"Gerald I still have the same answer to that question." Kim said, then stood up.

Gerald remained seated. " Hindi mo ba talaga ako mahal?"

She went back to where she was seated, beside Gerald and let him face her. "Alam mong mahal kita! pero siguro hindi pa ito ang tamang panahon to commit! One year na lang and I'll be graduating from my med course. From there, we'll see!"

Gerald nodded and looked away. "I understand!" he said it weakly.

He couldn't count anymore, how many times did he ask her to be his girlfriend, and how many times she said "not yet".

"NOT YET"-- yes! they both love each other but Kim would always remind him "no commitments" and Gerald's willing to wait until she says YES! It's been five years since he first asked her the question. It hurt him to death with her answer, but never did he think of quitting.

Kim is on her last year with her medicine course, while Gerald's still deciding if he'll pursue his law course. He still has to study 2 years to be able to graduate from his second course. It was his dream to become a lawyer someday. Kim wanted him to pursue that dream, this is maybe one of her reasons of not saying yes to him yet! She wanted him to focus on this and at the same time, she could also concentrate with her studies. Gerald even told her he can give this dream up just to have time for her. Another reason why she doesn't want to commit for now.

"Gerald, I don't want you to get stuck with me, you can go and look for other girls. I'm sorry if I can't give you my whole of time yet." she regretted saying that. What if magsawa na siya kahihintay at maghanap ng iba?

He looked at her "I already told you this-- I can wait! and if takes forever for you to say yes, I will wait!"

"Thank you for always been so understanding Gerald." she said it with a smile.

He nodded. "You wanted me to drive you home now? maaga pa ang duty mo bukas!"

Kim smiled and nodded. He drove her home and said goodbye.

The next day, he texted her that he cannot fetch her from her house and drive her to the hospital, because he has to attend to something that's important. So she asked their family driver to drive her to the hospital, instead.

"Is it really because of something important or he doesn't want to continue with this anymore?" she thought while she's inside the car on her way to the hospital for duty.

"Hay Kimmy, stop thinking!"

During her lunch break, Kara her classmate and Lito, one of their co-interns in the hospital commented on her being silent that day.

"What's wrong? antahimik mo ata ngayon?" Kara asked Kim who is just staring at her food.

Lito looked at Kara, Kim isn't back with the real world yet.

Kara tapped her on her right arm. "hoy! saan ka na nakarating?"

Kim just looked at them and sighed.

"Ang lalim nun ah!" Lito commented.

"Ano ba kaseng problema mo? kanina ka pa wala sa sarili." Kara asked her again.

"Wala!" Kim answered briefly.

"You cannot hide from us Kimmy! Para naman kaming others! Come on you can tell us! kahit naman ganito kami ay marunong kaming magtago ng sekreto" she tried to put a light environment.

Kim smiled and shook her head.

"huhulaan na lang ba namin? or sasabihin mo para bago tayo matapos kumain ay nasolve na yang problema mo!"

"Hindi talaga ako makakalusot sa inyong dalawa! Talo nyo pa ang mga CSI at NBI!" Kim finally giggled.

"Eh ano nga ang problema?" Lito impatiently asked.

"Si Gerald kase!"

"Anong ginawa mo na naman kay Papa Ge ko ha?" Kara joked her.

Kim laughed. "Bakit ba pag dating kay Gerald, ako lagi ang may ginagawang masama? ako ba ang kaibigan niyo o siya?"

"Malapit nang maging siya! Naku Kim ha, tinanong ka na naman niya ano? tapos umayaw ka na naman!" Kara gave her wild guess.

"Paano mo naman nalaman yun? hindi ko pa sinasabi!"

"Eh kase po, ilang beses nyo na bang hinindian ang lover boy nyo? mag-ingat ka, baka mamaya agawin ko yan sa'yo!" Kara confidently threatened her friend.

Kim laughed. "And he didn't drive me here this morning! Nakakapanibago lang."

"See? nagsasawa din ang tao! Hala ka! baka he'll never drive you nor fetch you again." Kara said it only to see Kim's reaction.

Suddenly Kim got sad and bow down her head.

"Ano ka ba? I was just kidding!" Kara got back her earlier statement.

"What if you're right about that? Paano kung pagod na siya kaaantay?"

"Kimmy, si Gerald yan! We witnessed how patient he is of you, habang buhay ata siyang mag-aantay." Lito assured her.

"Sana nga!" she said it almost a whisper.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kara asked.

"What is it?"

"Why are you prolonging the agony Kim Chiu? I am sure you love him and no doubt he loves you to death!" she asked it innocently.

"I wanted this relationship to be perfect, gusto ko nasa ayos lahat kapag pinasukan ko. I don't want to risk Kara!" she said it softly.

"But Love is all about risking and taking chances my dear!"

Kim got silent all of a sudden, Kara is right!

"O ayan! napapaisip ka ano?"

Kim sighed, her friends are right, damn love! it hurts!

And how will I make things right now, give up na ata si Gerald? Kim thought..