-Logan Ellis-

November 23, 2026
10:30 pm
Emett District Subdivision, Ireal City

"A-Ate... Ate, gising!"

"Gumising na po kayo! Ready na 'yong juice!"

"Ate!"

Due to someone's disturbing voice and that person even shook my shoulder many times, I slowly opened my eyes and an unfamiliar image of a woman's face was caught by my blurry sight. Unti-unti ring lumalakas sa pandinig ko ang huni ng masiglang tugtuging mas nakakairita.

When I sat properly and faced the new face of a woman, I knitted my brows on her. "B-Bakit?! Maaga pa akong gigising bukas!"

I scratched my head and I stopped for a bit. Why's my hair long and tied?! What's this place?! It's full of people and foods, drinks! A party?! Dude, are you kidding me?

The girl held my shoulders so I looked at her. "Ah, nakatulog po kasi kayo habang naghihintay ng bagong batch ng juice. Staff po tayo ng birthday ngayon!" natatawa niyang sabi kaya mas ngumiwi ako.

I pushed her hands off my shoulder and she was shocked when I stood up and put my hands on my waist. When did my waist become small?

"When did you settle a birthday party after a funeral? Sino ka ba? Sino kayong lahat?!" I shouted. Tinuro ko pa silang lahat kaya napatingin ang maraming tao sa dako ko.

"Funeral daw?"

"Hahaha, nananaginip ba siya?"

"She's still asleep."

"Should we tell it to Ma'am?"

Hah? She? Are these gossips referring to me?

Muli kong nilingon ang kaharap kong babae na napatakip ng bunganga sa pagkabigla.

"Just tell me what's happening?! Bakit kayo nag-set ng Birthday party?! Kalilibing lang ng kaibigan ko!" I complained and that's when I realized that my voice was not actually mine. It's not even for a man! I cupped ny mouth and it was small.

Unfamiliar place and faces of people. My voice, my body, a Birthday party instead of a grieving vibe of the place.

Bigla akong hinila ng babae patungo sa medyo walang katao-tao. She faced me with a scared look.

"Anong nangyayari sa 'yo, Ate? Ayos ka lang naman kanina, ah? Bakit? Anong funeral?!" Nakapameywang pa siyang lumapit sa mukha ko kaya umiwas ako ng tingin at nag-init pa ako.

"Argh, I'm not used to getting close with girls." I scratched my head before crossing my arms. "What's happening?"

"What's happening? You're a staff tonight, remember? You'll serve foods and drinks to the guests po! Anong nangyayari sa 'yo? Split personality ba ito?" she asked and asked with a sigh and it made me part my lips. She just called me, 'Ate'.

Something's wrong here. Like, dude! Who would settle a lively Birthday celebration after Austin's funeral! Whoever started this staffs and party things, they deserve a lively punch from me!

I slapped my face once and let the girl got surprised.

"Hindi ito panaginip, dude," gulat kong sabi sa babae.

"A-Ate---hayst," buga niya na laylay ang balikat dahil sa ginawa ko. My voice sounded like Emery. I'm not wrong, this was Emery's voice!

"Sa wakas, gising ka na rin. Nananaginip ka lang siguro kanina." Tumatawa pa siya sa pekeng tono pero tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. She's so weird. But my situation's way more weird.

Like, was this a dream? Or a syndrome of the world? A glitch that changes happenings?! When did I attend a party to serve goods?! Dude! Hell no!

"Dude, you're crazy. I'm going home!" sabi ko sa babae at aalis na sana ako nang hilahin niya ang akimg pulsuhan. I looked at my wrist and noticed that I was wearing a pink wristwatch. This wristwatch was Emery's.

Meaning to say, I was in Emery's body right now.

"Huwag muna! Kailangan mong tapusin ang trabaho mo bago ka umuwi! Hindi mo pa natatanggap 'yong sahod mo!" pagpigil ng babae sa akin pero hindi ko na siya pinagtuunan ng pansin. I stared at my wristwatch with all my curiosity.

"Oh, okay. Okay. Susunod ako sa 'yo. I'll be back, dude!" I told the girl and pushed her all the way back to the table full of goods. She's dying from curiosity but she stayed silent.

"Weird girl. Who would expect that she'll sound like a cool guy?"

"You better not judge pretty girls by their looks, HAHA!" I heard from the people near me and I got no choice but to glare at those men. How rude of them.

I strolled back to the corner of the yard where no people roam and stay that much. Kinapa ko ang aking bulsa at doon ko rin napagtantong maliit lang ang katawan ko. My eyes glimpsed at my chest which made my cheeks redden. They're big, I wanted to hold them but no... why? Why do I have this body anyway?

Successfully, I picked a phone in my jean's pocket and opened it. I couldn't let out a word when the wallpaper displayed on its screen was a very, pretty, familar face of a girl named. Ah~ Emery.

I smiled after I saw her face but what changed my reaction into a shocked one was when I noticed that the date and time displayed on the screen was November 23, 2026.

Are you serious?

"Dude! What?!" I shouted that some people looked at me. Pinasyal ko ang calendar at oras ng cellphone upang manigurado at doon ko nasiguradong bumalik ang panahon. Ito ang gabi bago ang araw ng pagkamatay ni Austin. You gotta be kidding around. Hell--- what?!

