Magical Tea

The One

The month of February of year 2027, Min Ki would turn twenty-one this year. Almost five years since they left Philippines and he finished college last year, thanks to online studies, he was able to cram four years of college studies into just more or less three years. With his computer skills he was able to gather enough credentials he could use to find and apply for work at Maya's company.

Mina was at first teary-eyed to learn of Min Ki's decision to go back to Philippines but she was not at all surprised of his decision. Her son was now of age to stand by his decision and she fully trusted that he would be responsible for whatever he would do. Little did she know that not only would be Min Ki traveling to another country but to another time period as well.

Yes, Min Ki finally thought the time had come for him to find his destiny and he was willing to traverse time to fulfill his promise. He went back to Philippines in January without Maya knowing and with the magical tea, travelled back to January 1997 and applied for a job at the IT department of the company where Maya currently worked. With his computer skills, it was not difficult for him to pass all the required tests and interviews to get the job he applied for.

When the company event was declared five days before his birthday, he was ecstatic for the time to reveal his presence to Maya had finally come. Fate surely sided with him. Their department was tasked of providing the pieces of hearts. He crafted each piece of hearts with encryptions unique for each piece. Only three pairs would have a similar encrypted code as well as fit each corrugated cut shape from point to point. Two pairs have finished encryptions, but he left an unfinished piece with him to match with whatever piece Maya would pick from the box.

To ensure that he would be able to know who got which piece, whether these pairs would be able to find each other before the set date and hour, he designed a verifying machine. Everyone who would choose a piece needed to have their piece of heart scanned by this machine together with their company ID. Thus, when Maya had herself verified, Min Ki had the matching piece printed out complete with the matching encryption. Another piece of heart may match the shape of what Maya had but the code would not be the same upon verification.

Min Ki waited patiently for the day and hour to make his final move. Fifteen minutes before the deadline on the thirteenth day of February, he appeared before Maya who was by now feeling hopeless and a little sad that the event she had carefully planned may flop after all.

Every member of Maya's department shouted in glee to see the pieces of hearts match perfectly. Neither Maya nor Min Ki needed to run to have it verified because her office mates were just too eager to do it for them. The two other winners also came one after another which turned the office into a den of laughter, their uncontained happiness at the success of all their plans.

"Hi, I am Min Ki Jiang," Min Ki introduced himself, offering his hand for a hand shake.

"Hello, I am Maria Jiselle Salora. Maya for short," Maya replied accepting Min Ki's hand. Maya looked at the handsome guy in front of her and could not help a feeling of déjà vu to assail her. She felt like she knew him somewhere else a long time ago but she would have never forget a face like his.

Min Ki smiled mysteriously. "I finally found you!"

Huh? Maya's face was of bewilderment. Why does his words seemed to touch something within her? It was as if a current passed through her body. But she tried to dismiss it and just thought that he must have been looking for the matching piece since the day he picked it and was just glad he found it before the deadline.

"Ahh...I guess, we have a date to go to tomorrow. It's a good thing I was not involved in the planning of the dinner date, or else, it won't be much of a surprise anymore," Maya knew she was rambling but she was trying to grasp at straws to calm the fluttering of the butterflies within her stomach. She felt like grinning like a Cheshire cat at the realization she would have a date on Valentine's Day and with such a gorgeous hunk at that. Oh my goodness, when you are in luck it indeed pours like rain!

Min Ki felt like doing a somersault himself seeing how Maya's face turned pink as she tried not to look at him too much. Min Ki could not help feeling proud of himself to finally be of age to appear in her life like this. He had waited five long years to see the woman he was destined to love for life. He had traveled years and years ahead of his time just to make sure that he would get to meet her at a time she was ready to fall in love. He could never thank enough the magical tea that made it possible for him to travel through time and take matters into his hand.

"Maya, do you believe in magic?" Min Ki asked the twenty-two-year-old woman before him.

Maya's eyes slightly faltered at his oddly familiar question, making her wonder where and when she heard it asked before. "I guess, why?" Maya asked back with a smile.

"Because magic brought us together and finding you today made my dream come true," Min Ki replied with all honesty.

Maya flushed pink thinking how corny his pickup line was but oddly felt he had just said something very truthful and she just thought right then and there, whether all this was some kind of magic, what she just felt was a feeling of coming home, a feeling of rightness. Lastly, she acknowledged, he really is The One!