Rie pressed herself onto Keil's chest, as if trying to hide from something. She squeezed him tight, but Keil did not mind. For all he knows, kailangan ngayon ng masasandalan ni "Clarisse" at dahil siya ang nilapitan nito ay wala siyang karapatang magreklamo. Instead, he hugged her back, just not as tight as her embrace.
Ikinabigla ito ni Rie, at saglit siyang natahimik. Sa iilang segundo ng pagtahimik ng lahat, may narinig na mahihinang pagtibok si Rie. She pressed her head a little more to the left of Keil's chest, and the sound grew louder.
" Ahhh, I see. It was his heartbeat", she thought. Still in tears, she gave out a slow, shaking sigh, and told Keil this:
"May I?"
.
..
...
" Of course, you may", Keil answered after a short pause.
Ipinagtaka ni Rie kung bakit natahimik si Keil, but she did not do anything to find out. and because she did not, she wasn't able to see the bright smile on Keil's face, as well as the blush that he couldn't stop from coming.
Rie listened to Keil's heartbeat, as if listening to music to calm herself down. Every thud from his beating heart was melody to her ears. With every pump of his heart, she catches her breath. With every passing second, they stayed as they were.
No one to interfere, no one to judge.
It was as if that time was made only for the two of them.
And yet even then, Rie knew. That it wasn't her that Keil wants. Keil does not love Rie. Keil loves Clarisse, the other side of Rie.
"Wala akong laban Keil, ang daya mo naman... How do I win against myself?", she whispered at the top of her breath. Keil couldn't hear everything, but he asked if Rie said anything.
Bumitaw sa pagkakayakap si Rie, and she smiled at Keil while wiping away her tears.
"Oh, nothing. Thank you for letting me cry in your arms, Mr. Keil. You have my deepest gratitude."
Keil's POV
She then ran away, without saying anything else.
I was in silence, as I feel like I'll explode from a storm of emotions.
Clarisse. The girl of my dreams. Finally I have met you... Finally, I could hold you. I've been searching for you aimlessly, and now andito ka na.
I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes slowly. I can feel my heart still racing. I can still feel the weight of her as she pressed onto me earlier. I don't want to forget this feeling. How she made me feel, it made me feel so special.
I was lovestruck...
Meanwhile,
Rie's POV
I ran away.
I had to, before the smile I was wearing fades into a painful crying face in front of him.
I cried, as if my chest was going to explode from a storm of emotions.
Keil... I want you so bad, but never did I know that loving you would be this painful. If only I can tell you who I am, then everything would be much clearer. But I can't. I just can't, anymore. I'm afraid that you would love me only because I was Clarisse.
I don't want you to fall for who you see in me. I want you to love who I am, without all those shining lights surrounding me.
I wanted you to see through my disguise,
But it seems as though you only see Clarisse in me.
It hurts...
Third Person POV
The break ended, but Clarisse was nowhere to be found. The manager tried to contact her, but it seems that she had already gone home due to a family emergency.
Because of it, the collaboration was postponed and was rescheduled to be finished next week.
The next day, Keil went to school with a happy look in his face. He was late, as usual, but it didn't really seem to bother him. He snuck into the classroom as the professor turned his eyes away, and hastily sat down beside Rie.
He whispered good morning, but she just pretended as if she didn't hear anything. Napataas na lamang ng kilay si Keil sa cold reaction nito, at nakinig na sa guro.
Pagkatapos ng klase, lumapit ulit si Keil kay Rie upang itanong kung may hindi ba ito inabutang aralin kaninang umaga. Pero just as before, he was ignored. Tumingin lang si Rie sa kanya, with eyes that feign no emotion, at saka ipinagpatuloy ang pagsusulat nito ng notes.
"Hey... Hey, Rie. Huy!", pangungulit lng binata.
He even rocked her chair gently to gain her attention, but to no avail. Naasar na si Keil, kaya tumayo ito. He took Rie's hand away from her pen and pulled her closer. Rie couldn't do anything, as she did not expect Keil to act like that.
Accidentally, however, napalakas ng hila si Keil.
Their faces almost met, had it not been for an inch of distance. Rie blushed immediately, but Keil was stopped.
He hear his heartbeat skip. Then again, and again. Unti-unti siyang namula, pero hindi siya nagpapigil dito.
"Anong meron, Rie!?"
...
Rie's POV
He pulled me closer to her, and I couldn't do a thing. Siguro hindi niya alam dahil hindi niya kilala kung sino talaga ako, but does he really think that's enough of an excuse para makipag-usap na lang ako sa kanya so casually!?
"NO!",
I wish I could say that to his face, but I can't. He's just too close, and I could not keep my composure.
My chest tightened as my heart skipped beats.
He then asked me why I don't talk to him, and I replied. Not with words.
I closed the one inch of a distance between us, as I kissed his lips.
Yes, I did.
Then I ran away.