This Is Why I Love The Color Red

Phoenix

Listen to ''THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT' by The Smiths

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"I will never, ever have a Filipino boyfriend again!" I protested while buying milk tea from our favorite shop. Renc smiled at me as I tried to convince them that I no longer found attraction in the boys I had been dating lately. It seemed like I found them boring, and I just did it for the sake of fun and the thrill of meeting a completely unknown person.

"Yeah, just find yourself another foreigner boyfriend."

"Well, it has been my standard to settle with foreign guys, but talking to and dating them seemed quite simple and boring. They're too romanticized, and I don't even think they deserve the praise of being considered a standard in men."

"Whatever," Rio said, taking our order, and we walked towards Renc's house.

"I swear, there's nothing to praise about these foreign boys. The only thing you can be proud of is their nationality or passport." It's true. International boys are just a bunch of Filipino boys written in a classical font. They're also men but with more money compared to Filipino guys.

How do I know? Because using dating apps since I turned 18 allowed me to talk to a bunch of foreign guys, and all they ask for are either nudes or to make you their girlfriend so they can have residency in the Philippines. As much as it hurts to say, since I really did fantasize back then about falling in love with international men, they just aren't like the ones you watch in the movies. It's rare to be loved genuinely by guys of different nationalities.

I was supposed to grab coffee at a new shop I found in Ayala Cloverleaf named Pedal Café. I ordered the usual strawberry one and did my work. I was waiting for a date with a seaman student who had been annoying the hell out of me since December. He basically wanted to get into my pants when I joked around that I'd sleep with him if he dated me five times. That guy was more than willing to compromise, which I found amusing because of how boys would do anything to get you but treat you like nothing once they got you.

"Are you shy? Your voice seems nervous." My throat hurt.

"But you sound good." We had our date at Time Zone, singing karaoke. It was boring because I only find fun in these activities when I'm with my friends.

"I miss your tan skin, your sweet smile that was so good to me, so right, and how you held me in your arms that September night, the first time you ever saw me cry," I sang while Renc sang along with me, and Ton took pictures with his camera.

After our karaoke session, we played in the arcade. I had a lot of fun with them. We are supposed to be four and we call our friendship group Quadro: Kaetie, Renc, Ton, and me. Kaetie was busy with her elder sister duties, so the two boys took me out since I had just broken up with my first boyfriend, Law, when I turned 18. It's his loss anyway because I said 'yes' to being his girlfriend on his birthday. Every time he celebrates his birthday, he'll remember me. Pretty genius, right?

"See, we can even take you out on a date, and you'd settle for someone you have to give money to in order for him to go home?" Ton was laughing.

My standard in men revolves around Renc and Ton. Ton has been my childhood friend since first grade. He's smart and has always been our top student or the valedictorian. Not only that, but he's also caring towards the girls he's friends with, which makes him a solid gentleman. On the other hand, Renc became my best friend in fourth grade since he's friends with Youseff and had a crush on Kaetie, which made both of them close to me and Kaetie. Kaetie is my main best friend since she's my cousin. She became my friend by teasing me about being an adopted child, which made me cry and develop hatred towards her, but we ended up becoming best friends.