the first time Minjeong laid her eyes on Karina

 

“I can’t see you here Gigi” Naiinis na turan ni Karina sa kausap sa Telepono, She came all the way from Katipunan to España para lang kunin yung Susi ng Unit niya na naiwan niya kay Giselle noong magkasama sila kahapon, May laban kasi ang Ate Lisa niya as a representative of the women's basketball team for fiba, kaya walang tao sa unit nilang dalawa. Nagmamadali din siya dahil kailangan niya pang humabol sa dinner nila ng mom niya.

 

Her mom hates people who are tardy, so she can’t be late, she doesn’t want to see the upset look from her mother again. 

 

“Sandali Rina, may kausap lang ako” Napairap si Karina

 

“Alam mo pag yan isa nanaman sa mga manliligaw mo bibigwasan na kita” She didn’t get an answer from her friend, binabaan siya neto ng tawag, lalo nanamang umusok ang ilong ni Karina.

 

It was her first time in UST so she doesn’t know where the hell she is, basta she’s sure na Giselle said to meet her sa park sa loob ng school.

 

“You’re in Lover’s Lane” . 

 

She might have said that out loud.

 

“Oh…..Thanks” The girl smiled at her, Karina was speechless, she’s pretty.

 

“Thank you, you too” Tumawa ito.

 

Karina said it out loud again.

 

“I’m Minjeong, Are you new here sa UST? I can give you a tour if you want”

 

“I’d love to, kaso nagmamadali din kasi ako and I’m waiting for my friend, Sorry” Minjeong nodded, Karina’s eyes lit up noong nakita niya hindi sa kalayuan ang bestfriend niya.

 

But before she had the chance to walk away, nagsalita si Minjeong “Wait”

 

Lumingon siya dito “Your name?”

 

“Ah….I’m Karina” Ngumiti ulit ito.

 

“Nice, see you when i see you, Karina”

 

Karina slapped Giselle’s arm noong makalapit siya dito.

 

“Gaga ka, antagal mo” Giselle flinched, hinawakan nito yung part na hinampas ni Karina

 

“Aray, ang init ng ulo mo ha” 

 

Karina didn’t mind her and just bid her farewell para makaabot siya sa dinner nila ng mom niya

 

That was the first time she met Minjeong, sa Lovers Lane sa UST.

 

The second time they met was when Minjeong drove Chaewon papunta sa Ateneo.
 

“Thanks for the ride MJ” Minjeong nodded, Pero bago makapasok si Chaewon sa gate Minjeong rolled down the windows of her car

 

“Naiwan mo baon mo” Minjeong handed her a lunch box “I made it for you, earlier”

 

Her sister smiled, Kinuha niya ang inabot ni Minjeong bago tuluyang pumasok sa gate, Minjeong has a habit of making breakfast lalo na kapag maaga siyang nagigising at hindi na ulit makatulog.

 

She didn’t want to go home yet, wala naman kasi siyang gagawin, so she went to the nearby Starbucks coffee shop.

 

She ordered her usual drink bago umupo somewhere near the window. She was busy with her phone.

 

“One venti java chip for Karina” Minjeong’s eyes instantly left her phone, She didn’t care much when her drink was already ready for serving. She ran after Karina who had just left the coffee shop.

 

“Karina! Wait lang” Minjeong didn’t even know why she followed her, she just felt the urge to do so, and now that she’s in front of Karina she seems to forget what she wanted to say

 

“Minjeong from UST, right?”

 

“Yup”

 

“Anong ginagawa mo sa katipunan” Karina laughed and Minjeong smiled with the thought of how she looked pretty while laughing

 

“Ah ano, hinatid ko lang yung sister ko, she studies here kasi” Karina softly smiled at her

 

“Oh I see, sige I have to go na sa next class ko” Minjeong nodded at her without even remembering what she wanted to ask her.

 

And just like that, Karina fades away from her sight. 

 

Again.

 

~

 

Karina walked away from her. She felt her knees go weak.

 

Hindi siya makahinga at nangingilid ang luha sa mga mata niya.

 

Minjeong apologizing is something Karina loathed the most. She hated hearing Minjeong say those two words.

 

She hated hearing the empty apologies, the ones that were just said to make themselves feel good, to make them forget how they wronged a person.

 

But she hated it more because Minjeong's new apology was something else because it was sincere, and Karina is not used to that.

 

"Okay ka lang?" Karina sees Jeno standing beside her.

 

"Yeah"

 

"Sabi kasi ni Jaemin bigla ka daw lumabas eh they can't leave kaya he texted me to check on you"

 

"I'm fine, Jeno. Thank you" She forced a smile.

 

"You don't look fine to me" Jeno said, more like a whisper.

 

Hindi sumagot si Karina.

 

"It's Minjeong, isn't it?" Jeno saw how the woman beside him flinched when he mentioned her.

 

"Napansin ko lang kasi na you left after she talked to you? Did she do something? Sabihin mo lang para sasabihan ko si Jaemin"

 

"No, Sumakit lang ulo ko bigla" Jeno doesn't look convinced but he nodded

 

"Do you want me to drive you home?"

 

"I'll be fine, Jeno. I just need some air, balik ka nalang sa loob for sure Jaemin needs you by his side"

 

"Sige, basta if you need something don't hesitate to message me or Jaemin" Jeno told her, tinanguan lang siya ni Karina.

 

 

~


 

a rundown to the start of something special
 

 

Kakatapos lang ng class ni Minjeong at naglalakad na siya palabas ng building nila noong biglang tumunog ang cellphone niya.

 

She answered Chaewon's call.

 

"Minjeong, pwede magpasundo? Tapos na ba class mo?”

 

"Saan? Sa school?"

