Karina

The weekend went well, naging productive naman ako but something is still lacking, I can't pinpoint lang kung ano. 

This week, the student council will start preparing na for the christmas event. I'm excited but at the same time, parang nakakapagod na siya kahit iniisip mo pa lang. For sure, the revisions will be here and there, puyatan sessions, late night meetings and many more will take place. 

Hell week is approaching na din. Our professors are starting to talk about midterm exams and assessments, grading system plus the academic integrity rules. 

I think, I might need more coffee for the next two weeks. Palpitation is waving.

Ang daming pinapagawa!

I really don't get it, kapag normal school day they won't give us many tasks pero kapag hell week they'll drop activities and requirements, sunod-sunod pa then next week agad submission?

I'm not generalizing but most of our professors are like that, if ganito pala yung amount ng workload, bakit hindi pa binigay dati para mas better yung workload management. 

"Mga sis, what's with the face? Para kayong nalugi." 

Yeji asked the two of us ni ning, we look like that nga siguro. I think ningning is also thinking of the sudden amount nung mga ipapasa namin.

"Teh, ganito ba talaga? Ang daming pinapapagawa, legit!" 

See? Super dramatic niya nung sinabi niya yun but I agree, I'm just thinking of the paperworks and sumasakit na agad ulo ko. We're currently having lunch dito sa caf, ning and I decided na dito na lang since parang nawalan kami ng energy from all the info na binagsak samin.

"As if naman hindi pa kayo sanay." 

"No, yej. It's really a lot, iniisip ko pa lang pero pagod na ako." 

She looked at us questioningly. 

"Talaga? Hala, why daw? Hell week's coming na ah, may event pa kayo sa council." 

The two of us heavily sighed and shrugged our shoulders. I don't really know din talaga, I'll guess I need a lot of coffee, like A LOT.

We started eating and dun pa lang dumating sila giselle and her circle of friends. Giselle and hyunjin are walking towards us with a smile, ryujin is following them at the back, para din siyang nalugi. When ryujin seats, she lets out a heavy sigh din so napatingin kami sa kanya. 

"Rj, okay ka lang?" 

"Yup, may problem lang sa hell week. Thanks for asking, ning." 

I saw yeji's worried look on the person beside her, nasa right side niya kasi si ryujin na katapat ko. 

"Kaya lang naman namomoblema yan kasi wala siyang makokopyahan." Hyunjin said kaya we slightly smiled.

"Ang kapal ng mukha mo, jin! Ikaw nga binubuhat ni boss gi eh!" 

She throwed a crumpled tissue kay hyunjin two times, then she slumped back to her seat and sighed once again.

"Namimiss ko na si ter, di ko na ata kakayanin." 

She's hugging her bag when she said that, tinawanan lang siya nung dalawa, even yeji laughed at what she said. Well, someone nudge my side, syempre si ning yun, she teasingly looked at me.

Okay.

Same, ryujin.

Miss ko na din, ano baaaa.

******

After lunch, the remaining professors said that, there's no other requirements needed for their subjects, exam na lang talaga. They don't want to make students suffer daw especially those who have extra-curricular activities. Thank God na lang talaga, someone understood us din. 

Classes are done. Pagpasok ko sa sc office ang daming tao. 

Somehow, I managed to sneak in sa sariling office ko. Each of us naman aksi may sariling space dito, when they want us to have a meeting na they'll just beep something na connected sa bawat office then that's our sign na. 

I don't feel like interacting sa ganung kadami na tao so dito na ako dumiretso. I think, I'm drained by all those things na binigay samin earlier. 

The assigned task for me was to make a line-up for performances, I made a draft nung weekend. Dagdag-bawas pa ako sa mga performer, chaeryeong is my partner for this task. I told her na gumawa kami separately, then we'll present it sa directors tapos we'll ask for their opinion until we can come up with the final line-up. 6 performers lang naman need, para lang maraming choices. 

I heard the buzz sa speaker so I got up with my papers and drafts. Paglabas ko wala na masyadong tao, some of those siguro are just the friends nung member. Chaeryeong saw me and hinila na ako papunta sa conference room, pagpasok namin kumpleto lahat, from the board of directors to the representatives. When all of us are seated, Pres Miyeon started talking na. 

