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"You're going out on a date with Petra?” Hange stood up too quickly, knocking down the pen holder on their office desk in the process. “As in… Petra Rall from the Marketing Department? As in, sweet-as-candy, honey-bunny, gorgeous glam girl Petra?”
Levi swiveled his computer chair to face his best friend. "She asked me out."
"Hmm. And you didn't say no?" Hange was absentmindedly tapping the end of the pencil against their lower lip.
He gave a half-shrug. "Wanted to try something new for a change."
This was really new. Hange was incredulous. Levi never went on dates. Levi went on food trips and grocery shopping and karaoke nights (mainly due to Hange’s persistent nagging), but he never agreed to a date. There were always other people around whenever they hung out. The two of them had been best friends since college, and now as colleagues, Hange could tell from the numerous awkward and sort-of-but-not-quite romantic encounters with Levi that Petra wasn't exactly his type.
"Is this a joke? Is this for a dare?" Hange kept prodding. They would bombard him with questions nonstop until he gave in. “Did you hit your head somewhere? Are you dying?”
"No, I just told you, Four-Eyes, I wanted to try something new.” Levi returned to his work and continued typing on his computer. “She said she already has planned something for tomorrow."
"This isn't you, Levi. You don't like itineraries," Hange said, sitting down to compose themself, gripping the pencil in their hand and holding it too tightly against the notepad.
"Maybe it's about time I do."
“So you’re choosing her over me?” Hange was already upset. Their hand was already shaking at this point, the tip of their pencil threatening to break. Levi would usually hang out with them to binge-watch a show or series on Saturdays over ube hopias and cheap beer, which reminded her, “What about our UBE?”
“Our—what?” He looked over his shoulder, confused.
Hange gave him a hopeful smile, fist still curled against the paper. “Our Ultimate Bonding... Experience?”
Levi glued his eyes to his computer screen once more. “You can Netflix and chill on your own for one night.”
The pencil snapped in half.
It was only 6 pm and Hange had already downed half a bucket of beers this Friday evening. Tomorrow morning, Levi would meet up with Petra somewhere for their date, maybe have lunch, a movie, some hand-holding and kissing, and then the two would possibly end it up with a bang. Something was really boiling deep inside Hange as these imagined scenes flashed through their mind.
And Erwin had to bear with them for tonight.
"I just don't understand, 'Win," Hange started, "Why would he do this? Why would he trade our UBE for someone he can't even relate to?"
Erwin was Hange and Levi's colleague in the same department before he got promoted to an executive position in corporate. Times like this, he would lend an ear to his friends' complaints and act as some sort of a part-time counselor, part-time therapist, and full-time drinking buddy.
Hange should be thankful Erwin had never charged them for these sessions before, but now with all of their whining, he was probably regretting that he gave them for free.
"Last I checked, you guys are just best buddies," Erwin commented. "Have you ever told him how much he means to you?"
Hange pouted.
"I'll take that as a no," Erwin said.
Their friend had a point. Hange had never really told Levi about their own feelings. Levi probably didn’t even know Hange was capable of romance, to be honest, the same way Hange could never tell if Levi even had feelings toward another person. Their relationship had always been platonic all along, the best-buddy trope always looming over their heads whenever they were together.
"I can imagine it already, " Hange mused, as they downed another drink, "I can imagine him walking down the aisle with pretty-face Petra and making babies with her, while I end up becoming that unknown relative who sends them presents for Christmas every year."
"Ah, I can imagine all the regrets you'll be having for the rest of your life."
The bar was now playing a song by The Cranberries that goes like, " Is that the way we stand? / Were you lying all the time? / Was it just a game to you? " The lyrics had never been so fitting under such odd circumstances before.
Hange grabbed a fistful of hair in both hands. "What do I do now? I want Levi to be happy, I really do. I want to see him be happy, even if it's not with me. But why am I getting all riled up about this?"
"Then follow him," Erwin simply said as he wiped the beer off his mouth with his sleeve. "Follow him to the ends of the earth. Maybe you'll see for yourself."
Erwin had meant it as a figurative speech. When he said follow, he meant Hange supporting Levi all the way through. He never meant Hange stalking their best friend on his date.
