I doodled whatever sa planner ko to pass time.

Meeting na naman.

Pwede naman idaan sa emails mga pinag-uusapan nila eh.

Ever since I got back from training, my manager has been pulling me off the team to join all his meetings with the higher-ups.

Dagdag 'trabaho' na ang contribution ko lang ay mag 'yes, I think that's a great idea' or 'that won't work.' Hindi pa nila ako papakinggan minsan.

Psh.

Aside from those useless meetings, I have my daily workload, mostly strat plans and status reports of different projects. Pasimple na nga manager ko eh, people management na rin.

OTY na madalas, di pa ko mabigyan ng increase that I've been asking for the past year. I deserve that increase.

Do you know what they gave me instead?

'An opportunity to progress' in a form of training pero syempre with a twist; additional 1 year sa bond ko kasi sinagot nila lahat ng expenses.

Welcome to the corporate world!

Kung di ko lang malalagay yun sa resume ko, aayawan ko eh.

Pero balik tayo sa sweldo kasi talaga, mumsh, di makatarungan! The least this multinational company can do is properly compensate us, kaming mga nagpapakakuba sa trabaho.

I sometimes rant about these kay Yuna kapag hindi ko na kaya. We're close, yes, pero nahihiya kasi ako na puro problema galing sa office yung ikekwento ko. My sariling dalahin din yung tao eh.

Then things changed when we met Winter and her circle, especially when I met Lia.

Grabe.

Go-getter si ate niyo Lia!

I should've seen that coming unang kwento pa lang niya sakin how she ended up working abroad.

Last year niya sa college when she saw a job post from a known record label sa states. She thought onti lang yung opportunity for her dito so kahit maliit yung chance na i-absorb siya ng company kasi for internship lang, she applied anyway. Her sacrifice and hard work paid off kasi ngayon, kilala na rin siya sa industry.

She was a stuttering mess though nung first hangout namin na kami lang. Yung oozing charisma and confidence niya kapag kasama namin lahat, absent that day.

Who says 'para po' sa waiter na nagtatanong ng order?

Not para as in for me.

Para as in bababa ng jeep, ganern!

What a funny memory to recall.

But ever since then lagi na rin kami lumalabas. Susunduin niya ko dito sa office, kakain kami ng dinner, and we'd end the night walking around BGC.

Siya na rin naging taga-salo ng frustrations ko sa work.

Lagi niya yan ginagawa, it got me worried na baka nahihigop na niya yung negativity ko. When I asked her bakit niya ginagawa yun, simple lang sinagot niya sakin.

'Para pag-uwi mo wala na yung stress.'

Nalaman na niya agad ugali ko.

Oo na, I have a problem letting go of things that upset me. 

Parang gusto ko pang nanunuot sila sa dibdib ko, tambay sila ganun. 

Negative energy collector, stress hoarder, angst enthusiast.

Yan dapat job titles ko eh.

Yuna noticed the difference since then.

Less kunot-noo and 'hays' pagpasok ng unit namin, more smiles na raw ako ngayon. Kung sino daw nagpapagaan ng araw ko, I should keep that person around.

Spending time with Lia is the only thing I look forward to after a long and stressful day sa office.

Hindi naman kasi siya mahirap magustuhan eh.

Kung di lang kasi ako isa't kalahating saltik din talaga. Wala pa ngang ginagawa yung tao pero iniisip ko na agad na lolokohin ako.

How do you even get over that ?

Maybe this is for the best.

I should spare Lia from everything crazy that is me.

Right in the middle of the meeting, my phone went off. Everyone in the room looked at me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

I fished out my phone from my pocket to turn it into silent mode before checking my messages.

(Group chat: Unit 1117)
Chaeryeong: look!
Chaeryeong: (sent photo)
Heejin: set up ng tent?
Ryujin: sa loob ng unit?
Karina: Our unit to be exact. Winter?
Yuna: practice ba yan for saturday?
Giselle: Can't believe nahila niyo si Ning sa trip niyo

Speechless na kami sa kanilang apat.

Sana all pwede magbakasyon ng isang taon without responsibilities or adulting.

The day went by slowly, as usual.

Kapag nasa office talaga, yung 5 minutes nagiging 1 hour sa tagal eh. Like right now, a minute before my shift ends pero parang nanadya pa yung relos ko when it 'stopped' working.

I grabbed all my stuff when the clock hit 6 pm.

Honda tayo dito, abuso na sila.

Dumaan muna ako ng washroom before heading home. Tamang retouch bago sumabak sa gera ng traffic and MRT.

Ang hirap maging ordinaryong mamamayan sa pilipinas!

na yung kinikita ko, pa yung serbisyong makukuha. Orasan na lang sa platform, di pa malagyan ng battery. Para di obvious na di umaandar, tinapalan nila ng smiley face.

Tama naman binabayad kong tax?!

What a bright future for my country.

Paglabas ko ng building, I saw Lia walking towards me.

