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University life had a certain predictability to it for Colet. Each day flowed into the next, marked by studio work, critiques, and the occasional campus event. That was until she found the first note. It was folded neatly and slipped between the pages of her sketchbook, a stark contrast to the everyday chaos of her cubby. The note read:
"You seemed lost in thought today while sketching. It’s like you’re not just drawing—you’re creating something alive. Keep it up. –Your Secret Admirer"
The handwriting was neat and elegant, like something out of an old love letter, and it instantly intrigued her. She glanced around the studio, but everyone was busy working on their projects, seemingly oblivious to her discovery.
Colet folded the note and slipped it into her pocket, her thoughts already racing. Who would leave her something like this? It wasn’t just a random compliment—it felt thoughtful and deliberate, as if someone had been paying close attention to her.
The notes didn’t stop there. They began appearing every few days, always tucked away in places where only she would find them. Sometimes they were hidden in her cubby, other times in the folds of her apron. They were all handwritten, and while some contained compliments, others carried jokes or encouraging messages that left Colet smiling or blushing.
One note read: “Bakit daw ayaw ng pencil ng mga artista? Kasi it doesn’t draw them in anymore. But you, Colet, you keep drawing me in.”
Another had a small pressed flower attached to it and said: “You looked beautiful today, focused and lost in your art. It’s like watching a flower bloom in slow motion.”
Her friends in the Fine Arts department suggested that maybe it was one of the students who shared the studio, but no one had any solid leads. That’s when Colet decided she needed backup. And there was only one person who could match her enthusiasm for uncovering a mystery: Aiah.
“Aiahkins, tulungan mo naman ako!” Colet exclaimed one afternoon, practically dragging her friend out of the architecture building and toward the café.
“Seryoso, hindi ko na alam kung ano’ng gagawin ko dito sa mga notes na ‘to. Ang dami na nila.”
Aiah grinned as she let herself be pulled along.
“Notes?” she echoed, a hint of amusement in her tone.
“Secret admirer, huh? Sounds exciting. So, tell me more. Ilan na ba lahat?”
“Pang-walo na ‘to,” Colet said, pulling the most recent note from her bag and handing it to Aiah. The message was another compliment, this time about how she had looked particularly radiant during a critique.
“It’s been going on for weeks, and I still don’t have any idea who it could be.”
Aiah’s brow lifted as she read the note.
“Ay wow naman! Taray sa radiant” she teased.
“Mukhang may nagkakagusto sa’yo. And clearly, they have a thing for mystery. Pero wala ka talagang suspects?”
“Well, I’ve thought about it,” Colet admitted, as they reached the café and settled down at a table near the window.
“May nagsabi nga na baka daw isang Fine Arts student. Maloi even suggested na baka nga someone from the painting classes.”
The mention of Maloi seemed to strike a chord with Aiah, who instantly shook her head.
“Nah,” she said, too quickly. “I doubt it. Fine Arts students are too predictable. I mean, if they liked you, they’d probably confess outright, not leave a trail of notes like some kind of secret agent.”
Colet tilted her head, intrigued by Aiah’s sudden dismissal.
“Grabe ka naman sa Fine Arts students,” she remarked with a chuckle. “But you’re probably right. They don’t exactly seem like the type to stay hidden for long.”
Aiah shrugged, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
“I’m just saying. If it were me, I wouldn’t be leaving notes. I’d tell you straight up.” She gave Colet a pointed look.
“Kaso, it’s not me,” she added quickly, though her smile betrayed a hint of mischief.
Colet narrowed her eyes playfully.
“Ikaw, Aiahkins, ha? You sure you’re not hiding something?” she teased, then laughed at Aiah’s exaggerated look of shock.
“But fine, if you say you don’t know anything, I’ll believe you—for now.”
And so, Aiah officially joined the “investigation,” and the two of them became makeshift detectives. Colet dubbed their mission “Operation Secret Admirer,” and together, they started compiling a list of potential suspects.
Their investigation was light-hearted at first, with Aiah making jokes about following trails of glitter or interrogating students who showed the slightest interest in Fine Arts events. Colet couldn’t help but laugh along with her friend, though a small part of her wondered if Aiah was having a bit too much fun with this.
“Okay Detective Coletians, so let’s start with your routine,” Aiah suggested one afternoon, as they sat under a large tree on the campus grounds.
“Where do you usually find the notes? The cubby, your apron, anywhere else?”
“Sometimes in the sketchbooks, sometimes in random places like the pockets of my jacket,” Colet said, holding up a note she had just found that morning.
