by Katt Briones

Image by Teddy Yang on Pexels. (All photos and videos on Pexels can be downloaded and used for free).

1 You Think

MICHI

This was a bad idea.

I was one flight of stairs away from the classroom that the Era of Maidens-Dresden University Fan Club chose for the anniversary potluck. There was time to change my mind.

Since the event was announced a month ago, I’d debated with myself about going. There would be food, people to yap with about Era of Maidens, and I’d been talking to these friends for more than a year now.

Online, though. I’d never actually met them in person.

But I’d also never found people I got along with as much as I did them. K-Pop did that, apparently. I kept to myself for most of my life, only to end up with the same handful of people blasting my inboxes every day with updates or ship moments.

Ok, Michiru. What’s one meal with online friends? You’re a big girl.

I sighed hard and took another step. And another.

I mean, these people read, loved, and even enabled my angsty fan fiction about Erika and Suyeon. What exactly was I worried about?

I got to the classroom. There was a small table next to the door, decorated in pastel pink ribbons. There was a clipboard, and a girl wearing a shirt from last year’s Singapore concert was manning the booth.

What a flex. I was able to attend EOM’s first concert in Manila many years ago, sure, but it was different as they were just part of a multi-group fest.

“Hi!” the girl said as I approached. “Forum username, please?”

I gulped. OMG. I’m actually doing this.

“Moneru,” I mumbled.

“Sorry, I didn’t get that?”

“Moneru.”

The girl smiled, checked her list, and then whipped her head up at me.

“IKAW SI MONERU???”

***

Darn it.

I hadn’t factored that reaction in.

“As in… Erika-Jennifer royal shipper, thousands of followers on AO3 Moneru?”

Sige Ate, lakasan mo pa. I don’t think they could hear you on Mars.

“The… one and only,” I replied, showing my phone. It showed my Swords PH member dashboard.

“I’m so sorry about the reaction, but I’ve read some of your work,” she said, crossing off a line on the clipboard and handing me a wrist band. “Okay, all of it. But don’t tell anyone, especially not CuriousGeorge19 over there.”

“CuriousGeorge19 is here?” I said, looking at the crowd. I could see a girl in pink standing out. They were surrounded by more people in a bigger circle, but mostly talked to each other.

“Yep. Talking to Ate Vinnie… Vinniexcalibur. Over there with the blunt bangs.”

I knew Ate Vinnie of course – we’d talked, she wasn’t shy about posting herself on selca day…

Oh. OH.

That’s CuriousGeorge19?

Respectfully… holy shit.

Wait, no. She’s an Erika-Miyeong shipper. Possibly hostile. I mean, I followed her on socials and everything, but had her muted as my tribe did not get along with hers. She was also a fanfic writer.

So she was in Dresden University too? What a small world.

“Oi. Moneru.”

“Huh?”

“Your name tag.”

I blinked and saw the massive sticker being handed to me with my username.

“Please call me Michi. Your name is?”

“Username IGotAGirlMeotjin, government name Clarissa. Welcome and enjoy the food!”

I giggled, complimented her username, and moved along as I put the sticker on myself.

I caught CuriousGeorge19’s eye as I did.

She looked surprised as she read my name tag, then her expression changed to amused.

Despite myself, my eyes flickered over the pink plaid shirt she chose for the occasion, worn over a white tank top and denim shorts. Her brown eyes twinkled with mischief, and her hair looked beautiful – sleek in a long bob, not a single hair out of place.

She was effortlessly gorgeous.

Hala ka. Get a grip, Michi.

2 Party

GEORGE

“Uuuy.”

I tore my eyes away from the girl who had just entered the room.

“Luh,” I said, making a face. “Lahat na lang, Ate Vinnie?”

“Hoy, no, not lahat naman,” she said quickly. “But this one’s your type. Cute smile, prominent cheekbones, and doe eyes. Gorgeous long hair too.”

