Take a Chance with Me

Detective Staku

When everyone found out about Jhoanna and Aki, our managers stepped in and advised them to stop their budding relationship before it got serious. The news hit Jhoanna hard. For weeks, she was a shell of her former self, focused only on work. Her usual bubbly personality was replaced by a steely determination that even Sheena found intimidating.

"Jho, okay ka lang?" I asked one night after a grueling practice session.

"I'm fine," she replied curtly, not looking up from her notebook where she was furiously scribbling choreography notes.

"Are you sure? You've been—"

"I'm fine, Staku," she snapped, cutting me off.

I backed off, hurt but understanding. She was heartbroken, and all I could do was give her space and time to heal.

Weeks passed, and slowly, Jhoanna began to come around. She started laughing at jokes again, teasing me and the other members, and slipping back into her role as the heart and soul of BINI. One evening, as we were all lounging in the dorm after practice, she plopped down beside me with a grin.

"Staku, remember that time we tried to bake cookies and almost burned down the kitchen?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

I laughed, relieved to see the old Jhoanna back. "How could I forget? You were convinced that adding chili powder would make them 'unique.'"

"Hoy, it was an experiment no!" she protested, giggling.
——

As we debuted as idols, I experienced what my favorite KPop idols have been going through for years: the gifts from fans, the bashing from haters, and the whirlwind of shipping. Fans had their delulu moments, but none were as delulu as I was about Jhoanna.

I got shipped with almost everyone—Ate Aiah, Ate Colet (which I hated because she had a crush on Jhoanna), Mikha, Gwen, you name it. But my favorite ship, hands down, was Jhocey. Even our moms were on board with it! As a die-hard JenLisa shipper, I felt like I was living the dream.

Jhoanna loved playing along with the fan service, which only fueled my delusions. She was my favorite topic, my constant bunot, and I loved teasing her all the time. She was a great sport about it, and our banter became a highlight for our fans.

One day, while scrolling through fan comments, I started to notice something about Ate Aiah and Mikha and it got me thinking.

Ate Aiah might look straight, with her feminine appearance and demeanor. Mikha, on the other hand, is more boyish, with an androgynous style. You might think Mikha would be the one attracting female attention. But here's where the irony kicks in.

Ate Aiah, despite looking straight, has these intense stares directed at Mikha. Her looks are filled with longing and desire, clearly showing she yearns for Mikha. Mikha, however, seems completely unaware of this. She doesn't notice Ate Aiah's intense gazes or the emotions behind them.

The real twist is that Ate Aiah, who seems straight, is the one with hidden feelings, while Mikha, who appears more likely to attract such attention, is oblivious to it.

This piqued my curiosity, and I decided to become a MikhAiah detective, trying to find similarities between their interactions and my feelings for Jhoanna.

During rehearsals, I started paying closer attention to them.

"Did you see that?" I whispered to Gwen as we took a break.

"See what?" she asked, confused.

"Ate Aiah just looked at Mikha like she was a piece of art," I said, eyes wide.

Gwen laughed. "Stakuri, you're seeing things."

"No, seriously!" I insisted. "I'm on to something."

I began documenting every interaction between Ate Aiah and Mikha in my head. I mentally noted things like "Ate Aiah gave Mikha a water bottle—extra smiley" and "Mikha hugged Ate Aiah—longer than usual." It was borderline obsessive, but I needed to know if my suspicions were right.