So very sorry for the very late update. Life happened hehe but here it is!

 

 

I miss Winter already. 

 

Is that so bad? 

 

It hasn’t even been 30 minutes since we left for Baguio and I already miss her. As Yuna would say, I got it bad. I wonder how I’ll be for four days without Winter. Surely, mag-uusap naman kami frequently right? We’ve established naman what we are, and I think I can text her whenever I miss her. 

 

That’s not so clingy naman diba? 

 

Bahala na. I don’t want to hold myself back since malayo ako from Winter. 

 

“Karing,” I heard Ate Marie from the back. “Jowa mo na ba yun…si ano? Winter?” 

 

Namula ako. Yuna echoed Ate Marie’s question. Tumatawa si Yuyu beside me. “Yuyu, jowa mo na ba daw si Winter cutie?” 

 

I groaned internally. Ayokong ma hot seat but this was to be expected. After what they saw kanina, questions were bound to be asked.

 

Hindi pa nga jowa. 

 

“No, Ate,” sinabi ko na lang ng pabulong. Nahihiya din kasi ako ng sight. Especially kay Ate Marie. She always sees Winter picking me up and dropping me off and whenever I would catch her looking at me, may something sa mga tingin niya. 

 

“Hindi pa?” Yuyu teased me and I cursed her under my breath. 

 

Inirapan ko siya quickly before turning my attention back sa labas ng bintana, “Yes, hindi pa.” 

 

“Ay bakit hindi pa? Palagi kayong magkasama at kung umarte kayo parang magjowa. Hatid sundo pa nga minsan. Jowain mo na, Karing!” 

 

“Slow mo naman, Ate Yuyu!” Yuyu followed suit sa pang-aasar sa akin and I could only sink in my seat dahil nahihiya ako. 

 

I had to open the window kasi naiinitan na din ako. 

 

Pero slow ba ako? 

 

Should I have asked Winter to be my girlfriend noon pa? 

 

The thing is I didn’t want to rush myself and Winter as well. Considering na Winter would be my first girlfriend…kung gusto niya. Ayokong mag move too fast. And it’s not that I’m not sure of my feelings for her because I am…I have never been more sure. 

 

Gusto ko lang that our getting to know each other was as natural as possible. No pressure. Just two girls who like each other developing their feelings even deeper. 

 

And right now, my feelings for Winter is more than what I have felt for anyone. I don’t think I have felt this way sa ex ko or sa crushes ko before.

 

She just makes me feel like I can be myself sa kanya. Not once did I even try to pretend or act differently around her para magustuhan niya ako. I hope she also feels the same way. I want her to be comfortable around me. 

 

But I guess it has been a few months since we have been seeing each other. And yung nangyari sa amin kahapon made me think a lot about the status of our relationship. 

 

And the thing that I felt…I never want to feel that way — I don’t want her to feel that way. 

 

I don’t ever want to question my actions towards her — kung pwede ba or hindi. I want to be 100% certain sa lahat ng mga ginagawa ko and not feel conflicted about it. Especially kung nagseselos ako. 

 

Maybe…maybe we can make it official soon. If she wants to. 

 

I hope she wants to.

Hindi pa nakipagpalit si Yuyu mag drive. It’s been more than an hour pero I’m not complaining naman. We’ll switch at the next rest stop.

 

I took the opportunity to check my phone at napangiti na lang ako when I saw that Winter had flooded me with texts.

 

She really kept her word. 

[2:43 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: hi namiss na kita

[2:44 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: o(TヘTo)

[2:44 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: ^ ganyan itsura ko dahil wala ka 

My gosh, Winter is so cute.

 

For someone who didn’t know how to text before, ang galing niya magpacute sa text. Kamukha niya yung mga emojis na sinesend niya.

 

I decided to send her a selfie. 

[3:17 pm, Saturday] Karina: *photo* 

[3:17 pm, Saturday] Karina: i miss you too 

 

[3:20 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: ◉_◉

[3:20 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: ang ganda mo naman

[3:21 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: di ka pa nagdrive? 

I blushed at her compliment. Winter always tells me I’m pretty and di pa rin talaga ako sanay. 

 

I turned to Yuyu and snapped a picture. 

 

“Oi, para saan yan Yuyu?” 

 

I started typing on my phone. “I’m sending it to Winter.” 

 

She snorted and slapped my thigh. “Di pa kayo magjowa niyan ha.” 

 

“Shut up.” 

 

Tumawa lang siya. “Palit na tayo soon. Sakit na ng pwet ko, Yuyu.” 

 

Before I switched with Yuyu, I sent a text to Winter na ako na magd-drive. 

[3:48 pm, Saturday] Win ❤: ingat ka (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

***

Ang hirap mag drive to Baguio. 

 

It was a good thing that nakarating kami kina Lola before pa dumilim, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to drive all the way. Buti na lang din Ate Marie was with us since she kabisado niya yung roads and guided me to drive safely. 

 

As soon as I got out of the car, tinext ko kaagad si Winter.