“This one was inside my pencil case. Whoever it is, they know where to look.”
Aiah hummed thoughtfully. “So, they’re probably someone who sees you often. Baka may regular na nakakasabay mo palagi. What about the schedules ng mga kasama mo sa studio? Any regulars na lagi mong nakikita?”
Colet bit her lip. “May mga regulars naman, pero wala talagang tumutugma sa timing ng notes,” she explained.
“It’s like they’re always one step ahead of me. Sobrang weird, parang ninja.”
Aiah chuckled. “Well, maybe they’re just a really sneaky ninja,” she said, then paused, her expression turning serious for a moment.
“Or maybe, they’re someone who’s always around but knows when you’re not looking.”
“What do you mean?” Colet asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Just a thought,” Aiah replied with a shrug.
“Could be someone who’s more observant than you think. Maybe it’s someone who knows you better than you realize.”
Colet studied her friend’s face, trying to gauge if there was something more behind her words, but Aiah’s expression was unreadable.
One afternoon, as they sat in the campus courtyard, they donned makeshift detective personas—complete with exaggerated accents and serious expressions.
“Alright, Detective Aiahkins,” Colet said, her voice low as if they were in a noir film. “We need to gather intel. Who are our prime suspects?”
Aiah leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’ve been thinking… what if it’s that quiet guy from painting class? Yung laging nakatingin sa’yo during critiques?”
Colet rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Nah, he’s too shy to even look my way. Besides, he seems more interested in his abstract doodles than in people.”
Aiah giggled, clearly enjoying this. “Okay, okay, what about that girl who keeps borrowing your art supplies? You know, yung lagi may excuse para makausap ka?”
Colet shrugged casually. “Her? Nah, she’s just nice. Unless she has a secret crush on me because of my incredible talent—”
“Grabe naman ang confidence, Detective Colet!” Aiah interrupted, bursting into laughter. “But seriously, that sounds way too obvious.”
Colet leaned back, a grin on her face. “So I should look for someone less obvious? Got it.”
“Exactly! Let’s think outside the box!” Aiah encouraged; her enthusiasm infectious. “Maybe it’s someone from another department entirely, like a mysterious architecture student who admires your art from afar.”
Colet smirked, rolling her eyes playfully. “Oh please, how cliché! Mysterious architect? Parang simula ng rom-com yan. I’m just waiting for the plot twist na susubukan nilang nakawin ang sketchbook ko!” She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a grin.
“But hey, if they want to impress me, dapat may good coffee sila.”
Aiah chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Okay, fine! Pero seryoso, we need to keep our options open. Ang daming tao dito sa campus. Maybe they’re just hiding in plain sight.” Aiah added.
“Right!” Colet nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. “Kailangan ko nang magsimula na mag-scan ng crowd, looking for any telltale signs. What if they wear a secret badge or something?”
Aiah raised an eyebrow playfully. “Or they could leave a trail of glitter. You know, like a very artsy breadcrumb trail.”
Colet laughed, leaning back in her chair. “Or maybe I should just start a rumor na naghahanap ako ng secret admirer and see who steps forward!”
Aiah’s smile faltered for a split second before she masked it with a light chuckle. “That could backfire, you know. Baka mamaya, you end up with a whole line of admirers waiting for you!”
Colet smirked; her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Well, that would be a nice problem to have! Pero for now, I think I’ll just keep my eyes open. The true detective never backs down!”
Aiah nodded, her heart racing at the thought of Colet being pursued, trying to shake off the twinge of jealousy. “Okay, okay, pero let’s be real. If it were me, I’d totally just confess and avoid all this drama.”
Colet leaned in, a teasing smile on her lips. “Aw, come on, Aiahkins! Namumula ka oh. You’re blushing so hard you might explode! I’m onto you.”
“Okay, okay, maybe I just think you’re amazing,” Aiah admitted, her cheeks still flushed, forcing a smile. “But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving you notes!”
Colet leaned back, pretending to think seriously. “Well, Detective, I suppose we’ll just have to keep investigating until we crack this case wide open!”
Aiah couldn’t help but laugh again, though her mind briefly wandered to the thought of others admiring Colet. She pushed it aside, focusing on the warmth of their playful banter wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. “Let’s do it! Operation Secret Admirer, here we come!”
The two “detectives” decided to set a trap. Colet would stay late in the studio one evening, pretending to be engrossed in her work, while Aiah would linger nearby to act as a lookout. Colet was excited, half because she wanted to catch the secret admirer, and half because playing detective with Aiah was unexpectedly fun.
