Yuyu did not have any shortage of pang-asar when we got home. Kasi as soon as we got off the car and Winter drove away, she bombarded me with questions and pang-asar. 

 

“So kayo na ba?”

 

“Landian era niyo na?” 

 

“Paano nag confess si Winter?”

 

“Edi napa-confess ka rin?”

 

“Umiyak ba siya ng sinabi niya yung dahilang kung bakit siya umiiwas?”

 

“Ang bobo lang ni Winter dun. No offense, Yuyu.” 

 

“Ikaw umiyak ka?”

 

“So ano nga ang nangyari?” 

 

I got slightly annoyed by her so I pushed her out of my room. Hindi pa nga nag-sink in ang nangyari sa amin ni Winter eh. I wanted to take a moment for myself first before ko siya kausapin. 

 

“You didn’t even tell me what you guys talk about!” I yelled from the other side of the room. “Why should I tell you?”

 

“Ang daya mo naman!” she whined. “Di kayo mag-uusap kung hindi dahil sa akin.”

 

True. 

 

So, I relented and opened the door. 

 

She just grinned at me. Nakakaasar pa yung mukha niya. 

 

“So ano nga nangyari sa usapan niyo? Gusto ko ng maraming details.” 

 

Nangigigil lang siya while I was telling her what happened. Aside from squeezing my pillows, hinahampas pa niya ako every time na kinikilig siya! 

 

And nakakahawa yung kilig kasi every time she would squeal, I would too. It reminded me of the time I was telling her about my crush on Doyeon and how tumitili kaming dalawa every time pinag-uusapan namin yung sayaw niya. 

 

Nakaka-miss pala yung ganitong feeling when you like someone.

 

The butterflies, the slight trembling in your fingers, the electricity running through your spine, pati na yung kabog sa dibdib mo. 

 

I was telling Yuyu how I told Winter I liked her too and she couldn’t stop smiling.

 

“Tapos, anong nangyari? Kayo na?”

 

“No,” I shook my head.

 

“Bakit hindi?”

 

“Grabe Yuyu so quick lang? I don’t even know her likes and dislikes tapos kami na agad?” 

 

“So? Liligawan mo?” 

 

My face scrunched in disagreement. “No.”

 

“So anong gagawin niyo? Ang complicated niyo naman!”

 

“We made it clear kaya na we’ll get to know each other first! And she was fine with it.” 

 

“So parang dating ganun?” 

 

Nahiya ako bigla. Was it dating? How do you define that anyway? Minsan kasi ang weird ng definition ng dating. It could be na you’re just getting to know each other or it could mean that you’re officially dating...like exclusively just seeing each other.  

 

“E-ewan ko. I think so? Ask Winter. Basta we have a mutual understanding. That’s what’s important.” 

 

“Sa bagay. Ikaw lang naman gusto ni Winter, I think.” Kinikilig ako! I squirmed in my seat and natawa lang sa akin si Yuyu. “Kinikilig ka naman. Pero, ready kaya si Winter sa malanding Karina?” 

 

“Oh my gosh, you’re making it sound like I’m so bad.”

 

“Hindi naman! Touchy ka kasi so kakayanin kaya ni Winter yung pagka-clingy mo?” She teased. “Feel ko naman alam ni Winter na ganyan ka kasi nga napagkamalan nga tayong mag-jowa dahil ang clingy mo sa akin!” 

 

“We’ll just see then.” I shrugged. 

 

Sa totoo lang, I will go with whatever Winter is comfortable with naman. I noticed nga na she’s not so much of a physically affectionate person kasi nagugulat lang siya minsan when she’s being hugged by people. 

 

But who knows? She could get used to me hugging her. I mean, wala ngang violent reactions when I held her hand eh. 

 

 

***

Ang ganda lang talaga ng timing ng universe. Or just the university itself. Or maybe I was just in over my head with what happened with Winter and I na nakalimutan ko na habulan pala ng requirements this month. 

 

Kasi just when Winter and I cleared everything up and literally confessed to each other, wala na pala kaming time to see each other.

 

She was juggling finishing up her requirements while preparing for her competition. I asked her if I could watch but it was a closed event and was going to be done in another school. Napasimangot naman ako but she assured na mananalo daw siya kasi magaling siya. I reminded her na may team siya. Sabi niya, sila din magaling.

 

Ang yabang lang talaga. Not going to lie, pero na miss ko nga siya maging proud sa pagiging Math genius niya. She always has that certain spark in her eyes kasi. 

 

Winter said she was going to make bawi pa pero we were so busy. However, she tried to take the time na makita ako kahit saglit lang. We were only seeing each other in passing. Tapos ang elementary lang yung ginagawa naming stolen glances kapag magkakasalubong kami. 

 

Something shifted lang kay Winter. Hindi naman siya bad. It was kind of cute nga kasi biglang nawala yung confidence niya when she confessed to me. And she even had the guts to ask me kung jojowain ko siya. Now kasi parang nahihiya siya – the reason of the stolen glances. 

 

For example, if ever nasa library ako at nandun siya to prepare for her competition, usually, she’d just stare at me until mapapansin ko siya and then she’d smile while holding my gaze. Now, she’d cast a glance at me at nahihiya pa niya akong tingnan and immediately, immediately, she’d look away with a shy smile on her face. 