Ate Vinnie was my kababata, two years older–same age as my Kuya Gian. They got along and bonded against a common bully in grade school, and I was lucky enough to be doted on by both. She’d been on the receiving end of my high school crush stories.

“True, but that’s not why I was looking at her.”

“So why, aber?” she asked, teasing and folding her arms for effect.

“That’s Moneru.”

Ate Vinnie’s jaw dropped, and then turned to look. Moneru was now getting pancit malabon off the bilao. She wore a black ruffled off shoulder top and had her long hair in a messy high ponytail.

“The rival ship’s AO3 captain… oh my gosh,” Ate Vinnie said, cackling.

“Nothing’s funny about this, Ate!” I hissed.

“If this was a fic, I’d protest about it being too on the nose. She’s like the Nora to your Vilma, except it’s not showbiz… it’s Era of Maidens fanfic.”

Okay, okay, I know. We shouldn’t ship real people. But I swear my involvement is mostly… fluff. I’m firmly on the MyeongRika ship, sure, but I don’t fight people like my EOM friends do. I just wrote cute MyeongRika fics, and people liked it, and that was it.

Moneru, on the other hand, wrote beautiful, heartbreaking angst fics about Suyeon (screen name Jennifer) and Erika.

I liked her writing, sure. But not a single one of her works had an HEA, and I didn’t understand the thought process. Why write and build it up like that, only to NOT have your ship end up together? What a waste.

“Let’s go say hi!” Ate Vinnie said, pulling me.

“ATE?!”

“She’s nice. I promise. Come on,” Ate Vinnie said. I just stared as she pulled me towards Moneru, surprised. She was usually aloof, but here she was, pulling me like a very enthusiastic and matchmaking Tita.

“You’re Moneru, yes?”

Moneru turned slowly, looking apprehensive, then smiled sheepishly, holding a plate full of pancit malabon.

“Hi. Yes po.”

“Don’t po me. I’m vinniexcalibur, Vinnie in real life,” she said, shaking the other girl’s hand. “We’ve talked before. Tag-teamed against anti-fans, even.”

“I know. So nice to meet you in person. My username is Moneru. Government name Michiru Tanaka. Michi in school.”

“Year and course?”

“Econ, Ate. Second year,” she said. “Sorry… can I call you that? Ate?”

“Of course! Ito naman, parang others,” Ate Vinnie quipped, and I threw her a look because who are you and where is the real, super-aloof Ate Vinnie? “Anyway… this is CuriousGeorge19. Government Name Georgina Magsaysay. She’s from Accountancy. Call her George.”

I consciously made an effort to remove the incredulous look on my face so I can face Michiru.

“George,” I echoed, extending my hand. “Nice to meet you in person.”

Michiru gripped my hand firmly, smile slightly fading, replaced by another thing.

“The CuriousGeorge19. I’m honored.”

I let go, but couldn’t stop looking at her. I was still trying to figure her out. Was she judging? Wary? Teasing?

“Are you?” I said, half-teasing.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Michiru countered, lingering before letting go of my hand. “It’s not like I hate MyeongRika stans on principle.”

I almost breathed a sigh of relief until she added, “It’s you guys who dunk on us Suyeon stans for no reason.”

My smile faded.

“Define dunk? Because last time I checked it was Suyeon stans piling on Miyeong for posting an innocent anniversary photo of eight people,” I said.

“The caption was expressing gratitude to 7 others for staying. I don’t think it’s unreasonable that people found it in bad taste given Suyeon wasn’t given a choice to do the same?”

“Prrrt!” said Ate Vinnie, holding two hands up. “Stop. Gutom lang yan. Let’s all reconvene once our blood sugar levels have stabilized. Hala, everyone, eat!”

Michiru smirked. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the floor.

“Luh, may tension,” Clarissa commented and starting a round of teasing, because apparently, the forum friends were now making this A THING.

Ayan. Even I was getting shipped now. What the heck. I mean, she’s cute–

WAIT. GEORGE, NO.

