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Maloi had always been good at smiling through pain. It was part of the job, part of the role she had chosen when she became an idol. But lately, every stage felt like a battlefield—not because of the choreography, not because of the exhaustion, but because of the girl just a few feet away from her.
Colet.
The name alone carried warmth and ache at the same time. They had been together for two years, secretly weaving a love story behind rehearsals, long commutes, and whispered goodnights. But four months ago, they broke it off. It wasn’t because the love had faded. If anything, that was the cruelest part—it was still there, thrumming in Maloi’s chest like an unhealed wound.
It was the weight of the world that pulled them apart: management breathing down their necks, members who suspected but never asked, fans who demanded perfection but had no mercy when it came to rumors. And then the bashers—always the bashers.
"Kung totoo ang Macolet, ang malas ni Colet."
"Sayang, hindi deserve ni Colet si Maloi.”
"Ano bang nakikita niyo at shiniship niyo MaColet? Eh mas bagay si Colet kay ganito kay ganyan"
Every hateful comment found its way into Maloi’s heart, each word was venom, and she had swallowed it until she couldn’t anymore.
So one night, under the sterile glow of her condo’s ceiling light, Maloi had told Colet what she thought was the only choice.
“Col, tama na siguro,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Di ko na kaya. Ang dami kong takot, ang dami kong iniisip. Ang bigat na.”
Colet’s eyes had widened, glossy and wet, but she didn’t scream, didn’t beg. Instead, she gave the softest nod, the kind that broke Maloi’s heart even more.
“Kung ‘yan ang gusto mo, Maloi. Sige.”
But it wasn’t what she wanted. It was never what either of them wanted.
They broke up in early 2025. Now, four months later, the gap was visible to everyone.
Fans noticed how Colet and Maloi barely touched during performances. Where once their shoulders brushed naturally, now there was space. Where once Colet’s teasing smile always found Maloi, now her gaze slid past her. The Macolet shippers—once the loudest corner of the fandom—joked bitterly on Twitter:
“Macolet divorce era.”
“May cold war ata sila.”
“Inaaway niyo kasi macolet eh, ayan tuloy divorced na.”
The laughter stung Maloi more than she let on.
Then came the TikTok videos.
-
It was late at night, after a draining rehearsal, when Maloi mindlessly scrolled through her feed and froze.
The first video: Colet with a beautiful woman Maloi didn’t recognize. Colet leaned in and kissed her cheek. The woman smiled, radiant, like she belonged there.
The second video: Colet had her arm hooked around the same woman’s neck, pulling her close. She leaned near the girl’s skin, laughter spilling between them, intimate and unguarded.
Maloi’s stomach twisted.
She dropped her phone on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. For years, Colet’s affection had been something she believed only she could unlock. Physical touch is the last love language of Colet, so she's not clingy—not with the members, not with anyone, but Maloi. She was reserved, careful, always choosing her touches, but Maloi is her only exception. Yet here she was, all over someone Maloi didn’t even know.
So she’s moved on already?
Jealousy was ugly, but it was honest. For the first time in months, Maloi couldn’t breathe.
Maloi stopped talking to Colet. On set, in rehearsals, she kept her words clipped, her gaze anywhere but on her. She avoided carpool rides, avoided eating at the same table. It was easier to act cold than to admit what she really felt: the burning jealousy eating her alive.
-
Colet noticed immediately.
At first, she tried to laugh it off, thinking Maloi was just in one of her moods. But three days passed. No words, no glances. Maloi treated her like she was a stranger. And that was something Colet could not stand.
So on the third night of painful silence from the younger woman, she went to Maloi’s condo. She didn’t care if Maloi would scream at her, push her away, or tell her to leave. Anything was better than this void.
She raised her fist and knocked. Her heart raced, her palms sweaty despite the cool hallway air. Before she could knock again, the door opened.
And it wasn’t Maloi who stood there.
It was a man.
The one who tried to make a move on Maloi a year ago thinking she's single until Colet told him to back off. This is the guy who's been hanging out with Maloi since they broke up.
His eyes widened the same way hers did. “Colet, it’s not what you think—”
But she was already glaring, the fury rising in her chest like fire. She brushed past him, deliberately bumping his shoulder hard enough to make him stumble.
“Umalis ka na kung ayaw mong masapak.”