 

Masyado na ba akong clingy?

 

Yuyu, pati ni rin si Yuna, were side eyeing me as they passed by me papasok sa loob ng bahay. Asar lang. 

 

May pabulong pa si Yuyu sa akin, “Baka sa pagtae mo, itetext mo rin si Winter.” 

 

Kinurot ko na lang siya before I pocketed my phone and ran inside the house. 

 

I just want to update Winter. Masama ba yun? 

“Karina! Apo!” Lola greeted me with a hug as soon as she saw me. “Bakit ngayon lang kayo? Si Yuyu mo at si Yuna?” 

 

“Hi Lola,” Yuyu and Yuna hugged my Lola. Hindi talaga maiwasan na asarin ako ni Yuyu. “Lumandi po kasi muna si Yuyu Lola kaya nalate kami.” 

 

Laglagan? She’s so sumbongera talaga. 

 

“May boyprend ka na ulit, Karina?” 

 

“Wala po.” 

 

“Sinong nilalandi mo? Ay Karina, wag kang lumalandi sa kung sino-sinong lalaki at baka ma-disgrasya ka.”

 

Nagulat lang ako sa sinabi ni Lola at napasigaw, “Lola, hindi po! Wag po kayong maniwala kay Yuyu.” 

 

I pulled Yuyu away from Lola before may masabi pa siyang iba. 

 

“Look what you did!” I hissed at her. “Akala tuloy ni Lola malandi ako!” 

 

“Malandi ka naman talaga.”

 

“Kay Winter lang!” That’s right. I won’t deny that fact. Kay Winter lang. 

 

“Malandi pa rin,” she snickered.

 

“You’re so annoying.”

 

She only stuck her tongue out at me before pulling me to our room. “Oh, itext mo na ulit si Winter na mag unpack ka na.” 

 

Parang I will suffer for four days here in Baguio. I’m already bracing myself when Yuyu opens her big mouth to my cousins. 

 

Wala ng kawala. 

 

Ang ruthless pa naman ng mga Ate at Kuya ko kung mang-asar. 

 

Ito yung downside sa pagiging bunso. I’m always the target. 

 

But two can play this game. “Ewan ko sayo! I’m telling Chaeryeong na you wet your bed until you were ten!” 

 

“Don’t you dare!” 

I didn’t stay to mingle with my relatives after dinner. 

 

One, I was tired from the drive. Two, I needed to shower. And three, I wanted to call Winter.

 

Winter lang ba ako ng Winter?

 

Gusto ko lang kasi sulitin because the rest of my stay in Baguio will be full of gala and hangouts with my cousins. Bukas na rin yung party ni Lola. And as much as I want my face glued sa phone ko at kausapin si Winter the whole time, that wouldn’t be nice at all. 

 

I know my limits rin naman. And these four days will be for my family. 

 

Bahala na kung marinig ako ni Yuyu at Yuna na kausap si Winter since the three of us are sharing a room. They’re just going to have to deal with malandi KK.

 

This is nothing new to them. 

 

I immediately called Winter after I finished getting ready for bed. Ten pa naman so hopefully it’s not too late at hindi pa inaantok si Winter. Gusto ko siyang makausap ng matagal. 

 

Bumungad kaagad yung mukha ni Winter. Of course video call kami. I wanted to see her face. 

 

“Hi,” she said. Ang lapit pa ng mukha niya sa screen. Naka t-shirt lang siya ng malaki and she had her hair pushed back by a headband. Mas nagmukha talaga siyang puppy. Her face looked like she just finished getting ready for bed too. Super cute niya lang. 

 

“Hi Win,” I replied bago ako sumandal sa headboard. Wala pa ang Shin sisters si kwarto. Si Yuyu nakikipagdaldalan sa mga pinsan ko. Yuna was in the washroom showering. “Inaantok ka na ba?” 

 

“Hindi na dahil nakita na kita.” She scrunched her nose na parang nahihiya pa sa sinabi niya. Ako nga yung nahihiya eh. I’m not used to her banats just yet. 

 

I fanned my face dahil nafifeel ko na umiinit yung mukha ko. “Mainit ba diyan? Diba dapat malamig diyan?” 

 

“N-no,” I stuttered. “Ikaw kasi…”

 

“Ako?” 

 

Nakikita ko na yung pag smirk niya so I decided to change the subject na lang. “How was your day?” 

 

“Busy,” inalis niya yung headband niya and inayos yung buhok. “Ikaw? Kumusta drive niyo?” 

 

“Okay lang. Medyo scary but I managed.” 

 

Winter frowned. “Sana sumama na lang kayo sa parents mo para hindi ka na mapagod.” 

 

“But I wanted to see you.” 

 

“Ako lang to, Karina…”

 

“All the more reason to see you.” 

 

“Pa-fall ka naman.”

 

“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?” 

 

“Oo na, oo na,” humiga na siya. “Hulog na hulog na ako sayo.” 

 

I smiled at her. “Me too.”