The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoes inside the gym as I dribble. I only have a few minutes left before the sun rises. I have been here since four-thirty in the morning, practicing my jump float serve.

I held the ball in front of my chest and blew a deep breath. This kind of service is new to me since I always do simple service. I tossed the ball midair and started running. When it reached the perfect point I calculated, the first ray of the sun hit it. The ball shone above, like it was calling to me. I jumped and swung my hand, and when I gathered enough strength in my palms, I touched the ball. Within a blink, the ball flew on the other side of the court, to the same exact point where I was aiming from the start. Then, it bounced off hard. A small smile appeared on my lips out of satisfaction. I love everything with precision and accuracy.

Masyado pang maaga kaya napagdesisyunan kong linisin muna ang gym. Dagdag na rin ito sa exercise ko ngayong araw. I need to burn more calories today, because today is Friday. It is the day when Cafe San offers cream puffs, and boy, it's the only thing that keeps me sane in my entire college life. They have the best cream puffs in the Philippines, at least for me. Isa rin ito sa mga rason kung bakit maaga akong nag-training. Binabalak kong tumambay muna roon nang ilang oras. I might as well bring my reviewers, because aside from the season tournaments coming a month from now, I will need to prepare for our midterms exams coming in two weeks.

It was half past seven when I finished cleaning the gym. I went back to the dorms with all my things and started showering, doing my skin care routine, and packing my reviewers. When I was ready, I looked at myself in the mirror. I am just wearing a simple black shirt paired with black pants and a pair of white sneakers.

The cafe opens early, and the customers go there early, too. Kaya kailangan kong makapunta kaagad doon at makapag-secure ng spot. I will be out of the mood the following week if I won't get a taste of the said cream puffs today. It might sound like an exaggeration but it happens...

I smiled when I noticed I was the first person in the cafe. It looks like it just opened. The strong aroma of coffee, as well as the heavenly smell of the pastries inside made me relax. I like the smell of coffee, but I hate coffee to the bone.

I made my way to the counter and gave the cashier my order. "A large matcha latte and two boxes of cream puffs."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but hindi po available ang cream puffs natin for today. We got mass orders kasi e." I tried hiding the disappointment in my expression, but I know it was obvious in my voice. "It's okay. Just change it to a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Thank you."

"Noted, Sir." The tall man in the cashier smiled at me brightly as he touched the screen in front of him a few times. I did not notice I was looking at his smile longer than necessary until he got my attention. "That would be a total of Php 357.00, sir. Don't worry, we will let you know when our cream puffs will be available. You can write your phone number and name here for the updates." His smile is so beautiful that it's distracting me from being disappointed by the news of their cream puffs being unavailable today. I just realized that this is the first time I have seen this man in the cafe. Is he a new employee here?

I gave him a five-hundred peso bill and started writing my contact details on the notepad he gave me. Matapos nito ay umalis na ako sa harap ng counter at nagpasalamat. I picked my favorite table in the cafe, the table near the window where their small garden outside can be seen. Ito kasi ang pinakamaaliwalas at pinakamagandang spot sa cafe na 'to. Dito rin ako nagiging productive. I also might use a good view to lighten up my mood.

I heaved a deep sigh as I opened my laptop and my book. It was disappointing. I looked forward to this day, because I had a long and tiring week, and this is all I got? Hindi ko naman sila masisisi na nagkaroon sila ng mass orders ngayong araw, pero sana man lang ay nagtira sila kahit kaunti para sa customers. Napailing na lamang ako at labag sa loob na tumingin sa mga aaralin ko.
I started browsing through my notes when my matcha latte and slice of cheesecake arrived. I thanked the waiter without looking at him. I don't want to talk to other people today. My mood was completely broken.

The waiter left without saying a word, so I continued reading the part about the morphological tests. I was so lost in what I was reading that I did not notice that someone was standing beside my table. A hand tapped my head lightly, making me look up to a tall figure of a man. I looked sharply at the person who had the confidence to touch my hair. However, everything went slow as soon as my eyes caught a glimpse of his eyes smiling brightly at me, shining with the help of the sun's rays. It was blinding, the smile of the cashier from a while ago...

"There's no need to be grumpy now, Mr. Ramirez. Of course, I baked some for you." He slowly placed it in front of me, winked, and then left.

With my forehead creased, I slowly pulled the box close to me. I noticed a note written on top. What in the world of gumball is he talking about?

'I hope this lightens up your mood.

Love,
Stranger'

Huh?