[This is a GL story] The Hansen Sisters Series - Side Story 1 Date published: February 28, 2022 Date completed: ONGOING || SLOW UPDATE What happened in Japan...stays in Japan. Or so they thought. -- Book cover illustration by: InsaneSoldier

I looks totally normal. Happy Cheerful Fine. But as the cliche goes, looks can be deceiving. Cause the reality is, I am a time bomb, lost in my own mind with no chance of escaping. My exes know my intense side all too well. They should as I've had my share of failed and problematic relationship and I don't want to settle down. Pero balewala sakin lahat yun. Kasi alam niyo ang pinakanakakatakot? Na oras lang din ang binibilang bago tuluyan mangyari sakin ang nangyari sa papa ko. At sa pinaka-critical na oras ng buhay ko, gusto ko pa din kumapit sa natitirang pag-asa na makakawala ako sa madilim na sulok ng utak ko. Mga tanong na umaasa akong masasagot: Can someone still save me? Or is this my final fate?

"Damn that woman. She wasn't even nice to start with. Paasa!" Mula sa kinatatayuan ko ay napalingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses na iyon. Halatang lasing na. There's a 5'11 tall girl, with a glass of brandy on her right hand. Nakasandal ito sa pader habang nakatingin sa may gilid ng pool. She reminds me of Grant's height and Leigh's physique. Pati pormahan, Leigh na Leigh yung datingan. I was busy looking at her when she childishly sat on the edge of the pool. Tinanggal nito yung stilettos nito at walang pakialam kahit mabasa pa yung skirt nito habang nakaupo sa gilid. Her white long legs are exposed dahil sa nalilis nitong skirt. Out of my normal, I'll just let it pass. "I've been chasing her for two fuckin' years. But she's not even seeing me as her equal. It sucks." Seryoso. Lasing na talaga siguro 'to. Don't tell me babae talaga yung tinutukoy nya? Natatawang nilapitan ko tuloy ito. A small talk won't hurt right? "Hey, Are you okay?" Natigilan ako nang umangat yung kulay light blue nitong mga mata patingin sa akin. I'm not fond of blue eyes. But hers is as clear as a sky. She's still brimming into tears. "Get out!" Gusto kong matawa. Para talaga syang bata. It reminds me of my bestfriend. "What's wrong with you?" Inabot ko sa kanya yung white hanky ko. "Are you stalking me?" "No, of course not. Why would I?" "Hindi mo ako kilala?" I gently shake my head. "Sabagay. You look like a commoner." Tumingin pa sya sakin mula ulo hanggang paa. Fine, I'm wearing black fitted jeans, my casual white tees, and white sneakers. Kagagaling ko lang kasi sa hangar kanina. I just need a drink kaya naghanap ako ng may party. "Do you usually talk to a stranger?" tanong pa nito. "Of course. Talking to someone you do not know is relieving. Especially when you need to talk." Tumayo ito at lumapit sakin. Napatingala naman ako dito. "I don't need to talk. I need to prove something. Stay still, stranger." And then she kissed me. Fucks! What!?

"No! Stop!" I could see her fading silhouette. She keeps on walking away just like the way I dreamt of her every night. 'No! Please don't walk away. I need to see your face. I need to know your name. I need to find you.' But I know that it wasn't enough. If there's anything that she's good at, it is into dodging people away. "Please!?" I almost beg. "I need to see you. Just stop." I keep on running and chasing after her. But like in every dreams, she kept on slowly fading away. And I could feel the same emptiness within whenever I've dreamt of this. It starts with her fading hands. Like a human form that's painfully breaking into tiny crystallized pieces that's scattered into thin air, she's dissolving in an incredibly fast-paced. "No. Please don't!" I could feel the tears that's running down on my cheeks as I try to grab her fading hand. "No! No!" As if there's a heavy rock on my chest, my breath starts to heave. I could feel the hollow emptiness within and the contradictory feeling of being crushed beneath.

Dr. Jade Julianne Kim has always known what she wanted-to become a surgeon, no matter the cost. Breaking up with her boyfriend was just one sacrifice in her relentless pursuit of that dream. Hired at Morgan Hospital, she's ready to bury herself in the grind, with no time for distractions or romance. Casual flings? Sure, they're easy, no strings attached. But when Jade meets Dr. Scarlet Andrade, the hospital's head of cardiothoracic surgery, she's shaken. Dr. Andrade is more than just beautiful-she's confident, untouchable, and completely off-limits. Yet, there's something between them that Jade can't ignore. How long can she resist the temptation of the one woman who just might be her greatest distraction?