"Any questions?" I asked Zed once more, closing the book that lay in front of me. We were in the library, and it seemed to be getting dark outside as I had spent over two hours tutoring Zed. The topic we covered was quite challenging, requiring effort from both of us.
 
"Nope. I'm all set. Thanks, Mira." He replied with a smile.
 
"Do you want a ride home?" He offered.
 
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stood up. "Okay." I responded curtly. I didn't see any harm in accepting his offer. Besides, it was getting late, and I didn't fancy the idea of commuting alone, especially since Sophie had left earlier and Liam was likely to be going home late.
 
We walked out of the building, the darkness of the night lit only by the lights outside the school.
 
We happened to pass the field where it was evident that a practice session was underway due to the noise. I scanned the field and spotted Liam talking to their coach along with Ace and some other teammates. Ken, however, was nowhere to be seen. I decided not to interrupt them as they seemed busy. Once I got into Zed's car, I sent a quick message to Liam, letting him know I was heading home.
 
"Mira, we're here." Zed's gentle tap jolted me awake. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. I peeked outside to confirm, and sure enough, we were right outside my house.
 
"Thank you, Zed." I murmured, stepping out of his car. He bid me goodbye and drove off, leaving me standing in the quiet of the night.
As soon as I walked into the house, I found mom in her office, engrossed in some paperwork.
 
"Mom."
 
"Oh Mira, you're home. You seem to be late today?" she remarked, gesturing for me to sit beside her.
 
I took a seat next to her and leaned my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes. Exhaustion washed over me. It had been a grueling day, filled with lab work and back-to-back challenging quizzes. Thankfully, my scores were high in all of them. Even though I was still in high school, the workload was immense.
 
"You look so tired." Mom observed, her voice laced with worry. She moved closer and enveloped me in a comforting hug. Oh, how I missed this hug.
 
"High school is really tough, Mom. I'm not sure if I can handle medical school after I graduate." I confessed.
 
I felt Mom pull away slightly to look at me.
 
"What about studying business, Mira, so you can help me and your grandparents? Or maybe journalism so you can write for our company?" I knew she was trying to lighten the mood and ease my fatigue with her jest.
 
"I'd love to, but I want to fulfill Dad's dream that has also become my own, Mom." I replied. The room fell silent after I said that. Once again, I had brought up Dad in our conversation.
Ever since I was little, I had a profound love for reading and writing. Initially, I wanted to pursue journalism, a natural fit given our family's publishing business. However, Dad's dreams for me altered that path. He had always wanted to be a doctor but couldn't fulfill that dream, so he hoped I would.
 
Dad had once yearned for a career in medicine. But due to my grandfather's insistence, he was compelled to study business to contribute to the family company. Eventually, my grandparents decided to arrange a marriage for Dad with the daughter of a business partner. The goal was to merge the two publishing companies and strengthen their reputation. That's how Mom, who was thrust into a marriage with Dad, entered our lives. Luckily, they grew fond of each other, and it turned out that Dad had a crush on Mom back in high school.
 
When Dad passed away in a tragic accident, I promised myself that I would become a successful doctor for him.
 
"Mom, I miss Dad." I found myself saying, tears welling up in my eyes.
 
Mom held me tighter. "I miss him too, Mira. So much." She responded, her voice trembling. I could sense her own tears threatening to spill. "It's such a pity he didn't get to witness you grow into the beautiful young woman you are now." A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth at her words.
 
Mom and I spent the rest of the time reminiscing about Dad, reliving all the happy moments we shared with him. It had been a while since we had a heart-to-heart like this.
 
Suddenly, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted our conversation. Someone was standing there, waiting to be acknowledged.
"Oh, Briana, you're here. Come." Mom called out, beckoning Briana to sit beside her.
 
"Tita, I brought your favorite cake." Briana said, handing Mom a small box.
 
"Thank you, Briana. You're really sweet," Mom replied, shifting her arm from around me to embrace Briana.
 
Suddenly, I felt like a ghost, overlooked and forgotten. They were engrossed in a conversation I couldn't follow, so I decided to retreat to my room, feeling out of place.
 
