Work Text:
February 14, 2019
Analytical Chemistry Lab 406
3:51 PM
Valentine’s day na Valentine’s day pero parang pinagsakluban ng langit at lupa si Jeonghan. Hindi naman sa hindi siya nakatanggap ng kahit ano, in fact, he did receive his fair share of goodies from his admirers too. Kaya nga lang, none of them were given by his crush and lab partner who just entered the lab with tons of V-day paper bags and flower bouquets (poor boy can’t even hold his own bag properly sa dami ng dala niya).
Baka naman nilalako niya lang yarne, his seatmate Joshua whispered beside him.. But no, Jeonghan knew better. He is well aware na marami talaga ang may bet din kay Seungcheol. Ever since Seungcheol shifted sa program nila, Seungcheol’s admirers just grew and grew and medyo panic mode na talaga si akling at this point. I have to make a move soon, Jeonghan thought to himself.
Tulala pa ring nakatitig si akling kay Seungcheol na nag-aayos ng locker nang biglang pumasok ang isa sa mga taong tinuturing na karibal ni Jeonghan.
“Seungseung! Happy balentayms day! Ginawan kita ng cookies oh,” Julius, the infamous karibal greeted. “I did that all by myself! Sana magustuhan mo.”
“Ey did det ell bey meyshelf nyeh nyeh nyeh mo mukha mo,” Jeonghan mockingly whispered sa kanyang sarili with matching irap pa. Iritang-irita talaga siya sa blockmate nilang ‘to na parang linta kung makalapit kay Seungcheol (nope, he says he’s not jealous, just concerned sa personal space ni Seungcheol).
Curious si akling kung paano ulit babasagin ni Seungcheol ang papampam na ‘to ‘cause here’s the thing: Seungcheol may be the nicest boii you’ll ever meet but he is also a very blunt person. He rejects his admirers straight to point as in walang palabok-palabok na rejection talaga and isa si Julius sa madalas ma-KO nito (that doesn’t stop him from bugging Seungcheol though kaya lalong naiirita si Jeonghan).
“Hindi ako mahilig sa matamis kasi mabilis sumakit ang lalamunan ko but I think my cousin would love this. Thanks, bro.” And, scene!
See? This is why Jeonghan’s scared of confessing to him kahit na kating-kati na siyang umamin. Usually, hindi niya talaga pinapapaabot ng isang taon before he confesses to someone but this time, shokot talaga siya sa magiging reaksyon ni Seungcheol. Swerte niya lang talaga because magka-partner sila sa isa sa mga lab classes nila this sem kaya mas naging close sila at mas naging determinado talaga si akling na umamin no matter what.
(And according sa kanyang horoscope na nasilip niyang basahin sa Bulgar habang nakapila sa 7/11 kaninang umaga, today is THE day. Pagpalain nawa siya ng mga bituin.)
***
Time check? 5:56 PM at hindi pa rin nakakaamin si Jeonghan. To be fair, nasa klase pa rin naman sila and they’ve been very busy with today’s lab work. Kailangan kasi nilang makatapos ng dalawang titration experiments within the day and he’s nowhere near done with his. Seungcheol, on the other hand, is already done with his share of labor kaya lalong naiinis si Jeonghan sa sarili niya. Nakakahiya na hindi pa ako tapos. Malapit na mag-dismissal. I am the worst lab partner ever.
“Ah, puta.”
Pink na pink. Pink na kitatakutan ni Jeonghan makuha. Pink na mas pink pa kesa sa bahay ni Barbie.
He caught Seungcheol’s attention na nag-aayos ng data nila. Seungcheol approached him na may kasamang paghapit sa bewang niya. Bakit may pagkapit tsong??? Pwede namang lumapit na lang like a normal person, di ba? “Han? Okay ka lang? Anong nangyari?”
Jeonghan pointed to his flask with his lips. “Oh. Tulungan na lang kita mag-back titrate. Malapit na ako matapos dito sa logbook.”
Of course, hindi siya iiwan sa ere ni Seungcheol kahit na nag-uuwian na ang mga kaklase nila. Seungcheol could’ve gone home as soon as he finishes his own experiment kasi formal report and oral report lang naman ang kailangan nilang trabahuhin nang sabay pero nanatili pa rin ito sa tabi niya kahit na mago-overtime na siya. Lalo tuloy lumakas ang juju ni Jeonghan na umamin ngayong araw.
Tama, what if I invite him to dinner with me tonight? Tutal sabay naman kaming gagabihin dahil sa katangahan ko might as well use this to my advantage, Jeonghan’s brain cells work so well talaga kapag kalandian ang pinag-uusapan.
“Thanks and sorry din if gagabihin ka ng uwi dahil sa akin. May practicals pa man din tayo bukas.”
Seungcheol jokingly waved off. “Tss, okay lang, ano ba. We’re partners for a reason.”
Sarap pakinggan. Sana nga lang iba ang meaning.
Jeonghan gulped and bravely asked the tanong na gusto niyang itanong since kanina. “As a thank you, libre kitang chicken wings for dinner. G ka ba?”
Nagliwanag naman ang mukha ni Seungcheol dahil dito. “Hindi mo naman na ako kailangan i-libre pero g ako mag-chicken wings kasama ka. Paparty kasi ang pinsan ko so wala akong kasama mag-dinner ngayong gabi.”
Phase One of Operation Umamin Today: Cleared.
