Hyunjung didn’t think it would be possible to resent something or someone as much as she resented being part of the student council, kahit saang sulok siya pumunta may professor or staff na makakita sa kanya tapos instant utos.

Kakatapos niya lang maghatid ng sandamakmak na records sa storage area ng registrar’s office, malapit ng magtime kaya mabilis na siyang naglakad sa hallway palabas ng admin building. Andun pa naman sa kabila banda ang building ng next class niya.

Buti nalang at wala ng ibang mga estudyanteng nagtatambay sa labas, walang makakita ng speed walking niya. Magsusuot na talaga ako ng mask during breaks para di ako makilala, puta lagi nalang late.

5 minutes nalang ang natira nang makarating siya sa building.

With time to spare.

Napahinga siya ng malalim at nagtungo sa classroom niya sa second floor. Sobrang lapit niya na sa hagdanan nang makita niyang may tumatakbo patungo sa direksyon niya.

Tanungin mo bakit wala sa classroom yan. Said the student council member part of her brain. Hyunjung sighed.

“Uy, why aren’t you in class?” It wasn’t until the girl grabbed her arm and pulled her along that she realized who it was.

White blouse flowing as she dragged Hyunjung along with her, the soccer captain wonders how she can run that fast in those jeans and heels. The way her light brown hair bounced as they both ran from Hyunjung doesn’t know what looked like a slow motion scene in a coming of age movie, then she looked back at her and if she wasn’t already out of breath, Hyunjung surely was now.

They took a sharp turn and she was shoved into a small, dark room. The janitor’s closet?

The girl in front of her panted violently, peeking from the crack in the door looking out for whoever it was she was running away from. When she stood straight and turned around, leaning back on the door, Hyunjung realizes how small the room really was. With her back touching the wall and the smaller girl’s knees touching hers.

She had her head resting on the door, eyes shut, sweat trailing down the column of her neck, bangs sticking to her forehead, right hand clutching her chest and the other tightly holding the doorknob.

The taller girl can’t tell if the dryness of was from running or what was in front of her.

“Uh – Jiyeon, sino ba tinatakbuhan natin?” Tanong ni Hyunjung nang nasiguro niya ng di pipiyok yung boses niya. Dumilat naman ang mga mata ng tinawag niya.

“Sorry, Hyunjung nadamay ka pa. Hinahanap kasi ako nila Minhyuk.” Paliwanag ni Jiyeon, that was all she had to say para maintindihan ni Hyunjung kung anong nangyayari.

Kim Jiyeon. One of the school’s It Girls, every student knew her, whether that be from her lead roles in school theatre productions, or competing in dance competitions, or maybe from being the face of the student council for the past three years.  Magkakilala na sila ni Hyunjung since high school kasi of a mutual friend in the form of Cho Sojung. They had a few classes together until this year kasi more on majors na sila ngayon and magkaiba sila ng course so sa council meetings nalang sila nagkakakita. Di maalala ni Hyunjung when was the last time she even talked to the girl.

Jiyeon was Kihyun’s girlfriend, the boys’ soccer team captain, her nemesis. She doesn’t know when or how that rivalry between the two of them started, they used to be friends but after they both became captain and he started dating Jiyeon, he’s been hostile to her. Going as far as tripping her during that game last year na the school forced them to play para magdecide kung sino yung susuportahan nila financially for the championships. The girls won pero di nakapaglaro masyado si Hyunjung noon kasi na sprain ang ankle niya. At the start of this school year, narinig niyang Jiyeon broke up with Kihyun over the summer. Kung bakit di niya alam, all she knows is the boy is trying to get Jiyeon back, forcing himself on her, cornering her so she’d talk to him. So she gets bakit tinatakbuhan ni Jiyeon ang mga kaibigan ng lalaki.

They both stayed sa loob ng janitor’s closet quietly kasi naririnig pa nila ang footsteps nilang Minhyuk sa tapat talaga ng pintuan ng closet. Kabadong kabado si Hyunjung kasi alam niyang pagnahap sila ng mga mokong na yun mapapaaway talaga siya to keep Jiyeon away from them.

Di niya na naisip na tumatakbo ang oras, di niya na ramdaman ang walang tigil na pag-buzz ng phone niya, di niya nga halos narinig na tumunog yung bell. All because she now realizes how beautiful the girl in front of her really was. With the afternoon sunlight bouncing off the tiled floor outside and into the panels on the door, Hyunjung could see the dust floating around Jiyeon. She appreciated how perfectly the lines of Jiyeon’s face looked, her nose, her eyelashes, her lips, and the way her hair fell.

“Hyunjung! Hoy!” She came back to her senses when Jiyeon called her, di niya namalayan na tinititigan niya pala ito.

“Ha?”

“Wala na sila, I think we’re safe. Tara?” Aya ni Jiyeon sa kanya. Di na siya sumagot at sumunod nalang sa isang babae.

Magkatabi silang naglakad pa akyat ng stairs. Halata sa mukha ni Jiyeon ang stress niya sa inaasta ng ex-boyfriend, pero she gets it gago yun eh.

“I’ll see you around, thank you for going along with it.” Natawa si Jiyeon thinking back sa paghila niya kay Hyunjung. “Sorry, na late ka tuloy.”

Tumango naman si Hyunjung. “Okay lang yun, handa naman akong hilain anywhere.” She said patting where Jiyeon grabbed her. “If you need help again, just tell me. I got a whole team to back you up.”

Hyunjung feels proud na napangiti niya si Jiyeon, that eye smile, gummy, shoulder raised smile.

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Ngumiti rin si Hyunjung at nagpaalam kay Jiyeon when they got to the second floor.

Di niya pinansin ang pangungulit ni Sojung sa kanya nang makaupo siya. Her mind was somewhere else. Somewhere on the third floor.