Whispers of Spring

CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1: Yazire

Miyuki Chae Roosevelt P.O.V

5 years ago...

"Chae, we really need to finish the floor plan right now so we can focus on the sections. Also, the deadline is this Friday?!" Vanessa's voice was laced with frustration as she threw her hands up in exasperation. Sobra kaming na-stress kasi isa sa mga miyembro ng grupo namin ay hindi pa natatapos ang floor plan, kahit na itinakda na namin ang deadline tatlong araw na ang nakakalipas at ngayon na ang deadline nito! Kaya sobrang stress kami ngayon kasi wala pang floor plan.

"Ano ba yan, bakit kasi hindi niya tinapos nuh?" I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the situation crushing me. I absolutely hate it when my group members don't pull their weight, especially with the heavy load of projects and assignments we already have—tapos nadagdagan pa siya?! "Teh, teh, tignan mo yung ka-grupo natin, nasa club lang siya ngayon?!" Alex said. Vanessa and I were in disbelief as we saw Nolan casually enjoying himself at the club. "That fucking jerk?! He should have finished the floor plan before hitting the club!" Nolan Maxwell is incredibly popular at our school, with crowds of girls greeting him every morning at the gate. His fame is largely due to his father's global success as a renowned chef. I could see Nolan on a video, smiling and partying, completely oblivious to our stress. Chug, Chug, Chug!

Nolan Maxwell is hands down the most stressful person I've ever encountered. Ang malas ko nga eh! Every time the professor decides on groupings, I always end up paired with Nolan! Parang sinasadya ni Sir to eh! "Lagot talaga sa akin si Nolan sa Evaluation Form!" I shouted in frustration, rushing back to my table to grab my pens and notebook, determined to finish the floor plan.

Our project involves designing a two-bungalow house. The three of us focused intensely on the floor plan— I took charge of the spacing and area placement, Vanessa was responsible for the design, and Alexa handled the dimensions. Kailangan namin talaga itong tapusin kasi madami pa kaming plates bukod dito noh! Hours ticked by, and then my phone rang. When I checked, it was my boyfriend calling. "Chae, your boyfriend is calling you," Vanessa said with a grin on her face, her excitement evident.

"Wait, patapos na ako dito, tapos ikaw na bahala mag-render." I smiled as I looked at my phone. "Oo, you should answer it na. Go, go!"

I answered the call immediately, trying to hide my smile. "Hi! Bakit ka tumawag, Maha—" He interrupted me, and I could immediately tell that something was wrong from the sadness in his voice. "Mahal, love, nandito ako sa labas ng bahay niyo." I hurried outside, holding my phone to my ear, and saw him standing there, his smile bright despite the situation.

Grabe, ang gwapo niya talaga, Lord! Thank you, thank you! We've been together for three years, and he is my first in everything. I gaze into his deep brown eyes and slowly shift my focus to his soft lips, longing to kiss him. I went to the gate and stood in front of him, feeling an uneasy tension even as I was distracted by his undeniable charm.

"Hi Mahal! What's wrong?" I reached out and took his hand, starting to massage it gently. "Mahal, these past few weeks you know we've been struggling with money. And now... today... my cat is missing—" He began to cry, and my heart ached to see him this way. I rubbed his back, hugging him tightly and stroking his hair to offer comfort. "Sige lang, ilabas mo lang, Mahal. Nandito lang ako," I said softly. My boyfriend and I attend the same university. He had a scholarship, but it was cut off after he failed a subject. Nakakainis kasi yung prof na yan, si Sir James!