The campus was bathed in the warm, golden hues of the setting sun as the clock struck 5 PM. Most of the students had already left for the day, leaving only those in the Fine Arts and Engineering programs still attending their final classes. The air was cooler now, signaling the end of a long day.
Rhiannon, Isabel, and Andrea, the top officers of the Student Supreme Government (SSG), were making their rounds across the campus. As President, Vice President, and Secretary, they took their roles seriously, often staying late to ensure that everything was running smoothly. The trio walked in step, their voices a mix of casual conversation and discussions about upcoming SSG events.
“Grabe, ang dami nating kailangan tapusin,” Isabel remarked, her voice tinged with mild exhaustion. “May meeting pa tayo bukas tungkol sa community outreach.”
“Alam ko, pero kakayanin natin ‘to,” Rhiannon replied with a confident smile. “We’ve handled worse. Plus, lahat naman tayo sanay sa ganitong workload.”
Andrea nodded in agreement. “Oo nga. And besides, pagkatapos nito, medyo luluwag na rin ang schedule natin. Kaya push lang, mga besh!”
As they continued walking, their path took them past the Engineering building, which was beginning to empty out as classes ended. The trio slowed their pace, observing the students heading out, when something—or rather, someone—caught their attention.
“Uy, tingnan niyo ‘yon,” Isabel whispered, nudging Rhiannon. “Si Wayne ‘yan, di ba?”
Rhiannon followed Isabel’s gaze and spotted Wayne standing by one of the benches outside the building. What caught their attention even more was that he wasn’t alone. Lily was with him, and from the way she was leaning towards Wayne, it was clear that they were engaged in a private conversation.
“Bakit magkasama sila?” Andrea wondered aloud, her curiosity piqued. “Si Lily ba ‘yan? Si Wayne kasama?”
Rhiannon raised an eyebrow, her instincts as SSG President kicking in. “Mukhang sila nga. Anong ginagawa nila? At bakit parang close sila?”
Isabel crossed her arms, watching the pair closely. “Well, hindi naman natin alam lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay nila. Baka naman they’re just friends?”
“Friends or something more,” Andrea added, her tone playful. “Pero, parang ‘di yata nakwento ni Maxwell ‘to sa atin. Alam kaya niya?”
Rhiannon considered this for a moment. Maxwell was one of her closest friends, and she knew he was always open about things, especially when it came to his friends. But this was news to her, and it made her wonder if something was going on that Maxwell hadn’t mentioned.
“Maybe we should ask him,” Isabel suggested, her eyes still fixed on Wayne and Lily. “Kung may nangyayari man, dapat alam ni Max.”
Rhiannon nodded slowly. “Yeah, but we’ll ask him later. Right now, marami pa tayong kailangang gawin. We have to finish our patrol and check the other buildings.”
“True,” Andrea agreed, though she couldn’t help but glance back at Wayne and Lily one more time. “Okay, let’s get back to work. We’ll figure this out later.”
With that, the trio resumed their patrol, though the sight of Wayne and Lily lingered in their minds. They moved on to the Fine Arts building, where they met up with some of the faculty members and other students to discuss the upcoming events. Their duties as SSG officers took priority, and the situation with Wayne and Lily was temporarily pushed to the back of their minds.
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Meanwhile, Wayne and Lily continued their conversation by the bench. The atmosphere between them was relaxed, though there was an undercurrent of tension—at least on Wayne’s part. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention, and Lily’s persistence was beginning to weigh on him.
“So, Wayne,” Lily began, her voice soft and slightly hesitant. “Kanina pa kita gustong tanungin... Do you want to grab dinner later? We could go somewhere nice, just the two of us.”
Wayne looked at her, feeling the pressure of her invitation. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also didn’t want to lead her on. He knew he had to be honest.
“Lily, okay ka naman, pero I’m really busy with my projects right now,” Wayne said, choosing his words carefully. “Hindi ako sigurado kung may time ako for anything outside of school.”
Lily’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered, brushing it off with a light laugh. “I understand. Engineering is tough, after all. But maybe some other time?”
“Maybe,” Wayne replied, though his tone was noncommittal. He appreciated Lily’s company, but he wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship, especially with how fast things seemed to be moving on her end.
Lily seemed to sense his hesitation, but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “You know, Wayne, you’re really easy to talk to. I’m glad we got to know each other better during the event. I hope we can continue being friends, kahit busy tayo pareho.”
Wayne nodded, grateful that she was at least trying to keep things light. “Yeah, friends sounds good. We’ll see how things go.”
As they wrapped up their conversation, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the campus. Wayne offered to walk Lily to her dorm, and she accepted with a smile, though there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
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By the time Rhiannon, Isabel, and Andrea finished their duties, the campus was nearly deserted. The sky had turned a deep shade of indigo, and the first stars were beginning to twinkle above. The trio headed back to the SSG office to wrap up their day, still buzzing from the events they had overseen.
“Another successful patrol,” Isabel declared as they entered the office, flipping on the lights. “We’re really getting the hang of this.”
“Yeah, but I’m exhausted,” Andrea admitted, sinking into a chair. “I’m ready to call it a day.”
Rhiannon chuckled, her energy still surprisingly high. “We did good today, but we still have a lot to do tomorrow. Let’s just finish up here and get some rest.”
As they went through their notes and finalized their plans for the next day, Rhiannon suddenly remembered the earlier encounter. “Oh, wait. We forgot to tell Maxwell about Wayne and Lily!”
Isabel and Andrea exchanged glances, both realizing they had let the moment slip by. “Oo nga,” Isabel said, slightly embarrassed. “We got so caught up in everything.”
“Should we tell him now?” Andrea asked, pulling out her phone
Rhiannon shook her head. “No, it’s late. Besides, baka wala naman talaga ‘yun. Let’s just ask him tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” Isabel agreed, stifling a yawn. “We all need some rest.”
With that, the three of them finished up their work and headed out, their earlier discovery forgotten for the moment. But as they walked back to their dorms, Rhiannon couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to Wayne and Lily’s relationship than met the eye. She made a mental note to bring it up with Maxwell first thing in the morning, just to see if he knew anything about it.
As the campus settled into the quiet of the evening, the day’s events slowly faded into the background, leaving behind only the faintest traces of what had been seen and what had been left unsaid.
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Patience and Affection
FanfictionWayne spends a day with his overly enthusiastic friend, Maxwell, testing the limits of his patience. As Wayne tries to endure Maxwell's over-the-top behavior, he begins to question whether their friendship is truly mutual or if Maxwell's feelings ru...
