Chapter 1. Dr. Lee

THE PAST

CHAPTER ONE: DR. LEE

LOVE ANDREI LEE

(Eight months ago)

“Good morning, Dr. Lee.”

I gave the student who greeted me a slight nod as I continued walking down the hallway. Bukod sa pagiging doktor, it was also my debut as a lecturer in the medicine course at Lee University.

As I entered the lecture hall, the once noisy and bustling atmosphere instantly quieted down. All eyes turned toward me, their gazes following every step I took toward the front of the room. Nilapag ko sa desk ang dala kong maliit na laptop. Then came the whispers, hushed but clear enough for me to catch snippets of their conversation.

“Oh my gosh. He’s so handsome.”

“Wait... is Dr. Lee our professor?”

“Sh*t. Young doctor and professor. Mukhang magiging study first ako from now on.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head ever so slightly. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid—being the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. Pero sa bagay, medyo sanay na ‘ko. Noon pa lang na kasalukuyan akong nag-aaral mabilis ko ring maagaw ang atensyon ng lahat lalo na mga kababaihan. Atensyon ko lang ang hindi nila maagaw. Piling-pili lang ang nakakagaw ng atensyon ko.

Isa rin ‘yon sa dahilan kaya kahit unang beses ko pa lang na magtuturo ay kilala na nila ako. Bukod kasi sa pag-aari namin ang unibersidad na ito, kilala rin ang pamilya namin sa industriya dahil sa Lee Empire.

Pulling their focus back to the purpose of the class, I addressed them in a firm, professional voice. “Good morning, everyone. As some of you may have already guessed, I am Dr. Love Andrei Lee. You can just call me Dr. Lee,” I began, my tone calm yet assertive. “I’ll be your professor for this semester, and I’ll be handling Human Anatomy and Physiology. It’s one of the most fundamental subjects in medicine, and mastering it is crucial for your journey as future doctors.”

There was a collective reaction—a mix of excitement, nerves, and murmurs from the students. May ilang mga tumango, may ilan namang nag-take down notes, habang ang iba ay hindi inaalis sa ‘kin ang tingin na para bang takot silang maglaho ako sa harapan kapag kumurap sila.

“I know many of you might feel overwhelmed,” I continued, scanning the room to meet as many eyes as possible. “Anatomy isn’t just about memorizing—”

Natigilan ako nang tumama ang mga mata ko sa isang babaeng estudyante na nasa bandang gitnang row. Nakatitig din siya sa ‘kin, but there was something different about her gaze.

Out of all the female students in the room, she was the only one who didn’t look at me as if I were some kind of idol to worship. Her expression was utterly plain, almost indifferent—like she was bored of me. There was no hint of fascination, no glimmer of interest in my words, and definitely no appreciation for how handsome I looked.

It was... unsettling, yet oddly intriguing. Who is she?

“—the parts of the body; it’s about understanding how these systems work together to sustain life,” I managed to continue nang alisin ko ang tingin ko sa kaniya. These subject lays the foundation for everything you will learn moving forward, from clinical practices to diagnostics and surgery.”

Muli ko siyang sinulyapan. Nakapangalumbaba na siya ngayon at nakababa ang tingin sa notebook niya, halatang nagda-drawing ng kung ano lang base sa galaw ng kamay niya habang hawak ang ballpen.

“I’ll be honest—it won’t be easy. But I’m here to guide you through it. If you’re willing to put in the effort, I’ll make sure you leave this class not just with knowledge, but with a deeper appreciation for the human body and its intricacies.”

There was another murmur of reactions—some looked determined, others intimidated. At ‘yong babaeng bored… hayun at mukhang bored pa rin. Hindi na siya nag-angat ng tingin sa ‘kin simula kaninang nabaling ang tingin niya sa notebook. At dahil do’n lalo akong naintriga.

Tulad ng sabi ko kanina, madalang lang na may babaeng nakakaagaw sa atensyon ko at isa na ang ganito. Mas napupukaw ang atensyon ko sa babaeng hindi ako pinapansin kaysa sa babaeng nagpapansin sa ‘kin. There’s something about the quiet indifference, the lack of effort to impress, that piques my curiosity.

