Started: 04/27/2021 Ended: 08/24/2021 Ang hirap palang tumanda. Ang hirap magbayad ng bills. Ang hirap suportahan ng pamilyang akala ay isang milyon ang suweldo mo. Ang hirap ngumiti sa nanay na mataas ang tingin sa'yo pero hindi ka kayang ipagtanggol. Ang hirap tabihan sa hapagkainan ng tatay na pinag-uubusan mo ng pera pero hindi ka maalala. Ang hirap mag-abot ng tulong sa kapatid na baon sa utang. Ang hirap intindihin ng hipag na nakakapagpa-rebond pa kahit kapos na kapos na. Ang hirap pakisamahan ng bunsong halos ilahad ang mga palad tuwing makikita ka. Ang hirap ngitian ng mga taong tanong nang tanong kung bakit hindi ka pa nakakapag-asawa. Ang hirap humarap sa mundong isasampal sa'yo na mag-isa ka. Tulong, bigay, utang. Isang iling mo lang, madamot ka na. Kasama mo sila kapag may maibibigay ka, pero hindi mo sila mahahanap kapag wala na. Ikaw ang kakayod, sila ang tutuka. Ikaw ang iiyak sa pagod, sila ang magtatamasa. Iyon ang summary ng buhay ko. Sobra-sobra ang naririnig na paghingi, kulang na kulang ang naririnig na pasasalamat. Sobra-sobra ang pagpapasensya, kulang na kulang ang natatanggap na pagpapahalaga. Sobra-sobra ang binabayaran, kulang na kulang sa kasiyahan. Kaya nang dumating sa buhay ko ang nag-iisang lalaking hindi ako nakita bilang naglalakad na alkansya, ang nag-iisang lalaking nakinig sa mahabang listahan ko ng problema, ang nag-iisang lalaking nagbigay sa akin ng kakaibang saya, ipinangako ko sa sarili na sa gitna ng hirap ng pagtanda, magtitiis ako basta't siya ang kasama. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay pagtalikod sa minahal na pamilya. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay paglaban sa mundong pinatatakbo ng kapangyarihan at pera. Kahit pa ang kapalit noon ay ang pagdurusa't pag-iisa. Siya ang ginhawa, pahinga, at kasiyahan ko. Dumating man ang araw na tanaw ko na ang dulo. Dumating man ang araw na wala na kaming sagot sa lahat ng bakit at paano. Dumating man ang araw na pareho na kaming talo.

(Trope Series # 1) Cerise's younger sister is getting married and she's expected to attend. The logical thing to do was to attend (duh, it's her sister's wedding! It would be weird if she's not there) but how could she attend when her sister's getting married to Leo, her ex best friend slash almost boyfriend from years ago? And it's not like she could just suddenly blurt out their 'history' because she's pretty sure that she'd be branded as bitter by their relatives... like, it's been years! Move on! She needed to attend. But she didn't want to go alone. She needed an arm candy, but not just any arm candy-she needed someone who would make her the envy of the night. Iyong tipo na walang magdadalawang isip kung nakapagmove on na ba talaga siya. She looked and looked and looked for the perfect wedding date. Until she wound up in a bar and met this bartender named Pablo.

To care about the opinions of others is to live in a prison you built yourself-but what if caring beyond one's capacity is the only way to keep the world from falling apart? Haunted by a past tragedy and fueled by a vow to never let anyone down again, life gave the perfected art of losing herself to protect everyone else. Anastacia Dawn Naciente has spent years ensuring she never lets anyone down, but Chase Iverson Llegado makes her question the very foundation of her sacrifice. Daggers were shot and words he'll soon regret were thrown, then he finally sees through her cracks, eventually finding himself lost in her yielding warmth. He has built walls and her shadows whispers of charity. Seeping through cracks was enough... or was it really? Uncertainty and hope were all he had, but he heed through the whispers and embraced her tender novelty. "Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner" - Lao Tzu

The thing with Valentine's Day is, either you hate it or you love it. And Zade Pascual definitely belongs to the first category. Para sa kanya, isang araw lang ito ng commercialized version ng pag-ibig. Walang kakilig-kilig at napakalayo sa true love stories na nababasa niya sa mga libro. Nasubok ang kanyang anti-Valentine's sentiment when she unexpectedly meets Andreau Cortez-an award-winning actor and film student at her university-in the cafe where she works-- on Valentine's Day of all days. Andreau, their new cafe regular, surprises Zade by asking for her help with his latest short film project, which she hesitantly agrees to. Despite a rocky start, Zade discovers the real Andreau Cortez beyond the camera and celebrity gossip. Over the fika-not date hangouts and late-night conversations, their effortless friendship blurs into something more, to the point na akala ng lahat (yes, friends and family included) na sila na ni Andreau. Caught off guard by her evolving feelings, Zade must confront her own heart. Hanggang best friend nga lang ba ang tingin niya kay Andreau? Can their story unfold like the happy endings she loves in books? Well, sometimes, the best love stories take time to tell.

