Like Going Home (A KaiRain Story)

Elyu Part One

Author's Notes: Thank you for your comments and votes last chapter! Nainspire tuloy ako to finish this early, tuloy ang saya kasi ang daming ayuda rin ng KaiRain. Favorite daw nila tayo!

Anyway, guys, reminder na lang din: Let's not do or post or say anything that will hurt Kai and Rain as friends or individuals. Let's all be understanding. :) Hayaan na natin kung sino ang ilayag ng management. Kai and Rain themselves are the ones sailing this ship anyway.

Also, please, play the song Bihag by Berto (I attached it here) for a better reading experience, especially in a certain part of this chapter. Hehe, love you all! Enjoy!

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When Kaisha finally opened her eyes, the sight of tall trees blurred past her window. She blinked a few times, disoriented, before realizing they were still on the road. Before knocking out, she vaguely remembered their car cruising through expressway after expressway, each one blending into the next as if they'd been driving forever. Now, though, there were signs of life—commercial buildings and houses starting to dot the horizon.

"Bro, sa wakas," Yana groaned from the driver's seat. She'd been driving for what felt like an eternity—three hours, to be exact. "I swear, if you hadn't woken up soon, I might've actually fallen asleep at the wheel and we'd both be gone by now."

Kai stifled a yawn, her arms stretching out as she blinked away the last of her nap. "Wait, where are we na ba?" Her voice was thick with sleep as she peered out at the landscape. "Is this Elyu?"

Yana snorted. "Not even close. Sabi ni GPS, we've still got, like, an hour and a half left. So, please, for my sanity, stay awake this time."

Kai rolled her eyes, settling back into the seat with a lazy grin. "Okay, fine. I won't sleep na ulit, promise."

"Siguraduhin mo lang!" Yana gave her a playful glare. "Anyway, you were about to spill the juicy details of that shoot before you passed out on me. Ano ngang meron?"

Kai sat up a little straighter, a spark of realization lighting up her eyes. "Oh my gosh, 'yun nga! That's exactly where I left off."

Yana let out a loud, theatrical groan, shaking her head like she was truly suffering. "I can't believe I'm hauling your lazy ass all the way to Elyu without getting the full tea."

Kai swatted Yana's arm lightly. "OA mo. You're literally heading to Ilocos Norte. Elyu is just a stop along the way."

"Oo na, girl," Yana waved a dismissive hand. "Stop stalling! Story time na, go."

Kai took a deep breath, almost as if she were steadying herself. "Okay, fine, ito na talaga." She leaned back, clearing her throat. "So, alam mo na na this trip is for a commercial shoot, 'di ba? Pero that's not the whole story."

Intrigued, Yana glanced over as Kai pulled out her phone, scrolling until she found her management's email, then held it up for Yana to see. "Apparently, I'm not doing this shoot alone. There's someone else—a big name daw, actually. They're bringing in this up-and-coming athlete, and I'm supposed to show her the ropes." Kai let out a little huff, feigning exasperation. "As in, teach her to model, how to pose, make it look effortless—you know, everything that comes with the shoot."

Yana blinked, the gears turning in her head as she processed the news. Then, a slow grin broke across her face. "Wait, wait, so you're basically this athlete's guide to the modeling world? Kaisha, big time ka na pala talaga!" She nudged Kai, her laughter bubbling up, teasing but sincere.

Kai rolled her eyes, though the amused spark in her gaze betrayed her. "Oh, please," she muttered, unable to hide her own smile. "Hindi naman big time. Just doing what I have to do."