Karina's POV 

 

 

Minjeong was supposed to be home right now dahil kailangan niya nang pumasok bukas but I went to check her sa condo niya and wala pa rin siya doon. I messaged her again but usual I didn't get any reply. Kanina ko pa rin  kinukulit mga friends niya about her but they said wala rin daw silang nakuhang reply. 

 

 

Ryujin: relax, karina. baka magulat na lang tayo bukas mauna pa sa atin pumasok sa school yon. why don't you rest na lang muna? 

 

 

that was the last messaged I received from Ryujin, sana magdilang anghel siya.

 

 

I just really want to see her again. 

 

 

Ang dami kong gustong sabihin sa kanya. 

 

 

Minjeong, please come home. 

 

 

 

 

 

Halos hindi ako nakatulog dahil naeexcite akong pumasok dahil baka makita ko na si Winter. Maaga akong umalis ng bahay just to be sure I'll be seeing her first.

 

 

 

Naghintay ako sa malapit sa gate, nagtataka nga yung guard sa akin bakit hindi pa raw ako napasok sa loob I told him na I'm just waiting for someone. 

 

 

"karina, ang aga mo naman?" naabutan ako ni yeji sa may tapat ng gate. "kanina ka pa ba?" umiling ako. 

 

 

"not really, kararating ko lang." pagsisinungaling ko. "i'm waiting for winter, she's supposed to be here na right?" 

 

 

umupo si yeji sa tabi ko nakaupo kasi ako sa bench sa labas ng gate ng school. 

 

 

"you're really excited to see her hm?" she chuckled. 

 

 

"sobra, kung alam mo lang yeji." I looked at her she was smiling at me. "of course, i know rina." 

 

 

 

Lumipas ang 30 minutes and nandoon pa rin kami dumating na yung mga kaibigan ko, Ning, Lia and Chaeryeong. 

 

 

"dapat pala nagdala ako ng banner na welcome back winter no?" biro ni Yuna. 

 

 

"tapos bumili ako ng cake?" gatong naman ni Lia 

 

 

"mga siraulo talaga kayo no?" saway ni Ning sa kanila. 

 

 

"uy anong ginagawa niyo rito sa labas?" biglang dumating sila Aeri. 

 

 

"we're waiting for winter." sagot ko. 

 

 

napatingin si ryujin sa relo niya. "but..hindi ba malalate na kayo?" napatingin ako sa oras sa phone ko.

 

 

oh my gosh. 15 minutes before our first class. 

 

 

"hala hoy malalate nga tayo neto." napatayo si Ning. "rina, we should go na." 

 

 

 

"you should really go na, we'll message you kapag dumating na si winter kasi baka ma-late rin ng gising yon." sabi ni chaeryeong. 

 

 

guess i don't have a choice kahit na gusto ko siyang hintayin.

 

 

"thank you guys, we'll see you ng lunch siguro?" sabi ni yeji sabay tingin kay ryujin. 

 

 

"see you later." ryujin smiled at her. 

 

 

"thank you guys." sabi ko sa kanila bago ako hilahin nila Ning papasok sa loob, kailangan na namin tumakbo dahil malayo pa yung building namin. 

 

 

 

We just got in our room just in time almost a minute lang ata yung pagitan nang pagpasok namin bago dumating yung prof namin. Natagalan kami kasi umikot pa kami dahil under maintenance yung elevator so we had to find  nearest stair. 

 

 

"good morning, class." bati niya sa amin. 

 

 

I couldn't really focus on his class, yung utak ko wala sa pag-aaral. I'm thinking about winter minu minuto ata ako nagchecheck ng phone ko para tingnan if I received a message from her or kahit sa mga kaibigan niya but unfortunately, wala kahit isa. Ayoko naman kulitin sila kasi for sure mga nasa klase rin sila. 

 

 

 

After his 3 hours lecture, natapos din siya. After lunch na ulit next subject namin so we decided to freshen up. Nagpunta kami ng locker para itabi yung books namin magpupunta kami sa coffee shop sa tapat ng university since mamaya 
pa rin naman yung lunch nila Ryujin. 

 

 

"let's go na." aya ni Ning. 

 

 

Paalis na sana kami ng locker area ng humarang si Kai sa harap ko. The audacity to show his face. 

 

"rina, can we talk?" ang kapal ng mukha. 

 

 

"eh ang kapal din pala ng mukha mo?" iritang sabi ni Yuna sa kanya. 

