After a long day at UST, Andrea felt the familiar ache in her shoulders and the need for a quiet space away from the bustling campus and SSG responsibilities. Her family home, though modest compared to the grandeur of the Hongs', was a comforting retreat filled with warmth and quirky charm—a charm that mostly came from her older brother, Hunter, and his rather... eccentric habits.
When Andrea entered the front door, she didn't even have to call out to know where he was. Sure enough, the unmistakable sound of water splashing came from the kitchen.
"Kuya?" she called, slipping off her shoes and making her way through the living room.
The sight that greeted her at the kitchen sink made her stifle a laugh. There was Hunter, leaning over the sink with an intense expression, carefully tilting his tiger plushie toward the faucet, as if the stuffed animal had a real need for hydration.
"Kuya, seryoso ka ba d'yan?" Andrea said, raising an eyebrow.
Hunter looked up, unfazed by her amusement. "Andrea, ang init kanina! Halata mo namang uhaw na si Tiggy."
"Kuya, alam mong hindi siya totoong tiger, 'di ba?" She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe.
"Alam ko naman!" he replied defensively, though his actions suggested otherwise. "Pero isipin mo, kung may tigre tayo sa bahay, kailangan niya ng inumin 'pag ganito kainit. Kaya nga si Tiggy muna practice ko."
Andrea chuckled, shaking her head. "Minsan talaga, Kuya... parang kailangan mo na rin yata ng meds, hindi lang 'yung mga patient mo."
Hunter straightened up, cradling Tiggy with care. "Fine, laugh all you want. Pero balang araw, magkakaroon ako ng tunay na tigre."
Andrea couldn't help but smile at her brother's enthusiasm. His love for tigers wasn't just a passing interest; it was a full-blown obsession. Their house was filled with tiger figurines, tiger-themed blankets, and, of course, the countless plushies like Tiggy. It was a unique trait that had become so ingrained in their household that she hardly noticed it anymore—until moments like this.
"Well, I hope sa future home mo mangyayari 'yan, Kuya," she teased. "Ayoko naman ng tunay na tigre dito sa bahay."
Hunter laughed, carefully patting Tiggy's head dry with a towel. "Hindi mo pa kasi gets ang magic ng pagiging obsessed sa isang bagay. Ikaw, do you even have something na ganito ka-passionate?"
Andrea thought for a moment, feeling a pang of uncertainty. Sure, she loved her art, but seeing Hunter's wild dedication always made her question if she had something she felt the same way about.
"Well, maybe wala pa," she admitted. "Pero I'm getting there, Kuya. May mga bagay na mas importante sa akin ngayon, like SSG at mga projects sa Fine Arts."
Hunter nodded thoughtfully, setting Tiggy aside on the counter. "Basta, make sure na 'pag nahanap mo 'yan, hindi mo bibitawan. Kahit gaano pa ka-weird, ha?"
"Promise, Kuya," she replied, smiling. "Pero sana hindi naman kasing-weird ni Tiggy."
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They both laughed, a familiar warmth filling the kitchen as Andrea started to prepare a snack for herself. As she moved around the kitchen, Hunter casually leaned against the counter, watching her with a curious expression.
"So, kamusta ang school? SSG duties?" he asked.
"It's been crazy, as usual," Andrea replied, slicing some bread for a sandwich. "Pero okay naman. Si Rhiannon lagi akong kasama, kaya mas manageable kahit paano."
Hunter chuckled knowingly. "Ah, si Rhiannon na naman. Napansin ko nga halos araw-araw mo siyang kasama. And si... sino nga 'yung Kuya niya?"
Andrea nearly dropped the bread knife. She knew exactly who Hunter meant but tried to play it cool. "Ah, si Joshua?"
"Yes, 'yun nga!" Hunter's grin widened. "'Di ba 'yun ang tumulong sa iyo last time sa SSG booth?"
Andrea tried to ignore the slight flutter in her chest at the mention of Joshua. It was true—Joshua had helped her with a few issues in the SSG, and she had seen him a lot more often recently. But he was Rhiannon's older brother, and that's how she wanted to think of him: a respected upperclassman, nothing more.
"Uh, oo, tumulong nga siya, pero—" Andrea hesitated, looking down to focus on her sandwich."Pero?" Hunter's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Pero wala, Kuya! Nagkataon lang na nandun siya," she quickly said, brushing off his implication.
Hunter leaned back with a knowing smile. "Sige, kung sabi mo. Pero tandaan mo, Andrea, kung makakahanap ka ng 'obsession' mo, make sure na worth it."
Andrea rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. "Kuya, pwede ba? Huwag mo nga akong gawing love advice experiment mo."
Hunter chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. Pero kung sakali lang, I'm here, ha? Big brother advice."
They both laughed as Andrea finished preparing her snack, the lightheartedness of their conversation reminding her of how much she valued her brother's support. As quirky and tiger-obsessed as Hunter was, he had always been her anchor, especially during stressful days.
Later that evening, Andrea retreated to her room, tossing her bag onto her chair before flopping down onto her bed. She sighed, feeling the weight of the day settle in. Her mind drifted back to the events of the past few weeks, and, despite herself, her thoughts kept circling back to Joshua.
His calm, reliable presence, his quiet but intense dedication—it was hard to ignore. She often caught herself wondering what it would be like to get to know him beyond the polite, formal interactions they had through Rhiannon and the SSG.
"Naku, Andrea, focus," she whispered to herself, sitting up and shaking off her thoughts.
With a deep breath, she grabbed her sketchbook from her bedside table, flipping through pages of half-finished sketches and rough outlines. Art was her passion, her true obsession, she reminded herself. She spent the next few hours lost in the rhythm of her pencil strokes, shading and refining her drawings until her thoughts quieted down.
By the time she glanced at the clock, it was already late, and her eyelids were beginning to droop. As she placed her sketchbook back on the table, Andrea felt a sense of contentment settle over her. The world of tigers, SSG events, and even Joshua could wait—at least for now.
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YOU ARE READING
Chasing The Crown
FanfictionIn the affluent Hong family, Joshua, the UST Prince, shines alongside his two remarkable sisters: Kaitlyn, a top-performing Engineering student, and Rhiannon, the spirited SSG President. Amidst their successes, Joshua finds himself drawn to Andrea...
