The Architecture (Batchelor Series #1)

5

Manuel leaned back in his chair, staring at the screen of his phone. His thumb hovered over Baltazar's Instagram profile. Stalk mode on, he thought. A quick glance around, no one could see what he was doing, right? He scrolled down Baltazar’s feed—family pictures, selfies, the occasional inspirational quote. All pretty standard, nothing incriminating.

Man, this guy's face gets old quick.

A TikTok he'd seen recently flashed in his mind. Something about checking the “following” list of a guy's Instagram to figure out if he’s a player. Manuel smirked, curiosity winning over. With a couple of taps, he found Baltazar's following list.

Empty. Except for him.

His smirk vanished. Seriously? Bakit ako lang?

A notification popped up:

baltazar:
grabe papabulukin n'ya pa ata ang follow ko sakanya. Isa namang followback d'yan idol.

Manuel rolled his eyes before responding.

mr_munchindavinci:
Ano nanaman ba ang trip mo sa buhay? Baltazar, we're not talo. We're both straight here.

baltazar:
May straight ba na Angela user? Nakakaduda ka bossing ha. Ganyan din ako dati, in denial. Followback mo na kasi ako.

mr_munchindavinci:
We’re not even close like that. Don’t act like we're buddies. And don't forget how you always embarrass me in recitation. You love attention, huh?

baltazar:
At least napansin mo. Akala ko nga dati, school supplies lang ang kailangan sa senior high, yun pala mas may essential pa.

mr_munchindavinci:
Ano?

baltazar:
Edi atensyon mo. Ang manhid mo naman.

Manuel snorted at his screen. Ang corny nito, di na nakakatuwa. He typed back quickly:

Ang corny mo bumanat. Nobody would want to talk to you after that. And why would I follow you back when you don’t even react to my posts? I’m not into decorative followers, Baltazar.

The like notification on his last message blinked, and Manuel sighed in relief. Finally, tapos na ‘to, he thought.

Then came the flood. His phone buzzed again and again as Baltazar started spamming reactions and comments on his posts. Manuel frowned. Grabe, papansin nga to.

The next alert had him swiping up in irritation, but he paused when he saw Baltazar's MyDay. The guy was topless in front of a mirror, captioned with, Hirap magpapansin and the song Dilaw playing in the background.

Manuel stared at the screen, then smirked to himself. Okay, gusto mo ng pansin? Patulan nga kita.

The classroom buzzed with the low hum of chatter, but Manuel was tuned out. Mrs. Johnson's droning voice on the American Revolution was nothing but background noise. His focus was on the guy sitting a few rows ahead—Baltazar.

Gaganti tayo, Manuel thought, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his lips.

He began tapping his pen on the desk in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Just enough to catch Baltazar's attention. It worked. He watched as Baltazar’s head turned, his eyes narrowing in playful suspicion. Manuel held his gaze, tapping faster.

Mrs. Johnson continued her lecture, oblivious. But the real action wasn’t happening in her lesson—it was in the silent exchange between Manuel and Baltazar. A grin tugged at Manuel’s lips as he mouthed, Meet me at the lockers after class. Baltazar gave a barely perceptible nod, his face trying to remain serious, but Manuel could see the hint of a smile forming.

Manuel leaned back, satisfied. Game on.

The bell rang, and students shuffled out of their seats, packing up for the next class. But Manuel wasn’t in any rush. He lingered by the lockers, casually leaning against them, his mind racing with plans. Ano kaya magiging reaksyon ni Baltazar?

He didn’t have to wait long. Baltazar showed up, his face neutral, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

"Akala ko di ka na pupunta. Muntik na akong malungkot, pre," Manuel teased, flashing a smile. I need to soften him up a bit.

Baltazar raised an eyebrow. "So, what's this all about?"

"I need a favor," Manuel started, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I'm struggling with General Chemistry. You know, stoichiometry and all that." He scratched his head, feigning sheepishness. "Will you tutor me?"

Baltazar hesitated. Manuel could see the wheels turning in his head. Come on, you’re too nice to say no.

"What’s in it for me?" Baltazar finally asked, attempting to sound indifferent.

Manuel’s grin widened. "I'll follow you back on Instagram. Plus, I'll heart your pics. Sige na, pre."

Baltazar rolled his eyes. "You think that’s gonna change my life?"

Manuel’s smile faltered. Baltazar leaned in, his voice dropping. "You blocked me on Instagram, and now you're pulling me into this? What's your deal, Manuel?"

He’s serious now. Manuel’s heart skipped a beat as Baltazar got closer, his breath warm against Manuel’s ear. "Ang hirap mong sabayan, tang ina ka."

Manuel chuckled, trying to regain his composure. "Gusto ko lang talaga ng tulong sa Chem. Stoichiometry’s killing me. And yeah, the block thing—split personality moment. You know how it is."

Baltazar’s expression didn’t soften. "A no is a no. I don’t do bare minimum, Manuel." He turned to walk away, leaving Manuel standing there.

Manuel ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Bat ko pa kasi blinock si Baltazar? Nagseselos ba ako? Bakit ko gagawin yun? Straight naman ako tama.

Just as he was about to accept defeat, Andrea appeared. "Hey Manuel, I heard you’re looking for a tutor in General Chemistry. I could help," she offered sweetly.

This could work. Manuel was about to agree when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Baltazar.

"No need, Andrea," he said flatly. "I’m Manuel’s tutor." His voice left no room for argument.

Manuel blinked in surprise. Did he just...?

"Huy, bakit mo ginawa ‘yon? She was just trying to help."

"My first rule as your tutor—no distractions. When I’m tutoring you, I get your full attention. Meet me at Vincenzio coffee shop, 7 PM. Don’t be late."

Manuel sighed, but a small smile crept onto his face. At least now I’ve got a tutor.