Dad <3 : How's your visit?

Me : Okay lang po. Mom's place is clean din, I thanked the staff.

Dad <3 : Mabuti naman, I contacted them last month.

Me : I figured. Bukambibig ka nung isang staff doon.

Dad <3 : Not my problem hahaha.

Me : What? Hahaha.

Dad <3 : It's friday, do you have classes anak?

Me : Unfortunately, yes.

Dad <3 : Lol.

"Focus on the road! Ayoko pa makita ang liwanag!" malakas ni sigaw ni Aeri sa'kin. I placed my phone in the phone holder in front of us at tumingin sa harap, only twenty seconds before the light turns green, inirapan ko si Aeri.

"Calm down, woman. Kausap ko si Dad."

"Patingin nga kung totoo-- Akin na!" bago niya kunin ay naunahan ko na siya at linagay sa messages namin ni Dad, she grabbed it and scrolled through the screen, "Grabe, mag-tatay nga talaga kayo, yung tawa sa chat napaka-cold." she laughed and placed it in front.

The lights turned green indicating to drive again. She played a song from Spotify, a track by Rini. Narinig ko ang pagkanta niya kaya napakanta na din ako. Aeri has a great voice that I told her to audition for entertainment companies here in the country but she said it wasn't her forte.

"Got nothing but good intentions..." she said, singing the lyrics from Rini's song, Good Intentions. She was touching in the screen again, siguro ay papalitan ang kanta

"Let's call your Dad!" she said and before I could protest, she already clicked the call button, God, this woman..

"Don't tell Dad any nonsense." I warned and she just chuckled,

"Relax, babe. Unless there's something to spill..?" she teased and I saw my Dad's face on the screen, my eyes are still on the road.

"Uchinaga? Where's my daughter?" I heard my father's voice, napairap ako nang tumawa si Aeri

"Tito? Why are you still calling me by my surname?! Anyway, Minjeong-ie is here po." she said and I saw her faced the phone to my side, I just waved my hand and smiled a little

"Hoy, anak! Drive safely at ayokong umuwi para pumunta ng ospital." he joked and laughed, tumawa nanaman ang kaibigan ko,

"Dad, I am! We're actually near the campus so we'll end the call." I said and signaled Aeri to fix her stuff, "Ingat ka dyan, 'Pa."

"Take care, both of you." he said and waved in the screen, we waved too but the call was still not stopped. 

My right hand was in steering wheel while the other was in the window behind me, I was parking. Nakita ko naman ang mga matang nakatingin sa aming dalawa ni Aeri, nasa kotse pa din kami. I picked up my phone from the holder and fixed my stuff, I waved at my Dad again who's smiling.

"Tito, may kahalikan na si Minjeo!-- Ay, ano ba yan!" agad kong pinatay ang tawag nang sinabi niya iyon, hinampas ko ang balikat niya at ginawa niya rin sa'kin.

"Nakakainis ka naman! Baka kung ano isipin ni Papa." sabi ko at narinig ko ang tawa niya. Lumabas kami ng sabay sa kotse at hinintay ko siya sa may hallway upang sabay kaming maglakad.

Pumunta siya sa tabi ko at hinawakan ang aking braso, our arms are intertwined. I saw other students looking at us but we were used to it, mukhang ineenjoy pa nga ata ito ni Aeri, I chuckled at the thought. As we were walking, nakasalubong namin ang kaibigan ni Aeri na lalaki, it was Mark.

"Hey, just came?" he asked while walking with us. I gave Aeri a look, telling her to answer him.

"Yes, ikaw ba?" I saw her smiled at the guy who was doing the same as well, hinayaan ko lang mag-usap ang dalawa.

Nakakabasa ako ng tao base sa pinapakita nilang reaksyon, nakikita ko naman na parehas nilang gusto ang presensya ng isa't-isa but I will still look out for Aeri because I can't just give the man my full support, if he's really into my bestfriend. Hindi rin naman ako sigurado kaya tumatahimik lang ako at itinatago ito sa sarili.

After their chat, we bid our goodbye to Mark and went to our room. Umupo na kami sa usual spot namin, which is beside the window so the fresh air can pass on us. I checked on my watch and its already 10:05 in the morning and wala pa din ang prof namin, agad kong naisip na wala nanaman ito ngayon, and I was right.

