12/26/2027

Klaus
Sabihin mo nga. Kayo na no?
Napaka-sweet niyo sa isa't isa para hindi! At niyabangan pa ako niyang boyfriend mo!
sent • 7:32 am

What's it to you? Lovelife mo problemahin mo.
delivered • 8:09 am

Klaus
Harsh naman po. Anyway, happy birthday again. Text me kapag nandoon na kayo sa resort.
sent • 8:15 am

-

My Rook:
bossmamm, nakaalis na ba kayo?
si claude nagdrive sa inyo no?
hmp hindi pa rin ako masaya diyan
but ur kuya is such an ass
sent • 9:19 am

Yes, nakaalis na kami. Ikaw?
delivered • 9:22 am

My Rook:
nandito na din po
just waiting for u
miss u already na 
sent • 9:22 am

Clingy baby.
It hasn't been half a day since we saw each other.
sent • 9:23 am

My Rook:
ofccc
rook needs carter every second of the day
may kulam siguro tong wrong send, bossmam
baliw na baliw na ako e
sent • 9:23 am

Papunta na ako. We should calm that curse down so my Rook wouldn't be so devastated.
delivered • 9:24 am

My Rook:
fuck
HAHAHHAHAHHA AAAAAA
swerte ko talaga shit
pero miss :<<
mas nami-miss lang kita sa ganyan mo e
sent • 9:24 am

I miss you too.
delivered • 9:24 am

My Rook:
HAHAHAHHAHAHA
AHSBJKABDBAJK
CARTER
BAT ANG TAGAL NIYO
😭😭😭😭😭
sent • 9:24 am

-

"Hoy, Carter. Anong nginingiti mo diyan? Nangulit na naman ba sa'yo si abnoy?"

Carter turned her phone off to send Natalie a glare. Tumawa lang ang babaeng nakasakay sa passenger seat. Kanina, masaya lang itong nakikipagkuwentuhan kay Claude tapos ngayon siya na ang pinapakialaman.

"No. It was Klaus," her answer made Natalie grimace. "Kinakamusta ka."

"Oh? Natalie, finally, may lovelife ka na?" Claude asked, chuckling.

"Tumahimik kang single ka," umirap si Natalie at sumulyap sa kaibigang nasa backseat. "Ano bang kailangan niyang classmate mo sa'kin? We just met twice! And he's younger!"

"How would I know? He just likes you," Carter did not even look up from her phone.

Tumawa si Claude. "Why not give the boy a chance, Nat? Lagi ka namang nagpaparinig sa Facebook na gusto mo nang magkajowa. Now that he's in your doorstep, ayaw mo?"

"Sabi ko, huwag ka ngang makialam na ulap ka ha. My lovelife is more complicated than..." she sighed. "Sandali lang! Ba't ba napunta sa'kin ang usapan? Si Carter 'yon kanina, ah."

Nakanguso niyang nilingon ang kaibigan na malaki ang ngiti habang abala sa pagtitipa sa phone. Her eyes narrowed. Kita mo nga naman 'tong kaibigan niya! Naghanap lang ng palusot para makabalik sa Rook na 'yon!

"Ano ba kasi ang nakita ni Carter sa lalaking 'yon? Maingay naman 'yon 'saka isip-bata!"

Carter frowned, now distracted from her phone. "That's what makes him cute."

Natalie made a scandalous face. Inikot niya ang mga mata sa matinding disgusto. She can't believe that came out from Carter's mouth! Ito ba talaga ang nagagawa ng pag-ibig sa tao?

"Despite his noise, Rook is actually quite mature. Paboritong magtrip no'n pero isa din siya sa pinupuntahan namin 'pag kailangan ng advice."

Natalie gave him a side-eye. "Well, kung sa inyo nga namang magkakaibigan, mas matino na si Rook. Iyong isa, selfish. Ang isa naman, hindi makamove-on. Ang isa, cheater. Tapos 'yong akala kong matino din, hindi naman maintindihan ang gusto sa relasyon."

Claude laughed awkwardly at that. Hindi naman niya matanggi dahil iyon ang totoo.

"But... Rook is really a good man. Marunong 'yan lumaban para sa gusto at alam niyang sa kaniya. I guess, that's why even after six years, he stayed."

Iniwas ni Carter ang tingin at pinanood ang nadadaanan nilang tanawin. The line of trees passed by in a blur, and there were a few jeeps and cars around. Siguro'y papunta din sa holiday get-away nila o 'di kaya'y may trabaho. 

Six years. Now that she thinks about it, sobrang tagal din pala. When they had that argument near the sea, when Carter chose to give up than hold on, Rook said he'll wait. He never asked again, nor pressured her. They kept their communication and danced to each other's tunes. But they never talked about it again. They remained friends or even more than that, and Rook never stopped telling Carter how he liked her every single day, but nothing happened. 

