[ Now Playing: Fall by Ben and Ben ]

"KAYO NA???????" 

Pucha. 

Napakalakas ng boses as always, Joy. 

"Sige, ilakas mo pa nang marinig ng buong sanlibutan. Tangina, minsan nga tatanungin ko si Hyo-seob kung paano niya natatagalan kulit mo." natatawa kong sabi, dahilan para sipain niya ako from under the table habang si Wendy naman ay nowhere to be found. 

Sinagot na nga pala kasi ni Joy si Hyo-seob, a week before kami nag-usap ni Joohyun nung sabado, at ngayon ay isang linggo na makalipas after that. 

Hay, Wends. 

"Maganda kasi ako, unlike you, duh." natatawa niyang sabi at pinigilan kong batuhin siya nung garlic bread na chinichibog ko habang patapos na ang break namin. 

"Mahal," narinig kong pag tawag sa akin, at sinamaan ko lang ng tingin si Joy na nag-act pang masusuka habang hinarap ko ang direksyon ng boses, finding the love of my life walking towards me. 

"Mylabs!" masigla kong bati at inayos ang upuan sa tabi ko, making space for her as I push the almost untouched plate of lasagna to her, one that she immediately takes a bite of. 

"Irene," biglang pagsabat ni Joy sa moment namin, "Sabihin mo nga sa akin, ginayuma ka ba ni Seulgi?" 

Binato ko na siya ng garlic bread, kahit na sinamaan ako ng tingin ni Joohyun dahil nagsasayang 'daw ako ng pagkain. 

"Hindi," Joohyun says, "I fell for her real time. Ewan ko nga lang sa mokong na to, feeling ko talaga nagandahan lang siya sa akin." natatawa niyang sabi, and I whined as Joy laughed at her answer, then laughing at me. 

"Kela Byul ka pala nag make a move? Ay, nabalitaan mo ba, ikakasal na daw siya dun sa partner niya dun?" biglang chika sa akin ni Joy, at nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko dahil doon. 

"Ay weh? Tangina, ininvite ka muna bago ako?!" inis kong sabi, at inambahan naman ako nito. 

"Gaga, check-check din ng spam folder ng emails pag may time. Ginagawa mong design lang yung email mo eh—" 

Nagtaka ako kung bakit biglang tumigil si Joy sa pagsasalita, pero nasagot naman ang tanong ko nang pumihit ako at tumingin sa likod ko, kung saan siya nakatingin, at legitness muntik na ako malaglag sa upuan ko. 

Si Wendy, naglalakad kasama yung isang kaklase niya sa voice related subject ata yun—Chaeyoung Park or Rosé ata name nun, if I remember correctly—at nagtatawanan sila, but the difference is magkaholding hands sila. 

Oh, and Wendy's hair is shorter than before (dating hanggang elbow length, naging neck length bigla), and very, very blonde. 

So much na pinagtitinginan na siya ng mga teachers and students, at ang sama na ng mukha ng principal na naglalakad papuntang cafeteria at the time. 

"Glow up," Joohyun says, and hindi ko alam kung truly curious siya (dahil nakukwento at nachichika ko naman sa kanya ang latest happenings ng frustrating couple na ito) or sarcastic lang talaga ang mylabs ko with her next statement. "I wonder what happened?" 

"T-Teka," biglang sabi ni Joy na halatang nag-iba na ang mood, at hindi ko na napigilan pa na sumunod, Joohyun in tow habang pinabantayan ko muna sa isang student sa cafeteria tables ang gamit namin. 

"Joy, teka lang—" 

Pucha, ang haba ng bias, hindi ko mahabol. 

"Wendy," pagtawag niya, at bago pa man din ako makalapit ay hinila na ako ni Joohyun palayo, pabalik sa mga gamit namin. 

"Let them talk," Joohyun says, and strangely I find myself following her without any fight, kahit na sobrang worried ko na. "This is their fight, not yours." 

"Sorry, worried lang." I said, watching her finish the food I bought for her (and myself, pero mabusog lang siya happy na ako hehe) at malapit na matapos ang lunchbreak namin. 

"It's okay," she says, twirling the fork around her fingers. "I know you want to help, but sadly it's a fight they both have to do alone, based sa mga kwento mo sa akin, although I don't have experience with this… kind of relationship." she says, and I raise my brow at that. 

"Ha—ah, yung two girls ba na type of relationship? Ha… tangina, straight ka ba?!" I said, horrified, pero ang nabigay niya sakin ay pambabatok muna bago sumagot. 

"Siraulo, I'm gay naman. Just didn't have any relationships kasi I'm too busy to do so." she says, unconsciously holding my hand after she's done eating. 

"Edi special na ako niyan kasi jinowa mo ako kahit busy ka sa school tsaka part time?" I ask, and she smiles faintly at that—there, I notice it again, how she's different again. 

Like before, may dinadala nanaman siya. 

"Mahal," I said, tracing a finger on her palm subtly, "What's wrong?" 

"Ano… I quit part time," she says, the grip she has on my hand getting tighter slowly by the passing seconds. "Or rather, the boss fired me cause I didn't go to work at all this week." 

What? 

"Hala, bakit? Is it because of Saturday? Nakisabay ba ako sa kahit ano? Hala sorry—" 

She leaned on me, her head resting on the small space between my shoulder and my neck, my freaked out rantings getting stopped by that as I feel my heart get faster again—though I matched my breathing with her, unconsciously. 

"No, Seul…" she says, her voice incredibly shaky, "I'm glad you're here. It's just… burnout, siguro? Napagod katawan ko, sobra." she says, cuddling closer towards me. 

"I told you," I said, staring at our hands intertwined, "Sandal ka lang sa'kin." 

"Oo naman," she says, moving away to look at me (although I find myself longing for her to be close again) "Ikaw kaya ang pahinga ko." 

Hindi na ako nakasagot, at sa halip ay niyakap ko na lang siya, even if we're in school, wala na akong paki—hug lang naman eh. 

Char, ang sama na din ng tingin sa amin nung principal, sorry po. 

"Tara na." 

Muntik ko na makalimutan ang sitwasyon ni Joy at Wendy dahil kay Joohyun, pero naalala ko naman ito agad nang makita ko ang pag speedwalk ng babaeng may mahabang bias papunta sa amin, grabbing her things in a hurry. 

"Joy," Joohyun says, taking initiative this time, dahil honestly di ko talaga alam sasabihin. "You can tell us anything, don't wo