For a minute or two, Paco's messages stop. Chubi wonders if he's finished saying his piece and if it's now his turn to reply. Just then, Paco sends another video link. It's a short film of a man capturing candid photos of everyone he passes while running down the street. The film is high-energy, leaving even the audience breathless. Chubi's heart races with excitement as he watches.

"What do you think of this? Don't you think we could create something as exciting as this for Kailan's unofficial MV?" Paco's message pops up just as the short film's credits start to roll.

"It's a unique concept. I think Kailan's music fits the fast pacing of the MV," Chubi replies. "If we pull this off, I really think that it can inspire someone to actually do something about situations they normally won't care about."

"You think so?" comes Paco's reply.

"Yes!" Chubi follows it up with a puppy vigorously nodding its head with a big YES text in front of it.

"Haha! That's the vote of confidence that I need."

Chubi stops for a moment, a small bit of pride rising in his heart. To think someone as amazing as Paco will take his comment to heart.

He's about to reply when Paco sends him another message, "For this music video, I was thinking the main character will be a student who's a slacker who's coasting on life. Then, we'll start the shot at the classroom..."

For someone who looks so serious, Paco is surprisingly chatty on messenger. Somehow the gap seems endearing to Chubi. They chat for hours on end with Paco laying his idea for Kailan's unofficial MV, while Chubi sometimes commenting on it.

Chubi's about to respond to Paco's suggestion of adding video game elements like Health Points, Strength, and Speed when he hears the familiar footsteps of his grandmother, Inay Krising, outside of his room. That's when he notices the time on the top of his screen. It's already 4:12 am. He knows Inay Criselda is already preparing for the Dawn Rosary Procession at 5:00 am at Malolos Cathedral.

Chubi quickly pulls up his blanket and pretends to sleep. A few seconds later, Inay Krising goes inside his room and presses a kiss to his forehead before leaving.

Chubi lets out a breath and quickly checks his phone for Paco's message. However, it's been fifteen minutes since his last message.

"I guess he fell asleep," Chubi mutters before sending a sleepy cat gif to Paco. He puts his phone down and closes his eyes, the images of Paco's unofficial music video concept intersped with Bamboo's Kailan playing on his mind over and over again until he falls asleep.

When Chubi wakes up, it's already nearly noon. He heads downstairs to find his mother, Maricris, setting the table while Inay Krising stirs something in a pot. The fruity, sour aroma makes his mouth water.

"Inay, is that sinigang?" Chubi asks as he giddily approaches Inay Krising.

The older woman smiles warmly and lifts the ladle to show Chubi the large pieces of bright orange shrimps, "Yes, sinigang na hipon. Your favorite."

"Yay! You're the best, Inay," Chubi kisses his grandmother's cheeks.

"Chubi, will make yourself useful and put rice in the serving bowl," his mother, Maricris orders him without even looking at his direction.

"Yes, Nay," Chubi replies before promptly following his mother's orders.

Soon, they are eating lunch mostly in silence, only the sounds of their utensils filling the space between them. Frankly, Chubi has gotten used to this. Despite his mother's insistence that the family should eat together, they just sit through a meal in total silence. Only when he's eating with Inay Krising does the mood feel like families eating together in some chirpy noodle commercial.

"How's your org assembly yesterday?" Maricris asks, catching Chubi off guard that he almost drops his spoon.

"Uhm, it's alright," Chubi responds shortly.

"Anything else happened?" Maricris asks again, obviously not willing to drop the subject.

"Well, uhm, they introduced new members, then they laid out the plan for this year. Same old, same old," Chubi replies, hoping his mother would stop asking questions already.

Maricris pauses for a moment, before catching her son's gaze, "If it's all the same like you say, why do you insist on staying on that org?"

"Nay—"

"You're already in your third year of college. Don't you think it's time for you to focus on your major subjects?" Maricris says, her tone calm, but the message is very loud and clear.

"But I like being in BCMO," Chubi says, his voice slightly rising.

Maricris raises her eyebrows, "Really? Then, why do you keep on getting a probationary status every single year?

Chubi sharply turns to Inay Krising, who's the only person he confided in about that. "Chubi, apo..." She says softly, but Maricris simply knocks her knuckle on the table to catch Chubi's focus.

"I asked Nanay to tell me since you won't tell me anything yourself," his mother says evenly.

Chubi takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. He can never tell his mother anything, knowing too well that she still disapproves of him joining BCMO. Even in the last semester of his second year in Mass Communication, she keeps pushing him to shift his course to IT or even Nursing, where there's still high demand for graduates.

"I'm just busy," he finally says. "There's just too much to do at school."

"Well, maybe if you leave that org, you'd have more time to do more productive things," Maricris replies. "Then maybe this year, you'll finally make the dean's list and qualify for the University Scholarship."

Chubi looks down at his plate, unable to meet his mother's gaze, filled with disappointment in him. She's always been like that, ever since he was little—holding high expectations for him, just because she's a teacher herself. For a while, it works, especially in his elementary years when he's a consistent honor student. At first, Maricris is especially proud of his accomplishments, but as he grows older, her expectations for him grow too. It's frankly suffocating.

His father, Franco, is kind of there for him, but he only comes home every other year because of his work as an engineer in Saudi Arabia. He pretty much leaves it to Maricris to raise Chubi.

When he's in fourth grade, his Inay Krising comes to live with them after his Lolo Mario passes away, leaving her alone. Somehow, Inay Krising's sweet and supportive presence eases the pressure from his mother. It's also through Inay Krising that he starts to fall in love with Disney movies—something his mother doesn't entirely approve of. But at least he still manages good enough grades to stay on the top 10 list.

Things change drastically, though, when he enters high school and struggles to stay in the top ten. Maricris nags him endlessly to study more and raise his grades, but he keeps struggling until she finally seems to lose her drive to push him. He's somehow able to breathe a little easier throughout high school, coasting along with decent grades and fun times with his best friend James. But once he's a senior, Maricris starts nagging again, urging him to study harder so he can get into a good college and pursue a high-demand field like Nursing or IT.

Despite all Maricris's persistence, he still goes with his first choice: Mass Communication, and eventually joins BCMO.

"Anyone care for some cake?" Inay Krising asks to break the building tension at the dining room. "I bought a cake roll at Goldilocks. Tiramisu. Isn't that your favorite, apo?" She turns to Chubi and caresses his tense arm.

"Yes, Inay. Thank you," Chubi replies to his grandmother, his body slightly relaxing.

His mother gets up from the table, "I'm good, Ma. Enjoy the cake, but remember your sugar, okay?" She turns to Chubi, her face stiff, "Think about what I said. This is not for me, but for your future."

After Maricris leaves, Inay Krising rubs Chubi's back, "Your mother only wants the best for you. She's always worried about you."

"I know, Inay," Chubi lets out a deep sigh. "But it's too difficult to talk to her when she won't even listen to me."