February 14, 2019
Wing Vibes V. Concepcion cor. Dapitan
6:45 PM
Paulit-ulit na ni-rehearse ni Jeonghan ang sasabihin niya habang naglalakad sila papunta rito kanina. Gagawin na talaga niya, wala nang patumpik-tumpik pa. Kung i-reject man siya, ‘e di okay. Magiging Bitter Ocampo siya for the whole year but he’ll get over it (he thinks). Kung i-reciprocate naman ni Seungcheol ang feelings niya, ‘eh di happy fiesta! Magpapakain siya sa buong block kapag nagkataon. He just wanted to let this out once and for all. He sucks at hiding his admiration, any way.
“Gusto ko ‘yong classic buffalo nila pero masyado na siyang maanghang for me,” Seungcheol immediately said pagkaupo nila sa loob.
Cute. Hindi siya mahilig sa maanghang. “Hindi naman ganoon ka-anghang ‘yon, ah? Na-try mo na ba ‘yong Inferno?”
Seungcheol pouted. “That’s too hot for me. Baka mamatay ako sa anghang.”
“The only thing that can be described as too hot in here is you though,” Jeonghan blurted out with a wink. Minsan talaga may lumalabas sa bibig niya na hindi niya pinag-iisipang mabuti but the chance at a pick-up line is already there. Plus, it’s a good starter for an upcoming confession. At least pwede niyang salain ang magiging reaksyon ni Seungcheol dito.
Mukhang effective naman kasi natawa si Seungcheol. Not until he finished giggling, though. “I am certainly not a ‘thing’ but thank you for implying that I’m hot. Not really a good pick-up line to use, though. Huwag mo gamitin ‘yan sa crush mo, ha?”
Basag. Seungcheol - 1. Jeonghan itlog.
As Jeonghan said earlier, he’s blunt as fucking hell.
Nabawasan by a landslide ang confidence ni Jeonghan pero hindi siya pinalaking quitter ng nanay niya. Okay, at least may konting practice na ako once he rejects me.
Nang dumating ang order nila, they started talking about their reports and lab sheets. Jeonghan tried to focus sa mga pinagsasabi ni Seungcheol pero kabado bente talaga si akling. Hindi sila pwedeng umalis sa kainan na ‘to na hindi siya nakakaamin.
Nang mapansin ni Jeonghan na puro buto na lang ang laman ng mga plato nila, he took a deep breath. This is it, pansit.
“Seungcheol?”
Napatingin naman sa kanya si Seungcheol na nag-iimis ng pinagkainan. Wow, responsible citizen talaga. “Hmm?”
“I have something important to tell you pero promise me na no matter what you feel about it, hindi ka magiging awkward with me? I mean, technically wala ka namang choice kasi hanggang May tayong lab partners pero ‘ayon,” kabadong panimula ni Jeonghanito. Ramdam niya ang namumuong waterfalls sa kamay niya sa sobrang kaba.
Seungcheol seemed curious sa kung ano mang sasabihin ni Jeonghan but he is still smiling. Okay, a good sign. “I promise I won’t act awkward around you kung ano man yan kasi tama ka naman. I have no choice but to stick with you until the end of the sem. Unless you’re a murderer?”
Eto na ‘yon. Ito na ‘yong opening. “Hindi naman ako mamamatay tao. Sadyang patay na patay lang sa’yo.”
Awkward silence. Seungcheol was just staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. “Hindi ako nagjo-joke, Seungcheol. I really adore you and everything you do,” Jeonghan tried again, a little more serious this time.
Seungcheol cracked a smile and feeling ni Jeonghan nabunutan siya ng tinik sa dibdib. Kalahating tinik lang, though. Hindi siya sure kung good sign ba ‘tong ngiti na ‘to or apologetic smile ba siya (he tried to recall if ganito rin ba ngumiti si Seungcheol kay Julius kapag nirereject niya ito but this seemed different; or Jeonghan thought na unconsciously lang niyang binuhat ang sarili niyang bangko).
What Seungcheol did next confused the hell out of him. He did not say a word but he reached over Jeonghan’s… books?
Huh?
Hinablot ni Seungcheol ang kopya ni Jeonghan ng The Man Who Envisions Love by Leo Choi na nilabas niya kanina along with his textbooks to make some space sa bag niya (he decided to bring some of his books by hand na lang because his shoulders hurt a lot). Seungcheol grabbed a sharpie from his own bag and… signed the said book?
“Thank you so much for the appreciation. Natuwa nga ako noong nilabas mo ‘to. I did not expect that a classmate of mine would read this. The world is truly small,” matawa-tawa pang sambit ni Seungcheol habang nakatanga lang sa kanya in confusion si Jeonghan.
What the hell is happening?
***
Jeonghan only expected two possible scenarios after pouring his heart out to someone: it was either a) “oh my god patay na patay din ako sa’yo beh tara tayo na” and then ebribadi is happy or b) “I appreciate your courage in confessing pero I’m sorry kasi may gusto na akong iba” at may uuwing sugatan, luhaan, at hindi mapakinabangan. In this case, Jeonghan received neither. It wasn’t an acceptance nor a rejection but a thank you and an… autograph?
Matapos pumirma ni Seungcheol, inabot niya itong muli kay Jeonghan na hanggang ngayon ay litong-lito pa rin. Upon receiving the book, he read what Seungcheol wrote (lowkey still hoping for a matino at klarong reply from him).
To the best lab partner ever,
Thanks for supporting my book. It means a lot to me.
