A TTH 9:30-11:00 schedule is enough for Jiya to want to pull her hair out.

Tapos si Migo Salas pa ang una niyang makikita, sitting front row, left side, malapit sa door. It's a good thing she already has her coffee.

Migo raises his hand in a wave, smiling, eyes behind her head. "Good morning, Van."

Siya lang? 'Ge.

"Aga mo ah," Van says from behind her, grinning.

Jiya ignores him too and moves past rows, finding two vacant chairs at the very back. She dumps her things on the floor and rests her head on her arms. Inaantok pa siya.

Tumabi sa kanya si Van. "Ano 'yon? Balik na naman kayo to sworn enemies after ka niyang sinundo?"

Jiya merely plugs in her Airpods and closes her eyes. Anong pake niya kung hindi siya g-in-reet, after he made such a fuss getting into the same Theo class as her?

When their prof comes, Jiya sips her coffee, glancing at the back of Migo's head. Hindi pa rin siya tinitingnan since kanina.

First time 'yon ah. Since high school, all he ever did when they were in the same class together, was to glance at her every once in a while, wink, and mouth, "pogi ko" or "panget mo"—depending on his mood.

Wala siya sa mood today. It makes Jiya smile. Tama 'yan.

But her happiness is short-lived, because by the end of Sir Seguerra's discussion of the syllabus, he says, "Choose your partner for your wedding vows assignment, and submit a one-fourth sheet of yellow pad with your names before you leave. Remember that this is twenty percent of your grade."

Jiya grabs Van's hand. "Pasabi kay Isco ako pakakasalan mo."

Van snickers and reaches for her bag. "Set na 'ko. Perfect na tayo dito, babe."

Jiya doubts it, but like all things—she'll reach for perfect.

"Van," Migo's voice says, and Jiya looks up to find him standing in front of them with a grin. "Switch tayo partners."

"Van, don't you dare," Jiya says, glaring at Migo and tightening her hand on her friend's.

He finally meets her eyes. Still wearing his shit-eating grin, he tells Van, "Van, alam mo ba na before Valle left for Korea—"

"Tangina," Jiya cuts him off through gritted teeth, letting go. "Sorry, Vannie."

Van raises an eyebrow and stands up. "What happened before she left for Korea?"

Migo takes her seat and spreads his legs, turning his head around to look at Jiya, a lazy half-smile on his lips. "She told me she was going to miss me."

"Ulol," Jiya says.

"As if," Van scoffs. "'Ge, bahala kayo."

Once her friend is gone, he says, "Hello, wife."

"Fuck you."

"Game ako, your place?"

Jiya scoffs and rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

Migo shifts his body around to face her, leaning forward. He stares at her and says, "Bakit 'di ka nagpaalam sa 'kin last night? You came with me, you should've left with me. Ako dapat naghatid sa 'yo."

So that was his problem? Jiya raises an eyebrow and takes her coffee in her hands. Kailangan niya kung kakausapin niya 'to. "So after a whole night of pretending the other doesn't exist, I should've gone up to you and said, 'Hoy, Migo. Ikaw nagsundo sa 'kin, ikaw mag-uwi sa 'kin.' Gano'n ba?"

He reaches over and snatches her drink, and before Jiya can protest, he bites the straw and takes a sip. "Oo."

Jiya packs up her things. "I can go home with whoever I want. Besides, you were busy."

Migo stands up, too. He shoulders his bag and brings her coffee with him, sliding a piece of paper on Sir Seguerra's desk before following her out. "Selos ka?"

"As if. Baka ikaw." Jiya grabs her coffee back with a scowl. "Don't you have class? Or someone else to bother?"

Migo checks his watch, walking alongside her. "Yes to class. What are you doing after school?"

"Acads. And then I have org meetings."

"From? Until?"

"Does it matter kung aabot lang din ako until magsara MVP?"

Migo sighs, clicking his tongue. "Ang hirap makipag-agawan for your time, Valle."

Jiya stops, facing him. She raises an eyebrow. "You know, we're not friends. Never tayo naging friends. Last year, you sold my Histo reviewers to your walang kwentang freeloader classmates—reviewers I made for three days."

Migo raises his eyebrows, too. "Last year rin, you turned off the hot water in Buenca's condo no'ng naliligo ako."

"Kaya nga." Jiya turns around and stalks away. "So 'wag mo na 'kong kausapin."

She half-expects him to follow her with a counterargument, just because he loves getting the last word in.

