“You'll clean my room?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“This is just a show of my appreciation for helping me earlier this noon.”

“It was my job.”

“But I can't help but be thankful for what you did ma'am Iris. So please be so kind and let me clean.”

“........”

Ma'am just stares at me without blinking.

She's getting suspicious perhaps?

“What is it po ma'am?”

“Do you have something you want from me Mr. Reverren?”

“How cold. You're breaking my fragile glass heart po ma'am with that sentence. Why would you assume that I have an ulterior motive?”

“Because this is your first time volunteering into cleaning my room.”

“Ohh. We've only met for at least a month po ma'am. I just realized earlier how serious you are into teaching your student. It makes me want to help you.”

“.......It is my job.”

“Heh. Is that so? In any case, your spirit stirred me up.”

I picked up the broom and starts sweeping the wooden floor.

Her place isn't that big. But it's enough to fit a small book shelf, a water dispenser, a medium size mahogany table, and few other furnitures.

I don't have much to clean here actually. She seems to be maintaining her place very well.

It's not fancy but it's orderly arrange making a person feels comfortable.

“Are you not... afraid of me?”

Ma'am Iris whom I thought to be busy doing some paperwork suddenly broke the silence with a question.

“Why should I be afraid?”

“No nevermind.”

“Does this got something to do with how the student body see you as a cold person?”

“........”

“I thought so as well. You're aloof and seemingly unemotional ma'am. Your attitude makes us feel like you doesn't care for us.”

“But that's not true!”

Oh.

“I apologize.”

“No it's fine po ma'am. But heh, you just shouted.”

Well well... color me surprised.

“Because, it's not like I don't care.”

“Fufufufu. It's fine po ma'am. It's lovely to know that you're not unemotional like how you're perceived by everybody. It looks like we just don't really know you that much.”

“........”

“Why don't you try hanging out with your students? It could help with your social life.”

“Kindly don't interfere with my private affairs but continue with what you're doing Mr. Reverren.”

I thought we finally have a topic to talk about but she cut it off like that.

It looks like she doesn't want to talk about this any further. She now focuses on her papers.

So I turned around and just continued sweeping....

“Is there anything else to clean here po ma'am?”

It's been 30 minutes and I can't seem to find any more things to clean.

“You've done enough Mr. Reverren. Thank you and please leave now. I'm just about to be done with my work.”

“Ohh you're welcome po ma'am.”

“........”

“Ma'am.”

“Yes? Is there anything else?”

“Can I drink some water?”

“Sure.”

I look around her room. There's no cup for me to use.

“I have no drinking bottle with me po ma'am. Can I borrow yours?”

There's a cup on her desk.

“I am currently using this Mr. Reverren.”

“I could just wash it ma'am Iris.”

“No.”

“Well, no then. Very well I understand.”

“Please close the door after you left.”

“Ma'am, is it only me po or you're eager to make me leave?”

“You're bothering me Mr. Reverren. I'm working.”

Heh... So cold.

“.........”

I turned around. I sneakily pulls out my phone from my pocket.

I unlocked it and opens the voice recording application.

And tapped the record button.

Then I put it into the pocket of my polo shirt and turned back to ma'am.

“Ah ma'am!”

“What is it Mr. Reverren.”

“Didn't you told me and the boys to pick up the new locker last Tuesday?”

“What of it?”

I sat on her guest's seat.

“I'm just wondering if it will put me into trouble.”

“Why would it be?”

“We left before the ceremony ends after all.”

“Don't worry Mr. Reverren. It won't put you into trouble. If it would anyway, it will be my responsibility. I'm the one who asked you to help.”

“Oh I see. Well then thank you po ma'am.”

I turned around and walk towards the door.

“Is that why you came here Mr. Reverren?”

“Not really po ma'am. I just remembered it. I came here with the intention to clean your room.”

“Thank you..”

“Fufufufufu.”

“............”

“You're welcome po ma'am.”

I closed the door and turned off my voice recording app.

I'll trim it later...

“Look Eli-chan, wasn't this the chocolate candy I tasted in your mouth yesterday?”

I am showing Eli-chan a wrapper of a candy I picked up from the ground.

She blushes perhaps remembering what happened yesterday. But then she looks at me with anger.

“Fufufu. You were so cute back then. Why don't we try it again?”

She turned her head away refusing to look at me.

“Do you also like this kind of sweets, Eli-chan?”

I blocks her way. She stops walking.

“........”

She didn't answer my question but turned to the other side. She has been walking side-by-side with me in silence since earlier.

We're walking our way toward the tricycle station. It will bore me if she won't talk to me like this.

“Hey stop ignoring me.”

“........”

“Eli-chan, are you still mad at me?”

“.........”

“I mean, are you still angry with me ‘lying’ to you?”

“.........”

“Alright. I apologizes for that. I admit that I lied to you, and I already said this but, it doesn't mean I don't trusts you. It just got something to do with—”

“With who am I right?”

She scoffed.

“You're mistaken. I mean to say that it got something to do with your mindset.”

“........”

“You thinks in absolute terms. But that's not how it is. There's nothing absolute Eli-chan. We're humans. We're not just ‘this’ or ‘that’, we could be both.”

She's frowning while looking away from me.

“I'm sure you've noticed how humans seems to be so contradictory. They say that they care for the planet, yet they do nothing for it.”

“.......”

“It seems like they love to say things they don't mean. Do they really mean it? Do they say they care for the sake of being in the good light? Perhaps it is. Perhaps it doesn't. There's just really a lot of variables involved. The universe is vast, you can't just rationalize this with either black or white, Eli-chan.”

“Are you done?”

She asked me trying to be calm but she bites her lower lip betraying her inner frustration.

I thought she'll snap again and shout at me.... but she didn't.

“If I'm done, should I stop speaking?”

“You should.”

“Why should I?”

“.....can you just shut up? I know you're just justifying what you did.”

“You're obstinate about this. I wonder why. Is this a defense mechanism of yours? A trauma response perhaps? I wonder what kind of childhood you had.”

“...shut up...”

“Fufufufu. What?”

“I said shut up!”

“......”

“Don't mention my childhood! You don't... You don't even remember our..... our......”

He lips flowed with thin blood.

“Remember what?”

A red droplet fell from her lips to the ground.

“........”

She refuses to speak this time. Her eyes wet but she doesn't cry.

“Fufufufu. You're pretty childish Eli-chan. Cute, adorable but stubborn— However, alright. I'll stop.”

I resumes my steps.

“However, you're still my girlfriend Eli-chan. That's our deal. You can't ignore me.”

“......I....Know...”

She spoke softly but I heard it.

I'll just let her listen to the recording tomorrow.