Chasing The Crown

Chapter #9: ❝A Quiet Encounter❞

Andrea walked into the library, her eyes scanning the rows of bookshelves as she clutched her notebook. Lunchtime was usually spent with Rhiannon and Isabel, but today she needed to finish a project for her Fine Arts class. She weaved through the aisles until she found a quiet corner and settled down, unpacking her sketch materials and notes.

As she started working, a familiar figure caught her eye. Sitting a few tables away was none other than Joshua Hong, engrossed in a thick textbook. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his pencil occasionally jotting down notes in the margins. Andrea's heartbeat quickened; she hadn't expected to see him here.

"Focus, Andrea," she whispered to herself, glancing down at her own project. Yet her eyes kept drifting back to Joshua. It was rare to see him alone like this, without his usual group of friends or Rhiannon by his side.

She took a deep breath, deciding to just go for it. "Hi, Joshua."

He looked up, a small smile forming as he recognized her. "Oh, Andrea! Kamusta? Anong ginagawa mo rito?"

"Ah, kailangan kong tapusin 'tong project," she replied, holding up her notebook. "Ikaw?"

He gestured to his book. "Engineering project. Nagbabasa ako ng ilang reference materials."

"Wow, sobrang sipag mo, ha!" she teased, sliding into the chair across from him.

Joshua chuckled. "Mahirap kasi yung topic, kailangan ng dagdag effort. At ikaw naman, talagang focused rin sa Fine Arts, ha?"

Andrea smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "Eh, kailangan din ng extra effort. Kapag hindi ko ginawa ngayon, baka magpatong-patong na."

As they exchanged small talk, Andrea felt herself relaxing, enjoying the unexpected moment with him. They worked in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally sharing glances or brief comments about their tasks. She felt a little flutter in her chest each time he looked at her, but she did her best to keep it cool.

After a few minutes, Joshua looked up from his book, his expression soft. "Seryoso ka talaga sa ginagawa mo, ha?"

"Syempre naman! Ayoko nang maging pabigat sa Fine Arts department," she joked, tapping her pencil on her notebook.

"Hindi naman sa ganon," Joshua replied, his tone genuine. "I can see na passionate ka talaga sa ginagawa mo."

Andrea felt her cheeks warm. "Salamat naman. Ikaw din naman... parang ikaw yung tipo ng tao na hindi sumusuko."

"Thank you," he said, giving her a shy smile. "Pero totoo, minsan gusto ko rin sumuko. Engineering is hard work."

She laughed, appreciating his honesty. "Hindi ko yata maisip na si Joshua Hong, ang UST Prince, nagsusuko."

Joshua raised his eyebrows, clearly amused. "UST Prince? Saan mo naman nakuha 'yan?"

Andrea blushed, suddenly self-conscious. "Ah, well, ganon kasi ang tawag ng iba sa'yo, eh."

"Talaga?" he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Hindi ko alam 'yan."

Andrea shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "Wala ka na kasing magagawa. Idol ka ng marami, lalo na sa Engineering."

Joshua shook his head, chuckling. "Nakakahiya naman. Pero thank you. Hindi ko naman talaga iniisip 'yan, pero salamat."

They lapsed into silence, both returning to their work. Yet Andrea couldn't shake the growing warmth she felt just sitting across from him. She liked this side of Joshua—the serious, down-to-earth guy behind the perfect reputation.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

A few minutes later, Joshua glanced at his watch. "Oh, lunch na pala. Gusto mo kumain?"

Andrea's eyes widened. "Ha? Ah, okay lang. Hindi naman kita inistorbo, 'di ba?"

"Hindi, hindi," he reassured her with a grin. "Actually, mas gusto ko nga may kasama."

She hesitated, her heart beating a little faster. "Sige, kung hindi ka busy."

As they left the library and made their way to the canteen, Andrea felt a quiet happiness in her chest. This wasn't the typical company she had during lunch, but it was better than she had imagined.

At the canteen, they ordered food and sat by the window, where sunlight streamed through, casting a warm glow over their table. They chatted about their classes, their professors, and even some funny stories involving Rhiannon's antics.

"Alam mo, si Rhiannon, hindi yan napapagod sa kaka-organize ng events," Joshua commented, shaking his head in amusement.

Andrea laughed. "Oo nga. Sobrang dedicated siya sa SSG, kahit na minsan stress na lahat kami. She really inspires us to work hard."

He smiled at her words, clearly proud of his younger sister. "Talaga bang ganyan siya kahalaga sa inyo?"

"Oo naman," Andrea replied earnestly. "Rhiannon is like a sister to me. She's always been there, kahit noong una kaming nagkakilala, sobrang welcoming na siya."

Joshua's gaze softened as he looked at her. "That's good to hear. I'm glad may mga taong nagtuturing sa kanya na parang kapatid."

Andrea felt her cheeks warm under his gaze. "She's a really great person. And so are you, Joshua. Alam ko na hindi tayo close, pero... I can see why Rhiannon looks up to you."

Joshua seemed taken aback, his expression softening. "Salamat, Andrea. That means a lot."

They finished their lunch, and before Andrea could say goodbye, Joshua cleared his throat, looking a bit hesitant. "Andrea, if ever you need help with anything, basta may oras ako, you can ask me, okay?"

Her heart skipped a beat at his offer. "Thank you, Joshua. I'll keep that in mind."

They exchanged smiles before parting ways. As Andrea walked back to her next class, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