"Grabe, 'di ko talaga gets bakit si MJ at si Aiah ang magka-tandem ngayon sa Arceta-Lim!" Maloi exclaimed, her voice filling the café with the dramatic flair she was known for. She was gesturing wildly with her straw, as if the mere thought of Aiah and MJ working together was too much to handle.
"Ano bang akala mo? Palibhasa naman, 'di sila bagay, e! Parang sinampal mo ng kape si Aiah, tapos si MJ—well, si MJ naman parang walking morning hangover!" JR chimed in, his usual over-the-top expressions making everyone in their group laugh.
The six of them sat in their usual corner booth, having their weekly *gossip session*—something they were all secretly, but definitely, proud of. Every week, like clockwork, Maloi, Sheena, Gian, and JR would dissect the lives of their four former classmates: MJ, Aiah, Cole, and Stacey. Today's topic? The mysterious dynamic between MJ and Aiah.
"Eh bakit naman si Aiah pa yung COO ng Marketing? Parang papadulas lang siya sa mga escalator ng office, tapos sasabihin ni MJ, 'You're fired,'" Sheena joked, shimmying her shoulders like she was dancing one of her TikTok routines. "Seryoso, MJ looks like he hasn't smiled since the Marcos era."
Gian, ever the quiet one, simply nodded, barely hiding a smile as he listened to his friends' antics. But no one really paid much attention to him anyway—they were too busy roasting MJ and Aiah. *That* was their favorite pastime.
"At saka, ano? Alam niyo ba, ang lakas ng aura ni MJ kapag naglalakad siya sa office!" Maloi's voice dipped, mimicking MJ's serious, no-nonsense face as she furrowed her brows. "Kaya nga hindi ko gets kung paano siya naging ka-bestie ni Cole. Parang yin-yang na mali."
"Oo nga," JR interjected, his hands dramatically flying into the air. "Si Cole, kung 'di pa gumigiling sa club, hindi yata matutulog ng masaya!"
Everyone burst into laughter, Gian shaking his head slightly. JR's antics never failed.
Meanwhile, across town, MJ Lim—the very subject of their gossip—sat in his sleek office at Arceta-Lim Enterprises, reviewing finance reports with an expression that screamed *'Don't talk to me unless you have a serious reason.'* His phone buzzed, breaking his intense focus.
It was Cole.
"Bro, you alive? Or is your soul still stuck in your Excel sheet?" Cole teased, his voice loud and carefree even through the phone.
MJ grunted. "Anong kailangan mo?" he replied dryly, rubbing his temple.
"Nothing much, just thinking you could use a break... maybe stop looking like the lead actor in a zombie movie. Have you seen Aiah today?"
MJ rolled his eyes. "Yeah, nakita ko. She's being... herself. Too loud. Too perky. Too... everything."
"Aba, may compliment din pala galing sa'yo, bro! Impressed," Cole teased, clearly enjoying himself. "Pero seryoso, bro, give her a break. You two need to figure this out—she's Stacey's best friend, after all."
MJ's eyes narrowed at the mention of Stacey. His ex. The girl who used to be his world until... well, until they grew up.
"Don't bring Stacey into this," MJ grumbled. "Aiah's just... hindi ko vibe."
"Ah, so you *do* have feelings!" Cole cackled. "Feeling mo kasi, hindi mo siya kaya, bro. Golden retriever yan si Aiah—she'll wear you down eventually."
MJ sighed heavily, glancing at his wall where an old photo of him and Stacey hung. Their high school selves grinning, blissfully unaware of the chaos their friends would bring into their adult lives. "It's not about Stacey. I just don't trust Aiah. She's... too impulsive."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, bro," Cole replied, still amused. "But one day, baka magulat ka na lang. Aiah might be the fire your cold, icy heart needs."
Back at the café, Maloi leaned forward conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Alam niyo ba, hindi talaga 'yan si Aiah ang type ni MJ dati. Si Stacey talaga ang first love niya—"
"OMG!" JR shrieked. "Sinong hindi may alam niyan? That's old tea, sis!" He shook his head, throwing his hand up in exaggerated dismissal. "Pero alam mo, I just have this *feeling* na Aiah's gonna be the one to melt MJ's cold heart. It's the enemies-to-lovers trope, honey!"
Sheena cackled, almost spilling her iced coffee. "Omg! Tapos imagine mo si MJ—parang grumpy cat, tapos si Aiah yung sunshine na di nya maiwasan."
"Masyado kayong cheesy!" Maloi shot back, but there was a twinkle in her eye. "But sige, fine. I admit. Parang may something weird sa kanila. Alam mo yung tension na parang—"
"Ano yan, alam mo ba yun sa Titanic? 'You jump, I jump!' Pero si MJ, sa kanya, 'You jump... bahala ka sa buhay mo!'" JR quipped, sending everyone into fits of laughter again.
But as their giggling faded into comfortable silence, they all knew something was brewing between MJ and Aiah—something none of them could quite put a finger on yet.
Later that day, MJ was heading to the office canteen when he spotted Aiah from a distance. As usual, she was being loud, talking to one of the interns like she had known them for years, even though it was only their second day on the job.
He watched her for a moment—her golden-brown hair bouncing as she gestured animatedly, her wide smile lighting up her whole face. She looked so... happy. And for a split second, he felt a strange pang in his chest, something unfamiliar.
Then, as if sensing his gaze, Aiah turned to him, catching his eye. For a moment, their eyes locked. She grinned and waved enthusiastically.
"Hi, MJ!" she called out, her voice annoyingly cheerful.
MJ nodded stiffly and turned away, his face set in a deep frown. *What's with this girl?* he thought as he walked off. But as he stepped into the elevator, he couldn't quite shake the sound of her laughter ringing in his ears.
And that was the thing about Aiah—she had this way of sticking around, of making her presence known, whether he liked it or not.
And so began the story of MJ and Aiah—two people too stubborn to admit they were each other's kryptonite, while their friends, always watching from the sidelines, cheered them on with popcorn in hand.
