They always ask me,

How do we do it?

Seven years,

How did we manage to stay together for that long?

Pa’no nga ba?

Di nila alam kung anong nangyari sa’tin nung kabataan natin.

Alam lang nila was that, when we first met each other para tayong aso’t pusa.

Alam nilang ayaw na ayaw ko sayo. Noon.

It all started nung nag transfer ka sa school namin nung second year at naging classmates tayo.

At bilang class president, kailangan ko’ng malaman ang pangalan mo.

When I went to you, I wore the friendliest smile I could project.

Pero na turn off ako sa’yo agad nung nilahad ko ang kamay ko at nagpakilala but you only stared at my open hand na agad tinawanan ng mga nakapansin nating kaklase.

You looked down tapos sinaksak sa tenga mo yung earphones mo ng di man lang sinabi sa’kin yung pangalan mo.

And that was when I decided that isa ka sa mga esang ayaw ko’ng makasalamuha.

Malala pa is naging isang er ka.

When you came, naging second placer nalang ako every periodic exams.

Pota mangiyak-ngiyak ako nun nung malaman ko’ng second nalang ako.

Natakot pa’ko nun baka ma-disappoint ko yung parents ko lalo na si Dad pag nalaman nyang kulelat na yung bunso nyang pinagyayabang nyang first honor palagi.

Pero nag overthink lang pala ako sa wala. They were understanding at sinabihan akong okay lang na ganun.

At sobrang  lumalala pa, dahil nga sa sobrang competitive ko, minsan nagsasagutan tayo.

You’d make fun of me in front of class. Pinagyayabang mo pa minsan na top honor ka.

My impression of you was a cold-hearted, ego-centric na andaming time para bwesitin ako.

Inis pa ako sayo lalo kasi di ka marunong mag tagalog dahil laking States ka.

Almost three years din yung second place ko’ng standing.

It was until nung last periodic exams natin, I was announced as first place ng teacher natin.

Gulat pa’ko nun kasi di na ako nag expect.

I was going up against you. Ang dakilang er.

Mukhang shooked din si Ms. Kim sa nangyari kaya binasa nya yung test paper mo.

You looked disturbed. Parang di ‘ka mapakali.

“Ah kaya pala.” Panimula ni Ms. Kim

“Seulgi wrote the littlest asnwer among you all.” Napataas ako ng kilay.

”And it doesn’t have to do with anything about our last lecture.”

Napatingin si Ms. Kim sa’kin ng nakangiti.

“Seulgi wrote...”

“Will you go out with me Miss Bae Joohyun?”

Halos mabingi ako sa hiyawan ng mga kaklase natin at mahilo sa lakas ng alog ni Wendy at Joy sa’kin.

I didn’t know what got into me,

I just said yes and that’s how we started.

Turns out crush mo na pala ako since sophomore year. You just didn’t know how to act around me kaya bini-bwesit mo ‘ko all the time. You’ve apologized din sa lahat ng ginawa mo.

We’ve gone on a few dates, you started courting me after the first one, it was on your birthday.

I said yes to you after a month and a few days later, then we hit off.

We attended the same University, with you pursuing Arts majoring Music, and I went for the Nursing Program.

We shared the same apartment.

We were open din to our families kaya di tayo nahirapan sa ganitong set up.

We thought we were going okay but it really wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows.

We encountered problems along the way.

Mas nakilala natin ang isa’t-isa.

Sobrang daming away ang pinagdaanan natin and we were only on the sixth month of our relationship.

Simula sa pagseselos,

Kakulangan