Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (English)

Chapter 03 - Every fiber of my being

"Just relax, relax," Mizzy said as she and Lee sat in the car, noticing her friend clutching the sides of her thighs. Even though they hadn't seen each other in a while, she knew this gesture well—it was Lee's tell, the sign she was way past stressed.

"I just need to find Julius Javier, beg him to meet with my boss. That's it. After that, I can leave."

"Wow, you're really leaving me there."

Lee could only give her an apologetic glance.

"As you said, Odyssey isn't going to be there, so just relax. You got this. Stop fidgeting or you'll rip that dress with all your scratching."

Lee glanced at her hand. She hadn't even noticed her own fidgeting. But it wasn't just Odyssey weighing on her mind. Other than Mizzy, no one knew that for all the years she skipped the reunions, it wasn't because she just didn't want to go. Although she was generally calmer now, compared to the old days when her emotions were written all over her face, she couldn't shake the nerves at the thought of facing everyone she had left behind. Everyone who used to matter so much to her.

She could only hope they wouldn't recognize her before she could find Julius Javier.

"Seems like you've gotten even slimmer, Lee. That maxi dress of yours looks even looser."

"N-not really..."

"Just don't go full skeletal, okay? You look great—like a model."

"You're too much." Lee gave a faint smile.

Mizzy felt a pang of sadness. If this had been back then, their conversation would have turned into witty banter by now. Lee was always funny, fun to be around. She was sharp and knew how to keep things from getting boring. It's how she melted Odyssey's ice-cold heart back then, with that charm of hers.

But things were different now.

If she didn't nod, she'd just give short, clipped answers. Mizzy couldn't help herself—she suddenly hugged Lee tightly, even startling her own driver. She wasn't usually this clingy, but she felt that Lee needed all the love and comfort in the world right now.

"Miz?"

"No matter what, Lee, I'll always be here for you. If Julius turns you down and your boss really does fire you, I'll take care of you. I swear I'll fatten you up! You don't need to worry, I got you." Mizzy's eyes glistened with tears.

"I'll do my best..."

"And if you succeed, promise me you'll never leave Manila again?"

"I'm just around..."

Mizzy wanted to scream. Everything Lee said was so vague, like she was still planning to disappear again. But Mizzy couldn't force her to stay. She just hugged her friend tighter, hoping to make her presence felt even more.

"We're here," Mizzy's driver said.

"We're here already?!" Mizzy couldn't believe it as she checked her watch. The reunion was set to start at 7 PM. Given the usual Filipino time, the crowd probably wouldn't arrive until 8:00 or 8:30 PM. But here they were, a full ten minutes before 6 PM.

"Why are we so early?!" She turned to Lee.

"S-sorry..."

At the same time in Cebu, the welcome reception for the Science Research Conference Series had just wrapped up, which Odyssey, Eli, and Dani attended. They had arrived earlier that morning to explore the city, though Odyssey opted to sleep, much to Dani's disappointment. So, she and Eliseo ended up wandering around before the 4-5 PM conference registration.