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Alison took a deep breath before stepping out of the taxi, her eyes slowly tracing the towering glass building in front of her. The city still felt unfamiliar — too loud, too fast, too intimidating. Back in the province, the tallest buildings were barely half of this one, and people actually had time to smile at each other in the morning.
But life there had become impossible to survive on.
Hindi sapat ang sahod. No matter how hard she worked, it always felt like she was only earning enough to get by, never enough to actually live. So when the opportunity came — a corporate job in the city with a salary big enough to finally help her family and build something for herself — she took it.
Even if it terrified her. She tightened her grip around the strap of her bag before exhaling softly.
“You can do this, Ali,” she whispered to herself, forcing a small smile as she walked toward the entrance of the building.
The cold air from the lobby immediately hit her skin the moment the glass doors opened. Everything looked so polished and expensive that she suddenly became hyperaware of herself — her neatly pressed blouse, her slightly worn tote bag, even the way her shoes squeaked faintly against the marble floor.
She swallowed nervously and approached the reception desk.
“Good morning po,” she greeted politely.
The woman at the lobby looked up from her monitor before smiling warmly.
“Hi! Alison Arceta po?”
Alison nodded quickly. “Yes po.”
“Wait lang, beh. Upo ka muna. Tatawagin ko lang HR.”
The casual tone somehow eased the tension in her chest.
“Okay po, thank you.”
She carefully sat on one of the waiting chairs, placing her bag on her lap while silently observing the people around her. Everyone looked like they already belonged there — confident, busy, unbothered. Employees in heels clicked across the floor while others casually discussed meetings over coffee like they’d done it a thousand times before.
Meanwhile, Alison felt like a lost freshman on the first day of school.
“First day?”
Alison blinked and looked to her side. A woman around her age stood beside the vacant chair near her, holding two iced coffees in one hand and her phone in the other. She had sharp eyes, neatly styled hair, and the kind of effortless confidence Alison immediately envied.
“Ah… halata po ba?” Alison asked awkwardly.
The woman chuckled softly before sitting down beside her.
“Medyo. You’ve been staring at everyone like you’re about to run away.”
Alison laughed nervously. “Kinakabahan lang.”
“That’s normal.” The woman handed her one of the iced coffees. “Here. Mali order ko.”
Alison’s eyes widened. “Ay, hindi okay lang—”
“Take it. Ayoko rin ng matamis.”
Reluctantly, Alison accepted the drink.
“Thank you…”
The woman finally looked at her properly before offering her hand.
“Janna.”
Before Alison could respond, the receptionist suddenly looked up from her desk.
“Jans, siya pala ‘yung io-orient mo mamayang 9 AM.”
Alison blinked in surprise before slowly turning to the woman beside her. Janna casually sipped from her coffee as if nothing happened.
“Sige ate, ako na ba maghahatid sa kanya sa orientation room?” Janna asked.
“Ako na. Hinahanap ka ni Ms. Rina,” the receptionist — apparently named Kianna — replied while fixing some papers on the counter.
At the mention of Ms. Rina, Janna visibly sighed.
“Eight-thirty pa lang may problema na agad?” she muttered under her breath.
Kianna laughed. “Hindi ko na kasalanan ‘yan.”
Alison quietly watched their interaction, slightly amused. Somehow, seeing them casually joke around inside this intimidating corporate building made the place feel less scary.
Janna suddenly stood up from her seat and grabbed her phone.
“Well,” she said, looking at Alison, “good luck surviving your first day.”
Alison let out a small laugh. “Grabe naman po.”
“‘Wag mo ‘kong i-po.”
“Ay— sorry.”
Janna smirked lightly. “Relax, same lang tayo ng position.”
There was something effortlessly easy about her humor — the kind that immediately softened Alison’s nervousness.
“See you later, Alison Arceta from the province,” Janna teased before walking away.
Alison stared at her retreating figure for a second longer than necessary. Then she quickly looked away when Kianna suddenly spoke again.
“Cute ba?”
“Ate!” Alison whispered harshly, face heating up. Kianna burst into laughter while Alison internally prayed for the floor to swallow her whole.
The rest of Alison’s morning passed in a blur. The orientation officially began shortly after, with her and a small group of new hires being led into a bright meeting room on the 28th floor. The space looked even more intimidating up close — long glass walls, a polished conference table, and a wide screen already displaying a corporate presentation deck filled with charts, timelines, and company policies.
At the front stood Janna and another HR staff member, Macy, both looking composed and professional in a way that made Alison sit up a little straighter in her chair. It was hard to believe this was the same Janna who casually teased her in the lobby earlier.