The studio was mostly empty when they began their stakeout. Colet kept her head down, scribbling on a sketchpad, while Aiah hovered just outside the door, pretending to work on her own project. The minutes ticked by slowly, with nothing but the faint sound of rustling paper to keep Colet company.
Then, she heard it—faint footsteps, followed by the unmistakable sound of paper being slipped into her cubby. Colet’s heart raced as she stood up quickly, spinning around just in time to see Aiah standing by the cubby, her hand still resting on the edge.
“Aiah? Ikaw?!” Colet exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and amusement.
Aiah froze, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. She let out a nervous laugh, raising her hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay. Guilty na,” she confessed, her tone sheepish. “It was me all along.”
Colet approached, shaking her head in disbelief.
“You were the secret admirer this whole time?” she asked, a smile forming on her lips despite her surprise.
“Bakit mo ginawa ‘to? You could’ve just told me, you know.”
Aiah’s blush deepened, but there was a soft, earnest look in her eyes.
“Kasi, I just — I just didn’t know how to tell you without feeling… stupid,” she admitted, head hanging low as she find her shoes somehow interesting in this situation.
“Leaving notes was easier than facing you and saying all those things directly. And I guess I liked the idea of you trying to figure it out.” She shrugged, finally looking at Colet with a coy.
“It was fun. Parang tayo lang din.”
Colet stared at her, a mix of emotions bubbling up inside her—surprise, amusement, and something else that felt a lot like relief.
“Well, you’re definitely a better detective than a secret admirer,” she said, her tone playful.
“But I’ll give you points for creativity.”
Aiah’s nervousness faded as she laughed. “So, hindi ka galit?”
Colet shook her head.
“Galit? Hindi naman,” she replied softly. “Actually, I was kind of hoping it was you. I just didn’t want to assume.”
Aiah’s eyes brightened at Colet’s words, and she took a small step closer.
“You were hoping?” she echoed, her voice full of surprise and something close to hope.
Colet nodded, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
“Yeah. Maybe I’ve had a bit of a crush on you for a while. I just didn’t think you’d… do something like this.” She gestured toward the cubby where the notes were hidden.
“Well, now that you know, does that mean I can keep writing you notes?” Aiah said, a hint of mischief returning to her tone,
Colet chuckled while shaking her head a bit. “Kakasabi ko lang na crush kita and your first thought was that?”
Aiah seemed to realize what just occurred and Colet’s words finally sank in, turning her into a blushing mess.
Cute. Colet thought as she speaks up again.
“Well, I guess I’ll just write you notes na lang din. To make sure you know how much I like you as well.” Colet said with a smirk as she teased the girl.
“Or… maybe I can take you out on a date instead?”
Aiah’s eyes went wide, looking both thrilled and completely flustered. “Uh… yeah. Yes! I mean, oo! A date sounds amazing,” she managed, cheeks blazing red.
“Honestly, I didn’t think we’d get to that part so soon.”
Colet laughed, reaching over to ruffle Aiah’s hair. “Oh, so you were planning to keep me guessing with those notes forever?”
Aiah swatted her hand away, feigning offense.
“Maybe! Maybe I just wanted to keep you on your toes” she shot back, though her grin gave her away.
“Pero now that I know you actually like me, maybe I can cut back on the mystery… konti lang.”
Colet raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms with a grin. “Konti lang? So what, now you’re going to send me coded messages or something?”
Aiah gave a mock-serious nod. “Exactly. Get ready for morse code, invisible ink, the whole secret-spy setup. Para ma-feel mo talaga kung gaano kita ka-like.”
Colet burst into laughter, shaking her head. “So Extra, Aiahkins! How did I even fall for someone like you?”
Aiah shrugged, trying to act casual but clearly pleased. “Eh, kasi nga, charming ako. Sobrang charming. Obvious naman, diba?”
Colet rolled her eyes, still smiling. “Sure, whatever you say. Well, Saturday night—dinner, no notes. Think you can handle that, Miss Secret Admirer?”
Aiah laughed, giving Colet a mock salute. “Challenge accepted, ma’am. But don’t be surprised if you find a note or two… just for, you know, sentimental reasons.”
Colet smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Fine, Detective Aiah. I’ll be on the lookout.”
And with that, they walked away together, both grinning like complete fools, realizing their next adventure would be way more fun than just notes and hidden clues. They’d be leaving the guessing behind—and diving headfirst into something real.