“Before we dive into the syllabus, I’d like to set a few expectations. First, I value active participation. Ask questions, engage in discussions, and don’t hesitate to approach me if you need help. Second, this is a safe space for learning, and mistakes are part of the process. And lastly,” I said, my gaze sweeping the room, “this course will demand your commitment, not just your attendance. Excellence in medicine begins with discipline.”

I could see a few students exchanging glances, clearly taking the words to heart.

“For today, we’ll start with an overview of the human organ systems and their functions,” I said, turning to the whiteboard. “Let’s get started.”

Pero bago pa man ako makapagsimula, may isang babaeng tumawag sa ‘kin. “Dr. Lee, I have a question before we start.”

“Yes?” Bumaling muli ako sa kanila. “Ano ‘yon?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

The question caught me off guard. Saglit akong hindi nakapagsalita. Of all the things she could’ve asked, I didn’t expect something so personal. I was ready for questions about the syllabus or even about the demands of the course, but this?

“Hindi makasagot si Dr. Lee, mukhang meron,” one of the students teased, sparking a wave of hushed whispers across the room. The students were now buzzing with curiosity, speculating about who this supposed “lucky girl” might be.

I cleared my throat, deciding to put an end to the conversation. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” I replied, my voice steady and measured. “But that doesn’t mean I’m available.” Sinulyapan ko ang babaeng estudyante kanina na walang pakialam sa ‘kin. This time, nakaangat na sa ‘kin ang tingin niya, pero hindi ko mabasa kung ano’ng tumatakbo sa isip niya.

With a slight tilt of my head, I looked at the student who asked the question. “Now that we’ve clarified that, let’s keep our focus on the subject matter, shall we? And oh, by the way, moving forward, I won’t tolerate personal questions during class. You’re free to ask me anything while we’re in session, but it must be related to what we’re studying. If your questions are about my personal life, save them for after class and ask me outside this room.”

I turned back to the whiteboard and began writing, not missing the faint murmurs of disappointment and fascination behind me. Despite their chatter, I knew I had successfully redirected their attention back to where it needed to be—on the lesson, not on me.

Nang matapos ang klase, nagsimula na ‘kong mag-check ng attendance. Dapat sana kanina ko pa ‘yon gagawin pero nawala sa isip ko. “Kapag natawag ko na ang pangalan n’yo, p’wede na kayong lumabas,” sabi ko sa lahat.

Alphabetical ang ginawa kong pag-a-attendance at habang ginagawa ko ‘yon hindi ko maiwasang ma-excite na malaman ang pangalan ng babaeng bored kung tingnan ako kanina.

Pero… paubos na ang mga estudyante sa loob ng lecture hall hindi pa rin siya tumatayo sa upuan niya. Hanggang sa siya na lang mag-isa ang naiwan.

“Villafor, Aria.” Pagkabanggit ko sa huling pangalan na nasa record ko, ‘tsaka pa lang siya tumayo, may kasama pang buntonghinga dahil mukhang nainip siya.

“Present,” she said, her tone flat, as she walked toward the door. My eyes followed her, curious about her nonchalant demeanor. Noong nasa tapat na siya ng pintuan, bigla siyang huminto at nilingon ako. Medyo salubong ang kilay niya. “Dr. Lee… p’wede po bang next time kapag nag-attendance kayo bago na lang magsimula ang klase? Kung sa huli kayo mag-a-attendance, maiiwan ako at maalanganin sa susunod kong subject.”

Her directness caught me off guard. For a second, I just stood there, surprised by her boldness. But before I could stop myself, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. “Are you ordering me around, Villaflor?”

She didn’t flinch. “Nag-su-suggest lang po ako,” she replied casually. Then, with a small gesture, she pointed at my tie. “By the way, your tie doesn’t suit you. You should wear light colors. They’d complement your skin tone better.”

For a moment, I didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. Her audacity was both frustrating and… oddly refreshing. Kaya siguro iba ang tingin niya sa ‘kin kanina. My necktie probably caught more of her attention than my appearance. And this is the first time I’ve encountered a woman who didn’t notice my good looks, but instead, focused on my necktie.

She didn’t look back again as she walked out, leaving me standing there, caught between shaking my head and laughing.

“Aria Villaflor,” I murmured under my breath, glancing back at my attendance sheet. “Noted.”