14 The Tears Behind Her Smiles

"Welcome, professor Smith and professor Jimmy! You came here early." The Librarian greeted us as soon as we entered the library.

The teacher who's with two children is still with us. She's holding the hands of the two. They look so cute. I want to pinch their cheeks.

"Good morning, Ms. Isabela. We came here early because the library is not too crowded in this time." Professor Smith replied then their conversation never ends.

This old woman is always telling us that we're here because of a mission, but she's always the one who breaks her own order.

She should run as a politician someday.

"Hey, what is your name?" The girl asked to Coulyne. She's pulling the bottom part of Coulyne's skirt. Coulyne turned her attention to the girl.

"Oh, baby! You look so cute! My name is Coulyne, call me Ate Coulyne!" She happily interacted with the girl. The little child immediately liked her.

"My name is Faye... Faye Montiverde!" The girl said, having a hard time to say her name.

They have the same name? Maybe that's the reason why they got comfortable with each other in an instant.

"Woah! I'm Faye, too! We are both princesses!" Coulyne said then pinched the cheeks of the child.

The teacher let her carry Faye. This little child started giggling as soon as Coulyne carried her in her arms.

"Hey! Kuya! What's your name?!" The little boy approached me with full of energy. I looked at him dead in the eyes.

"Huh? Why would I say my name? Shut up." I told him in a cold tone then looked away as if nothing happened.

But instead of crying or being scared, he reacted the complete opposite. His eyes are twinkling like he's staring to something amazing.

Is this kid teasing me? If so, I will throw this kid out of this library.

"So cool! You are so amazing, Kuya! You are like a bad boy I always watch in the television!" The boy said with full of admiration.

"Hey listen, you little child. Before asking someone's name, you should tell yours first." I said while staring at him in the eyes. He did a salute and his face changed into serious one.

"Understood, sir! My name is Charles Montemayor, sir!" He said with full of passion. I can't help but to smile because of what he did.

I also gave him a salute and pat his head. It made him smile. Then, he went to the teacher to tell her everything. He looked back at me and we both made a salute.

He's an energetic child. I'm sure he makes a lot of friends.

That was me before...

That was me before everything had happened...

"Hey, Raver! You are spacing out! What happened to you?" Claire suddenly showed up behind me. I sighed before looking at her.

"It's nothing." I started walking but I don't know if she's following me or not. So zi turned around to make sure.

"Come on. Let's go to professo-"

"R-Raver, could you come with me? I just want to buy some food," she said that made me confused. There's something wrong with the way she looks at me.

I don't know when it started, but after a certain day, every time her eyes looks at me, they are in pain.

Maybe, I'm just imagining things. That's right.

"Okay, I will come with you. Just wait for me here." I said before leaving her to tell professor Smith that we are just going to buy some food.

I saw them walk into a room. After finding it, I noticed that the door of the room was ajar, so I peeked through it to see if this is the right room.

"W-What are you doing, Jimmy?..." I heard professor Smith's voice. It's her voice I have never heard.

"Winning your heart?" Professor Jimmy replied to professor Smith in his low voice. My eyes were shock when I saw what they were doing.

They were doing the 'wall slam' thing. That was the first time I saw professor Smith in her weak state, letting professor Jimmy devoured her entire soul.

Something is really going on between them.

But I don't care. They can do whatever they want. That's their lives.

I just left the place. I came back to where I left Claire and she's still there, patiently waiting for me.

When she saw me, her face lightened. She gave me a smile.

"Did you get their permission?" She curiously asked me. I looked at her, thinking what lie I should tell her.

"Yeah. They are busy dealing with something... important." I answered to her and started walking out of the library.

"Oh, really? It looks like we will stay here for a little longer, huh?" She said before letting out a sigh.

"Yeah. I think so, too." I said, looking at the cloudy sky. I think it's going to rain today.

After two minutes of walking, we reached the school canteen. The school is not so big so we easily find it.

"What are you going to order?" I asked her. I sat on a bench, she did the same thing.

"I'll have rice and adobo. I didn't eat that much before we went to the shop earlier," she answered. I took the money from her and went to buy the foods.

"Do you still have rice and adobo?" I asked the woman selling foods. She nodded.

"Is that your girlfriend?" She suddenly asked refering to Claire, after handing the plate to me.

"No. Definitely not." I said to her in a cold tone before going back to the bench.

The bench also has a table so it's really good. Claire's face twinkled after I gave her the food.

"Oh, where is your food? You are not hungry?" She asked me with her one eyebrow rose up. I sat beside her before answering her question.

"Yeah. I'm not feeling it." I simply replied to her and put my head down on the table.

"Okay. If you want to eat, just tell me. I will share my food with you," she told me. She's so kind. A practical guy will surely fall for her.

"Hey, Raver. What are you doing during our semester break?" She asked while eating. I sighed after remembering that.

In our university, before the second semester begins, there is a 1-week break that will be given to the students.

I wonder what will I do during that time. I haven't planned anything yet. Maybe I won't plan anything at all.

"I don't know." I said to her in an exhausted tone, still head's down.

"Me, too. Maybe we can go somwhere together with the club after this community service work?" Claire suggested. I looked at her with dead eyes.

"If that's going to happen, I'm not coming." I said to her. She frowned because of what I answered.

"You are already part of the club! If you are not going, then the trip will be cancelle-"

"Then, cancel it." I interrupted her. She punched my shoulder but I just ignored it. It was not that hard.