But when Jiya glances back, he's gone.

*

"Yay!" sigaw ni Addie, shutting off her laptop. "Tapos na 'ko sa culture writing assignment ko!"

Van and Jiya don't look up, focused on their own screens.

"'Grats," Van mutters.

"E 'di ikaw na," Jiya says.

"Grabe!" Addie stands up and stretches, heaving a sigh of relief. "What are you guys working on ba?"

"EnLit," Van mumbles distractedly. Pareho silang nasa same Google Doc and Google Slides ni Jiya. She says, "Ji, can you check my part? I'll add to yours na rin."

Jiya nods, scrolling up. "Thanks, babe."

All three of them started as blockmates, pero si Van 'tsaka si Jiya nag-stick sa AB Literature English, while si Addie nag-shift to AB Communication before second year. Journalism ang track niya.

"Aga pa," sabi ni Addie, obviously smiling. "I have a date sa UPTC with Cas, but he's probably still studying with the boys at Black Scoop, so daan lang ako do'n."

Van frowns and picks up her phone. "Speaking of UPTC, magmo-movie dapat kami ni Isco, asan na 'yon?"

Jiya scrunches her nose. Usually, wherever Van is, Isco's there, too.

"Pinagpapalit ka na niya," Addie teases, heading to her room.

"No way," Van says, rolling her eyes, tapping on her phone before tossing it aside. "Okay, back to work."

Jiya smiles a bit. That's what she loves about being groupmates with Van—she's focused, very serious about her studies, and kung makikipaglandian man siya, dapat at least fifty percent ng work niya tapos na.

Jiya's phone vibrates. Anton texted.

Anton: you busy?

She picks it up and types her reply.

acads lang at Blue with the
girls, then i have org mtgs
after. why?

Anton: take a break. Cheesecake milk
tea? Dadaanan ko lang.

She grins.

yes pls :( ily thank u

When Anton lets her know he's downstairs, Jiya rides the elevator with Addie down to the lobby. She wags her eyebrows and says, "May thing ba kayo ni Anton? You guys were together din last Friday."

Jiya rolls her eyes. "Close lang kami."

"Sabi mo," Addie teases, skipping out to the lobby. "Hi, Anton!"

"Addie, hintay ka na ni Cas," Anton says, smiling, bringing with him her milk tea. To Jiya, he puts up his phone and grins. "O, kailan na samgyup ko?"

"This Friday, g?" She grabs the milk tea from him and smiles widely. "Thank you talaga."

He snaps a picture, ruffles her hair and steps back. "G na g. Don't forget to eat!"

"Thank you!" sigaw ulit ni Jiya, lining up sa elevator.

Before she can even reach Addie's unit, her Instagram lights up with a notification. 'Yong picture kanina ni Anton sa kanya.

@antonbuenca: happy valle
@jvalle

She grins and adds that to her own story before getting back to work.

*

Jiya slams her hand down on the table and cards her fingers through her hair, shutting her eyes.

Her parents are fighting again in their room. Jiya has learned to stop caring about what it is they're fighting about this time.

Minsan kasi, pera. Working late. The cars. Forgetting to buy an egg sa groceries. Mom's brother, Dad's mother. Mga kabit nila. Texts and calls left unanswered during work and the reason of, "Busy ako."

Gerard Valle is CEO and chairman of Valle Holdings, and Hillary Valle is a well-respected lawyer with an astounding success rate. Pareho silang busy palagi, parehong stressed, parehong ma-pride.

Jiya knows they're in talks of filing for annulment, pero hindi pa nila siya kinakausap about it. "Let her focus on school," her mom would say. "Baka ma-affect grades niya."

"This is Jiya we're talking about," her dad would scoff. "Nothing affects her grades."

"Ang selfish mo, Gerard. Pwede ba?"

It's been too long of the same fights over and over again. When they went to Korea during the summer as a family, she thought it was going to finally fix things between her parents. But she was so far from the truth—parang naging bakasyon ni Jiya mag-isa. Her mom left to meet with her friends, her dad worked and went to casinos, and they all only saw each other during dinner...if they bothered to show up. Nag-away rin sila. Hindi nag-uusap.

She swallows thickly and leans back against her desk chair, plugging in her Airpods and sifting through her playlist. If she doesn't hear anything, she's not going to break down about it. Wala rin siyang oras mag-break down about it, ang dami niyang acads and org deadlines.

Three songs pass while she works before her phone buzzes.

