Magulo. Maingay.

Minji doesn't know how to feel, alam naman niya na normal occurrence sa cafeteria sa university nila na maging magulo at maingay pero parang never na ata syang nasanay rito kahit dalawang taon na syang nag-aaral sa unibersidad. Siya kasi yung tipo na gusto ng katahimikan palagi, but then again, sana sa library nalang sya diba? Pero, hindi ka naman kasi pwedeng kumain sa library, ayaw nya rin sa covered court, baka naman kasi lumilipad na bola ang makain nya ron, and out of her options din yung field kasi mainit. Hindi nya nga ma-gets, August na, di ba dapat malamig lamig na yung panahon? Malapit nang mag-December, and December = cold sa bokabularyo ni Minji Kim.

"Bat ganyan nanaman itsura mo?" Nawala yung iniisip nya nang sikuhin sya ng marahan ng kanyang katabi, si Bora. Sinamaan lamang niya ito ng tingin bago isubo yung pastang inikot nya sa tinidor. "Hoy nagtatanong lang ako" Bora raised her arms in defense, sa takot na baka tusukin sya ni Minji ng gamit na tinidor. Napangiwi naman sya sa naisip, the nursing student in her thought of how unsanitary that would be, at kung anong infection ang makukuha nya galing kay Minji.

"Hay nako Bora, nag-iisip ka nanaman ng hindi maganda!" Sabat naman ng nasa kanan ni Bora, si Siyeon. "Ganyan ba kayong mga nursing? Laging nag ooverthink?" Napaikot ang mata ni Bora sa narinig.

"Eh kayong mga Psych? Ganyan talaga? Laging ino-overanalyze ang mga bagay-bagay?" Napataas naman yung kilay ni Siyeon, and Minji could only release a sigh, eto nanaman silang dalawa.

She tuned out the friendly banters from her right side at nag-focus nalang sa pagkain, the sooner she finishes her food, the sooner she could go to the library for some peace and quiet. Pero nangangalahati pa lamang yung kinakain nya nang humina ang ingay sa paligid.

With a creased forehead, she mumbled, "May dumaan bang anghel?" Di nya mapigilang tanong sa dalawa nyang katabi na tumingin na rin sa paligid.

"Ah, anghel wala" Bora stated, "Pero ayun, oo" ngumuso ito sa may entrance ng cafeteria, and Minji followed with her gaze.

"Who's that?" She tilted her head, eyes still on the tallest of the group as they filed towards the serving area.

Nang ma-realize ni Minji na tahimik yung dalawa sa kanan nya, inalis nya yung tingin sa kabilang grupo, and she could see the judging stares given to her by her friends.

"Problema nyo?" Tanong nito, litong-lito.

"Hindi ka ba nagffacebook?" Takang tanong sa kanya ni Siyeon, to which she shook her head no to as an answer.

"Twitter? Insta? Threads? " Bora interjected and she shrugged. "Shuta" the girl sighed, defeated. "Singnie, kanino bang bestfriend to?" Minji just rolled her eyes.

"Stop being dramatic" she said. "I get all updates mula sa inyong dalawa na akala mo sumbungan ng bayan kung makapagbalita no" pang-aasar pa nito.

"Ha ha funny" sabi ni Siyeon habang tinitignan sya ng masama.

"So, sino nga yun?" Tanong nya ulit at bumalik yung tingin ng dalawa sa kanya, yung tingin na parang tinubuan sya ng pangalawang ulo.

"That's Kim Yoohyeon" Bora started, as she figured na wala silang mapapala kay Minji, hindi nito ginagamit ang kanyang Facebook o Twitter, doon pa mandin palaging may updates about Kim Yoohyeon. "First year, PolSci" she added

"And? Pag ba PolSci student na first year, pinagtitinginan na ngayon? Mananahimik na talaga lahat?" Minji was beyond confused, what's so special about this Yoohyeon girl aside from her pretty face and long legs?

"Di pa kasi tapos, sapakin kaya kita?" Bora lifted her arm,  na para bang anytime mananapak na talaga sya, pero si Minji nakatingin lang, unfazed. "Tsk, bwisit ka no?" Dagdag nito at ngumiti lamang si Minji sa kanya, alam kasi nito na hindi naman sya sasaktan ng bestfriend nya.

"Gaya ng sabi ni Bora, Yoohyeon Kim, PolSci, First year. Ace ng Debate team" Minji nodded at the newly found information. "Alam mo ba na since this year, lahat ng sinalihang contest ng Debate team, nanalo?" Minji shrugged at this, good for them, she thought. Siyeon observed the uninterested posture of her friend.