She became silent, maybe she continued eating. I suddenly remembered the question I want to ask her earlier.

"Hey, Claire. Is the problem you told me when we were at the lake solved?" I asked her out of the blue. She choked because of it.

"W-What did you just say?! You're asking me about my problem?! Are you really our Raver?! Evil spirit go away from his bod-"

"Shut up. I just want to make sure everything's okay so that you won't mess up this mission." I told her in a cold tone. She then sighed.

"Yeah, of course. It's okay, don't worry," she replied with a smile written on her face.

"Finish your food so we can go back." I told her and she nodded. I could see the sky through the window, and it's getting dark.

After two minutes, she finished eating. We stood up to go back at the library.

When we got back inside the library, the four of them are talking: Coulyne, professor Smith, professor Jimmy, and Ms. Isabela.

The teacher who has two children with her was already gone. I guess, she took them into their classes already.

"Oh, there they are. Let's start collecting books." Professor Smith said and we nodded at her.

The separation is still the same like when we were in Richster Academy's library.

I was busy collecting the books at the back section, when I heard a book fell down on the floor but no one else is here except me.

"Hello?" I said but no one answered. I took the book and I put it inside the box.

"Maybe it's just the wind. There is nothing wrong with that, Rave-"

I stopped talking to myself when this time, three books fell on the floor. My body froze as the cold wind keeps on touching my bare skin.

"What the f—Oh my goodness! What the hell are you doing?!" I was shocked when Coulyne suddenly touched my back.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was hilarious! Your face would be a famous meme!" Coulyne said while laughing. Her face is red right now because of laughter.

I looked at her hand and she's holding a phone. It took me seconds before I realized what that was for.

"Did you take a picture of my face?!" I asked her with my frowning look. She showed me her phone and I saw the picture.

"Delete that no—Where are you going?!" I started chasing her. She's still laughing.

"I don't want to! If you want to delete it, delete it yoursel-"

"President! I want to talk to you about somethin-"

"You won't get away!" I interrupted Claire who just showed up.

I grabbed Coulyne's wrist but we accidentally lost balance and it resulted to our position right now.

I'm on top of her while our lips are about to touch each other. We were both shocked, we couldn't moved.

"I-I think I'm not ready for this, Raver..." Coulyne said while blushing. My soul went back to my body as soon as he heard those words.

I immediately stood up and took her phone to delete the picture. I looked at her and she's just standing as if she is a statue.

"I-I think I'll just come back later..." Claire said before leaving. I sighed heavily as I watch her leave.

"Get back to work." I told Coulyne before going back to collecting of books.

When I got back to the last section, I remembered how I heard the sound of Coulyne's heartbeat.

Is it just my imagination or her heart was really beating fast and louder than normal?

She was just shocked. That's it. That explains everything.

After 10 minutes of collecting and sorting the books, I have collected 18 of them. Some of them our just duplicates of each other so it's hard to find.

"Good job. You can take your rest now. We are going to handle the papers so wait for us." Professor Smith told us. We just nodded at her.

When she's talking to us, what I saw earlier keeps running on my mind. It makes me feel awkward.

She's a serious person but I had a chane to see her soft side.

But it's just for professor Jimmy only. I think.

"Where is Claire? Have you seen her?" Coulyne suddenly said while I was sitting on a chair, thinking nothing.

"I haven't. Did you search the library?" I asked her. Her face looks really worried.

But I don't care. I just want to go home and sleep until the night comes.

"Yeah, but she's not here inside the library," she answered, looking around.

"Then, search for her outside." I said in a cold tone. She immediately left after that.

Isn't it obvious? If she's not here inside, she must be outside. She really drives me crazy.

I wonder what future she will have.

Maybe no one will find her cute if they saw what kind of person she really is.

After 7 minutes, they are not back yet. So I decided to find Claire, too. Professor Smith might be done while they're still missing.

"Hey, Charles. Did you see Ate Claire?" I asked him when I accidentally saw him walking. He gave me a salute before he answered.

"Yes, sir! She's at the lake behind the Main Building, sir!" He answered. I gave him a salute before going to the place he said.

For a child like him, he already knows this whole school? That was impressive.

"Claire? Where are you?" I shouted after I got at the lake, but no one is answering.

I looked all over the place and I saw her sitting at the grass, under a tree. She is hugging her legs, embracing herself.

"Claire, what are you doing here? Come on, let's go bac-"

"I should be the one asking you that. Why did you come here?" Claire interrupted, still hugging herself.

I sat beside her and didn't talk for a moment. She's still not saying anything nor moving. Did she fall asleep?

Is something bothering her? Is it the same problem she told me before?

I was about to ask her but she said, "My brother was taken to the hospital..."

I looked at her in shock. She showed her face and she's crying. Really bad.

"Why was he taken to the hospital?" I asked her in a concerned tone. She breathe heavily before she answered my question.

"His illness gotten worse... The doctors said he needed to be operated immediately..." She said, still sobbing. I gave her my handkerfhief so she can wipe her tears.

"I-I don't know what to do anymore... I don't want to lose him..." I looked at her with full of concern. This is the first time I look at people this way.

Because I know the feeling of losing someone. I know the feeling of wanting them to stay by your side.

I know how hurtful it is to lose someone so dear to you. That time when you realize that they will never come back again.

I commend her for being strong up until this time. I'm nothing compared to her.

Who would think that behind her smiles, there are tears wanting to escape?