Obviously, Hange had gotten it all wrong, because now they just blinked once, twice, a grin forming on their face. As if an epiphany had appeared before them. "Hmm. You're right."
Follow him.
This could be the greatest thing that Erwin Smith had ever come up with. Brilliant idea. Superb, even. One-of-a-kind strategy by none other than the genius Erwin Smith—oh, yes, yes, yes.
Erwin was still finishing up his beer when Hange tackled him into a hug out of gratitude, their smile wider than before. "You really are the best of the best, you know that?" They told him.
This could work, Hange thought.
The plan was to follow Levi, literally.
"Boss, why did you pay me a hundred bucks to follow them?"
Hange was wringing their hands together. "We’re doing this together, Moblit! I wanna see how Levi acts around this girl."
"That's it?" Poor Moblit couldn't believe what he's hearing.
"I just wanna make sure he's making a good impression!"
They’re both sitting in a café right across Levi’s apartment. He and Hange were dressed up in black shirts and pants with matching sunglasses and baseball caps. Moblit had no choice; Hange was going to strangle his neck if he declined.
The poor guy rested his head against his palm. "Aren't you jealous?"
"Pffft, me? Jealous?" The sour look on Hange's face was enough to tell Moblit that they weren't fooling anybody. It was just Levi’s attitude towards the entire ordeal that was tearing Hange apart. It would ruin them every day. “I’m sure I’m not being rude.”
Moblit scratched his head and sighed. Hange as a boss could be really demanding at times, but the two of them were also friends in real life, which is why he agreed to this. "I thought Petra was head over heels for Oluo?"
"I thought so, too."
"He's dense, though," Moblit said. "Maybe this was just a ruse to get Oluo to confess? Eh, Boss?"
Hange was already distracted by the sight of Levi coming out of the building.
"Ooh, he's leaving." Hange pointed towards the familiar figure. They then put their shades on as part of their undercover mission, and motioned Moblit to do the same. "Let's go."
The two of them hid behind the fast food mascot of the big fat stupid ugly bee. Levi really knew how to dress up, Hange had noticed. He was wearing a plain button-up with dark pants, his hair neatly trimmed and his face cleanly shaven. He never dressed up like this whenever they hung out. It hurt Hange to see him this handsome. Levi then headed straight for the nearest station and waited for the next train to arrive. Hange and Moblit then took the same train but stayed on the other rail cart, catching a glimpse of Levi every now and then to make sure that he hadn't alighted by then.
“What would you do if they do end up together, Boss?” Moblit had to ask.
“I'd sign my life away as a single person for the rest of my years. Be an old cat person, maybe.”
There was something true in their statement. Hange would probably devote themself to singlehood should Levi fall for a completely different person. All those years of longing and pining would end up as their daily lifestyle until death.
The skyscrapers of Makati were passing them by, huge billboards left and right of commercial ads and government campaigns looming over them. If they looked far enough, they could see shanties and informal settlers nested in small alleys here and there. Hange had been seeing this for the past few years of their lives; Metro Manila could be daunting, but they wished they could spend away from the noisiness and busyness of the capital.
“He's getting out at Ayala Station, Boss!" Moblit pointed out. "They’re probably meeting somewhere in Greenbelt.”
“Ah, fancy-schmancy. Who could have known?”
Makati was the place only for the very rich, or for the very poor. There was no in between. Nobody dared to bat an eyelash at the rickety houses behind the skyscrapers. The shopping district and the high-end restaurants where affluent people would gather: celebrities, business executives, expatriates, anyone who could call themselves rich, rich, rich. Hange was none of those. Levi wasn't either, but he could easily pass off as one if he wanted to.
When they got off at the station, Hange and Moblit crouched behind the dumpster, craning their necks enough to get a glimpse of Levi coming up to Petra who stood waiting in front of the fountain.
“Ah, I’m so glad you’re here,” Petra said, her smile warm and happy as Levi walked alongside her. “Shall we?”
Petra was effortlessly gorgeous. She had her hair clipped into place, her slender figure matching the nice summer dress that she wore. She had also put on some light makeup, but even without it, Hange could tell that Petra would still be as breathtaking.
There really wasn't anything that Hange could hate about Petra Rall. Petra was attractive and alluring, sweet and shy, probably the ultimate dream girl of every person in their office. Hange would date Petra if she were even into them, provided the two of them had a spark.
