14/02/2026
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
It didnโt begin with love notes or a confession. It started on an ordinary dayโrainy and gloomy.
Walking down the campus hallway, it seemed unusually quiet, like the earth whispered: โ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ.โ
There are no roses here; theyโve withered and dried.
No dramatic wind to toss your hair the way movies make it look.
No perfectly timed background music beneath fairy lights.
And thenโฆ for a fleeting moment, another world seemed to flicker into view.
Glass slippers and glimmering suits.
Wishes to the stars.
Magic carpet rides.
Moments that shine and words that land just right.
This only happens in fairytales, where happy endings are guaranteed.
But slippers get scuffed, suits get wrinkled, no fairy godmother grants your wishes, and the flying carpet never appears.
In college, the story looks different. Deadlines lurk in every corner, quizzes line up one after another, and tasks appear more often than magic. No sparkle, no filter; just the everyday hustle, with no bottom line and scripted moments.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ.
And yetโฆ there it was. Love doesnโt always come in pairs, and itโs never meant to be celebrated only with a partner. In that everyday struggle, thereโs a friend willing to walk beside you, a teacher who stayed during your toughest week, and a family who understands your silence. No spotlight, no audience, just small moments and quiet presence. It might not be grand, and it doesnโt always come with flowers. But itโs not rehearsed. It arrives unexpectedly, and it can be celebrated in countless ways.
This Valentineโs Day, whether youโre alone or holding someoneโs hand, remember: love doesnโt always announce itself. Sometimes, it quietly chooses to stay.
Happy Valentineโs Day, Gendies. May you all find your own version of a love storyโ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ.
Caption By: Eric John Batocael
Layout By: Karelle Balancar & Jan Auric Sia