I opened the front camera of the phone and that's how I blushed. I saw Emery's actual look in me.

That just meant. I'm at her body. This chest, this small body! It's hers!

And the days went back meaning tomorrow, things will happen! That tragedy.

May tila isang sinulid ng ideya na dumaan sa isipan ko ang nagsasabing haluguhin ko ang contacts ni Emery. And so I did it. I scrolled over her recent messages and contacts.

She got two missed calls from a number--- Austin's recipient. Austin also left her a message, asking if Emery's available for tomorrow. But knowing Emery didn't answer the call and message because I was asleep earlier. She rejected that invitation.

Another message was sent to her and I'm afraid I shouldn't have opened that text because it's from her ultimate, annoying brother.

Oh, good. Her brother's telling her about tomorrow's plan. Matutuloy raw sila bukas sa bonding nila. Dahil sa bonding ni Emery at ng Kuya niya sa araw na iyon, hindi nagawang sumama ni Emery sa Kiran Street para makilala si Luciana.

Which means tomorrow, Emery won't come to Austin's errand but she will have a hangout with his annoying brother.

Pero naririto ako ngayon sa katawan niya.

I tightened my grip to Emery's phone. Whatever's happening; time came back and I swapped body, I need to save Austin tomorrow.

"Ate!" pagtawag ng pamilyar na boses ng babae sa akin. Tumalikod na ako saka bumalik sa kinaroroonan ng babae.

I was thinking about how Austin died and it's hard to recall it. But I need to. This is a chance, dude! I need to save that kid!

Right, Austin got on an accident. And those who're at fault were the recent people from our Repair Shop.

"Here, paki-serve na lang po sa bandang 'yon," sabi ng babae sa akin nang iniawat niya ang tray ng mga inumin sa akin. Itinuro niya ang table ng mga lalaking pagbibigyan ko nito.

"Okay, noted. Then I'll be going home after this," I told the girl but she ended up shrugging her shoulders. What a pain.

Iniisip ko ang kinalaman ng kausap ni Eric sa phone call noon. He lied that it was a prank and she was actually having a flirty talk with his girlfriend Aira. But it turned out true. Kulang lang kasi ako sa ebidensiya para akusahan si Eric.

I served the drinks from the people and let myself drown into deep thoughts.

"Grabe magdiwang 'tong pinsan mo, sa susunod ulit, ha!"

"Oo na nga! Huwag ka nang maingay."

"Sino ba 'yan? Hoy! Trabaho ang unahin, saka na 'yang... chics chics mo!"

"Chics? Pft, hindi 'no. Saka kahahanap ko lang 'yong bagong cellphone number niya. Importante ang dahilan ko, Kuya David!"

Ts. How could I focus from brainstorming with these noisy people? Padabog akong umalis sa mga taong 'yon hanggang sa nasa exit na ako ng gate. Madilim sa bandang ito. It's better to head home for now. No one cared about Emery's work for tonight. The important thing was that I need to focus on finding a way to save Austin.

Habang naglalakad ako palabas, nakarinig ako ng mga nag-uusap na lalaki sa tabi ng itim na van. Out of my curiosity since they're talking like they're some suspicious criminals, I sneaked near them to eavesdrop.

They performed a hi-five.

"Successful pare. Nai-serve sa kanya 'yong baso," sabi ng isa sa kausap niya. They're even sharing the lit of the lighter to smoke cigarette.

I gulped.

"Sigurado ka ba? Nakita mong 'yon ang nainom?" the other one asked.

The other man leaned on the car. "Oo, kakabigay nga lang ng staff. Suwerte pare, sa kanya pa mismo ini-serve. Ayos."

"HAHA! Eh, 'di ayos. 'Yong David na 'yon, dami ng utang kaya lintik na siya." My eyes widened and I cursed when he mentioned David from their conversation. Talk about serving drinks and succession from serving the right drinks.

I started breathing heavily, out of nervousness.

They put something on that David's drink. David's the name of that drunk-looking man from our Repair shop.

I asked the kid about his companion but he told nothing.

See? Something's off from that drunk-looking dude back then.

These guys' fault! Naririto si David?!

Aalis na sana ako para hanapin si David sa loob pero narinig ko pa silang magsalita.

"Sige, tara na. Kausapin mo na si Eric tungkol sa usapan natin. Alam niya ang gagawin niya, HAHA!" wika ng isa kaya natawa na lang din ang kasama nito.

Did they mention Eric?

Hell no. That bastard! He's involved! I knew it. Bakit hindi ko siya inalala noon?! What I heard from his talk through the call this November 24 was correct.

I went back inside the mansion to look for that David now that I could remember his face. I seeked for him but he's out of my sight. Nagtaka ako kung bakit bakante na ang table na pinaghainan ko ng inumin kanina.

No.

I was the one who gave the drinks?!

I ran back to the exit of the gate but there was no people. I tried heading to the other side of the mansion and I was too late to stop a familiar truck from going away.

"Dude! Come on! Hell!" reklamo ko. I was so frustrated. Hindi ko nahabulan ang David na 'yon.

Next, to our real house. Or I better stop Austin himself!