Cloaked Heart (Eastwood University Series #4)

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Professor Esther Vera Costales, CPA and a corporate lawyer. Nice to meet you."

Hindi pa din ako maka-get over sa nangyari ngayon lang hanggang sa makarating ako sa aking upuan dito sa gitna talaga mismo ng classroom. Katahimikan lang ang namayani dito sa loob ng aming classroom habang ang hindi ko inaakala na professor ay nasa unahan na habang may sinusulat na kung ano ano sa whiteboard.

Para akong napahiya sa unang araw ko dito dahil I mistook the professor in front of us as a student. Hindi naman kasi halata talaga na professor ito though she's wearing a somewhat a corporate attire, mukha talaga siyang estudyante. You can't blame if naisip ko talaga sa unang tingin ko sa kaniya isa lang din siya student. Isa pa, we don't have a uniform!

She cleared her throat and looked at us with her dominant aura, making some of us avoid her gaze. This seems to satisfy her as I saw the side of her lips went up.

"Again, good morning. Welcome to Eastwood," her voice cut through the room, crisp and detached, as if the pleasantry was merely a formality. Napalunok ako sa pagbati nito sa amin.

Bakit feel ko hindi ako welcome dahil sa ganiyang pagbati niya?

"As I've said, I'll be your professor in Law on Obligations and Contracts. Since it's your first day," she paused as she roamed her eyes around, "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

What does she mean by that?

"Introduce yourself— why did you choose this program and what I should expect from you throughout the semester," she looked at the person na nasa pinaka likod. "Starting from you."

Napatingin kaming lahat sa estudyante na nasa likod. Lalaki iyon, medyo nerdy at parang hindi mapakali. Muntik pa mahulog ang hawak niyang rubik's cube. I can see how his hands tremble due to nervousness. Kahit naman ako ay hindi ko mapipigilan na kabahan lalo na kung ganito ang professor namin. Dagdag pa na she's a corporate lawyer.

"Hello, everyone. I–I am Linus Cruzado. I chose the accounting program because I've always been fascinated by numbers and, uh... problem-solving." His voice wavered slightly, his hands still fidgeting with the Rubik's cube, though he managed to hold onto it. "I believe that accounting is a... solid foundation for any business endeavor, and I want to build my career around it."

I looked at our professor and sakto rin ng paglingon pa lang nito sa nagsasalita. Kumunot ang noo ko dahil hindi ko alam na sa iba pala siya nakatingin at hindi sa nagsasalita.

She nodded her head, looking for a sign of weakness from the guy, "And what should I expect from you?"

"Uhm... I'll work hard?" Linus stammered and avoided Miss Costales gaze, making the professor raise her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed.

"You'll work hard and you're not sure about that?" She scoffed, "If that's what I can expect from you, reconsider your choice right now."

She shook her head and looked around us with her stern look. Her lips are already in line, indicating that her patience is already running thin early this morning.

"Listen, people," she sighs, "I expect you to challenge yourselves and each other. I want you to engage in discussions, ask questions, and—most importantly—think critically about the material. This isn't just about passing a class; it's about preparing for real-world applications of the law, where lives and livelihoods are at stake. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am," saad ko bago manlaki ang mata.

Shuta, ba't hindi sila marunong umimik?

Dahil sa ako lang ang nagsalita, tumingin sa akin si Miss Costales at nagtagal pa iyon ng ilang segundo bago siya nagpatuloy sa kung kanino na.