Pogi: hoy panget. kumain ka na ng
dinner? ramen tayo.

Right. Dinner. Ayaw niya rin magpakita sa parents niya.

She sighs and turns it off, fingers back on her keypad, but her phone buzzes again with another text from him.

Pogi: yung actual ramen ah. for now.

Jiya pushes her tongue inside her cheek and ignores that, too.

She's finishing the concluding line sa paper niya for her English class when Migo sends her another message.

Pogi: ah, di ka sasagot? pupuntahan
kita diyan, valle. alam mong gagawin
ko alam ko kung san ka nakatira

"Ang kulit, punyeta," Jiya mutters angrily, snatching it off the table. She types her reply, pressing down on the screen.

saan ba pota ang kulit mo. im
studying.

His iMessage bubbles appear.

Pogi: tama na aral, kain tayo. and
sunduin na kita :) late na para
istorbohin driver mo.

Jiya grits her teeth.

i can drive, you know. i have a
license.

She swears she hears his lazy grin in his response.

Pogi: sure, princess, pero matuto ka
muna mag parallel park. habang di ka
pa marunong, ride me.

Jiya chokes on her saliva.

Her phone buzzes again.

Pogi: ride *with me :)

"Gago talaga 'to," she says, but her lips pull up in a smile, and she catches herself in the mirror.

"Hoy, Jiya." She points at herself, scowling. "Anong ngiti 'yan? Nabobo ka na ba? Si Miguel Salas 'to, okay? Get ahold of yourself, tanga."

She clears her throat and types her reply.

fine. be here in ten.

Pogi: that excited to see me?

Jiya pretends to gag and ignores that. Sighing, she stands up and faces her full-body mirror.

Uncombed hair, pale cheeks and lips and skin, droopy eyes na kulang sa tulog, naka-shirt lang na may butas and boxer shorts.

Hassle 'tong si Migo, pero at least papakainin siya.

She puts on a bra under her shirt and the biggest hoodie she owns, and she exchanges her boxer shorts for sweatpants. Migo's cap is on her dresser.

"Sabi niya suotin ko," she reasons with herself, putting it on top of her head. "Fine, then."

Jiya only brings her wallet, keys, and phone—pocketing everything sa sweatpants and hoodie niya. Saktong pagka-slip on niya ng socks, her phone lights up.

Pogi: here na baby

Jiya sighs and locks the door to her room. Her parents in their rooms are quiet—she thinks na her dad went to sleep or work sa taas, sa loft, while her mom is probably brushing over cases in her office. In any case, natigil na rin 'yong sigawan.

To Manang, Jiya says, "Kain lang po ako sa labas ng saglit." She puts on her sneakers. "Don't wait up na po, I'm bringing my keys."

"Ingat ka anak," Manang says, opening the door for her. "Sinong kasama mo? Para masabi ko sa parents mo if they ask."

Jiya runs away. "Si Migo po."

She hears her laughter in glee behind her, and Jiya cringes in disgust.

Nakangiti na si Migo pagkalabas niya. He's in a white shirt lang with rolled-up sleeves and black jeans, a silver chain around his neck. He greets, annoyingly, "Princess."

She rolls her eyes and throws open the passenger door. "Libre mo 'to. Kaya lang ako sumama."

Migo clicks his tongue as he settles in, pulling on his seatbelt. He rests his hand at the back of Jiya's headrest, leaning in, and tells her, "Mas mahal 'to sa milk tea, so be nice to me."

He pulls away from her driveway, one hand on the wheel, and she says, "You suggested ramen. Not me."

"Sige na, baby." Migo laughs, flicking her forehead and pushing down on her cap's rim. "Sungit mo talaga. Hindi ka ganito kay Buencamino, 'no?"

"Tigilan mo 'ko," Jiya snaps, huffing. She leans back against the seat and fixes the cap on her head.

He taps on the steering wheel for a few moments, and then asks, "Kamusta sa lit?"

Jiya frowns. "I know you STEM people think it's easy, compared sa major mo, pero mahirap. Why?"

"You seem stressed," Migo says simply, shrugging. "And wala namang madaling course, Valle."

Tama naman. Pero sometimes, sometimes...Jiya wonders if she chose the right course for herself, if she chose wrong, if she was ever going to make a career out of it.

When she was filling out her application forms for college, her mom wanted her to take up legal management. Jiya stood her ground and said she wanted lit. Hillary didn't argue anymore, but she said, "If gusto mo sa lit, you'll only have yourself to blame for what happens after."

