Aiah Arceta shuffled into her apartment, exhausted. She kicked off her heels, tossed her bag on the couch, and sank into a chair. It had been another grueling day on set, her schedule packed tighter than a sardines can. She sighed heavily, shutting her eyes for a moment—until she heard the familiar sound of tiny paws scrambling across the hardwood floor.
Jellybean, her new corgi puppy, came skidding into the living room, his stubby legs moving faster than they probably should. His tongue lolled out, and his tail wagged like it was about to fall off.
"Hi, baby!" Aiah cooed, suddenly filled with energy as she bent down to scoop him up. He immediately showered her face with tiny kisses. "Ikaw talaga, you're the only one keeping me sane these days. Pero, bakit nga ba kita kinuha? I'm too busy for this."
She looked at the puppy, who gazed up at her with big, trusting eyes. She melted, the stress of the day evaporating as she cuddled him.
But her schedule had gotten so out of control lately that Jellybean wasn't even spending his days with her. Maloi, Jho, and Sheena had been taking turns babysitting him, rotating like a well-meaning but chaotic daycare.
"Aiah, kaya mo ba talaga ito?" Maloi asked one day while handing Jellybean over to her after work. Her yellow bow matched the little collar she had bought him on a whim.
"Alin? Modeling or being a dog mom?" Aiah laughed nervously, knowing the answer.
Maloi gave her a deadpan look. "Alam mo na ibig kong sabihin. Ikaw nga lagi mong sinasabi na overbooked ka. Love kita, pero hindi ako dog nanny."
"I know, I know. I'm so sorry, Maloi. Ang hirap lang talaga..." Aiah sighed. "Pero tama ka. I need to hire someone."
"Finally," Maloi said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe someone na hot para ma-distract ka sa work."
"Uy!" Aiah slapped her friend on the arm, her cheeks reddening. "Professional lang dapat!"
Maloi wiggled her eyebrows. "Sure, sure."
/
A few kilometers away, Mikha Lim was in her comfort zone, sitting cross-legged in her gaming chair. Her red hair was tied back messily as she yelled into her headset.
"Colet, nasa likod mo!" Mikha barked. "Cover fire! Cover fire!" Her fingers moved rapidly over the controls, her focus razor-sharp.
"Got it!" Colet shouted back through the mic. After a final flurry of clicks, their team won the match. Mikha threw her hands in the air.
"GGs!" she said, grinning. But her victory was short-lived because Colet barged into her room moments later. Mikha froze. "Uh... bakit nandito ka?"
"Lim, 'di ka na lumalabas ng bahay!" Colet planted her hands on her hips. "Naglalaro ka lang maghapon. Kahit tournament season pa, you need to go outside. Maghanap ka ng ibang ginagawa."
"Gusto kong maging plantita. May succulents ako—"
"Normal job, Mikha." Colet cut her off, pulling out her phone. "May nakita ako sa IG. Remember si Aiah Arceta?"
Mikha blinked. "Si Aiah Arceta? The model? Yung fina-follow mo sa IG?"
"Uh-huh. Naghahanap siya ng dog walker." Colet shoved the phone in her face, showing her Aiah's Instagram story. There was a picture of Jellybean, ears perked up adorably. "You like dogs. You're free during the day. Saka... hindi mo ba crush siya? Perfect na opportunity."
"Excuse me?" Mikha frowned. "First of all, I don't have a crush on her. I admire her professionally—"
"Sure," Colet said dryly. "And Stacey hates pink."
"Okay, fine," Mikha muttered. "But bakit ako? I'm not a dog walker. I'm a pro gamer!"
"And you're also a bored pro gamer," Colet shot back. "Besides, hindi 'to para sa career mo. Para sa sanity mo. Mag-socialize ka naman, kahit konti."