 

"Oo, kasama ko dalawang groupmate ko, gagawa kami ng project sa bahay"

 

"Sige, antayin niyo nalang ako "

 

It took Minjeong almost an hour to get there dahil medyo traffic.

 

"MJ!" Sigaw ni Chaewon

 

"Meet my groupmates"

 

"This is Jungwon, Sunoo" Lumingon si Chaewon na parang may hinahanap

 

"Ay, ayan na pala siya" Turo ni Chaewon sa likod ni Minjeong

 

"That's Karina"

 

Just like a scene from a movie mabagal na lumingon si Minjeong. Everything's moving in slow motion, At least for Minjeong's imagination.

 

"Hi" Karina greeted her with a smile

 

The third time Minjeong saw Karina, she made sure she wouldn't let her go away without making progress.

 

Minjeong usually locks herself inside her room after niya makauwi sa bahay nila.

 

Pero ngayon ay nakaupo lang siya sa sala reading a book, si Chaewon at ang mga kaklase niya ay nasa kwarto at doon gumagawa ng report.

 

Past dinner na when they finished. Minjeong ordered pizza and chicken dahil wala ang parents niya at tinatamad siyang magluto, Kumain muna sila before everyone decided to part ways.

 

"Susunduin pala ako ng driver namin, nasa labas na siya, i'll get going, Thank you" Paalam ni Jungwon.

 

"Lakad lang ako malapit naman na bahay namin, Thank you Chaewon, Minjeong" Sunoo told them before waving goodbye

 

"Ikaw, Karina, paano ka uuwi?" Tanong ni Chaewon

 

"I'm booking a grab" Sagot nito

 

"Cancel mo na, hatid ka nalang ni Minjeong" Minjeong didn't let herself be obvious pero sobrang nagpapasalamat siya dahil nagkaroon siya ng kapatid na katulad ni Chaewon.

 

"Hala, 'wag na nakakahiya nam–"

 

Hindi siya pinatapos ni Minjeong "It's fine, wala din naman akong pasok bukas"

 

Karina just shyly nodded.

 

Minjeong was quiet the first minute they were inside the car, she was thinking of a topic na pwede nilang pag usapan.

 

You see, Minjeong's not good with socializing kasi lumaki talaga siyang mahiyain, Her confidence to talk to people comes out randomly, kagaya nalang noong unang makita niya si Karina, it likes nawala bigla 'yung hiya niya na makipagusap.

 

"Anong…favorite number mo sa electric fan?" Natawa si Karina sa biglang pagsasalita ni Minjeong tapos with a silly question pa. Karina found it cute.

 

"3 para malakas? Ikaw?" Karina answered, Minjeong could notice her now comfortable at hindi na nahihiya, siguro gumana 'yung random question niya.

 

"Same lang" Minjeong paused "Eh ano…sino naman favorite mong powerpuff girl" Karina chuckled on how cute Minjeong is.

 

"Buttercup, she's cool eh, Ikaw ba?"

 

"I like Bubbles, she's cute"

 

"Ano favorite mong flavor ng Milktea? Sa'kin wintermelon"

 

"Me too! I like wintermelon, you should try 'yung wintermelon milktea sa i love milktea, It's good and affordable"

 

"Really? Sige order ako sa foodpanda 'pag nakauwi na ako"

 

"Choose nata as toppings masarap"

 

"Sige. Ano naman favorite mong ulam? Ako I really love Adobo"

 

"Spicy caldereta. Specialty ng oldest sister ko 'yon"

 

Siguro kung nakikita man si Minjeong ng mga kapatid niya ay hindi sila maniniwalang si Minjeong 'to kasi masyado siyang madaldal.

 

At that moment Minjeong felt comfortable. She never sensed na Karina didn't like talking to her. Karina had the enthusiasm in her eyes while talking with the random topics, Minjeong found it comforting.

 

She just found her match.

 

"So, why pre-med? If okay na magtanong?"

 

"Pre-med?"

 

"Yeah, you're taking pre-med, that's why classmate mo si Chaewon, right?"

 

"Oh" Karina looked at her confusedly 

 

"But I'm not taking pre-med. I'm a film student, and Chaewon too" Karina clarified

 

It was Minjeong's turn to look at her confusedly.

 

Chaewon can't take Film, their parents will get mad, They were only allowed to choose to take pre-med and become a doctor or become an engineer. 

 

Sa pamilya nila, si Minjeong lang ang may interest sa numbers and that's how she landed into Mechanical Engineering.

 

At sigurado siya na papalayasin ito just like what they did sa Ate Taeyeon niya when they found out she wasn't taking any of the courses they want.

 

"Oh sorry"

 

"It's fine, but I guess you have to talk to Chaewon kasi mukhang hindi mo alam na film pala kinuha niya"

 

"Yeah i'll probably do that, ang sabi niya kasi sa amin ay she signed up for pre-med"

 

The car stopped in front of a building. As much as Minjeong wanted to talk to Karina more ay nandito na sila sa uuwian nito.

 

"Dito na ako, Minjeong. Salamat sa paghatid, I had a fun conversation"

 

"No problem, and I had fun too," Minjeong replied.

 

Karina went out of the car, Minjeong's looking at her walk away.

 

"Karina, wait" Lumabas siya mula sa driver's seat to follow her.

 

"Bakit?"

 

"Can I get your number?" Minjeong shyly smiled "I want to know more about you"

 

"You don't beat around the bush 'no?" Karina asked her habang nakangiti ito sa kanya

 

"I don't know very well how things like this work, but I want to get to know you. Is that a wrong move? Is that okay? Are you uncomfortable?"

 

"It's fine, don’t worry you’re not making me uncomfortable" Karina extended her hand, Minjeong gave her phone.

 

"Here. Message me when you ge