To help you with the pronunciation, here is how I pronounce my character's names:
Jadon: jey-don
Hiel: hah-yel
Hanani: hah-nah-nih
Ida Mishal: ay-dah mih-shal
Adonijah: ah-doh-nay-jah
Asiel: ey-shel
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#war4wp
Prologue
Beauty
"If it was me, I feel like I'd also try again," Hanani says and I watch her closely.
She looks like she's contemplating if she answered correctly. Napangiti ako nang kaunti dahil sa pagkaaliw. Hanani is always like this. She's careful with what she says and what she does. Always all about balance.
Her fair skin and soft feminine features scream beauty. Sa tagal kong naging kaibigan si Hanani, marami na ang nagkagusto at sumubok na mapalapit sa kaniya. Her expressive roundish almond eyes, small nose, and reddish lips can captivate any man.
'Yon nga lang, Hanani always falls for jerks. That's why it's as if there is an unwritten rule among our circle—that we must all protect Hanani.
"If it is cheating?" Asiel asks.
Do you even need to ask that? If a person cheats on you, ditch him right away. Why cling on to someone who already fooled you once?
"I don't like cheaters," ani Hanani at napasimangot ako sa kaunting hesitasyon niya.
Come on, Hanani.
"Hindi mo naman sinagot ang tanong," ani Adonijah.
Hanani shifts in her seat. "No. . ."
"It's not no. . ." I say, copying the way she said it. "It should be, no," mariin kong dugtong.
Napatawa si Hanani at tumango-tango. "Here! Another question."
"Hindi ka ba mauubusan ng tanong?" ani Adonijah at agad na tumalim ang tingin sa kaniya ni Hanani pero hindi na siya pinatulan pa.
Nakita ko ang pagtango ni Jadon kay Adonijah at ang pasimple nilang ngisian dahil nainis na naman ni Adonijah si Hanani.
Nagpatuloy si Hanani sa sinasabi. "What if you encounter the woman or man of your dreams but he or she lacks one of the things that make up your dream girl or guy? Will you still love that person?"
"Expound," si Jadon.
"Halimbawa, paano kung maganda at matalino, pero masama ang ugali?"
Jadon shrugs his shoulders. "It's fine with me as long as she improves over time."
"So, you're the I-can-fix-a-person type of guy," puna ko at napangisi kay Jadon na agad na natawa.
He does look like the type.
Humilig si Hanani sa mesa, ipinupukol kay Jadon ang tingin. "Paano kung talagang hindi nagbabago? Pangit pa rin ang ugali?"
Jadon shrugs. "I don't know. Let's see when we get there."
"Hindi mo rin masasabi. Sometimes, even if the person has bad traits, you overlook them when you fall in love," singit ni Adonijah.
"Paano kung hindi maganda pero mabait naman?" tanong ulit ni Hanani.
"Every person has his or her own charm. Ano ngayon kung hindi maganda? Kung mahal ko, mahal ko. She'll be the prettiest to me." Adonijah winks and Hanani groans.
"Does looks really matter? The heart chooses what it wants," ani Hiel.
"But Rinnah is pretty!" ani Hanani at nakita ko ang pamumula ni Hiel dahil doon.
"Ooh." Adonijah laughs.
"I didn't like her just because she's beautiful," nahihiyang sabi ni Hiel.
"Beautiful or not, it won't matter," si Asiel. "Good looks fade eventually."
Napanguso si Hanani at natahimik. Seconds later, she shifts her gaze to me. "What about you, Mishal? What do you think?"
Pumangalumbaba ako sa mesa. "It's a lie if someone says that looks don't matter."
Nakita ko kaagad ang pag-alma sa mukha ni Hanani.
"Looks attract you. But personality is what makes you stay."
That's why I don't believe in love at first sight. People get attracted to what they see. But what makes them stay is the feeling of attachment.
No matter how pretty someone can be, if portrayed as a villain, they become abominable.
Like how art is subjective, so does the way we see the beauty in people.
What is beautiful to one, does not mean it's beautiful for the rest.
Mata ang unang nakakakita. Kaya ang panlabas na anyo ang siyang unang pupukaw sa atensyon ng isang tao. But it's the personality that will eventually make the beauty pop.
Like how colors add life to a beautiful sketch.
Like how shading adds a huge twist to a drawing.
Personality gives depth to beauty.
However, a good personality alone can't make a person stay.
If one chooses to stay with someone that person isn't physically attracted to, that person cannot stay in love. He will need to try ignoring what the eyes see. But how can someone be completely blind to what reality looks like?
Pero paano nga ba maikakahon ang kagandahan?
Iba-iba naman ang tipo ng mga tao. Like art, beauty just needs the right audience.
The right person.
The right pair of eyes.
The right heart.
That's all we need.
We need to find the right person that can see our beauty.
