Miss Danger Finder

1: Let the Game Begin

IMPORTANT NOTE: I will post Miss Danger Finder for a certain period of time only. Alam ko na may ibang readers na hinihintay ma-complete ang story bago magbasa. Sorry, but I suggest na basahin niyo agad kada update kung kaya naman. Once complete, I will remove this story from my account. Thank you. :)

***

"IT WAS your fault."

"How is it my fault?" walang emosyong tanong ni Rara kay Eun pagkatapos niyang ibaba ang suot niyang surgical mask, pero hindi siya nag-angat ng tingin sa lalaki. Deretso lang ang upo niya habang nag-ta-type sa kaharap niyang laptop at sumasagot ng order form para sa bibilhin niyang official light stick at mini-album ng current favorite Kpop girl group niya. "Why are you blaming me when it was your sole decision to go out with another girl while you're supposed to be making ligaw to me? Not that I care."

"See? That's exactly the problem– you're too cold!" sumbat ni Eun sa kanya, saka ito sumimsim muna ng hot chocolate. Yes, they were in Hot&Cold– the trendiest coffee shop in the area– and he ordered hot freaking chocolate. "I've been wooing you for more than two weeks already, Rara. Pero kahit isang date lang, ayaw mo pa kong pagbigyan. Saka hindi mo ba ko na-miss? One week tayong hindi nagkita dahil sa Lenten Break."

"I didn't tell you to pursue me so quit whining on me."

Nananahimik siya sa Hot&Cold sumalo ito sa mesa niya nang hindi imbitado at nag-confess pa na nakipag-date daw ito sa ibang babae kagabi. Hinihintay siguro nito na mag-react siya pero ni isang kurap, wala itong nakuha mula sa kanya.

She wasn't being cold– she just really didn't care.

"I will never do it again so please pay attention to me, Rara," parang batang pakiusap ni Eun mayamaya. "You're not even picking up my calls. Hindi ba naka-save ang number ko sa'yo kaya hindi mo sinasagot?"

"Hindi nga naka-save ang number mo sa phone ko pero alam kong ikaw ang tumatawag. Unfortunately, I have photographic memory." Ayaw man niya, hindi niya maalis sa memorya niya ang number ni Eun dahil madalas itong tumawag at magtext sa kanya. He's so clingy.

"Fine. But why won't you look at me, huh?"

"I'm busy. Um-o-order ako ng Kpop merchandises sa online shop."

"Kpop again?" halatang frustrated na tanong ng lalaki. "Why are you so invested in Kpop? Saka kahit ilang merchandises pa ang bilhin mo, hindi ka pa rin naman mapapansin ng mga idol mo. You're just wasting your time and money on them, you know. Pero Rara, kung sa'kin ka mag-i-invest ng ganyang affection, I can return it to you. Doble pa."

"Kpop is good for my mental health and you're not. Clearly, I will choose it over a toxic person like you any day," deklara niya, saka niya sinara ang laptop niya para mag-angat ng tingin kay Eun gaya ng kanina pa nito gustong mangyari. But the coward obviously shivered under her cold gaze. "Have you heard of "parasocial relationships" between fans and celebrities?"

"I'm a Business major," naka-pout na reklamo nito na parang bata. Hindi siya makapaniwalang mas matanda ito sa kanya ng isang taon. Saka nasa senior year na ang lalaki at undergrad freshman year pa lang siya. Nag-aral kasi siya noon sa Amerika. Anyway, for a twenty two year old guy, Eun was still childish. "How am I supposed to know that?"

She just rolled her eyes at his lame excuse, and then sipped on her matcha latte. Pagkatapos, maingat niyang binaba sa mesa ang tasa bago siya muling nagsalita. "In layman's term, parasocial relationships explain how fans get attached to their bias and why stan culture exists. Most psychologists believe in absorption-addiction model that claims that the reason we get attached to celebrities is either we want to distract ourselves from our otherwise uninteresting lives or to cope with some negative events that we're going through."