Like Going Home (A KaiRain Story)

Mystery Girl

"Ugh," Kai groaned, the sound bouncing off the cold, concrete walls of the dimly lit parking lot. The faint blinking light on the top left corner of her phone screen taunted her, glowing like a cruel reminder of her situation. Great, of all days... Sa lahat ng araw, ngayon pa talaga mamamatay ang phone niya. She tossed it into her bag with a frustrated sigh, the sound echoing in the wide, deserted space.

"Seriously?" she muttered, and glanced around at the rows of empty spaces, each one feeling like it stretched on forever. The only sound aside from her own voice was the occasional drip of water from an old pipe somewhere in the distance. It was like the universe was conspiring against her; the one day she needed to stay connected—today of all days—her battery gave up.

Tumingin siya sa relo niya at lalo pang nanlumo nang makita ang oras. 4:55 PM. Her brand event was scheduled at exactly 8 PM in BGC, but here she was, still stuck inside a mall somewhere in Quezon City. Traffic at this hour must be horrible. To make matters worse, she had no way to contact her manager. The manager was supposed to disclose the exact location an hour before the event, but now, with her phone dead and her charger left behind at home, things were certainly not looking good for her.

Sighing, Kai slumped onto one of the hard benches lining the lot, trying to steady her racing mind. Kailangan ko lang talaga kumalma, she thought, repeating her mom's advice in her head. Mind over heart. But her heart pounded against her ribcage as her frustration and anxiety surged once more. God, I'm so screwed.

She was in the middle of steadying her thoughts when someone beside her suddenly spoke.

"Are you okay?"

Kai jumped at the unexpected voice, a small yelp escaping her lips. She quickly turned to face the direction of the sound and saw a girl, probably around her age, looking down at her with a curious expression.

"Hala, sorry! Nagulat ba kita masiyado?"

Usually, Kai wouldn't even entertain the idea of talking to a stranger, but there was something different about this girl. She seemed approachable, almost like someone Kai could trust. Decent-looking, too, if that's the right word. Ang angas ng porma niya ha. The stranger wore green cargo pants and a black leather jacket over a black top. Her hair was up in a messy yet stylish updo, and her black-rimmed glasses framed her face perfectly. She just looked so... put-together, so well-dressed, that Kai felt safe enough to respond.

"No—um, it's fine. I'm okay," Kai said, blinking herself out of her thoughts. "I was just... lost in my head."

The girl shrugged casually. "Yeah, I get that. But mind if I ask what's wrong? Baka I can help." She smiled warmly, and Kai couldn't help but smile back, feeling a sense of ease at her friendliness. "I was standing there kanina, about to start my car, then nakita kita, parang distressed." The girl gestured to a Jeep parked a few meters away. "So, what's up?"

Kai sighed, recalling all the unfortunate events that seemed to pile up today. She gestured toward her phone. "My phone died." But that sentence didn't even begin to cover it. The girl chuckled, the sound warm and friendly, making it impossible for Kai to take offense. "Yun lang?"

"I'm supposed to go to an event kasi mamayang 8 PM. But I dropped off my cousin kanina here, then my phone died, so now I can't contact my manager, and ugh, I'm stuck here sa parking lot na 'to talking to a girl whose name I don't even know." She rambled, her frustration spilling out. When she realized how much she was oversharing, she quickly covered her mouth and groaned.

The girl just laughed, clearly amused. "Grabe ka naman sakin!" She grinned. "Saan ba 'yang event?"

"Bruh, it's far. Don't even ask where."