Nagpakita na rin sa wakas.

The last time I saw her was nung dinner party pa, no messages or calls from her, radio silence.

"Hi, uhm," She shyly started. "tinatawagan kita pero di ka sumasagot ng phone."

I pulled my bag off my shoulder and grabbed my phone from the inside.

 5 missed calls, 3 messages. All from her.

"Sorry," I locked my phone at binalik na. "naka-silent lang pala."

"Okay lang.." she trailed off.

We were just standing sa harap ng office building ko at sa daanan ng mga tao, nag-aaantayan sino ang babasag ng katahimikan samin.

"Sorry biglaan." she cleared . "I just thought maybe you want to hang out like we used to? As friends lang, I swear."

"I asked for time, not space."

Dahil sa trabaho kaya ko siya nasungitan, yes.

"I'm sorry. Akala ko kasi yun yung gusto mo eh.." Rason niya.

"So why are you here?"

Yes, dahil sa trabaho kaya ako masungit.

Walang ibang rason.

She hesitated for a second. Mustered up all the courage she has left after showing up here, medyo unannounced.

"A little birdie knocked some sense to me." She chuckled dryly. "Told me I should still be a friend to you kahit may hanging question."

"So napilitan ka?"

Sobrang dami kasi talagang trabaho, nakakapagod kaya! Masusungitan mo lahat eh.

"No. Uhm, binatukan niya ko kasi ilang araw ko na siya kinukulit," her cheeks turned red, "sabi ko kasi nami-miss kita. Then yun, she said the same thing. Time not space."

"Smart yung ibon mo ha."

"Imported. Tweety yung breed."

I laughed.

Just like that, nawala na yung awkwardness.. at sungit ko.

I find Lia really funny most of the time. Surprising kasi mukha siyang maldita minsan na kayang makipagsabayan sa pagsusungit ni Winter. Kaya siguro sila friends?

"So, dinner?" She asked, a bit hopeful I'd say yes kahit dito lang.

Hinila ko na siya para maglakad na.

I let her decide kung saan kami kakain this time. Lagi kasi yung gusto ko yung pinipili niya. Pansin ko lang siya lagi yung naga-adjust kapag magkasama kami.

Hard to believe she's never been in a relationship.

Kinwento niya mga pinaggagagawa nila kanina sa unit.

Sabi ni Ning they should do something productive everyday to counter yung pagka-bored nila. Kaya naisipan nila i-testing yung tent, to check na rin daw kung kumpleto yung parts. Gusto na raw punitin ni Winter yung instruction manual pano i-setup, kulang na naman daw kasi sa steps.

And we all thought si Ning ang voice of reason sa kanilang apat, I guess magkaka-wavelength nga sila.

When we were near sa resto, may tinuro si Lia sa harapan.

"Si Win at Karina ba yun?"

I followed her line of sight and yes, yung dalawa nga. Ginawang Luneta park yung pedestrian dahil sa bagal nila maglakad, kasabay ang crowd na nagmamadaling makauwi.

"Sundan natin, Lia!"

"Ha? Tek -"

Hinila ko na siya.

"Di tayo papahuli, bilis!"

Tumakbo kami bago pa sila tuluyan mawala sa paningin namin. Nagtago sa likod ng mga makakasabay namin para di kami mahuli. Inantay namin sila pumaloob muna sa isang active sports shop bago pumasok.

Mamimili ata sila for the trip.

Dumiretso kami sa stand ng sports wear section habang may kinakausap silang sales clerk. Pinanood namin sila i-guide ni kuya clerk paakyat ng second floor.

"Yej, nage-enjoy naman ako ngayon pero.. mukha tayong may nanakawan."

Lumayo yung isang ate kay Lia nung padaan ito sa likuran namin, minata pa si siya from head to toe.

"Sorry, ikaw lang mukhang magnanakaw satin, Lia."

"Magnanakaw lang ako ng puso, hindi pera."

Nagstraight face lang ako when she looked at my face for any reaction. Nawala yung pagka-smug ng face niya kanina.

"The material was right there, Yej. Sayang kung hindi gagamitin as banat."

"Ilang puso na nanakaw mo, aber?"

"Basag trip ka, alam mo ba yun?"

Tinawanan ko lang siya.

When we sure na nakaakyat na yung dalawa, sumunod na rin kami. We looked for a shelf where can hide nang matanaw namin sila Karina na nakatayo lang sa northface section.

Madali for Lia magtago, mahirap for me. I need to crouch para lang maitago ng mabuti ang sarili.

"Lia!" I hissed. "This is too painful to watch!"

"Ha? Baket? Idea mo 'to."

"Tingnan mo yung kaibigan mo, kanina pa tingin ng tingin sa kamay ng kaibigan ko."

Medyo malayo sila sa pinagtataguan namin pero kitang kita ko ang internal battle ni Win. Kanina pa niya iniisip kung k