Chapter 7 – Reasons and Rumors (Jin)

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The heat of the afternoon striking the field and the heads of every student gathered around to watch a game of volleyball was something I wasn't sure I'd get used to.

"Shane's team is winning again!" Some girl on my east squealed. "Sadly, I didn't get to watch from the starting set."

"For real! She smiled and waved in this direction before the final set, you know!" Another girl whispered. "It was specifically for that guy, I think."

Even with my gaze on the ball that flew around the court, she was definitely pointing in my direction.

"What? OMG! I can't believe I missed it!" The first girl lowered her voice. "Who is he, though? Aside from Yuri, I don't remember Shane taking notice of other guys during volleyball practice."

Yuri?

"No clue. He looks smart, though."

"More like a nerd to me."

I faked a cough, not sparing a glance anywhere else despite my eyes twitching to glare at them.

"Eek! Quiet down!"

When I took a peek, they were still whispering about me but in a hushed tone that I couldn't make out any more words.

Couldn't they just focus on the game? So what if Shane waved at me earlier? What's the big deal? I don't get it.

I took a deep breath and slid my hands into my pockets. The whistle blew, and the crowd cheers demanded my attention on the other side of the court—the winning team.

Shane wore a slightly different colored jersey with the number thirteen, probably because of her position as libero, if I remember right. It wasn't like I partook in any sports, but PE class in high school had us memorizing different sports' jargon.

Thanks to that, though, she quickly caught my attention when her team made a circle, and they roared a cheer before running to the benches.

Many students around me ran to the other side of the court along with the other players. Quite a crowd gathered around and did high-fives with players certain students might've been friends with.

Should I go there, too? Would it cause a fuss if I did?

As if it would. I'm just a regular history major who wanted to inform Shane of something.

My feet dragged me around the students and near the bench where she sat before it came over me why my approaching could cause a fuss.

A tall girl with a number five on her jersey tapped Shane's shoulder, and her head nodded in my direction. Whoever that was, she knew I was acquainted with Shane somehow. Maybe she's one of Shane's friends.

Shane's head immediately turned around, and the sparkle from her eyes, ready to shove her assumptions, got my eyebrows knitting.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone here.

That's right, but it still made no sense. I could've just waited for tomorrow, Monday, to come so I could ask her about a variable in our homework once we met. It wasn't like I was particularly bothered by the things I couldn't figure out in our task due on Friday.

But when I left the library, the librarian, for some reason, told me Shane was there. And like an ordinary curious student, I asked if she knew where Shane went next.

Actually, why did I even ask? And why did I even go here? To ask if we could do a session later for a short while when we can have one tomorrow anyway?

Maybe her weirdness rubbed on me.

Shane stood up, hands on either side of a towel resting around her neck as she jogged in my direction.

She smiled. "Did you come to watch me play?"

I waved a hand to dismiss her idea. "As if. I went to the library today to study. I figured you might be here since many students are gathering on the volleyball court, and I could really use some help with the homework Mr. Bejasa gave last week."

She hummed and pouted slightly, and I couldn't blame her if she'd be doubtful. The second part of what I said was true, but it wasn't urgent.

I've probably just gone a bit crazy with studying.

"So that's why you came?"

"Yes."

As if I'd tell her the librarian specifically told me she was here.

"You stayed to watch an entire set, though!" Her smile was unfazed.

I looked up, internally stuffing my ears to get the murmurs from students around us from distracting me from coming up with excuses that could convince Shane otherwise of her assumptions.

"You gestured for me to stay."

"Oh! So you got my hand signs right!"

"I figured maybe you'd hear me out if I did." My fingers in my pockets scratched the fabric, separating them from my thighs. "Besides, your condition was for me to wait for you when you have practice or meetings, so here I am." I shrugged.

"I see! That's for weekdays, though. But since you're here now, then, let's make it a thing for when we're both in school! I did want to study a bit after practice!"

