April's POV:
The elevator hummed, the lights flickering slightly.
I looked at my watch, "12:03 AM"
Damn, I think he came home at 11:30 PM.
"Yuri," I said, "Didn't you come home at 11:30 PM?"
He nodded. What happened for the rest of the time?
"What were you doing from 11:30 PM to when I woke up? Nothing silly, right?"
My only fear.
"Silly, indeed." He's talking like a walking, talking textbook, "You don't remember anything?"
"Nope."
"I tried to wake you up, but you were sprawled on the couch like a starfish. Then.."
THEN?
"Then what?"
"You grabbed my hoodie and yanked me down."
Ow.
"Uy, sorry, no sorry." I tried to picture it, "But, truth.. You mean… I literally dragged you onto me?"
"Exactly. You're strong even asleep," he said, smirking. "Almost broke physics laws with that pull."
"Good to know. Superhero-level strength, huh?" I nudged his arm lightly, still holding his hand. Pulling him closer.
"Only when it comes to me," he said casually, like it wasn't a confession, but it was.
I rolled my eyes, but my fingers curled tighter around his. "Ridiculous,"
"True. But you tolerate this boy anyway."
I looked up at him, a small laugh escaping me. "Maybe."
"Hey," he said suddenly, his voice softer now, "Let me stay."
I squeezed his hand. "You'd never leave, you know that, right?"
He tilted his head, eyes glinting with mischief. "Depends. You mean never ever, or just for the night?"
"Yuri…" I tried to sound stern, but my smile betrayed me.
"Exactly my point," he whispered, leaning just a little closer.
And for a brief second, the elevator felt like the only place in the world that mattered.
Ding. The doors opened.
We stepped out, laughing quietly, the night stretching ahead of us. He's mine, and always has been. It'll never change.
I slid into the passenger seat, pulling the door shut as Yuri circled to the driver's side.
The car started with a low hum.
For a few seconds, we just sat there. Fingers still intertwined. Streetlights flickering past the windshield like lazy stars.
Then.
"Your grandpa still terrifying?" I questioned.
"That man has not smiled since 1982." He laughed.
"Liar."
"Okay, maybe once. When I fell off a bike."
I turned to him, offended.
"That's evil." I stated.
"He said falling off a bike builds character."
"Of course he did," I nodded seriously. "Man probably thinks emotions are optional."
"They are, according to him."
"Explains you," I shot back.
He looked at me, unimpressed. "Excuse me?"
"You act all calm, all controlled, like you weren't raised in a strict household."
"I am calm."
"You are scary calm."
"And yet, you're not scared." he smirked. Undeniably hot.
"I've known you too long." I shrugged, leaning back.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
The car rolled forward, smooth and steady.
We turned onto the main road.
And then.
Familiar car.
Too familiar.
I noticed it at the same time he did.
Jayjay.Keifer.
Jayjay sat stiffly, arms crossed, looking straight ahead. Not at him. Not anywhere, really.
Keifer was talking.
Of course he was.
Calm. Measured. Like how he shows himself to everyone.
But she wasn't responding.
Didn't even turn.
That silence?
It said everything.
Yuri didn't say anything. But I felt it.
The slight shift.
The way his hand tightened around the steering wheel for just a second.
I watched them.
Then leaned back.
"…Let's ditch Keif for once. Let's not be meddlers."
He glanced at me. A small, quiet smile.
"Gladly."
We drove past.
No second look.
No interference.
Tonight wasn't for that.
🍜 He parked near a street food place.
Bright lights. Loud oil. Someone yelling an order in the background.
Perfect.
We got down, still close, still brushing shoulders like it was second nature.
The tita behind the stall looked up. "So late ah?" Time: 12:27 AM, time's so quick when you're with people you love.
"Best time," Yuri replied easily.
We sat side by side.
Of course.
Food came quick.
Hot.
Perfect.
PANCIT!
I took a bite.
The tita asked, "You want another bowl?"
I denied. Nah, we share like it's second nature.
Give us one spoon, one straw, one bowl. We still eat it together.
He didn't even react.
"Continue," I said, pointing at him with a fry. "Japan updates."
