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.

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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.

[ Iskwala Series #1 ]

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

Falling for their opponent's outside spiker isn't a part of rookie libero Kaizen Reyes' plan. But when Kai discovers that Roen Alejo has liked him for so long, maybe receiving that facial hit from him before isn't that bad after all. *** Determined and innocent, rookie libero Kaizen Reyes believes in the power of manifestation. Whether it be through his studies or winning their volleyball games, as long as he sets his mind on it, he makes a way to make it come true. However, after obtaining a facial hit from Roen Alejo, their opponent's outside spiker, Kai's quiet world suddenly becomes disturbed. Through their constant meetings and communication, Roen is making him feel something he can't fully name, making him doubtful and confused. Now torn between confessing to Roen and keeping their friendship afloat, can Kai remain focused and keep his emotions in check? Or will he take the leap of faith and risk it all for the sake of love? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Louise De Ramos Published under Pop Fiction

Might not. Probably won't. Maybe never. Unlikely. Doubtful. Despite being everything he could have been, Elize constantly settled in the dark, lurking with the impossibles and uncertainties. He believed that he would grow up and take the path of life in a single route with one straight line; no turns, no shortcuts. Perhaps it was because his one and only flesh and blood prompted him to think that if he didn't act like how he was made and how he was supposed to be, he would never reach the light at the end of the tunnel, or never reach his dreams, never be accepted, never be treated seriously...never be loved. The word "Always" was never in Elize's vocabulary-an exception with always doubting, always trying, always...just dreaming. But never the good kind of "Always". Then he tasted it, the bittersweet sensation in his tongue when his mother left him to work abroad. Elize then started to thrive, meet new friends, socialize, be a human...fall in love. For the first time, Elize felt free, felt genuine, felt...guilty? Guilty...was it because he felt glad his mother left, or because he met someone that made him start to feel the Always' in his Nevers? Regardless, he dedicated his whole life in chasing that assurance in his world of doubts, and he simply could not back out now. But when good things come to an end, the choice is yours if you want to let it go, or fight for it. If you choose the latter, make sure to draw blood and fight until you're dead. Just like Elize did.

Wade Carson, the Basketball Team Captain and Asher Everrette, the older brother of Wade's friend.

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