CHAPTER 3 "ROOF DECK"

That was the first day of classes for the first semester of that school year. And because he was a transferee, Daniel automatically became an irregular student at the university he transferred to in Manila.

“Drive safely, good luck on your first day!” Daniel’s sister, Danica, cheerfully added as she kissed him on the cheek while he was still enjoying his breakfast. “Alright, sis. Take care of yourself as you sort out your papers. Maybe it’s better if you bring Manang Salyn with you; she knows her way around Manila better,” he reminded his sister.

“Okay,” Danica replied shortly, smiling. After that, she left.

Daniel didn’t have a difficult time traveling even though it was the first day of school. Maybe it was because he left home early, that’s why.

As expected, his sister Danica’s flight to New York would proceed. And just as expected, he would be left alone in that big house.

The young man sighed deeply.

He needed to get used to the fact that in a few months, he would only have Aling Salyn, the housekeeper, as his companion.

It was okay with him because he was old enough to take care of himself. He also needed to get used to being independent and not always relying on his sister.

Traffic wasn’t that bad, so he wasn’t late for class. In fact, he arrived an hour early, giving him a chance to read, so he decided to head to the library. However, he changed his mind when he reached the tall library building and instead took the stairs leading to what he thought was the roof deck, and he was right.

A cool morning breeze gently caressed Daniel’s face.

The wind was damp because of the rain that had been falling for a few days, just like this morning when he woke up.

He let his gaze wander across the wide quadrangle of the renowned university. He had to admit that he missed his former school in Cebu, but he wasn’t a child anymore to dwell on sentimental feelings about it.

Perhaps his course of study would take a bit longer due to his status as an irregular student, but it was okay. He had a strong feeling that he would have a good reason in the end, one that he would be grateful for, for agreeing to move to Manila.

Daniel stayed in that position for a few moments before deciding to shift his gaze. It was then that he suddenly froze as he noticed a student sitting on the long concrete bench not far from where he stood.

Only half of her figure was visible, as it was partially hidden by the concrete wall against which she leaned while sitting with her back to him. She had blonde hair, still damp and gently swayed by the morning breeze. Even from a distance, he could clearly see the beautiful shape of her arms, fair and smooth.

Daniel suddenly remembered a girl he had seen walking along the street in front of their large house almost two months ago. After that, he chose to push that memory aside and focused on heading to his first class.

Ara had nearly an hour of vacant time before her first class, so she decided to stay on the roof deck and read there instead of going to the library. It had been a month since she started working as a student assistant in the library, so whenever she had the opportunity, like now, she preferred to stay in that spot since she discovered it.

Unlike other working students whose schedules often became irregular, she and the other student assistants still had regular class schedules. In other words, she was still a regular student. The only difference was that she had to arrive at school earlier before the library opened to assist students or help clean the library with her fellow SAs.

“Ara!” came a familiar voice from behind her, causing the girl to slightly startle.

“Oh, Jason, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” she said, chuckling slightly as she placed her hand over her chest.

The young man approached her with a smile. Like her, he was also a student assistant, older than her, and in his third year of Civil Engineering.

Jason was handsome, intelligent, and kind. It was no wonder that even though they hadn’t spent much time together, Ara noticed many girls becoming infatuated with him. And because they were friends, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to your classroom,” he offered.

Ara smiled at his words. “Oh, come on, there’s no need for that. I can manage,” she chuckled.

Jason shook his head. “I insist,” he said with a tone that she knew she couldn’t change.

Ara shrugged her shoulders and stood up, gathering her belongings. “It’s up to you, but your department building is quite far from ours. You’ll get tired walking,” she added as Jason joined her in walking.

“It’s fine,” he replied shortly.

Ara didn’t say anything else after that. She knew that no matter what she did, she couldn’t persuade Jason not to accompany her. Well, that’s just who he was. She wasn’t the type to insist on things she knew the other person wouldn’t give in to. Besides, there was nothing wrong with what he wanted to happen, although she had noticed the glances exchanged between Jason and the female students they passed by ever since their friendship began to blossom.

******

As Daniel stood in the corridor outside their classroom, he was immediately taken aback when he caught sight of a blonde-haired female student. Despite the distance, he could still see her familiar and graceful stride. She was accompanied by a tall, dark-skinned guy, presumably her boyfriend.

At that moment, a part of Daniel’s mind seemed unwilling to accept it. He knew he shouldn’t make a big deal out of it because, first of all, he didn’t even know the girl. And even if the girl he saw walking in front of their house, the one he saw on the roof deck earlier, and this girl now were the same person, so what?

It shouldn’t be a big deal, so he quickly pushed it out of his mind.

“We’ll have lunch together later, alright?” Jason said after escorting him to their classroom.

Ara nodded. “Okay,” she replied.

Ever since they had met, they always had lunch together. In fact, aside from both being student assistants in the library, lunch became a bridge that strengthened their friendship.

“I know a great place to eat, and I’ll treat you,” Jason added.

“You’re always treating me, it’s embarrassing how often you insist on paying for my lunch,” Ara whispered with a smile.

He chuckled and gave her a teasing look. “Well, you’re strong enough to handle me,” he said, lightly pinching her cheek. “I’ll go ahead,” he added.

“Okay, see you,” she replied.

As Jason walked away, Ara couldn’t help but feel a sense of happiness in her heart, knowing that she had a friend like him by her side.