She started with the theme of the program which is giving love and compassion since it's for christmas. Next up is the flow of the event, then the budget and sponsorship. She started with the basics lang muna, then yung department na may hawak nung marketing, production, then finance nagstart na magdiscuss, they broke down all the components for the event. 

The production department head is currently speaking about sa performers then tinanong na kung sino yung assigned na gagawa ng line-up, chaeryeong and I raised our hands. They told us to present and we stood up na. 

The directors decided to use my line-up na lang, chaeryeong's list kasi is kinda similar to mine lang din kasi, may ibang performers lang na naiba. They suggested din na the performers who are in the same field may collab, for example, yung mga bands, magpeperform sila individually pero there's one song na lahat ng bands magpeperform. We're considering it, syempre we still need to talk to them, sabi ni caheryeong siya na daw bahala dun.

Lia's solo.

Leejung and Chaeyeon's duo.

Jaehyun's band.

Giselle and the school's dance crew.

Ryujin's band.

Alumni.

That idea was from chaeryeong, we'll make a list and reach out to a certain alumni, if they're not available then kakausapin namin yung iba sa list. I heard na they're reaching out din to a famous artist, yung mga nasa list is ben&ben, the juans, zack tabudlo and other local artists. 

They are really going all-out for this event. 

The meeting went well, light lang din yung atmosphere since all of it except sa production department are just tentative deadlines and all, pwede pa magchange of plans.

I'm currently cleaning my table and putting my things sa bag when someone knocked, si yuna pala, sumilip muna siya before pumasok nang tuluyan.

"Ate, si kuya jaehyun po naghihintay sa inyo sa labas." 

I th her tapos niyakap siya, clingy kasi 'tong bunso namin. She's the youngest here sa council. 

Sabay kaming lumabas from my office, nagpaalam ako sa kanila, jaehyun is really there sa main hall.

"What happened? Iba na yung naghihintay sa labas ah."

Pres miyeon teased me, syempre sumabay yung ibang nandun.

"Basta ako yung isa yung manok ko." 

Chaeryeong nudged my side and eyed me teasingly.

 "True! Ang bait bait nun tapos siya lang nakakahandle sa pinsan kong nasobrahan ata sa milo lagi." 

All of us got confused sa sinabi ni yuna, sino yung pinsan niya? 

I don't really know the boy who asked yuna pero tinanong niya kung sino yung pinsan nito.

"Yung drummer ng 4pollo, si ryujin."

We looked at her, sabay-sabay talaga. 

Oh my god, how?

They're super opposite but thinking of it, parehas silang makulit, ibang degree lang yung kay ryujin. Mukhang all of them are shocked too, they started to ask yuna, game na game naman yung isa, ibbash niya daw yung pinsan niya.

I bid my goodbyes na and they let me na. When I came out of the office giselle approached me with a brown paperbag in her hand, kailan pa siya nandito? She's not here kanina ah.

"Karina, someone wants to give you this, napag-utusan lang, sorry na." 

She said while smiling at me.

"What's this? Kanino galing?" 

"You know who naman. Ingat ka pauwi, just text us lang if there's something wrong." 

I thanked her tapos I turned to jaehyun, he's holding something din. 

"Hi. I'm in the area lang din kasi so I figured out na nandito ka pa. I bought you something to eat lang baka kasi gutom ka." 

He handed me a faded orange paperbag. 

"Youn don't have to naman, pero thanks jaehyun." 

"Uhm.. about sa ano— are you free this wednesday?" 

This is what I'm really avoiding. I'm not yet ready to tell him na friendship lang kaya ko but, he's here na eh. 

"What time ba?" 

He looked at me like he's shock and at the same time grateful na pumapayag na ako.

"After classes? I know a place, japanese resto siya, are you okay with that?" 

"Alright, just text me na lang. There's our driver na." 

I pointed at our car and tumango naman siya, he told me na mag-ingat pauwi and I did the same to him. 

