Chapter Text
sabi ng marami, college will be the best years of your life and you need to make the most out of it. hindi alam ni jongin kung saan ng galing 'yun but he did make the most out of his college years.
and dahil si jongin and bida rito, dapat meron siyang side kick—si chanyeol. chanyeol will be mad kapag nalaman niya na side kick lang siya but this is jongin’s moment kaya wala ng magagawa ang best friend niya.
kung isa itong movie, ganito siguro sila ipapakilala. with a malumanay male voice,
meet jongin miguel kim. matalino, matangkad, medyo gago. everyone used to call him miggy pero pagdating ng eighth grade, he switched to migs. everyone adds s to the end of their nickname and miggy is no more.
beside him, always beside him, is his best friend since childhood. classmates always, same school, same playground, same yosi brand. that is chanyeol gabriel park. gabby for short. he likes gabby kasi cute daw pero people also call him all sorts of nicknames—gab, gabs, daddy.
tapos, cut to the scene.
jongin is waiting sa loob ng house niya for his sundo. coding kasi ang car niya ngayon at naunahan na siya ng ate niya for the other car. ayaw naman niya magpahatid kay manong noy kasi senior na siya, may driver pa? hindi bagay sa image.
he knew that his sundo would be driving so he went to his contacts and hit call agad.
“gago, where you?” tanong ni jongin sa other line.
“sorry. i got stuck sa traffic. lapit na ko, dude,” sagot nito.
“tangina, gabs, ‘pag tayo walang seat for histo i swear,” complain ni migs. fuck that coding rule talaga. dapat nag-grab na lang siya. less hassle and hindi niya kailangan ma-expose kay gabs this early.
“chill, miggy.”
“puta ka. don’t call me miggy, gabriel,” madiin na reply ni jongin.
“hoy! bawal ‘yan,” sabi ni gabs na natatawa. “no one calls me gabriel except my lolo and lola. hindi mo ko katulad na gustong tinatawag ng miguel sa kama.”
“putangina,” balik ni migs. tama naman si gabs but he didn’t have to say it. he didn’t have to expose him at 9 in the morning. the downside of their friendship is alam na nila lahat. they share everything.
hold that thought, sasabihin ng malumanay na male voice serving as the narrator of the movie. when migs thought of ‘sharing everything’, he didn’t expect that it would include a love interest.
unfortunately, meron lang parking sa baba, doon sa may gilid ng PE covered courts. gabs was already cursing up a storm kasi kailangan nilang humabol sa class nila na nasa bellarmine THIRD floor pa. bel was malayo and if hindi ito ang first day ng class, magcu-cut na sana silang dalawa.
better absent than late, according to saint ignatius de loyola.
labas agad sila sa car. si chanyeol ay macbook, keys, and wallet lang ang dala. si jongin, same din, pero with addition of his tumblr na may lamang healthy protein smoothie. between the two of them, mas figure conscious si migs. siya yung may eight-pack abs at gamit na gamit na gym membership.
palakad na sila pero nagstop bigla si chanyeol gabriel.
“fuck, sandale,” sabi nito. babalik na sana siya sa car but migs was quick to ask why.
“kuha kong hair tie,” sagot ni gabs. he ran his finger sa curly hair niya na abot na hanggang sa nape nito. it’s a little unruly and dahil sobrang init—kasing init nila—ang panahon, kailangan niyang ipony-tail ang buhok niya.
“gago ang arte naman kasi sa buhok,” reklamo ni migs. inalis niya ang suot niyang black New York Yankees baseball cap galing New Era at binato kay gabby.
“just wear this muna,” miguel said while walking faster papunta sa direction ng bel. according to profs to pick, ayaw ni dr. boa kwon sa mga latecomers.
agad na nagthank you si gabs, pushing his hair back and wearing the cap backwards din. very classic porma—si gabby in his chino shorts and ralph lauren tee and si migs in his joggers and tight Chelsea dry fit jersey.
nagmamadali silang pumunta sa bel, almost speed walking. pagdating nila sa stairs malapit sa mini caf, napamura si gabs.