"Lahat yun, si Yoohyeon ang dahilan" now this caught the eldest's attention. Alam ni Minji na magaling ang debate club ng uni nila, but she didn't expect na Kim Yoohyeon would be capable of carrying that already good team into higher points. "And I think, lahat ng tao sa university, kilala sya" napatitig si Bora sa kaibigan. "Ah, maliban pala sayo" then shrugged. "We all think that she's amazing, you should see her in action, kilabot talaga." Minji lamented on Bora's words, alam nyang mukhang joke time palagi si Bora, pero alam nya rin kung kelan ito seryoso. "She's really smart, and alam mong this university puts high value in smart people, and pati ang student body, nirerespeto yung talino nya"

Deep in her thoughts, bumalik lamang ang tingin nya sa grupo ni Yoohyeon. Hindi man sinasadya, pero nagtama ang mga mata nila, and the younger gave her a full smile, which she reciprocated, albeit awkwardly, before going back to her food.

That was her first encounter with Kim Yoohyeon. One fact about Yoohyeon: she sure had a great smile.

_____

"Remind me ulit bakit ako nandito ngayon kasama ka instead of sleeping on my bed?" Bora's unamused voice rang from behind the tallest of the three.

"Same question, Minji, yung beauty sleep ko, sinira mo!" Nagpapadyak naman si Siyeon habang nagrereklamo, pero wala namang nagawa ang dalawa nang mabigyan sila ng masamang tingin ni Minji.

"Para to sa club wag nga kayong mareklamo! Umatras kasi si Sungjae, siya sana kasama kong magbibitbit ng props from the stock room" Utos ni Minji at pumasok sa field, short cut kasi rito, imbis na dumaan pa sa pavement, dito nalang, wala namang nagttraining today, puro friendly games lang ng ibang magttropa, and Minji was sure they wouldn't mind them walking around. "Dadalhin natin yung three boxes ng props na need ayusin, malapit na yung school fest, and sabi nila Wendy at Seulgi, ayaw nilang mag-rush sa pag-aayos." Hindi man nakikita ni Minji, pero tumango ng marahan ang dalawa sa likod, they may always tease Minji, pero iba talaga ito kapag nasa leader mode nya na, hindi nila mabangga, hindi makontra, mapapasunod ka nalang talaga. Maybe that's why on their second year, officer na ito ng theater club, ineexpect na nga rin nila na by their fourth year, magiging president naman ito.

The three traversed along the fields, and got too caught up sa kung ano mang pinag-uusapan nilang tatlo kaya hindi na nila napansin ang paligid.

"Watch out!" Minji heard someone shout, pero nahuli ito.

"Aray!" Came a yelp from behind her. Nang umikot si Minji patalikod, nakita nitong nakahawak si Bora sa kanyang ilong, Minji got worried like hell.

", Bora patingin" binaba nito ang kamay ni Bora na nakahawak sa ilong nito. "Great, hindi dumudugo"

"Mas delikado nga ang hindi dumugo!" Reklamo naman nung isa, right, si miss nursing student nga pala ito. Sinipat sipat ni Minji ang mukha ni Bora nang mapansin nya sa peripheral vision nya ang papalapit na bulto.

She was so ready to lash out, but swallowed it all back nang makita ang maamong mukha ni Yoohyeon, na para bang iiyak na anytime. The taller was wearing some branded jogging pants, mukhang kasama ito sa mga naglalaro sa field for fun.

"Oh god, okay lang ba sya?" Dumiretso si Yoohyeon kay Bora na napaluhod sa sahig, and that's when Minji came back to her senses and went full mother mode. "I'm so sorry! Napalakas yung sipa nung, akala ko- ano- kasi-" Minji watched as Yoohyeon scrambled around, she almost found her cute, almost.

Minji raised a brow. "Ano sa tingin mo ang mangyayari kung mas napalakas yung sipa nyo?" The tallest was looking at her now, mum, unsure of what to say. "see, you don't know" Hindi naman gusto ni Minji na magtaray, hindi sya ganung klase ng tao, pero seeing how in pain Bora was, she didn't care anymore. "Paano nalang if she suffers from concussion?" Dagdag nito nang may diin, matalim din ang tingin nito kay Yoohyeon. Nang maalala ang sinapit ni Bora, tumingin ito sa sa dalawa, "Siyeon, pakidala nalang muna sya sa clinic" Tumalima naman ang nasabi, ayaw nitong kontrahin si Minji nang ganyan ang mood nito. Nakakatakot.

Dumating naman ang ibang kalaro pa ni Yoohyeon, she assumed, at nagsorry sa kanila.

