Nate grew more attentive, his hand reaching out to touch Kia's face, his gaze locked onto her. Kia found this situation deeply unsettling. She forcefully pushed his hand away and stepped back, exclaiming, "Get away from me! Don't play nice and then suddenly try to take advantage of me. Remember, we're still in the classroom! I'll call for help!"
He tilted his head, scrutinizing Kia more closely, and then sneered, "Oh? You audacious little brat! You dare threaten me?"
Kia took a few steps back, stammering, "I... I needed to use the restroom, if you don't mind. The sign outside didn't bother me. I'm sorry you had to witness that. It doesn't interest me at all. I also know that you're Nathan Zac Ramirez, so..." Her words became shaky, and she struggled to speak. To hold back the tears streaming down her face, she tightly closed her eyes and tried to focus elsewhere. She stood there, motionless, her chest heaving with each breath, tears welling up.
"Why are you crying? What do you want me to do for you? Just name it. I'll grant any request you have, as long as you promise to keep quiet about what you saw today, not telling anyone, not even your family or your pet dog," he said seriously, pulling out his wallet and pretending to count money.
Kia's face turned crimson. She blushed deeply and said, "Okay... I'll tell you what I want. If you can get me a pack of sanitary pads, I promise I won't tell anyone about what I saw today."
Nate paused for a moment before asking, "Sanitary pads? What are you talking about? Oh... I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Are you on your period today? Your skirt from earlier seems to have some bloodstains."
"Really? Is there a stain on the back of my skirt? Oh my, I don't have an extra skirt here to change into..." Kia sighed in frustration, feeling helpless.
"Don't stress about it. Take this for now," Nate said, unzipping his jacket and handing it to Kia. "Wait here for me," he added before quickly leaving the room.
He got into his car and drove to the nearest shopping center. Seeing a Watson store at the entrance, he went in without further ado.
"Wow! This guy is incredibly good-looking!"
"Look at him!"
"Check out his style! Is that the attire required for University of Cavite students?"
"He's so attractive!"
"Hey, look! It seems he's going to buy sanitary pads. Could it be that he doesn't have a girlfriend?"
Nate's attention was caught by that last comment. Girlfriend? There's only ever been one girl. The one trying to take advantage of me! I haven't even made a move on the girl in the restroom stall yet. And now I'm stuck dealing with this troublesome girl. He muttered to himself as he made his way through the store.
Nate found himself in a perplexing situation as he stood before an array of different sanitary napkin brands. He muttered to himself, "Which sanitary napkin is she using? There are too many brands to choose from... This is even more confusing than solving a hundred math problems! Screw it, I'll buy them all!" Determined, he proceeded to collect 20 packs of each brand.
Approaching the cashier, he arranged the sanitary napkins on the counter and confidently stated, "I'll take one of each, please. How much is that?"
The cashier was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected request. She scanned through the sanitary napkins while stealing a few glances at Nate, before finally responding, "2500."
Without hesitation, Nate retrieved his wallet, took out three thousand dollars, and nonchalantly declared to the cashier, "Keep the change."
"Uh... okay."
Nate wasted no time and swiftly left the store, concealing the conspicuous bag under a cloth. Upon reaching the school, his first destination was the restroom, where he found Kia seated on the floor.
He approached Kia, positioning the bag next to her, and said, "Please accept these sanitary napkins."
Kia slowly lifted her head to look at Nate as he approached. "Thank you... Wait, why did you buy so many?" Kia was completely taken aback when she saw the twenty-pack of sanitary napkins.
Nate explained, "I got one of each brand because I wasn't sure which one you prefer. Just take them without complaining. By the way, are you feeling okay?" He began to express genuine concern for Kia's well-being.
"I'll be fine; it's just my period. You have no idea how uncomfortable it can be. Oh, and here, take this-" Kia began to offer him money.
"No need for that. Just put it behind your back for protection. Think of it as a contribution to charity. You don't have to thank me, and your discomfort has nothing to do with me; it's none of my business," Nate muttered something to himself before hastily exiting the restroom.
...
Kia
What exactly was he struggling with? Why did he suddenly change? There seemed to be a battle raging within him, like a conflict between a fallen angel and a demon. Regardless, it appeared that he was a decent person, judging by his actions. Kia had no idea that Nathan Zac Ramirez wasn't nearly as unfriendly as rumors suggested.
In any case, she needed to focus on her current discomfort, her period...
She reached into her bag, retrieved the package of sanitary napkins, and entered a cubicle to attend to her needs. Afterward, she headed straight outside. But before leaving the building, she turned back toward the restroom and said, "Thank you for helping me, Nate..." She chuckled to herself and continued walking. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Ares's number.
[Hi, hon!] Ares cheerfully greeted her. It seemed like he had a good day.
"Hi! Have you finished your work? I'm just about ready to head home..." Kia began.
[You're absolutely right, Kia. I'm sorry, but could you hold on for a little while? I still have a meeting to attend, and if I just leave the office without going, my manager will not be pleased.]
"No worries at all. I can manage. In fact, I'll take the bus home today. Focus on your meeting, and don't stress about me."
I could hear him let out a sigh before he said, "I'm really sorry, hon. I'll get you something nice when you finish work, okay?"
"Sounds good!"
Kia left the building, unaware that Vera Eunice Ventura was discreetly following her from a distance, silently musing to herself, "Interesting..." as Kia walked away.