He sighed like I was forcing him, but I could see the tiny smile.
"You already know everything."
"I know the history. I need the present." I stated simply.
"Nosy."
"Invested."
"They renovated the backyard."
"Wait. The backyard? With the old stone path?" I blinked at him, stared. SIR, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
THE BACKYARD WHERE I HAD FALLEN, AND YURI HELD ME LIKE WE WERE IN A KDRAMA AT 14?!
"Yep. They redid it. New tiles. Cleaner."
"That ruins it," I said immediately.
"Exactly what my grandpa said. He argued for two weeks straight."
"As he should," I nodded. "That place had personality."
"It was uneven rocks."
"It was memories," I corrected.
He huffed out a laugh.
Okay, I seem to have recovered from the trauma.
"The hallway still creaks?" I asked.
"The one outside my room?" he said.
I pointed at him.
"Yes. The one where we almost got caught."
"You froze." He smirked slightly.
"You froze too!"
"I was THINKING."
"YOU WERE PANICKING."
I took another bite, then tilted my head.
"Keifer almost got us caught, by the way." I said.
"Don't remind me." Yuri groaned
"He coughed," I said, offended. "Like full volume."
"He said it was a reflex."
"In a silent hallway at night??"
"He has no survival instincts."
"Your grandpa still makes that weird.. tea?" I questioned.
FLASHBACK:
I was jumping everywhere, going to Yuri's room, back to the kitchen.
Yuri's grandpa shot me a deadly look. That glare could've melted steel.
I just froze. Like, stopped.
Yuri and Keifer were looking at me.
His grandfather came near me and said something in Japanese.
I didn't quite catch it.
He went to the kitchen, and I smelled something weird. Yuri looked at me as if my death were nearing me in 3 seconds.
His grandfather came back and gave me some tea. He said something in Japanese again. I looked at Yuri, and he translated it into Filipino. "Drink this, but don't die, please."
He DIDN'T translate it, he WARNED me.
I took it from his grandfather. Should I bow or something?
I drank it, and it was... hm, sweet, umami.
Gyokuro.
It's good, but.. I DON'T LIKE ANYTHING THIS SWEET, EXCEPT ICE CREAM!
"You still drank it."
"Because your grandpa was watching me like I was taking an exam."
"You were," Yuri said. "That was a test."
"Keifer failed it," I added instantly.
"He made a face."
"He choked," I corrected. "Then smiled like everything was fine. I almost laughed."
"He said it tasted 'interesting.'"
"That word is a threat."
I leaned back slightly, still holding his hand under the table.
"And Yoichi?" I asked, softer now. "What's she up to?"
Yuri paused. Just for a second.
"…Same," he said. "Still mom's princess."
I smiled a little. "Of course she is."
Well, I can't give advice, nor talk about that.
TSS, APRIL! PUSH THAT THOUGHT AWAY! YOU'RE HERE TO HAVE FUN WITH HIM. Not think about random people ruining lives.
"She doesn't talk much," he added.
"She doesn't need to," I said immediately. "That girl observes."
I let out a small laugh, remembering.
"She used to just stand there," I said, "watching us like we were part of a documentary."
"You were part of a documentary for her." Yuri huffed.
"She scared me more than your grandpa."
"That's dramatic."
"No, listen-" I leaned in slightly, "your grandpa is loud-scary. She's… quiet-scary."
"She's seven," he said, deadpan.
"And?" I raised a brow. "That doesn't make it less intense."
I poked at my pandesal, thinking.
"She's older now, right? Last time we went, she barely spoke."
"She still barely speaks," Yuri said. "But she remembers everything."
"Yeah," I nodded slowly. "I dropped my phone once and she just… picked it up and handed it to me. With that.. judgemental look."
"She does that. No expression. No words. Just staring," he added.
"I passed," I said confidently.
"…Debatable."
I hit his arm. "Excuse me?"
Yuri smiled slightly.
"She asked about you."
I paused.
"…She did?"
"Yeah," he said. "Didn't say much. Just asked if you were coming back."
That hit softer than I expected.
I looked down for a second.
"…Oh."
