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

Jackson Ramirez has always followed the rules-his family's, society's, everyone's but his own. Trapped in a life dictated by expectations, he buried his passion and silenced the voice that once made him feel alive. So when Kenzo Adachi walked into his class-blunt, intense, and always acting like he owned the room. Jackson couldn't help but feel . . . annoyed. Annoyed by his confidence. Annoyed by how he said whatever he wanted. Annoyed by how free he was. But Kenzo? He saw something else. He saw a bird trying to breathe through its cage. And Kenzo, the kind of man who lives by his own rules, was ready to go beyond the boundary-just to help Jackson learn how to fly.

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THIS IS A BL STORY!

Some boys like me, some boys don't. Girls do hate me, they think I'm a flirt. People talk about me behind my back. I don't care, as a matter of fact. I don't have boyfriends, but I do have boy friends. Less dramas, more joys. My life is really simple, but not a typical one. I've been living like this since I was one.

A typical love story of a bully and a nerd. ✎ 12.17.18 ✐ 07.17.19 [ Ｃｏｍｐｌｅｔｅｄ]

𝖲𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖲𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖳𝗐𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖷 𝖲𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇 (𝖳𝗐𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇) 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝖿 𝖬𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌, 𝖲𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖳𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌. 𝖣𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖫𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖲𝗂𝗍𝗎𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝖥𝗎𝗅𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝗌, 𝖧𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗌, 𝖣𝖾𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝖢𝗁𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖫𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗈. 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗍 𝗂𝗍. 𝖣𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖯𝗎𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽: 𝟷𝟶-𝟸𝟽-𝟷𝟾 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝖻𝗒 me ☘ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬.