"Hey, Hye?" hindi pinansin ni Hyewon si Seulgi. "What the heck?! Hyewon you can't do that, we're in the middle of a meeting?! You can't just stand on your feet and walk out of the door!"

"You're right, we're in the middle of a meeting, then why he suddenly talk about my personal life?!" napakagat si Hyewon sa labi niya para pigilan yung luha niyang gusto nang tumulo. "Why he ask me about Wonyoung and talk about my chip in front of the board?!" pumatak na yung luha ni Hyewon habang nakatingin siya nang diretsyo sa mga mata ng kapatid niya. "I'm already here, changing my life and being a better person. But why everytime I heard Wonyoung and the chip together in a sentence, I feel like I don't deserve her?"

"Hye, just calm down." natawa si Hyewon.

"How?" napa-upo na si Hyewon sa swivel chair niya. "That's her father who knows everything about me, what if because of what I did before we can't have this proposal?"

"Hye? Did you really slept with some strangers because you fell out of love?" umiling si Hyewon. "Then why are you thinking like that?" inakbayan ni Seulgi si Hyewon. "Take a rest, let's move the meeting tomorrow." ngumiti si Seulgi bago tapikin si Hyewon sa balikat. "See you tomorrow." naglakad na palabas nang opisina ni Hyewon si Seulgi.


To: baby won🐰
busy?
: can we meet after your dismissal?

Tinago na ni Hyewon yung cellphone niya at pinag-aralan nalang ulit yung proposal niya.

"Miss Kang?" napatingin si Hyewon sa pintuan niya. "Your mom is here to see you." tumango lang si Hyewon.

"Mom?" nakangiting saad ni Hyewon bago tumayo at yumakap sa mom niya.

"The news is already spreading."

"About what?" napakagat nalang si Hyewon sa labi niya nang sampalin siya ng mom niya.

"You cheated on your girlfriend and got implanted with the chip?"

"Mom, I already talk to you about the chip?" pilit na tumawa si Hyewon.

"I agreed?" napayuko si Hyewon. "You're slowly turning into a rebellious child."

"I'm sorry mom."

"Take that chip out of your body!" huminga nang malalim si Hyewon.

"How about me?"

"That's not my problem anymore." agad na nag-bow si Hyewon nang tumalikod na yung mom niya at naglakad palabas nang opisina niya.

Kinuha ni Hyewon yung cellphone niya para tignan kung nag-reply na ba si Wonyoung sa text, napangiti nalang siya nang makita yung pangalan ni Wonyoung sa screen ng cellphone niya.

From: baby won🐰
sure
: already miss you
: also need a hug from you
: I'm feeling down right now
: I didn't get a chance to participate on miss enozi
: hey still there?
: bet you're busy right now
: see you later then
: love you
: did i already say i love you?
: bet i haven't told you how much i love you
: by the way i love you
: i remember something!!
: that i love you

Natawa nalang si Hyewon habang may mga luhang tumutulo mula sa mga mata niya.

"I love you too." bulong ni Hyewon bago ipatong sa lamesa yung mga braso niya at doon umiyak.

Nagising nalang si Hyewon nang maramdaman niyang nagba-vibrate yung cellphone niya.

'baby won🐰 is calling...'

"Hello?"
: My classes are already done
"Yeah, I'm on my way, sorry I fell asleep."
: You seems really tired, are you sure you can come?
"Kang Hyewon is my name, I'll be there I love you."
: Not until I see you
"Can I hung-"
: Then who do you think you are to hung up?
"I said I'm not gonna hung up until I get there, I'm going to drive now."

Habang nagmamaneho si Hyewon tawa siya nang tawa sa mga kinukwento ni Wonyoung sa kabilang linya.

"I'm already here, care to hung up?" nakangiting saad ni Hyewon habang nakatayo sa likuran ni Wonyoung.

"I miss you!!" agad na niyakap ni Wonyoung si Hyewon.

"Magkasama lang tayo kagabi." natatawang saad ni Hyewon, kahit na sa totoong lang yun din yung gusto niyang sabihin kay Wonyoung.

"Thank you for coming, akala ko hindi ka sisipot."