"Mom, I'm heading upstairs," I announced.
 
"Okay. Come down in 30 minutes, we'll have dinner then," Mom replied. I nodded and left, not bothering to glance back at Briana.
 
Once in my room, I flopped onto my bed. I remembered I had messaged Liam earlier and wondered if he had replied. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, but all I saw were social media notifications and a message from Zed saying he had reached home. Nothing from Liam. I shrugged it off, figuring he was still busy with practice.
 
I rose from the bed, tied my hair up in a loose bun, and headed to the bathroom for a quick wash. I changed into fresh clothes and applied my skin care. I decided to brush my teeth after dinner.
 
When I descended the stairs, I found Mom and Briana laughing and chatting merrily in the dining room. I couldn't deny the pang of jealousy that hit me. It was as if I was not only physically drained but mentally exhausted as well.
We began eating, and they continued their conversation while I remained silent, only answering when Mom asked me a question. It felt like they were completely engrossed in their own world, as if I didn't exist in front of them. I gathered our plates, unnoticed by them, and headed to the kitchen to wash them. Yaya Fe stopped me in my tracks.
 
"Oh Mira, what are you doing? Let me do that." She scolded me.
 
"I'll do it, Yaya." I replied, and proceeded to the kitchen where I found Raul, our driver, enjoying a cup of coffee with our other helpers, Lara and Trina. They were surprised to see me there. I guess they didn't expect me to come in.
 
"Oh Mira, what are you doing here?" Raul asked, taken aback. "And why are you cleaning up?"
 
"I just wanted to." I smiled at them and placed the dishes in the sink.
 
"Can I join you guys?" I asked them, surprising them once again. I didn't know why I asked, I just felt like having a conversation with them.
 
"Ah, sure. Come sit here." Lara replied, pulling a chair beside her.
 
"Are you okay?" Raul asked me once I was seated.
 
I furrowed my brow at his question. "Huh?"
 
"You seem sad."
 
"Me? Oh, no. I'm fine." I smiled, but I think I failed to hide the sadness within me.
 
"You're not okay. Ah, I know! Maybe you're jealous of your mom and your cousin, right?" Trina chimed in. She was always straightforward. Her words saddened me even more.
 
"Hey, that's too much!" Lara scolded her. She noticed that I had lowered my head.
 
"Why? I'm just saying what I see." She defended herself.
 
"You know, Mira, you have no reason to be jealous. You're a true daughter, unlike her—"
 
Raul's words were cut off when Yaya Fe suddenly appeared, carrying the used glasses. But even though Raul's sentence was interrupted, I still understood what he meant. But why did it feel like he had something more to say?
 
"Hey, Raul, what are you telling Mira? Stop that and get back to work!" Yaya Fe suddenly turned to me. "Don't listen to them, okay?" I nodded in response.
 
What did even Raul say? It seemed like there was nothing wrong with what he said.
 
Yaya Fe looked back at them. "And you, Lara!? Have you finished ironing the clothes that ma'am will wear tomorrow?" I think she was referring to my mom. Lara stood up abruptly and left the kitchen. "And you, Trina?! Why are you just sitting there? Go wash the dishes!" She continued.
 
"Yes, right away." Trina replied, and went to the sink.
 
"Mira." Manang called me, and I was a bit surprised by her tone. "Go to your room now. Don't you have any assignments to do?" Her voice sounded different from earlier, unlike how she speak with Lara and the others.
 
"Alright, I will." I replied, getting up and leaving the kitchen. I had forgotten that I had assignments to work on. I was already outside the kitchen, but I could still hear Yaya Fe scolding Raul.
I quickly brushed my teeth upon entering my room, then turned my attention to the stack of thick books on my study table.
 
I was close to finishing my assignment when my phone suddenly rang from the bed.
 
I eagerly picked it up, a smile forming as I saw the name on the screen.
 
"Hello."
 
[Hi love! Did I wake you up?]
 
