an epistolary. on going.

Sa gitna ng maalinsangang kalsada ng Dasmariñas taong 2001, magtatagpo ang mundo nina Eliseo Joseph Jaena, ang pambato at "Golden Boy" ng San Jose na pilit kumakawala sa mabigat na anino ng kaniyang istriktong ama, at ni Jaron Larkin Yatco, isang mapangahas at misteryosong dayo mula sa Maynila na may dalang kakaibang hangin at nakakalitong mga ngisi. Ang simpleng laro ng basketball sa liga ng barangay ay mauuwi sa isang maselang balanse ng pagkakaibigan at damdaming itinatago sa bawat dribble, siko, at seryosong tinginan sa dilim. Habang binabaybay nila ang landas mula sa pamilyar na kanto ng probinsya patungo sa magulong kalsada ng Maynila, matutuklasan nina Eli at Jaron na ang pinakamahirap na laban ay wala sa loob ng court-kundi sa pag-amin sa sarili na sa laro ng buhay, hindi sapat ang manalo; kailangan mong magkaroon ng tapang na maging totoo.

When Franco moved to Manila for college, he told himself that he'll experience everything there is to experience. And he did. His first year could be considered as... scandalous, to say the least. So when his sophomore year came, he promised himself that he'll do better para na rin sa future niya. He intended to join this prestigious organization that would surely help his career in the future. When Franco joined AIESEC, he knew his life would change... little did he know, magbabago talaga ang buhay niya nang makilala niya si Joaquin Lorenzo Santillan-the perfect student who's beloved by everyone. Franco was in awe. Every where Joaquin goes, his presence commanded respect. His presence was magnetic, his smile effortless, his charm undeniable. And he was nice-so nice that Franco unknowingly followed him around, like he was orbiting around Joaquin's magnetic presence, eager for him to be noticed. Akala ni Franco ay okay ang lahat. Naka-pasok na siya sa org. Mukhang magiging kaibigan niya na si Joaquin. But one night, few beers after, his world seemingly collapsed when Joaquin stared him in the eye and said, "In case there's any confusion, let me make it clear-I'm not gay." Franco's world tilted on its axis, crumbling in an instant. Now, his mission was simple: survival. Avoid Joaquin at all costs. Erase the memory of that moment, of those eyes, of the touch that seemed to linger impossibly on his skin. Little did he know, some marks aren't so easily erased.

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They say that happy-go-lucky people bury their deepest pain behind smiles. For Maverick Evander, an architecture student, was entangled in a web of uncertainty by his parents' decision to separate. Beneath his playful image and a well-known loud circle, he was able to carry a facade-a mystery no one could ever decipher. How can you read someone when they are just black pages in the book? That's how engineering student Rade Archiel Tejano sees Mavric: a blinding sun you could only graze upon. And the more he tries to solve the puzzles in Mavric's mind games, the more Mavric's wall thickens. Will Rade be able to crush someone who is already broken? Will Mavric top someone when he's the one who's falling? In a play where one had to win, both of them fell...hard.

In a society where blue is classified for boys and pink for the girls, Shiloh Ching Escarra struggled during his childhood when he discovered his fondness for the toys and colors that were only labeled for the girls. Despite confining himself in the darkness, Brent Matthew Jarsdel, his roommate and the son of his mother's friend, gradually peeked through his thick walls and found a way to paint his world according to what color he genuinely prefers. In the midst of those unexplainable feelings, confusions, and judgements, Brent was willing to risk it all; to fight for the love he unexpectedly found; to build him a home where his true colors would finally be accepted.

How did we become strangers after knowing each other two deeply to forget?

Two men. One secret conversation. A truth that broke everything. Tyler hated Mikael long before he fell for him, and falling for him might be the one thing he can't charm his way out of. *** Tyler Coast Alderidge Cervando has always had everything, except genuine connection. Charming and privileged, he returns to the Philippines for college carrying ambition and old grudges. Chief among them: Mikael Jasver Chua, the last person Tyler expects to matter to him. What begins as rivalry quietly shifts when an anonymous late-night conversation strips away titles, wealth, and walls, and two people begin to see each other clearly for the first time. But when the truth surfaces, so does the damage. Tyler & Mikael is a story about what happens when two people who were never supposed to fall in love... already have.

Santiago Alverio is torn between family expectations and his own internalized fears from homophobic relatives. As he enters a casual fling with Diablo Delgado, he discovers that love, patience, and acceptance might be the blueprint to healing and embracing his true self. *** Santiago Alverio has always lived by the rules of his family, peers, and a silent world that tells him who he should be. As a civil engineering student, he hides behind toxic masculinity and the fear of being noticed because of expectations and a homophobic upbringing. Then comes Diablo Delgado--fearless, affectionate, and unapologetically himself. What begins as a no-strings "friends with benefits" arrangement slowly converts into something deeper. With every touch, every unguarded smile, Diablo breaks the walls Santi has built around his heart. But love is never simple. Santi is caught between family pressures, societal judgment, and his own insecurities. Will he ever realize that happiness was never about meeting expectations but about choosing the person who makes him feel whole? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano ILLUSTRATOR: Ri Ot

Magmula pa man noong high school, mainit na ang dugo ni Noah sa schoolmate na si Iknotus. Maliban kasi sa katotohanang lamang ito sa kanya sa maraming bagay, ito rin ang gusto ng babaeng matagal niya nang crush. Dahil doon ay kinainisan niya na ang lalaki, kaya nang tumuntong sila ng college ay laking pasasalamat niya dahil makakalayo na siya mula rito. Pero iyon ang akala niya, dahil pagdating ng kalagitnaan ng taon ay bigla itong lumipat sa unibersidad na pinapasukan niya. Alam niya sa sariling straight siya, pero ang pagbabalik ni Iknotus ang siyang gumulo sa buhay, isipan, pagkatao, at puso niya.