We went back to his car after deciding that we should have lunch at Karlos’ restaurant. “You didn’t bring Paradiso today” Brye takes a glance at me while he drove to the place. “I read before matulog, it’s like a lullaby to me” I chuckled lightly getting comfortable in the passenger seat. Brye only nodded after that, nothing to say, and silence swallowed us, only the soft roar of the car was the noise that interrupts the silence. It was somehow in between the border of comfortable silence and uncomfortable silence. Or maybe it was just me. I looked over the window, the shops were in a blur as Brye drove. The vibration from my phone took my sight away from the outside. Mama: Kelan ka bibisita ulit? Hindi ka manlang nag uupdate. I read the text. I fought the urge to frown my eyebrows. Liana: Maybe next week Ma, before po magsimula classes. Sorry po, busy lang magreview. I was left on read. I took a huge sigh before looking out the window. “Something wrong?” Brye muttered softly as

A few days more, school started again. I rolled my eyes for the nth time while looking outside the window while Brye drove us to our campuses. “We can just ditch if you want” I heard him jokingly tell me, making me look at him. “Tempting, pero no thank you” I looked over at him. The Brye that I always see in a plain shirt and sweatpants is now wearing trousers, another plain shirt collection of his, a cardigan, and his sneakers. He took a glance at me, raising one of his brows, making me look away, “wala lang” I muttered before seeing my campus from afar. I scowled softly at the sight of the university, dreaded at the thought of going to school again but reminded of the goal that I have. Brye stopped on the side of the gate and I gathered my things, slinging my bag behind me. I looked at him to see that Brye was out of the car. I frowned and turned to see that he opened the door for me. “That wasn’t that necessary,” I tell him before walking out. “But you like it” he shrugs before clo

Brye sat in front of me while we ate. The food that is cooked is now almost finished, with nothing left on the plate, on the pan, and on the rice cooker. A sigh left our lips while he stood up, “I got some drinks in my bag, care to get them while I wash the plates?” he gives me a side smile before cleaning the table and I rolled my eyes lightly, smiling before I stood up to take the drinks, two bottles of obviously, alcoholic drinks, “made sure na hindi beer” I smiled the way he spoke as he rolled his eyes at me. “What? I’m liking the accent Brye, I wasn’t judging” I chuckled at him while getting two glasses and placing them on the coffee table. I slumped down on the couch while I waited for him to dry his hands and sit down by my side. I watched his hand skillfully open the bottles and pour the drink into the glass. “I wasn’t supposed to be drinking” I muttered while accepting the glass-filled drink. Brye smirks with a light scoff, “yeah? Your hand doesn’t seem to know that” he chuck

“So, there’s nothing going on between you and Lim? Are you sure?” Ally rambled while we walked around the campus. It was break time and we have a long-vacant time, so we chose to go somewhere peaceful to study and mainly, to gossip about things. “Yeah, I mean, do we look like we’re dating? I don’t see him that way eh” I frowned at her. Ally looked at me, her eyes filled with confusion, “sure ka ba? Baka you’re misinterpreting lang?” she asks once again as if making sure that I am firm with what I was saying, and I nodded again, still frowning at her. I hear Ally sigh, “sabagay, his family is a bit strict and conservative and traditional, and strict” She frowned. I turn my bag in front of me, taking out the snacks I shoved my bag this morning before I left the house. “I think I heard that once, di ko lang maalala kung kanino and where, pero, is it that bad?” I asked her, my curiosity eating me up. “Hmm? It’s what I heard from Mika eh” Ally takes a piece and munches on it while we contin

Then, time passed by. It was the weekend, and I visited home. I had my phone on silent but by the looks of it, each minute that passes, it lights up with a message. I look at my phone in my hands only to roll my eyes at it. Brye has been bombing my phone with messages and he won’t stop obviously until he gets the reply that he wants. For the rest of the drive, I was only looking outside while listening to music. It felt weird. The ride felt weird for some reason. For hours, we reached the familiar road where I grew up. Familiar shops and the path that led me closer to the house where I grew up. ‘Where I became the youngest housewife’. A small smile broke out on my face and the driver took turns according to my instructions until we stopped in front of our neighborhood, in front of our house. I paid the driver before getting out with my bag. I smiled at our dogs who welcomed me happily. Wagging their tails happily and barking like crazy at the sight of one of their owners. I greeted t