But Hange's attention was all for Levi. Always had been. Always will be. But they weren't sure if Levi would even choose them in the first place, if he'd rather keep the friendship intact instead.
"Should we let them be, Boss?" Moblit interrupted Hange's train of thought. "We could just head home and call it a day."
"Are you kidding me? We’re following them until the very end of their date."
Moblit sighed. This was a lost cause.
As they trailed the two together, Hange felt a pang of sadness. Tonight they felt that they had to accept the possibility of Levi ending up with someone else. Regardless of how this would end, Hange had decided they'd be there for him.
They didn't really blend in with this fancy-schmancy place. This was one of the most expensive fashion malls in the area; the price tags made broke people cry, and the restaurants were considered artisan for their taste. People were dressed up in crisp polos and cocktail dresses, the faint smell of perfume wafting here and there. The gardens had a beautiful landscape, stoned paths paving the way, and the lights were carefully draped on the trees around them, glowing like stars. It was a romantic setup for lovers.
Petra was pointing out all the different sights around the area, holding onto Levi's arm as if they were officially a couple. But Levi remained stiff all throughout their date, not even shedding a single ounce of emotion when Petra popped a joke. It ended up being a lousy one, though, since Levi didn't even scoff. Hange felt smug after that; their own jokes were terrible as well, but at least Levi would call them out for that.
"I think it's going well, don't you, Boss?" Hange's assistant teased.
“Oh, yeah, perfect, I can see how compatible they are.” Hange was being sarcastic.
After Levi had bought movie tickets at the booth, Petra chose a place called The People's Palace to dine in. It had a five-star rating on the internet, and even the cheapest item on the menu could break a whole in someone's wallet. There was no way they could eat there. Levi didn't even protest, though. He must have been saving up for this all along. Thankfully, the restaurant's walls were a solid transparent glass, and Hange could see the two of them from afar without having to go in.
Petra was saying something in a hushed tone when Levi came over to her side. She seemed like she was about to cry, fanning her eyes with both hands. Levi then put a hand on her face, tenderly brushing her cheek, as if he were about to go in for a kiss.
The moment Levi held Petra that close, Hange had to stifle their gasp which ended up like a strangled cry.
The sound made Levi look over his shoulder. Moblit had to cup his hand over Hange's mouth to shush them up, pulling them down behind the huge pots of plants.
"You alright?" Petra asked him, craning her neck towards the source of the sound as well. "What was that?"
Levi clicked his tongue. "Probably some lost bird. Well, more like a dying one."
The two went back to their meals, sitting across each other, and didn't bother to check if they were being followed. Moblit then let go of Hange and sighed in relief. They were safe, for now.
Everyone in the restaurant looked classy and elegant, soft lights all over the room. After Levi had paid for the meal (he didn't look too happy when he saw the check), he and Petra stood up and exited through the other door on the farthest end. Hange had forgotten about that. The People's Palace had an entryway connecting to the indoor gardens. They would have to enter the premises in order to follow Levi and Petra.
Without any further thought, Hange immediately stood up to barge into the restaurant, urging their assistant to follow. "They're probably confessing to each other in the gardens!" Hange was already right through the entrance. "Moblit, hurry up, I need to—"
"Boss, watch out!"
The warning came in too late. Hange had already knocked down a drink from the waiter's tray right behind them, the liquid spilling all onto the customer sitting nearest to where they were. The huge beefy man was furious, the steam already coming out of his reddened ears.
"Why, you, son-of-a-gun—"
Hange held up both hands in front of their face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
"Do you even belong here, you prick?" The stranger towered over them and grabbed the front of Hange's oversized shirt, his gold chains clanking around his neck. There were gasps from other customers, and one of the servers left to call the manager.
"Please, don't!"
The man started shaking Hange. "Filthy, pathetic, piece of—"
Somebody grabbed his wrist before he could even do anything else. "Let go."
It was Levi.
"And who the fuck are you?"
He was small, but his presence was intimidating, firm. "My friend already apologized. Isn't that enough?"
The stranger released his hold of Hange and held out the stained fabric. "Fucking pay for this shirt, asshole!"