I didn’t forget how Jennifer’s fans dunked on Miyeong. Like her leaving the group was Miyeong’s fault. I had to mute multiple people after JenniferGate because the blame somehow landed on Miyeong and Erika and it was way too much emotional expenditure for something that was supposed to be bringing you joy.

From the sound of what she said, she was one of them… no. We are not allowing this crush.

Mga type mo talaga, Georgina.

3 Sailing

GEORGE

We’re not close.

But Michiru hadn’t posted in the forum or any socials in more than a week. She also hadn’t turned up to PE–we were in the same PE class, Street Dance on Tuesday and Thursday. It was worrying.

She was pleasant enough on those classes last week. No mention of EOM whatsoever, but I hated that. Without our fanclub mates teasing, I would have loved to know more of what she thought. I didn’t bring it up myself as I didn’t know what the threshold was, but we had good fun during dance when we realized the song the class used had the same BPM as “I Got A Girl.” Michiru had a good laugh watching me do a silly attempt at the ‘cobra’ dance, and I found myself exaggerating the choreo just to hear her laugh.

And then the next weekend, the news outlets released the articles about Juhyun, Suzanne, Dan-ah, and Miyeong leaving MS Entertainment.

That was half of Era of Maidens. I mean, they already lasted as long as they did as a group and that was plenty to be thankful for, but the news still hit us hard. MS Ent’s groups never technically disbanded, but we all knew what this was.

Ate Vinnie was coping with rage. Other friends were bashing the agency. There were record numbers of new retweets of MyeongRika edits showing Erika extra emotional during the latest anniversary fanmeet. Now we knew why.

I was coping with humor. I retweeted the most ridiculous memes I could find (Filipino K-Pop fan humor is top-notch) and had a laugh at things while having a whole weight sitting on my chest.

Michiru was suspiciously quiet. Okay, I admit, I was already curious about her before–people pitting us as rival fic writers mostly fueled that in the beginning, but meeting her at the anniversary potluck made her extra intriguing, and her fun side at the class made me feel like we could be friends.

She was introverted. She poked fun at herself telling us she debated against going but decided to walk in because she smelled the pancit malabon. I caught her eye in the room more than once, and I found myself wondering.

What was that look on her face? I couldn’t place it still. Even after that little row, I couldn’t figure it out. Was she amused? Annoyed? Mildly entertained, like someone watching a jester?

Sige na, crush ko na. Ate Vinnie was right. All of my crushes had one template. But coupled with that curiosity and tension when I met her in person and my inability to read her?

Wala, Georgina Camille. You were COOKED.

I logged into the fan forum before I could overthink it and open her profile. I’d opened it so many times that my phone browser now recommended it when I hit New Tab.

To: moneru
Hoy. Proof of life, please?

I hit Send. I haven’t even closed the tab when a reply appeared.

From: moneru
It’s just PE I’m cutting, I promise. Drowning in accounting 99.1 exam prep.

I found myself breathing out in relief.

From: moneru
Your reposts, though. I can’t. 🤣
But I hope you’re doing okay.

To: moneru
Wala naman akong choice?

From: moneru
Bwisit ka 🤣

To: moneru
This UX sucks. Give me your number?

Again, I sent it before I could overthink it.

I expected her to either have a follow-up question or a protest, but to my relief, she didn’t comment and just sent me her number. I saved it and send her a message.

To: Michiru
👋

From: Michiru
Wait… you’re also from CG village?

Not stalking, ha… just saw the food you posted in your fan account stories and recognized it as my neighborhood coffee shop

To: Michiru
WHAT

From: Michiru
Wait huhu sorry! I won’t mention it na

To: Michiru
No I meant, WHAT. I didn’t know you lived nearby!

And then we started texting more.

I couldn’t believe it.

She was in the same village in Las Pinas. Hers was the far end closer to Alabang, my area was closer to Zapote. For this reason, she studied in a different high school. Now she lived in a dorm she shared with cousins during class days, but went home South on weekends. Meanwhile I took rides with my Kuya.

