[UNEDITED | ONGOING] Ash is a distant and cold in manner man who's obsessed over his academic capabilities. He always find himself locked with the thought of being perfect-avoiding mistakes, and even when he's supposed to be like the other students, his greed takes him to somewhere he will suffer the most. He wouldn't ever accomplish and quench the thirst of his desire, because whatever he do, he will always stay still at the second place. The root of it? His academic rival, Ace Kairon Heige Lacoste. The man who will ruin and mess his life.

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