The air in the sleek boardroom of their management office buzzed with an electric energy. The Bini girls had just wrapped up a successful week of promotions, but today wasn't about their usual group activities. The spotlight was on something—or rather, *someone*—else entirely. As the girls shuffled into their seats around the long table, a couple of them couldn't help but smirk, eyes flickering between Mikha and Aiah, who sat awkwardly at opposite ends of the table.
"Aba, parang malayo yung distance ng MikhAiah ngayon ah," Sheena teased as she plopped down beside Stacey, the two exchanging conspiratorial glances.
Stacey, never one to miss out on a chance to poke fun, raised her eyebrows. "Oo nga, Sheena. Usually sila ang magkasama sa lahat ng pictures, pero ngayon parang... sosyal-distancing?" She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
Aiah shot her a quick *'wag na kayong magulo'* look while Mikha nervously adjusted her posture, clearly hearing every word. The tension between them had been palpable ever since their jog at the UP Sunken Garden. Their chemistry was undeniable—everyone in the room could see it—but to Aiah and Mikha, this was nothing short of *awkward*.
"Okay, okay, quiet na," Jhoanna, their leader, said with a mock-serious tone as the last few members of Bini settled into their seats. "I think we all know why we're here, di ba?" She winked knowingly in Mikha and Aiah's direction, causing a ripple of laughter to echo through the room.
Aiah's face flushed. *Oh my God, pataposin nyo na 'to, please,* she thought, burying her face in her hands for a moment. Beside her, Gwen was busy trying to stifle a giggle while scrolling through her phone, no doubt reading tweets from their ever-curious fans.
Just then, their manager, Direk Lauren, entered the room, bringing the meeting to order. He was in high spirits, his grin wide as he set his laptop down on the table. "Girls! First off, congratulations on another successful week. But, more importantly—" He paused dramatically, casting a glance between Mikha and Aiah. "The *MikhAiah* chemistry is a hit!"
At his words, the whole room erupted in teasing "oohs" and "ahhs," with several of the girls breaking into laughter. Aiah shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her eyes darting toward Mikha who looked just as unsure.
"Oh no, here we go," Aiah muttered under her breath, barely catching Mikha's quick, nervous glance.
"Seriously though," Direk Lauren continued, opening his laptop and projecting a slide onto the screen. "The feedback from your latest 'jogging date' has been overwhelmingly positive. The fans are loving it! I have to say, your chemistry—intentional or not—is generating a lot of buzz. Twitter, TikTok, Instagram—they're all blowing up with comments about you two."
Gwen, who couldn't resist any longer, raised her phone in the air. "Naku, tingnan niyo 'to, guys!" she exclaimed, opening the Twitter app and scrolling through the trending hashtag. "#MikhAiahJoggingGoals is trending. Ang dami nilang memes, girl!"
Stacey leaned over to peek at Gwen's screen. "Basahin mo na yan, basahin mo!" she urged, her grin widening.
Gwen cleared her throat dramatically before reading aloud:
"'MikhAiah's jogging sesh is giving me all the kilig vibes! Kahit awkward sila, bagay pa rin. OMG #MikhAiahEndgame'"
The whole room broke into laughter again. Aiah covered her face with both hands, laughing nervously, while Mikha tried to hide her own grin behind her fingers. The awkwardness was becoming more apparent with each passing second, but somehow, amidst all the teasing, there was a warmth growing—something familiar.
"Hoy, Gwen, basahin mo pa yung iba!" Sheena urged, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Sige na, basag na 'tong moment, tuloy na natin."
Gwen swiped through her phone, chuckling before reading the next tweet. "'Why is Mikha looking at Aiah like she's the reason she wakes up every morning? Kahit takbo lang, may love story na! #MikhAiahInMyHeart'"
The room erupted again, and this time even Jhoanna, their usually composed leader, doubled over in laughter. Aiah and Mikha exchanged quick, mortified glances before looking away just as fast.
"Uy, parang may kilig ha?" Jhoanna teased. "Baka naman may hindi pa kayo sinasabi sa amin, hmm?"
Aiah shook her head furiously. "Nako, wala! As in wala talaga!" she protested, her hands flailing in mock desperation.
"Oo nga," Mikha added, her voice quieter but no less nervous. "It's just... for work." She couldn't even finish the sentence without a small, self-conscious laugh escaping her lips.
Sheena wiggled her eyebrows. "Hmm, just for work daw. Pero sabi ng fans, 'di nila maramdaman na *just for work* 'yung *look* niyo sa isa't isa."
Maloi, who had been sitting back quietly for most of the meeting, chimed in with a grin, "Oo nga, Mikha, may look ka nga daw. 'Yung *look na*—as they say—*punong-puno ng pag-ibig.*" She gestured dramatically with her hand over her chest.
The laughter this time was uncontrollable, with even Direk Lauren chuckling at the playful banter. "Alright, alright, girls, let's keep it professional," he said, barely managing to hold back his own grin. "But in all seriousness, we're seeing a real uptick in engagement thanks to this chemistry. The fanbase has doubled down on their support for MikhAiah."
He clicked on another slide, revealing a graph with numbers shooting upwards. "Look at this. Social media interactions have gone up by 40% since the release of your jogging photos and videos. The response has been nothing short of phenomenal."
"Grabe!" Colet exclaimed, her eyes widening at the numbers. "That's huge!"
"Yeah," Direk Lauren continued, "and the management team is thinking of building on this momentum." He paused, his eyes glancing meaningfully between Mikha and Aiah again. "Which means more public appearances as a duo."
Mikha froze. Aiah tensed. Both their minds raced at the same time, feeling the weight of what was being suggested.
"More *dates* daw," Jhoanna said in a singsong voice, not missing a beat.
"Wooo! MikhAiah for life!" Sheena cheered, pumping her fist in the air, making everyone laugh again.
Aiah swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "Um, Direk," she started, her voice hesitant. "About that... parang... medyo—"
"Medyo awkward?" Mikha finished for her, surprising even herself. She turned to Aiah with a soft, apologetic smile, and the two of them shared a brief, honest moment of understanding.
The room fell into a brief, surprised silence as the girls exchanged knowing looks. The tension was thick between them, but it wasn't the kind of tension that made you want to look away. It was the kind that made everyone lean in closer, wanting to know more.
Jhoanna, ever the peacemaker, quickly spoke up to diffuse the situation. "You know, guys, maybe we're pushing them too much. Let's give MikhAiah some space to figure things out. Right?" she said, her tone playful but laced with sincerity.
Direk Lauren nodded thoughtfully, picking up on the undercurrent. "You're right, Jhoanna. The chemistry is there, but we don't want to push anything that isn't comfortable for either of you."
Mikha and Aiah both let out small sighs of relief. Maybe this wasn't going to be as overwhelming as it seemed.
Just as things seemed to be winding down, Gwen piped up again, holding her phone high. "Oh wait, meron pa!" she exclaimed, stifling a laugh. "Listen to this one: 'MikhAiah jogging together is the healing content we didn't know we needed! Sana all may jogging buddy na cute.'"
This time, Aiah laughed genuinely, the awkwardness momentarily forgotten. "Sana all," she echoed, shaking her head as the laughter around her continued. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.
Mikha caught Aiah's eye, and for a brief second, the two shared a look of mutual amusement—and maybe, just maybe, something more. Whatever that look meant, neither of them knew for sure, but it was enough to carry them through the teasing, the awkwardness, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
For now, it was just them, the Bini girls, and the steady hum of laughter in the room.