Hange was mouthing 'sorry, sorry, sorry,' to him, their eyes filled with apology. Levi didn't bat an eyelash. Instead, he quickly took out twenty bucks from his wallet and shoved it into the huge man's hand. He then grabbed his friend by the elbow. "Hange, come on."
"Hey, this isn't enough, shortstack," the stranger grumbled, crumpling the bill. He gestured once more to his stained shirt. "Do you know how much I bought this for?"
"You could buy a similar one from one of the thrift stores downtown for less than half the price. I doubt anybody would notice." He tugged at Hange again and headed for the exit.
"What did you say, you little—"
They were out of the restaurant before the man could even finish. The manager had kept the customer in his seat, trying to console him with a discounted coupon.
Outside was a breath of fresh air, the coolness of it enough to clear their minds.
“You alright?”
Hange was still trembling as they sat by the garden wall. Their lips quivered, and they felt like they needed to come up for air. They had never been roughly-held like that before. Levi calmed them down by rubbing their back, urging them to take slow, steady breaths.
"Levi?" Petra called after the two of them. "Are we still heading to the movie?"
Hange had feared this all along. They didn't want to ruin his date with Petra; they merely wanted to see Levi, and now they had done it. Hange held their own face in both hands. Levi saw it and knew what he had to do.
“I’m sorry, Petra, but we should probably call it off at this point.”
"Should we re-sched?"
Levi paused before responding. "I had a good time, Petra. But I think... once is enough."
“Oh. Okay.” Petra stood still for a moment, disappointed. They expected her to cause a scene, to thrash at him or at Hange, and then complain about her evening. But to Petra's credit, she merely broke into a smile and said, "Thanks for giving me a chance then, Levi. I had a good time, too. You guys enjoy the rest of the night."
The huge beefy man suddenly burst out of the glass door, the restaurant manager no longer able to hold him back. "You fucking punks, I'm going to call the police—"
Hange hid behind Levi out of instinct, which didn't make any sense, considering that he was a couple inches shorter than them. "What now?" Their hand was in his once more.
"Go ahead, Petra's safe with me," Moblit assured them. "I'll text you guys once we get home safely."
Levi nodded and took off with Hange without a second thought.
They ran past the gardens, past the expensive shops, past the fountains and the bright lights. Everything seemed like a blur. Hange's senses had overloaded their brain at this point, especially since Levi's hand was still holding on to theirs. It was warm. They never expected any of these to happen. Levi would look over his shoulder once in a while to see if Hange could still keep up. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and with every tug of their hand, Hange felt like they were living in a dream. They passed by more restaurants and stalls, away from all this extravagance that Hange had always found too ostentatious, too un-Manila. It wasn't long before the two of them had already reached the station, heavily panting as they clutched their chest.
"So much for trailing me all this time, Four-Eyes," Levi heaved. He knew.
Hange was beyond apologetic. "I'm sorry, okay! I just wanted to see how you'd act around someone while on a date."
Levi made another scoffing sound. For a minute, Hange thought he was mad. But the intensity in his eyes was full of longing, like somehow, he did want Hange to follow him. And then Levi sighed. "Erwin told me you might be spying; my suspicions were confirmed when I saw you hiding behind the plants."
“Oh.” Hange had nothing else to say. “Well, then, I, uhm, I should probably head home. Sorry for ruining your date."
They were about to leave when Levi held their hand once again, stopping Hange in their tracks. "Where do you want to go?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"You already ruined my date, so you might as well hang out with me for the rest of the night."
Hange couldn't believe what they were hearing. It was almost too good to be true. But the reality dawned upon them; they were still in Makati, and they couldn’t really afford any of these places. "Uh… well, I don't really have any money, and I'm not really sure I want to dine here…"
"It's fine,” Levi said. “I have a place in mind."
They took the roundabout route via train, the journey silent for the most part. The place Levi had chosen was on their way home, anyway, so it didn’t matter. Hange was watching the facades change as the train went by; smaller houses replacing skyscrapers, dim glowing lights instead of bright billboards adorning their line of sight. As the first ever Chinatown in the entire world, Binondo was known for cheaper meals. The food was as authentic as it could get, the business owners having had recipes passed down from one generation to another.
