regardless | jordi gdl

Prologue

"Ngayon lang, promise!" I roll my eyes at Francine as she puts her palm together, begging na pumayag ako sa plano niya. Gumaya rin si Yna and even pouted as if she looks better. "Para kayong tanga. Kung gusto niyong makipag-usap sa mga University students, you can visit their schools tsaka ba't hindi kayo ang gumawa?" I told them and face my laptop.

Yna pulls my shirt before holding both of my shoulders. "Alam mo bang proven na pag nakikipag-usap through Omegle or any other dating apps, there is 79% chance that you'll find your internet soulmate?" She explains. Tinabig ko ang kamay niya at tinignan sila pareho ng bagot ang mata.

"We tried it several times na. Please do this one! Just this time?" Francine explains. Hindi ko siya pinansin at tinignan si Yna.

"Where did you get that analytics? Mas may chance pang makakita ka ng espada ni McArthur doon kaysa sa Internet Love na 'yan," I told them.

"Depende naman kasi kung anong tags nilagay mo," pagpipilit ni Francine.

"Reina, you have to open your doors to people who are willing to go in. Deserve mong maging masaya," she continues. Yna supported it by nodding after. These two are my daily dose of annoyance and headaches.

"And you might never know, baka rito mo talaga ma-meet 'yung soulmate mo," Yna expressed her thoughts. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Obviously, they believe I'm too thick and walled sa pag-ibig or other minor matters, which I don't believe. I set boundaries and standards, but I don't bar people from entering into my life.

I welcome them, give them a key, and even entertain them pero pag ayoko na sa presence nila, I slowly pull back the key and let them out in their merry way.

Napapikit ako sa bigla kong naisip. Maybe, I'm too hard to people? I do get that sometimes I'm frank about how I feel but isn't that good? Being honest? Being able to express what you feel fully?

That's what I did that night.

That night.

I sigh again and close my laptop. "I'll only do this once! Pag 'tong experimento niyo saakin nahantong sa delubyo, I'll kill you both with this chopsticks," pag babanta ko sakanila. Sabay silang tumango ng may galak and work with their laptop.

I stopped seeing him after being rejected in front of several others that night. I unfollowed the people that were concerned to him and blocked his accounts.

"Reina, Reina. Ito na," Francine hysterically says and face me her laptop. Nakita ko ang sarili ko sa camera screen at wala pang may lumalabas sa kabila.

"Press the start button," Yna told me kaya tumango ako bago pindutin ang start. The other screens starts to load kaya tinignan ko sila, nakangiti sila while placing a thumbs-up to my face. I chuckle beneath my breath.

"Reina?" Agad na lumingon ang ulo ko sa screen and I gasp slightly seeing who's the person on the other screen.

"Pare, jockpot," I hear someone whisper pero hindi maalis ang mata ko sakaniya na nakatitig din—gulat. My eyes twitches as several words comes flashing back.

"Reina! He's a UST Growling Tigers!" Francine also whispers to me, fascinated. I hear Yna squeaking happily.

"H-Hey, how ar—"

"BA'T MO INEND!?" Yna asks before facing the laptop to her. Hindi parin ako gumagalaw at nakanganga parin dahil sa gulat.

"Reina, kilala mo ba kung sino inend mo!? Si Jordi Go—"

"Goméz de Liaño," I cut off Francine.

Yes, Francine. I know him. I know him very well.

—

Be aware of grammatical errors, typos and etc and also this will be a epistolary story so it's a form of a text or chat but may mga narration naman pero konti lang.

This story is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places and incidents are product of the author's imagination. None of these happened in real life and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Everything is purely fictional.

Plagiarism is a crime.