He tried to say something else, but Colet’s tone left no room for argument. Grumbling under his breath, he left, the sound of the door clicking shut echoing behind her
-
Inside, Maloi stood frozen by the kitchen counter, wide-eyed, a half-empty mug of coffee trembling in her hand. She had seen the whole thing.
“Colet,” her voice was soft, unsure.
But Colet’s anger was quicker than her reason.
“Ang bilis mo naman,” Colet spat, her voice trembling with restrained anger. “Apat na buwan pa lang, Maloi. Excited ka ba? Kaya ka ba nakipagbreak dahil sa kaniya, ha? Kaya pala parang hangin na lang ako sayo ngayon.”
Her words were sharp, meant to cut, but underneath the anger was something else: fear. Fear of being replaced.
Maloi blinked, stunned. “What? Hindi—”
“Don’t lie to me!” Colet’s voice cracked, louder this time. “Nakakainsulto, alam mo ba ‘yon? Dalawang taon, Maloi. Tapos itinapon mo para kaniya? Ano? Sumagot ka, Loi.”
Silence pressed heavy on the room.
“Colet,” Maloi tried again, softer now. “Hindi totoo ‘yan. Hindi kami—”
“Then explain!” Colet shot back. She stepped closer, eyes burning. “Bakit siya nandito? Bakit kasama mo siya, ha?”
Maloi swallowed hard. She hated this, hated the accusation in Colet’s eyes, the distance carved between them. She ran her hands through her hair, frustrated.
“Because—” she exhaled sharply, “kasi kasama siya nila Jho kanina, naiwan yung sapatos ko sa van nung last gig, and since siya yung pinakamalapit sa condo ko, pinaabot na lang ni Jho. That’s it, Colet. Walang ibang rason.”
But Colet only laughed bitterly, though her eyes were glassy. “Sapatos? Yun lang? Gagawa ka na nga lang ng excuse–grabe, ang bilis mo naman akong ipagpalit”
“Ipagpalit?” Maloi echoed, hurt flashing across her face. “Ako? Ako ang mabilis?”
“Eh ano tawag mo dun? May lalaki ka na agad dito sa condo mo!”
Maloi’s patience cracked. Her voice rose, the rawness spilling through.
“At least hindi ako yung nagpo-post ng TikTok na parang may bago na akong girlfriend!”
That shut Colet up. For a moment, the only sound was both of them breathing hard, hearts pounding in sync with their words.
“Anong sinasabi mo?” Colet whispered, her anger flickering into something softer, more uncertain.
Maloi took a step forward, eyes blazing, though her voice wavered.
“Colet, kilala kita. Hindi ka clingy. Hindi ka sweet kung kani-kanino lang. Ako lang. Ako lang ang ganyan sayo. Pero nakita ko yung mga video. Yung babae na ‘yon—hinahalikan mo sa pisngi, hinahawakan mo ng ganun. So tell me, hindi ba ikaw ang unang nag-move on?”
Colet’s lips parted, her fury faltering, replaced by surprise. Finally, she understood.
Her heart softened, just a little.
So this was why Maloi had been avoiding her.
Colet exhaled shakily, taking a small step closer. Her voice lowered. “Kaya pala, kaya pala hindi ka umiimik. Nagseselos ka?”
Maloi froze. The word stung because it was true, and she hated being that vulnerable in front of Colet. Her lips pressed tightly together, but she couldn’t deny it.
Instead, she deflected. “Ikaw din naman ah, nagselos ka nung nakita mo siya dito.”
The question hit Colet straight in the chest. Her pulse skipped, her defenses faltering. Slowly, she nodded. “Oo. Kasi hindi ko kayang isipin na pinalitan mo na ako. Ang sakit nun, Maloi.”
-
For a long moment, the air in Maloi’s condo felt fragile, like one wrong word could shatter everything. Both stood frozen, caught between anger and longing, their hearts pushing them in opposite directions yet somehow toward each other too.
Finally, Colet broke the silence.
Her voice was gentler now, though her eyes still glistened. “Loi, yung babae sa TikTok.” She paused, searching Maloi’s face. “She’s just a friend. Clingy lang talaga siya, sobra. Yung ginawa namin katuwaan lang yun. Sayo pa rin ako pinakakumportable Maloi. Tsaka straight siya. Straight.”
She took a tentative step forward. “Wala kang dapat ikabahala.”
Maloi blinked, her anger faltering as relief seeped through. But pride kept her from softening too easily. Her arms wrapped around herself, as if holding the pieces together. “Straight?”
