Mag- iisang oras na siyang naghihintay dito sa waiting area ng gym na pinupuntahan ng best friend niya. Nakakunot ang kanyang noo habang pinapanood ang kaibigan sa loob. Isang malaking glass wall ang nakaharang kaya kita niya ito mula sa kinauupuan niya kasama ang personal trainer nito.

Naiinip na siya. Kailangan niya ng context sa text nito sa kanya.

Ning, buntis si Jennie.

Oh di ba? Wala man lang context.

Di niya alam kung matutuwa ba siya or mag aalala.

Like okay? So siya ang ama? 

Ay mali. Ina pala.

Pero teka. Impossible eh.

Wala naman kasing pototoy yung best friend niya.

Napakamot siya sa ulo kasi nangangati na siya sa tea.

Tila naman naramdaman na nito ang pagkainip niya nang sumenyas ito sa kanya na sandali na lang at magbibihis na. Tumango na lang siya.

…

"Si Taehyung?!" Ning asks incredulously habang nagdadrive na ang kaibigan pauwi.

"Oo. Narinig ko lahat kasi andun lang ako sa kwarto eh." Kalmadong kuwento ni Minjeong despite the disappointment in her voice.

"Oh tapos? Umalis ka na after nun?"

"When he left, umalis na rin ako. Dalawang buwan na siyang buntis, Ning. Wala siyang binanggit sa'kin." She says na medyo may kalakasan.

"Oh, kalma. Baka mabangga tayo." Mahinang tinapik niya ito. Huminga naman ng malalim si Minjeong para kumalma. "Wow. So nag-aano pa rin sila habang MU kayo, ganun?"

"I'm not sure. Pero hindi pa siya buntis nung sinabi niya sa'kin na hindi na sila nagkikita."

"So nag-ano pa sila. Case closed." Nanlalaki ang mata niya sa gulat. This is so much tea for today. "So ano yung sabi nung lalaki?"

"Wiling naman daw panagutan yung bata."

"Okay? So paano kayo?"

"Ewan. Muntik ko na siyang tanungin nung gabing yun to be my girlfriend pero all along she's been lying to me pala."

"Naku, Min. Back out ka na."

"I really thought we would work out." 

Ning sighs. "Sinabi ko naman sayo eh. Ganun talaga siguro ang buhay. At least you tried di ba? It's her lost, Min."

Minjeong keeps silent for a while.

Kahit hindi pa sila ni Jennie, they are exclusively dating. So valid naman siguro kung ano man yung nararamdaman niya.

"Kung kailan naman willing ulit ako magtry, ganun pa. Malas talaga siguro ako pagdating sa lovelife, Ning. " Himutok nito.

"Di mo sure." Ning answers almost immediately.

"Huh?"

"Wala. Hindi lang talaga kayo para sa isa't-isa. Tanggapin na natin. Okay na din yung nalaman mo agad. Eh di sana napikot ka nung magaling kong pinsan."

"Huh?!"

Ning rolls her eyes. "Huh-huh ka diyan. Huwag mo akong ginaganyan bata ka." Mahina niya pa itong binatukan.

"Ning naman. Masakit na nga yung puso ko ginaganyan mo pa ako."

"Arte mo. Infairness mukhang okay ka naman."

Minjeong just shrugs. Siguro nga immune na siya sa mga ganito. She had it worst before. Siyempre nagalit siya nung malaman niya. And that was two days ago. Medyo humupa na din yung emotions niya.

"Kailangan ba umiyak ako para sabihin mong hindi ako okay?"

"Sayang ng luha mo dun. Gusto mo iinom na lang natin? I'll call you Gigi." Ning offers.

"Next time, Ning. Gusto ko na lang magpahinga. Saka kikitain ko si Jennie bukas."

"Okay? Para saan?" Ning crosses her arms.

"Ewan.Gusto niya daw mag explain."

"Naku. Ikaw ah, wag ka ulit papauto dun."

"Hindi naman. Pumayag na din ako para matapos na."

"Ah closure. Eh di go." 

…

It's a late afternoon. Pareho silang nakaupo magkaharap sa medyo secluded na table sa cafe ng company.The place is almost empty kaya safe din para sa kanila. Para lang kasi sa mga employees ang cafe na ito kaya they don't have to worry about outsiders.

Minjeong has chosen this place para makapag-usap talaga sila.

Minjeong orders coffee for her and hot choco para kay Jennie. Hindi niya sure kung puwede ba ang kape sa buntis so dun siya sa safe na choice.

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi? I trusted you. You told me hindi na kayo nagkikita." Minjeong tries to sound as calm as possible. She doesn't want this confrontation to end in a fight. She's dealing with a pregnant woman after all.

"I swear, I was not seeing him, Win. We were just out drinking with our friends that night and it happened."

"Anong point mo? You still slept with him, didn't you?"

Jennie keeps quiet. She made a mistake of drinking so much that night that he even impregnated her. They were too drunk to think about using protection. What should she say more? That it was a matter of weakness on her part?

"Willing naman si Taehyung. You should raise the baby with him." 

Napaangat ng ulo si Jennie looking at her in disbelief.

"What about us?! We've been making progress na, di ba?"

Minjeong sighs. "You hid your pregnancy from me kahit na alam mo na,Jen." She says under her breath. "When I asked you to go on dates with me, wala ka pa ring sinabi. How long did you plan on hiding that from me?"

It makes sense now. The night she told Jennie she would pursue her, the older woman was gloomy and hesitant. She thought it was just her imagination.

"I was scared, okay? I can't afford to lose you. Not when you're ready to reciprocate and I am ready to admit that I'm in love with you, Win."

Bakas ang gulat sa mukha ni Minjeong nang marinig niya iyon. Jennie never once admitted that to her. They've always been in the middle. And now that she confessed, wala siyang maramdaman. As someone who admits being in love and wanting to be with her, while sleeping around with somebody else, doesn't add up to her. How could she believe that? 

But then it's Jennie Kim.

She's too naive to think she'll change in an instant for her.

"I don't think that still matters."

"Why? We can raise this baby together."

Minjeong shakes her head. She knows to herself she won't go that far.She's done with complicated relationships.

"Please?" Jennie reaches out for her hand.

"I can't, Jen."

"Then I'll abort this baby if that will make you stay."

Agad niyang binawi ang kamay sa pagkakahawak nito. She closes her eyes to calm herself down. 

"No, Jen! Are you insane?! Naririnig mo ba yang sarili mo?"

"Maybe I am. I'm going insane, Win." Jennie utters desperately. "It's you that matters to me. I can't let anyone ruin us."

"No, please Jen. It's your baby for god's sake. Your own flesh and blood. How could you say that?"

Jennie closes her eyes and frustratingly combs her hair with her fingers.

"You know my story." She continues. "Most years of my life, I didn't have parents that would be there for me. I know how it feels to be abandoned, Jen. I won't let you do that to your child. That needs you and its father more than anyone else. That baby deserves a family."

Jennie's lips tremble as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. It break