Bumangon ako para tignan ang oras sa cellphone ko. 10:57 a.m., Saturday. Meaning, day off ni ate Irene and she has time to cook the grandest breakfast of all time for the both of us. And for ate Seulgi na nag-sleepover kagabi kasi ginabi sila ng uwi.

Bumangon ako para maghilamos saglit bago bumaba, checking my phone for anything important. So far, wala naman. Just Ryujin and Gi asking about some assignments and finalizing details for tonight’s girls’ night. Mostly kung ano ba ang kailangan nilang dalhin. I make a mental note to reply to them once I’ve had breakfast.

I was brushing my teeth when a notification popped up again. Si Winter naman ang nag-text sa akin ngayon. 

Winter :P: Morning, Jiminie! Gising ka na ba?

Ang aga naman gumising nito today, akala ko ba ayaw niyang gumising nang maaga? Excited much, Minjeong? Still, I wrote a response.

Katarina: Good morning! Just woke up. Are you on your way here?

Since ito naman na ako, might as well respond to my two other friends, sending ‘I don’t think may assignments, just long quizzes on Tuesday and Thursday.’ to Ryujin and ‘Sarili mo na lang I guess, and sleepover essentials. Will order food na lang here. Extra alcohol won’t hurt, I guess. Relay to Ning^2 please.’ to G. 

Winter :P: Jwu rin hehe. Do you have something in mind na gustong gawin today? Labas tayo or stay in?

Winter replies again. I honestly don’t even want to leave today. Stay home lang kasi ayaw kong mapagod for tonight, baka bumagsak agad ako nang wala pang naiinom.

Katarina: I wanna stay home lang, is it okay? I downloaded the Genshin Impact game you really like last night sa iPad. I started a game but hindi ko gets. Please teach me how na lang. Also, ate Irene’s cooking breakfast again. Do you want some? I’ll tell her to make more.

And yet again, it doesn’t take her too long to respond.

Winter :P: Staying in sounds great! Would love breakfast too. Also would love to teach you to play Genshin, wil bring controllers para mas madali. Paalis na me :*

I downloaded the game last night. It took a while because I really thought I could play immediately, ‘yun pala may kailangan pang i-install. It’s a pretty big game, pero it looks fun kasi kapag napapanood kong maglaro si Minjeong.

I make my way down the stairs to see ate Irene with nearly a feast on the dining table and ate Seulgi staring the food down as she waits for ate Irene to finish cooking.

“Wow… pancakes, bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, at may kanin pa? Ate, ang dami naman ata. Winter’s coming over, by the way. Kaya buti lang din siguro na maraming pagkain. Kagigising niyo lang, ates?” I say, considering na they were stacked. 

The two ates turn their head at me as I enter the room, greeting me with, of course, some teasing.

“Ah, good morning, Katarina. Kumusta naman ba mga ate mo at ang aga-aga ipinagluluto ka ng brunch ‘di ba? Bawal maarte kainin niyo kung ano ang nakahain.” She raises her eyebrow at me. Sungit naman nito, umagang umaga eh.

At syempre, gagatungan pa ni ate Seulgi. Although, hindi ganoon ka-scary. She’s like Winter, they could never be scary or intimidating even if they tried.

“Oo nga naman, Katarina.” emphasis on Katarina. “What happened to hello, how are you, my name is? Charot.” ate Seulgi pouts, ngayon ko lang napansin na mukhang kagigising niya lang din. Late na rin silang nakauwi kagabi eh. Even later than me, eh I went out to grab dinner pa with the troupe kasi sabi ni ate late na nga silang makakauwi.

Natatawang inirapan ko silang dalawa nang pinagpatuloy ni ate Irene ang pagluluto niya pa ng… fried chicken? Kaaga-aga fried chicken na agad? Joke, almost 11 na rin pala.