“puta, freshies,” grumble nito.
nagshrug lang si migs. between the two of them, he was the more cool and collected one. si gabby ang hot-headed. isang group ng freshies ang nakaharang sa stairs so of course, the two of them shouldered their way up.
malaki naman sila so it was easy. the two of them didn’t pay attention sa mga babae and lalaking nagdo-double take.
rule number one, bawal freshies.
pagpasok nila sa room 305, saktong sakto na nagring ang bell. agad silang naghanap ng upuan na free na magkatabi but it seemed like everyone wanted to take dr. kwon para sa histo nila.
kwon was notorious for being a good prof. mahirap ang workload pero may matututunan ka. she was passionate about philippine history, particularly the american colonial period. si jongin ang nagsuggest na i-take siya because of the challenge and gabby was the one who said yes kasi daw TILF.
malas lang sila dahil wala ng seat na magkatabi. lahat ay isa na lang na naka scatter. tangina. can’t people sit together and fill up the rows? may ibang sobrang gago lang na umuupo talaga sa gitna.
“dude, ‘yun oh.” it was gabby who called migs’ attention. “may free pang seats malapit sa window.”
migs glanced and sure enough, meron nga. he made his way first. akala niya noong una, isa na lang ang free na chair pero dalawa pala. there were two empty seats sa tabi ng window. umupo si chanyeol doon sa farthest sa aisle and jongin sat down beside him.
on jongin’s right was a guy na semi kalbo.
it stole his attention because his head was very round. as in. parang this is the first time that migs had seen someone with a head that perfect of a shape. ang weird in a cute way?
he was about to make pakilala but ma’am boa turned her laptop on and spoke.
“good morning, class,” she said. “welcome to philippine colonial history.” very motherly ng smile ni ma’am boa kwon. tama nga ang many comments sa prof to pick, hindi siya masungit—which is really what jongin looked for sa isang prof.
“did you read the syllabus?” tanong ni ma’am boa. walang nagsabi ng yes and merong uneasy laughter sa room.
dahil medyo close ang seat ni jongin at ng katabi niya, narinig niya ang soft na yes from his seatmate. migs tried to contain his laughter. ang cute naman nitong kalbo sa right niya, nagbabasa ng syllabus.
migs has yet to check his aisis account nga eh.
buti na lang, nagshake ng head ang babaeng prof and hindi pa rin nagfalter ang smile niya, “that’s fine. i was a student once. i don’t think na binasa ko rin ang syllabus.”
natawa ang class. plus points to dr. kwon kasi she didn’t seem like one of those uptight profs. nilipat lang niya ang slides ng kanyang powerpoint and discussed the syllabus.
syempre, migs relaxed sa upuan niya. sumandal ng mabuti and medyo nagmanspread. the arm chair was too small for him so nagstretch siya ng legs para hindi magbump yung tuhod niya sa kahoy. sobrang sure siya na gabby was experiencing the same thing.
miss boa kwon was discussing something nung in-elbow ni chanyeol si jongin.
“migs, dude,” sabi niya. nagcecellphone si gabs sa ilalim ng upuan, away from ma’am boa’s prying eyes and her “no phones in class” rule. “inom daw later? g ka?”
inisip ni jongin if pwede siya pero—
“ah bawal ako later,” he said, apologetic. laging apologetic kapag nakakatanggi sa inom. firm believer kasi siya na bawal sinasabihan ng no ang two things—consensual fuck, and free alak. “lola is dropping by for dinner.”
napangiwi si chanyeol. kilalang-kilala niya ang lola ng best friend niya. chanyeol gabriel and jongin miguel ang tawag nito sa kanila. laging full name, make no mistake. kahit na matanda na ito, and medyo forgetful na, she never forgets to go anywhere without two things—her rosary and her diamonds. she is a very intimidating woman kaya hindi masisisi ni gabby si migs kung hindi ito makaka-ditch sa family dinner.
favorite panakot nito ang tanggalan ng mana ang kanyang unico hijo apo na si jongin miguel.
nagulat silang dalawa both when ma’am boa kwon said, “okay. pair up.”
“what the fuck,” sabi ni migs without feeling. tumingin siya sa katabi niyang kalbo na tahimik lang na nakaupo. hindi gumalaw kahit an inch, parang statue. “what did she say?”
tumingin si semi-kalbs and jongin, of course, smiled a bit. kailangan mukha siyang approachable. “um… ma’am said na we have to pair up for a project? it’s a research—topics will be posted na lang daw once the pairings are finalized.”