Her dad, who wanted her to take up something business-related, agreed.

Fine. Reason numero uno bakit siya nagpapakamatay for her grades and orgs and internships, busy building up her resumé and portfolio—she wants to prove her parents wrong.

Jiya sighs and shakes her head. "E sa chem?"

He shrugs. "Saks lang. Mahirap din. We have a test tomorrow."

Jiya sits up straight and smacks his shoulder, eyes widening. "E bakit ka nandito? Dapat nag-aaral ka, tanga!"

Migo grins and winks at her. "Chill ka lang, Valle. I can study later. For now, kain muna."

He brings her to Ramen Nagi sa UPTC. As much as Jiya hates to admit it, she is hungry, and her favorite ramen is from this place. She quickly takes a seat and says, "Red King. And don't worry, I'll pay for myself. Mahal dito."

"I can pay for us," Migo mutters, sitting across her. "Besides, ako rin nagyaya."

While waiting for their food, after mag-order ni Migo, he says, "So 'di ba natin pag-uusapan why you kissed me?"

Jiya holds his stare. "Hindi."

Migo raises an eyebrow. "You won't tell me why?"

"Alam kong taga-SOSE ka, but that's what 'hindi' means."

He narrows his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. "I think it's something worth talking about. You stole it from me."

Jiya laughs. "Please stop talking like you didn't kiss me back."

"'Yon na nga." Migo leans forward and grins. "But you were the one who made the first move. And you claim you hate me."

Jiya raises an eyebrow. "Ano bang gusto mong sabihin ko, Migo? If you're looking for a confession, stop. Wala from me."

"You'll fess up rin," Migo says, smug. He stirs the straw in his drink and wraps his lips around it, staring at her.

Jiya keeps her eyes firmly on his. "I won't be fessing up anything."

"Until then." He grins and leans back when their orders arrive, and he breaks off the first pair of chopsticks and gives it to her before breaking his own. "You can do whatever I say. Unless, I don't know, you want me to tell our friends."

Jiya's jaw drops. "You're blackmailing me?"

"Hindi ba obvious?" Migo slurps on his noodles, blinking at her.

A loud scoff escapes her lips. Muntik na niyang ibato 'yong chopsticks on the ground, but she sets it on the table and curls her hand into a fist. "Migo. Tingin mo ba maniniwala sila sa 'yo?"

"E bakit ka takot?" Migo counters, grinning. He tips his chin to her bowl. "Kumain ka muna, you look like you're going to pass out."

Jiya stabs her chopsticks in her bowl, gritting her teeth.

Migo laughs, fishes out his phone, and takes a picture. He shakes his head, chuckling, and taps on the screen.

Hindi na-enjoy ni Jiya 'yong pagkain niya. Naubos niya, pero hindi niya na-enjoy. Tanginang gago.

She's quiet during the ride home. Migo's humming along to the song sa radio, and Jiya wants to smack him.

When he pulls up to her house, Jiya reaches for the door.

Migo locks it. "Walang thank you?"

She grits her teeth and hisses, "Thank you." She unlocks it, but Migo locks it again.

"Walang kiss?"

"Tangina, Migo—"

"Fine, fine." He's laughing, and Jiya slams open the door and jumps out angrily, stomping towards the house. Before she shuts the gate in his face, Migo calls out, "Bagay sa 'yo cap ko!"

Jiya screams in her pillow once she's in her bedroom, blood boiling. Her phone is blowing up din inside her pocket.

Migo's story is what she sees first—'yong picture niya kay Jiya kanina.

@migosalas: angry valle hehe ❤️
@jvalle

"Bwiset," Jiya snaps. She opens her Messenger group chat with her friends and winces.

Group: powerpuff team

professor utong sent a photo

professor utong: paki-explain sir.

bubbles: ??!?!??????!!!!

blossom: UM...

Walang explanation si Jiya na hindi lame.

buttercup: libre nya lang kaya ako
sumama. night see yall tom.

To Migo, she replies to his story.

@jvalle: alam mo bang gago
ka? :)

She gasps when she sees him calling.

Ano na naman gusto nito?! Jiya presses her thumb down on the green button. "Ano?" sagot niyang masungit.

"Alam ko," he says, and she can hear the smile in his voice. "Matulog ka na. Goodnight, Valle."

And then he hangs up.

Ano 'yon?! The fuck.

Jiya takes off her clothes, his ball cap na binigyan niya ng middle finger, and gets ready for bed.