"Edi kapag hindi ako sumipot, paano na yung baby ko?, paniguradong malulungkot siya." marahang pinisil ni Hyewon yung magkabilang pisngi ni Wonyoung.

"Saan pala tayo pupunta?"

"Sa bahay ko sana." ngumiti si Wonyoung. "Biro lang, may pasok pa tayo bukas." hinawakan ni Hyewon yung kamay ni Wonyoung. "Can we have some street foods?, I really want to spend my time with you while we're walking."

"Magiging busy ka siguro nang sobra, okay, let's enjoy our date today." nagsimula nang maglakad si Wonyoung, napakarami mang tumatakbo sa isip niya ayaw niyang pangunahan yung mga inaakto ni Hyewon.

*Baka may problema lang siya, kaya gusto niya akong makasama.* pilit na tinatabunan ni Wonyoung nang isiping yun yung mga naiisip niya pwedeng dahilan kung bakit gusto ni Hyewon na makasama siya.

"Wony?" hindi magawang tignan ni Wonyoung si Hyewon at tuloy lang siya sa pag-kain habang naglalakad silang dalawa. "Naalala mo pa nung naging tayo?"

"Hmm, bakit?"

"Unang araw yun nang pag-ulan ng snow, humiling talaga ako nun, na sana kapag nagkita tayo sa araw na yun sagutin mo na ako." ngumiti si Hyewon. "Natatawa lang ako, kasi paulit ulit kitang tinanong kung totoo bang sinasagot mo na ako para kasing hindi talaga ako yung mga tipo ng tao na magugustuhan mo."

"Hye, may nangyari ba kanina?" alalang tanong ni Wonyoung, umiling lang si Hyewon.

"Bigla lang kitang namiss, hindi ko rin alam sa sarili ko, basta pakiramdam ko lang sobrang tagal na nating hindi nagkita." hinawakan ni Hyewon sa kamay si Wonyoung at marahan siyang hinila paupo sa isang bench. "I saw your dad earlier." nagulat si Wonyoung sa narinig niya at bakas din yung pag-aalala sa mga mata niya. "He was cool, actually when I saw him I thought he's going to punch me. But he greets me and talk to me like he's happy that he finally meets me."

"Really? That's great, are you going to work with him?" masayang saad ni Wonyoung.

"For sure we're going to work together." niyakap ni Wonyoung si Hyewon.

"I'm really proud of you, can't wait to meet him with you."

"By the way, he actually ask me not to tell you about we're working together, I think he wants to surprise you." nakangiting saad ni Hyewon.

"Secrets are safe with me." umupo nang maayos si Wonyoung bago ipatong yung ulo niya sa balikat ni Hyewon. "Kaya siguro magiging busy ka nang sobra, lalo kitang mami-miss kung ganun."

"Pwede naman tayong mag-text o kaya mag-tawagan."

"Basta gagalingan mo, para sa pangarap mo?" tumingin si Wonyoung kay Hyewon, nakatingin lang sa kung saan si Hyewon na pilit nilalabanan yung mga luha niya. "Hye?"

"Gusto mo na bang umuwi?" ngumiti si Wonyoung.

"Sa bahay mo?" bahagyang ginulo ni Hyewon yung buhok ni Wonyoung.

"May pasok ka pa nga bukas, next time nalang kapag hindi na tayo busy." hinalikan ni Hyewon sa noo si Wonyoung.

"Okay, basta huwag mo akong kalimutang i-text at tawagan, kundi pupuntahan kita sa opisina mo." tumango lang si Hyewon bago tumayo.

"Tara na, baby Won."


Hinatid ni Hyewon si Wonyoung hanggang sa dorm ng huli at pagkasakay niya ulit sa sasakyan niya, doon na niya hinayaang tumulo yung mga luha niya.

"I can't die, I shouldn't die." paulit-ulit na saad ni Hyewon.


--------------------------------

[KINABUKASAN]


Maagang pumunta si Hyewon sa kompanya ni Seulgi kung saan siya nagta-trabaho, inayos niya na yung mga gagamitin niya sa pagdi-discuss nang proposal niya habang wala pa yung board members nang kompanya ng kapatid niya.