From: Michiru
Tinatamad na ako magtype! Coffee?

I smiled at my phone like a kid promised candy.

Ang rupok, Georgina!?

To: Michiru
Ok. What time?

From: Michiru
Now na. See you 🙂

I texted her “okay,” washed my face, and got dressed.

I was never beating the marupok allegations.

4 I Got A Girl

MICHI

I didn’t know what got into me, but I was enjoying Georgina’s company.

Maybe it was the shared misery. Having one’s ult group soft-disbanding did things to people. Apparently, “things” could be you randomly asking out the captain of the opposing ship.

Okay, fine, it wasn’t random. I’d noticed her in street dance class. Isolation technique was top-notch. She thought she was being silly, reenacting the cobra dance part of the I Got A Girl choreo, but it still looked sharp.

Not that I was looking, nope. (Okay. Maybe a little.)

What I found the most fascinating about Georgina was that everything she did felt effortless. She had an easy time talking to people, and I found myself watching. At the event, she was able to relate to anyone regardless of who their bias or ship was, or other groups or fandoms they were into.

At dance class, she’d bust out moves–and she knew all the girl and boy group dances too. I teased her that maybe she was feeling too guilty about that little argument we had at first so she was hell-bent on finding another group we both liked, and luckily we found one. Luminous, a group considered EOM’s little brothers in MS Entertainment.

It was a massive relief, finding out there was another thing we both liked that we agreed on, until she went “You only started stanning when Jinho blew up in the Philippines after playing a track athlete, in Beautiful You, no?”

To which I replied “Excuse you, I stanned Luminous from Diablo era four years before that, when he had that weird bao haircut and all! And I had a poster of him in THAT haircut next to Jennifer’s Shoot Shoot Shoot poster in the equally horrible curly bangs wig.”

“Ah! In that polka dots pantulog concept! I remember that well. So who do you like more?”

“I like them equally,” I said, and she raised both eyebrows. “And no, I am not explaining myself.”

“Not asking you to, this is a safe space,” George had replied. “Would love to see that poster wall, though.”

I momentarily blushed, but as a mapagpatol–

“Only if you promise one day I’ll get to see yours.”

What I found myself liking was that she had an ease about her, like she never had to worry about walking into a room and belonging there. Sometimes she’d walk in with her hair all tussled, like she hadn’t bothered with a brush. The week after the fan event, she’d dyed it pink–and it eventually faded into a cute strawberry blonde color. I’d asked her what her favourite hair version was, and she showed me a photo of herself with bubblegum blue hair… saying it was one of the many things she did it to piss off her annoying and conservative grandmother who would call her a tomboy, and she would go “Yes, Lola, THAT IS EXACTLY THE POINT. Glad to have you onboard!”

Then there was me on the other hand. Forever feeling like I needed to brace because I felt different. People made me wary. My mother loved dressing me up and always kept my hair long, I’d always been girly, the type to toe the line, until one day I told my mother I had crushes on both boys and girls. It was a process, acknowledging to myself that I was different, explaining it to myself, trying to explain it to other people, and then unlearning wanting to explain it to people who were determined to misunderstand. My family didn’t mind, but they weren’t supportive either… it was just like I decided to have a piercing and nobody even blinked. It took me until my second year of college to learn I didn’t have to. The unlearning itself was a process, but I liked to think I was getting there. Thank goodness for university life. I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but coming from a Catholic school in the southern area of Manila…I definitely felt like I could breathe a little easier with this crowd. It was such a relief that there was a bigger world outside the four corners of my high school, and it came with eyes that judged a lot less.

I found myself looking at Georgina and wishing I was a bit more like her. Carefree. Chill. Self-possessed.

She caught me looking at her halfway through her glass of Mont Blanc.

“Hoy, Michi. I thought you were going to study accruals?” she teased. “Bakit puro ka titig sa’kin?”

