It was a quiet evening in BGC, the city lights twinkling like stars as people casually strolled around. But for *The Chizmozas*—Maloi, Sheena, Gian, and JR—this was not just another ordinary night. They had a mission.
"Okay, okay, there they are!" Maloi whispered excitedly, peeking through the potted plants outside Wildflour, her eyes locked on the couple seated inside. The four of them were gathered just outside the restaurant, crouching slightly behind a bush as if they were in some sort of secret spy operation. Sheena was trying her best to stay still, though she couldn't help but wiggle with excitement.
"Oh my god, ang sweet nila! Look, look, nagha-holding hands sila across the table!" Sheena whispered-shouted, her voice full of *kilig*.
JR, on the other hand, couldn't contain himself. "Girl, ang cute nila! Parang commercial ng toothpaste! Tignan mo yung ngiti!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Shhh!" Gian finally spoke, his first real input of the evening. As always, he was calm and composed, though his eyes were just as locked on the couple as everyone else's. "Baka marinig tayo."
From their spot, they had the perfect view of the two sitting across from each other, totally absorbed in their own little world. The way the two of them laughed softly and shared inside jokes was enough to make *The Chizmozas* swoon in unison.
"Look at that! Omg! *Nag-share pa ng bread*!" Maloi gasped dramatically, her hands clutching her chest like she was about to faint. "Sana all!"
The couple was oblivious to the group's spying, which only made the whole thing even sweeter. As the four of them watched, the two leaned in close, chatting as if no one else in the world existed. Every so often, the guy would reach across the table to brush a stray hair from the girl's face or hold her hand a little tighter, and the girl would smile back, eyes shining with affection.
Sheena's eyes widened. "Uy, kita mo yun? Grabe, he's looking at her like she's the last piece of cake sa buffet!" She nearly squealed with excitement.
JR giggled. "More like siya yung kape na nagpapabuhay sa araw niya, girl! Ang intense ng titigan!"
"Ugh, grabe, nakakainis sila. Ang sweet nila!" Maloi fake-pouted, but she was clearly loving every moment. "Parang telenovela. Tapos tayo yung mga supporting characters lang na nasa background."
The couple continued their meal, smiling and talking, occasionally feeding each other bites from their plates. It was too perfect. Too romantic. *Too chismis-worthy.*
After about an hour of eating and laughing, the couple stood up to leave. The four friends, suddenly aware that their mission wasn't over, scrambled to follow discreetly.
"Uy, aalis na sila!" Maloi whispered as she tried to balance herself in her high heels, wobbling slightly on the cobblestones outside the restaurant. "Quick! Magtago tayo sa likod ng mga poste!"
Sheena nodded energetically, holding onto her phone like a secret agent waiting for instructions. "Saan kaya sila pupunta next? I feel like may susunod pang sweet moment!"
JR, equally thrilled, was already walking ahead of the group, using his tall frame to peek over the crowd. "Baka naman mag-coffee date pa! Or baka... *ice cream*!" he said, his eyes lighting up at the thought.
They all trailed after the couple, trying to remain inconspicuous as they walked through Bonifacio High Street. Sure enough, just as JR had predicted, the two lovebirds wandered into an ice cream shop.
"*OMG, tama ka JR!* Ice cream nga!" Maloi hissed, watching as the couple made their selections. "Grabe, parang hindi totoo yung kilig ko. *Parang sa movie talaga!*"
From the glass window, *The Chizmozas* watched as the couple giggled, choosing their flavors. The guy picked a cone with something chocolatey, while the girl opted for something colorful—probably a fruit-based flavor, judging by the bright colors. They looked so carefree, like two kids in love. The guy handed the girl her cone with a smile that could melt anyone's heart, and in return, the girl leaned in and gave him a playful bite of his own ice cream.
"*AAAANG CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!*" JR mouthed silently, his hands shaking from excitement. He was gripping the collar of his shirt like he was witnessing the most intense scene from a romcom.
"Bro, they're feeding each other! Seryoso ba 'to?! *Parang gusto ko na mag-text kay God, asking for an explanation why walang ganito sa buhay ko!*" Maloi whined, her eyes glued to the scene. "Why do they look so perfect together?!"
As the couple walked out of the ice cream shop, hand-in-hand again, happily licking their cones, *The Chizmozas* stayed close behind, keeping enough distance to not be spotted but still close enough to observe every tiny detail.
JR nudged Maloi, his eyes wide with glee. "Grabe, 'di ko kinaya yun! Nagpalit sila ng ice cream tapos pinatikim pa yung isa't-isa. Ganun pala ang lablayp, no? Kailangan pala mag-exchange ng ice cream."
Maloi groaned dramatically, shaking her head. "Grabe, this is too much! Parang Netflix series in real life! Tapos tayo yung mga die-hard fans na laging nag-aabang ng bagong episode."
Sheena, who had been practically vibrating from excitement, finally let out a dreamy sigh. "Sana *all* talaga! They're so natural! *I can't even!*"
Gian, the ever-silent observer, simply nodded along, though there was a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
As the couple continued to stroll through the streets of BGC, occasionally stopping to take in the evening air, the group followed them, their excitement building with every passing second. The couple held hands as they walked, sharing quiet conversations between bites of ice cream. They laughed softly, nudging each other like they were in on some private joke.
"*Omg, sweet nila, hindi ko kaya!*" Sheena whispered, clutching her chest as if her heart couldn't handle it anymore.
"*Hayup, parang giniling yung puso ko sa sobrang kilig,*" JR said, fanning himself dramatically.
Eventually, the couple reached the parking area where their cars were waiting. Maloi, Sheena, Gian, and JR crept behind a nearby row of parked vehicles, trying their best to stay hidden while still watching the couple's every move.
Then, in what seemed like the final scene of their romantic movie, the couple turned toward each other. The guy reached for the girl's face, gently cupping her cheek. The girl, with a soft smile, stood on her tiptoes and closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a tender kiss.
For a good minute, they stood there, locked in each other's embrace, their kiss soft and lingering, like they were savoring every second. When they finally pulled away, the guy leaned his forehead against hers, whispering something neither Maloi, Sheena, JR, nor Gian could hear—but they didn't need to.
The girl smiled up at him, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She said something back, and the guy's face broke into a grin. They exchanged a final, heartfelt "I love you," before parting ways, each heading to their respective cars.
As the two cars sped off, the group of friends finally let out the breaths they didn't realize they had been holding.
"*Gagsti!*" Maloi exclaimed, her eyes wide and her hand pressed to her chest. "*Worth it yung sakit ng paa natin kakalakad ha!*"
"*Girl, true!*" Sheena agreed, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow. "*Busog ang chizmoza heart ko! I mean, grabe talaga, parang telenovela yung buong date nila. Sana everyday ganito na lang ang trabaho ko!*"
"*OMG, sila pala!*" JR added, his voice full of awe. "*I can't believe it! Ganun pala magmahal ang couple na 'to! Ang sweet nila parang gusto ko na rin ng ganitong drama sa buhay ko!*"
Gian, ever the quiet one, just smiled to himself as the rest of them buzzed with excitement.
It had been a successful night of *chismis*, and as they slowly made their way back to their own cars, their hearts were filled with a mix of kilig and satisfaction, knowing that they had just witnessed one of the sweetest love stories unfold before their very eyes.
And for *The Chizmozas*, it was definitely a mission well worth all the effort.
