I was left inside the office because Sir Henry asked me to work overtime. I finished the tasks he assigned to me quickly. When I stepped out of the HR department, I was surprised to see Mr. Valdez in the hallway, as if he was waiting for someone.
"P-President? You haven't gone home yet?" I politely asked.
He took a step forward and faced me, causing me to step back and lean against the wall. Mr. Valdez placed his hand on the wall, blocking my path. I felt nervous in this situation. He looked straight into my eyes, while I couldn't bring myself to meet his serious gaze. My heart was pounding, and I felt the urge to push him away, but he leaned closer to my face. I could smell his strong cologne, which made me weak.
"We will meet on Sunday. I have something to tell you, and you're not allowed to refuse. Do you understand? Sunday morning at Greenbelt park. Don't keep me waiting for too long," he said, each word echoing in my ears. I could feel his breath, pleasantly scented, brushing against my cheek. Wait! Did he just invite me on a date? I wanted to refuse, but he was staring at me with a serious expression. I couldn't bring myself to reject him.
"Yes, President..." I replied softly and cautiously.
"Great, come on, I'll give you a ride home," he invited me with a smile.
I followed him as he walked ahead of me.
Mr. Valdez's broad shoulders and strong posture made him look very masculine. I couldn't help but think of my sister. Oh! Wait, Sunday? We already have plans for that day! What should I do? Does this mean I'll be going on a date with Mr. Valdez?
"Carmen, you're walking so slowly. Do you want me to carry you?" he mischievously grinned and turned to look at me.
"S-Sorry! There's no need, I'll walk by myself," I replied, feeling embarrassed.
He chuckled lightly at my response. He looked so handsome. But I knew I was in trouble with my sister.
After he dropped me off at home, I immediately saw Ate Carmen peering through the window. I said goodbye to Mr. Valdez and thanked him for the ride. As I entered the house, I was greeted by my sister's raised eyebrows. It was clear she was angry when she saw us together. It's really strange when you see your own body giving you a disapproving look. It feels so weird.
"Uhm... Mr. Valdez gave me a ride. He offered to take me home because it was late and-"
"Did he do anything to you?" my sister interrupted, not giving me a chance to finish my sentence.
"N-No, ate..." I stammered.
"Alright then." She turned around and headed towards the kitchen.
It turned out she had cooked dinner, and it was clear she hadn't eaten yet. She was probably waiting for me. As we sat down at the dining table and started eating, I cautiously mentioned our upcoming date with Mr. Valdez.
"Oh, by the way, Ate, I have a date," I said softly as I scooped some food into my bowl.
"A date? With whom?" she asked, trying to keep her composure.
"With Mr. Valdez. He invited me. It's on Sunday," I replied hesitantly.
She suddenly dropped her spoon and stared at me with an angry expression.
"Could you repeat that?" she demanded.
I could feel the tension in the room rising. Ate Carmen had an aura of darkness around her, and she clearly didn't like what I said. I knew this would be her reaction.
"I-I couldn't refuse anymore, he said we should meet at Greenbelt park on Sunday," I answered, feeling uncertain.
Ate Carmen's ears seemed to steam with anger. She spent the whole night lecturing me, and her voice was so loud that my ears were ringing. In the end, she couldn't do anything but come up with reasons to prevent me from going on Sunday.
Thursday morning, my eyes were swollen from lack of sleep due to Ate's long sermon the previous night. Dark circles formed under my eyes, and I felt lifeless as I went to school. Aleyah greeted me and noticed my sluggishness. Ervine arrived, and he also noticed the dark lines beneath my eyes. He sat down on the adjacent chair and asked, expressing concern, "Are you okay?"
I rested my head on the desk and weakly replied, my voice tinged with drowsiness, "N-No, I have a date..." I felt my eyelids grow heavier, and I struggled to stay awake.
"What? A date?!" Ervine exclaimed loudly.
His shout startled me, and I looked around, thinking something had happened.
"You don't have to shout, Ervine," I scolded him. Aleyah quickly approached and sat on my desk.
"Are you okay? Who were you talking to? And what do you mean by a date? Are you sleep-deprived?" Aleyah bombarded me with continuous questions.
