Flashback
"Ate? Nagluluto ka ba?"
Agad na napalingon si Myles sa gulat nang marinig niyang magsalita ang kaniyang nakababatang kapatid mula sa kaniyang likuran.
"'Wag ka namang nanggugulat, Geng!" Myles exclaimed, trying to recover from her shock.
"Ay! Sorry, ate! Pero nagluluto ka nga? Diba 'di ka marunong?"
Glenn wasn't wrong. It was, in fact, Myles's first time cooking. Which is a surprise for those who knew her, dahil never niyang naisip na mag-aral magluto. Myles had never even entertained the idea of stepping into the kitchen. Heck, she's even scared of opening stoves. So, what changed?
"A-ah..." Myles stammered, not knowing what to say to her younger sister. She tried to come up with something believable for Glenn, "Naisip ko lang na gawin since malapit naman na ko mag-18. Nakakahiya naman na hindi pa rin ako marunong magluto..."
Partly, Myles's excuse was indeed true. Closely reaching the stage of adulthood made her realize that perhaps it was time to learn something as basic as cooking. However, that wasn't the sole reason why she suddenly thought of trying to cook something. Something either she didn't want to admit or she wasn't sure of how to address to Glenn so soon.
Nalaman niya kasi sa mga kaibigan niya na isa sa mga tipo ni Max ang isang babaeng magaling magluto. Although they're already together, girlfriend na siya ni Myles, the latter still thought that it might give her extra girlfriend points if she learned how to cook for Max.
"Oh!" Glenn bought her lie, though, seemingly impressed by her older sister's statement, "That's good to know, ate! Looks like you're good at it naman!"
Myles's eyes lit up, "For real? Thank you, Glenn!"
Sa totoo lang, all Myles did was fry some eggs, frozen foods, which she also added in a few variations for her whole family to eat, and make fried rice. But for someone else to say that she's good at something she hasn't done before until now, it really warmed Myles's heart.
And it definitely gave her the assurance she needed as well for Max.
Flashback End
---
"Grabe, Ate Ya, anong nakain mo't nagluluto ka ng ibabaon ngayon?" Myles's younger sister questioned as she sat down by the dining table, hair still damped because she just finished showering.
Sumilip si Glenn mula sa balikat ni Myles, since mas matangkad siya, to check what her sibling's preparing. She was confused as to why her older sister's cooking something she never would've thought Myles would like.
"Since when did you like kimchi fried rice?" Glenn asked innocently and out of curiosity.
Myles clicked her tongue, not wanting to answer it for some reason. "None of your goddamn business." She responded, flipping the rice with slightly more aggression than necessary.
Glenn blinked and looked at her sister as if she's trying to confirm if she's really talking to Myles. Nagulat kasi siya dahil hindi naman gano'n kasungit sa kaniya si Myles kahit madalas silang away-bata.
"Kalma, Ate Ya. Red days mo ba? Sungit natin today ah."
Myles just groaned, rolling her eyes at her younger sister's teasing question, clearly not in the mood to have it today.
Kinuha niya ang lumang baunan, na hinugasan niya na kanina bago magluto, na madalas niyang gamitin noong high school pa lamang siya at nilagay dito ang niluto niyang pagkain. It felt weird to be packing lunch again, but today, it felt as if her body just wants to move on its own.
Though Glenn was still talking, Myles's mind wandered back to why she was cooking this particular dish. She didn't even like kimchi fried rice in the first place. But once Alex mentioned that Casey did, somehow, without even realizing it, Myles had been experiencing an endless loop of Alex's statement inside her head, to the point where she couldn't handle it any longer and just did as what her brain had told her.
Despite the fact na sinusungitan lang siya ni Myles ngayon, nangungulit pa rin si Glenn sa ate niya because she found her sister's actions suspicious.
"Feel ko may pinopormahan ka na ulit. Tama ako 'no?" Glenn teased, watching her older sister's unusually focused behavior.
Myles froze and couldn't answer. Kahit siya hindi niya alam kung bakit sobra siyang nage-effort kung gusto lang naman niyang ma-attract sa kaniya si Casey.
Or even the mere fact that, why did she even took note of what Alex told her about Casey liking kimchi fried rice?
Myles shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Geng."
"Oh?"
"Shut up ka muna minsan, 'no?"
---
Myles sighed as she walked by the hallways, her hands tightening around the lunch bag, where her lunchbox full of kimchi fried rice was in, that she was holding.
She now stood by the lockers, looking down at the pack of lunch she prepared. Ang tanging mga bagay na bumabagabag sa kaniyang isipan ay ang mga tanong na: Bakit ko nga ba ginagawa ito? Why did it matter so much so suddenly? Ano pa bang pinapatunayan ko sa ginagawa ko?
Myles shook her head, trying to remove the thought of it inside her mind, especially the last one. Everything's just to prove herself right to her best friend, Jamie, nothing else; As she's like to convince herself.
Bago pa man kung saan-saan mapunta ang isipan ni Myles, nakita niya sila Casey at ang kaniyang mga kaibigan, sina Sky at Sheila, na papunta sa kaniyang direksiyon.
Myles immediately fixed her composure and leaned against the lockers, playing it cool and readying herself to interact with Casey to execute her plan.
Casey, on the other hand, has no clue that Myles's present by the locker area. Pero, as soon as she gotten closer, she was immediately approached by the latter, who offered her the lunch bag she was holding, much to the former's surprise.
"Here, Casey. For you." Myles stated, trying to sound genuine, letting out her signature smirk.
"Ano na naman 'to, Myles?" Tanong ni Casey ka'gad as soon as inabot sa kaniya Myles ang baunan niya, seemingly annoyed that she'd get to interact with the well-known player once again just as soon as she entered their university's building.
"I heard and found out na you like kimchi fried rice, so I made it for you. Baka 'pag natikman mo luto ko, asawahin mo ko bigla." Sagot ni Myles the smug smirk not leaving her face.
Sa bandang gilid ay kinikilig ang mga kaibigan ni Casey, habang siya naman ay napatitig nang saglit sa hawak na baunan ni Myles.
Casey scoffed and chuckled out of amusement. "Ibang klase. Talagang gagawin mo lahat para lang magustuhan ka 'no?"
Myles playfully shrugged, acting innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about. Pero if you fall, that's not on me na." She winked.
An idea popped inside Casey's head, which sent a mischievous smile on her lips. Casey gratefully and 'sincerely' took the lunch box from Myles's hand.
"Thanks, Myles. Don't worry, makakabalik sa'yo baunan mo." Casey assured before walking away with her friends trailing behind her.
As Myles watched Casey walk away with her friends, she couldn't help but feel a sense of victory. This made the Myles cheer from the inside, thinking that her plan finally worked.
From a distance, a certain someone's watching the whole scene unfold in front of her very own eyes. She let out a small smile and thought,
"So, you went along with what I said, huh? Interesting..."
***
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After All There Was You || Macolet AU
Fanfiction["Musika" Full length AU] Having been cheated on by her girlfriend, whom she was together with for 5 years, Myles (🐼) becomes a player, targeting feminine women's hearts as her way of taking revenge and pouring her rage out. Not until a transferee...