"And Keifer?" I asked, recovering. "Did she analyse him, too?"
Yuri snorted. "She stared at him for like five minutes straight."
"That's terrifying."
"He got nervous."
"As he should."
"He leaned over and whispered, 'Why is that child looking at me like she knows my secrets?'"
I laughed. "Because she probably does."
For a second, everything felt… warm.
Not loud.
Just quiet.
"…She didn't hate us," I said softly.
Yuri glanced at me.
"No," he said. "She didn't."
I nodded, satisfied.
Still holding his hand.
Still here.
Yoichi asked about me? She cares? Improvement.
Switch topics.
"And that one time," I said, already smiling, "we were all just sitting there while the elders were talking..."
"Yeah…" Yuri groaned softly.
"They were so serious," I continued. "Like discussing something important, and we're just.."
"...sitting there like background characters," he finished.
"Exactly," I laughed. "I didn't understand half of it."
"Why not-"
He's clueless; he speaks Japanese. Do I? No!
"Keifer leaned over and whispered-" Yuri said.
"He said, 'Are we in trouble or is this normal?'" I completed.
Yuri laughed. "That was normal."
"That did not feel normal."
"Welcome back to my family."
"And your grandpa just looked at us once," I added, lowering my voice.
"And we all sat up straight immediately," Yuri said.
"Like we got summoned."
"Terrifying man."
"Respectfully terrifying," I corrected.
For a second, it got quiet.
Not awkward.
Just… full.
"And the tree?" I asked softly. "The crooked one?"
"Still there," he said. "Barely."
"Good."
"It's literally dying."
"Still has character."
He shook his head, smiling.
"…We should visit again."
He didn't hesitate.
"Obviously."
The tita came back with another plate, placing it in front of us.
She paused.
Looked at us.
Then smiled.
"You both talk like you're married already."
I froze.
Yuri didn't.
Of course, he didn't.
"Discount ah, po?" he said immediately.
"YURI," I hit his arm.
He laughed.
The tita just shook her head and walked away.
I looked at him.
"…Married?"
He shrugged, reaching for food as if nothing had happened.
"Scared?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"…Eat."
But under the table, I didn't let go of his hand.
The night didn't feel heavy anymore.
Not like before.
We completed eating.
"I'll go pay," I said after a moment, slipping my hand away.
"Split?" he asked.
I gave him a look.
"…Sit."
"Yes, ma'am." He raised his hands slightly.
I walked up to the counter, pulling out my phone.
The tita was already watching me.
Not in a weird way.
Just… noticing.
"How much, po?" I asked.
She waved it off for a second, still looking past me.
At him.
He was texting someone on his phone, fingers lazily dancing over the keyboard.
"You two," she said slowly, "long relationship, ah?"
I hesitated.
"…Four years," I said.
Then, after a second.
"Officially."
She raised her brows slightly.
"Before that?"
I let out a small breath.
"Childhood friends."
She smiled.
Not surprised.
Just… understanding.
"Can tell," she said softly.
I blinked. "Can tell?"
"You move like you already know each other," she explained. "No need to think."
My fingers stilled on my phone.
"He waited for you to finish eating before touching his part," she added.
I hadn't noticed that.
"He kept looking up," she continued, gentler now. "Checking if you were okay."
I swallowed slightly.
"And when you were talking…" she smiled faintly, "…he listens properly."
I didn't say anything.
"He's careful with you," she said.
Simple.
Certain.
Something in my chest shifted.
"You don't see that much," she went on. "Boys like that."
I exhaled slowly.
"You have a great man," she said again.
"Quiet… but good heart."
I nodded, almost without thinking.
"Keeper," she added.
Then, softer.
"Don't let him go."
I stood there for a second.
Just long enough.
"…I won't," I said quietly.
She smiled like that was the right answer.
I paid, nodded, and turned back.
"Thank you, po."
He was already looking at me.
Of course he was.
My man's a gem. And, I just realised it.
"Done?" he asked.
"Yeah."
I stood near him again.
Close.
"…What took so long?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said.
But my hand found his again.
Faster this time.
And this time, I held it a little tighter.