Ikigai ; Jeremiah Ong

High Tides and Heartbreaks

A/N: I'm in the mood to try and write this story in English. Pls bear with me.
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Why did I think this trip was a good idea? That was literally the only thing running through my mind as I stared out at the ocean, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. Palawan was supposed to be my escape, my little slice of paradise where I could forget about all the drama back in Manila. But nah, the universe had other plans.

And by "other plans," I mean Jeo Ong.

Yes, that Jeo Ong. The one from the Ong Fam. The one who basically owns Palawan with his vlogs. The one whose smile makes you forget how to breathe for like two whole seconds.

But let me backtrack a bit. So, I came here thinking I could just vibe, maybe meet some cute locals, and finally get my tan on. But instead, I literally bumped into Jeo at some lowkey café, and I swear I almost dropped my iced coffee. He was just... there, looking all perfect and chill, and I was standing there like an idiot.

I tried to play it cool, obviously. "OMG, you're Jeo, right? From the Ong Fam?" Classic line, right? But inside, I was freaking out because how do you talk to someone you've been lowkey crushing on for like, ever?

To my surprise, he was super nice. Like, he didn't even act like a big-shot vlogger. We started talking, and before I knew it, he offered to show me around Palawan. I was like, "Is this real life?" But of course, I said yes because who wouldn't?

And yeah, things were great. We hung out almost every day, exploring these secret spots he knew about that made me feel like I was in a movie or something. But the more time we spent together, the harder it got to ignore the fact that I was catching serious feelings. And I thought—maybe, just maybe—he felt the same.

Except, there was one problem. Her.

He didn't talk about her a lot, but when he did, I could see it in his eyes. The way they'd get all sad and distant. He never said her name, but I knew. She was the one who had his heart, and I was just... here.

So, tonight, as we were walking on the beach, the sky all orange and pretty, I decided to just go for it. I couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay. I couldn't keep pretending that I was fine just being his "friend."

"Jeo," I started, my voice kinda shaky. He turned to me, looking all concerned and stuff. Ugh, this was harder than I thought.

"I can't do this anymore," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this," I said, gesturing between us. "I can't keep pretending that I'm okay with just being your friend, knowing that you're thinking about someone else. It's breaking my heart, Jeo."

The silence that followed was so loud, it was almost deafening. He looked down, and I could see the guilt all over his face.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered, and I almost hated how soft his voice was. Almost.

"I know," I replied, feeling the tears start to sting my eyes. "But you are. And it's not your fault, but I can't keep doing this. I can't keep hoping that maybe, somehow, you'll choose me."

For a second, I thought he was gonna say something, anything to stop me from walking away. But when he looked up at me, all I saw was regret.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick. "You deserve someone who can give you their whole heart... and right now, mine is still with her."

And that was it. My heart officially shattered into a million tiny pieces.

I nodded, because what else could I do? The tears were falling now, but I didn't care. I turned around and started walking away, even though every step felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind.

I didn't look back. I couldn't. If I did, I knew I'd never be able to leave.

And as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, I realized that sometimes, love wasn't enough. Sometimes, you have to let go, even if it kills you inside.

So yeah, Palawan was supposed to be my escape, but it ended up being the place where my heart broke for real. I guess that's just how life works sometimes, huh?