Macy clicked to the next slide and smiled apologetically at the group.
“Uy, if you have questions pwede ka mag butt in,” she said warmly, scanning the room.
Alison nodded quickly. “Alright po.”
She tried her best to focus as the presentation continued. Policies, codes of conduct, employee expectations — everything came at her fast, and she silently fought the urge to overthink whether she was even cut out for this kind of environment. She scribbled notes anyway, even when she wasn’t fully sure she was catching everything.
Beside the room, Janna sat off to the side of the table with her laptop open. Unlike Macy who was actively presenting, Janna was working quietly — typing occasionally, scrolling through documents, and only looking up when Macy needed her to advance a slide or confirm something.
There was a certain discipline in the way she moved. Efficient. Unbothered. Like she had done this a hundred times before. Alison found herself glancing in her direction more than once, then quickly looking away each time she got caught in her own distraction.
“Okay, next slide,” Macy said, clicking forward again. “This one is about company structure and reporting lines.”
Alison straightened in her seat, trying harder to absorb the information. She didn’t want to mess this up. Not when everything already felt so new.
Lunch break finally came, and the atmosphere inside the office shifted instantly. The tension from the orientation softened, replaced by the low hum of conversations, chairs sliding back, and the quiet excitement of finally being able to breathe.
The company pantry was already filled with employees lining up for the free lunch provided by the office — neatly arranged trays of food, bottled water, and the familiar smell of freshly cooked meals that somehow made the corporate world feel a little less intimidating.
“Beh, sabay ka na samin!” Kianna called out as she approached Alison with an easy smile.
Alison hesitated, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Ah, eh—”
Before she could even finish, Macy suddenly appeared beside her and looped an arm around hers.
“Wala ka nang choice,” Macy said lightly, laughing as she gently dragged Alison toward the pantry.
“Ay— wait lang po—”
Alison could only stumble along, flustered but not really resisting as they guided her into the growing line of employees.
Behind them, Janna stood up from her seat almost immediately, closing her laptop with a soft click before following at a steady pace. She didn’t say anything. Just joined the group naturally, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Inside the pantry, the noise was louder — clinking utensils, casual chatter, and people discussing everything from work tasks to weekend plans. Alison quietly scanned the room, trying to figure out where she was supposed to go next, when Macy already handed her a plate.
“Dito ka lang, okay? Kuha ka lang ng gusto mo,” Macy said, guiding her toward the buffet table.
Alison nodded. “Thank you po.”
She carefully picked her food, still slightly overwhelmed by how effortlessly everyone seemed to navigate the space. No one looked lost. No one looked like it was their first day.
Except her.
When she finally stepped aside with her plate, she noticed Kianna already waving her over to a small table near the window.
“Dito, Ali!”
Alison walked over, about to sit down when Macy pulled out a chair for her.
“Uy, seat of honor ah,” Macy teased.
Alison let out a small embarrassed laugh. “Grabe naman po.”
“Relax ka lang,” Kianna added, already unwrapping her utensils. “First day mo pa lang, survive mo na ‘to.”
Alison gave a small nod, settling into her seat. And just as she did, Janna arrived with her own plate, sitting down across the table without making much of a scene — like she had always been part of it, like there was no divide between “new hire” and “HR,” just people eating lunch together in the middle of a workday.
After lunch, Kianna stretched her arms and glanced at the others as if deciding on something.
“Smoke break tayo,” she announced casually.
Janna already stood up from her seat, slipping her phone into her pocket. Kianna followed right after, like it was part of their usual routine.
Then Kianna turned to Alison. “Sama ka?”
Alison hesitated for a second. She didn’t smoke — never had, never planned to — but she still nodded anyway.
“Ah… sige po.”
The three of them walked out of the pantry and toward the designated smoking area just outside the building. The shift in atmosphere was immediate — quieter, a little more open, with a faint breeze cutting through the city heat.
Janna pulled out a cigarette first, lighting it with practiced ease. Kianna did the same beside her. Alison stayed slightly behind them, unsure where exactly she was supposed to stand, hands awkwardly clasped in front of her.
“Yosi ka?” Kianna asked, noticing her silence.
Alison quickly shook her head. “Hindi po.”
Kianna shrugged. “Okay.”
Janna exhaled a slow stream of smoke to the side and glanced at her briefly.
“Bad influence ka,” she said flatly.
Kianna laughed immediately. “Hoy, ikaw nga ‘tong unang nag-yosi dito!”
Janna smirked faintly, taking another drag. “I am the standard.”