"I grew up here, you know," he told Hange, which explained why he knew every nook and cranny of the entire district, from Carvajal to Bienvenido, from the local church to the buildings whose architecture were glorified in their prime.
They had just passed by the estero which had a line of small eateries that served buttered chicken and fried calamari, and Hange's energy was brimming once more when they crossed the traditional Chinese arc.
Levi continued, "My mother used to take me around the local spots. She couldn't get enough of the dumplings around here."
Chinatown was very lively at night. One could hear people playing mahjong out in public, the shuffling of the tiles underneath their hands, the bets being made as they were shouted. There's the sound of children running around, playing in front of the old fountain, angels sculpted on its edifice. Huge red lanterns swayed from the lamp posts above them, the crisp sound of sidewalk vendors selling their goods filling the atmosphere. This was the Manila that Hange knew, that Hange loved.
He made Hange choose where to eat, and the varieties were overwhelming. Should they go for kuchay dumplings at Dong Bei, or for roasted duck at The President's Restaurant? What about those fresh spring rolls at Po Heng's? They could smell all the cooking in every street that they passed, all the herbs and spices wafting through the air.
"I can't decide between Wai Ying and Zhou La Mien," Hange sighed.
“We’ll do both then.”
Levi ordered some xiao long baos for takeout at Wai Ying first, and then they headed to Lan Zhou La Mien for noodles after. Once they stepped foot inside the latter, they went for the small booth in the corner. Instead of sitting right across them, Levi moved over to scooch beside Hange. It was more comfortable this way. Hange would have preferred this, too, anyway; they couldn’t really look at Levi in the eye, not when he looked this handsome as if they had planned this date all along, and not just some getaway from a disastrous evening.
"By the way, you sure you're good that we just left Petra there?" Hange asked him while they were staring at the menu, hoping the heat in their cheeks wasn't betraying them.
"I'll talk to her in the office, give her my sincere apologies," Levi said, chin resting on his palm on the table. “I’ve already told her it wasn’t going to work between us, anyway. She should be able to understand."
“Ah.”
The server came to take their orders, and it was all normal, nothing out of the ordinary yet, as they both pointed out what they wanted, their knuckles grazing against each other once in a while before handing back the menu. There was still some sort of awkwardness lingering between them.
Levi looked at Hange. “You have more questions.”
It was a statement; he already knew that Hange wanted to ask him a lot of things.
“Why did you agree to go out with her in the first place?” Hange then blurted out the first. They were dying to know.
He gave a shrug. "She had been pining for Oluo, but that idiot hadn't taken the hint yet. Those two are as emotionally-constipated as I am.”
“So you agreed to act as bait to make Oluo notice?”
It sounded so silly, so high school to Hange. And what’s funnier was that Hange fell for it.
“Petra felt bad afterwards and realized her mistake. I told her I’d go out with her, in exchange for telling Oluo how she really feels."
Hange frowned. "Why didn't you just say so? You could have let me in on your little scheme!"
Levi drummed his fingers against the surface of the table. "...I wanted to see your reaction as well."
Hange merely gave a low hum. What about their reaction that was so important to him?
Both their knees were already bumping at this point, shoulders touching. Out of nowhere, Levi gently held Hange’s wrist and rubbed it with his thumb, slowly. He could probably feel Hange’s pulse beating louder and louder at this sudden point of contact. But all that Levi commented was, “Your wrists are small.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, it’s perfect, I think.”
Hange let him continue, trying not to hyperventilate or faint from this sheer amount of intimacy. This was the first time they’ve been out in public together. Just the two of them having dinner in Chinatown like a couple who clearly wanted to enjoy the evening was on the list of Hange's 'only-for-the-lovers' to-do.
“Ah, Levi! The food’s finally here!” Hange placed a hand on his leg in excitement. They were back to their usual self when the server arrived with the tray of noodles.
Levi could only eat in silence as Hange proceeded to talk about their work woes and the load of responsibilities that other people had been giving them lately. Hange enjoyed it either way, and even teasingly said their other colleague ought to treat them to lunch. He loved seeing Hange like this, happy and content. The food didn’t disappoint either; the hoisin sauce was a perfect compliment to the noodles, the broth flavorful enough to blend in with the meat and vegetables.
