“Babs?” 

 

It was what everyone was thinking. Sino si Babs? At bakit Babs ang tawagan nila? 

 

Lia glanced at Karina, gauging her reaction. She wasn’t surprised to see na nakakunot ang noo niya. Lia expected it, especially kapag nakakaranas siya ng bagay na hindi niya maintindihan. Still, tinaasan niya to ng kilay, inoobserbahan ang mukha.

 

Stoic. Deep in thought. Resting face.

 

Interesting. 

 

Then tinignan ni Lia si Ryujin before niya tinanong, “Is he Winter’s jowa, RJ?” 

 

Karina stilled at the question. Curious. Slowly, binaling niya ang tingin niya sa katabi niya. Kasi for some reason, gusto niya rin malaman. Wala naman masama dun diba? 

 

But Ryujin was equally confused. Hindi pa niya nakita yung “Babs” before or narinig sa mga usapan nila Ning and Winter. And as far she knew, Winter was single. 

 

“Di ko alam. Wala naman sinabi si Winter na jowa.” Napatingin siya kay Karina and saw that binalik niya yung tingin niya where Soobin’s car sped off. “Akala ko nga may crush yun eh. Palagi silang nag-uusap about Miss Inspiration or something.” 

 

“So Winter likes girls, too?” Lia asked, eyes cautiously flitting from Karina to Ryujin. 

 

Ilang beses ba si Lia magbibitaw ng mga ganitong tanong? Hindi naman sa masama ang mga tanong niya, it’s just that it’s what everyone wants to know, too. 

 

Kasi lahat sila nakaabang sa kung ano man ang sagot ni Ryujin.

 

Well, does she?

 

Ryujin shrugged, tugging at her bag. “Siguro?”

 

Tumabi si Giselle kay Karina, looking at the same spot she had been staring at for a while. She smirked. “They look bagay naman,” she said, voice teasing. “He looks cute, too and looks matangkad.” 

 

Kung ipanapakita ni Karina na wala siyang pakialam sa mga nangyayari, she looked almost convincing.

 

Almost.

 

Pero mahirap na magpanggap in front of friends na kilala ka na. She acted nonchalant about everything but the way she was short with her words and provided input about what the guy was like was a little obvious. 

 

Hindi rin alam ni Karina kung ganun siya kung maka-react. 

 

“He seems a bit rude,” She had said in her low voice before walking away.  

 

Nagkatinginan si Ryujin, Lia, at Giselle, their brows raised. Parang pareho lang sila ng iniisip kasi ng magtama ang mga mata nila, agad silang napangiti. 

 

Yeji, who was standing beside Lia, ay napansin din yung reaction ni Karina. Hyunjin just seemed clueless about everything.

 

She looked at Lia and squeezed her arm.

 

“Babe, parang may something. Am I right?” 

 

Lia grinned and then winked. “Maybe. We’ll see.” Hinila niya si Yeji papunta sa kotse niya. “Gi, you coming? Hyunjin is driving!” 

 

“Yuyu, wait ka naman!” Ryujin called before walking to Karina’s car. Nagtataka siya bakit nakaupo si Karina sa passenger seat when it was her turn to drive. Wednesday ngayon. Pero pumasok na lang siya sa driver’s side, buckling herself in. 

 

Karina, on the other hand, just sat quietly, staring into space. Kukulitin sana ni Ryujin si Karina pero decided against it. Alam na niya pag ganyan si Karina ay binibigyan lang ng space. Hindi nadadala sa kulit.

 

“Gutom ka na?” She asked instead before starting the car. 

 

Karina only nodded before saying, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

***

 

 

“So, ano yung kanina?” Tanong ni Hyunjin while driving. “Ano yung tinginan niyo? At bakit parang ang weird ni Bal?” Tiningnan niya si Giselle sa tabi niya na nakasmile lang habang nasa phone. 

 

“Nothing, Hyun. Next time you see KK with RJ’s friends, just watch her.” 

 

“Okay? Bakit ang mysterious niyo today?” 

 

“We only have a hunch, Hyun.” Sinabi ni Lia from the back seat. Tiningnan naman siya ni Hyunjin from the rearview mirror, nakataas ang kilay. “Basta! You’ll see.” She giggled. 

 

“May alam ka, kambal?” Tinanong naman niya si Yeji.

