Argument turned heated night. The Other Half Series first installment. start: 06/21/25

Around Manila Series 3 Ysa and Jaxiel Growing up, Ysa never felt beautiful. Allysa "Ysa" Elara Victoria is a Psychology student and iskolar ng bayan from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She loves fairytales and once dreamed of being beautiful like the princesses in their stories. But, she grew up believing that intelligence was the only thing she could rely on. Kailan magaling siya. Kailangan, kayanin niya. Jaxiel "Jax" Justine Jose Jinera, a biology student and iskolar ng bayan from the University of the Philippines, is effortlessly brilliant and seen as the future of medicine. He doesn't believe in fairytales, finding them too unrealistic. Behind his flawless image, lies a dream he hides from the world, he wants to become a designer and makeup artist. Namulat siya sa praktikalidad. Lahat ng meron siya ay utang niya lamang. Former schoolmates in high school, Ysa and Jax meet again in college and reconnect in unexpected ways. When Jax asks Ysa to be the model for his secret creations. They see sides of each other that no one ever sees behind their perfect images. But as Jax struggles with a mysterious stalker watching his every move, their fragile connection is put at risk. They write pages they never knew existed and share unhappy moments together. And so, will they find their happily ever afters after all the unhappiness they've endured? Can they still find their own version of a happy ending or is this just another story meant to remain unfinished?

NOTE: Chapters are short in terms of word count, that explains the chapters available. Faye, is an iskolar ng bayan from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, is on the verge of losing the one thing she fought for the first time, her life in Manila, away from a home where every move is dictated by her family. That is her chaos. Kreil, a communication student at the University of Santo Tomas, has everything, privilege and a secured future already carved into his palm. However, even having almost everything, he wants nothing. That is his chaos. Their worlds first collided when Kreil made a bold move and suddenly decided to pretend to be couple with Faye to claim a couple bracelet they both wanted for its design, despite being complete strangers. What should have been a one-time interaction becomes the thread that pulls their life closer to each other, until Kreil makes her an offer in exchange for his protection from the family she's desperate to escape, she has to live with him and be his personal cook. Is this a summer-like run away or another chaos that would only lead them deeper into the storm? In a fast-paced city, will they be able to find calmness amid the chaos on every road in Manila?

Juliana Francesca Alcarez doesn't believe in love anymore. After years of trying to heal from a toxic past, she built walls so high that no one could ever reach her heart again. Lennox Xavier Philip Del Prado has loved many, but never right. Behind his charm and smiles is a boy who only wanted to be chosen-yet always ended up being left. When their worlds collide in the middle of UAAP and Thomasian Goodwill Games, their connection feels inevitable. But love isn't always enough when timing, pride, and pain stand in the way. Will they find their way back to each other after everything they've broken? Or will love, once again, come too late?

If we were to talk about making the first move, boys are usually the ones who do it, but not in the case of Ireena Razon. For her, it was a now or never situation. Given that it was her last year of high school, she felt she had to do everything. You only turn 17 once in your lifetime, and after that, you can't afford to make foolish decisions anymore, she thought. Little did she know, this "foolish" 17-year-old decision she was about to make would shape the rest of her life. Book Cover from: Su Minh in Pexels

'If we will be stuck in a remote island naked, nothing will even happen.' Those were Rosh's exact words to describe her relationship with Lucho. She's clearly not a fan of friends to lovers trope. They've been friends for five years yet her indignation towards him gets worse every day. It is past mending. She doesn't even know why she dislikes him, or how and where it all started, she just hates him. That's it. Until her 18th birthday came. Book cover by cottonbro studio in pexels