Sincerely, Seungcheol/Leo
P.s. do you want to be my beta reader? ;)
ANO. Seungcheol is The Leo Choi?! As in iyong rising wattpad BL writer na ni-recommend ni Joshua sa kanya na ngayon ay sobrang favorite na niya lalo pa noong nakita niyang pinost din ito ni Seungcheol sa IG stories niya? Jeonghan felt dizzy. He almost forgot the fact na umamin na siya. Seungcheol took his confession in the wrong way because of his book na mukhang strategically placed on top of their table kahit wala naman talagang idea si Jeonghan na ang author ng libro na ‘yon ay ang same person sa harap niya.
Just, wow. Bakit ngayon niya lang nalaman ang importanteng impormasyon na ito? His FBI skills were put into shame! Ang akala lang ni Jeonghan ay mahilig din itong magbasa. He did not expect that he actually writes the books Jeonghan thought he was reading too.
“So, what do you think of my proposal?” Seungcheol broke the silence, snapping Jeonghan back to reality.
Proposal. Kung marriage proposal ‘to, o-oo agad ako.
Napalunok si Jeonghan before he found his words again. “Are you really asking me to be your beta reader? As in VIP access to your vault?”
Seungcheol nodded. “Based sa mga formal reports natin at sa GE classes natin together last sem, magaling ka rin magsulat. I’d love to hear your thoughts about my works too now that I know na nabasa mo na sila.”
Na-misinterpret man siya ng crush niya, napansin at nakilala naman niya ang favorite author niya! This is still a win in Jeonghan’s dictionary!
“So, are you up for it?”
“Yes! A million times yes!”
(Jeonghan has decided na pwede naman siya ulit umamin next time. Hindi naman siya nagmamadali.)
February 15, 2019
Starbucks Dapitan
1:12 AM
After dinner, napagdesisyunan ni Jeonghan at Seungcheol na umuwi muna sa kanya-kanya nilang mga dorm para makapagbihis sila in more comfortable clothes at mabawasan nila ng gamit ang mga bag nila. They decided to meet up again around 11PM to study together for their practical exams and for Seungcheol to hear Jeonghan’s feedback for his new online novel real-time.
Around 12 midnight, Jeonghan started reading Seungcheol’s drafts as a form of study break na rin for his brain. Hindi talaga siya makapaniwala na may early access siya sa drafts ng paborito niyang wattpad writer.
“Hindi ka ba magka-kape?” Tanong ni Seungcheol sa kanya nang mapansin nito na ubos na ang kinakain niyang cake kanina. Hindi pa siya nag-order agad ng drink to prolong their stay sa SB.
Jeonghan replied without looking up from his ipad (he was so immersed sa bagong nobela ni Seungcheol na he did not even speak a word since he started reading). “I don’t drink coffee. Malala ang palpitations and acid reflux ko when I consume coffee. I only order iced grapefruit honey black tea.”
“Oh, do you want me to order for you? Oorder akong isa pang americano.”
“Hilig mo sa americano, ah. Pero sige please. Pasabay ako I’ll pay you after reading this.”
Seungcheol gave him a small salute before he went to the counter. Sobrang invested pa rin si Jeonghan sa binabasa niya. He almost shed a tear nang ma-mention na ang backstory ng isa sa mga bida.
When Seungcheol came back, Jeonghan was already in tears. “Bakit mo naman pinapahirapan si ML 1??? He does not deserve this!”
Natawa naman si Seungcheol sa naging reaksyon ni Jeonghan. This work of his is actually angstier than any of his past works. “I need to make this a little longer than my usual style. My cousin and I are planning to turn this into a webtoon.”
Now that information caught Jeonghan’s attention na napatingin siya nang biglaan kay Seungcheol. “Webtoon?!”
“Yep. Pangarap namin ng pinsan kong makagawa ng comics ever since and since in demand ang mga webtoon ngayon especially BL, we decided to give it a try. One of the editors sa kumpanyang nag-publish ng libro ko ay may background sa webtoon publishing so iyon ang current project ko ngayon.”
Amazed na amazed naman lalo si Jeonghan sa kanya. This info also reminded him na Seungcheol shifted from Multimedia Arts to Biology.
“Ang productive mo naman! Ang busy natin sa acads pero ang dami mo pa ring passion projects. Never ka rin bumagsak sa quizzes natin. Natutulog ka pa ba?”
Seungcheol shrugged. “Barely. I only accept deadlined projects twice a year max kaya hindi rin naman ganoon ka-hectic in the way you think it is.”
“Hectic pa rin naman. Lalo pa ngayon na webtoon ang target niyo. Are you the illustrator as well or will it be your cousin?”
“I will be drawing the most part. My cousin Mingyu will do the backdrops and coloring.”
Hindi na talaga alam ni Jeonghan kung saan niya ilalagay ang umaapaw na admiration niya para sa lalaking ito. “That’s so much work, kaloka ka.”
Seungcheol sighed. “I know. And I can’t even complain because this is the consequences of my own actions. But it will be fulfilling in the end so willing naman akong mag-sakripisyo ng tulog for at least half a year. Problema ko lang talaga ‘yong lineart. Nakakatamad ‘yon.”
Line art? Jeonghan can do that! Lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat, Jeonghan is actually good in drawing too. He used to draw tons of digital Pokemon fanarts noong hindi pa siya nilalamon ng acads.
As a graduate ng Jollibee school of bida-bida, Jeonghan suggested something na obviously hindi na naman niyang pinag-isipang mabuti. “I can do the lineart for you!”
