"For this project, kailangan niyong maghanap ng kapares," Pagpapaliwanag ni Ma'am Hyori sa amin. My eyes immediately look for Minjeong who sat in front of the class. Napangiti ako nung tumalikod ito para tignan ako. "Pero pwede ding tatlo. Kayo bahala. Basta three members—max na 'yon." Dagdag ni Ma'am. "Dahil may ten minutes pa tayo, pwede niyo gamitin ang oras na ito para maghanap na ng mga partner ninyo. O'sya, gora na."

Agad agad nagsipagtayuan ang mga kaklase ko at nakipagusap sa kani-kanilang mga kaibigan at katabi while Minjeong and I remained in our seats.

Kita ko ang pagkuha nito ng selpon niya sa bulsa.

Hehe...tetext yan.

MJ ❤️: Jimin 

Me: Minjeonggg

MJ ❤️: Hehe

Alam ko naman kung bakit siya napa-text. Makikipag-pair siya sa akin.

MJ ❤️: Wala lang

And of course she's going to be this slow. Parang deserve niya tuloy asarin. 

Kita kong nag-ttype na siya ulit kaya pinangunahan ko.

Me: Magsosolo ko.

(1 second later)

MJ ❤️: Gusto lang po sana kitang makasama for the activity kung okay lang po sayo!

(1 millisecond later)

MJ ❤️: [Unsent her message]

I suddenly panicked.

Me: HOY HSHAHAHAHA IBALIK MO YON JOKE LSNG EH

MJ ❤️: Ayaw ko na.

Tawang tawa ako ngayon. I gave Minjeong a glance. Her back is facing me, but by the way her shoulders were moving, I could tell she was laughing as well.

Me: YOU'RE SO PIKON SHDHSJKDJDJS

Me: Dali na

Me: Take 2

Me: Tbh kahit wag na nga eh gusto din naman natin both 😭

MJ ❤️: Is that a yes?

Me: The smile i gave you when you turned around kanina, that was my yes!! Take the hint 🤧

MJ ❤️: Ay hehe

MJ ❤️: But seriously, no one's gonna take you ba? 

Me: Wala

Me: Di naman din ako magpapakuha

MJ ❤️: Good.

Me: Ikaw lang 'tong si sharing is caring 🙄

MJ ❤️: Dw, i won't share you this time. 

Hoy, ba't 'to nambibigla?

I suddenly feel her eyes on me from the front of the class. I try to ignore it, looking straight at my phone—she's typing something in again.

MJ ❤️: Jimin, pwede ba kitang puntahan diyan sa upuan mo?

I internally slap myself for being such a gay mess.

And I think this is the first time we're going to be seen in class together so it's that big of a deal for me.

Me: Lika tabi ka saken

Me: Wala naman na mga katabi ko

MJ ❤️: Is it okay with them?

Me: Who? Mga katabi ko?

MJ ❤️: Opo pati yung iba

Me: Pake nila saten 😭

Me: Awayin ko sila eh

Hindi na ako nireplayan ni Minjeong at naramdaman ko nalang na nasa tabi ko na ito. Her approach was stiff, slow, unsure, and awkward.

"H-hi." She stuttered, greeting me in her usual cold demeanor when in campus.

Ito ba yung sinasabi nilang madaldal sa chat tapos mahiyain in person?

I squeeze her arm gently. It seems like she still doesn't know how to interact with me in front of other people especially in class when we've gotten so used to acting like strangers.

Three years din 'yon...

"Hey, loosen up," I said, reassuringly. "Ako pa rin 'to, hmm?" And just like that, her stiff posture becomes a comfortable one. She sat quite far so I couldn't help but pull her seat closer. Buti magaan lang si Minjeong. Now I kind of regret it because I think I pulled it a little too aggressively. She almost lost her balance at kumalat yung tunog ng upuan sa buong kwarto, earning the two of us some looks. Nahampas tuloy ako ni Minjeong sa balikat.

"Jimin, that was unnecessary," She whispered loudly into my ear. "Tinitignan na tuloy ako ng mga tao."

You and me both.

"Hayaan mo sila," I said with a straight face, completely unbothered by the looks we're getting. "They're just jealous."

"Ha? Selos saan?"

She really has no clue?

Before enlightening her, I lean my back all the way to the backrest of my seat and fold my arms. Sa class board lang ako nakaharap, choosing not to look at the naive pup sitting next to me. "Let's just say, for starters, sa'yo lang ako ganito."

All Minjeong could do was tilt her head, looking confused as ever.

I helplessly surrendered with a chuckle. "Alam mo...kung meron mang nagkakagusto sa'yo ngayon," Tinignan ko na siya ulit. "Siguro na-stress na 'yun sa'yo." Tahimik lang si Minjeong, waiting for me to continue. "Them dropping all these signs that you can't even notice."

Suddenly, she's quiet. Napaisip ba siya sa sinabi ko? Pabiro ko lang naman 'yun sinabi.

I was about to ask her kung anong kulay ng Jimny ang pipiliin niya para maiba na yung topic when I was interrupted by the sudden noise of someone barging into the room. 

It's Minju. Hinihingal siya.

She approached us. "H-hi, may groupings daw?" I nodded.

"Oh, ba't late ka?" I asked.

"Punuan LRT," She explained. "Nahirapan akong sumakay."

"Luckily, hindi pa tapos ang class," I told her. "You should go find yourself a pair na."

"Awe, by pair?" Tanong niya. Me and Minjeong nodded. "Meron na kayo? O kayo na?"

O kayo na? 

I can't. The way she phrases it.

"Oo, kami na ni Jimin." Rinig kong sabi ni Minjeong.