She was so afraid of anything happening, and he was so cautious around her.

"Ang kulang naman lang sa kanila, label e. Kung makaasta, akala mo talaga sila na."

Carter glared at Natalie who returned it with equal fervor. "Oh, bakit?" hamon niya. "Mali ba ako?"

"Can you shut up and stop minding our business?"

"E, kasi, madam, baka plano mong maging kayo kapag puti na buhok niyo? Ano pa ba hinihintay mo? Boto naman kay Rook sina Tita, tapos goods ka din sa parents niya. Bakit ba kasi hindi na lang maging kayo?"

"Sino ba nagsabing hindi kami?"

The car screeched when Claude made a sudden brake. Thankfully, no one was close to them since the road wasn't busy. Kaagad din naman niyang naibalik sa normal ang pagmamaneho pagkatapos humingi ng 'sorry' dahil napasigaw sa mura ang nagulat na Natalie.

Carter met Claude's eyes in the mirror, and Natalie never stopped her wide-eyed glare. Laglag ang panga nito na akala mo ay may papasok ng lamok at gagawin bahay sa tagal.

"Kayo na, Carter?" kuryosong tanong ni Claude.

"Wait, talaga? Kayo na? Kailan? Bakit hindi ko alam?!" Natalie looked like she was about to leave her seat if it wasn't for the seatbelt stopping her. "Carter, akala ko ba bestfriend mo ako?!"

Carter pursed her lips. "Mamaya..."

"Ha? Mamaya? Anong mamaya?" hindi mapakaling tanong ni Natalie. "Akala ko ba kayo na?!" she shrieked. 

"Ano ba't, kumalma ka nga," naiiritang tugon ni Carter na abala sa pag-iwas sa tumatalsik na laway ng kaibigan. "Basta. Mamaya. And what's the problem, anyway? He knows I like him already. It's just the label missing. It's not like... I don't give him enough assurances."

"Ay, e'di wow. O, e'di ikaw na," pairap na sagot ni Natalie. "Pero importante din kaya 'yang label, ano. Paano 'pag tinanong siya kung bakit nakikialam siya sa manliligaw mo 'gayong single ka naman? Hindi naman niya pwedeng sabihin na dahil gusto niyo lang ang isa't isa! He needs to say he's your boyfriend so they'll back off!"

"Okay. Oo na nga. Pwede ba, tumahimik ka na."

"Pero 'pag si Rook umiingay, ngumingiti ka lang. Ang unfairness ng worldness talaga."

Claude laughed. "Well, kung mamaya nga 'yan... I'm excited to see his reaction. Baka sumabog na 'yon sa sobrang saya, Carter."

Carter smiled at that. She, too, is looking forward to tonight. She wanted to hear him say it earlier, pero gusto talagang ipag-paliban ng lalaki. May surpresa pa daw siya.

Her phone vibrated again so she looked at it.

-

12/26/2027

I'll eat whatever you cook. Masarap naman lahat.
But, hm, you're spoiling me too much. I might depend on you a lot in the future because of that.
delivered • 9:43 am

My Rook:
don't worry, miss
i'd spoil you forever
sent • 9:43 am

Alright, then. I'll just be spoiled by you forever.
delivered • 9:43 am

My Rook:
（〃｀ 3′〃）
ako na bahala sa future mo, miss
future kakainin HAHAHAHA
naging personal chef mo pala ako
pero expensive akong chef bossmam
mga 20m per hour ang rate ko
sent • 9:44 am

Nako. Napakalaking problema pala niyan. I don't have enough money, you see.
delivered • 9:45 am

My Rook:
free na lang pag ginawang asawa mo
sent • 9:46 am

Wow. That's tempting.
delivered • 9:46 am

My Rook:
HAHHAHAHAHAH
matempt ka pls
plsplspslspls
sent • 9:46 am

My Rook:
bossmam
matagal pa ba kayo?
HAHAHAHAHHAHA
ang tagal ng hapon, alam mo ba 'yon
i'm so restless, i just want to see u alr and ask
but then, i've waited a long time for this too
i can't just be impatient now
ilang oras na lang din naman
i can finally hear your yes
sent • 9:53 am

Para namang inaya mo an ako sa kasal niyan.
delivered • 9:56 am

My Rook:
idiretso na lang ba natin bossmam?
yes tonight, tomorrow i do?
HAHAHAHAHAHHA
fuck that would be the best thing then
i'd be the luckiest man alive
hayyy, carter
come here, alr
sent • 9:57 am

Papunta na nga.
delivered • 9:57 am

My Rook:
AHHAHAHAHA
i knoww
i just miss you sm
bcs i like you so so much
so much that i'm so crazy
so so fucking crazy
sent • 9:58 am