"Theo"

I turned towards Theo’s side of the bed and lightly poked him on the shoulder. Hindi naman siguro 'to nagwawala kapag ginigising.

“Theo,” I whispered, not wanting to be too loud, “Theo, gising.”

At first, he didn’t react, and I thought maybe I’d just imagined it. Dinaig pa ng lalaking 'to ang mga tulog mantika. But then, after a few more taps, he groggily blinked and groaned.

“What time is it?” He sounded like he was still in the middle of a dream. Ang husky ng boses. Ganito pala ang bedroom voice na sinasabi nila.

“6 AM,” I replied. “We need to eat breakfast. Wala nga pala silang breakfast dito.” I quickly added,

“Gusto mo maglakad-lakad sa labas? May fast food chain sa kanto.”

Theo rubbed his eyes and groaned again. “You woke me up for breakfast?”

His voice was still groggy, but I could see his lips curling into a half-smile. “Ang tapang mo 'ha, Ysmael.”

“Wala eh,” I said with a shrug, trying to keep the situation light. “Kailangan ko na sigurong kumain. Bakit, may mangyayari ba kapag ginising kita?"

Theo let out a big yawn and stretched his arms over his head. “Alright, alright. Wala naman. Just give me a few minutes. Para pa akong hotdog.”

I chuckled softly. “Take your time, Maghihilamos pa naman ako.”

A few minutes later, we were both standing in the hallway of the hotel, making our way to the front doors.

I found myself walking beside Theo. I glanced over at him, suddenly realizing just how close we were. My heart skipped a beat.

Okay, Ysmael, chill. Kasama mo lang 'yan sa kwarto. Nothing weird about this. 'Wag mo masyadong isipin.

Halos wala pa masyadong nagtitinda sa labas. May ilan na bukas na, halatang maaga pa lang ay nagsisimula na ang araw nila . It felt peaceful.

“So, saan ba ang fastfood na sinasabi mo?” Theo asked, breaking the silence. Naputol tuloy ang pag-iisip ko.

“Sa kanto lang,” I replied. “Malalaman mo naman 'yon sa amoy. Parang may sarili silang amoy na hindi ko kayang i-describe.” I laughed.

Theo laughed, the sound light and genuine. “Oo na, sundan na natin 'yang ilong mo.”

A few minutes later, we arrived at the fast food chain, and sure enough, the familiar smell of fried food welcomed us. I was starting to feel a little more relaxed now. There was something comforting about the simplicity of it all.

We both went in, and the moment we stepped inside. Nasa likod ko lang si Theo at nakasunod sa akin.

The place wasn’t fancy, but it was cozy. Alam mo yung pakiramdam na ayos lang tumambay at mag-ingay? Ganoon.

“So, anong bibilihin mo?” Theo asked, leaning towards the menu board.

I paused for a second. “Yung usual na lang siguro. Breakfast combo. And siguro extra hash brown.”

Theo grinned. “Solid choice. I’ll get the same, minus the hash brown. Pancakes na lang siguro ang idagdag ko.”

Theo shot me a playful look nang napansin niyang nakatingin ako sa kanya. “Pancakes are universal. Tigilan mo ako.”

Finally, the food arrived, and we found a corner table to sit at. I couldn’t help but feel a little more at ease. Kahit papaano ay nawala na ang awkwardness namin. Awkwardness ko, to be exact.

“So,” Theo said, breaking the comfortable silence. “Alam mo na ba ang mangyayari sa seminar mamaya? Excited ka na ba?”

I looked at him, trying to suppress a smile. “Honestly, hindi ko alam. Hindi ko nga alam itong pinasok ko.”

Theo laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t worry, man. Kaya mo 'yan.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t the most romantic breakfast in the world, but in that moment, it felt like exactly what I needed. Masyado lang siguro talaga akong delusional. Romanticising even the smallest detail.

“Baka magtaka na yung mga tao sa paligid natin,” I said, trying to break the silence, my voice a little muffled by the food. “We’re the only ones having breakfast at this hour.”