"Wala daw si prof, pinapasabi niya na gawin yung mga dapat gawin na requirements." Minju coldly said while fixing her specs at umupo, narinig ko naman ang iba't-ibang reaksyon sa mga blockmates ko.

I looked at Somi who's opening her laptop, napatingin naman ako kay Aeri na nag-aayos ng buhok. Naisip kong lapitan si Somi upang pag-usapan ang research namin.

"Hey, punta lang ako kay Somi. I'll discuss some things." I said and she just nodded, still fixing her hair while holding a mirror.

Pumunta na ako sa harap at dumeretso sa pwesto ni Somi, she was still focused on the screen of her laptop that she didn't notice me. I went to her front and she slowly raised her head to face me.

"Y-yes?" she said, I didn't mind her stuttering.

"Should we discuss about our research na?" I asked and she slowly nodded, nakita kong inayos niya ang sarili at umayos ng upo. I asked my fellow blockmate if I can borrow his chair, agad niya itong binigay kaya umupo na ako sa tabi ng babae.

"Let's formulate a new topic? Para magkasundo tayo." I asked

"Should we investigate about micro loans?" she suggested while pointing through the screen, I looked and nodded a little. Nakita kong lumabas si Aeri sa pinto but I didn't mind and focused on the girl beside me.

Dapat may ambag ako dito.

"Or the impact of microfinance banks on the development of entrepreneurship?" she said pero nakita kong hindi niya nagustuhan ang sarili niyang idea, she continued scrolling "Dapat accessible yung kukunin nating resources though..."

"I agree." I said and thought of new ideas dahil katulad nga ng sabi ko, kailangan may ambag ako. "Hmm, factors affecting the sales performance of the top performing agents in a insurance company? Yung dito lang sa country and selected company lang para hindi tayo mahirapan."

She looked at me and smiled, "P'wede naman, my Dad can be a big help, I guess." she said and focused on typing again in our document in Google Docs.

"Your dad owns a company?" I asked, I got curious when she said her Dad can be a big help to us. I saw her smiled, nahihiya siyang sabihin ito.

"He's a president... Of a certain company." she said and looked away, tumango naman ako. I understand if she can't tell what it is, maybe she kept her identity hidden.

We talked for awhile and decided to just continue the talk some other time, mag-update na lang daw ako sa kanya kapag may settled date again for a discussion. I went outside to look for Aeri, agad akong dumeretso sa canteen dahil baka nandoon siya. For no reason, I remembered what Somi said earlier.

We are alike.

"So, kamusta kayo ni Yu Jimin?" Aeri asked while munching on the sisig rice, nakikikain ako sa pagkain niya

"Bakit naman ganiyan tanong mo?" I said and drank water from my bottle

"What? So may something naman pala?"

"Wala! Nagulat lang ako sa approach mo!" natawa naman siya sa sinabi ko at sinubuan pa ako ng sisig, baliw talaga! "We're just talking, as friends." sabi ko at ginaya niya naman ang huli kong sinabi, totoo naman ah?

"Lol! So you have a friend online na ha?" she teased, I just rolled my eyes.

"Kayo ni Mark? What's the catch?" I asked, nakita ko naman na nagulat siya sa tanong ko at biglang ngumiti, weakness unlocked?

"Hoy, babe! Wag ganiyan!" sigaw niya at hinampas ang balikat ko, agad ko naman naramdaman ang sakit kaya napahawak ako dito. "Wala naman, friends lang din." she said and fixed her hair for no reason, nagpapa-cute.

"Just... you know, be aware and guard yourself." I said and she just nodded, she understands my point immediately dahil nangyari na din naman ang gantong usapan namin dati.

Pumunta ako sa OZ Building upang makita si ate Seulgi, I want to ask about the upcoming auditons. Nahihiya naman akong tumingin-tingin sa mga room kaya nang makita ko si ate Lisa na may kausap na babae, holding her waist as well, siguro ay girlfriend niya ito.

Dahan-dahan akong lumapit sa kanya at hinawakan ang kanyang balikat, napatingin naman siya sa'kin.

"Win! Ano meron?" tanong niya, umalis muna ang babaeng kausap niya upang bigyan kami ng space.

"About sa auditions, kailan po ba?"