Chapter 15: Surprise Encounter

Chapter 15: Surprise Encounter

"Boyfriend?" Marcus said, his voice filled with surprise.

Aria's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "Since when?" she asked, her tone tinged with curiosity.

Emily smiled sheepishly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Noon pa, naging kami nung senior high," she confessed, glancing fondly at Marcus and Aria.

As Emily's boyfriend approached, Marcus and Aria exchanged glances, still processing the unexpected news. Emily, noticing their surprise, chuckled before introducing her boyfriend.

"Guys, eto nga pala si Paolo," Emily said, gesturing towards her boyfriend. "Paolo, meet Marcus and Aria, college friends at classmates ko ngayon."

Paolo smiled warmly, extending his hand to shake Marcus's and Aria's. "Nice to meet you both," he said, his voice friendly and genuine.

Marcus and Aria reciprocated the greeting, albeit with a hint of surprise lingering in their expressions.

"Nice to meet you din, Paolo," Marcus said, offering a friendly handshake.

Aria nodded in agreement, her curiosity piqued. "Nice to meet you Paolo. Ngayon lang namin nalaman na may boyfriend pala eto si Emily," she added with a smile.

Paolo returned their smiles warmly and chuckled, sensing their surprise but remaining composed. " Marami na nakwento si Emily sa akin tungkol sa inyo. I'm glad na nameet ko na ang mga friends na palagi niyang kinikwento," he replied, his tone sincere. 

As they engaged in friendly conversation, Paolo's phone rang, breaking the momentary silence with its cheerful tune. He quickly glanced at the caller ID, noticing it was Emily's mother.

"Sorry, guys, just a sec," Paolo apologized, flashing an apologetic smile as he answered the call.

"Hello po tita," he greeted warmly, his tone respectful as he listened to Emily's mother on the other end of the line.

Marcus and Aria exchanged curious glances, their eyebrows raised in mild surprise at the unexpected interruption. 

After a brief exchange with Emily's mother, Paolo nodded in understanding. "Of course po tita, Ipapaalam ko kaagad kay Emily. Ingat po," he said before ending the call.

"Anong sabi ni mama, Pao?" Emily asked, concerned about the call between Paolo and her mother.

Paolo leaned closer to Emily and whispered.

After the short conversation between Paolo and Emily, Emily turned back to Marcus and Aria with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, guys, May aasikasuhin lang kami ni Paolo. Mauna na muna kami," she said, his tone sincere.

Marcus and Aria nodded understandingly, "Okay lang Em at Paolo, ingat kayo," Marcus replied, offering a reassuring smile.

After bidding farewell, Emily looped her arm through Paolo's as they walked away.

After chatting for a bit, Marcus and Aria also decided to go home.

As Marcus and Aria walked, Aria suddenly remembered something and reached into her bag, pulling out Marcus's phone.

"Malapit kong nakalimutan phone mo Marcus. Eto oh," Aria said as she handed the phone and continued, "Nag-record ako ng mga highlights  mo sa volleyball game earlier. Baka gusto mo makita," Aria said with a playful smile.

Marcus gratefully took the phone from Aria. "Thanks, Aria," he exclaimed, feeling grateful for her thoughtfulness.

As Marcus and Aria reached the gate of the university, they came to a stop, realizing that their paths diverged from this point onward.

"Sige, ingat ka Marcus," Aria said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity.

Marcus nodded, a sense of gratitude swelling in his chest. "Ikaw rin, Aria. Ingat pauwi," he said, offering her a final wave as she turned to leave.

With a last smile and a wave, Aria headed got in a taxi while Marcus set off in the opposite direction, commuting through a jeep.

Next day came and as usual, Aria went on her morning routine. Since her schedule was not that early every Wednesday, she took her time in getting ready. 

Soon, she got all dolled up and descended on the stairs of her condo, One Paradise. 

'Hmmm.. ang PEH dance routine pa naman ang project namin ngayon,' Aria thought.

Her mind  was preoccupied with thoughts of the day ahead. However, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she spotted someone unexpected at the bottom of the stairs—Orion.