Seungcheol’s face brightened. “Really? Are you sure? Kasi seseryosohin ko talaga ‘yan. I really need all the help I could have right now. You’ll get paid too!”
Again, g kung g lang talaga si akling para lang makahanap pa siya ng more more dahilan to be closer to him. “Surebels! Namimiss ko na rin mag-drawing. I need to oil my gears na rin naman. Baka mangalawang din kasi.”
Napapalakpak naman si Seungcheol sa tuwa. “Thank you so much, Han! Life saver ka! I’ll send you the files sa gdrive.”
Jeonghan probably signed up for a commitment he is not fully ready to take on pero who cares? Not him! He’s gonna work closely with his crush who happened to be his favorite author as well. He’s gonna be unstoppable.
February 16, 2019
Romantic Baboy UST
1:14 PM
Ngayong araw ang unang meeting ni Jeonghan kasama si Seungcheol at ang pinsan nitong si Mingyu para pag-usapan ang magiging game plan nila para sa webtoon. Wala kasi silang klase ngayon samantalang half-day lang naman si Mingyu. While waiting for their food, Jeonghan already started presenting his thoughts about Seungcheol’s story.
“I love the natural build-up of their relationship,” panimulang puri ni Jeonghan. He believes in the sandwich-type of feedback kaya naman maganda muna ang pinambungad niya rito. He can be head over heels a man and still criticize his work fairly, okay?
“Ang sarap lang basahin na hindi abrupt yung development of feelings nila. Talagang they had a strong foundation first before they dive into a relationship. However,” Jeonghan cleared his throat. “I feel like the Third ML part is not totally necessary?”
“Interesting take. Elaborate.”
Jeonghan took a deep breath. “Mas okay siguro if nice and supportive character na lang si third ML? He’s too nice, it’s hard to root for the MC if ganoon katino ‘yong karibal. I mean this will spark a debate sa mga readers but I think the addition of the third ML’s affection to the other ML when their relationship has been perfectly built is just dragging it. I mean, hello? That third guy literally did not give a shit sa kanila sa first arc tapos kung kailan established na sila, tsaka siya eepal? Baka maging teleserye na ito sa kapamilya gold.”
Seungcheol was impressed by Jeonghan’s honesty so he took his phone out and added what he said to his notes. “Thanks for the feedback, Jeonghan. Na-appreciate ko ang honesty mo unlike Mingyu na puro puri lang alam.”
Na-offend naman si MIngyu slight. “Hoy! I’m just too nice. Baka umiyak ka kapag naging honest ako, ‘no.”
The cousins continued to bicker when Jeonghan suddenly remembered something. “Ah, one more important note.”
Binalik naman ni Seungcheol ang atensyon niya kay akling. “What is it?”
“The names! Anong ipapangalan mo sa kanila?”
“Actually, iyon talaga ang hindi ko pa mapagdesisyunan. I usually just use a random generator to choose a name for me and if I like it and mukhang fitting sa characters, I just go with it.”
Jeonghan took a bite of fish cake before suggesting a name. “Why not Sam?”
‘Sam? As in Samuel?”
“Maybe. Pwede rin short for samgyup,” Jeonghan nonchalantly said. Hagalpak naman ng tawa si Seungcheol at Mingyu sa suggestion niya so deep inside ay very satisfied si akling sa kanyang comedic skills.
“Sam actually fits ML one’s character so I guess we’ll go with Sam, then,” Seungcheol typed in his notes apps. “What about ML two? Any ideas? Sorry, wala talaga akong maisip na pangalan.”
“Jake.”
“Short for?” Tanong ni Mingyu.
“J.Co,” giggles were heard afterward. “Nagke-crave talaga ako sa J.Co ngayon kaya bibili ako ng J.Co mamaya sa Lucky China.”
“Wow, dadayo ka pang Binondo? May Krispy Kreme naman sa carpark.”
Jeonghan gave Mingyu his ‘are you kidding me’ face. “I have a very specific craving dahil sa seatmate kong kumakain no’n kanina sa Physics lec.”
“Jake is actually a good name. We can name the third ML as Kris, though,” biglang balik ni Seungcheol sa usapan. “As in short for Krispy Kreme na pwedeng pang-alternative sa J.Co kung gusto mong nasa malapit lang.”
Natawa naman si Jeonghan sa explanation ni Seungcheol. “Did you just diss your own character? Grabe ka naman kay Kris!”
“Yes, I just did and I think you are a naming genius. Good luck sa mga magiging anak mo in the future.”
Mo? Pwede bang natin? Eme.
After 30 more minutes, natapos na rin nila sa wakas ang lahat ng agenda nila for today.
Until Seungcheol suddenly remembered something really important.
“Ay, by the way. Kailangan ko rin pala mag-research for reference photos. I actually prefer if we do it ourselves, though. May specific poses kasi akong gustong i-incorporate sa webtoon.”
Mingyu seemed to like that idea. “I have a photography class that requires reference photos din so g ako na maging photographer. You and Jeonghan can be the models.”
After sabihin iyon ni Mingyu, the cousins stared at Jeonghan, asking for his response. Jeonghan can’t really say no to Seungcheol’s puppy dog eyes and pout now, can he?
“Fine. Basta walang balian ng buto, game ako.”
(Grabe, beta reader na, taga-line art at reference model pa. Akala mo walang sariling ganap sa buhay, ano? Iba talaga ang nagagawa ng pag-ibig.)
***
Matapos nilang kumain, Seungcheol explained the first reference scene na gusto niyang matutunan. They have decided to try one photoshoot today habang marami pa silang oras na natitira. Sunday kasi kinabukasan at uuwi ng Zambales si Jeonghan so they can’t really schedule a shoot.
“So one of the key scenes dito ay ang motorcycle scene. Iaangkas ni Jake si Sam kasi nagmamadali si Sam na pumunta sa ospital,” pagpapaliwanag ni Seungcheol sa eksena.
“Lah? Yung motor scene agad? Dapat yung simple muna, paps. Saan tayo hahanap ng motor at this moment?” reklamo ni Mingyu.
“We can try booking an angkas?”
“Grabe naman, so paano ko kayo pipicturan? Sasabayan ko ba kayong humarurot sa España?”
“Tangek! Iyong sitting position lang kasi. Pwede naman siguro tayo mag-book hanggang SM San La kunwari pero pipicturan mo ‘yong angkas position ni Jeonghan at noong driver.”
“Ang hassle naman niyan. Papupuntahin mo pang SM si Jeonghan?”
Habang nagbabangayan na naman ang mag-pinsan, napaisip naman si Jeonghan ng solusyon. Marunong naman kasi siyang mag-motor, wala nga lang siyang motor on his own dito sa Maynila. His mom does not want him to bring his motorcycle sa lungsod for safety purposes kuno. But he does know some who has a motorcycle na willing din naman magpahiram sa kanya anytime.
“I know someone who has a motorcycle and I know how to drive one too! Pwede natin hiramin ang motor niya. I can be Jake and you can be Sam. then can just buy my friend dinner or something as a payment,” pabibo na namang suhestiyon ni Jeonghan.
Mingyu immediately agreed to his plan. Seungcheol, however, looked hesitant. “Safe ba talaga ‘yan? Hindi ba nakakahiya sa kakilala mo, Han?”
“Nah, he’s alright with it. Palagi niya akong pinapahiram. His only condition is for me to drive safely.”
Mukhang hindi pa rin convinced si Seungcheol kaya Jeonghan decided to tease him. “Bakit Seungcheol? Takot ka bang sumakay ng motor?”
Seungcheol looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “Actually, I really am scared of riding motorcycles. Ewan ko, mukhang nakakatakot, eh.”
Jeonghan felt bad for laughing pero hindi niya napigilan ang tawa niya. He did not expect Seungcheol to admit that he is indeed scared of riding motorcycles (but then again, Seungcheol’s middle name is blunt so Jeonghan should not be surprised anymore).
“Kebs lang yarne. Ako naman ang driver. Hahayaan ba kitang mahulog?”
Mahulog for ME, hopefully. But I don’t think that’s gonna happen soon.
Napabuntong-hininga na lamang si Seungcheol because he has no choice. If wants to achieve what he wants to see in his work, then he has to do everything including facing his fears. “Okay. We can do that. PInagkakatiwalaan naman kita.”
Truly the music to Jeonghan’s ears.
February 16, 2019
“The Motorcyle Part 2”
Wonwoo Jeon’s apartment (Lacson St.)
4:35 PM
“Salamat sa pagpapahiram sa amin nito, Wons. I swear ibabalik namin ng buhay and unscathed si Esmeralda,” pasasalamat ni Jeonghan sa kaibigan nitong nagpahiram ng motor sa kanila.
“Esmeralda?” Mingyu asked in confusion. “May pangalan ang motor mo?”
Tinaasan siya ng kilay ni Wonwoo. “Bakit? May problema ka ba do’n?”
“Sungit naman,” bulong ni Mingyu sa sarili na nakanguso. Manang-mana talaga sa pinsan niya.
Bago pa sumagot muli si Wonwoo, sumingit na si Seungcheol sa usapan. “Pasensya na sa pinsan ko. Matabil talaga ang bunganga nito. Thank you so much for your help. Sagot ko na dinner mo ngayong gabi hanggang lunch mo bukas.”
Napangiti naman si Wonwoo sa offer ni Seungcheol. “Ang galante naman ng kaibigan mo, Han. Salamat din sa inyo. Basta alagaan niyo lang ‘tong motor ko and we goods.”
Once Wonwoo went back inside to go back to whatever he was doing before they came, agad na sumakay si Jeonghan sa motor. “Seungcheol, angkas na para makapag-picture na si Mingyu.”
Nag-inhale exhale muna si Seungcheol bago siya umangkas. Once he was seated, Mingyu immediately directed the shoot. “Okay so according sa libro, nakayakap si Sam sa bewang ni Jake. Seungcheol, ikaw ang nakakaalam nito more than any of us so please go ahead and do whatever you imagined Sam and Jake would be doing at this scene.”
Seungcheol immediately wrapped his big, muscular, arms (Jeonghan’s words) around Jeonghan’s waist. Halos himatayin naman sa kilig si bakla pero sinusubukan niyang ibuhos ang energy niya sa pagpipigil nito. Lord, paano naman ako makaka-drive nang matiwasay nito?
Jeonghan signed up for this. He knew about this scenario kaya pinush niya talaga ang idea niya na siya ang magdadrive. I can be the Jake to your Sam, baby, Jeonghan mused. Hindi naman niya lubos akalain na masyadong marupok ang puso niya for this. He almost forgot how to breathe for a second (to be fair, how can someone think of breathing when The Seungcheol Choi’s biceps are wrapped around your waist???).
“Ready ka na? Start ko na ‘tong motor? We’re gonna go slow first, I promise,” Jeonghan assured Seungcheol hinting a slight innuendo to ease the other’s worries.
“I trust you to take care of me, Jeonghan,” pagbabalik naman ni Seungcheol ng joke which is a relief. Ibig sabihin lang nito, bawas na ang takot niya.
Jeonghan started the engine and as promised, strolling mode lang talaga sila na aakalain mong may motorcade sila o kaya’y kasali sila MMFF parade. They can’t go that fast din naman dahil mahihirapan si Mingyu na kumuha ng mga litrato. Seungcheol was still scared during the first two roundtrips but he eventually enjoyed the ride and even started raising both of his hands (Jeonghan very much preferred scaredy-cat Seungcheol because he loves how tight he held onto him).
After Mingyu yelled cut, tumigil din naman agad sila sa kanilang mini roundtrip na literal na roundtrip lang around the street. They took off their helmets and Seungcheol was so excited and happy about the ride. “I am not scared anymore! Ang saya pala umangkas!”
Jeonghan gave him a wink and a thumbs up. “Sabi ko naman sa’yo di ba? I’ll make your experience memorable.”
“And that, you did. Thank you ulit for hooking us up with a motorcycle na last-minute and for doing this for us,” Seungcheol sincerely said with a dimpled smile on his face.
Habang speechless-kilig pa si Jeonghan, Seungcheol turned to Mingyu to check the photos. “Those photos look great! I think na-capture naman natin ang gusto kong flow of movement ni Sam at Jake.”
“True. Magagaling din naman kayong models so hindi ako nahirapan masyado except sa moving part. In fairness din ha, may sparks kayo.”
Tama behavior ka riyan, Mingyu! Jeonghan wanted to say out loud pero dinaan na lamang niya ito sa tawa.
Mingyu checked his phone. “Ay, una na pala ako. May group work pa kami ng mga kaklase ko. Upload ko na lang sa drive ‘yong pics, paps.”
Seungcheol gave him a small salute. “Salamat, Goy. Ingat ka.”
When Mingyu left, Jeonghan’s brain suddenly thought of an idea.
“Seungcheol, gusto mo bang gumala? Bukas pa naman kukunin pabalik ni Wonwoo ‘tong motor niya. Let’s use it while we can!”
Mukha namang natuwa sa ideya na ‘to si Seungcheol. “Sige, g! Bitin ‘yong sakay natin kanina. Wala rin naman akong gagawin muna ngayong gabi kaya game lang ako.”
Ayos. Naka-score pa ng not-so-date date si akling.
February 19, 2019
"The Umbrella"
UST Main Building
5:43 PM
Tag-init season na dapat, pero for some reason, may rain showers ngayong hapon. Iyong tipo ng ulan na may tirik na araw pero malakas ang buhos? Tapos maalinsangan ang paligid after. Climate change is real talaga, mga bes. A lot of people are annoyed by this sudden rain shower, including Jeonghan na hindi nagdala ng payong kasi bakit nga ba siya magdadala ng payong when it was supposed to be sunny all month?
He was planning to Naruto run for his life na lang nang may narinig siyang magsalita sa likod niya. “This is the perfect opportunity to recreate the umbrella scene in chapter 5, don’t you think?”
Seungcheol Choi really existed in his life to give him heart problems, ano? Parang kabuteng biglang sumusulpot, eh. “Nakakagulat ka naman. Bakit bigla-bigla ka na lang sumusulpot?”
“Tinawag kita pero mukhang hindi mo ako narinig,” Seungcheol innocently explained. “Anyway, now is the perfect time to recreate the scene where Sam and Jake shared umbrellas.”
“Sinong magpi-picture eh wala naman si Mingyu dito?”
“I texted him already. Papunta na siya dito, “ ani ni Seungcheol habang pinapakita ang text niya kay Mingyu.
“Advanced ka mag-isip, ah.”
“Of course. This may be the last rain we’re getting this February kaya lubusin na natin.”
***
Nang dumating si Mingyu sa tapat ng Main, agad na binuksan ni Seungcheol ang payong niya. Ready na ready na to get into character (they have decided to retain their roles sa motorcycle for the rest of their research and photoshoot para hindi na confusing).
Tumabi naman agad si Jeonghan kay Seungcheol in the way Mingyu directed him. In this scene in the book, maghahati sa payong si Jake at Sam dahil nasira ni Jake ang payong niya.
Seungcheol and Jeonghan tried to walk together under the same umbrella ngunit… “Seungcheol, nababasa ako.”
“Ay, sorry.”
Seungcheol tilted the umbrella to where Jeonghan was. “Hala, ako naman ang nababasa ngayon.”
Inadjust muli ni Seungcheol ang paghawak niya sa payong pero nabasa lang ulit si Jeonghan so Jeonghan grabbed the umbrella handle to place it in the middle but Seungcheol did not let go so Jeonghan’s hand was on top of the former’s.
“Ayan! Mas kilig yong ganyang pose na magkapatong ang kamay niyo sa gitna! Money shot!” Mingyu exclaimed excitedly. As usual, tuwang-tuwa na naman si Jeonghan sa once in a lifetime opportunity na ito.
I am so proud of myself for accepting his offer to be his reference model. Libre chansing. Eme.
Mingyu took a couple of more shots until he remembered another scene that needed a photo reference.