Kianna rolled her eyes. The two of them fell into an easy back-and-forth, like this was a conversation they’ve had a hundred times before. Alison just quietly observed, still unsure if she should step closer or stay where she was. Then Kianna suddenly turned her head toward Janna again, narrowing her eyes like she had just thought of something important.
“Bading ka ba, beh?”
Janna almost choked on her smoke, letting out a short laugh.
“Teh kins naman. Bakit ganyan magtanong?” she said, shaking her head slightly as she exhaled.
“Nagtatanong lang,” Kianna replied without hesitation. “Bading kasi ako, siya rin—” she pointed casually at Janna, “—kaya I’m confirming.”
Janna laughed again, this time softer, more amused than defensive.
“Siraulo amp.” she said, taking another drag as she looked away.
Alison blinked slowly, caught somewhere between confusion and quiet observation, as the conversation carried on like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“I am…” Alison said softly, voice a little unsure as she stood there, still adjusting to the openness of the conversation.
Kianna immediately lit up. “Wow, ang galing,” she said with exaggerated admiration, like Alison had just said something impressive.
Janna, leaning slightly against the wall while holding her cigarette, glanced at Alison. There was a faint smile on her face — not loud, not teasing, just observant.
Kianna tilted her head, suddenly curious again.
“May bebe ka?”
Before Alison could even fully process the question, Janna cut in almost immediately.
“Teh kins. Tama na ‘yang tanong.”
Kianna raised both hands in surrender, laughing. “What? Valid question ‘yun ah.”
Alison blinked, a little flustered by how fast the conversation moved. Then, after a small pause, she answered honestly.
“Single.”
The word hung in the air for a second. Kianna nodded like it was an important piece of information. “Ahh, okay noted.”
“Of course,” Janna muttered under her breath, taking a slow drag from her cigarette as she looked away, like the answer didn’t surprise her at all.
The moment didn’t stretch any further than that. Kianna simply shifted her weight and changed the topic like she always did, while Alison quietly stayed where she was, still trying to catch up with how easily everyone around her spoke and moved.
5 PM came quickly, almost too quickly for Alison to process. The office slowly shifted into its end-of-day rhythm—chairs sliding back, keyboards clicking for the last time, people stretching as they saved their files and shut down their computers. Conversations became lighter, more tired, more “see you tomorrow” than anything else.
Alison remained seated for a moment, still trying to mentally organize everything she had absorbed from her first day—policies, names, faces, and the overwhelming pace of it all.
“Uwi na tayo, beh. Saan ka ba?” Macy asked as she approached her desk, already fixing her things.
Alison blinked and quickly stood up. “Ah… dyan lang po ako sa Buendia.” Macy nodded immediately, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
“Tara na, along the way ako.”
Alison gave a small relieved smile. “Sige po, thank you.”
Around them, the rest of the team was also starting to head out. Kianna was laughing with someone near the pantry, while Janna was already packing up her laptop, movements calm and unhurried as usual.
Alison adjusted her bag strap and followed Macy toward the elevator. For the first time that day, she wasn’t actively trying to survive information or keep up with instructions. It was just the end of her first day—tired, overwhelming, but real.
And as the elevator doors closed, she finally let out a quiet breath she didn’t realize she was holding since morning.
The following day felt completely different from her first. Instead of introductions and orientation slides, Alison was immediately thrown into training under the Payroll Department for the next two weeks. The pace was faster, the tasks more technical, and the room itself felt heavier with focus—phones ringing, keyboards clicking nonstop, and people moving with urgency that made it clear this wasn’t a department that had time to breathe.
Her trainer, Tasha, barely had a free moment.
“Sorry na agad,” Tasha said while quickly scanning a set of reports on her screen. “Sabihin mo if may need ka ha. Pero originally kasi, you can ask Jans about this. Siya may handle niyan before.”
“Okay, okay po,” Alison replied quickly, nodding even though her brain was already struggling to keep up.
Tasha was already halfway into another task before Alison could even ask her next question. The hours blurred together after that. Payroll season meant everything was moving at double speed. Files to check, entries to validate, systems to navigate—Alison tried her best to follow along, but there were moments she had to pause just to make sure she wasn’t missing anything important.
Still, every time she tried to ask Tasha something, she was met with a rushed answer or a polite “later na lang, ha?”
Eventually, Alison hesitated, then quietly opened Microsoft Teams. She stared at the chat box for a second before typing.
Alison Arceta: Hi Janna, sorry na. Just need help with something.
She hovered her finger over the screen.
Typing… A few seconds passed..
Janna Robles: Sure! Ano yun?