Lost and Found

Chapter 15

I had just finished performing at the event and I felt on top of the world. My classmates had cheered on and I had received a standing ovation from the audience.

I was about to head back to our seat when I noticed that Ms Ria was not even here, so I decide to follow her

Curiosity went towards me, I excused myself to Kai and followed Ms Ria outside. At hindi nga ako nagkakamali, I just found her standing by the sea shore while holding a bottle of wine, the moonlight casting a soft glow on her face.

Kahit na nakatalikod ito sobrang ganda niya parin, mas lalo lang akong nahuhulog at nabibighani sa kanya. Ano ba ang ginawa mo sakin Ms Ria, bakit hindi kita magawang kalimutan manlang.

Ms Ria looked lost in thought, her usually cold and stern expression replaced with a pensive look.

“Professor Ria!” I called out, my voice both a plea and a declaration, echoing across the emptiness of the beach.

Ms Ria turned, her heart tightening as she took in the sight of the younger woman her hair tousled by the wind, her cheeks flushed from effort but her gaze steady and determined.

“What do you want, Celes?” her voice came out sharp, but the tremor beneath it betrayed her internal struggle.

I took a few hesitant steps closer, the waves lapping at her feet. “I… I couldn’t let you leave like that. You can’t just run away from what you feel.”

Ms Ria sighed, looking away, the endless sea seeming to mirror her turmoil. “You don’t understand. I have to maintain control. Emotions like.....like those,” she gestured vaguely toward the sea, “are just distractions.”

I took a bold step forward, my voice softer now. “But they’re also what make life worth living, aren’t they? You felt something today, didn’t you? That song was for you.”

Ms Ria clenched her fists, battling the warmth flooding her heart. “It was just a performance, Celes. You mistake admiration for something deeper.”

Hindi ko mapigilang hindi ito titigan, kinanta ko yon para sa kanya pero bakit, bakit sobrang napaka tigas ng puso niya

Bahagya akong huminga ng malalim bago ako mag salita “No,” I insisted, shaking my head. “It was as if you were a part of the song, like you reached out through the notes and pulled me into your world. You’re not just a professor. You’re… you’re human.”

A moment of silence fell between us, broken only by the rhythmic pulse of the waves. Ms Ria struggled to find her composure, my mind racing through the implications of such a connection. But the longing in my gaze drew her in, tugging at the wall of ice she had constructed around her heart.

“What do you know of me, really?” Ms Ria’s voice was soft, almost vulnerable. “You see only my strength, my success. But beneath that, there’s fear, and a past that I cannot let define me.”

"It's not like that Ms Ria, bakit ba kasi napaka tigas ng puso mo? Na kahit gaano nako nagpapakumbaba sayo ay patuloy mo parin akong ipinagtatabuyan" Bahagya akong napalunok sa mga salitang binanggit ko, nilingon ko ito at bahagya niyang inalis ang tingin sakin sabay inom ng wine

"Enough of that Ms" Pag sasaad ko at kinuha ang boteng halos maubos niya na ang laman nito

"What the fck, give me that!!" Matalim na saad niya, inilayo ko ang bote at ininom ko dere-deretsyo ang laman ng boteng kanina niya pa hawak

"Opsss sorry ubos na Ms" I smirked at kita ko sa muka nito ang inis " bakit ka kasi nagkakaganyan?" Pahabol na saad ko at muling nilingon ito

"You don't have the right to ask me that Ms Montenegro. And please, just leave me alone. I don't want you here" Her voice is a sharp like a nife