Anonymous Lines - Hambebe AU

Chapter 11

Shaine wiped the sweat from her forehead as she took a break from the intense dance practice. The dance studio at SAU was buzzing with energy as usual, with Maxine and Sage going over their choreography in front of the mirror showing other participants their dance routine. The upcoming performance was a big deal, and they were all determined to get every move perfect.

"Grabe, nakakagutom na," Shaine muttered to herself, her stomach growling as she sat down on the floor. She reached for her water bottle, only to realize it was almost empty.

"Guys, kuha lang ako water," she called out to Maxine and Sage, who were still deep in their routine.

"Okay, Balik ka agad, ha? We need to run the routine one more time," Sage responded, not taking her eyes off the mirror.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be quick," Shaine replied with a grin. But as she stepped out of the studio, the idea of just grabbing water didn't seem enough. Her stomach growled again, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Maybe a quick trip to the canteen for some snacks wouldn't hurt," she thought. Besides, she could use the excuse of needing some extra energy to justify the detour.

The campus was bustling with students, and Shaine weaved through the crowd, making her way to the canteen. As she entered, the familiar smell of food hit her, and she immediately headed for her favorite snack—some chips and a cold drink. The brief break felt good, allowing her to clear her head before diving back into practice.

After paying for her snacks, Shaine made her way back to the dance studio, munching on the chips as she walked. The campus felt alive, with students moving between classes, chatting in groups, and relaxing on benches.

As she was approaching the corner near the administration building when she suddenly collided with someone. The impact caused her to stumble backward, and she could hear a surprised gasp escape from the person she bumped into. In the commotion, a stack of papers the other person was holding flew out of their hands, scattering across the floor.

"Sorry!" Shaine exclaimed, immediately bending down to help pick up the papers."No, it's okay. I wasn't paying attention," the other person responded quickly, her voice soft but clearly flustered.

Shaine glanced up briefly as she handed back some of the papers. The woman in front of her was tall, with striking orange hair that stood out even in the busy hallway. There was something about her presence that seemed familiar, though Shaine couldn't place it. The woman wore a simple but stylish outfit, a black oversized hoodie and capri pants. Despite the flustered expression on her face, she had an air of calmness.

"Here, I think that's all of them," Shaine said, handing over the last few sheets.

"Thanks," the woman replied, offering a small smile as she took the papers back. "I need to stop carrying so many things at once."

Shaine chuckled, feeling a bit awkward but also strangely at ease. "Yeah, it can be tricky. Sorry again for bumping into you."

"No harm done," the woman said, brushing off the incident as she quickly reorganized the papers.

"Anyway, I should get going. I'm in the middle of practice."

"Right, of course," the woman nodded, looking at Shaine a bit more closely, as if trying to place her. But before Shaine could think more of it, the woman gave a polite nod and started walking away.

Shaine watched her for a moment, something nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Shrugging it off, she turned and continued on her way back to the dance studio, now with the snacks in hand.

Back in the studio, Maxine was the first to notice her return. "Hey, what took you so long? Muntikan ka na namin ipapa-hanap."

"Sorry, sorry! I just needed to refuel," Shaine said, holding up her snacks with a grin.

"Gutom lang pala," Sage teased. "Come on, let's go over the routine again. We're almost done."

As they got back to practice, Shaine found her thoughts briefly wandering to the orange-haired woman she had bumped into. There was something oddly familiar about her, but with the music blasting and the choreography demanding her full attention, she quickly pushed the thought aside.

As Shaine executed the next move in the routine, her focus returned to the dance, leaving the mysterious encounter behind. But somewhere deep down, a small part of her knew that this was just the beginning of something unexpected.