"Suna, can you please entertain the customer in table 4?"

You're probably wondering why I have different jobs everyday. The thing is, my mother have so many friends and most of them are willing to hire me despite being underage and inexperienced.

That's why I always give my best during work, because it's the only way to repay them. I wouldn't survive without their consideration.

I gave my employer a salute. "Leave it to me, Madam."

I may not be rich, but I'm blessed with good people in my life. My mother taught me that blessings come in many form, and you just have to look closely to realize that you're truly blessed. There are times when we consider ourselves unfortunate but the truth is, we just don't recognize the good things that we are granted.

"Good evening, Ma'am. Can I have your order?"

Anyway, I'm a waitress in a fine restaurant every Friday night.

Walang masyadong tao ngayong gabi dahil karamihan sa mga tao'y may pasok at trabaho kapag Biyernes. We have some customers, though. The place isn't totally empty.

"This is bad. My foot is itchy." I whispered. "Nakakahiya pa naman magkamot ng paa, mukhang mayayaman lahat ng mga nandito."

Pasimple kong kinamot ang aking paa at hindi ako kumurap upang masiguro na walang nakatingin sa akin. I was in the middle of scratching my foot when somebody halted beside me.

"Suna!" The stranger exclaimed. "You're Suna, right?"

Tinantanan ko muna ang paa ko at lumingon ako sa gilid.

"Oh," I politely greeted my professor's friend. "Hello, Sir Lars."

"Fancy meeting you here! You even work as a waitress?" He seemed amazed by that fact. Before I could even reply, he turned around to the entrance. "Look, Hana! Your student's incredible!"

I stiffened. For some reason, my heart leaped at the thought of seeing him here. I kept my gaze on the double doors, and my chest hurt in so much happiness when Sir Hana emerged inside.

My teacher was taken aback when he saw me. "Suna?"

He looked so good in his pink sleeves, paired with his khaki shorts and brown topsiders. His hair was slightly brushed up, exposing his forehead. It pains me to admit it, but he's such a beautiful creature.

I mean, he's even prettier than me. Is that a good thing?

"Good evening, Sir Hana. I'm glad to see you again, though we just met in class today." I said in all honesty. My eyes avoided his gaze.

This is odd. I suddenly feel bashful. What's wrong with me?

He was just about to speak when two more men entered the place. Sir Lars quickly introduced them to me. "Oh, Suna. Meet Baron and Lucas. We met these two gentlemen on Tinder, and we're actually in a double date right now." Humalakhak siya.

Kumaway naman sa akin ang dalawang lalaki. On the other hand, Sir Hana seemed ashamed to be seen by me. Hindi siya makatingin sa mga mata ko at mukhang hiyang hiya siya sa akin.

"Tinder?" pagtataka ko.

"It's an online dating app. You should try it." Sir Lars suggested.

Sir Hana patted him on the shoulder. "Don't give her ideas, Lars."

"Oh, sorry. I almost forgot that you're just a minor, Suna." Sir Lars smirked triumphantly. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but his eyes seemed to be squinting in mockery right now.

I sense malice from his gazes. I wonder if he dislikes me.

Anyway, the four of them left to find a table. As he walked past by me, Sir Hana heaved out a deep sigh. "I knew it. Hindi na dapat ako sumama. It was such a bad idea to take part in this nonsense."

I decided not to pay attention to them. I shouldn't get distracted. I'm working right now, and I have no intention of doing my job with a half heart. I'm supposed to be giving my all today.

"Good work, Suna! As expected, things are much easier when you're around." The restaurant's owner, Madam Annie, briskly told me when my shift ended. She happens to be my mother's friend.

She handed me an envelope which contained my pay for today.

"You're giving me too much credit, Madam." I replied then accepted the envelope. "Thank you for making me work every Friday night. Sobrang laking tulong po." I slightly bowed as a sign of respect.

"Silly. Don't mention it, Suna. You're one of the most hardworking people that I know. Masaya akong makatulong sayo." I silently thanked God for blessing me with such a good person. "Anyway, send my regards to your mother! See you next Friday night."

I glanced over the clock. It was already past nine in the evening.

Due to my unreasonable hunger (unreasonable, because I just ate an hour ago but I'm getting hungry again), I was quite in a daze while getting out of the restaurant. Pinag-iisipan ko kung kakain ba ako ng kwek-kwek. I'm trying my best to be a vegetarian, you know. I want to lessen the deaths of the animals that I eat.