 

“Ngayon ko lang sila nakita and napansin ko kaagad. Bal, tingin-tingin din.” Yeji smirked. 

 

“Ang ewan niyo.” 

 

When they arrived, they immediately spotted Ryujin and Karina in the restaurant. Karina looked far less bothered. Hindi na siya nakasimangot, pati na rin yung energy niya ay mukhang mas magaan. Baka nakapag cool down na siya on their drive to the restaurant. 

 

“What are we having?” Giselle asked as they all sat down on the round table. 

 

They all decided sa group chat nila na mag KBBQ so they went to Nakpil Korean Village Restaurant sa Malate. Kasi rare daw ang occasion na makasama ang dalawang kambal at kompleto silang lahat. Matagal na rin silang hindi nakapag hang out. Last time they did was during their summer vacation when they all went to the Yu family’s rest house in Batangas. 

 

That was two months ago. October na. 

 

So after their lunch, nag message si Hyunjin na free daw siya, pati na rin si Yeji. They took the chance to just get together kahit they have a lot of things to do. Minsan lang daw. 

 

Si Ryujin, medyo nagtatampo pa rin sa mga kambal. Bakit hindi daw siya sinalubong sa first day niya sa university. Ang OA naman daw ng schedule nila at first day na first day busy kaagad. 

 

At yung pang-aasar nila sa kanya kaninang lunch, naiinis pa rin daw siya. Sinabing no embarrassing stories pero ginawa pa rin! They all owe her, she said. 

 

Wala namang umangal. Walang makakatiis sa baby nila. 

 

Ryujin also made the kambals promise na magpakita more often. 

 

And they did, Hyunjin and Yeji got up to bump their fists with Ryujin and kissed their knuckles. Promise handshake. 

 

“Gusto ko yung beef short ribs,” Ryujin said, not looking up from the menu. “Basta anything beef.”

 

“Let’s just get everything on their bbq menu, then?” Lia suggested while flipping the menu. “Maybe except for the tongue and intestine, ew.” 

 

Nagtanguan silang lahat. Nag request din sila ng pork bone soup, pati na rin yung kimchi fried rice na favourite ni Lia. 

 

“Mag audition ka ba for PDT, RJ?” Yeji took the chopsticks and spoons from the box and started wiping them. “May choreo ka na?” 

 

“Yeah. Si Yuyu na pumili.” Kinuha ni Ryujin ang inabot na kutsara at chopsticks. “Yung kay Kyle Hanagami na Yonce.” 

 

“Good choice, Kiri! Bagay kay RJ yun. Tulungan kita?” 

 

“May time ka?” Pabirong sabi ni Ryujin. 

 

“Eto naman tamporurut! Sorry na nga.” Yeji pouted. “Sa weekend. Puntahan kita sa inyo.” 

 

Ryujin pursed her lips, trying to stop herself from smiling. Ayaw niyang ipakita sa kanila na oo, gusto niya yun. She doesn’t want to give them that satisfaction. 

 

Pero hindi.

 

Trinaydor siya ng mga labi niya. 

 

Her lips curved into a smile at si Yeji na nakaupo katabi niya ay sinusundot yung tagiliran niya, making her smile even more. 

 

Tinukso naman siya ng mga Ate niya and this time, tumawa na siya. 

 

“Fine. Di talaga tayo bati pag hindi mo ako puntahan.” 

 

“Di kita matitiis! I’ll be there!” 

 

Dumating na yung order nila. Multiple plates full of beef, pork, and chicken covered their whole table. Agad naman kinuha ni Hyunjin yung tongs as soon as the server lit their grill. Ganito talaga siya kapag nag bbq sila – siya ang assigned grill master. 

 

They fell into a comfortable chatter while nag grill lang si Hyunjin ng meat. 

 

“So, RJ, your friends seem fun.” Giselle started, piling her lettuce wrap with rice, beef, kimchi, and samjang. Sinubo niya to, covering habang ngumunguya. “I like Ning, especially. She’s very funny!” 

 

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Dugtong ni Lia habang sinusubuan niya si Yeji ng kimchi fried rice. “Her questions are so random? Tapos she openly says she likes Hyun! And then Chaeryeong was fangirling over you, babe!” Lia nudged Yeji’s shoulder. 

