"Before anything else, Aria..." Miriam trailed hesitantly as she served me with chamomile tea. My friend gracefully sat in front of me. "I want you to know that Lars Altaria is kind. A man of peculiarities and bad temperament, but still kind nonetheless."

I bravely took a sip from the cup. Mabilis din akong napangiwi sa lasa at pinagsisihan kong tumikim pa ako. What did I expect? I was never a fan of tea. I don't even understand why some people like it!

"Don't judge those who like tea. We all have our own preference." pahayag ni Miriam na mukhang nabasa ang iniisip ko.

"It's horrible," I hissed. "Like liquid extracted from feces!"

She shot me a horrified look. "God, Aria. Don't even dare say that in front of my mother. That's offensive to the whole community of tea lovers. Anyway, are you listening to me?"

I giggled. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

Miriam rested her chin on the back of her hand. She seemed troubled. Nakatingin sa akin ang kaibigan ko na para bang suko na talaga siya at hindi na niya alam kung anong gagawin sa akin.

"Hindi ka tatagal kay Sir Lars kung ganyan ka, Aria."

My jaw dropped. "Ano ba ako?"

"Girl, you're so detached from reality. It's like you're high everyday from smoking weed." napapailing niyang sagot. "Para kang lumaki nang wala sa huwisyo at puro tawa lang ang alam mo sa buhay."

I laughed nervously. "Grabe ka naman sa akin."

"Please, Aria." She clicked her tongue. "Get your shit together. You can't stay like that forever, you know. Tandaan mo, hindi na tayo bata at kailangan mong magtrabaho para sa pamilya mo."

I grudgingly slumped myself on the wooden table. "They don't need me anymore. In fact, my family is already insanely rich because of Althea. She's the only Moya that matters to them."

"Tigilan mo nga 'yan. It sounds like you're trying to use your sister as an excuse to not do well in life." prangka niyang diwa at tsaka umirap. "Iwasan mo ang self-pity, girl. That's not healthy at all."

My gaze dropped on the floor. Naiintindihan ko naman ang ibig niyang sabihin. I know that Miriam only wants the best for me.

"Anyway," She glanced over the wall clock. "It's already a quarter to seven. We should probably go. Sir Lars is very time-conscious."

Today, Miriam will show me her daily routine as the personal assistant of Lars Altaria. Aniya, bago ko siya palitan ay dapat ko munang pag-aralan ang mga ginagawa niya sa trabaho niya.

Tinahak na namin ang daan palabas ng bahay nila. On the way outside, we passed by the mini garden which my friend proudly showed me. Sari-saring mga halaman at bulaklak ang ibinida sa akin ni Miriam. Too bad I'm not really interested in plants.

"Every Monday, I come to his house to fetch Sir Lars. The weekend is usually hectic for the whole team so he tends to sleep in late." paliwanag ni Miriam nang makalabas kami.

Huminto kami sa tapat ng isang kulay itim na Vios. Pinatunog muna ito ni Miriam bago humarap sa akin at. She crossed her arms.

"This is the company car entrusted to the EIC. As his personal assistant, you'll have to drive him around more often than not."

Napakamot ako sa ulo. "Personal assistant, my butt. Pinaganda niyo pa ang tawag samantalang literal na utusan lang naman."

"Shut up, bitch. You're not really in any position to be picky." inis niyang sambit at inirapan na naman ako. "You should be thankful that I referred you to him. Ilang buwan ka nang tambay, Aria!"

Napanguso naman ako. I can't argue with that. She's right.

Naunang pumasok si Miriam sa loob ng sasakyan dahil siya ang magmamaneho. Huminga muna ako nang malalim bago sumunod.

"By the way, do you even know how to drive?" Miriam queried mockingly as she revved the engine to life. "You can't replace me if not. Madalas na may lakad si Sir Lars kung saan-saan at kailangan palagi ka niyang kasama. As I've said, you have to drive for him."

"Grabe ka naman sa akin. May lisensya na kaya ako!"

"Oh, really?" My friend chuckled. "That's good, then."

Bagama't malapit lang kami sa condo na tinitirhan ni Sir Lars, medyo matagal parin ang naging biyahe namin dahil sa matinding traffic. Pasado alas-otso na kami nakarating sa aming destinasyon. After parking the car on a safe spot, we made our way inside.

Hindi ko naman naiwasang kabahan habang nasa loob kami ng elevator na noo'y papaakyat na sa ikapitong palapag. I can't help it! This is really making me nervous! It's only been two days since I met Sir Lars in the club. Paano kung lasing lang siya o hindi kaya'y nagbibiro noong inalok niya sa akin ang posisyon ni Miriam?

"Girl, kalma. Mabait naman iyon." My companion tried to convince me as we halted in front of the farthest room on the seventh floor.

"Sure?" ninenerbyos kong tanong.