“Ate Seul kanonood mo ‘yan ng Tiktok… Good morning, ates. How are you this fine morning? Coffee, anyone? Mag-start na ako mag-brew. ‘Wag ko nang galawin at lagyan ng kahit ano kasi si ate Irene na bahala, right?” paglalambing ko sa kanilang dalawa, approaching both of them to give them a hug. These two practically raised me, ever since our parents decided to relocate up north and “retire”, kahit na they still actually run businesses there, just way less work than before. 

By then, I started college already and ate Irene’s resto was stable enough for her, so much so na she could provide for both of us. I didn’t ask her to, pero she insisted. She just wants to make sure I’m well taken care of. Our parents still pay for my tuition though and give me some allowance monthly. Me and ate Irene still live in our childhood home, which is in the same subdivision as Minjeong’s home. Kinda far from my univ, but I preferred living at home than in ate Irene’s condo in QC which was a much shorter drive.

“Yes please, Karina! Itong kapatid mo kasi ayaw akong hayaan gumawa, hindi rin naman niya ako ginagawan.” sumbong sa akin ni ate Seulgi na nakasimangot. 

Ate Irene’s head shoots back at us. “Aba, Seulgi Kang baka nalilimutan mo na noong huli ko kayong pinabayaang magluto muntik na tayong tumawag ng bumbero? Bahala kayo diyan, wala naman akong kapatid at ampon lang ‘yang Karina na ‘yan.”

“Ate Irene nakakasakit ka na ha!” I pretend to grab my chest in pain. “Ikaw naman, ate Seul, tumulong ka kasi. We can’t do all the work here kaya. Wala ka namang dulot dito eh.” 

“Ang sakit mo naman, Karina!” she protests as me and ate Irene laugh at her. Nag-prepare na lang din ako at nagsimula nang maglagay ng kumukulong tubig at coffee grounds sa french press. 

I stare at the brewing coffee in the french press. Ate Irene nudges me, signalling at the mugs and other things that typically go in coffee. I grab four mugs and milk, creamer, and sugar. In this household, we prefer to make our own coffee. Hindi namin makuha ang tamang timpla na gusto ng isa’t isa, liban kay ate Seulgi na gusto laging si ate Rene ang gumagawa ng kape niya. I also know how Winter likes her coffee, pero she isn’t here yet kaya baka pagdating niya na lang.

And once again, as if on cue, bumukas na ang pinto, at iniluwal si Minjeong Kim. She had an overnight bag lang and she was holding on to her water bottle, the house keys we keep under a flower pot, and she was sweating. Did she walk here? Kahit same subdivision kami, 5 minutes din na lakaran ‘yun, and it was a very sunny morning.

“Morning, Kars. Morning, ate Seulgi. Goodest morning, ate madam. Oh my god, pagpalain ka ng kung sino mang diyos ang nasa langit, ate madam! Gutom na gutom na ako!” She says, helping herself to a plate of food. 

“Good morning, Minjeongie! Help yourself lang, ikaw na lang yata ang good sa morning na ‘to,” sabi sa kanya ni ate Irene, finishing up with what she was cooking at naupo na rin sa tabi ni ate Seulgi nang maihain na ang lahat.

I place the mugs with coffee in front of everyone. Well, two mugs in front of ate Irene, my mug at my spot, and Winter’s in front of her.

“Milk and sugar?” she asks me as I place the mug by her plate.

“Milk and sugar, just the way you love it.” I say as she takes a sip.

“It’s perfect, thank you, Ji.” She smiles and shows me a thumbs-up before going back to eating.

“Guys, nasubukan niyo na bang isawsaw fried chicken sa maple syrup? Ni-request ko talaga kay bebelabs ‘to kasi alam kong nandito kayong dalawa ngayong morning para ma-try niyong lahat.” sabi ni ate Seul as she takes a piece of chicken, dunking it into maple syrup, at diretso ngang isinubo ito. Proud na proud pa nga. 

Winter follows suit, and the look on her face kind of made me wanna do it too. Ngiting ngiti siya at umapir pa kay ate Seul kasi masarap daw. Pero isn’t it weird kasi maalat yung chicken tapos matamis yung syrup?

