Lost and Found • mikhaiah au

11. Morning Brawls

Agnes jolted awake at the sound of relentless knocking echoing through her condo.

She groaned, her groggy mind struggling to piece together why she felt so disoriented. The clock on her nightstand read 7:00 a.m. Her body ached from the restless sleep she'd had after Maiko's antics last night.

The memories of their evening replayed in her mind: Maiko's teasing, the warmth of their conversation, and most vividly, that kiss. The simple brush of Maiko's lips against hers had sent her heart racing and her thoughts spinning. She had spent hours turning over the events in her mind, trying to make sense of the emotions they stirred.

The knocking continued, more insistent now, pulling Agnes out of her tangled thoughts. She reluctantly swung her legs out of bed and shuffled toward the door, her feet dragging as she tried to wake herself up. Her hair was a mess, her eyes bleary, and her mood grumpier than usual.

"Utang na loob, sino ba 'yang katok nang katok, awa na lang!" she exclaimed under her breath as she fumbled for the door.

When Agnes finally opened the door, she was met with an unexpected sight: Maiko, standing in the hallway, looking remarkably fresh and chipper despite the early hour. She held a takeout breakfast in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Agnes blinked in disbelief, her irritation from being abruptly woken up by the relentless knocking quickly overshadowed by a swirl of confusion.

"Gag—?" Agnes managed, her mind struggling to catch up with the reality of the situation.

"Good morning!" Maiko chirped, her tone light and casual, as though nothing had happened between them the night before.

Agnes rubbed her eyes, certain she must still be dreaming. Her brain was a haze of sleep and disorientation, making it difficult to process why Maiko was standing at her door with a smile.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?—!" she blurted out, her voice a mix of disbelief and frustration.

Without waiting for a response, Maiko breezed past Agnes with an ease, stepping into the condo as if she did it every day. "I brought breakfast and coffee. Let's eat."

Agnes remained frozen in the doorway, her heart racing and her thoughts a jumble.

She watched as Maiko set the takeout containers on the kitchen counter. The contrast between Maiko's nonchalant demeanor and Agnes' tangled emotions from the night before was striking.

—The memory of the kiss, the unexpected warmth, and the awkwardness of their parting now seemed to blur in the face of Maiko's calm, almost oblivious attitude.

"Wait—" Agnes stammered, trying to regain her composure. "What's going on? Anong bang ginagawa mo dito? I—" She trailed off, unable to find the right words. Her mind was still replaying the kiss, the way Maiko had left her stunned and breathless.

Maiko turned, her expression a picture of innocent cheerfulness. "I thought we could start the day off right," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to drop by unexpectedly.

Agnes felt a pang of frustration and confusion. She had barely managed to fall asleep after their intense and emotional evening, and now Maiko was here, acting as if the kiss was just another part of their daily routine.

Agnes' frustration boiled over. "Ano? Start the day off right?—!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Ulo mo! Do you have any idea what time it is? And after last night—"

Maiko's eyes widened as Agnes suddenly threw her arms up in exasperation. "Dati ka bang siraulo, hA?" Agnes shouted, her face red with a mix of anger.