I wasn't planning to go out today.
The sky was unusually dull for a Thursday morning, and I could hear the rumble of delivery trucks passing by the main road a few blocks away.
But for some reason, my legs were itching for something. Not attention. Not drama. Not even a good cigarette.
Something… like movement.
I stared at my reflection, sports bra, hoodie tied around my waist, and the same black leggings i've owned for two years. My face was bare. No makeup. No foundation. Just me, stripped down. The version of myself i only ever knew behind closed doors.
So i jogged.
Not far. Just a few rounds around the neighborhood. I passed the sari-sari store, the bakery with that one-eyed cat always asleep on the steps, and the quiet chapel no one really goes to.
It was oddly grounding.
The cold air, the faint morning dew, the sting of sweat on my nape. This was the version of me the world didn't see.
And for once, I didn't care if they never would.
By the time i returned, shirt clinging to my back, hair a tangled mess, I looked up.
Ken's unit was quiet. Curtains drawn. No shoes outside the door. No signs of life.
Weird.
I stood there for a few seconds, pretending to cool down, but my eyes kept darting to his door. Not that i was worried. Or curious. Just... observant. Yeah.
He said he was working from home.
So where the hell was he?
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. That's the thing with people who don't care about you, they get under your skin without even trying.
They live their lives quietly, and suddenly, you're wondering where they are, what they're doing, who they're with.
They don't chase the spotlight.
They don't need to.
And you a former global idol, you're here. Wondering if your neighbor had breakfast.
Pathetic.
But then again… I saw it yesterday.
The open tabs on his monitor. Spreadsheets. Graphs. Some UI project he was building, maybe? I didn't understand any of it, but it looked corporate. Looked important.
And somehow, I remembered the logo.
Simple, minimal font. "MykoTech."
I pulled out my phone and Googled it.
Pampanga.
Tech hub. Open office set-up. Sounded legit.
I don't even remember getting dressed properly. The next thing i knew, I was squeezing into jeans, pulling on a jacket, and rushing out like I had a damn 9-to-5.
I didn't know what j was doing.
All i knew was that j wanted to see him.
Maybe just to ask.
Or confirm he wasn't some government agent sent to abduct me.
Whatever.
The bus was packed as usual. A man in front of me smelled like boiled eggs. Someone behind me sneezed into my hair.
Still, I kept my head down, mask up. No one recognized me. Maybe because they weren't looking. Maybe because i wasn't her anymore.
By the time i reached the MykoTech building, I felt stupid.
I didn't even know if i was allowed here.
But whatever. I walked through security like i belonged.
Lifted my chin. Didn't make eye contact.
The guards didn't question me. And before i could fully second guess myself, I was already inside the office space.
Rows of desks. Plants. Warm lighting. People in headphones. Click-clacking on keyboards. The smell of coffee and oat milk.
And then Ken.
I saw him in a corner table near the window. Eyes locked on his screen. He was wearing a faded blue shirt, one headphone in his ear, the other draped lazily around his neck. There was a coffee beside him, and his fingers were flying over the keyboard like they had a deadline to outrun.
I marched straight to him.
I don't even know what my face looked like. I just knew it made him blink twice and remove his headphones like he saw a damn ghost.
"Cass?"
I sat beside him.
Like i owned the place.
He looked around quickly, his voice lowering into a whisper. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"
"You weren't at your unit."
"...So you came all the way here?" he half-laughed, shocked.
I crossed my arms. "Don't flatter yourself."
"Baka makita ka ng boss ko—"
"I don't care."
He stared at me for a beat, then sighed. "Fine. Wag ka lang magsisigaw ng kanta mo sa gitna ng office."
I rolled my eyes. "Bastos mo talaga."
But i smirked.
He tried to keep working after that. But i saw him glance at me every few seconds, like i was some anomaly he couldn't fully decode.
His hands returned to his keyboard, and I watched. Again, I didn't understand a damn thing. But something about watching him focus… was oddly comforting.
A few minutes later, he pushed his chair back.
"Tara. May cafeteria sa baba."
We didn't talk much while we ate.
Just casual stuff. He asked if i liked their lasagna. I told him it tasted like wet cardboard. He laughed. It was the first time i saw him do that in a corporate setting, laugh without care.
When we went back up, I helped him bring his coffee.
"Okay ka lang?" he asked before putting his headphones on again.
I nodded.
And just like that, we existed. Quietly. Together.
No screaming fans. No flashing cameras.
Just me. And him. On a random Thursday afternoon.
We went home at the same time.
He offered me a ride, but i shook my head.
I liked the commute.
Or maybe i just liked knowing i'd have a few minutes alone to think about why the hell i was acting this way.
I wasn't like this.
I didn't chase. I didn't wonder.
But Ken… wasn't chasing either.
He just was.
And i was slowly folding into the calmness of his being.
It was already 8:00 p.m. when someone knocked on my door.
I opened it without asking who it was.
Ken. Holding takeout boxes.
"May left over ako. Gutom ka?"
I wasn't.
But i opened the door anyway.
He stepped in, took one look at my living room, and raised a brow. "Tapos ako pa OC sa gamit ko."
"Wag mo kong i-judge," I muttered, flopping onto the couch.
He started picking up empty cans of Coke, folding blankets, stacking old magazines without even asking. Like it was the most natural thing to do.
"Anong ginagawa mo?" I asked, genuinely baffled.
"Wala lang. Para hindi ka matabunan ng clutter."
"I like clutter."
"Yeah, and i like not stepping on crumbs."
I rolled my eyes again but didn't stop him.
We ate while sitting on the floor, back against the couch. He asked if j had seen the new episode of some sci-fi series. I said no. He offered to stream it. I declined.
But i didn't ask him to leave either.
When he left past 10, I stood by my window and looked at his door.
Still no shoes outside.
Still no lights on.
But i knew he was there.
And for some strange reason…
That was enough.