[6:45 PM] Pretty Landlord: Hey, I just got out of work. What are you doing?

“Who’s the pretty landlor— oh, is that Karina?” tanong ni Wonyoung sa akin nang silipin niya kung ano ang binabasa ko. We had our dinner since Won decided na dito kumain sa restaurant at tumambay dito sa office. May ikekwento raw kasi siya sa akin. It turns out, Krystal and Karina are gonna be their front cover of their magazine. They’re gonna be focusing sa Yu Sisters, making a promotion sa movie nila. 

“Yeah, pauwi na raw siya,” sagot ko kay Wonyoung habang nagtytype ng reply kay Karina.

[6:47 PM] You: Dito pa sa restaurant with Wonyoung. Uuwi ka na diretso?

[6:48 PM] Pretty Landlord: Wonyoung? Hmm…

[6:48 PM] Pretty Landlord: You know what, I’m planning to go there din tonight. Sunduin kita?

“Why is she going here to pick you up? You literally have a car,” curious na tanong ni Wonyoung na binabasa pa rin ang text messages namin kaya naman sinamaan ko siya ng tingin, making her to back away. 

[6:50 PM] You: Okay hehe

[6:51 PM] Pretty Landlord: I’m almost near naman na. See you :*

“You’re smiling weirdly,” Wonyoung squinted her eyes at me. Napailing nalang ako at inilagay na ulit sa table drawer ang phone ko. Wala naman masyadong ganap sa restaurant tonight and hindi rin ganun karami ang tao dahil Friday ngayon. Most of them are spending their Friday night sa clubs and bars.

Ate Taeyeon also visited me kaninang lunch with Kat. She told me na  makikipag-kita raw siya sa tatay ng anak ni Kat. Kuya was againts it daw pero kahit galit daw siya doon sa lalake ay ayaw niya namang lumaki si Kat na hindi kilala ang tatay.

Mamaya ko na lang sila kakamustahin kapag nakauwi na kami ni Karina.

“Tapos ka na kumain, why are you still here?” pabirong pagsusungit ko sakanya. She dramatically gasped and hit me on my arm. 

“Hindi mo man lang ba ako namiss? What kind of friend are you? I’ve been away for almost two months and you’re here, telling me na umuwi na agad?” 

Natawa ako nang pinanlakihan niya ako ng mata. I pulled her arm closer to me and jokingly wrapped my arms around her, ruffling her hair. She shrieked pero hinayaan ko lang siya.

“Ito naman, hindi na mabiro. Of course, I missed you. Walang nanggulo sa akin sa office ng ilang linggo,” I said, chuckling.

“Win! My hair! Isang oras ko yan pinaayos!”

“Oh, akala ko ba miss mo ak—”

“Win?”

Parehas kami napabitaw ni Wonyoung sa paghaharutan nang marinig ko ang boses ni Karina. I instanly looked up and saw her standing sa may labas habang nakabukas lang ang pinto ng office. Medyo seryoso ang mukha niya kaya baka pagod siya today. Inilayo ko ang sarili ko kay Wonyoung at dali-daling tumayo para makipag-beso kay Karina. 

“Kanina ka pa? Come in,” sambit ko sakanya and lead her papasok sa office. “Won, si Karina pala.”

Won smiled sweetly at Karina and even waved her hand, “Hi, Rina. Ready na ako for your shoot with your sister.”

Tipid na ngumiti sakanya si Karina at naupo sa tabi ni Won. 

“Me too,” sagot niya. Ipinatong ni Karina ang bag niya sa right side niya kaya hindi ako naupo sa tabi niya. I pouted and chose my swivel chair nalang para doon maupo.

“What are you doing pala here?” tanong ni Karina kay Wonyoung. 

“We only had dinner since I told Winter about your cover in our magazine. I was so excited lang kasi,” Won answered, chuckling. “What about you?”

“Hmm?” 