“oh,” sabi ni jongin. “thanks—uh… sorry? i didn’t get your name.” tumawa ng konti si jongin before ngumiti ng kanyang signature crooked smile. semi kalbs is cute ah—hindi niya type kasi mukhang mabait. ayaw ni migs ng ganito kasi inuunahan siya ng guilt.
“kyungsoo,” sabi ni semi-kalbs with a shy smile. ang quiet niya, very timid and mahiyain. even the way he sits small, cute din. he was not in a manspread, unlike migs and gabby.
“nice to meet you, kyungsoo. i’m jongin.”
sumingit naman si chanyeol na walang modo. lowkey papansin talaga at ayaw naiiwanan sa ere.
“or migs—you can call him migs.” napansin agad ni jongin ang charming smile ni gabby. puta, isip niya. type ni gabs ito—maliit, cute, and most importantly, mahiyain. timid. migs had long suspected it was some sort of a kink pero never niyang inalam what went on in gabby’s bedroom (or car).
“and i’m chanyeol nga pala. chanyeol gabriel—gabby for short.”
ayan na nga ba ang sinasabi ni migs. narinig niya na ang ganitong linyahan ng best friend niya. magsisimula sa gabby, tapos magiging gab, and then gabs, tapos pagdating sa kwarto—iba na.
kawawa naman si kyungsoo sa tabi niya.
nagsmile ito ulit. wow, heart-shaped. naisip ulit ni migs ang word na cute. actually, pwede na—pwede na rin si kyungsoo.
“nice to meet you,” he said softly. ano ‘ba naman ‘tong katabi ni jongin, ang hina ng boses.
naputol ang pagpapakilala nila to each other when ma’am boa’s voice echoed inside the classroom.
“does everyone have a partner?” she asked. “who's still free?”
walang nagtaas ng hand. obviously, hindi nagtaas ng kamay si migs and gabby. nagtinginan lang sila and they knew na na they would do the research together. contrary to popular belief, hindi sila patapon as students. medyo lazy but they worked well together. very clutch.
however, medyo hesitant si kyungsoo na nagraise ng hand. “ma’am—me. i have no partner yet.”
sadly, si kyungsoo lang ang nagraise ng hand.
“we have two absences pa and baka hindi pa ito ang final class list. do you want to pair up and wait for those na wala or do you want to join a pair para maging trio?” hindi hinintay ni ma’am boa ang answer, it seemed na siya na ang sasagot for kyungsoo. “anyone want to work as a triad?”
walang nagtataas ng kamay ang migs felt gabby’s elbow against his bicep. pag tingin niya rito, merong smile na nakakaloko sa mukha ng best friend niya.
nagroll ng eyes si jongin. sabi na nga ba. what did he even expect?
“ma’am,” jongin raised his hand. “kami na lang—we’ll adopt him.”
nagsmile si ma’am boa. “that’s it then—pass a size four with your names and then you can go. read the syllabus and prepare for our next class.”
may gratefulness sa ngiti ni kyungsoo when he turned to the two of them.
“thanks,” sabi niya. kumuha siya ng isang buong intermediate pad from his brown leather backpack before sifting through the pages. meron na siyang pre-cute na size four.
prepared naman pala si kyungsoo.
sinulat nito ang name niya. jongin leaned in and crowded kyungsoo while chanyeol tried to extend his body as well para makita niya.
kyungsoo do, sinulat nito.
“can i get your full names?” tanong ni kyungsoo.
“jongin miguel kim,” migs said. sinulat iyon ni kyungsoo carefully. malinis siya magsulat and maliit. medyo mataba ang letters. amusedly, jongin thought, parang siya—maliit na mataba.