Kami na ni Jimin.

Yung wordings niyo po. Maawa naman kayo sa akin.

"Jimin?" Minju wondered, confused. 

Shet. Ngayon ko lang narealize Minjeong called me by my name.

The thing is, no one at SMU calls me by my Korean name. Hindi ko kasi sinasabi sa kanila. I used to get bullied for it, calling me names like Jiman, Jimtot, Jimpoy, Jimboy, purposely pronouncing it incorrectly. Minjeong even got into a fight once when someone called me Jimbading. True, but it isn't nice.

Ka-trauma ang naranasan ko.

Besides, Katarina, or Karina, sounds much nicer—more feminine. That's why I decided to bring the name with me when Minjeong and I finally moved to a new school. I got permission naman from SMU na ito ang i-reregister kong pangalan. Minjeong supported me with the decision that she also enrolled using her other name. 

As I've said before, only my three friends get to call me Jimin, isama na yung iba naming kaibigan nung high school. Pero yung tatlo nalang talaga ang pinapayagan ko ngayon. Because they're the only ones who can make me feel safe when doing so.

That makes us Winter and Karina for the rest, and Minjeong and Jimin only for one another.

"It's nothing, Minju. You must've misheard it." I saw her squint at me when I shrugged it off. "And yes, kami na ni Minjeong."

Tangina, ako naman ang nadulas.

"Ah- I mean, Winter." I quickly corrected myself. 

Minjeong, wipe that smug off your face right now!

I then saw Minju staring at the board. Oh, no.

"Hey, 'yun naman pala eh!" Minju cheered. "Sabi sa board pwede daw tatlong members."

I had to think...

Paano ko ba sasabihin sa kaniya—in a nice way—na sa iba nalang siya maki-?

Gusto ko kami lang ni Minjeong.

I felt Minjeong poke my waist. I look at her. She's giving me an apologetic smile. 

I sigh, immediately knowing what it meant.

"Sige, dito ka na sa amin." I told Minju at niyakap niya kami. Kita kong nabigla si Minjeong dito dahil hindi siya sanay sa physical touch ng iba. Nako, naturally clingy pa naman 'tong si Minju.

Biglang nag-vibrate ang selpon ko. Sinilip ko ang notif: 1 message from Chaewon

Chaewon: Teh, di ako makakapasok tech writing

Chaewon: Pasabi kay maam hyori inutusan ako bigla ng student body

Me: Hala, ano meron? Baka may ipagawa din saken

Chaewon: Hindi

Chaewon: Dahilan ko lang yan

Chaewon: Tinamad lang talaga ako pumasok

This girl, what the ?

Me: Omg ka

Me: May groupings today balakajan

Chaewon: Matic tayo na 😎

Me: Yeah no i'm taken

Chaewon: Si miss pres mo ba yan??

Me: She has a name, you know.

Chaewon: Hindi ba nagsosolo yan lagi?

Me: Change of heart siguro 🥰🤸🏻‍♀️

Chaewon: Hapi k n NyeaAn? 

Me: Wag kang issue

Me: Kasama namin minju

Me: 2-3 members kasi yung activity

Chaewon: HAHAHAHAHA di mo nasolo

Kaasar 'to, bwiset.

Chaewon: Dahil iniwan moko hanapan moko kapair

Chaewon: O kaya pamigay mo na si pres kay minju tas tayong dalawa nalang

Luh, yoko nga? 

Me: Lamo para happy tayong lahat stomo ask ko si maam kung pwede tayong apat?

Chaewon: Papayag ba?

Me: Oo yan, skolar naman lahat

Me: Bukod nga lang sayo.

Chaewon: ANG FOUL MO KAHIT KELAN KARINA YU !!!!

Tawang tawa ako sa convo namin ni Chaewon na napatingin ang dalawa kong kasama. 

"Sorry, chinat ako ni Chaewon," I explained. "Anyway, kausapin ko lang si Ma'am. Baka pumayag pag tayong apat." They both agreed with the idea of taking Chaewon in. Siyempre, okay lang din sa akin. Para siya naman ang kulitin ni Minju.

...

Good news? Pumayag si Ma'am.

-

Eto kami ngayon ni Minjeong sa apartment na tarantang nagaayos at naglilinis: ang sala, kusina, cr, at mga kwarto. Si Minju kasi, naisipan pang mag-overnight eh simpleng business letter lang naman ang gagawin.

"Minjeong, should we tell them na about us?" Tanong ko habang pinapalitan ng pillowcase ang mga unan namin sa sofa. Siya naman nagvavacuum.

"Para tuloy tayong magjowa na nagtatago," Dahil sa sinabi niya, nabitawan ko yung unan. "Pero ikaw...baka kasi marami silang itanong sa atin? It's a long story pa naman."

It's true though.

"Alright, wag nalang muna siguro," I said. "Kung gano'n pala, they can't know we're living together." She nodded.

"Since ang alam nila na apartment ko ang pupuntahan," Minjeong pointed out. "Bawal sila pumasok ng kwarto mo. Tapos mga picture mo, tago mo muna para sure na safe."

"Paano pala 'yon pag matutulog na?" I asked. "We have so many pictures pa naman in my room."

"Gusto mo tayo nalang do'n?" Tanong niya sa akin.

I am now confronted with this funny feeling in my stomach. Just the idea of having her in my room which not often happens because she has her own to sleep in.  

"Sure," Hindi na ako nagpakipot pa. "Para hindi na ako magtatago ng gamit."

That settles it. Tabi kami sa kwarto ko, at si Minju at Chaewon sa kwarto niy