 

“Pero tawang-tawa ako ng sinabi ni Winter na mukhang Mama Mary si Karina.” Humagalpak ng tawa si Yeji. Pati si Hyunjin, who wasn’t there, ay hindi mapigilan ng tumawa sa narinig niya. “Hindi ko inexpect yun!”

 

Muntik na nga niyang maibuga yung kinakain niya. “Seryoso?” 

 

Alam naman ng lahat na maganda si Karina. No one denies it. Every single human being with eyes can tell that Karina is beautiful. 

 

Kung magtatanong ka ng random person kahit saan and you show a picture of Karina, sasabihin kaagad nila “yes, maganda po siya.” 

 

Sabi nga ni Winter, hindi siya bulag. Pati na yata yung mga Marites na nagseselos ni Karina, hindi madeny na maganda talaga siya. 

 

Mama Mary nga eh.

 

“That has to be Top 1, most creative compliment.” Giselle snorted. 

 

Pero si Karina, hindi mapakali sa upuan niya. She was just trying to forget about that kasi nakakahiya. For the second time that day, she wanted to eject herself out of her seat.

 

She was already so red, ears heating up from embarrassment. She thought of Winter and why she said that in the first place. Sa tingin niya hindi naman siya mukhang santo para pagsabihan ng mukhang Mama Mary. 

 

If anything, si Yeji yun! Karina always thought Yeji was the prettier one. 

 

“Ang pula na ng tenga mo, Yuyu,” hinawi ni Ryujin ang buhok ni Karina at hinawakan ang tenga. “Pati na rin batok mo.” She giggled. 

 

Hindi na mapigilan ni Karina magtago sa leeg ni Ryujin. Hinahampas pa niya balikat niya but all Ryujin could do was laugh thinking how cute Karina is kapag nahihiya. 

 

In the back of Ryujin’s mind, she thought it was adorable that her Yuyu was reacting so much to a simple compliment. And one coming from her friend. 

 

May something kaya? Matagal na niyang iniisip to actually. Ever since the handshake incident. Napapansin din niya yung pag iwas niya sa mga friends niya minsan. Pero mas lumakas ang kutob niya when Karina became a little bit interested about her friends, especially kay Winter. 

 

Sa tingin niya, hindi lang siya ang nakapansin. Based lang sa reaksyon ng mga Ate niya, feel naman niya nagegets nila. 

 

Maliban na lang yata kay Hyunjin na absent kaninang lunch. Walang alam sa nangyayari. Ang akala lang ni Hyunjin ay normal talk lang to about sa friends ni Ryujin. Patuloy lang siyang nagluluto, giving the cooked meat to each of their plates. Hindi niya hinayaan maging empty yung plates nila. 

 

“Ang sama niyo,” Karina whined, voice muffled against Ryujin’s uniform. “Bakit kasi Mama Mary?” 

 

“Girl, have you seen yourself?” tiningnan ni Giselle si Karina, eyes scanning her up and down. “Winter’s got taste.” Pabiro niyang sabi. Mas lalo naman nailang si Karina sa sinabi niya. 

 

“Tama!” Pag-agree ni Yeji. 

 

“Pero…” Lia chimed in. “Winter’s kinda cute right? She honestly looks like a puppy.” Tiningnan niya si Giselle. “Actually all of RJ’s friends are so pretty!” 

 

Between the two of them, they’ve spent too much time together to actually master the art of eye communication. 

 

Isang tingin lang at alam na nila kung anong iniisip ng isa at vice versa

 

This was no different. 

 

Sinenyasan lang ni Giselle si Lia na ituloy ang pinplano niya. Nakita naman to ni Ryujin at napangiti ng malokong ngiti. 

 

“What do you think about RJ’s friends, KK? Cute right? Especially Winter? She’s kinda quiet pero her banats are so funny.” Lia gushed. “Don’t you think Winter is pretty, KK?”

 

“H-huh? Ano?” Karina shook, gulat sa tanong ni Lia that she dropped her chopsticks on the floor.  

 

“Winter?” 

 

“Wha-what about Winter?” Nauutal niyang sabi. 

 

“Isn’t she pretty?” 

 

Is she?

 

Napaisip si Karina. Mukha siyang maltese. Malaki ang mga mata. And then sometimes, when she smiles, her dimple shows. And her hair suits her. It frames her face perfectly. 

 

So is Winter