Almost was never enough. The most is where it all lies; the second is no different from losers. If you want to be chosen, be the best among the options-a sweet rule to every test, a bitter reality Eiah was raised in. She gives everything a hard try, even though she can't grasp it all just right. Maybe she was chasing the wrong things. Maybe she needs to work harder. Maybe she's really... almost there. Whatever it is, she's determined to prove her father she's worthy of her name-but heck, not to the point of marriage! That's why, when he demanded that she get engaged while still in college, she had to 'call a friend', Chase, an accounting junior who has kissed girls everywhere. They had to level up their call sign. From bes to babe, will fake couple rings work? Or was it, again, just another almost? Almost the right move; apparently not the best. Maybe they should've just sat with their friendship bracelets rather than become almost too-almost what they aren't meant to be, almost everything they could no longer be.

It has always been a dream for Ammy to live prosperously. Worse luck, she was not born with a silver spoon. She has to endure the mud on her feet as she chases her ambitions. Notwithstanding, it did not stop her. She has set her goals and will go the extra mile to get what she aims for her and her mother. She excels in almost everything that she tries and rarely did she place second in competitions; in games. She adheres to her belief that success can only be attained through continuous actions and victory thus she does not let anyone steal her place. Playful kismet, a big threat comes her way. Conrad-a well-born son from an affluent family of Suarezes. He can do anything as great as her, bringing her plans into a blur. Two players, one game. There is only one seat for the victor, one winner in every play. Who will win and who will lose . . . a game with kismet? Ended : October 21, 2022

(After High Series # 1) Saffron Rose Borromeo appears to have it all-top grades, family connections, and a guaranteed future in law. But appearances can be deceiving. Maximiliano Jose Delgado is her academic equal and complete opposite. Brilliant, intense, and fiercely independent, he seems to see right through her polished facade-and he clearly doesn't like what he sees. From their first day at the SCA- College of Law, they're locked in a rivalry that goes beyond textbooks and test scores. It's personal. It's consuming. And neither understands why the other brings out such strong reactions. But when good intentions collide with wounded pride, their carefully constructed worlds begin to crumble. Some secrets destroy trust. Some lies are meant to help. And sometimes, the person you're trying to save is the last person who wants your rescue.

(Game Series # 10) Tali coursed through life with ease. Coming from a family full of lawyers, she knew that getting a job would not be a problem. Kailangan niya lang pumasa sa school at pumasa sa BAR exam. Madali lang naman iyon lalo na kung wala ka namang ibang iniisip kung hindi ang mag-aral. Hindi niya kailangang isipin kung may pambili ba siya ng libro o pambayad ng tuition. Life had been really good to her. But one night, she met this guy named Lui... She had heard stories about him, but has never really met him. And when she finally put a face to the name, that was when she understood the stories about him. Nakaka-baliw nga pala talaga iyong lalaki na iyon. There's just something about him that makes you want to say yes... So, she said yes. Yes to kissing him. Yes to making out with him. Yes to everything. Tali told herself that it was just for one night, but she found herself wanting for me despite all the protest of the people around her. She kept on convincing herself that he's not worth it... but she knew the moment his lips touched hers, it was already game over.

Two men. One secret conversation. A truth that broke everything. Tyler hated Mikael long before he fell for him, and falling for him might be the one thing he can't charm his way out of. *** Tyler Coast Alderidge Cervando has always had everything, except genuine connection. Charming and privileged, he returns to the Philippines for college carrying ambition and old grudges. Chief among them: Mikael Jasver Chua, the last person Tyler expects to matter to him. What begins as rivalry quietly shifts when an anonymous late-night conversation strips away titles, wealth, and walls, and two people begin to see each other clearly for the first time. But when the truth surfaces, so does the damage. Tyler & Mikael is a story about what happens when two people who were never supposed to fall in love... already have.

THE LOSERS' CLUB SERIES #2 Someday you'll look back on your mistakes and laugh. To name a few instances, these are those awkward first kisses you shared with your first boyfriend, those failed recitations that your classmates don't seem to forget, and those poor outfit ideas that you once thought were cute. Iyong mga dating nakakahiya, nakakainis, at masakit para sa 'yo, pagdating ng araw, ngingitian mo na lang. Maybe by then, you'll realize how much time you've invested in being too emotional. Pero may mga bagay na kahit matagal nang nangyari, hindi natin magawang tawanan. Siguro dahil nakakahiya pa rin? Siguro dahil nakakainis pa rin? O siguro, dahil masakit pa rin? For Amari Sloane Mendoza, it's all of the above. Among all the awkward, failed, and poor instances, falling in love with her classmate, Leon Ysmael Zamora, is the only mistake she can't laugh about.