"Paps, may reference ka na ba doon sa akbay-akbay? Lalo na 'yong back view? Hindi pa napag-usapan natin ito kagabi?"
Para namang nagkaroon ng eureka! moment si Seungcheol dahil sa nabanggit ni Mingyu. "Ay, oo nga pala."
"We can shoot that now too. Sumilong na nga lang muna tayo sa Main. Wala namang payong na need doon. Back view lang ng mga kamay niyo sa likod ng isa't isa."
Akbay. Akbay scene. Nawala sa isip ni Jeonghan na mahilig nga palang mag-akbayan si Jake at Sam. He thought it was a common couple pose naman kaya makahahanap naman si Seungcheol ng reference na ganito sa internet ngunit mukhang paninindigan na ni Seungcheol ang self-produced reference photos niya.
Well, who's complaining? Definitely not him. Kung ito lang ang tanging chance niyang maranasan na maging jowa ni Seungcheol, he'll take it. Nanamnamin na niya habang nandito pa. There may be no feelings involved on the other party but at least makakatikim ng siya ng experience, even for photoshoot purposes.
The three of them walked back to the front of Main building na may bubong na so they could close their umbrellas for a while. Mingyu diligently directed them as if para sa pre-nuptials ang shooting na ito ngayon (Jeonghan wishes this so bad at the back of his mind).
Nang matapos na sila sa shooting nila, Seungcheol asked Jeonghan a question. "Han, nakapag-aral ka na ba para sa summative test bukas sa ana chem lab?"
Parang naalimpungatan naman si Jeonghan sa tanong na ito at agad na nataranta. "Oh, shoot! Nawala sa isip ko shet. Experiments 1 to 3 ang coverage, di ba? Fuck. I forgot about it."
"Gusto mo ba mag-aral with me? May kulang din ako notes last week kasi absent ako, di ba? Makiki-share sana ako ng notes."
And as usual, when it comes to Seungcheol? "Sure. Text mo na lang ako mamaya kung saan tayo mag-aaral."
Napaisip ng ilang segundo si Seungcheol before he decided to just invite Jeonghan to his dorm.
Naku, patay na mga tsong. Nasa tambayan sa dorm levels na kami. Daig pa namin ang ibang mag-jojowa.
"Pwede ba outsiders sa dorm niyo?"
Tumango naman si Seungcheol. "Wala silang problema 'yong dorm manager as long as same sex. Alam mo na, boomer things."
Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "At least it's a win for us gays, don't you think?"
"Tama ka naman diyan," Seungcheol chuckled.
Jeonghan was celebrating in his head nang maalala niyang wala siyang payong. "I do not have an umbrella, though."
Seungcheol opened his bag to grab another umbrella and handed it to Jeonghan. "Here, take this. I always bring extra just in case masiraan ako."
(Jeonghan gladly accepted the payong pero deep inside, his thoughts were like, "Sayang, akala ko magiging true to life na ang eksena kanina, eh").
April 15, 2019
"The Piggyback Ride Kiss"
Seungcheol and Mingyu's dorm
8:08 PM
It has been awhile since they last gathered for the webtoon. Nitong March ang first week of April kasi ay sobra silang naging abala sa acads because of prelims season. They had to halt all webtoon-related activities to focus on their studies muna.
And now that they're back together, they're trying to fix their check-list ng mga bagay na nagawa at natapos na nila.
"Sobrang productive natin noong February and early March. Ang dami nating natapos in a short period of time," halata sa boses ni Seungcheol pagka-impress sa productivity ng munti nilang team.
"My photography professor loved the photos we took as well," dagdag ni Mingyu. "We really hit two birds with one stone, huh."
Three, if isasama sa bilang ang secret agenda ni Jeonghan na mag-feeling jowa ni Seungcheol.
Seungcheol transferred all his sketches to their shared drive. "Han, uploaded na lahat ng sketches ko. You can finish the line art until August naman. No rush."
"Oh, okay. Aside from reports and finals wala naman akong ibang iniintindi so I might finish this soon." Jeonghan opened his own laptop to check the files. Nang magbukas na ang files na sinend ni Seungcheol, something about the characters seemed… familiar?
Bakit mukha naman 'tong fanart naming dalawa? Like if you cartoonized our photos, ganito ang lalabas.
Jeonghan mentally slapped himself. Baka naman nadala lang dahil sa reference.
"Nakita mo na ba ang character designs ko? What do you think?"
"We look cute together," mahinang comment ni Jeonghan. He was so absentminded because his imagination was running wild but Seungcheol's follow-up question brought him back to Earth.
"We?" Mingyu smirked at Seungcheol's cluelessness.
"I said THEY look cute together. Namali ka ata ng rinig. Linis-linis din ng tainga pag may time," siyempre dinaan na naman niya ito sa biro to mask his embarrassment.
Mukha namang convinced si Seungcheol dito. "Ah, so okay lang ba 'yong design nila? No need to change anything?"
Jeonghan stared at Sam's character design for a while. "Parang may kulang."
"Omg, ano?"
"Sam needs to have longer lashes. It will look good on him and make his character pop out."
Agad namang nilagay ito ni Seungcheol sa notes niya. "This is noted, sir. Thank you for your feedback."
Oh, oblivious little Cheollie.
***
After their character designs evaluation, Mingyu brought up that one last reference photo they needed.
The signature Jake and Sam piggyback ride kiss.