“chanyeol gabriel park,” sabi ni gabby as he watched kyungsoo write his name din.
si kyungsoo na ang unang tumayo and jongin first noticed, well—
he first noticed the ass.
how could he not eh halos nasa harap na ng mukha niya?
pero hindi naman niya talaga kasalanan na mapansin ang pwet ni kyungsoo. parang if you’re in front of the empire state building, yun din mapapansin just for the sheer fact na MALAKI. ganon yun.
kyungsoo had some enviable assets na medyo nagbounce when he had to step over his seatmate’s large backpack na nasa floor. thank you sa overachiever sa tabi ni kyungsoo na may dala na atang mga readings sa first day ng class sa laki ng bag. thank you talaga at medyo clumsy si kyungsoo dahil nagtrip ito ng konti.
lalong tumalbog ang pwet niya and hindi ito naitago ng medyo loose jeans ni kyungsoo. napakasayang naman talaga. jongin couldn’t wait na uminit ang panahon. si kyungsoo kaya ang type na naka short shorts?
napansin din iyong ng best friend niya. he heard gabby whistle sa tabi niya and migs turned to look. sure enough, may smirk sa mukha nito. gabby found migs’ stare quick enough and his eyebrows wiggled.
“dibs,” sabi ni gabs.
“gago,” reply ni migs.
it was as good of a conversation as any.
kung tatanungin ang isang chanyeol gabriel park kung ano ang type niya sa babae at lalaki—ang unang answer niya ay mabilis na mabilis na “SMALLER THAN ME.”
migs always say na meron siyang size kink.
gabby would like to clarify na just because he could accept calling a spade, a spade, did not make him a bad person. in fact, it made him a better person than his best friend kasi ang best friend niya, nagdedeny pa pero alam na alam naman ni chanyeol na halos same lang sila ng type.
si migs kasi, ganito—gabby would like to clarify na mas mabait siya. at least, siya, hindi nangba-block kapag clingy na. one time pa nga, nagpanggap si migs na lilipat na siya abroad to finish his studies. naniwala ang girl na pinaasa niya until the moment na nagkasalubong sila.
naaalala ni gabby ang tunog ng sampal ni girl at ang subsequent, “what the fuck, man,” ng best friend niya. yung what the fuck man ni jongin parang hindi niya niloko yung babae at pinag-akala na sa UCLA na siya nag-aaral.
natawa siya ng slight and para siyang tanga outside starbucks katip. mag-isa lang siya sa table niya with his macbook na nakaopen, connected to his phone’s personal hotspot, and isang grande iced americano with one packet of splenda.
he lazily scrolled sa track pad niya, checking latest news sa la liga. unlike jongin who firmly believed na the premier league is the best football league in the world, gabby preferred the spanish league.
hala madird y nada mas! isa siyang die-hard ronaldo fan. out of lahat ng similarities niya with his best friend, one thing na never nasettle is sino ba ang best in the world.
migs, the illiterate, thought it was messi. gabby, the intellectual, believed and knew na it was ronaldo.
madalas itong source ng away nila with comparison pa ng stats though it made playing fifa easier kasi hindi sila nag-aagawan sa team.
medyo bored na siya so of course, isa lang ang sagot diyan. the main reason bakit siya nasa labas—to smoke.
nilabas niya yung pakete niya ng marlboro lights and yung bright pink plastic lighter niya. it started as a joke nung high school sila ni migs and until now, bright pink pa rin ang lighter na gamit niya while si migs naman ang gamit ay light purple.
he lit one stick and nilagay between his lips. he took a drag and allowed the smoke to fill his lungs saglit before inhaling. binagalan niya yung pagblow to create a fog sa harap niya. inulit-ulit niya ito until halos maubos ang yosi.
inhale. exhale. inhale. exhale.
when it cleared up, aba, surprise, surprise—si kyungsoo from histo, pumasok sa door ng starbucks.
alam na alam ni gabby na si kyungsoo iyon. he won’t mistake that ass from anywhere. he bit his bottom lip and nilagay muna sa ash tray ang cigarette.
he pulled up his and migs’ chat sa macbook niya.
gabs: dude guess who walked in just now sa starbs
migs: who
gabs: u r no fun sabi ko guess
migs: tangina gabriel ano ba i’m busy
ito talagang si jongin miguel, walang sense of humor. well, hindi naman siya masisi ni chanyeol kasi nakaka-bv naman talaga maging class beadle. sa class na hindi sila magkaklase, navolunteer si migs ng prof mismo to be the beadle. kaya ayan tuloy, kailangan niyang ipa-photocopy ang readings.
