Can't find way out ASHA

Overtime

It was one of those nights—overtime on a Friday—where all I wanted was to crawl into bed, read BL, and maybe binge a K-drama or two. Pero hindi, kailangan magtrabaho. Our team was stuck finishing plans for this big project. Exhausted na ako, but sige, fighting! Keri lang, Asha. Kaya mo 'to.

I had already called Joana to tell her I’d be late. “Sige, Jo, mauna ka nang mag dinner, okay lang ako.” But deep down, huhu, sad.

“Asha, gusto mo ng kape?” asked Ate Carla, popping her head into the room.

“Sure, Ate! Baka matulog ako dito kung wala.” I flashed her a tired smile. She left, and then—oh no—na-realize ko. Kyle and I were alone in the room. Just us. Si Mr. One Night Stand King at si Miss Embarrassment Queen.

At first, I was like, Ay sus, eto na naman si Kyle. Gosh, baka ma-lecture nanaman ako tungkol sa pagiging "relax." But surprisingly, he was kinda... chill? We even cracked a few jokes, those classic corny Pinoy ones na nakakalito kung matatawa ka o magrereklamo ka. Still, I found myself laughing—mostly dahil parehong sabog na kami sa pagod.

“Seryoso, Asha,” Kyle said with a teasing grin, flipping through some documents. “Bakit hindi ka pa rin nananalo sa ‘best-dressed employee’ award? Feeling ko, ang effort mo every day parang pang-artista na!”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh. “Ewan ko sayo, Kyle! I'm just trying to look decent! Pero pwede din akong ‘employee of the month’ kung ang basihan ay effort sa pagpapakilig kay Jino!”

Kyle smirked. “Ah, oo nga. Ikaw na! With your high-energy document deliveries and those super subtle stares, malamang ikaw na next sa leaderboard ng mga crush niya.”

I was mid-laugh when—oh no, eto na si Mr. Chinito!

Jino stepped out of his office, his glare cold enough to freeze a room. Shems, natakot ako bigla. Bakit parang galit? He walked over, and I immediately straightened up like a soldier under inspection. Focus, Asha. Focus.

“This is work, not a club,” Jino said, voice low, ice-cold, sending shivers down my spine. Galit-galit mode si Sir today, huh?

Kyle, as if totally unfazed, just grinned. “Relax, bro. Nagbi-break lang kami. Masyadong seryoso, baka magka-wrinkles ka niyan.”

Oh no, Kyle, nooooo! I wanted to melt into the floor. I mean, was he really poking the iceberg?

Jino’s eyes narrowed. “Tension? Maybe if you actually worked, you’d know what that feels like.”

Ay, personalan na ‘to? I suddenly wished I could just evaporate. Poof! Bye, Asha!

Kyle, still being Kyle, raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so serious! What’s up? Work ba ‘to, or… are we still talking about Claire?”

Wait, wait, wait. Bakit may Claire na na-involve?! Kaloka!

Jino’s jaw clenched, and I swear, I saw the temperature drop by five degrees. “Don’t bring her into this.”

But Kyle was clearly having fun. “Ah, come on, Jino. You know she’s waiting for you tonight, right? Gusto ka na niyang makita.”

Jino’s expression darkened even more. “At least I’m not bouncing from girl to girl every other weekend, Kyle. You have no room to talk.”

I was just standing there, blinking, trying to pretend like I was super focused on some random blueprint, pero deep down I was like, Lord, wag niyo po akong idamay sa giyera ng dalawang to!

Thankfully, Ate Carla and the others came back with trays of coffee, breaking the tension. Praise the heavens! Jino shot Kyle one last glare before walking back into his office, still looking like a hot-but-angry anime villain.

Kyle let out a low whistle. “Well, that escalated quickly.” He turned to me with a grin. “Sorry about that, Asha.”

I just blinked. “Uh... yeah. Okay lang. Pero... you guys are cousins, right?”

Kyle laughed, shrugging. “Yeah, cousins. We just... have different styles.”

“Uh-huh...” I mumbled, still recovering from the near-death experience.

He gave me a pat on the shoulder before heading back to his work, pero ako? I just stood there, staring at Jino’s door, wondering, Lord, ano bang ginawa ko at nadamay ako sa drama ng mga De Jesus cousins?

With a deep sigh, I sipped my coffee and sank back into my chair. No hope, Asha. Wala ka talagang pag-asa kay Jino. Cold, distant... and now he probably thinks I’m a clown na lang after all that laughing with Kyle.

I tried to focus on the documents in front of me, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Jino’s glare of doom. Kilig... bakit ka nandito?  Even when he’s mad, hala, bakit pa rin siya pogi?

Kyle noticed me zoning out again and leaned over. “So, Asha,” he began, that teasing tone back in his voice. “Do you think Jino practices that cold, intense glare in the mirror? Or is it just natural?”

I stifled a laugh, shaking my head. “I don’t know, Kyle. Baka inborn na yan? Like, may talent siya sa pagiging intense?”

Kyle snorted. “Nah, it’s more like ‘Jino-ness.’ He’s like a walking anime character. All brooding and mysterious.”

I rolled my eyes. “More like a walking nightmare after kanina. Did you see how angry he was? Nakakatakot kaya.”

Kyle gave me a knowing smirk. “Yeah, but admit it, Asha. That’s your type, right? The cold, mysterious guy who secretly has a soft side?”

Uy, grabe naman ‘to si Kyle! I threw a piece of paper at him. “Don’t make me hit you with this blueprint!”

He laughed, raising his hands. “Hey, I’m just saying! You’re practically swooning every time he walks into a room.”

Okay fine, guilty. But I wasn’t about to admit that. “That’s... not true!” I mumbled defensively, flipping through the blueprints like my life depended on it. “I just... admire his work ethic, okay?”

Kyle leaned back in his chair, looking far too pleased with himself. “Uh-huh. Sure. That’s why you get all shy and awkward around him. Classic K-drama leading lady moves, Asha. Do you stare out the window dramatically when he’s not around too?”

I swatted at him with a rolled-up paper. “Kyle! Tumigil ka nga! Walang kilig moment when he’s always mad at me!”

Kyle chuckled, pretending to think. “Well, maybe if you trip and fall into his arms next time, he’ll have no choice but to notice you. O kaya, elevator breakdown moment? Classic kilig setup.”

I groaned, trying not to laugh at his ridiculousness. “Kyle, please. Focus na tayo sa trabaho.”

But of course, he wasn’t done. “Or... what if I tell him you’re secretly crushing on him? Then we’ll see if there’s a late-night work scenario... with candlelight, maybe?”

I gasped and whacked him on the arm. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Kyle just grinned wider. “Relax, I won’t. But honestly, the way you look at him? It's like you're starring in your own personal Wattpad story. Intense eye contact, shy glances, awkward smiles.” He mimicked an exaggerated swoon, clutching his chest dramatically.

Ano ba yan, Kyle! But deep down, hala, tama siya. My life was basically one long Wattpad daydream. But was I gonna admit that? No way!