"I'm actually just finishing up my assignment. After this, I'll go to sleep. Are you home now?" I walked back to my study table and resumed writing.
 
[Yup. I just got home. Sorry if I didn't message you back earlier. I just saw your message.] I could hear the fatigue in his voice.
 
"It's okay. You seem tired. I think you really need to sleep." I wrote the final word of my assignment, closed my books and notebook, and tidied up.
 
"I'm a bit tired, but I can manage. I still have some assignments to do. How about you? Aren't you going to sleep yet? It's getting late. I don't want my love to stay up too late." I couldn't help but bite my lip at his words. Even though he was tired, he still managed to make me smile.
 
"I'll go to sleep soon. After that, you should sleep too, okay?" I gazed at the pile of books on my desk, searching for a familiar notebook.
 
[Yes boss. I will.]
 
I found it, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. I had forgotten about it, and he still didn't know that I had his missing diary.
 
[Mira? Are you still there?]
 
"Uh, yeah. I'm still here." I replied, still looking at the diary in my hands.
 
[I think you're already sleepy. I'll hang up then. Good night, I love you.]
 
"Um, yeah. Goodnight." I ended the call.
Against my will, I decided to open Liam's diary. It seemed like the last few pages were left unread. I guess there wasn't much written here since it disappeared so quickly. There were more blank pages than filled ones.
 
'When dad was still alive, he always reminded me to be kind to people. Yes, I followed his wishes, but sometimes I couldn't control my bad boy side. It seemed like being a bully came naturally to me. It got even worse when Hailey broke up with me. I became an even bigger bully. I played with girls' hearts, making them fall for me and then breaking them. Every day, someone cried and got hurt because of me. I didn't care about their feelings anymore. I didn't recognize myself anymore with how much of a bully I had become. Even my friends didn't like what I was doing because I was worse than before.
 
Before, I only hit and bullied people when there was a reason. But now, whether someone has done something to me or not, if I feel like it, I would pick on them and embarrass them. I would hit, throw things, waste food, destroy belongings, and more. Luckily, I haven't been kicked out because my uncle owns the school. However, on the downside, since my dad is my uncle's brother, he knows everything I do at school. I thought he would get angry and scold me, but I was wrong. He talked to me and gave me advice. He said it was up to me whether I would listen to him or continue with my foolishness at school. He said it was my choice whether I wanted to regret everything in the end, as a bigger karma might come my way.
 
And it happened. I didn't listen, and I think the karma that happened to me was the day my dad died. I blamed myself for his death. If only I had followed his wishes, maybe he would still be alive.
 
But even though it's too late, I will still fulfill my dad's wishes. I will try to change and make amends for all the foolish things I've done.'
 
I witnessed all the mischief Liam did at school, and I can say that it's worse than what he used to do. Many students have transferred because they were afraid of experiencing what he did.
 
I don't know, Liam is a huge jerk, to be honest, but his charm still hasn't faded with the female students. They're still head over heels for him, even though he made countless girls cry. But who would have thought that he could change, not just for himself but also for his dad.
 
I can't say that he has completely changed because his bad boy side is still there, but I can assure that he's no longer the same Liam who used to hurt and embarrass others.
 
Before I could close the diary, I noticed the next page with faint lines as if he didn't continue writing whatever letter it was. There were also traces of liquid stains, somewhat brown in color. If I'm not mistaken, it seems like it got splashed with a drink.
 
I suddenly remembered the day I found this diary. Could it be that Liam was writing his diary on the day someone spilled a soft drink on his shoes?
 
I wonder what he was supposed to write here.
 
I held the torn pages in the middle and noticed that it was torn. I shrugged it off because it's normal to have torn pages in a noteboo— or should I say, a diary.
———
"Are you really not hungry?" Sophie asked me again. It was lunch break, but I really didn't feel like eating. Liam and the other two didn't attend classes because they had an excuse for soccer practice. They only had three days left before their game against the other school.
 
"I'm not hungry. Just go and come back to me after you eat." I replied.
 
"Okay." she shrugged and left with our two classmates, exiting the room of the journalism club.
 
