Karera | [ Stacey x OC (F) ]

C29 - Distant

Louise's POV

It's been six months since Christmas and New Year, and things with Stacey have been… peaceful. More than peaceful, actually—they've been great. We've settled into a rhythm, one where love doesn't always have to be loud, and comfort comes from just knowing the other is there.

Pero may nag bago.

Malapit na ang graduation, and the pressure has been building like a storm cloud. Walang araw na hindi kami nakatutok sa lectures, review sessions, projects, at sa walang katapusang pag-aaral. For Stacey and me, school comes first now. We promised each other that we'd focus, that we'd make our dreams a reality, even if it meant sacrificing some of our time together. 

At first, it was manageable. Naisisingit pa rin namin mag kita once or twice a week. Kumain sa labas, magkasamang nag-aaral, o maglakad man tuwing gabi.

But as deadlines loomed closer, even those brief moments became rare. A week passed, then two, and the only connection we had was the occasional text or a "goodnight" sent at odd hours. 

It's not that I don't want to see her—I do. But time is relentless, and I can feel it pulling us apart. Slowly, but surely. 

Napapansin na rin nila Gwen 'to. Of course, they did. I've always been the type to wear my emotions on my sleeve, no matter how hard I try to hide them. Colet was the first to bring it up. 

"Lou." Simula n'ya sa tabi ko dito sa Library. "You and Stacey… okay lang ba kayo?"

I looked up from my notes, pretending not to hear her the first time. But Colet doesn't let things go. 

"Louise." Ulit n'ya, nudging my arm. "Anong nangyayari? Parang iwas kana sa mundo. Okay ka lang ba? Kayo?"

I sighed, leaning back in my chair and staring at the ceiling. "We're fine." I said, though even I could hear the hesitation in my voice. "It's just... we're both so busy. Malapit na ang Graduation, doon muna kami naka focus. That's all."

Kumunot naman ang noo n'ya, at pinag krus ang braso. "Yun na ba talaga ang lahat? Parang dati lang hindi kayo mapaghiwalay. Ngayon para kayong hindi magkakilala. Once a week? Seryoso? Hindi ikaw 'yan, Lou." 

"Hindi lang naman ako." I shot back, more defensively than I intended. "Busy din s'ya. Hindi joke ang Engineering, alam mo 'yan."

"Alam ko 'yan." she said gently, leaning closer. "Pero 'wag mo namang gawing excuse ang pagiging busy. Relationships take effort, even during crunch time."

I didn't respond. What could I say? She wasn't wrong. 

1:00 pm - Coffee Shop

Even Javi, who rarely gets involved in serious talks, took a jab at me during one of our group hangouts. "So, kailan ang kasal?" Asar n'ya habang tumatawa.

I gave him a confused look. "Anong pinag sasabi mo?"

"Kayo ni Stacey, duh. Hindi ba kayo like, endgame?"

The room went quiet. Too quiet. Even Gwen and Kai, who were usually the loudest, stopped to watch my reaction. 

"Still are." Bulong ko, trying to focus on the card game in front of me.