Hindi sigurado si Jeonghan sa kung anong mararamdaman niya rito sa eksenang ito. For sure naman na pepekein lang nila ito, but at the same time, his guts were telling him na what if gustuhin ni Seungcheol na totohanin ang kiss for a more realistic reference?
Iniisip pa lang niya, parang nararamdaman na niya ang pagtaas ng kanyang altapresyon.
"How are we gonna do this? Bale alternate 'yong pagbuhat namin sa isa't isa since Jake and Sam do it for each other," seryosong ani ni Seungcheol.
Ngumiti naman ng pagkapilyo-pilyo si Mingyu. Oh naur. Sigurado si Jeonghan na hindi kakayanin ng puso niya ang kung ano mang lalabas sa bunganga nito.
"You can just kiss for real. Walang malisya, acting lang. Isipin niyo for teleserye or movie ito."
At ayan na nga. Tarantado talaga ang batang 'to (Jeonghan feels like may alam si Minggoy sa sikreto niyang pagnanasa sa pinsan nito). As much as very pabor si Jeonghan sa suggestion, feeling din niya ay sasabog na talaga ang ~feelings~ niya anytime. Napa-buntong hininga na lamang ng pagkalalim-lalim si Jeonghan. Ika nga ni Jessa Zaragosa, parang 'di ko yata kaya.
Sasagot na sana siya nang unahan siya ni Seungcheol. "Okay lang naman sa akin. Walang malisya. Friends lang naman kami ni Jeonghan."
Walang malisya.
Friends lang.
+4000 damage to Player Jeonghan! Critical hit!
Double Kill, sa totoo lang.
Kung kaibigan lang talaga ang tingin ni Seungcheol sa kanya, eh di lulubusin na talaga ni Jeonghan ang pagkakataon. Baka ito na ang huli niyang chance to experience kissing Seungcheol so itataya na niya ang dignidad niya para rito.
Tangina mo, Seungcheol Choi. The things I do for you.
Mingyu instructed them as usual. Si Sam muna ang unang bubuhat. They have to take a photo of the two of them just staring at each other tsaka 'yong kiss.
Pawis na pawis na ang kamay ni Jeonghan. Dumoble ata ang pagiging pasmado niya dahil sa kaba at excitement.
This is it, pusit.
Sumakay na siya sa likod ni Seungcheol and he swears to all santos and santas na magpapakabait na siya kung bibigyan pa siya ulit ng pagkakataon ni lord na makasampa sa likod ni Seungcheol. His back muscles felt nice and Jeonghan noticed this in a non-sexual way.
Ilang titigan shots muna ang kinuha ni Mingyu before he proceeded to instruct them to finally do the kiss. “Soft peck lang naman ‘to. Parang hindi niyo naman mafe-feel masyado.”
Ito na. Jeonghan’s kalandian led him to this very moment. Jeonghan was still mentally preparing his whole being nang may biglang dumamping mga labi sa kanya. Kagaya ng sinabi ni Mingyu, it was just a fast peck. It almost felt nothing but also everything Jeonghan ever dreamed of ever since he started developing feelings for Seungcheol. Nalungkot si Jeonghan sa thought na this is actually his first and probably his last chance in this. Seungcheol only treats him as a close friend, a colleague, and a block mate. Partners in lab din pala, pero sana partners in love din.
When they exchanged positions, mas lalong naramdaman ni Jeonghan ang nalalapit na pagtatapos ng kanyang pantasya. This is the last photo reference set that Seungcheol needed. All the other things that they needed to do for the webtoon can be done online na lang.
Huling halik ko na ‘to kaya susulitin ko na.
Pagsampa ni Seungcheol sa likod ni Jeonghan, Jeonghan immediately got into character. When it was his turn to kiss him first, he did what he had to do.
He pressed his lips against him for more than a minute. Mingyu even yelled cut but Jeonghan kept his lips locked against Seungcheol and Seungcheol was just fine with it too because even though his eyes increased in size for a second, hindi rin naman siya humiwalay sa kanya. He just let Jeonghan pull away first.
Awkward silence. What just happened, Jeonghan Yoon?
(Jeonghan reprimanded himself mentally. Bakit ka nagpadala sa bugso ng damdamin, akling?!)
October 14, 2019
Benavidez Garden (Lovers’ Lane)
3:05 PM
Jeonghan found a copy of Seungcheol’s newly published book in his lab locker. Ever since that day na hinalikan niya for real si Seungcheol, hindi na siya muling nakipag-hangout sa binata outside lab works. He still did the line art of his webtoon pero hindi naman na niya kinausap si Seungcheol outside that. He was too embarrassed and Seungcheol did not look like he was even fazed at all.
It was another critical hit for Player Jeonghan.
However, Seungcheol did not forget to send him a copy of his published novel (Stronger than Ionic Bonds aka Jake and Sam’s lovestory na nabasa niya fresh from the vault). The webtoon is still a work in progress, but the publishing company released the novel version of it just last week.
Jeonghan decided to check his book out. Lalo pa at may note na iniwan si Seungcheol sa ibabaw nito.
Read acknowledgment.
-Leo
“Pala-desisyon ka?” Kahit na jirits pa rin si Jeonghan until now, binuklat pa rin niya ito sa mentioned pahina.
Special thanks to Jeonghan Y.
Thank you for being honest with me.
You were my biggest source of strength as I finish Jake and Sam’s love story.
I hope I can also be the Sam to your Jake, because I’ve always wanted to be your happy ending.