When I entered our car, I checked the food na binigay ni jaehyun. I appreciate the effort but pagkabukas ko pa lang I know na I wouldn't be able to eat this.

It's a peanut butter and jelly flavored bagel and sandwich from a cafe.

But I'm allergic to peanuts. 

I gave the foods to kuya pancho na lang, it'll go to waste lang, sayang naman if di makakain

I opened the paperbag from giselle and I immediately smile.

It's a lot of jellies! I'm so happy! It's my favorite brand pa. I noticed a sticky note dun sa isang pack so kinuha ko. 

Kawawa ka naman, stressed ka na daw eh. Huwag mo ko masyadong mamiss, kwek-kwek. :>  

I swear, once na magaling na siya I'll smack her so hard. 

I'm not a kwek-kwek kaya! 

Siya nga mukhang puppy.. okay cute naman yung puppy pero kahit na! 

Nakakainis talaga.

Giselle texted, checking me if nakauwi na daw ba ako. My heart fluttered, siguro all of them are like this, they're so cute kasi we just got close but they really care and you'll feel it, it's what I love about them and their friendship. Seriously, ningning is sooo lucky to have giselle, she's so caring and I know our bestfriend is in good hands. 

******

I'm sitting here at my office, all ready to go. It's wednesday and today's the day na kakain kami ni jaehyun sa japanese resto. I'm waiting for him, umuwi pa kasi siya since may practice sila, they're practices are done at his condo daw, he agreed on the christmas event na din kasi.

Di na ako umuwi because I brought my clothes with me na, I didn't do anything din naman kanina so I think di naman ako pinagpawisan. I applied light make-up lang, we're eating lang naman. 

I heard a knock and looked kung sino yun. It's chaeryeong and yuna, I let them in and umupo sila sa mini sofa in front of my table. 

"Ate, may date ka?" 

"It's not a date bunso, friends lang naman kami." 

"Ay sino ba kasama mo sis?" 

"Si jaehyun." 

They looked at each other and shrugged. 

"Ang bagal nung manok natin, bunso." 

Chaeryeong said and yuna agreed naman sa sinabi niya, natatawa ako sa kanila, they literally barged in here para lang sa chismis.

After some kwentuhan, they left na din, jaehyun texted me na he's outside na daw. Nagpaalam ako sa mga tao dito sa loob.

When I got out, I noticed giselle near a bench, she's with hyunjin and ryujin too. 

Bakit nandito sila? 

I waved and smiled at them, they did the same. They turned around and parang nagbulungan? All of them moved to the side and my eyes went wide. 

What is she doing here? She's supposed to be resting!

The audacity to wave! She's smiling widely pa!

She started walking towards me, when she's just a few steps away someone spoke beside me. 

"I'm sorry, matagal ka bang naghintay? Are you good to go?" 

I turned my attention to jaehyun and greeted him but he's looking at winter lang.

"Winter." 

He gave her a nod, I turned my attention back to her and nag-nod lang din siya kay jaehyun. She turned at me and smiled. 

"Hello." 

"Anong hello? You're supposed to be at home kaya, ang tigas talaga ng ulo mo."

"Dinalaw ko lang yung team, pumunta na din ako sa faculty para sa missed activities ko." 

We heard ryujin shouted so we turned our attention to her.

"Ter! Una na kami ah! Samin ka naman bumawi next time."

Anong bawi? Bakit next time pa when they're together naman right now?

"Anong una kayo? Sasama ako, bonak! Hintayin niyo 'ko!" 

She shouted back at ryujin. Humarap ulit siya samin and smiled.

"May lakad pa ata kayo, una na din kami. Ingat kayo." 

She pinched my cheek and nodded at jaehyun before walking back kila ryujin. I watched them walk away, parang they're scolding winter, they're nudging her sides din eh. 

I went back to my senses when jaehyun speaks again.

"Soo, let's go na?" 

I nodded at him, we walk towards his car at he opened the door for me. I gave him a small thanks then umikot na siya to be in the dirver's seat. We buckled our seatbelt and he started to drive sa pupuntahan namin.