Chapter Text
The first week of classes always felt like the easy mode of a game—chill students, hallways still filled with excitement, and professors barely showing up. And for Rin, this was the perfect time to visit her favorite place on campus: the library.
The century-old, famous library of St. Aurelius University was probably older than Rin’s grandparents. It smelled like old paper, varnished wood, and history itself—its grand structure looked like it came straight out of the 17th century, every corner preserving the beauty of the old architecture.
It never failed to amaze Rin whenever she stepped inside. As a Literature major who loved to read and write, this place was nothing short of heaven.
She wandered through the aisles, looking around as if it were her first time entering. When she found a table by the window, she left her things there and headed straight to the classics section, determined to find Pride and Prejudice.
“It was just here… Alam ko dito ko ‘yun nilagay,” she muttered, sighing when she couldn’t find the book. After a moment, she approached the counter where the librarian was sorting some papers.
“Uhm, hello po, I’m looking for Pride and Prejudice, kasi I couldn’t find it on the shelf where I put it back. Do you have an idea po kung nasaan ‘yung book?” Rin asked politely.
The librarian looked up and smiled in recognition—Rin was one of her regulars.
“Ay, iha! Ikaw pala ‘yan. Saglit lang, kakabalik lang kasi nung libro kanina—may nanghiram.”
The librarian turned to the shelf behind her, where recently returned books were neatly arranged. A few seconds later, she held up the familiar cover.
“Ito, iha,” she said warmly, handing it over.
Rin’s face lit up. “Thank you po!” she said softly before hurrying back to her seat.
Settling down, she eagerly flipped through the pages until she reached the chapter where she’d last left off. She was halfway through Mr. Darcy’s disastrous proposal when something unexpected slipped out—a small note, tucked neatly between the pages.
It was placed right beside Elizabeth’s line:
From the very beginning, from the first moment, I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressed me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others.
On the note, written in neat but playful handwriting, it said:
She just did the 1813 version of ‘rant post with matching screenshots.’ 💀
Next to it was a small doodle of a skull.
Rin blinked, then let out a quiet laugh, covering her mouth. The combination of the comment and the doodle made her grin wider.
Who annotates a library book like it’s Twitter? she thought, shaking her head.
For a moment, she debated—should she report it, remove it, or… reply?
The last option won.
“Is this even allowed? Annotating a book from the library like it’s a Twitter post?” she scribbled back on another small note and stuck it right beside the first one.
Just as she put the note back and closed the book, her phone buzzed inside her bag. Rin fished it out, glancing at the screen.
Rinnnn, nasaan ka? Kanina pa kita hinahanap. Prof Torres is looking for you.
She gasped quietly. “Ay, patay.”
Rin hastily packed her things, muttered a quick “thank you po” to the librarian, and dashed out of the library—completely unaware that this small exchange of notes would soon change her entire semester.
As she hurried down the hallway, she texted back while walking.
Jules, on the way na! Nasaan ka?
Before she could press send, she bumped into someone. Her phone nearly slipped from her hands as she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact. But instead of hitting the ground, she felt a steady hand catch her by the back.
“Careful,” a calm voice said. “Look where you’re going next time—and maybe don’t text while walking.”
Rin opened her eyes slowly—and froze. The girl in front of her was… stunning. brown hair, sharp eyes softened by a kind smile, and a voice that somehow made her forget how to breathe.
Her brain short-circuited.
“S-sorry! I wasn’t— I mean—sorry po!” she stammered, bowing slightly in embarrassment.
The girl chuckled, obviously amused by Rin’s flustered state. “It’s fine. Just be careful next time,” she said, flashing a small smile before walking past her.
Rin stayed frozen in place, face heating up.
What just happened?
“Rin!” A familiar voice snapped her out of her daze. Jules came running toward her, slightly out of breath. “Jusko, nandito ka lang pala! I’ve been looking for you since kanina!”
“Ha? Oh—Jules! You’re here,” Rin replied, still spaced out.
Jules squinted at her. “Ang weird mo. Did you even hear what I said?”
“Uh, yeah… yeah,” Rin mumbled, shaking her head to snap back to reality.
Jules rolled her eyes. “Tara na, hinahanap ka ni Prof Torres.”
“Bakit daw?” Rin asked, picking up her pace to walk beside her friend.
“Ewan, basta she told me to find you. Mukhang may pinapagawa yata,” Jules said, still catching her breath.
As they walked away, Rin glanced back toward the direction of the library—the memory of the mysterious note and that brief, heart-stopping encounter both swirling in her mind.
Little did she know, both would soon lead her to the same person.