Aria's eyes widened in surprise as she locked eyes with Orion, her heart skipping a beat at the unexpected encounter. Orion's expression mirrored her own astonishment, his features momentarily frozen in disbelief.

"Kuya Orion?" Aria exclaimed, her voice betraying her shock as she approached him tentatively.

Orion blinked, as if trying to process the sight before him. "Aria," he said, his voice tinged with surprise.

Their unexpected meeting left them both momentarily speechless.

"You live here, Aria?" Orion asked as his brows furrowed slightly in confusion.

Aria nodded, a mixture of emotions swirling inside her. "Oo kuya. Bago lang ako nakatira dito," she replied, her voice soft but steady.

A flicker of realization crossed Orion's features as he absorbed this information. "I see," he said, his expression thoughtful. "Di ko alam. So I guess we're neighbors then."

Aria couldn't help but feel a sense of surrealness at the realization that Orion, someone from her past, someone she still crushes on, was now her neighbor.

Orion's eyes drifted over Aria's attire, noticing her neatly dressed appearance. "Papunta ka ba sa USTP, Aria?" he inquired, curiosity evident in his voice.

Aria nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Oo, kuya. May klase kami ngayon 11:00 am," she replied.

"Pwede ka sumabay sa akin Aria, May klase rin ako mayamaya," Orion offered, showing off his motor keys hooked on his finger.

Aria's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected offer, her cheeks flushing slightly at the thought of riding with Orion. 

'Oh my, this is unexpected... Riding with kuya Orion? Ang bait talaga ni kuya,'  

"Talaga, kuya? Thank you," she replied, her voice tinged with gratitude.

Orion smiled warmly, gesturing for Aria to follow him as he led the way to where his motorbike was parked. "Walang anuman, Aria. Tara na," he said, his tone filled with genuine kindness.

As they approached the motorbike, Aria couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement mingled with nervousness. Riding with Orion was an unexpected opportunity, one that she couldn't pass up.

With a grateful smile, Aria climbed onto the back of the motorbike, they then set off towards USTP. 

"Kuya Orion!! Dahan-dahan lang!" Aria shouted as the wind tousled her hair due to how fast Orion drives.

A thrill can be felt from Aria but a sense of nervousness also prickled at her senses.

Orion glanced back at her with a mischievous grin, his laughter blending with the rumble of the motorbike. "Wag kang mag-alala, Aria! Ilang taon na akong nagdadrive ng motor, di pa ako naaksidente," he called back while laughing, his tone teasing.

But despite his reassurances, Aria couldn't shake the feeling of adrenaline coursing through her veins as they zipped through the streets. Her grip tightened on Orion's waist, a silent plea for him to slow down.

As they rode together, Aria couldn't shake the feeling of warmth and closeness that enveloped them, grateful for the chance to spend a little extra time with Orion, the boy she still secretly harbored feelings for.

Soon enough, they arrived at USTP, the familiar sight of the campus coming into view. Aria's heart swelled with a sense of gratitude as they slowed to a stop, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins from the exhilarating ride.

"Kuya Orion, salamat sa paghatid pero pls dahan-dahan sa pagdrive," Aria said earnestly, her voice tinged with a hint of worry as she dismounted from the motorbike.She carefully removed the helmet from her head, holding it out to Orion.

Orion chuckled inwardly, touched by Aria's genuine care. He found her worry adorable, a testament to her kind-hearted nature. 

"Baka madisgrasya ka ng tuloyan kuya, mag-alala ako," she continued, her concern evident in her eyes.

"Okay, okay, Aria! Babagal na ako," Orion teased lightly, his amusement bubbling up as he reached out to accept the helmet from her outstretched hand.

"Ingat ka sa klase mo ha," he continued, fixing the disheveled hair of Aria.

Aria nodded, returning his smile with a grateful one of her own. "Oo, Kuya Orion. Salamat ulit," she said, before turning to make her way towards her class.

With a final wave, Orion watched with a warm smile as Aria disappeared into the bustling campus,  As Aria made her way to her class, she couldn't help but reflect on the unexpected encounter with Orion, grateful for the chance to spend a little extra time with him.

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