Begin Again - A KaRa (Mika Reyes & Ara Galang) Fanfiction

Twenty-One

Thursday went as soon as it came. It was another busy day at work, of course, Ara was running around the whole factory checking everyone's progress (it was a good thing she was wearing rubber shoes), everyone was normally doing their part, I was recording everything like usual... but something about this day was off. I wouldn't go as far as saying na parang may mali, or may kulang, kasi alam ko naman sa sarili ko na walang mali at lalong walang kulang. It just seemed... off. And I didn't know why.

Hindi rin kami masyado nag-usap ni Ara, except when it's about work, of course. My workload was starting to increase, and I know it's a weird thing to say, pero, I'm happy na mas bumibigat na 'yung mga kailangan kong gawin. It only meant that Ara was starting to trust me (again) and it meant that her workload was decreasing. Masaya ako na hindi na pinipilit ni Ara sa sarili niya lahat ng kailangan niyang gawin, she's finally learning to let some of it go.

At the end of the day, Jerome was dismissed earlier than me so he waited for me in the lobby at hinatid naman ako ni Ara pabalik ng office.

Jerome beamed as he saw me walking towards the lobby, but later on his gaze landed on someone behind me. Napatingin ako, and he was looking at Ara. Ara was looking at him, too, only it was less intense. Her eyebrows curled.

"You must be... Jerome," Ara started.

Jerome nodded. "Yes, hi, Miss Ara. How did you know...?"

"It's just Ara. Na-mention ka sa'kin ni Mika," Ara replied dismally.

"Talaga?" Jerome looked at me with a smile, then looked back at Ara. "Tell me, Ara," Jerome emphasized the 'Ara'. "Does Mika mention me often? Minemention niya ba 'yung killer charm ko and good looks?" Jerome stroke a 'pogi pose'.

I chuckled and pushed him playfully. "Asa ka, Jerome!"

"Guilty ka 'no? Suuus!" Jerome laughed with me and I shook my head in full force, trying to contain my laughter.

"No," Ara said sternly. Napatingin kami sa kanya. "Mika doesn't mention you often. As a matter of fact, I think isang beses ka lang niya na-mention." Ara said this with a weird smile on her face.

"Sabi sa'yo e," I uttered to Jerome. "'Wag kang feeler!"

Jerome didn't respond, she was looking at Ara as if she committed a crime or something. Ara, however, was smiling.

"Okay, bye, Jerome, it was nice meeting you. Bye, Mika," Ara said as she made her way to the elevator.

Napatitig na lang ako sa kanya habang papunta ng elevator. Ang weird. Just weird.

Jerome and I went home after that, and thankfully nothing weird happened while we were on our way home.

Pagdating ko sa condo ko, I waved goodbye to Jerome and suddenly realized something. This day didn't seem so off anymore. And now I know why. Ara and I talked and it was just not about work. I guess ganun talaga 'pag nagw'work ka with someone you were so close with that you can't manage to be formal and professional with them all the time.

Hindi pa nag-s'start 'yung work ni Cienne, next Monday pa raw mag-s'start shift niya, and so I was surprised to not see Cienne when I went home. Wala siya sa kwarto niya, and wala rin sa banyo, sa kitchen, or any other place. Siguro pumunta lang supermarket 'yun kasi wala na rin kami pagkain sa fridge, so I decided to wait for her in the living room as I scrolled through my phone.

Then, a notification popped up that I wasn't at all expecting to see: Ara had followed me on Twitter. And Instagram. Using her private account, of course, but it still didn't mean that people (specifically her fans) wouldn't guess that it's her especially if I followed her back. But then again, alam naman niya 'yung risks 'pag finollow niya 'ko diba? Pero finollow niya pa rin ako. So, I'd decided to take a risk as well and follow her back.