“Sorry,” I said, laughing. “Sometimes I just dissociate. It just happened you were in my line of sight. But thanks for my matcha and cake.”

“No biggie,” she replied.

“I’m done pretending I’m even understanding this,” I said, closing my accounting book. “I’ll just chill.”

“Do you want to talk about stuff?” Georgina asked. She sounded so careful, and for a moment I wanted to laugh, but I appreciated the space she held.

“Game.”

“Question pala–do you or did you think Miyeong is to be blamed for Jennifer’s leaving?”

“Anak ng patola, seryosong-seryoso oh,” I exclaimed. I expected a personal question, not an invitation to give a fandom thinkpiece. “Also, Jennifer?”

“Fine, Korean names, not screen names. We’re taking the fan thing to heart,” Georgina said. “And you can be transparent. We’re absolutely past it all now. Give me the lore.”

“Ok. Between us… I bought the ‘Suyeon was bullied’ narrative at first. Then those damn not-an-autobiography books came out. I side-eyed it all. I kept thinking, I’ll unpack this another day. So I still had a soft spot for Suyeon, but I now only follow the 8 members who stayed. And I’m still here.”

George shook her head, smiling.

“Well, thanks for humoring me.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just wanting to understand your… thought process. Why you ship what you ship.”

“Ang judgemental?”

“No no, not judging. Shipping is serious to me. I love understanding where people are coming from and why they ship what they do.”

“So you and MyeongRika and your Suyeon feelings. Go.”

“For the record, I don’t like the Suyeon slander,” she said, meeting me where I was. “I do not condone it. But her books putting outrageous things about the others, then claiming it’s fiction so she can’t be held accountable? I just can’t support her anymore.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” I said, smiling at her. I felt her knee brushing mine under the table, and I feel my ears grow hot but I don’t retract.

“You thought I was one of them?” George mused. I wasn’t surprised she knew of the more toxic parts of her side of the fandom, but I’m glad she wasn’t… like them.

“Kind of,” I admitted.

“So… what about Suyeon and Erika makes you write?”

“It’s angsty. Delicious. Miyeong and Erika look easy. Anything affectionate between Suyeon and Erika feels like it has to be earned.”

“So you’re passing the suffering cost to your readers?”

“I know, I need therapy,” I teased back. “Hang on. You’ve read my work?”

“I’m a business major. I scope the competition,” Georgina replied. I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Or maybe ikaw talaga may crush sa’kin.”

I expected Georgina to be defensive, but she brushed her leg against mine and raised an eyebrow at me instead.

“Those are not mutually exclusive,” she declared.

“Leche, ang harot!”

Georgina just threw her head back in laughter.

Her energy was contagious. An hour ago I was grieving a K-Pop group, and now I was being laughed at by someone who completely understood.

Ask out pa more, Michi.

***

“Where’s your ride?” Georgina asked as we got out of the coffee shop. It was a good three hours spent. I finally understood accruals, and she ordered us a massive lasagna plate and focaccia to share.

“Huh? I walked.”

“Ang init-init?” she replied incredulously.

“I’m not delicate, also… voila! Payong. It’s a thing,” I said, brandishing my umbrella.

“Hatid na kita,” Georgina said, pointing to an SUV parked nearby.

“WOW. You’re probably what, six streets away? And you had to take the family SUV?”

“Kuya had the sedan today, so I’m stuck with this one.”

“Stuck. With a Fortuner. You poor soul,” I teased, walking over and giving in.

“I hate driving it, ang hirap i-park. Also, apparently automatic douchebag ka if you drive one of these according to Reddit.”

I rode shotgun and laughed.

“Which street?” she asked.

“Lalaine Bennet.”

“Lapit lang pala eh,” she said, abandoning the GPS and leaning over on my side. “May I?”

I felt my ears heat up. “May you what?”

“That seatbelt’s clunky,” she said. I nodded. She pulled the seatbelt on my right for a bit, then pulled it with a sharp yank before getting it over. “There you go.”

