Dopamine Rush

I grew up in a small town, living an average life with nothing handed easily. I always knew I wanted more-more than tight spaces, more than just "enough." My goal was clear: graduate, leave, work abroad, and finally give my parents the life they never had. No distractions. No detours.

That was my plan-until Carlo came.
And in the stillness of my life and school routine,
Love came unannounced-like a flatline on a quiet shift.
Unexpected. Uninvited.

In a world where I wanted to stay invisible, he saw me and that changed everything.
I always wanted to leave. But his consistency kept pulling me back. Not with grand gestures, but with the quiet kind. Not loud. Not grand. Just there.

And before I could name it, he became all my firsts. My first boyfriend. First date. First kiss.
The first to sit with me in silence without asking why. And suddenly, leaving didn't feel like freedom anymore. It felt like breaking the one person who held me through my most fragile moments. The one who stayed, even when I was halfway out the door.

But in life we chose, where healing others comes before holding each other and saving lives leaves little room for our own-can love truly survive? Will our hearts crash trying to keep up? Or will it become the quiet ache beneath the noise-the softest thing that hurts the most?

I'm Iz and this is my story.
Of how I ran toward a future that asked me to let go-while aching for someone I couldn't bear to leave behind.
Of ambition clashing with affection.
Of hearts that don't fit neatly into plans.
Of trying to love in a world that forgets to slow down.

This isn't just about falling in love.
It's about trying to keep love alive in the middle of a storm.
Because sometimes, the hardest part isn't saving lives.
It's choosing which one you save first.

English-Filipino novel
Drama-Romance