gabs: ayt
gabs: kyungsoo from histo walked in sa starbs
migs: oh and then
gabs: ANO BA
gabs: he’s hot
migs: pweds na
migs: not my type
gabs: alam ko na yang ‘pweds na’ na yan eh
gabs: but naka dibs na ko so
migs: gago ka
migs: eh di make a move
migs: don’t chat me up
gabs: fine gago
gabs: dalian mo
chanyeol closed the chat with migs and isang hithit pa ulit ng yosi. sakto ang vantage point niya and kitang kita niyang nakapila si kyungsoo. he’s last sa line so walang nakaharang sa line of sight ni gabby to see his target—aka ang pwet ni kyungsoo. ang tambok talaga.
gabby is an ass man, aaminin na niya. babae man or lalake. he’s not much for boobs kaya when kyungsoo stood up noong histo, nakita ni chanyeol gabriel ang maliwanag na kinabukasan at ang malaking kasiguraduhan.
kasiguraduhan of fucking, to clarify lang.
tapos na mag-order si kyungsoo and iniikot nito ang mata niya to, presumably, find a seat. nagclick ng tongue si gabs. tough luck, kyungsoo—wala ng seat sa loob.
of course, chanyeol gabriel park is raised as a gentleman. tumayo siya, left all his things saglit, and went to the door. he pushed it open, making sure na kitang kitang ang pagflex ng malaki at masarap niyang bicep before calling out.
“uy, kyungsoo!” nagsmile siya na kunwari surprised, as if hindi niya pinapanood si kyungsoo na pumasok at umorder.
nagliwanag mata ni kyungsoo as he rushed to the door.
“hi,” sabi nito with a smile. “chanyeol, right?”
“ano ba,” sabi ni chanyeol. hawak pa rin niya yung door so sige, flex pa. “sabi ko ‘di ba gabby or gabs na lang? pwede rin gab.”
natawa si kyungsoo, “dami mo namang nicknames.”
tumawa rin si chanyeol and naglean down. he made sure na malapit siya kay kyungsoo. he saw the shorter male na nagscrunch ng nose ng slight.
“are you alone?” let it not be said na mabagal si gabby.
“ah oo,” sabi ni kyungsoo. hawak hawak niya yung tray niya as he stepped outside of starbs. napansin ni chanyeol ang order ni kyungsoo—mango flavored greek yogurt parfait with tall iced tea.
“sit with me na,” offer ni gabs. he grabbed kyungsoo’s tray na rin and walang nagawa ang shorter male kung hindi ibigay ‘to. “i’m actually waiting for miggy eh. remember him? jongin miguel kim?”
“i remember him,” sagot ni kyungsoo.
they made their way sa table ni gabby. as expected, nandoon pa rin ang gamit niya. halos mamatay na ang naiwang cigarette ni chanyeol so kinuha na niya ito to kill the embers against the glass ash tray.
binaba niya yung tray ni kyungsoo at hinila ang chair para makaupo ang binata.
binaba ni kyungsoo yung bag niya sa isang chair before he grabbed his drink and food. nilagay niya yung tray sa kabilang table para hindi masikip and punched the straw sa hole ng plastic cup.
gabby watched the way thick lips wrapped around the thin straw as humigop si kyungsoo ng inumin niya. it’s nothing bastos naman pero hindi inalis ni gabs ang tingin niya dito. kyungsoo ripped the lid of his yogurt and added the granola mix. of course, pinanood pa rin siya ni chanyeol as he stirred everything.
nag-jiggle ng konti ang arm ni kyungsoo pero hindi turn off. cute. hindi ganoon kahilig si gabby sa malaman (that’s more of migs’ type) pero he would admit na type na type niya talaga si kyungsoo in general.
bago pa maisubo ni kyungsoo ang spoonful niya ng yogurt, nakarinig sila both ng isang drag of, “gaaagggoooo,” na paparating.
migs, of course.
nagrush ito sa table nila tabi kay kyungsoo. medyo umusog ng kaunti si kyungsoo to give migs the space to manspread his fucking legs.
“hi, jongin,” sabi ni kyungsoo. natawa si gabs—ang kulit naman nito.