 

Nasaan yung confident Winter? It’s kind of cute lang. Kasi she’d look back and I’d catch her again and her cheeks would be dusted pink. She’s so pale na obvious yung pagblush niya. 

 

And that game of stolen glances would go on hanggang sa aalis na ako sa library. 

 

Or when she knows that I’ve been spending too much time sa library, tinetext niya ako para lumabas at bibigyan ako ng milk tea or some sort of snack. Tapos kakain lang kami sa labas for ten minutes before siya babalik sa class niya. 

 

Or the times when she has free period, she’d pass by my class – silang dalawa ni Ning, minsan kasama si Yuyu and Chae – and would just wave at me. 

 

Ito daw muna yung pang-bawi niya since we’ve both been busy. I didn’t really care. They were cute, small gestures that brought a smile to my face. At least umeffort diba?

 

Lately din, pumupunta ako sa building nila Winter after class para sunduin si Yuyu and well, I wanted to see her too. And everytime na makikita ako ni Winter na naghihintay sa labas ng room, she’d bite her bottom lip as if pinipigilan niya ang sarili niyang mag-smile.

 

Can she get any cuter? Honestly. She’s adorable. 

 

I ignored Somi, as usual, when I’d see her and tried to ignore the annoyance I feel when she tries to talk to Yuyu. 

 

But that’s not important right now. 

 

Pagkalabas nila sa room, I trained my eyes on Winter only. Ning has noted na grabe pala talaga ang Mama Mary magkagusto kasi may tunnel vision lang ako kay Winter. 

 

I mean, does she want me to look at other people? 

 

Si Yuyu din, sumasabay sa pang-asar. I should take it easy staring at Winter kasi matutunaw daw. 

 

Hmph. 

 

I told her to just pay attention to Chaeryeong. She only grinned at me. Si Chaeryeong naman, nahihiya lang. 

 

“Hi,” I greeted her as I walked up to her. 

 

“Hello.” She lightly bumped her shoulder against mine. Ito din yung sinasabi ko na Winter was acting shy around me. Her body language was just different. 

 

“How was class?” I asked as I reached to caress her arm. She was a little jumpy but she smiled. 

 

“O-okay lang.” 

 

She smiled sheepishly at me and I squeezed her arm before letting her go. Winter has tied her hair in a loose ponytail today. May mga buhok na naalis sa tali so I fixed it for her. Nagulat sa Winter sa ginawa ko so I immediately dropped my hand.

 

“Sorry. Too much?” 

 

She chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her neck. “‘Di lang ako sanay.” 

 

“Wow, bes. First time mo?” I heard Ning snort. “Bakit parang hindi ka marunong lumandi? Landi back. Diba Karina?” 

 

“Masanay ka na, Winter.” Sinabi naman ni Yuyu. She had her arm draped around Chaeryeong’s shoulder. “Ganyan talaga si Yuyu.” 

 

I stepped back na lang to give Winter some space kasi napapansin ko na mas lalo siyang nahihiya. Thinking back sa sinabi ni Winter na patago sila ni MJ before, I’m not surprised na ganito siya. It’s not a big deal, not really. 

 

It’s just hard not to do these things to Winter when she’s so irresistibly cute. 

 

“Hatid kita?” She asked. 

 

Hindi na naulit yung paghatid niya sa akin since the fateful confession day dahil nga naging busy kami. Today was a breather. I looked at Yuyu. We were supposed to go home today. She just nodded her head, encouraging me to go with Winter. 

 

“What about Ning?” 

 

“Ay, wag kang mag-alala, Karina. Sayong-sayo na si Winter. Susunduin ako ni Chen.” Nag finger gun siya sa akin at tumawa. 

 

“Okay.” 

 

Winter and I went through the motions of her taking my bag and putting it on the backseat when we got to her car. Nag comment pa si Yuyu na sanay na sanay na daw yung galawan namin but I just rolled my eyes at her and told her to drive safely sa pag-uwi. 

 

“G-gusto mong i-connect phone mo?” Winter asked as soon as we settled in her car.

 

I quickly my bluetooth and my phone connected in no time. Napa-smile ako ulit when I saw my phone saved sa car niya. Hindi ko naman to pinansin before when she first saved my phone pero yung nakalagay na ‘Karina’s iphone’ sa screen ay nakakakilig pala. Wala kasing ibang phone na nakasave. Not even Ning’s. Or Soobin’s. I somehow feel special lang. 

 

Hininaan ko yung volume kaagad coz I knew Winter’s habit of listening to music in full blast. My playlist immediately filled the car.

 

I turned to look at Winter. “Let’s go?” 

 

Napatalon siya at umiwas ng tingin. Don’t think I didn’t catch her staring at me while I was connecting my phone. I did. And she was cutely fumbling with the centre console to release the handbrake. 

 

“T-tara na.” 

 

Pansin ko lang talaga na she keeps stuttering now when she talks to me. It’s like we switched? Siya na yung nahihiya. 

 

“Are you just going to keep stuttering when you’re with me now?” I decided to . To be honest, I was surprised m