Weirdos I: The Crystal Monster

Chapter 59: Questions

"That would be all for tonight's lesson. You did... well, you did pretty bad. That technique is highly-advanced so it's quite understandable for you to have difficulties executing it. Just keep practicing, okay?" 'yun na lang ang nasabi sa 'kin ni Professor Evanesca matapos ang lagpas isang oras naming lesson.

Her technique is a lot more difficult that I thought. I was able to coat an arm with stones but I can barely move it. Sinubukan ko naman 'yun sa isa kong paa pero hindi rin ako makagalaw. I need to improve my agility and mobility with that technique.

"S-Salamat po," sabi ko habang nakalaylay ang kaliwang braso ko. Pakiramdam ko kasi nabali kanina 'yung braso ko nung sinubukan kong gumalaw.

"Is your arm fine? Maybe you should visit Juliana," puna niya sa 'kin.

"Medyo masakit lang po 'to pero okay naman po ang braso ko. I don't think I have an injury," sagot ko naman.

"Off you go, then. Take care, dear. Goodnight," paalam ni Professor Evanesca.

Tumalikod na ako at nagsimula nang maglakad pero agad din akong natigilan.

"Is there something bothering you, Ike? Do you want to ask something?" the headmistress asked.

I hesitated for a while. "Uh, I was just wondering... Gaano niyo po kakilala si RB?" tanong ko.

The headmistress sighed before walking towards me. Her agent costume slowly turned to her usual emerald-green robes as she walked.

"Let me accompany you in your walk, Ike...."

I walked alongside the headmistress underneath the trees lining the road. The streetlights' glow hit her robes, causing them to glimmer faintly. Professor Evanesca stared into the distance as she sighed. For a moment I thought I saw her return to her youth; back when she was still a student like me walking in the streets of Emerald.

"You are asking me how much do I know about Rubio, right?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

I nodded.

"And can I please ask you why are you asking me that question?" she replied curiously.

I scratched my neck a bit. "Well, I'm... I'm just curious about your bond with RB, professor."

The headmistress bought my alibi.

"Like what I have told you before, I have known Rubio ever since he was born. He was close to me especially when he was just a kid. I think he changed a bit after being kidnapped by those heartless villains..."

"Changed? How?" I asked curiously.

"It was never easy for him to trust someone again after that incident. That's the reason why he grew up alone and disconnected from other people. He intentionally avoided people, you see. I cannot blame him for acting like that. I've tried many times to reach out to him but I know that he will never forget about what happened to him," the headmistress said.

"As for our present relationship, Rubio's been acting pretty normal. I think he's starting to open up a bit after he met you and your friends. And I must say, I'm really happy with what I'm seeing with him right now. I hope that it'll continue and he'll be able to heal all the wounds from his past," she added.

"Wala po bang nagbago sa behavior niya mula nung na-rescue ninyo siya? I mean, naging traumatic po 'yung karanasan niya doon sa mga kumuha sa kanya. 'Di ba po dapat nakaapekto 'yun sa kanya?" tanong ko.

The headmistress frowned at nothing in particular, seemingly lost in thought.

"Aside from being so silent and a loner, Rubio did not exhibit any strange behavior after we've rescued him. It's actually really strange to see him so calm despite his traumatic experiences. Professor Ferrea counselled him personally and he was able to help Rubio a lot," she replied.