3 hours before Min’s concert.

Giselle and I decided to meet early para may time pa kami dumaan sa café.

We were taking our time when my phone rang. It was Jennie.

She just told me na kailangan ako sa venue.

Minjeong was having a panic attack again and no one seems to calm her down.

Her medication was taking a bit longer to take effect.

Nagmadali kami umalis. I was worried.

She hadn’t had it for a while.Ngayon lang ulit.
 

....


Everyone looks agitated when we’ve entered her dressing room.

The staff obviously looks helpless.

Even the cameraman has stopped recording.

She, in this state is something we really don’t want to see.
 

It’s painful to watch.
 

I make my way to the couch where Jennie and Min are seated.
 

Jennie’s rubbing her back as Minjeong continuously breathes with difficulty.
 

She has her palms on trying to regulate her breathing.

Jennie looks up somehow relieved when she sees me.

Tumayo siya beside Giselle then ako yung umupo sa tabi ni Min.

“Hey.”

Tumingin siya sakin. She’s sweating profusely.

Nanginginig siya when I hold her hands.

“God, I hate this.” She weakly says as she leans her forehead on my shoulder.

“Focus on your breathing lang.Don’t think so much.”

I feel her nod as I hold her fragile frame closer to me.
 

The whole room is quiet as we wait for her to be okay.
 

I can hear her breathing at parang ako yung nahihirapan.

Maybe 10 minutes has passed and unti-unti na siyang kumakalma.

“You good na?” I ask her when she leans back sa sofa.
 

She nods and smiles a bit sa’kin. “I think I’m getting better.”
 

I sigh, feeling relieved. “Hay naku. Ano na lang kung wala ako? Charms ko lang talaga kailangan mo Min?”

“Siraulo ka.” She playfully rolls her eyes sa’kin as if she wasn’t in that state a while ago.
 

Para naming nakahinga na ang lahat sa room when Min seems to be back in her usual self.

“You’re welcome .” Pagtataray ko. “You’ve been stressing yourself na naman.”

“How can I not?”
 

“Sabi ko naman sayo, only think of my pretty face in difficult times then you’ll be okay.”

She just frowns and I laugh to annoy her more.
 

….


Min’s my best friend since College at para ko na siyang kapatid.

We don’t know each other that long pero nung nagmeet kami, we got along naturally na para bang matagal na kami magkakilala.

We’re basically soulmates.

I remember the first time we saw each other.
 

She was from a different department.

I was studying Foreign Language then siya naman ay business student.
 

Our English professor put us together in one room for a task.
 

I remember she was failing sa studies niya that’s why she had to do the professor a favor.

She was barely getting by.

She was an introverted type and I was the opposite. But we clic