 

 

"we don't have anything to talk about." simpleng sagot ko sa kanya. 

 

 

Paalis na sana kami nang magsalita siya. "why her?" napalingon ako sa kanya. 

 

 

"karina, nandito ako. we've been together for 3 years? we've known each other for 5 years. are you really just  gonna give all this up for that..girl?" I clenched my fist in anger.

 

 

Paano niya nagagawang ikwestyon ako right now when in fact he was the first one who gave up on us. 

 

 

 

Ang kapal ng mukha. 

 

 

"coming from you, kai?" I walked towards him.

 

 

"sinong unang sumuko? ako ba? sinong nagparamdam sa akin na parang ang unworthy ko? hindi ba ikaw? and you know what I don't ing care kahit ilang taon pa tayong magkasama. winter  made me feel how worthy I am." I looked at him straight to his eyes. "am i gonna give all this up? yes. you don't know how much I wished that I met winter first than you after everything you did to me. so off, kai. we're done." 

 

 

I left him, dumbfounded. He deserved it, kulang pa lahat nang sinabi ko para matauhan siya. I hate him so damn much. 

 

 

"grabe that was so tenseeee." asar ni Ning ng makalayo layo na kami sa kanya. 

 

 

"hindi ko kinakaya ang mga linyahan ni karina, i'm so proud of you." yeji proudly said. 

 

 

"mas di ko kinakaya kakapalan ng ex mong kupal na gago na walang hiya." iritang sabi ni Lia. "the audacity to show his  face pa sayo? wow ha." napailing siya. 

 

 

"kai-pal ng mukha eh." gatong ni Yuna. 

 

 

We just bought our drinks sa coffee shop since yeji got a message from ryujin na dinismiss daw sila ng maaga we decided to bought them drinks na rin since nandito naman na kami. After that we went back sa university and nagkita kita kami sa may cafeteria like usual. 

 

 

 

We bought extra four drinks. I am really being positive about Winter na makikita ko na siya ngayon. Kinakabahan ako na naeexcite na ewan. Pagpasok namin sa cafeteria ay agad namin nakita sila Ryujin pero..hindi ko nakita si Winter.

 

 

"hindi siya pumasok?" agad kong tanong pagdating namin sa table nila. 

 

 

umiling lang si aeri. "maybe..hindi pa siya nakakabalik or baka nga tulog pa talaga. we'll check her later sa place niya." 

 

 

napayuko ako. why? what's taking her so long sa Japan? 

 

 

"we bought you guys drinks." sabi ni Lia sabay bigay ng mga drinks nila sa kanila. 

 

 

"hey don't worry too much, she'll come back to you karina." chaeryeong maybe noticed it.

 

 

"i hope so..i'm just worried since hindi siya nagrereply sa mga messages and she's with someone.." ayokong mag-isip ng kung ano ano but knowing winter is with that girl? hindi ko maiwasan mag overthink. 

 

 

"you're thinking too much again. aren't you?" napatingin ako kay Yeji. 

 

 

"can't help it." 

 

 

"I guarantee you, karina. she won't do such thing. winter loves you so much." sabi ni ryujin sabay inom sa coffee na  hawak niya. "trust her." dagdag niya. 

 

 

"i trust her but not Minju." sagot ko naman.

 

 

 

 

 

Taeyeon's POV 

 

 

"ate taeyeon, wala po ba si winter sa bahay niyo?" I am currently talking to Aeri right now.

 

 

"she didn't go home and I can't still contact her. nakauwi na ba siya?" tanong ko. 

 

 

 

Ryujin told me last week na yung magaling kong kapatid nag japan ng hindi nagpapaalam sa akin dahil nasuspend siya sa school. I didn't even know na nasuspend siya if not because of Jessica dahil Karina told her about what happened. 

 

 

 

I didn't think much about her since 2 weeks is fine, hindi na bago sa akin yung biglang kung saan saan pupunta si  winter dahil before 3 weeks siyang nawala tapos nasa Palawan lang pala siya. Ang kaibahan lang when the palawan thing happened, nagpaalam siya sa akin. 

 

 

"we haven't seen her sa school, ate. kahapon pa dapat siya nakauwi but.. i don't know and still we got no response from her." nag-aaalala na ako kay winter so as her friends and for sure lalo na si karina. 

 

 

"i'll message you if i receive anything from her." 

 

 

"thank you ate taeyeon, take care po." 

