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where Luisa noticed first

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There are people who notice things because they're observant.

And then there's Luisa. Who notices things because apparently my face has stopped knowing how to keep secrets around her. I should've known she would figure everything out before I did.

"Okay."

I looked up from my food slowly. "Why do you sound evil?"

"Because," Luisa said while pointing her fork at me dramatically, "I have reached a conclusion."

"That already sounds dangerous."

"You like him."

I nearly dropped my spoon for the second time this week.

"Can you please stop saying that so loudly?"

"Oh, sorry." She leaned closer. "YOU LIKE HIM."

"LUISA."

She burst out laughing while I looked around the cafeteria in embarrassment.

"Relax," she said between laughs. "No one's listening."

"That's not comforting."

"It should be. Main character ka kasi."

I rolled my eyes and continued eating even though my appetite was slowly disappearing from embarrassment alone.

The worst part? I still couldn't deny her properly.

Because lately, every time I tried convincing myself that Cal was just another person, my mind immediately replayed every interaction we've had like it was trying to argue back.

"You're doing it again," Luisa suddenly said.

I frowned. "Doing what?"

"That face."

"What face?"

"The one where your brain leaves Earth."

I sighed deeply. "Can my thoughts stop being visible for once?"

"No. Your face is too honest."

"That sounds fake."

"It's true," she laughed. "Especially when Cal's involved."

There it was again. His name. And immediately my chest reacted before my brain could.

Nakakainis.

Luisa noticed that too, obviously. "Oh my God," she whispered dramatically. "LOOK AT YOUR REACTION."

"I literally hate you."

"No, because tell me why your entire aura changes when he's mentioned."

"I do not have an aura."

"You do. It's mentally unstable but glowing."

That made me laugh despite myself.

One thing about Luisa is she always knows exactly how to make my thoughts feel lighter, even for a little while. And maybe that's why she became such an important part of my life without even realizing it.

Because when your mind is constantly heavy, people who make you breathe easier become impossible to lose.

"Ano bang meron sa kanya?" she asked softer this time.

I looked down at my drink quietly. "I don't know."

And that was the truth. I didn't know what exactly Cal was becoming to me yet. I just knew he stayed in my mind longer than other people did.

Long enough to become dangerous.

"He makes you calmer," Luisa said suddenly.

I looked at her immediately. "What?"

"You stop overthinking as much when he's around."

I opened my mouth to deny it. Then stopped. Because horrifyingly enough... she might've been right.

I hated that. Not because it was bad but because it felt important. And important things scare me. Before I could respond, Luisa's eyes suddenly moved behind me.

Then her expression shifted into the most annoying grin imaginable.

"You summoned him."

I already knew. My body somehow always knew before my brain did. 'Till, I turned around anyway. And there he was.

Walking through the cafeteria carrying two bottled drinks in one hand while casually looking around like he wasn't about to completely ruin my emotional stability by simply existing near me.

"Breathe," Luisa whispered beside me.

"You're so annoying."

"And you're blushing."

"I'm literally not."

"You literally are."

I immediately grabbed my water bottle to avoid looking at her while she tried not to laugh.

Unfortunately for me, Cal was already walking toward our table. And the closer he got, the more aware I became of everything.

The noise around us. My heartbeat. The way I suddenly forgot how to sit normally.

Why does my body react first before my brain lately?

"Hey," Cal greeted once he reached us.

"Hi!" Luisa answered way too enthusiastically.

I glared at her briefly before finally looking at him.

"Hi," I said softer.

Then before I could even ask anything, he placed one of the bottled drinks in front of me.

I blinked in confusion, "...what's this?"

"You mentioned before that this was your favorite."

My brain stopped. Actually stopped. I stared at the drink for a few seconds before slowly looking back up at him.

"You remembered that?" The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how vulnerable they sounded.

Because people usually don't remember small things about me. Not random drink flavors. Not passing comments. Not details I mention casually.

But somehow... he did.

Cal shrugged lightly as he sat beside me. "You say things quietly, but you still say them."

And for some reason, that sentence hit me harder than it should've.

Beside me, Luisa looked seconds away from screaming. "I need someone to remember my coffee order too," she muttered dramatically.

"You're impossible," I whispered.

"No, because this is actually insane," she continued. "Sera, if you don't marry him, I will."

"Please stop talking."

Cal laughed softly beside me. And there it was again. That strange warmth in my chest whenever he laughs around me.

Not butterflies exactly. Something calmer. Something softer. Which honestly felt scarier. Because calm things stay longer.

"So," Luisa continued while sipping her drink dramatically, "what are you two talking about these days besides staring at each other silently?"

"LUISA."

"What? Communication is important."

I covered my face briefly while Cal looked amused beside me.

"You really don't get embarrassed for other people, no?" I muttered toward her.

"No. It builds character."

"You are the character problem."

She grinned proudly. "And yet you love me."

Unfortunately true.

Cal looked between us quietly for a moment before smiling slightly. "You two are funny together."

"We're mentally ill together," Luisa corrected immediately.

I nearly choked on my drink. "Can you please behave for one day?"

"No."

Cal laughed again. And honestly? I liked hearing it more than I should.

After a while, Luisa got distracted talking to someone from another table nearby, leaving me and Cal sitting beside each other in a calmer silence.

And strangely enough, I didn't feel pressured to fill it. That was new for me.

Usually silence makes me overthink immediately. Makes me wonder if I'm being awkward, boring, too quiet, too much, not enough.

But beside him, silence just feels... quiet. Not heavy or uncomfortable. It's just quiet.

"Your thoughts seem calmer today," Cal suddenly said softly.

I looked at him in surprise. "You can tell the difference?"

"A little."

I stared at him for a second.

Then laughed quietly. "That's terrifying."

"Why?"

"Because you notice too much."

A small smile appeared on his face again. "So do you."

I looked away immediately after hearing that. Because he was right. I do notice too much. The problem is that I never know which things are safe to feel deeply about. And lately, I've been feeling too much about him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked after a while.

I nodded slowly.

"Why do you always look surprised whenever someone remembers something about you?"

My chest tightened quietly. I didn't answer immediately. Because I didn't know how to explain that I got used to being forgettable.

Not invisible exactly. Just... easy to overlook.

I played with the cap of my bottle quietly before finally speaking. "I guess I'm just not used to people paying attention that much."

The moment I said it, silence settled between us again. But not awkward silence.

Thinking silence. Then softly, "I pay attention to you."

And just like that, my entire brain forgot how to function again. Because there was nothing dramatic about the way he said it.

No flirting. No teasing. Just honesty. Simple honesty. And somehow that felt infinitely more dangerous.

Across the table, Luisa looked between the two of us slowly. Then she smiled. Not teasing this time. Not playful. Just soft.

Like she realized something before I did.

Again.

And honestly? I think that scared her a little too.

author's note:

hi, it's inkfinitypen. if you're here, leave a comment, please, so i will know that you're with me, with sera and cal. and i hope you enjoy their story. thank you :))