I was here because the club president asked me to fix something. I was planning to do it after I ate, but I really didn't have the appetite.
 
Journalism has always been my club ever since I started studying here. Even though it's just here, I can do the things I wanted to do when I was a child. And as far as I know, the admin of Buzzworthy Scoop is also a member of the journalism club, but I have no idea who it is, and neither does anyone else in this school. It's a mystery.
 
I sighed at the silence in the room, being alone here. It made me think about last night, and it's evident that I'm still affected by the closeness between my mom and Briana. I still feel incredibly jealous. I focused and poured my attention into the task at hand. I was almost done when suddenly, the door opened. I looked up and saw Liam holding a tray of food.
 
He placed it in front of me. "Eat."
 
"How did you know I was here?" I asked him, ignoring his command.
 
He sat next to me and faced me. "I noticed that Sophie left the building with our classmates, and they all went to the canteen. Since you weren't with them, I became curious and asked where you were." He explained.
 
"I already ate—" He cut me off.
 
"Liar. Sophie told me you still did not eat. Now, eat up," he said in a bossy tone. I sighed. Damn you, Sophie!
 
I looked at him, and his expression was so serious. "I'm not hungry." His gaze darkened even more, making me even more nervous. I swallowed anxiously.
 
"Eat or else..."
 
"Or else what?" I nervously asked. Who wouldn't be nervous with the way Liam was looking at me? It felt like he was stabbing me with his intense gaze.
 
"I'll eat you." He said without any warning. My eyes widened at his words, and I quickly slapped his arm.
 
"You're such a pervert!" I exclaimed. I can't believe this guy. Sometimes I wonder why I developed feelings for him.
 
He grinned at my reaction. Well, he managed to annoy me. "I'm just kidding. But please eat up. You might get sick later."
 
I just glared at him and started eating what was in front of me, so he wouldn't bother me anymore. He remained silent, watching me eat when his phone suddenly rang.
 
"Why did you call, Ace?"
 
"Here at the journalism club."
 
"I'm with Mira, obviously."
 
"Yeah, sure, I'll be there. Bye."
 
He hung up his phone and turned his attention back to me. "Why did Ace call?" I asked curiously.
 
"He said our practice is starting again." He replied.
 
"But why are you still here?"
 
"I wanted to wait for you to finish." He said it emotionlessly.
 
"Liam, I can manage. I'll just return the tray to the canteen later. Your coach might scold you."
 
"It's okay. I'm not afraid of the coach. And also, I wanted to spend a little more time with you." I bit my lip to hold back the excitement I was feeling.
 
I heard him sigh, so I quickly shifted my gaze to him. "I told you to stop biting your lower lip. It's tempting me. I might end up pressing my lips against yours."
 
I couldn't help but secretly smile at the mischief I was thinking. Should I tease him?
 
"What was that again?" I asked, pretending not to understand and bit my lower lip again.
 
"Mira." He called me authoritatively.
 
"What?" And I bit my lower lip again. He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair, seemingly frustrated. Omg, I'm enjoying this. He's so amusing. I wanted to laugh so bad, but I'm trying to hold it back.
 
To my surprise, in less than a blink of an eye, he was already so close to my face. It felt like with just one movement, I could kiss him. I take back what I said earlier, I'm not enjoying this anymore.
 
Yes, you are. I silently hit my head at the conscience screaming at me. That was such a wrong move! Why didn't I think that he might actually do it?
 
We stayed in that position for a few seconds, with him looking straight into my eyes as if he was reading my mind. "Are you okay?"
 
Is he crazy? Is he really asking me if I'm okay? Does he think I'll be fine in this kind of situation?
 
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" I lied. I discreetly swallowed nervously.
 
I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally moved his face away from mine. Thank goodness!
 
I looked at him, and he was still staring into my eyes. I furrowed my brows. "W-what?"
 
"Mira, I know you're hiding something." My heart skipped a beat at his words. It reminded me of his missing diary that I have.
 
Is he somehow talking about his missing diary?