Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (English)

Chapter 04 - Welcome back

May 01, 2019, Later that Night

Odyssey's hands trembled as he waited at the ticket booth of Mactan Cebu International Airport, his patience fraying with every second. He tried to stay calm, but his voice inevitably rose when the attendant told him there were no seats available on the next flight. Like it was their fault.

Desperate, he offered to book a business class ticket on the spot, just so he could get on that plane. From an agitated customer, he transformed into someone practically begging for a seat. He was on the verge of getting on his knees. The attendant even asked if he was sure he wanted business class for a flight that lasted barely an hour.

"I'll take it. Hell, I'll take a cargo seat if I have to. Just please, let me get to Manila," he muttered, barely recognizing his own voice. It had been years since he last sounded this vulnerable. And he couldn't believe it was happening again—showing his vulnerable side in an airport. Just like that moment in 2013, when he was about to leave the country. The memory of that day made him shut his eyes tightly, as if the pain of it could be blocked out.

"Mr. Lee, here's your ticket. Please hurry to the gate. The Airbus 321 will be departing shortly. Do you have any baggage with you?" the attendant asked.

Odyssey shook his head and walked briskly toward the departure area. At first, he was walking fast, but before he knew it, he was running—sprinting through the airport to catch the service that would take him to the tarmac, where the plane to Manila was waiting.

He had no suitcase, no real plan. All he carried was a thousand-peso bill and his credit cards.

As he sat in his designated seat, he tried—tried so hard—not to reach for his phone. It hadn't been obvious earlier at the conference dinner, but the moment he saw the look on Eli's face, he had sensed something was up.

Maybe he had conditioned himself not to expect too much from life, which was why he didn't immediately jump to conclusions. But really, the last time he'd seen that same harried expression on Eli's face was also the last time Lee went missing.

Odyssey didn't want to relive that day, but his mind wandered back to it, painfully clear in his memory.

May 03, 2012

"Is everyone here?"

Odyssey barely heard his younger brother Perci speaking. He was too busy trying to reach Lee, who still wasn't answering her phone.

"Kuya, you didn't even check your luggage back at the house. You might've forgotten your files! You've been restless since last night!"

"I checked last night. I'm just calling your ate Lee. She's not answering. Maybe she overslept again. I told you we should've passed by her place before heading straight here," Odyssey snapped.

"It's out of the way, and besides, Ate Lee has been saying for the past week that you'd meet her here. For God's sake, Kuya, you're practically going to live together in Singapore. You can stand being apart for a few minutes," Perci replied, trying to be reasonable.

But that's exactly what had been bothering Odyssey. Throughout high school, Lee had never wanted to be apart from him—not once. It had been annoying at first, her constant presence. She was always there, no matter where he went, and it was a major nuisance. But over time, she grew on him. Grew in his heart. Eventually, he came to accept that wherever he was, Lee would be there too. It was like something was missing if she wasn't around. She was a shameless, irreplaceable enhancement in his life.

She'd even told him she'd never get tired of being with him.

But in the past few days, something had shifted. Odyssey knew something had happened that caused a small detachment between them. It was awkward, sure, but he figured it would resolve itself quickly. Lee hadn't made a big deal out of it—or so he thought. She'd been less clingy than usual. He chalked it up to the stress of moving away from her family as they prepared to relocate to Singapore for four years.