"HERSHEY'S LANG?"

"Oo…" tugon kay Hazel ng kustomer na pabalik-balik na sa convenience store na iyon.

As she handed him the receipt, he smiled back and gave her the pack of Hershey's afterwards. "Para sa iyo, Hazel…"

"Hindi ba't sinabi ko sa iyo, Zeal, hindi ako tumatanggap ng manliligaw?"

"Huwag kang mag-alala, tanggapin mo lang. Hindi pa kita mahal niyan..."

"Magtatapos muna ako ng pag-aaral," she replied and took the paper bag from him.

"I'll wait for you, Hazel."

As he left, she was also left to eat the Hershey's chocolate he gave.

And later on, when she was done with everything, she closed the store and left for home.

While walking, it was a cold night.

"Luluwas ka ng Maynila 'pag nakatapos ka?"

Napalingon siya sa boses ng lalaki na nanggaling sa likuran. Si Zeal na naman…

"Hindi," marahan niyang tugon habang sinasabayan siya nito sa paglakad. "Luluwas ako ng ibang bansa, doon ako magiging engineer."

He smiled. "Then I will be rooting for you, my future engineer."

But after graduating and passing the board exam, Hazel just found herself walking to the convenience store she had once been hired for as a part-time worker, instead of catching her flight.

She stared directly at the wall where the chocolates have always been stacked high.

She got herself the flavor of the Hershey's he'd always buy… and went to an address of a graveyard she'd been given.

She sat down with him and spoke. "Nandito na ang engineer mo, Zeal. Bakit hindi mo ako hinintay?"

And before riding her way to the airport, she dropped by the convenience store once again.

Truly, he was no longer there.

Scared to take another step where no Zeal awaits her, she took a bite of the Hershey's she bought and closed her eyes.

The moment she opened them, she saw him standing a few feet away from her.

"Zeal…"

"Hazel, 'wag kang masanay…"

She ran towards him and threw him a hug. "I missed you... are you tagging along?"

He laughed, messing her hair. "But I'm always with you… never gone."

She cried, thinking about the heart transplant he could never afford. "If I could give you my heart, believe me I would have…"

"Brave your fears, Hazel… go where your heart wants. Keep making me proud, my engineer..."

"When are you going to court me?"

"I'm going to court you forever. What will it take for me to hear a yes?"

Suppressing a smile, she closed her eyes but when she opened them, he was no longer there.

She stared at the lonely path she's going to pave, but it didn't feel lonely anymore.

What will it take for me to say yes?

I have always answered yes to him everytime he was there…

She finished the chocolate she had been eating and didn't throw away the scrap.

To answer his question, she drew a smile that reached her ears and ran for her flight.

"Zeal, Hershey's lang!"