This Is Why I Love The Color Red

Haru

[Listen to CHASING PAVEMENTS by Adele]

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'Someone wants to send you a message'

Clicking the message request, my curiousity started to run down.

'Heyyy El!'

'Ayuu hi!'

'What is up? How're we doing today?'

'I just got home from uni.'

'Ooof so late? What's your course? Hahaha!'

'Political science. How about you?'

'Sheesh I gotta be careful around you hahahaha!'

Well. He's so full of energy.

'I'm in med school. Second year.'

The conversation flowed smoothly without any awkwardness. Haru proved to be quite the conversationalist. He admitted to finding me on a dating app. How will things unfold this time, universe?

After a few more minutes of talking, I learned more about him. He enjoys going to bars and clubs, likes anime, writes, studies medicine, cosplays, and is a foreign student who reads manga.

As days passed, I found myself eagerly awaiting his replies. I began to question whether I'm genuinely attracted to him or if I'm simply misinterpreting his kindness. Throughout my life, only three boys have ever wanted to be friends with me platonically.

'I'm going to a thrift shop in Anonas.'

'Can I come?'

'Well, yeah... I guess?'

'We going shopping?'

I told him the details of my plan. Originally, I wanted to go there alone but maybe having someone to accompany you won't be as bad as I'll thought? I can sense that he is just naturally friendly and nice.

"No rides available?" Sighed.

'I think, I'll be late for a couple of minutes.'

'Okay, what do you want? I'm here in Starbucks.'

'Wow, your treat? Vanilla frappe.'

I tried to figure out the way and didn't realize I made him wait for almost half an hour.

'I can go to Balintawak station... if you want.'

I waited for him at Balintawak station. Among the crowd tapping their beep cards, my eyes found him—what a towering guy.

"You're so tall!" I felt like a child beside him.

"I'm 6'1"," Haru handed me my drink as we headed to buy our tickets.

"Try speaking Filipino."

"Ate, dalawa pong ticket. Recto," Miss, two tickets to Recto station.

Broken Filipino. I chuckled. He's cute.

"Do you know any Filipino words?"

"Gago... putangina." I know he has Filipino friends. Is teaching swear words part of our culture for foreigners?

As we rode the LRT, people kept staring at us. It was awkward. His voice was too loud. We spoke English, which drew glances—some hostile, some curious—from Filipino passengers.

At Anonas, we browsed thrift shops. He helped me pick out clothes. He even handed me a see-through nightgown. Well, it could double as swimwear. Haru was dedicated to finding black clothes that suited my taste.