All This Time

Good morning, neighbor

"I didn't know you liked that drink."

Paul glanced up after receiving his change and found himself meeting a pair of bright brown eyes from the other line at Ahjummart.

"Hey," he said. The eyes belonged to Mika Arceo, his neighbor. Well, technically not a neighbor since they lived on different floors, but she was the only other person he knew in the building besides the admin, so she might as well be one. He stepped away from the counter to let the person behind him go next, and Mika followed suit, meeting him in front of the cookie display.

"Good morning to you!" she greeted cheerfully. "Whew, I'm so glad you still remember me."

"How would I forget you? Your cart saved me from multiple elevator trips when I moved in six months ago." That, and he saw her here almost every morning, whenever he stopped by to get his iced coffee. Mika always got her strawberry milk in her transparent reusable tumbler she held right now. Usually, he'd see her when he was about to leave, so most of their recent interactions were limited to quick nods and smiles as they passed by each other. This was the first time in a while that she got there first.

Mika waved her hand dismissively. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. And Mang Bart owns the cart, not me."

"Still, you offered to help me first. Not that I don't appreciate Mang Bart, of course." Their trusty building handyman was practically a father figure to Paul in the past few months. "But anyway, I haven't forgotten you."

"I'm glad." Mika fell into step beside him as they headed out of the store. "Are you heading for work?"

Paul nodded. "You?"

"Not until later. Mid-shift."

He checked his watch—just ten past seven. "Aren't you up a little too early for your shift, then?"

"Oh...I had stuff to do." Her tone was nonchalant, but Paul noticed that his cheeks had flushed slightly. "Aren't you late, though? The rush hour's here."

"My office is just a few blocks away." Everyone who lived in the South and worked somewhere beyond Makati knew the suffering known as Metro Manila traffic that they'd be subjecting themselves to, so Paul took his sister's advice and rented out a place. Well, she offered to share her space with him, but he declined. He'd be fine on his own, thanks.

"Ah, good choice. I still have to carpool to Mandaluyong, but it beats the daily struggle against EDSA from Fairview."

"You mean Farview, right," Paul said, grinning. "Because I totally feel that pain from Farañaque."

That was a corny joke, yet Mika laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. She was still laughing when they stepped out of the store into the driveway of their building, where a line of ride-share cars was waiting to pick up their passengers to come down from their units.

"But you didn't answer my question," Mika said after she had caught her breath. "Do you like that drink?"

Paul glanced down at the bottled coffee in his hand, vaguely recognizing the face on the label as one of those Korean pop bands that his eldest sister and her daughter followed. "It's my first time to get this, actually. Their coffee machine is broken again, so I didn't really have a choice."

"There's a café on the sixth floor."

"I don't really like their coffee."

"Well, Mrs. Han's coffee is something," Mika said with a chuckle. "But look, it's totally okay if you're a fan of the band. I won't judge you."

Paul smirked. "You know I would admit it if it were true, but I really haven't listened to any new song for the longest time. I just really need to get my iced coffee." He pointed the bottle at her. "Are you a fan?"

"A casual one. Hard not to like them when your housemate plays their songs every single day." She paused to hum a few bars of a song. "But the coffee inside is okay."

"Just okay? That's not very encouraging."

Mika's brow furrowed slightly, then burst out laughing again. Her entire face brightened when she did that. "Honestly, I am the worst person to ask because I hardly drink coffee. But I'm a basic girl, and my basic tastes think it's good."

Cold air from the lobby brushed against his skin as someone exited the building, and from where Paul stood, he could see a part of the poster he liked on the bulletin board—C-O-U-R, the first four letters of his name. As he remembered the note he left on the board, the next words just spilled out of his mouth.

"I don't think you're basic."

Mika blinked, a blush creeping up her cheeks, and for a moment, she seemed at a loss for words. "That's...very kind of you," she said shyly. "Thank you."

Paul was surprised, too. He wasn't the type to give compliments easily because he never knew how to say it right. But it wasn't him just being nice; he was telling the truth. He might not know Mika that well yet, but he knew she was kind and thought she was interesting. So far from basic.

And just like when he left the note for MJ, Paul felt his spirits lift at saying a good thing to Mika. Like he had done something, well, good.

Something...courageous.

Just like his name.