"Good morning everyone." nag-bow si Hyewon. "As I was saying yesterday, why we need to buy new property if we could just renovate and use our abandoned properties." nilipat ni Hyewon yung slide na pine-pressent niya sa unahan ng board members. "Most of us, want to have discounts when we're buying something. When we rebuild and renovate the properties that we're not using anymore, we could save the money that supposedly for buying a land or property for our new project."

"Bakit ba nagsara yung mga propety?" tanong ni Chairman Jang na siyang ama ni Wonyoung.

"Bankruptcy." tugon ng isa sa mga board members.

"Then why are we going to run a new business in that place." natatawang saad ni Chairman Jang.

"But the business that we were talking about here is different from the business that established in that establishment before. Not because the father of the family is a killer that means his children are going to end like him." ngumiti si Hyewon at napatingin kay Seulgi na kasalukuyan nagkakamot ng ulo niya. "I'm just saying if the business that was build in that establishment before was failed to be a successful one, why are we going to run something like that in the same place? Of course we are going to build something that everyone or the people who's living around the area can afford and persuade to buy our products."

"Are we going to build something like a store?" natatawang tanong ni Chairman Jang na para bang iniinsulto si Hyewon.

"We have, groceries store, machinery for textiles and a modelling agency, your choice."

"Modelling agen-"

"That's my girlfriend's dream, to manage a modelling agency, you don't have to mind it if you don't want to build it." nakangiting saad ni Hyewon.

"I have a question Miss Kang." nakangiting tumango lang si Hyewon sa board member na nagtaas ng kamay. "Sabi mo hindi tayo magtatayo ng business na katulad lang din nung naabandonang business dati, pero sa nababasa ko dito sa proposal mo, magtatayo tayo ng groceries store sa dating groceries store din." tumango si Hyewon.

"Yes, you read it right Chairman Do. If you don't mind, can I ask why that establishment was abandoned?"

"Half of the market was burned down." tugon ni Chairman Do.

"That was intentionally burned down, that means its wasn't abandoned because of bankruptcy, instead the lack of security." ngumiti si Hyewon. "Why don't we pay attention on that case, using the money that's supposedly for buying a property."

"Once a Kang will always be a Kang." saad ni Chairman Jang. "See you on Friday." tumayo na siya tsaka lumabas nang meeting room.

"Thank you for your amazing presentation, I'm looking forward for the further information of your proposal." nag-bow lang si Hyewon sa board members na nakikipag-kamay sakaniya.

"You did a great job." ginulo ni Seulgi yung buhok ni Hyewon.

"Anong ibig sabihin nung see you on Friday?"

"Kailangan mo ring ipresenta sa board members nang kompanya ni Chairman Jang yung proposal mo." nakangiting saad ni Seulgi. "Don't worry, hindi lang ako yung makakasama mo dun, pati si Daniel. Basta gawin mo lang yung mga ginawa mo kanina, huwag lang yung sinabi mo tungkol sa tatay at sa mga anak niya, baka pati kami ni Daniel mapalabas nang meeting room."

"Oo nga pala, mom ask me to get this chip out of me."

"You know you can't do that." napabuntong hininga si Hyewon.

"But I think I have to."

"You have to? You're going to die if you do that." ngumiti si Hyewon.

"I'm the most obedient child, I have to keep that title. I don't want to die being called a rebellious child, I can't die like that."

"How about Wonyoung?" marinig palang ni Hyewon yung pangalan ni Wonyoung nanghihina na siya.

"Yun na nga, hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya iiwan nang walang paalam. Parang gusto ko nalang patayin yung sarili ko, pero hindi ko talaga kayang iwan siya nang tuluyan." nahihirapan nang huminga si Hyewon dahil sa pag-iyak kaya hinagod na ni Seulgi yung likod ng kapatid niya. "Gusto ko pa siyang makasama, pero kailangan ko ring itaya yung buhay ko para lang matanggal yung chip na 'to."

"Why don't you tell her, baka matulungan ka niya." umiling si Hyewon.

"Nasaktan ko na siya masyado sa relasyong meron kami, ayokong pati dito mahirapan din siya." tumango si Seulgi