"Sure."

"Halili!"

Shane turned her head around when the coach called her by her surname. She turned her head back to face me and pointed a thumb toward her fellow volleyball players.

"We're going to cool down, stretch inside, then shower real quick. I'll meet you at the benches by the big tree?"

"I don't mind waiting around here."

"Okay! I'll see you later!" She ran to the lockers. She turned around once there and waved an arm.

I raised a hand and waved back, and I didn't resist the smile that crept up on my face when her coach smacked her head with a couple of rolled papers.

I slipped my hands inside my pockets again and walked towards a bench shaded by a few trees. But was it just me, or was the court suddenly not as noisy as before? Looking around, it seemed most of the people were now in groups.

"Don't point, idiot!" Someone hissed from the right side.

I met the eyes of a girl in there desperately covering her mouth with a hand, and she jumped when I blinked. My eyes wandered in a few other directions, and people I met the eyes of perked up and pulled their friends away.

Well, this was annoying.

Thankfully, they were avoiding me instead of approaching me. That would be more bothersome. And it seemed like I wasn't the only topic in some of their conversations.

"She looks so awesome during the game and really cute after! Really the best libero in this batch!"

"If I recall correctly, she can fill in for positions other than libero!"

"I know!"

"To top it all off, I heard she's really nice!"

"She is! Have you seen the people who are mean to her? She's super nice to them and not at all offended! I'm so envious of her optimism!"

It was still mainly about Shane, though.

Something from inside my bag's pocket vibrated, and when I took out my phone, Rianne had tagged me in our group chat on FB.

Rie: You're in the school rn, right? This you?

Followed by that was a picture taken from the upper floor of a building, and two blurred people were encircled close to the benches on the side of the image.

Me and Shane. But my back was facing the camera, so it wasn't obvious that it was me. Whoever took it must've taken photos of the game, but where did Rianne get this?

J: Where did you get that?

Rie: A schoolmate posted it on twitter along with other pics. Smth abt a volleyball game going wild again, idk. Someone in the comments took note of this and I kinda recognized the shoulder bag on the guy as yours.

Rie: So was it you?

Alex: That's def Jin. I'm calling it!

J: When was it posted?

Rie: A few minutes ago.

Interesting how that got a comment already, though.

Rie: So it was you?

Alex: I'm 100% sure it is! That girl is Shane! His tutor!

Rie: oh

I closed our group chat and shut my phone down in case they'd keep texting me, and that would be bothersome once Shane got here.

I had other reasons for being here, but rumors might still pop up. If anything, though, rumors might only fly about just in the smaller and minor parts of the school and student groups, or at least the ones that would most likely not even affect me. But what about Shane?

Then again, wasn't she the one who waved and made some big gestures earlier? Ah, no matter. Those students who were somewhat interested in us would die down eventually once they found something more scandalous or that there was really nothing between Shane and me.

What am I thinking? Why was this even bothering me? No, it doesn't!

Time flew as I kept convincing myself how ridiculous it was for me to keep thinking about whether Shane would get too affected by this charade. Of course, either way, I'm sure she could handle it.

Some girls did mention someone named Yuri. Maybe that guy and Shane also brew some tea for some nosy students by accident at some point.

"Hey," Shane poked her head beside me from behind the bench where I sat.

I stood and stretched my arms above my head. "Took you long enough."

She giggled and went around the bench, slapping her palms together right after. "Sorry! Did you wait long? I'll make it up to you by uh..." I waved a hand between us before walking ahead.

"I wasn't particularly complaining. Besides, it was part of what we agreed to, wasn't it?" I turned my head slightly to look at her.

"Alright!" She smiled, jogging a bit to catch up beside me.

I resumed walking, and maybe there was just nowhere interesting to look at aside from the sun on the horizon behind some departments starting to turn the sky yellow, but my eyes glazed over to my right—where Shane was.

