Minsan, napapatanong na lang ako. Do we really meet a person because it's our fate to meet them, or kailangan tayo ang gumawa para sa atin? 

 

Alam mo 'yun? I'm 24, still young, single. Pero sa tanang buhay ko, wala pa rin akong nagiging jowa. Flings pwede pa. But it just really makes me think. 

 

If it takes so long for a person to actually meet their lifetime partner, is it because it was their fate to meet them, or it's under the circumstances that they met at the time? 

 

Malay ko. Siguro nga fate. 

 

I'm a graphic artist positioned in our company, but honestly, my work makes me feel burnt out. Don't get me wrong, I love graphic design, artistic ako eh. But it's the actual work that is burning me out. 

 

Graphic designer nga eh. I want my work to come from what I want it to be, yung designs and all that. But to satisfy my boss and the clients, I need to follow what they want the design to be, kahit pa mukhang tsararat para sakin. I most of the time suggest different designs that could actually work but they just always say "no." It's funny. 

 

Mas marunong pa sila sa graphic designer. Edi sana sila na lang din gumawa! 

 

And me, as a person who doesn't give up to my stand, nakaaway ko ang boss ko because of that. Well, I really don't care at this point. I know my job is at stake, but I love myself and I can find another job out there better than this. 

 

I'm waiting for a taxi to take me home pero biglang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. I have to stay inside somewhere first or else basang basa ako, wala pa naman akong payong. 

 

Luckily, I got inside a café and was able to have a seat still available. Nag-order na rin ako ng coffee to pass the time. 

 

While waiting for my order, I noticed someone sitting near my table. Then I noticed her figure, what she wears. Kanina ko pa siya nakikita. 

 

Before I got here kasi, namention ko ngang nakaaway ko ang boss ko. It was earlier somewhere at a public restroom. Syempre hindi naman ako pabaya sa paligid ko once I'm in a public place, malay natin kung ano pwedeng mangyari. Since from that public restroom I started noticing this girl actively following me. 

 

She started looking around from her seat and tinignan ko lang siya. Nang mag tama ang tingin namin, parang nataranta siya. Pero tinignan ko siya at niliitan ng mata. I motioned my hand to silently tell her na lumapit because I want to talk. 

 

When she got here at my seat, nakatayo lang siya. 

 

 

"What's your deal?" Deretso kong tanong. It'll be much more scary to talk like this with a guy, I can never trust them. But she's a girl, cute and... kinda look like a puppy. 

 

"A-ahh, wait Miss, hindi po ako stalker.." Kung saan saan napupunta ang tingin niya, obviously avoiding my gaze. 

 

"So? Kung hindi ka stalker, what's your deal nga? Kidnapper? Mangh-hold up ka? Aalukan mo ako ng trabaho? Because no, pass." Agad siyang umiling nang mabilis sa sinabi ko. 

 

"Miss, I'm not any of those you mentioned. It's just that... I kind of overheard your argument with your boss ealier sa public restroom.." she quietly looked around, still avoiding my eyes, and fidgets with her fingers. 

 

I decided maybe I can scare her more. For fun. 

 

"And? Marites ka? Chismosa? Do you find my life entertaining to you?" As I said that, I looked at her. She looks scared sa kaharap niya, even though I kind of don't want her to feel that way. 

 

Most people thinks of me as masungit. Though that is very far from who I really am, sometimes I just use that as a facade to protect myself from such situatuons. 

 

Situations including this one. I don't know this girl, even though she looks cute especially with that bucket hat on top of her bob hair. She's wearing an all black and a small sling bag on her shoulders. Medyo tall, but I can say I'm much taller than her. 

 

"It felt kinda... Relatable, you know?" She answered. 

 

"And how is that? At kung relatable man, does that mean you followed me all the way here, for I don't know.. company? What?" Pinagpatuloy ko pa rin ang pagsusungit ko because I find this so amusing. She really looks so scared. 

 

It's like she's under my power. 

 

"What you said, or what you did earlier. It all amazed me, na kaya mong sabihin yun even when your job is at stake by doing that. That you can stand up for yourself." This time, she looked straightly to my eyes, seemingly trying to express that she's serious about what she's saying. 

 

"So interested ka sakin?" Hindi agad siya nakasagot, pero hindi rin agad nakatanggi. 

 

This girl. 

