THE WATTY AWARDS 2021 WINNER: ROMANCE Due to an unexpected pregnancy, ex-lovers Ryo and Frankie are forced to live under the same roof. They can't stand each other but when the moments from their past are slowly catching up, their lingering feelings seem to be much stronger than they thought it would be. *** When Frankie Castañares broke up with Ryo Canencia, she is determined to move on and never meet him again. They are living well on their own with her working hard to be a magazine editor and him reaching his dream of becoming a professional basketball player. But with the news of Frankie being pregnant with Ryo's child, they've got no choice but to act civil and live under the same roof. They bicker over the simplest things and their situation couldn't get any easier than they ought to be. With them still hung up on their past, can they be brave enough to settle their differences and start all over again? Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Cover Illustration by 17aila_

From strangers to friends. From friends to close friends. From close friends to lovers. When Joey met Psalm, she didn't think that they'd ever be together. Paano ba naman, ex niya ang best friend nito! Psalm had seen her at her lowest, and she didn't think that there's a possibility of them being together... Pero habang tumatagal, mas lalong napapalapit ang loob niya dito. But how could they be together if he couldn't trust her? Trust... parang isang maliit na bagay lang, pero kapag wala sa isang relasyon, hindi mo alam kung hanggang kailan magtatagal.

The thing with Valentine's Day is, either you hate it or you love it. And Zade Pascual definitely belongs to the first category. Para sa kanya, isang araw lang ito ng commercialized version ng pag-ibig. Walang kakilig-kilig at napakalayo sa true love stories na nababasa niya sa mga libro. Nasubok ang kanyang anti-Valentine's sentiment when she unexpectedly meets Andreau Cortez-an award-winning actor and film student at her university-in the cafe where she works-- on Valentine's Day of all days. Andreau, their new cafe regular, surprises Zade by asking for her help with his latest short film project, which she hesitantly agrees to. Despite a rocky start, Zade discovers the real Andreau Cortez beyond the camera and celebrity gossip. Over the fika-not date hangouts and late-night conversations, their effortless friendship blurs into something more, to the point na akala ng lahat (yes, friends and family included) na sila na ni Andreau. Caught off guard by her evolving feelings, Zade must confront her own heart. Hanggang best friend nga lang ba ang tingin niya kay Andreau? Can their story unfold like the happy endings she loves in books? Well, sometimes, the best love stories take time to tell.

An epistolary

(Game Series # 1) For as long as Katherine could remember, Juan Alexandro Yuchengco has always been her dream guy. He's smart, kind, and could be funny when he wanted to... but the problem was, he never saw her as more than his sister's friend. And she's determined to change that. She followed him to law school. She made sure that he's aware of her presence... and thankfully, her efforts paid off. Finally, Jax was looking her way. But life is never simple. Life is a game. It's either you win or you lose. It's either you get it all or you lose it all. Kapag akala mong nandyan na, biglang mawawala pala. Kapag akala mong iyon na, may iba pa pala. But how will she play if all the cards are stacked against her?

I'm scared of the sea. I can't help but think of the danger it brings. The width and depth seem forever. But I know that someday, I'm going to swallow all my fears and sail into that immense body of menace. Because I have to find him. I have to see him. I have words I haven't told him yet. There are things he needs to know and I don't care if it matters now or it never really mean anything at all. I just have to find him.

University Series #2 Hiro, a student pilot from DLSU, was very clear with his number one goal in life. It was to study in the best flying school in Florida. However, he agreed to have a no strings attached relationship with Yanna from FEU Tourism, the woman who cannot be tamed with her sexcapades.

Liking a person wasn't supposed to feel so encapsulating, but Una Madia Grajales freezes up whenever he's near. The knots and butterflies in her stomach makes her buckle and shut down and all she could do was gush about him to her best friend who was nothing but supportive. He cheered her on, gave her some pointers, he even made some adjustments just for her to spend some time with her crush. But down the line, Una realized she never cared for the butterflies. She didn't like freezing up neither the churning in her stomach. She wanted clear skies, warm blankets, fuzzy socks, and wistfully, the one who gave her a turtle plushie in the middle of the night-just because. And perhaps, she was too late to recognize that what she needed has always been there all along when he's already a thousand miles away. The chances were probably thin, but maybe it was exactly what they needed to begin again. Begin Again (Love in Paris # 4) Completed (2021).