Raymond let out a long sigh. It had been two weeks, and he still hadn't had a proper conversation with Melissa.
It's been that long already? he thought, scratching the back of his head in frustration.
He headed toward their classroom. It was still early. Joel had gone to the faculty room for officer duties and wouldn't return until the bell rang.
When Raymond stepped inside, he noticed someone was already there. At first, he didn't bother looking—Julie usually arrived earliest among the three girls.
But today, he wanted to confirm something.If it's Julie, never mind. My cheek still stings from her punch. Is she really that kind of girl? he muttered bitterly.
But when his eyes landed on Melissa, both of them froze.
She immediately looked away, fidgeting nervously. He had wanted to speak with her privately, but he didn't want to frighten her—especially knowing she suffered from panic attacks.
He quietly placed his belongings on his desk. She watched every movement with guarded eyes. He inhaled deeply.
"Melissa," he said softly.
She flinched at her name and stood up abruptly, ready to run.
"Hey, can I talk to you?"He reached out and grabbed her arm.
Melissa instantly tried to pull away.
Before she could escape, he gently but firmly pulled her closer and held her by the shoulders. Her wide, fearful eyes met his—lips trembling, unable to form words.
"I just want to talk. I'm not going to hurt you," he said, looking straight at her.
She still didn't speak. Raymond sighed and slowly released her.
"Just… give me some time to talk to you privately, Melissa. I know you're scared. I know you think I'll do something bad again, but it's not like that."His voice carried guilt, sincerity, and desperation.
He could already hear her friends' voices in the hallway. He clenched his jaw, torn between holding back and giving in.
And before he could stop himself—
He grabbed Melissa again, pinned her gently against the wall—
…and kissed her.
She froze, too stunned even to breathe.
"I'll wait for you," he whispered against her lips. "Please… give me a chance to talk to you alone."He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, then stepped back with a small, careful smile.
Melissa's face turned pale with shock. Without a word, she hurried out of the room just as her friends arrived.
"What happened, Melissa?" Nicole asked.
"Oh. So that's why," Julie muttered. She shot Raymond a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "No wonder. The jerk's already here."
Raymond met her glare but only shook his head.
"Meli, did that jerk do anything to you?" Nicole demanded, noticing Melissa hiding timidly behind her.
"N–No," Melissa lied.
Raymond smirked to himself. Her cheeks were bright red, and she couldn't even look in his direction.
Damn… you're always beautiful and cute at the same time. My Melissa, he thought, licking his lips unconsciously.
Same soft, sweet taste.A grin tugged at his lips, almost feral.
The warning bell rang. Students began filing into the classroom.
****
Later that day, Raymond sat quietly, lost in deep thought.Cielo noticed. Joel noticed too.
Joel spoke first. "You're planning to apologize to her properly, aren't you?"
Raymond snapped out of his daze. "Why are you asking me that, Joel?"
"Because it's written all over your face. You're an open book to me," Joel replied, shaking his head.
Raymond sighed in defeat. "I guess I can't hide anything from you. Yeah. I've been planning to say sorry properly."
"The problem is…"Another sigh."Nicole and Julie. Those two hate me more than anything. They won't let Melissa go anywhere near me. And Kelly? She's always with them."
Joel rubbed his chin. "Yeah… that's tricky."
"Before anything, observe them," Cielo suggested calmly. "Know their patterns. When you understand that, separating Melissa from them will be easier."
Raymond frowned in thought.
"Besides," Cielo continued, "Kelly's busy preparing choreography for the upcoming competition. Every Friday, she and the others—Angie and Steph—have practice sessions, right? So she's occupied."
"That's a good thing," Joel agreed. "Now that you mention it, those three usually stick together on Fridays. But with Kelly busy, she's out of the picture."He paused. "Isn't the Theatre Club also practicing for a competition?"
"Yes. They're joining too," Cielo confirmed.
Joel smirked. "Perfect. You can use that chance to talk to her. The girls don't go home late on Fridays. You can wait for her."
"The problem is… they'll know I'm waiting," Raymond muttered darkly.
"Then you'll need a little distraction," Cielo said.
"And how exactly?" Raymond asked.
Joel sighed. "Maybe I'll handle Miss Villa."He looked at Cielo. "But Miss Navares is feistier. Can you manage her?"
Cielo leaned back, thoughtful. "If it's just for emergencies, sure. Distracting Miss Navares isn't hard."
Joel smirked wider.
Cielo raised a brow. "But Joel—don't hurt Miss Villa physically."
"That depends on her," Joel said with a shrug.
"And you—"Cielo turned to Raymond, his tone sharp."Make sure you say sorry properly this time."
Raymond only nodded silently.
Their table fell quiet, each cousin consumed by his own thoughts.