SAPPHIRE’S feet brought her to the College of Business department. She had been yearning to see Hapi for days now. They were studying on the same campus, but their schedules didn’t seem to match. It was hard for her to even have a glimpse of him. She walked through the corridors, occasionally peeking on the glass doors of every room, hoping to see the man she was desperately searching for. But there was no sign of Hapi.
Where the heck is Hapi?
She leaned her back on the wall and closed her eyes. Sapphire started counting from one. If she failed to see Hapi after reaching one hundred, then she will leave and go home.
“Campus rule number eight, students are not allowed to sit or stay in the corridors. Therefore, no one is also allowed to sleep here.”
Sapphire opened her eyes immediately upon hearing that familiar voice. Then, she saw Hapi standing in front of her with his hands inside his jeans’ front pockets, smiling. He was wearing a pair of denim pants and their department shirt.
“I am not sleeping,” she told him and hugged her book tightly. “I—” Sapphire could not finish her sentence when Hapi suddenly brought out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and put them on her wrists. “W-what are you doing?” she asked, puzzled.
Hapi smiled at her apologetically.
“Your wrongdoing is punishable by law,” he told her.
“Wait, I can’t follow.” Her forehead formed a knot. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
How come her search for Hapi turned out that way?
“It’s the College of Business Week, and we’re doing this jail booth thing” He tugged her out of the building. “I caught you. So, I will put you in jail.”
Hapi brought her to the campus soccer field that was now filled with different booths. Loud music can be heard all over the place. Ah… here she goes again, not paying attention to the happenings around her. It did not even cross her mind that there was an event on the campus since a week ago.
“H-Hapi…” she said when he opened the improvised jail.
“Oh, our president caught another offender again,” said the one who was dressed as a police officer.
“I’d like to bail—”
“Sorry, but you’re not allowed to bail yourself out. You need someone to pay for your bail. A friend, perhaps.” Hapi gently pushed her inside and removed her handcuffs. Then, he locked the cell.
Sapphire shut her eyes tightly and sighed. No one would pay for her bail. She has no friend on campus, and her cousin Ruby will surely let her rot in jail.
I hate you, Hapi!
“How long will I stay here?” she asked.
“Until someone pays for your bail.” Hapi turned around and sat behind the table near the cell.
“Oh, that’s your cousin, right?”
She turned in the direction of the voice. Ruby, together with her boy-friends, were heading towards the makeshift jail. She lowered her head and bit her lip. Of all people, it was her cousin.
Ruby stopped by to mock her.
“I bet you broke the rule. Poor you, no one will pay for your bail.” Her cousin smirked at her.
A guy whom she was not familiar with whispered something in her cousin’s ear. Ruby’s brows arched and threw a gaze on her.
“I’m not interested in her, though.” Ruby beckoned her boys. “Let’s go.”
Sapphire plopped down on the grass after they left. Maybe it was one of those unlucky days of her life. Now, she regrets looking for Hapi. If she didn’t do that, she was already home, resting her back on the soft bed.
But not too long after she sat down, her phone rang. Her mother’s private nurse was calling her. Sapphire didn’t know why, but she has a bad feeling about it. And she was the type of person who always trusts her guts.
“D-Danna, what’s the problem?” she asked the moment her phone reached her ear.
“I rushed your mother to the hospital, Sapphire,” Danna informed her.
She stood up immediately. “What? What happened to her?”
Her body started to shiver the moment worry flooded her system.
“I noticed that she was out of breath after lunch. I was setting up the nebulizer when I saw her looking pale, so I decided to bring her to the hospital.”
“I-I’m coming.” She ended the call and slid her phone inside her pocket. Then, she turned to face Hapi’s direction and beckoned him to come over.
With a knotted forehead, Hapi came forth.
“Why?” he asked nonchalantly.
“You need to release me now—”
“I told you—”
“Please, I’m begging you to release me!” she snapped. Tears started to well up in her eyes.
He must have noticed that there’s something wrong. His facial expression softened.
“My mother was rushed to the hospital. She needs me now,” she added. “I swear to God I am not making things up. Please believe me, Hapi.”
Hapi fished the key in his pocket and opened the cell for Sapphire. She was about to run when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm.
“I will pay you for this. Don’t worry,” she said with a hoarse voice.
“I will take you to the hospital.”
Hapi tugged her to where he parked his car.
“Hapi…”
“What?” He opened the door for her.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“But I want to. I am offering you a ride for free. You will get to the hospital quickly if I drive you there. So, hop in.”
Sapphire stared at him for a second before she hopped inside the passenger’s seat of his car.
“Thank you…” she told Hapi when he sat in front of the steering wheel.
Now she was sure that Hapi was a good guy. He didn’t have any second thoughts when he heard about the situation and instantly offered help.
Hapi gave her a side-way glance before starting the car’s engine.
“Don’t thank me yet, Sapphire. You still have to pay the price.”
“I know…” She lowered her gaze on her fingers above her lap. “Just tell me how much is—”
“Ah, I forgot to tell you. You will pay me with your service.” He sped the car away.
Sapphire raised her head and turned to him. “What?”
“Well… The rule is… whoever pays the bail, that person will get the chance to be the prisoner’s master for a month.”
Her eyes widened in shock upon hearing that.
“That’s slavery!”
“Sorta.”
Sapphire’s jaw dropped open. “Seriously?”
Hapi looked at her for a second. “I helped you out. It will cost me a thousand pesos for your information.”
“Then I’ll pay you now.” She opened her bag and looked for her wallet. “Oh, where is it?”
She poured everything on her lap, but there was no wallet inside her bag.
“Am I robbed?”
“Why?” asked Hapi.
“My wallet’s gone!”
She closed her eyes and tried to remember every detail since morning when she arrived at the campus. But no matter how much she thinks of it, she couldn’t remember how she may have lost the wallet. Sapphire grabbed her hair and screamed.
She lost her wallet! Inside that wallet were her allowance for the month and the debit card that her grandfather gave her. Now, she was doomed!