I glanced at Ervine, who was staring at the whiteboard, then looked back at Aleyah. Was it just me, or did they genuinely not know—
"Hey! You're really acting weird, Charlotte. You should go see a doctor!" Aleyah snapped before returning to her seat. The bell rang, indicating that class was about to start. I glanced at Ervine, and he looked at me with a serious and piercing gaze.
"Why?" he asked cautiously.
"N-Nothing..." I turned my gaze back to the front.
It was really strange. Suddenly, I felt a shift in my condition. I felt cold and like I was about to collapse. My vision blurred, and then...
I woke up lying on a bed. I was inside the clinic? What happened to me? I tried to sit up and noticed Ervine beside me.
"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked with concern.
I leaned back against the soft pillow.
"I'm a bit dizzy. W-What happened to me?" I weakly replied.
Ervine stood up and handed me a small bottle. It contained a green liquid. "It's a medicine potion. It's effective for illnesses like fever," he explained. He sat beside me and gently placed his palm on my forehead.
"Medicine potion, it's an effective remedy for illnesses like fever," he said as he sat beside me and placed his palm on my forehead.
"You're running a fever. Didn't you know?" he gently explained. "You passed out earlier in the classroom."
I wasn't sure if the warmth I felt was from my fever or from Ervine's hand on my forehead. Our faces were close, and I could feel the warmth rising to my head, causing my cheeks to flush.
"It looks like your fever is quite severe, Charlotte. The nurse has already called your sister, and she'll be here soon to pick you up. Rest well, regain your strength, eat fruits, and drink plenty of water."
He sounded like a concerned mother, but I must admit, I felt a flutter of joy in my heart whenever he showed his kindness. I suddenly noticed the necklace I was wearing, emitting a red glow.
"Y-Your necklace!" Ervine noticed it immediately.
I quickly covered it with both of my hands.
I felt embarrassed and couldn't bring myself to look at him.
I remained silent, unsure of how to respond. I heard him take a step forward, causing me to glance in his direction. He was facing the door, holding onto the doorknob. Before leaving completely, he spoke in a cold voice.
"I told you not to—"
"What's wrong if I happen to like you?!" I shouted abruptly.
I couldn't control myself. Those words just came out of my mouth. It hurt, there was a pang in my heart. Just a while ago, I was happy with his concern. Now that he was being distant again, it hurt me.
"I am not the person you think I am!" He turned to look at me with a sad gaze, his voice enveloping my entire body with its coldness.
I hugged myself, even my palms and soles of my feet felt cold. Ervine exited the room, coinciding with the nurse entering.
"Whoa! I think I turned up the air conditioning too much. Is it cold, Charlotte? Sorry about that." The nurse turned off the air conditioning, and I just nodded in response.
The nurse asked again, noticing the tears welling up in both of my eyes.
"Are you okay? Maybe it's because of your illness. Your sister will be here soon. By the way, who were you talking to earlier? I heard you speaking." She asked curiously while sitting on a chair, and I was busy writing a prescription.
"Ah, Ervine Morales is my classmate," I replied, wiping away the tears that had gathered in my eyes.
I held the medicine potion, planning to take it later at home. Then the nurse suddenly asked me.
"Ervine? I think I just heard that name for the first time. Was he recently enrolled in school? His name doesn't seem to be in your class record, hmm..." The nurse pondered, trying to recall Ervine's name.
"I really can't remember, maybe you're just hallucinating because of your fever, Charlotte. It's better for you to rest, and later on, eat and take your medicine."
"Wait, who brought me here earlier?"
"Aleyah, along with your two other classmates."
The nurse turned to the cabinet, searching for the medication she would give me, while I was lost in thought.
Only now did I fully understand that Ervine's presence in the classroom had gone unnoticed by anyone. That's why Aleyah asked me this morning about who I was talking to. That's why I couldn't remember Ervine clearly.
When did I first notice him? It was when he bumped into me in Baclaran. Yes! That day was the first time I truly noticed him. And all of them didn't sense Ervine's presence. Who is he really? He's not a ghost because I can touch him. Only one person can tell me the truth, Switch!