala kang tulog."

Wayne finally looked up, meeting Maxwell's gaze for the first time. There was a flicker of something in his eyes-curiosity, perhaps-but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Dapat matulog ka rin. Hindi nakakabuti 'yan," Wayne said, his tone softening ever so slightly.

Maxwell chuckled. "Sasabihin ko rin dapat sa'yo 'yan, bro. Mukhang kulang ka rin sa tulog."

Wayne didn't respond to that. Instead, he stood up, brushing off his jeans and checking his watch. "Malapit na mag-start ang class ko. Salamat sa tulong," he said, turning to leave.

But Maxwell wasn't ready to end the conversation just yet. "Sige, bro, kita na lang ulit. Baka may kailangan kang tulong about sa university, tanong ka lang." He flashed a quick smile, his friendly nature shining through.

Wayne paused, then gave a brief nod before walking away. Maxwell watched him go, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, as if this brief encounter was more significant than he could immediately comprehend. Shrugging it off, he continued on his way to class, his thoughts already shifting to the lecture ahead.

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As the day progressed, the two crossed paths several more times, though always from a distance. Wayne noticed Maxwell in the cafeteria, surrounded by friends, his laughter ringing out above the din of the crowd. Maxwell, on the other hand, caught glimpses of Wayne in the library, buried in his books, his brow furrowed in concentration. They were two very different people living very different lives, yet somehow, they kept orbiting around each other, like planets drawn into the same gravitational pull.

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the campus began to quiet down, Wayne found himself sitting alone on a bench outside the Engineering building. His mind was heavy with the day's work, the endless calculations and designs that never seemed to leave him alone. He was tired-more tired than he wanted to admit-and for the first time, he allowed himself to relax, if only for a moment.

It was in this moment of quiet that Maxwell appeared again, this time without the noise and energy that usually accompanied him. He approached Wayne cautiously, sensing the other's need for solitude but unable to ignore the urge to reach out.

"Okay ka lang?" Maxwell asked softly, his usual playful tone replaced with genuine concern.

Wayne looked up, surprised to see him there. "Bakit ka nandito?"

Maxwell shrugged, sitting down beside him. "Minsan, kailangan mo lang ng katahimikan," he said, as if that explained everything.

The two sat in silence for a while, watching as the last of the daylight faded away, leaving the campus bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. There was no need for words; the quiet companionship was enough.

In that fleeting moment, neither of them knew how much their lives would change because of this strange, unexpected connection. They were two ripples in a vast ocean, drawn together by forces they couldn't yet understand. But as the days passed, their paths would continue to intertwine, setting off a chain of events that would challenge everything they thought they knew-about themselves, about each other, and about the world around them.

And so, their story began.

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