Today I walked into school with an uneasy feeling.
Adrian's words from yesterday kept echoing in my head:
"I heard there was a bet."
I panicked.
Anto panicked.
Anto's gang panicked.
Only the teachers didn't panic.
⚠️ Morning — The Weird Atmosphere
Unlike usual,
Anto's gang wasn't laughing.
They sat in a circle.
Serious.
Like a cabinet meeting.
Anto sat in the middle, looking pale.
Tey spoke,
"We have to keep this secret. Adrian's already suspicious."
Tian nodded.
"If Adrian finds out, he'll tell Rina."
Juke added,
"If Rina finds out, Anto dies."
Kane wrote in his notebook,
"Solution: don't say anything to Adrian."
I approached them.
"To… why are you having a meeting like you're going to war?"
Anto jumped up in panic.
"Rina!! No-no, this is just… an academic meeting! About math!
We're discussing… quadratics…"
"You guys never care about math."
"…yeah, true."
🥤 Break Time — Adrian Interrogates Anto's Gang
I was eating with Eli when I saw something that made my skin crawl:
Adrian approached Tey, Tian, Kane, and Juke.
One table.
Together.
"Rin…" Eli whispered.
"Look. That's police interrogation vibes."
Adrian sat casually, but his gaze was sharp.
"I just want to ask…
What bet did you guys make with Anto?"
Anto's gang froze instantly.
Tey swallowed.
"A bet? Bet… bet… beach??"
Tian quickly jumped in.
"Correct! Beach bet!! A… traditional… Filipino game."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"That's strange. Yesterday I heard from another class it was a bet about Rina."
Kane dropped his notebook.
Juke nearly choked on his iced tea.
Adrian stared at them.
"So, what bet is it?"
Tey made the biggest mistake by opening her mouth.
"It's not a bet meant to hurt Rina! It's just a bet so—"
Anto suddenly appeared behind them like a failed ninja.
"TEYYYYYY!!!!"
He covered Tey's mouth.
Adrian stood up.
"Why are you panicking, To?"
Anto laughed awkwardly.
"Me?? Panicking?? No!
This is just a warm-up…
A lip… warm-up…"
"Lip warm-up?" Adrian repeated flatly.
"Y-yeah… I… want to eat fritters…"
From afar, I covered my face.
Eli almost fell off her chair.
💥 Rina Gets Curious Too
I finally walked over to their table.
"What's all the noise about?"
Adrian looked at me.
Serious.
Calm.
"I asked them about the bet, but they all went crazy."
I fell silent.
Anto's gang froze.
Anto froze the most.
"To?"
I looked at him.
Anto swallowed.
"Rina… it's… it's nothing…"
Adrian cut in,
"Why are you afraid of Rina knowing?"
Anto turned pale like a wall.
"I-I'm afraid…
she might misunderstand…"
Adrian looked at me.
"Rina, if there really is a bet, you deserve to know."
My heart dropped.
Tey suddenly stood up.
"Rina! It's not a bad bet! It's a love bet!!"
I stiffened.
"WHAT LOVE BET?!"
Tian covered Tey's mouth.
"No! Wrong! It's a bet… about… healthy food!"
Juke raised a hand.
"I'm wrong too! It's an OSIS bet!"
Kane panicked.
"It's a sports bet! Who runs fastest!"
I stared at Anto.
"To."
Anto nearly fainted.
"Rina… I… I can explain…"
I glared.
"Explain now."
Anto opened his mouth.
Looked at me.
And said:
"I…
I…"
Then suddenly—
KREEESSHHH!!!
A loud tray crash.
Another student dropped their food — and everyone turned.
Anto instantly used the chaos to run away.
"To!! COME BACK!"
He disappeared.
Eli facepalmed.
"Rin, your guy ran like a chicken thief."
"He's NOT my guy!!"
"But you're jealous."
"I AM NOT—"
"Your face is red."
"I'M HOT!"
Eli: "Hot because of love."
🌸 After School — Adrian Gets More Suspicious
After school, I walked past the gate.
Adrian approached.
"Rina."
I swallowed.
"I'm serious.
If someone's forcing you, tell me."
I shook my head slowly.
"No one's forcing me."
Adrian sighed.
"I'm just afraid you're being played."
I wanted to say:
"I'm actually afraid I'm falling for someone stupid but sincere."
But I only nodded quietly.
Anto appeared across the street like a scared cat.
He looked at us from afar.
His eyes were sad.
I looked back.
And my heart… hurt a little.
Damn.
❤️ Rina Starts Feeling Afraid of Losing Him
That night I sat at my desk.
I stared at the plastic flower again.
I realized something:
I'm not mad because of the bet.
I'm mad because Anto wasn't honest.
I'm mad because Adrian knew first.
Not me.
I'm mad because…
I'm afraid Anto will back away.
I'm afraid my feelings will be too late.
I covered my face.
"I…
don't want him to run away again…"