 

 

 

Kim Minjeong, buong Japan ba nililibot mong bata ka? Tinawagan ko si Yerim agad naman siyang pumasok sa office ko. 

 

 

"get me a ticket to japan." sabi ko sa kanya, susundan ko yung batang yon at ako mismo magdadrag sa kanya pabalik dito sa Pilipinas.

 

 

"kailan po?" 

 

 

"if there's an available flight tonight get it from me and pakicancel lahat ng meetings ko." nagulat naman si yerim sa sinabi ko.

 

 

"uhm miss taeyeon we can't do that. we have an important client tonight and tomorrow. your dad said you have to close this deal with them." napatingin ako sa kanya atsaka ko tiningnan yung mga schedule ko. 

 

 

". this client from Paris right?" Yerim nodded.

 

 

"they don't have much time, miss taeyeon. we can't reschedule this." napapikit ako, great timing nga naman talaga. 

 

 

Pag hindi pa rin talaga nakauwi si Minjeong after all these meetings I swear to God.

 

 

 

"fine, don't mind the ticket. you can go now." napahawak ako sa sintido ko. sumasakit ulo ko sa batang yon dagdagan  pa ng stress sa company. should i tell mom and dad about winter? no. baka mas sila yung mastress hindi man halata but they care or should i say we care about minjeong so much. 

 

 

I heard a knock from the door. "come in." sabi ko without even asking kung sino yon, for sure it's not yerim she will call me right away after knocking. 

 

 

"what do-" natigilan ako nang makita ko si Jessica na nakatayo habang may hawak na coffee sa kamay niya. 

 

 

"you look so stressed." inilapag niya ang coffee sa may table ko.

 

 

"thank you." napatingin ako sa kanya. "you didn't tell me na you'll come here today." 

 

 

"i didn't expect to be here din. i just gave some reports to baekhyun." sagot naman niya.

 

 

"nandito pala yon? i thought  sa cebu na nakatira yung baliw na yon." napailing ako. 

 

 

natawa si jessica sa sinabi ko. "you wanna go get some fresh air?" aya niya sa akin. 

 

 

 

 

Dumiretso kami sa may rooftop garden. Dad really asked to have this sa company building so employees can relax kapag nasstress na sila sa trabaho. Napatingin kami sa view ng city, malapit na rin pala lumubog ang araw. Napatingin ako
sa relo ko. 

 

 

"is there a problem ba sa work?" tanong ni jessica. 

 

 

"no, not really. i'm just worried about minjeong hindi pa rin umuuwi." napabuntong hininga ako. "i was planning to follow her sa japan but i can't since i'm scheduled to meet a very important client tomorrow." 

 

 

"karina was so worried too. she doesn't talk that much but I can see on her face how much she misses winter." sica  leaned against the railings habang nakatingin sa akin. "maybe winter is just enjoying her stay for sure she'll come home soon." she said, assuring me that everything will be fine. 

 

 

"dapat lang or else itataob ko buong japan just to find her." biro ko. 

 

 

There was a moment of silence between us we are just both staring at the view habang unti unting lumulubog ang araw.

 

 

Bigla kong naalala yung first sunset namin together. Napayuko ako when I realized na it's almost the same scene.

 

 

The only different is nasa rooftop kami ng school noon. 

 

 

"you thought about it too?" tanong ni sica sa akin habang nakangiti. 

 

 

"nostalgic." i smiled back at her. "it's almost the same scene." 

 

 

"it really is. even the feelings, it's still the same." i stared at her because of what she said. "for me..it's 
still the same feelings." she added habang nakatingin lang sa sunset. 

 

 

" i love you, taeyeon." 

" i love you too, sica." 

" let me take care of you for the rest of our lives." 

" you're talking as if gusto mo na akong pakasalan ngayon na." 

" that's what i'm planning to do though." 

" ssh ano ba nakakainis ka wag ka nga magpakilig masyado." 

 

 

 

"maybe sayo hindi na.." i snapped back into the reality when she spoke again.

 

 

it's still the same for me, sica. kung alam mo lang na despite of what happened between us I know my heart still belongs to you and it didn't change after how many years kahit na galit ako sayo before alam ko yung puso ko ikaw  pa rin yung tinitibok.

 

 

" i'll better go now, baka marami ka pang gagawin." she looked at me. " take care, taeyeon." 

 

 

"wait." she was about to leave but i stopped her.