Biglang may sumabay sa aking paglalakad. "Pauwi ka na?"

"Itlog!" I jolted in surprise. My eyes widened in shock when I found Sir Hana walking beside me. "Sir! What are you doing here?"

"Itlog?" He laughed. "Anyway, isn't it obvious? I'm here to walk you home. Do you even know what time it is?" He crossed his arms.

Tumingin ako sa relo ko. "It's quarter to ten."

"I know. What I mean is..." He trailed, sighing. "Nevermind."

"What about your date, Sir Hana?" I curiously stared at him. "Both Lucas and Baron were handsome. I was having a hard time choosing who to ship with you. They both looked nice."

He groaned. "Why would you even ship them with me?"

"Uhm," I blinked twice. "Because you're interested in men?"

"In my defense, I wasn't really interested in dating either of them. Pinilit lang ako ni Lars na sumama sa kanila." His eyes narrowed into slits. "Anyway, don't just ship me with anyone out there."

"Understood."

Tinalikuran na ako ni Sir Hana. Umubo siya.

"Ship me with yourself, Suna." he said in a small voice.

My eyes rounded in wonder. What does he mean by that?

"Are you interested in me, Sir Hana?" I inquired.

Umiwas siya ng tingin. "Are you really asking that now? I held your hand the other day. You should know the answer to that. It was such a romantic moment." He clicked his tongue in dismay.

"Really?" I gaped. It's true that he held my hand the other day, but I didn't find it romantic. "I mean, it's the same as holding my head, my shoulders, and my feet. What's so romantic about that?"

Napangiwi siya. "Why would I even hold your feet, Suna?"

"I don't know. Do you want to hold it now?"

"This conversation is getting nowhere." My professor exploded into laughter. "Our conversations are so weird." He looked at me in the corner of his eye. "Can I hold your hand instead?"

He sounded so nervous, like he was afraid to be rejected. To make him feel at ease, I voluntarily offered my hand to him. "Okay. It's cold tonight, so you can hold my hand." malumanay kong sabi.

He averted his gaze from me. Sir Hana hesitantly took my hand, and when our skin touched, he blushed instantly. Using his free hand, he covered his mouth to hide his embarrassment.

My eyes landed on our hands. Nanginginig ang kamay niya.

"Your hand is warm. It feels nice." I commented, which didn't seem to help. Mas lalo lamang namula si Sir Hana sa sinabi ko.

We stopped by the nearest convenience store, since I wanted to satisfy my hunger. Sir Hana wanted to feed me somewhere else, but I insisted on eating instant ramen. It's my comfort food.

"I'm telling you, Suna. You should stop eating this killer food!" Sir Hana exclaimed in horror while watching me pour hot water into the cup noodles. "Noodles take a while to digest, you know!"

I eyed him. "It's easy to make. I love it."

Sir Hana began ranting in alien language. "Ramen noodles contain a food additive called Tertiary-butyl hydroquinone, a preservative that is a petroleum industry byproduct, which makes them even deadlier,  aside from the fact that they're incredibly high in sodium, calories and saturated fat! Do you understand?!" He gasped.

I lost track in butyl-something. I don't even know what that is.

I yawned. "Bakit po ba ang dami mong alam?"

His jaw dropped, like he was offended. "That's rude, Suna!"

"I'm sorry. That's not what I mean." I quickly corrected when I realized that the question came out wrong. "I mean, you're so smart. Ultimo lahi ng mga ipis, alam mo po. Why is that?"

"You flatter me." He smiled shyly. Okay, that instant change of mood is amazing. Puri lang pala ang katapat niya. "Hindi naman ako ipinanganak na matalino. Mahilig lang talaga akong magbasa."

Well, that makes sense.

I started eating my ramen. Inalok ko si Sir Hana kung gusto niya, pero ayaw niya talaga. Mas pipiliin pa raw niyang kumain ng damo.

Is that why people associate gays with horses?

"Thank you for accompanying me even though it's already late, Sir Hana. You're not really obliged to stay with me, but you're still here. You remind me of my mother. You're so kind."

His expression slightly changed. Did I say something wrong?

"You shouldn't think highly of me. I'm no saint, Suna. You might get disappointed." He smiled. "I also have my own share of bad deeds."