“nah, call me migs,” sabi ng best friend niya. of course. ngumiti ito kay kyungsoo and added, “i’m glad na you remember my name.”
natawa si kyungsoo. “of course—you saved me kanina during histo.”
nagnod lang si migs and gabby. they wouldn’t call what they did ‘saving’ kasi hindi naman talaga nila yun gagawin kung, for example, kyungsoo did not look like kyungsoo. asshole, yes, pero they really preferred to work together lang para hindi hassle to coordinate.
adopting kyungsoo to form a triad, admittedly, was not out of the goodness of their hearts but the hardness of their dicks.
“ako lang kasi sa class na ‘yun,” explain ni kyungsoo while taking in a small amount of yogurt. “my friends took it na last year but i ran out of slots to take ma’am boa. eh gusto ko talaga so i man reg.”
“ah talaga,” sabi ni gabby. “you seemed so shy nga kanina eh nung nagpe-pair up.”
ngumiti lang si kyungsoo and nagshake ng head. “i’m not the type kasi. nakakahiya to just come up to someone and ask if you can be partners. lalo na since it’s a major research. kaya i’m glad na kayo na ang nagvolunteer.”
may mahinang ehehe sa end ng statement ni kyungsoo. as in, ehehe talaga. shit naman. ang cute niya talaga, migs and gabby thought parehas.
napansin ni migs ang kinakain ni kyungsoo and he pointed to the yogurt and the iced tea.
“yan lang kakainin mo for lunch?”
tumango si kyungsoo around his spoonful of greek yogurt.
“are you full na with that?” gabby’s eyes narrowed sa tono ni migs. “you want me to get you something pa?”
umiling lang si kyungsoo before migs shrugged and went inside to order. naiwan ulit si gabby and si kyungsoo and of course, chanyeol took this as his chance.
“so kyungsoo,” he began. “what’s your course.”
“IS,” sagot ni kyungsoo. IS is short for interdisciplinary studies.
“nice ah,” sabi ni gabby kahit na wala naman siyang alam. “what’s your track?”
“econ and polsci,” answer ni kyungsoo.
“uy coincidence,” sabi ni gabby. “migs is also taking econ as a minor. we’re both management majors pala. honors si migs kasi mas strict ang parents niya.”
natawa si kyungsoo sa joke ni gabs. galing talaga—also, cute din tumawa si kyungsoo. lahat ata dito cute—sana pati…
gabby stopped that train of thought. maaga pa for that ah. hind siya galawang migs na mabilis. he liked to get to know his partners, make friends ganon. si migs kasi, as a management major, parang business ang fucking. professional and no strings attached.
si gabby, he liked having as many strings as possible.
isa ulit ito sa kaibahan nila. before pasiya makareply, nagping ang imessage ni chanyeol.
b: hey u busy
gabs: no naman y
b: well
b: i’m down if ur down
napangiti si gabby. actually, hindi siya napangiti. he smirked.
gabs: only if i go down on u
amputa ang cheesy. pero b liked ang ganitong mga linyahan.
gabby turned an apologetic face kay kyungsoo before saying, “sorry, kyungsoo ah. i have to go.”
mukhang wala naman pake si kyungsoo—which is kinda bad kung iisipin ni gabs pero hindi ito ang focus niya for now.
“sige lang,” reply ni kyungsoo with a short nod. “i’ll tell jong—i mean, migs—na lang.”
“okay. thanks, kyungsoo,” reply ni chanyeol habang nagliligpit siya ng gamit. he stacked everything—phone, yosi, lighter—on top of his macbook before tugging the black hair tie na nasa wrist niya. he dropped the cap sa table and said, “kay migs yan,” to kyungsoo.
he noticed na pinapanood siya ni kyungsoo with mild curiosity so of course, gabby being gabby, he flexed habang nag-iipit. very unnecessary as he put he gathered his hair in a low and messy ponytail.
afterwards, he grabbed his things and patted kyungsoo sa back nito. medyo napalunok si gabs. kyungsoo had a narrow back and his hand—his hand looked so big against sa likod ng kasama niya.
gusto pa sana humirit ni gabby but he had to go. one of the things b hated the most was mga taong late who would waste his time. he gave a curt bye kay kyungsoo and made sure to smile a crooked and charming smile before siya umalis.
he tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ears as he walked to his car. it’s not like the hair would stay in place—b did like pulling on it.