I was quiet for the rest of the ride, processing. My ears were still hot when we got to my street. I pointed to my house and she pulled up.

“Thanks for today,” I said. “Not sure what magic you pulled off, but I forgot for a bit that my ult group is soft-disbanding.”

“Thanks for keeping me company too,” George replied. “I mostly yapped, though. Tell me more next time?”

“Next time?” I echoed.

“If gusto mo lang naman,” George replied. “Though I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you more. Nakakatawa kang kasama eh.”

“Nakakatawa? Like a clown?” I teased.

“Ewan ko sa’yo, bumaba ka na nga,” Georgina said.

“Sabi ko na, crush mo ako eh,” I teased. “But seriously… I wouldn’t mind more of this either.”

Georgina smiled and looked down and scratched her head. Ang cute, bwisit.

“See you in school, Georgina.”

“George nga,” she said as I got out of the car. “And yes. You will.”

I bid her goodbye, closed the car door, and waited for her car to disappear around the corner before I went inside the house.

5 Villain

GEORGE

“I’m not even surprised. That’s your style.”

I side-eyed Nina as we sat together on the couch.

“Was I like that to you?”

We were hanging out at a common friend’s place for EOM’s Tokyo Dome concert watch party, the first group get-together since the news about the agency transfers came out.

“Not in a bad way,” she mused. I made a face and shook my head laughing. “You’re the type to not play games and just ask to hang out all the time because you like the company and you like the person. It’s… pure.”

“Ang condescending ng tone mo slight?” I joked.

“Hey, I’m just saying is this girl is lucky to have you, that’s all.”

I smiled and felt heat on my cheeks. Nina was a childhood friend and was my first girlfriend. She usually roasted me on my dating choices, but we kept each other around because we knew each other well and had no trouble dishing or taking it.

“Have is a tricky word, don’t you think?” I asked.

“Well, yes. But from what I’m hearing from you, Georgie, this is good. I haven’t heard you sound this calm about a crush in a while. Usually, aligaga ka. Kilig but antsy. This one? You’re calm.”

The past couple of months had been lovely. Michi and I hung out all the time–studied, went to fan club things, texted each other round the clock. I even met her sister once. We never ran out of things to talk about.

She’d brought me to her org’s event (Economics Society), and I brought her to Kuya Gian’s org’s major party too (Marketing Club). Kuya liked Michi, they bonded over Nintendo Switch games, and sometimes I’d just watch while they played Mario Kart and Crash Bandicoot in the living room. Kuya would dramatically look away when I cuddled on Michi’s lap when she would plug her own console and show me her Stardew Valley farm, then he’d go over and hang out with his girlfriend, Ate Liana, so Michi and I could spend time alone.

It was nice, but neither of us felt the need to put a label on anything yet.

I may or may not have also held her hand for hours on end while we binge-watched Juhyun’s new drama Public Lives. It almost made up for the shitty plot.

“She knows the hangouts are dates, right?” Nina asked.

“I think?”

“You have to tell her at some point you like her, though. Baka taon na naman ang hintayin mo, ha?” Nina joked, a reference to how I took two years to tell her I liked her in high school.

“Alam mo ikaw, Saturnina Maria Apolinario–”

“There she is!”

Michi appeared at the door with Clarissa. Her smile lightly faded.

“Hi!” I said, immediately standing up. I went over and was suddenly unsure what to do. Beso? Hug? Full hug or half? What did I even usually do?

Why was I suddenly so conscious of my own limbs?

“Hey,” Michi said, looking at both me and Nina.

“Did you arrive just now or?”

“Grab. With Clarissa and Arianne,” Michi answered. She sounded clipped. I felt like we were back to day one when I couldn’t read her.

“Ah, okay,” I said. “Sorry, I hadn’t been looking at my phone.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“By the way, this is Nina,” I said, introducing them. Michi and Nina shook hands. “She’s also friends with Paula. Nina, this is Michi.”