“So, as I was saying,” Hange kept talking even with their mouth full, “you should probably be more open towards me—”
“And you should probably watch your mouth while you’re eating.” He reached over to wipe some sauce that had smeared on the corner of Hange’s lips, leaving them dumbfounded.
Their entire meal didn't cost a lot, at all. Hange offered to pay for their part, but Levi shouldered it for the night. Hange then promised to treat him for some pastries at Eng Bee Tin, the local bakery. Hange ordered their all-time favorite and got some for to-go so they could enjoy the evening. The ube hopia was amazing, the purple yam filling hot and melting in their mouths as they strolled around Chinatown.
"I have one more question," Hange realized. "Why were you holding her face?”
Levi furrowed his eyebrows for a moment as he tried to remember the incident. "Oh, that? She had a stray eyelash and couldn't blink it away." He let out a short laugh.
Hange seemed to be relieved upon hearing that.
"I'm glad you followed," Levi spoke again while they were already walking past the shops.
"Huh, really?"
He nodded. “If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be dining here right now. This place brings back a lot of memories from my childhood.”
Hange had a soft spot for Levi whenever he showed his vulnerability. “Is that so?”
Brief flashes of Levi being young and happy with his mother flooded Hange's mind. Levi never showed them photos of his childhood (they doubt he showed anyone, to be fair), but Hange could imagine how nostalgic it was for him to be back here.
“I’ve always wanted to take you here. See the world I grew up in with you. But you’ve always wanted to just stay in during the weekend.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He then stopped in front of an abandoned building, its façade still intricate made by the arcs and awnings on the windows. "They call this the Ides O' Racca," he said. "It used to be a famous entertainment house during the 1940s. But now it's in ruins, and the government still hasn't decided on what they should do with it."
He pointed at a few more buildings here and there as they passed them by. Levi knew the history of the buildings that they came across. One had the architecture of the National Artist, Juan Luna, as evident in its European-style beams and high-ceiling infrastructure. Hange marveled at El Hogar, and then listened to the sad story of the Capitol Theater which was on the verge of demolition. They knew that Levi was interested in history and architecture, but they never knew that he was this deeply engrossed. Levi then asked them to come inside with him to the Regina Building which housed a small gallery of nouveau artists in Manila.
“Amazing how these places signify a wonderful moment in history, right?” Hange was still in awe.
“Exactly.”
It was really beautiful to learn more about the entire district and the richness of its past. They had reached the last of the lamp posts along the wide bridge and decided to rest and admire the view. Jones Bridge at night was like those places that people would love to see in postcards. Across the waters, they could see the monumental post office in its full elegance. It must have been a sight at the height of its beauty in the past.
“Maybe you should bring someone you’re dating next time instead,” Hange said.
He kicked an invisible rock in his path absentmindedly.
"I don't think I'd be going out on a date with another person, ever again," Levi confessed. “I think I’m content just being with you right now.”
Hange stopped. Maybe it was the atmosphere or the breathtaking scenery before them, or the fact that their stomachs were still full from the good Chinatown food. Or even the series of events that occurred within the day, Hange couldn't really tell. They just knew it was time to let it all out.
"You know, I'm such a fool for you," Hange sighed.
Levi had them wrapped around their finger, and it lingered, oh how this moment would, and how it would stay with them for quite a while.
“You always really knew, didn’t you?” he asked.
“About what?”
“That I just wanted to be with you.” Levi put his hands in his pockets as he looked over the Pasig River.
Hange could hear the ferry coming in, the quacking of ducks, the sound of Manila late at night. It was already dark, but the lamp posts illuminated their reflections in the water. And there was a smile forming on their face, some kind of happiness that Hange never knew they could ever have.
It was then that Levi broke the silence once more. "So… is this it?"
"Our what?" Hange turned their gaze from the river to face him.
"What did you say it was? Our UBE?"
Hange blinked for a few seconds before grinning at him. "Yes. Our Ultimate Bonding Experience."
There really was something different about going out with your best friend. This was one of those rare moments where they would just have to let it linger. Levi clicked his tongue once more and leaned against the railing by Jones Bridge, trying to hide the smile on his face.
"Whatever you say, Hange."
The moon was beautiful that night.