scriptaerium
After Class Series #1:
Noise of What Could Have Been
by scriptaerium
Khali Fajardo had always found peace in solitude. Mas gusto niyang magbasa ng libro buong araw kaysa makihalubilo sa iba, choosing silence over noise. She had always been the única hija sa Fajardo family. Some words often described her as mahinhin, mala-anghel, at matalino.
She was forced to take STEM bilang strand dahil sa pamilya niya - a long line of doctors. Kahit sanay siya sa pagsusulat at may taglay na husay siya nito, she chose to stay silent, to remain the 'masunuring anak' her family expected. Kahit minsan, gusto niyang sumigaw, o magwalwal ng salitang walang pumipigil. Pero hindi niya kaya at hindi pa ngayon.
Then she bumped into Art Cuevez, the golden boy of STEM A. Loud, confident, at kabaligtaran ng katahimikan niya. Siya yung type na palaging napapansin. Behind his fair facade, there was something soft - a pause behind his smile, a glance that lingered a little too long.
Sometimes, she caught glimpses of someone quietly struggling to meet expectations, just like her.
When their worlds collide, Kaleiffel was forced to confront the noise she had always avoided -ang ingay ng mundo, ng tao, at ng puso niya mismo. She discovered that sometimes the loudest voices are the ones that help us hear ourselves, kahit may takot, kahit may pangamba, kahit masakit.
Sometimes, it was just a glance, a smile. But, it felt louder whenever they interacted.
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