“Who’s your bias, Michi?” Nina asked.

“Uh… I was Suyeon-biased,” Michi said. Nina put her hand on her chest dramatically.

“Yuck, di nga?”

“What does that mean?”

Nina paled, then dropped the act. “Huy, biro lang. I usually get laughs when I make Suyeon jokes because of you know, the books,” she said. Michi actually raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, ignore me. I just have feelings about Suyeon that I need to process. I’m Suzanne-biased, by the way. Miyeong is my wrecker.”

“That figures,” Michi muttered.

“Okay, I deserve that,” Nina said, putting both hands up.

“Ikaw kasi!” I chided.

“Sorry na, Georgie,” Nina said. Michi let out a breath through her nose. “I’ll go get you guys snacks to make up for it. Bawi ako sa’yo, Michi.”

Nina pressed both hands together in a “sorry” pose and ran off to the kitchen. Paula, our host and a friend from way back, entered the room looking confused.

“What’s up with her?” Paula said, handling me and Michi a can each. “Here’s the apple crumble cider, as promised.”

Michi finally relaxed. At least she knew Paula from the forum. Nina hadn’t been active in a while, so she wasn’t as much of a fixture in the fan community as I was. It was good for Michi to see someone familiar.

“Thanks for inviting me, Paula.”

“Of course! Let me know anything you need, ha? Feel at home.”

“Sawayin mo nga ‘yun si Nina!” I joked. “She was teasing Michi just now for being Suyeon-biased.”

“Why me?” Paula said, laughing. “We both know she only listens to you, George. Ikaw sumaway sa ex mo!”

Michi stopped reading the can and looked at Paula, then me.

“You’re exes?” Michi asked me.

“Oo. The three of us go way back. Elementary. Back then our thing was Rayearth. George and Nina both had a crush on Umi. I liked both Fuu AND Ferio. I was there the whole–”

Paula stopped talking when she saw Michi’s expression.

I gulped. I felt like I was in trouble. Michi looked like she was processing it.

“Oversharer na naman ako. Anyway. We’re starting soon. There’s more food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” Paula bit her lip, threw us an “I’m sorry” look, and left to talk to the others.

“You… want to get ice for that?” I asked nervously. Michi looked up and nodded. I had the urge to grab her hand, but she kept both of hers on the can.

***

“No,” Michi was saying at the door. “Ate’s already on her way. She was in Moonwalk the last time I checked her location.”

“I’m just saying it’s on the way to my house…”

“Ok lang nga,” Michi said. “I’ll wait here.”

The watch party was okay, but I had a nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away. Michi sat next to me, but I felt distance. Like she was closing in on herself. We shared the ‘solo’ sofa on the corner the whole time, and I’d been trying to make conversation, but nothing made a dent.

“Are we okay?” I then asked. Michi smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Of course,” she said calmly. “You’ll see me in street dance on Monday.”

“I won’t see you this weekend?”

“I have org duties,” Michi answered. “Bakit, miss mo na ako agad?”

Her crush jokes usually landed well, but this one felt loaded.

“Slight,” I replied. “Can I wait for your ride with you?”

A loud voice then rang from inside the front door.

“Hoy Georgie, can you drop me at Philam–” Nina appeared and looked up from her handbag. “Charooot! I’ll go with Clar–”

“Georgina was just leaving. I’m not going with her,” Michi said, cutting Nina off then looking at me. “Go na. My Ate’s here.”

Michi waved at an approaching Elantra.

“See you both next time!”

I felt strangely sad as I watched her board the car and leave.

“Aguy,” Nina said, putting her arm on my shoulder. “At least we know she likes you too? Selos na selos, oh.”

“Ewan ko sa’yo,” I scoffed, and Nina just pouted in reply.

7 Lucky Like That

MICHI

FAFO is true.