"Oo. Basta huwag kang patanga-tanga."

Para akong hihimatayin sa kaba noong kumatok na si Miriam sa pinto. Noong una, walang sumasagot pero makalipas ng ilang minutong pag-iingay ay pinagbuksan na rin kami ni Sir Lars.

"Good morning." His voice was hoarse when he greeted us. Sir Lars lazily rubbed his eyes. "Sorry about that. I was still in bed."

Mukhang wala pa siya sa huwisyo dahil tinalikuran na niya kami at basta na lang kaming iniwan sa pinto. He was just in his boxers, by the way. I had to cover my eyes because it didn't feel right to look.

"I know, Sir. It's Monday." magalang namang sagot ni Miriam at sinenyasan akong sumunod sa kanya. Pumasok na kami sa loob.

There was nothing exceptional in the unit of Sir Lars. The walls were white and most of his furnitures were either of cream or brown color. Medyo makalat din sa loob at maraming papel na nakakalat kung saan-saan. Well, the papers didn't surprise me. He's the editor-in-chief, after all. So this is the home of an EIC, huh?

"Here's your cappuccino, Sir. I also brought some toasted bread." alok ni Miriam at ipinatong sa mesa ang kape at tinapay na binili namin sa drive thru kanina. We got no response.

Nagmartsa si Miriam papunta sa kwarto ni Sir Lars at sinundan ko naman siya. Without even knocking, we barged into his room.

"Sir Lars, you really need to get up. It's already past eight!" Miriam exclaimed when we found him back to sleeping.

"Hmm." Sir Lars murmured groggily.

I stood rooted to my position when Miriam approached his bed then kicked him on the shin. "Hoy, bumangon ka na!"

He instantly woke up, his face distorted in pain. Tumingin siya nang masama kay Miriam at nagsalita. "Bitch, what is wrong with you?"

"Alas-otso na!" bulyaw ni Miriam at pinandilatan siya.

"Oo na! Ito na nga, babangon na!" Sir Lars grudgingly got up from his bed then left the room. Nadaanan pa niya ako pero tila wala pa talaga siya sa huwisyo dahil hindi man lang niya ako napansin.

"Do I need to wake him up like that?" tanong ko kay Miriam.

"Tuwing lunes, oo. Sa ibang araw, kaya na niya ang sarili niya."

Pumirmi muna ako sa sala at nag-isip ng iba't ibang paraan kung paano ko siya gigisingin tuwing lunes. Sa unang linggo ko siguro, magtatambol na lang muna ako gamit ng kaldero. Sana effective.

Habang nakaupo ako sa sala, pinanood ko si Miriam na ayusin ang mga papel na nakakalat. Bigla namang tumabi sa akin si Sir Lars na noo'y bagong ligo at wala pang suot na pang-itaas. Basa pa ang kanyang buhok at may nakasabit pang tuwalya sa kanyang batok.

Eyes on his face, I chanted repeatedly to myself. Okay, Lars Altaria is incredibly hot. He confessed to me that he's gay, but it doesn't change the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous.

"Tell me about my schedule for today, Miriam." he remarked softly while drying his hair. Tumayo siya upang kunin ang almusal niya at agad din siyang bumalik sa tabi ko. He didn't notice me at all!

"The whole team will meet at 9am to discuss about the January issue." panimula ni Miriam nang walang binabasa. "You have an appointment with Mr. Adriano at 11am. At 2pm, you're supposed to inspect the next site of this month's photoshoot. After that, your scheduled interview with the Mayor of Manila comes next at 4pm."

He yawned. "And then I'm free for the rest of the day?"

"Not really." Miriam smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid to say that you still have revisions to do, so you don't have any free time."

I sat awkwardly beside him as Sir Lars relished his breakfast. I don't know if he's ignoring me on purpose, but it's starting to get on my nerves. Hindi na ako nakatiis at kinausap ko na siya.

I cleared my throat. "Good morning, Sir Lars."

My jaw dropped when he waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't talk to me." matapobre niyang sabi sa akin.

My eyes twitched. "Bakit naman po?"

"First of all, you have such a horrible taste in fashion. I refuse to talk with someone who wears a neon blouse despite having dark skin. Mukha kang wiggles." he replied, not even bothering to hide his disgust. "Second, your eyebrows are putting me off. Sobrang kalat. Halatang wala kang pakialam sa kilay mo kaya naiinis ako."

I froze with a fake smile. Uhm, kilay ko po ito? Pakialam mo po?

"Third, your hairstyle sucks. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against curly hair. However, it seems like you didn't even bother fixing your hair despite knowing that you'll be meeting your soon-to-be employer. Mas mukha ka pang bagong gising sa akin."

"With all due respect," I swallowed hard. "Isn't that a bit too much? You shouldn't judge people based on their appearance, Sir Lars."