I find it unbelievable that Sir Hana have done bad things. But it's nearly impossible to find someone perfect in this world, isn't it?

"I have always been described as a kind person. People fed me the idea that I'm kind-hearted, so I had to live up their expectations." I remained quiet when Sir Hana opened up to me. "There came I time when I really wanted to have something, but I couldn't. I had to hold back, because people will get hurt if I insist on getting it."

Behind those glasses, his eyes resembled a desolate home.

"Eventually, I got tired of being kind. Like, why do I have to consider everyone's happiness when I can just think of myself?" My lips parted when his eyes started brimming with tears. "That's when I did some selfish things. I disrupted the peace of the people around me. I disregarded their feelings just to satisfy mine."

He closed his eyes. Napansin kong nakayukom na pala ang mga kamao ni Sir Hana. It seemed like he was directing the anger to himself.

"In the end, I was left with nothing, and I became unhappy with my decisions. One mistake just led to another. I totally messed up."

Tears streamed down to his cheeks. Out of respect, I looked away while Sir Hana was crying beside me. I didn't want him to think that I'm enjoying this moment wherein he's showing me his weak side.

Because I'm not enjoying it. Not really.

I don't understand people, but it's not fun to watch them cry.

"My mother once told me that it's okay to be bad sometimes."

Nilingon niya ako at nagtama ang aming mga mata.

I gave him a small smile. "All of us have things that we desire, after all. It's normal to make bad decisions, to be selfish, and to force things to go your way. It's part of being human." I said in the nicest way possible. "We all have villainous days. At some point, we all become bad in other people's stories, so don't feel too bad."

I gently patted his head. It makes me feel at ease whenever he does that to me. I hope it has the same effect on him.

"Allow me to quote Albert Einstein," I pursed my lips. "Those who didn't make mistakes didn't try something new. Therefore, it's great that you tried being selfish once. You made a lot of mistakes, but at least you learned something. The lesson matters the most."

He smiled then wiped his tears. "Very well said. As expected from my favorite student." Sir Hana gently patted my head.

I was just about to speak when someone called me from behind.

"Freak?"

Okay, that totally ruined the moment.

Due to the shock that my seatmate was just behind me, I screamed on top of my lungs. I don't know why, but Uriel imitated me. Sumigaw din siya. Sabay kaming sumigaw nang walang dahilan.

On the other hand, Sir Hana took that opportunity to hide his face. Sumubsob siya sa mesa. Halatang kabado siya dahil nanginginig siya. Well, it's scandalous that we're together at this hour.

"What the hell, Suna?!"

I waved my hand awkwardly. "Hello, Uriel. Goodbye."

"Ginagago mo ba ako?!"

"Hindi naman." I nervously bit my nails.

Talk about bad timing. Why Uriel, of all people?

His eyes landed on the man beside me. "Sino 'yan?"

I shook my head frantically. "Secret, walang clue!"

When he glared at me, it was the same as telling me that I need to answer him unless I have a death wish. This is so tragic.

"This is my brother, Uriel."

"Don't fuck with me. You're an only child." His brows furrowed in annoyance. "One more lie and I'll kill you, Suna! Try me!"

"But he's really my brother!" I insisted, sniffing. "Kasama ko siya sa church! Pastor siya at brother ang tawag namin sa kanila!"

I hope Sir Hana doesn't take it seriously. Baka mamaya bigla na lang niya akong basahan ng Bible. I don't mind, but it's weird.

Uriel stared at me, and he was obviously suspicious of my answer.

Hindi naman gumagalaw si Sir Hana sa pwesto niya.

To shut him up, I forced Uriel to leave the convenience store with me. Pinilit ko siyang ihatid ako at pumayag naman siya. Mukhang nakalimutan na rin niyang kasama ko si Brother Hana.

For the last time, I glanced over the convenience store. Sir Hana was still there, but he wasn't hiding his face anymore. He smiled softly to me when our gazes met. Sa lunes na kami magkikita.

A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.

From: Sir Hana

I don't have an excuse to see you, but can we possibly meet tomorrow? I don't think I can wait for Monday, Suna.

I blinked twice. He wants to see me tomorrow? Well, I don't mind.

Before totally leaving, I looked over my shoulder and smiled to Sir Hana. I raised my thumb in response to my teacher. He seemed to understand it, since he instantly blushed then covered his face.

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