 

 

I sighed a relief because it's a relief to know that she's not somewhat here to commit a crime. Or anything related to that. 

 

"Alright. I'm letting you go." Sabi ko. She started looking around and found out her seat was already taken by someone else. 

 

Kaya she awkwardly stood there, as if waiting for someone to pick her up. 

 

She really looks like a puppy. Cutie. 

 

"You can sit here. Two chairs naman dito. Occupied na yung seat mo kanina." Sabi ko. Kahit nahihiya man ay umupo na rin siya. 

 

After minutes ay dumating na rin ang order ko, she didn't order anything for herself kahit na tinanong ko siya kung may gusto ba siya. We just sat there. 

 

But the rain just really won't stop. 

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself sayo. I'm Minjeong Kim. 23. Med student sa umaga, band member sa gabi." Pagpapakilala niya. 

 

She must be the one I overheard singing sa public area kanina near the public restroom. 

 

"Okay. I'm Karina Yu, 24. PolSci graduate pero graphic artist ako. May passion din kasi ako sa arts, and I wanted to use that to today's technology." Pag-introduce ko rin sa sarili ko. 

 

We talked more, until tumila na ang ulan. Surprisingly, gusto niya pa akong samahan maghintay ng taxi. I disagreed kasi gabi na and we're both girls, it's dangerous for both of us. Pero talagang pinilit niya ako. 

 

Kaso, walang taxi. We've been standing here for how minutes long, and wala pa rin talagang dumadaan. 

 

"You know, I have my car near lang. I can just get you home or we wait here for God knows how long." Saad niya. 

 

So talagang hinintay niyang tumagal ang oras ng paghihintay namin bago niya sabihin. 

 

"Wag na. Nakakahiya naman, tapos malalaman mo pa address ko." Sarkastikong sabi ko. Pero totoo yung nakakahiya naman sa kaniya na ihatid pa ako. 

 

"I'll charge you." At dahil nakakahiya nga, pero seeing the situation where there's literally no taxi driving right now, kumagat na ako. Babayaran ko rin naman kasi siya. 

 

 

 

We walked to her car and she didn't lie when she said na malapit lang talaga. After hopping inside, she quickly started the engine and told me to put on my address sa phone niya. So I did. 

 

"So this is your way of knowing my address? Ganyan ba ginagawa mo sa girls mo?" Another sarcasm. 

 

She chuckled, "Not really." 

 

 

Hindi naman masyadong malayo ang address ko from where we were kanina. 

 

"You want to get a drink?" She suddenly asked. 

 

"Alam mo ikaw, Minjeong Kim. I'm not dumb. You can just drop me off here because you won't get in my tonight. Not now and never." I seriously said. 

 

Girls are hot, I can see that. But I just don't give myself to people that easy! Isa pa, I barely know her. Hindi naman ako pang one-night stand lang. I believe in consistency and commitment, ano! 

 

"What? Miss Karina Yu, that's not my intention at all. I just want a light drink, because you know, this day was heavy but it became lighter to carry because of you. Also, bars are closed. Please?" 

 

"Fine, but no flirting. Also drink lightly like you said, you still have to drive." Sabi ko. She smiled in triumpth and stopped at a 7/11 nearby. 

 

Once we arrived home, I quickly opened my house and let her inside. "Feel yourself at home." Sabi ko. 

 

"So you do know how to treat your guests right." Pang-aasar niya. 

 

She's been teasing me na sobrang mapaghinala daw ako at ang dami ko nang accusations na binabato sa kaniya. Not my fault that this actual interaction started from something you don't encounter all the time! 

 

"Stop or I'll have to let you out of the house." Pagbabanta ko. Tumahimik naman agad siya. 

 

 

An hour passed and I can say she really didn't drink much, but I've been saying things. Although I'm still not drunk. Maybe just a little? 

 

"So diba, yung tito ko… just like me right now, although hindi ko ginawa yung kaniya, he went to a manghuhula. Can you believe it?! Manghuhula!" Niyugyog ko pa siya habang nagk-kwento ako. 

 

Napansin ko, she just lets me do whatever I want. 

 

"Tapos, nagtanong siya. Tinanong niya yung manghuhula kung darating pa ba ang one true love niya." Pagpapatuloy ko sa pagkwento. Nakikinig naman siya. 

 

"Alam mo sabi ng manghuhula?" Minjeong slowly shaked her head, as if showing that she doesn't know without saying it verbally. 