"I'm sorry po, hindi po kasi ako magaling magsoccer" Napatingin sya sa babaeng may kaliitan at blonde ang kulay ng buhok, Minji almost melted at the spot, the girl was crying. "Nakita ko po na napaupo yung kasama ninyo, hindi ko po sinasadya"

"No, Gahyeon, it's my fault, dapat naharang ko yung bola, I should have done better sa pag-catch ng bola" Yoohyeon went onto her ramblings again. Ang alam ni Minji, ace raw ito ng debate team, pero bakit mukha syang nawawalang tuta ngayon? Sure ba silang si Yoohyeon yun?

"Enough" She said, with authority and the two who were talking to her stopped their ramblings. Well, alam naman ni Minji na kasalanan din nilang hindi sila naging aware sa surroundings, kaya siguro better na to let it go. "The two of you, follow them to the clinic, and you guys" turo nito sa ibang kalaro nila Yoohyeon, "Go back to playing. Dismissed" hindi nila alam bakit nila sinunod ang sinabi ni Minji, pero alam nila na saying no to her would do more harm than good

The oldest watched as the two turned the corner and disappeared. Now she was off to the stock room, but not without texting Bora first to take care and that she hopes it's nothing serious.

..........

"Now, pano ko naman to bibitbitin?" Minji stared at the three huge boxes in front of her. Sabi ni Siyeon, hintayin nya raw sila ni Bora, but then again ayaw nya nang paalisin muna si Bora sa clinic, just in case lang na need pa nito ng pahinga or any medical intervention. "Hmm" she thought hard, each box was at least fifteen kilos, and nasa fourth floor ang club room nila, it won't be wise to bring it all nang sabay sabay. Minji could only sigh, ayaw naman nitong masayang ang pagpunta nya sa univ, on a Saturday, kaya minabuti nyang ituloy pa rin yung pakay nya. "I guess I have to make three trips" desidido nitong sambit.

She was about to carry one of the boxes nang biglang may kumuha nito mula sa kamay nya. "Ako na" Minji could feel warm breath near her ears. Close, she thought, dangerously so, and she almost melted on the spot. "As apology" tiningala ni Minji si Yoohyeon, yes, it was Yoohyeon.

"Sorry po ulit ate" sumulpot naman yung blonde na kasama ni Yoohyeon kanina. "I'm Gahyeon po" alanganing ngiti nito sa kanya, well, at least she wasn't crying anymore, Minji could only smile at her thoughts. Hindi mapigilan ni Minji na yakapin si Gahyeon, mukha kasi itong nawawalang bata na takot sa kanya.

"It's okay if sinabi nila Bora na they're fine too" hinaplos nito ang likod ni Gahyeon. "I'm Minji by the way" saad nito nang kumalas sa yakap.

"I know po" malawak na ang ngiti ni Gahyeon dito, her eyes disappeared into crescents. "You're famous, ate Minji" dagdag nito at napataas na lamang ang kilay ni Minji.

"I don't think I am" dumako sa gilid ang tingin ni Minji when she heard a grunt, right, Yoohyeon. "Wag mong bitbitin yang dalawa, those are heavy" komento nito at inaalis yung isang box na bitbit ni Yoohyeon.

"No, kaya ko" Oh, another fact about Yoohyeon, she's stubborn. Minji could only look at her, amused as she sees how the younger tried to balance the boxes she's carrying. Halata namang nahihirapan ito, and Minji could only shake her head.

"You do know na sa fourth floor ko yan dadalhin, diba?" Minji's question was met with silence. Okay, so they didn't know.

"O-of course I know that" the boxes on Yoohyeon's arms shook.

"Yooh, wag ka ngang makulit, nakakahiya, baka mahulog mo pa yang box, ikaw ba aayos?" Napatingin naman si Minji kay Gahyeon, at least this one was more reasonable.

Nang hindi na sumagot si Yoohyeon, kinuha na ni Minji yung isang box. "These are heavy, and carrying these to the fourth floor would kill you" komento nya, nakita rin nito na kinuha na rin ni Gahyeon yung natitirang box. "Tara na" naunang maglakad si Minji sa destination nila. Medyo nahihiyanpa si Minji kasi nagpatulong sya ngayon sa mga juniors nya, but she just shrugged it off, thinking na it might be better to get their help now so that the two can be rest assured na they're good na (and ayaw nya rin talagang mag tatlong balik sa fourth floor nang may mabigat na dala).

While walking, she could hear the two talking to themselves, though she never meant to eavesdrop, pero malakas naman kasi yung pag-uusap ng dalawa.

"Alam mo nakakahiya ka, pasikat! Pano kung sa kakulitan mo, lalong nagalit si ate Minji?!" Gahyeon was scolding the taller, and Minji fought the urge to turn around, curious kasi sya kung anong itsura ngayon ni Yoohyeon.

This is her second encounter with Yoohyeon, and it seems like the debate team ace has taken her interest.

__________

"Here's your order ma'am" Napangiti naman si Minji sa waiter ng Jollibee nang