Theo raised an eyebrow, looking around the fast-food joint. “Nah, iniisip siguro nila bakit ang hyper na natin ngayong umaga.” He took a bite of his pancake, then looked at me with a teasing grin. “Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought we were those weirdos who wake up at 5 AM just to eat fast food.”

I chuckled at that. “I mean, sino ba naman ang aayaw sa fastfood breakfast? It’s the best choice when you’re too lazy to cook. You should try it sometime.” I took another sip of my coffee.

Theo laughed, clearly enjoying himself. “Alright, alright. But seriously, Ysmael,” he said, his tone softening a bit as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “How’s the seminar prep going for you? Ready ka na ba?”

I glanced down at my breakfast, tapping the edge of my cup. Seminar prep. Right. That. The seminar. I had almost forgotten about it entirely.

I’d packed a few materials in my bag the night before, books, notebooks, a handful of pens. But, I hadn’t really thought about it. I still felt a little underprepared. Parang kulang na kulang pa.

“Well...” I began, the words coming out more slowly than I’d intended. "May dala naman akong mga gamit, I guess. But to be honest, I’m not really sure if I have everything I need. Hindi ko lang alam if enough ba yung nadala ko at yung capacity ng utak ko.” I laughed nervously.

Theo nodded, understanding. “Yeah, I feel you,” he said.

“I brought my art supplies, my sketchbook, a few reference books... but I’m pretty sure I won’t need everything.” He paused, his voice lowering a little. “I think this seminar’s more about... creativity, not just the technical stuff.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Creativity, huh? I mean, I guess that’s the point of the whole thing, but... I don’t know. Mauupo lang siguro ako sa gilid. Kaya na nila 'yan. Matatanda na sila.”

Theo laughed, his voice light. “You’re overthinking it, man. Just relax and let it flow. The point of the seminar is to get you thinking outside the box, right? Isa pa, kasama mo naman ako. Sa tingin mo ba ay papayagan kita na maupo lang sa gilid? Of course not.”

“Okay, I get it,” I said slowly, trying to convince myself. “Susubukan ko mag-enjoy.” I forced a smile, but deep inside, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. Baka magpakain na lang ako sa lupa kapag hindi ko na kinaya.

Theo must have sensed my hesitation because he grinned again, his expression somehow reassuring. “See? That’s the spirit. Just don’t overthink it. You’ll be fine. Ikaw pa ba?”

I snorted at that. “Me? Good at this stuff? I mean, salamat sa confidence, pero I'm just a "sit-in-the-corner" kid for this day.”

Theo’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Well, then I guess I’ll be your partner in crime. We’ll be the ‘sit-in-the-corner’ duo.”

I felt a slight blush creeping up my neck at that. Did he just call me his partner?

Okay, Ysmael. Ang OA.

I quickly glanced away, trying to hide it. “Yeah, whatever. But seriously, I don’t even know what kind of materials I’m supposed to bring. You said you brought art supplies, right?”

Theo nodded. “Yeah, just the basics. Sketchbook, pencils, and colored pencils. I didn’t go all out.” He grinned, clearly enjoying the conversation. “Pero sigurado naman ako na hindi ko rin magagamit ang lahat ng 'to.”

I glanced down at my bag, wondering if I had packed enough for the seminar. My notebook, a few pens, my phone... I’d definitely need a charger for later. Kung may charger lang sa social battery, mukhang kailangan ko rin.

“Well,” I said, pushing my plate aside. “I guess I’ll just hope for the best, right?” I smiled weakly, trying to hide the nerves.

Theo finished his pancake and leaned back in his seat. “Exactly. Isa pa, hindi naman siguro magiging masama ang araw natin ngayon. Breakfast pa lang, sulit na.”

I laughed, and for the first time that day, I felt like I could relax.

I chuckled, my nerves finally starting to fade. Maybe this seminar won’t be so bad after all.

“So, what do you think? Ready ka na ba?” I asked with a grin.

Theo winked at me. “I’m always ready. Let’s do this, Ysmael.”