 

"Sabi ng manghuhula, makikilala niya ang one true love niya once he turns 30. 27 siya nung time na 'yun!" 

 

"So? Naniwala ba siya?" Tanong niya. I slowly shaked my head. 

 

"Patapusin mo muna kasi ako!" I said. I saw her acting as if she's zipping and threw the key. Natawa tuloy ako sa hitsura niya. 

 

"Okay, okay, okay. So ito nga, syempre naniwala siya sa manghuhula. Naging open siya to all the possibilities. Kaso ayun, at the age of 29, may nakilala siyang sweetheart. Yun yung tita ko ngayon." I said. She nodded, actually waiting for me to finish the story before speaking. 

 

"So at the age of 29, may nakilala siya. Pero going back to the manghuhula, ang sabi niya, 30! 29 pa lang yung tito ko! Guess what!" She quickly shakes her head, saying na hindi niya alam. 

 

"At the age of 30, dumating yung first love niya nung high school." I saw how Minjeong's eyes got big with what she heard. Kahit ako that time nagulat ako nung kwinento ng Tito ko 'yan. 

 

"So that time, kahit na mahal na mahal niya ang partner niya, which is ang partner niya pa rin until now, syempre nadismaya siya. Kasi his first love was also the greatest, first to his relationship now. Paano nga if he waited?" Medyo malungkot kong pagtatapos sa kwento, kasi sayang din talaga. Pero at least, his partner right now is a real sweetheart! Favorite rin ako nun. Kaya favorite ko rin siya, hehe. 

 

"Pwede ka nang magsalita." Sabi ko. Natatawa pa ako sa kaniya kasi hindi talaga siya magsasalita. 

 

"I guess hindi na dapat niya tinanong sa manghuhula." Saad niya. I got curious to her statement, so I listened more. 

 

"For me, if we're shown something that's really interesting in front of us, we get greedy and instantly want that thing for ourselves. Ikaw ba, anong gusto mo? As in, kahit ano." Tanong niya. Napaisip ako. Ano nga bang gusto ko? 

 

Out of all the things I can have, ano nga ba ang gusto ko? 

 

"Just to be a graphic designer?" Hindi ko pa siguradong sagot. 

 

"Right, just like yours. Once you're given the job, you instantly want it, so you work for it. Not knowing na what if, there's things out there that's better for you. Na if there's a world for you for this certain thing, what if there's a better world that can give you more freedom to do whatever you want?" She said, "Say, being an artist. Artists are not too far from graphic design." 

 

Art? 

 

That's not… too bad. 

 

Just as I mentioned earlier, artistic ako. I joined an art club nung high school. I won medals. I was able to show my art to people. 

 

But I resorted to graphic design since my family opposed the fact that I want to be an artist. Wala daw pera dun. 

 

"Your Tito, he was all worked out for knowing na he'll finally have a partner, a lifetime partner at that, that he accepted anything into his life. Without knowing na there's better out there. Although! Your Tita right now is a sweetheart, just like you said." 

 

"So? Maghihintay na lang siya, maniwala sa fate na someday, may darating rin?" Tanong ko. She was quiet. Parang hindi alam ang isasagot. 

 

"I guess so?" She answered.

 

"So naniniwala ka sa tadhana?" 

 

"Ewan ko. I can't believe in something that's not absolute. Maybe there's something, maybe there's nothing." She said. Confusion is obvious on her face. 

 

"Tama na nga. Malapit na akong masabog! I can't keep up with the conversation." Saad ko at pareho kaming natawa. 

 

"Alam mo, magulo ka rin talaga." 

 

 

After a while, we realized it was getting really late so I forced her to stop drinking already and drive home. Pababa na kami sa hagdan and getting near my house gate. 

 

"Ingat ka, Minjeong." I said. It suddenly felt heavy to have her leave. 

 

But she's still there, standing. I'm so confused that I didn't realize our lips were touching. 

 

I was so shocked that it took us a while before we parted. 

 

"You… We don't ruin nights, Minjeong. Please get home safely." I said, before shutting my gate. I don't know what she looks like right now, or if she already went to her car, but I couldn't let go of the handle of the gate. 

 

I guess I'm the one who got scared. Minjeong was something, like she came into my life to suddenly color it whole, but now it shattered into pieces. 

 

Whether I open this gate or not, I know she has already left. I know that there's no