“Yooji, ate madam Irene, subukan niyo masarap nga, hala! Para siyang ano, um, yung mga chicken wings sa, um, chicken wing-an, na sweet ang flavor, honey butter garlic chuvachoochoo. Like that.” Sabi ni Winter habang gumagawa ng sandwich.

Nilagyan niya ng bacon, hinimay na chicken, at itlog bago mag-drizzle ng maple syrup ang isang pancake bago ito patungan ng isa pa. “Shet, mas masarap pa yata ‘to kaysa sa nabibili sa labas.” sabi niya pa once satisfied sa sarili niyang gawa.

Kinulit niya pa nga si ate Irene na ipagluto na lang kaming lahat ng almusal araw araw. Tumawa lang kaming lahat. Ate Irene honestly says naman na she can’t kasi she has to leave early to go to the resto. Occasionally on days like yesterday, ate Irene wakes up early tapos magluluto siya ng pabaon sa akin. Weekends are just their off-days, but they’re still always just one call away if may kakailaganin sa resto.

We finish off breakfast while chatting about our week, and any agendas today. Lalabas daw sina ate Irene and ate Seulgi today, and diretso na sa condo in QC to work on the third branch they’re planning to open for the resto. May basbas na rin kami para sa girls’ night mamayang gabi, although nagpaalam na rin naman ako kay ate noong Monday to be sure. Inutusan niya rin kaming tatlo na maghugas ng pinggan kasi marami raw yun baka hindi kayanin ni ate Seul mag-isa.

“Okay ganito, ako magsasabon, si Karina magbabanlaw, at si Winjeong magpupunas. Okay ba?” tanong ni ate Seul habang nililigpit namin ang lamesa at pinagkainan. Wala naman kaming problema dun ni Winter kaya pumayag na lang din kami. 

Habang naghuhugas, chinika naman kami ni ate Seulgi sa mga buhay namin. She likes taking time to just talk to us, siguro love language niya ang bonding time, or quality time yata. Nasanay na rin kami, we’ve been doing this for years na rin eh. At first she did it to try to get to know us better kasi we’re ate Irene’s younger siblings pero nasanay na rin kami so she really just catches up with us often.

“Minjeongie, balita ko may date ka kagabi? Kaya naman pala ang lungkot lungkot nitong Karina namin.” I glare at her, magsasalita sana kaming dalawa ni Winter pero nagtuloy lang siya sa pagsasalita. “Ikaw naman, Jiminie, ano ‘tong naririnig kong hinatid ka raw ng lalake kagabi? Mawala lang si Minjeong ng isang gabi nakahanap ka agad ng iba? Ikaw ha nagdadalaga ka na talaga. Kakaiba talaga lahi niyo ni Hyun.”

“Oka-”

“He-”

Sabay pa kaming nagsalita, tumigil ako at pinauna nang magsalita si Winter.

“Okay lang naman po, nothing too special, but I don’t think it’s gonna work out. Pareho po kaming may different priorities right now. I had fun, though.” She says, not taking her eyes off what she was doing. 

“Hindi mo ba type? Ano ba itsura niyan? Baka meron ka naman kasing ibang crush kaya ganyan.” 

“Maganda siya, ate, and matangkad. She makes great conversation din. Siguro lang hindi ko rin talaga siya gusto.” Winter explains.

“Hindi mo type?” good luck na lang Winter sa pag-explain dito.

“Type, hehe. Alam mo naman ‘yun. Pero I think hindi talaga magwowork kasi meron naman talaga akong ibang gusto.” 

She’s never talked about liking someone before. Not to me, at least. Best friend niya ako, hindi ba deserve ko namang malaman? Before ate Seul, before anyone else? Or does she actually know I like her kaya she doesn’t say anything? I’m open to rejection naman, I just wouldn’t take it well.

Winter dries her hands and puts two fingers on my forehead, in a motion as if trying to straighten my brows. I didn’t even notice t