“Oo,” Colet nodded firmly. “Straight. At kahit hindi siya straight, kahit ano pa siya, ikaw pa rin.” Her voice cracked. “Ikaw lang naman, Maloi.”
The words hung heavy, trembling between them.
Maloi’s chest tightened, emotions crashing like waves. She wanted to believe, wanted to let it wash away the jealousy, the sleepless nights replaying those videos. And yet, the wall she built around herself still stood, stubborn and scarred.
“Then bakit–” Her voice cracked. She forced herself to meet Colet’s gaze, her own eyes glassy. “Bakit ba kailangan pa nating maghiwalay noon?”
The question cut deeper than any argument.
Colet inhaled sharply, the wound reopening fresh. “Ikaw ang nag-decide nun, Maloi. Ikaw ang nagsabi na tama na.”
Maloi flinched. She had replayed that night countless times in her head, the way Colet’s eyes had looked at her—not with anger, not with hate, but with a quiet kind of heartbreak. The memory haunted her, and now, with Colet standing right here, she couldn’t escape it anymore.
She sank onto the couch, her shoulders trembling, her voice breaking in pieces.
“Dahil natakot ako.”
Colet froze, every nerve in her body focused on those words.
Maloi continued, tears finally spilling, raw and unfiltered. “Natakot ako kasi araw-araw, ang dami kong nababasa na masasakit. Sobra akong tinamaan nung sinabi nila na hindi kita deserve.” She clutched her chest. “Colet, pinaniwalaan ko sila. At sa dami ng pressure, sa dami ng tinatago natin, parang hindi ko na kayang i-handle. Akala ko, kung bibitawan kita, mas magiging madali para sa’yo. Mas magiging magaan para sa atin.”
Her voice cracked completely, and she buried her face in her palms. “Pero mali ako. Ang hirap pala.”
Colet’s breath caught in her throat. Slowly, she moved closer, her anger melting into grief, into understanding. She crouched in front of Maloi, gently prying her hands away from her face.
“Loi, look at me,” she whispered.
Maloi hesitated, then lifted her tear-streaked face.
Colet’s own tears glimmered now, but her voice was steady, strong. “Hindi ako naniniwala sa kanila. Kahit anong sabihin ng mga yun, kahit anong pressure ng mundo—ikaw ang pipiliin ko. Ikaw lang.” She reached out, cupping Maloi’s cheek with trembling fingers. “Sana sinabi mo sa’kin. Sana hindi mo ako iniwan na parang wala akong laban. Kasi, Maloi lalaban ako para sa’yo.”
The words broke something inside Maloi—something heavy, something that had chained her for months. Her sob turned into a quiet laugh, shaky but real, as she leaned into Colet’s touch.
“I’m sorry,” Maloi whispered hoarsely. “I’m so, so sorry, Col. Dapat hindi ko sinarili, dapat nagsabi ako para nailaban nating dalawa. I'm sorry for being selfish.”
Colet nodded, her own tears slipping free. “May mali rin naman ako hindi ako nagtanong kung bakit ka nakipaghiwalay, maling tinanggap ko na lang. I'm sorry I wasn't there to catch you when you were hurting. Pero sana alam mong kahit naghiwalay tayo noon andito pa rin ako, Maloi. Hindi ako umalis. Kahit ilang beses mo akong itulak palayo, babalik at babalik pa rin ako. Kasi mahal kita.”
Maloi’s heart clenched at the words. Four months of heartbreak, of pretending to be just friends, and yet here they were—still orbiting each other, still tethered by something unbreakable.
The tension between them softened, like wounds being gently stitched shut.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Maloi let out a breath she had been holding for months. She took Colet’s hand, holding it tightly, as if afraid it might vanish.
Her voice was quiet, but firm. “Colet, can we try again?”
Colet’s lips parted, her heart racing.
“Pwede ba kitang balikan? Kasi Colet, mahal pa rin kita” Maloi asked, eyes searching hers with a vulnerability so raw it almost hurt. “This time, hindi na ako magpapadala sa takot, o sa kahit anong hate comment. Kahit ano pa sabihin nila. Basta andiyan ka, kaya kong ilaban uli, Col.”
Silence stretched, heavy with anticipation.
And then Colet’s tears broke into a shaky laugh, her smile trembling but radiant. “Piskit, Loi, akala mo ba tatanggihan pa kita?”