We were quiet, but she had this bright smile on her face still. In fact, she always had it every time I looked at her. And maybe it was because of her newly washed hair and the sun's preparation to set, but today, her usual purple scrunchies tying up her hair seemed to elevate the smile on her lips.

I blinked and looked back at the front. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but for some reason, my fingers inside my pockets were fidgeting. Maybe I should say something.

"Oh yeah," I refrained from meeting her eyes when she turned her head. "what's the purpose of this condition again?"

She hummed. "So that right after volleyball practice or club meetings, we can meet right away and start ASAP!"

I raised a brow and couldn't resist glancing at her. "You're quite into this, aren't you?"

"Hm?"

I blinked away. "Nothing. Just... I thought you seemed pretty eager with tutoring. You're really going out of your way and thinking of ways to make things easier and better for me."

The last part almost came out as a whisper. I didn't want to sound confident that she was doing this for my sake, but I still had to say it.

"It's working, isn't it?"

And look at that; she was somewhat doing this on purpose for my sake.

"Err, I guess so? I won't have to dillydally too much, and we can start right away even while we're on the way to the library like right now, or even start in the park too if the situation calls for it."

"Mhm! That's exactly it!"

I took another peek at her, and Shane's expression only brightened up even more.

"See, this is what I mean."

She tilted her head. "Hm?"

A small smile found its way to my mouth. "I can't help but notice that I'm the only one getting all the benefits here." And my eyebrows met the moment a confident look overtook her face.

"It's only natural I wouldn't want to crush your hopes of getting to spend some time with me!"

I deadpanned, "..What are you talking about?"

She grinned. "You like me, don't you?"

Again with that.

With an exasperated sigh, I rolled my eyes and cupped half my face with one hand, gaze still peeking between my fingers.

"And, of course, your mind never stops playing around with the weirdest assumptions, doesn't it?"

"Does it?"

"Very."

She chuckled, the playful look in her eyes still there. "So, you do like me?"

I glared at her and groaned, which only made her suppressed giggle burst into laughter.

"Bloody hell."

Shane walked ahead of my slow pace, the brightest smile I've seen on anyone, never leaving her face as she twirled around to face me.

"I just want to help out, is all. Besides, I'm having fun, too! So, that's already pretty much a big bonus for me, right?"

My hand on my face dropped to my side as I shook my head and shrugged. I walked past her, who jogged to my side when I got too ahead of her.

"Whatever works for you, then, I guess."

Shane only answered with yet another energetic hum.

"So, about the latest assessment that Mr. Bejasa gave us for Philippine Literature..." She started.

It had only been a month since we started meeting up for tutoring sessions. During those times, she'd study her own subjects, too, while I was left dealing with a test she made. It still confuses me how much free time she actually has to even have the time to make a practice paper for me. Or was it because she had a schedule she firmly followed?

I'm kind of envious of how she could balance everything so well.

And she said she was having fun spending time tutoring, too. I shrugged it off earlier and just replied whatever, but that still lingered in my head.

Fun, huh?

"Mrs. Malabanan!" Shane greeted, and the librarian smiled upon our entry.

She looked past Shane, and we met eyes. I nodded while she smiled.

"Back again, I see."

I nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

I directed my gaze to the other side, where some shelves from the second floor could be seen from this spot close to the librarian's table. With the afternoon's grand color scheme coming from the windows from the upper floor, the entire library almost shone magically, and I didn't get why, but my eyes shifted back to Shane.

"Let's go, Jin!" She semi-whispered before bowing to Mrs. Malabanan and pulling me by my arm to the staircases.

Fun, huh?

"Yeah, yeah." I pursed my lips and whispered, "Me too."

"Hm?" She turned a bit toward me, and I shook my head.

"Nothing."

I said that, but really, I also had fun during our sessions. And this time wouldn't be any different, I'm sure.

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A/N:

Stress in the pronunciation of the surnames mentioned here is capitalized:

beJAsa (ja = ha)