My avoidant ass spent the past two weeks using acads as an excuse for disappearing, only to end up missing George so much it felt like a stomachache, and I was so anxious I ended up not even able to properly review for my exams.

O, edi sa’yo rin bumalik kagagahan mo, Michiru?

Desperate for a dopamine hit, I opened my Swords PH forum account.

My inbox had 7 messages.

From: CuriousGeorge19
Did you forget your passwords?
Sorry if this is a double up, but you’re not opening your messages
Want to go to the Swords Christmas party?

I closed my eyes and put my head on the desk dramatically, then I replied.

To: CuriousGeorge19
Acads ate me whole. Among other things.
Yes pls.

Okay. One step to honesty.

I was relieved that George still reached out. I was not handling this well. I didn’t have a problem with Nina. Like, I’ve heard worse about being Suyeon-biased, but what bothered me was how close they were when I walked in.

Like I had a right.

Then Paula said that bit about them being exes, and my brain just went “Poof. Bye. I need to run from the feelings.”

I was amazed I made it through the whole watch party before bolting.

Now here I was with a giant George-sized hole in my being and I felt… hollow. The only silver lining to this was she didn’t hate me yet.

But she just might when I tell her.

***

I wasted no time.

The Swords Christmas Party was in a 3-bedroom condo unit for rent in Ortigas that everyone chipped in for. Food was in abundance as usual, but the pancit malabon was the last thing on my mind. Music was loud and people were noisy. The first thing I looked for was a quiet space.

Georgina was patient and went along, which I was grateful for. I sat her down in the smallest room.

“Hey. So…”

“I’m glad you’re here,” George said. It was a good thing I was sitting, because my knees would have given out.

“Me too.”

“Ikaw nakabunot sa’kin. Would have been a bummer not to get a gift. Aray!”

I’d whacked her on the arm.

“Leche! Seryoso kasi,” I said, and George laughed. “I have explaining to do.”

“Buti alam mo.”

“All the hirits I made? Projection. I’m the one who has a crush on you. Like, giant crush that comes with jealousy. The kind that activates my fight or flight response.”

“Shocker.”

“George, for the love of god, shut up,” I snapped. “Look. I’ve been writing angst. You’re probably right about me passing on suffering. But ayoko na. I’m done with angst.”

George folded her arms. “This is so meta,” she replied.

“And I’m sorry. I should have talked, not sulked. I mean hello, kasalanan mo bang selosa ako?”

Georgina laughed this time. I just smiled at her.

“Then the other day, I read this fic on the forum. It was hopeful, light, and refreshing. Like cold noodles after samgyupsal. It’s called Chrysalis by CuriousGeorge19.”

“So you read MyeongRika now?”

“I read… your work. And maybe… I think I want some of that fluff now. If you don’t hate me.”

“I don’t. But you’re still a Suyeon stan. And we’re neck and neck on the views leaderboard.”

“Consider it optimizing fanfic market behavior.”

We had a laugh, and everything I’d been carrying the past two weeks disappeared.

A loud voice then rang out from the door.

“Merry Christmas, girlies!” Nina yelled. “May gift ako! CATCH!”

And I saw a small object flying through the air. George caught it. We both stared at it, bewildered.

“It’s mistletoe!” Nina yelled. “Ayan, nakabawi na ako, ha! And you’re the best fanfic writers here. You know what to do!”

We didn’t even get to reply as Nina closed the door.

“Tingnan mo ugali nung–”

George’s sentence got cut off as I kissed her.

Her mint lip balm was amazing.

“Uh… crush din kita?” George said. Her cheeks were red.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I joked. George threw the mistletoe aside and put her hand on my cheek, kissing me this time.

“Merry Christmas, Michi,” she said in between kisses.

“Same to you, CuriousGeorge19.”

About the Author. Katt Briones loves to read (and occasionally writes) romance stories. She graduated with degrees in Business Economics and Information Technology and is currently working in systems. When not busy with work, she spends her free time reading, cooking, and playing Stardew Valley. She currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.