"Moya," He called me by my surname. "I do not judge people base on their appearance. I evaluate them base on their efforts."

My mouth froze in an attempt to speak. Is this for real?!

He sighed. "In your case, you don't seem a wee bit motivated to work with me. I see no hint of effort on your part. So if you're still interested in the job, come back when you're more presentable."

"But you told me that I already got the job!" I insisted childishly.

"Well, I changed my mind." He smiled sweetly. "You're fired."

Nilingon ko ang kaibigan ko na noo'y tahimik lamang na nakikinig sa isang gilid. Miriam gave me an apologetic look then signaled me to go outside with her. I returned my gaze to her employer.

Umirap siya. "Get out of my sight. You're an eyesore. Seriously."

I had to bite my lower lip so hard just to prevent myself from arguing with him any further. I won't stoop down on that level. Kung sumasaya siya sa pagpuna sa ibang tao, hindi ko siya papatulan.

Lumabas na ako sa unit niya at nagmartsa paalis. Hindi pa ako masyadong nakakalayo kaya nahabol pa ako ni Miriam.

She stopped me by the arm. "Aria-"

"You told me that he's kind." I said in between sobs. "What part of him was kind, Miriam? He just cruelly trampled on my self-esteem that I've been trying so hard to build. That was horrible of him."

Itinikom naman niya ang kanyang bibig. Kaibigan ko si Miriam at kilala niya ako. She knew exactly what I needed right now.

I just needed to cry and to vent this out.

"I get it. I'm small. I have dark skin and curly hair. In short, I don't fit the standard beauty of society. Iyon nga mismo ang rason kung bakit ayaw kong mag-ayos! The last time I tried making myself pretty, some people just mocked me for even trying. Hindi raw bagay. Hindi raw ako chicks. Negra. Pandak. Kulot. Lahat na lang!

"And I'm sorry if I'm wearing a neon blouse despite being dark-skinned. I'm unemployed. I'm broke, you know? This is the best formal attire that I have! Bigay lang din ito sa akin ng Ate kong papansin dahil alam niyang maitim ako at hindi ito bagay sa akin!"

Miriam pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Aria. I'm sorry."

I rested my chin on her shoulder. "You don't owe me an apology."

"But I wasn't lying when I said that Sir Lars is kind. He's usually critical but not to that extent. Nagkataon lang na puyat siya."

I burst into sobs. "It's my fault for being ugly."

"Are you seriously having a mental breakdown in the morning?" My jaw dropped when somebody wiped my nose. "Bitch, I didn't even call you ugly. What the hell are you crying for? Stop bawling!"

Biglang umurong ang mga luha ko. Kumalas ako mula kay Aria at nakanganga akong nag-angat ng tingin kay Sir Lars. Bakit hindi ko napansin na nandito rin pala siya? Nakakahiya!

"Buy her something to drink." utos niya kay Aria bago bumaling sa akin. "You crybaby, come with me. You're hopeless."

I stared at him in confusion as he dragged me back to his unit. Si Miriam naman ay sinunod talaga ang utos niya. I couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought that it was just the two of us.

Ipinaupo ako ni Sir Lars sa harap ng salamin. Natameme ako nang walang imik niya akong inayusan at nagsimula siya sa buhok ko.

He seemed to be enjoying himself while he was combing my brown curls. Sir Lars fixed my hair into a high ponytail. It was just a simple hairstyle, but it made a huge difference on me. Mas umaliwalas ang mukha ko at hindi na gano'n kabuhaghag tignan ang buhok ko.

"I never said you were ugly." malumanay niyang sabi habang nililinis ang mga kilay ko. "Whoever said that must be blind."

I was rendered speechless. I wasn't used to compliments.

Sir Lars proudly looked at me in the mirror. "That's what I wanted to see. I hate people who do not take care of themselves."

Kung tutuusin, nagtali lang naman ako at nilinisan ng kilay. Wala namang masyadong nagbago sa hitsura ko. Maitim parin ako, kulot ang buhok at kulang parin sa height. Pero sa hindi malamang dahilan, gumaan ang loob ko kahit papaano.

My cheeks flushed when our gazes met in the mirror.

"Moya," He smiled. "Name three people that you love."

I was taken aback, but I still answered. "Mom, Dad and Althea."

"Hmm. Did you notice how you didn't include yourself?" He tilted his head in amusement. "Next time, you should mention yourself first. It's not a sin to love ourselves. We all deserve that self-love."

I think Miriam was telling the truth. She wasn't lying to me.

Lars Altaria was kind. Bitchy, but still kind nonetheless.

---

Thoughts?

Writing this along with "We Never Heal" is harder than I thought. They are so different and the shift in mood and emotions is making me go batshit crazy. HAHAHAHA. Sorry if it doesn't feel effective!

Anyway, keep safe, everyone!

Yours Truly,
Aomine-san