“I mean why do you need to pick up Win?” tanong niya ulit. Napalunok ako at bigla namang tumingin sa akin si Wonyoung. “Is your car sira? You should’ve told me para ako nalang naghatid sa’yo pauwi instead of bugging Dire—”

“I just want to since we’re dating,” pagputol ni Karina sa tanong ni Wonyoung. Literal na nanlaki ang mata ko habang parang hindi makapaniwala si Wonyoung sa narinig. Hindi pa rin ako nililingon ni Karina. May problema ba?

Bigla namang natawa si Wonyoung at napailing, “Girl, infairness, you almost had me on that one. Nice joke.”

At this point, magsusugat na ata yung labi ko dahil kanina ko pa ito kinakagat. Bakit naman kasi ayaw maniwala ni Wonyoung agad? And hindi ko rin inexpect na sasabihin ni Karina na we’re dating na kay Wonyoung. I thought we’re taking our time.

“Who says I’m joking?” seryosong tanong ni Karina. Sa loob ng almost isang taon kong kasama si Karina, I just know her voice when she’s pissed and right now, she is.

Parang nag buffer pa yung utak ni Wonyoung and after a few seconds, tumayo siya and pointed at me and Karina. Umiling siya and laughed, a humorlessly one. 

“No way… you’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way Winter would date a girl…”

I sighed at nanatiling nakaupo. Naiisip ko na agad ang mga pwedeng mangyari. Won’s friends with Jaemin and Jeno. I just know na makakaabot sakanila itong balita kapag sinabi ni Wonyoung sakanila. Baka magalit sa akin si Jeno dahil alam ko kung gaano niya kagusto si Karina. Sad boy nga siya ngayon sa mga tweets niya sa Twitter eh. Jusko.

“But she is, and she’s dating me,” confident na sagot ni Karina and this time, lumingon siya sa akin and gave a small smile. 

“Win? Is this true?”

Naalala ko yung isang scene sa Euphoria. Ang tagal ng bagong season nil— okay, seryoso na.

“Yeah,” sagot ko kay Wonyoung. Kitang-kita ko ang panlulumo ng mukha niya. I frowned mentally kasi bakit parang hindi siya masaya sa akin? Alam kong nakakabigla for her na malaman na I’m dating a girl pero magkaibigan kami. 

Maya-maya pa ay dahan-dahang tumango si Wonyoung and let out a breath. Kinuha niya ang bag niya sa sofa and awkwardly looked at the both of us.

“Well then, I should go. May pupuntahan pa pala ako.”

“Won!”

She immediately left the office kaya kahit pa tinawag ko siya ay hindi na niya ako pinansin. I became more anxious nang bigla kong narinig ang boses ni Karina. Nakatingin siya sa akin as she approached me.

“Go talk to her, Win. I think nabigla siya..”

Hindi na niya ako kailangan sabihan pa ulit dahil dali-dali kong hinabol si Wonyoung na papasok pa lang sa kotse niya. I shut her front door and pulled her closer to me, stopping her from entering her car.

“Won, wait la—”

“Winter, what the was that?” inis na tanong ni Wonyoung habang tinuturo ang restaurant. First time ko nalang ulit siyang ganito kainis kaya hindi ko alam kung paano siya i-aapproach.

“What the was what?” 

“That! You’re dating Karina? Why? Last time I remember, Jeno’s courting her!”

I sighed exasperatedly and brushed my hand over my face, “Well, she rejected him and we like each other! What’s wrong with that?” inis kong tanong. Nagbago ang itsura niya and she chuckled mockingly.

“You like each other? She’s a girl, Win. I thought hindi ka pumapatol sa babae? I waited for you for a long time tapos you’re gonna end up with… with Karina?” she took a deep breath before continuing, “All this time, I felt I'd never be able to change your mind which is why I kept flirting with you because that's the only way I thought I could, but I guess not… It turns out that I was simply the wrong person to win your heart.”

There was a hint of sadness and betrayal sa mga sinabi niya. 

“So you were thinking about your feelings all along? I thought we were already pas—”

“Kahil kailan, manhid ka talaga,” she clenched her jaw at umiling. Binuksan niya ulit ang driver’s seat at tumingin sa akin.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now. I have to go.”