TinamoCafé

Dora the adventurer

Drink for the day: Milotine (Ch - stands for choco) a sweet chocolate blend with tears.

Barista Tip: Hindi ito pinaghalong milo at ovaltine.

Hi chaps! You'll have to forgive me for how I acted the last chapter. That was . . . horrible narrating and it possibly made you want to quit reading this book. But Don't! Just yet.

I don't beg. But I might just will. All of this will start making sense once it's all over so don't quit now! You'll come back later anyways.

I'll be more behaved and will continue to write as I usually do, so bear with me. You still have to follow their―your―lives to the end.

A few days later, Ryen never went back to work. He never messaged anyone and he left their group chat. He deactivated his account so no one could find him and he changed his sim card as well.

He left thoroughly. He wanted to leave like he never existed.

But of course, that is hard for the people left behind.

"He's gone." Renier sighed. "Wala rin s'ya sa bahay nila."

"Anong sabi nila tita?" Jorge asked.

They're inside the café and they haven't opened up shop yet. They still have an hour to prepare and honestly? They don't feel like trying.

"They just said he went to Ilocos."

"Ilocos?" Danilo asked exasperatedly. "Anong ginagawa n'ya sa Ilocos?" His voice climbing up a decibel. "May kakilala ba s'ya ro'n?"

Reinier shook his head. They all shared a long sigh.

"There's no point even if you guys continue to sulk," Sidney reminded them. For the past few days she's been hanging around them, worried for them but of course, more worried for Ryen and his well-being. She stays on the place she felt comfortable the most. She stayed to the place where she can remember his scent. The place where she was sure that he existed. In this place that they built, he existed. "He left. And sighing won't help."

"What did you want us to do then? Be happy that he's gone?" Reinier said angrily. "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm his friend too."

"SML?"

Sidney glared at him and sighed in defeat after a moment. "Can I help? In place of Ryen. I'll never be as good as him but you need help, right? I can serve customers," she offered.

Danilo smiled and suddenly whipped out a staff uniform for a girl out of nowhere. "You know, I can also predict the future."

They laughed in amazement and Jorge clapped. Konti nalang maniniwala na akong magician si Danilo.

"Tama naman ba ang size n'yan?" Jorge asked.

"32, 24, 34."

Sidney went red and grabbed the uniform from Danilo's hand. "How the hell did you know that?"

"I had to study the numbers." Danilo grinned and squinted towards Sidney, studying her up and down. Sidney felt the need to cover her upper body because she felt violated, somehow. "Besides, hindi lang ako ang magaling sa dimensions dito." He pointed at Jorge. "This guy is an engineer. He built this place." He pointed at Reirei. "This guy is a graphic and interior designer. Our career paths are almost the same."

"What's your real job then?" Sidney asked in disbelief. She never thought anyone else could be this amazing aside from Ryen.

"I manage this place, but I majored in IT. I build websites as a side job."