Chapter Text
BINI had just wrapped Day 3 of BINIverse . Everyone was beyond exhausted—brains fried, bodies aching—every definition of tired you could think of. After all the speeches, tears, hugs, and laughter, they were finally allowed to go home and rest for the same number of days as their SoloCon prep.
Before heading off to their separate homes, the girls decided on one last dinner together.
"Girls, I know pagod na kayo and you just want to get home," Jhoanna said, standing in the middle of the private dining room. "But I just wanted to have our family dinner. And as a reward for my ates—this one’s on me."
The seven cheered.
“Wow, bigatin ang master!” Stacey teased.
“Grabe naman ate ko! Mahal na mahal mo talaga kami!” Sheena added dramatically.
Maloi playfully smacked Sheena's shoulder. “Ano ka ba! Basic lang yan kay Jho.”
Everyone laughed.
“Okay, can I get this? And this, and this, and this?” Mikha teased, pointing at nearly everything on the menu.
“Bub! Grabe ka naman,” Aiah scolded, giggling.
“Let’s get everythiiiiiing!” Colet cheered, and the others joined her, raising the volume in typical BINI fashion.
Their table was in one of the restaurant’s private VIP rooms, away from the main dining area. You could still hear them through the door—laughter, teasing, and nonstop chatter bouncing off the walls.
Aiah eventually excused herself. “Bathroom lang ako, wait.”
“Ate, sama ako,” Sheena said, hopping out of her seat. “Come on, Bebe, naiihi na talaga ako.”
Sheena clung to her arm as they walked out, their voices fading into the hallway.
They weren’t alone. From the room next door, voices leaked through the door—tense, sharp, and clearly in the middle of an argument.
“Hala, Ate… makimarites muna tayo,” Sheena whispered with wide eyes.
“Yawa, I really need to pee,” Aiah hissed, trying to pull her away. “Let’s go!”
But just as they took another step, the adjacent door slammed open.
“I said—it’s my company! You gave it to me! My decision matters in this case because it’s my company!”
A young woman stormed out, clearly fuming, and accidentally bumped into Aiah.
“Shit—sorry,” the woman muttered, pausing only for a second before offering a quick bow.
“No worries—” Aiah started, but the girl had already stormed off down the hallway.
Aiah and Sheena looked at each other, both stunned.
“Wow. Very intense si Ate Mysterious,” Sheena whispered.
Aiah shrugged, still processing, and tugged her toward the bathroom. “Let it go. Naiihi ka, ‘di ba?”
When they returned to the room, Sheena wasted no time.
“Sobrang intense ng katabi nating room! Grabe ang awayan!”
Aiah groaned. Here we go. Bebe marites activated.
“Bebe, quiet! Hindi natin business ‘yon,” she warned.
“Wait—what? Chika naman ‘diyan!” Maloi chimed in.
“What happened?” Jhoanna added, sliding closer. “Sali ako!”
Aiah sighed. “Parang family business ‘yung sa kabilang room. Some girl stormed out and bumped into me. She apologized, pero she walked off agad.”
The girls collectively went, “Oooohhh…” then quickly moved on, the mysterious encounter fading from their minds.
Dinner eventually ended. Jhoanna paid, as promised, and their managers and bodyguards arrived to escort them to their cars.
While waiting in the lobby, Aiah suddenly paused. “Wait lang, naiwan ko ‘yung handbag ko!”
She darted back inside.
Turning the corner toward the room, she nearly collided with someone.
“I’m sorr—”
It was her . The intense girl from earlier. The same one who had stormed off.
“Oh, it’s you,” Aiah said, blinking. “I thought you left already.”
The girl gave a sheepish smile. “I really have to stop bumping into people tonight.”
She extended a hand. “I’m Kylo.”
Aiah took it, intrigued. “Aiah. And yeah, same—clumsy din minsan.”
She gently pulled her hand back. “I just need to grab my bag real quick.”
“Then I’ll let you go,” Kylo said with a small nod. “Sorry again, Miss Clumsy.” She gave a short wave and left without waiting for a reply.
Aiah blinked after her, then shrugged and grabbed her bag.
Back outside, the others were already waiting.
“Got it po, thank you for waiting,” Aiah said, smiling at their team.
She made her way to Sheena and whispered, “I bumped into her again. But this time, she really left.”
Sheena’s eyes widened. Before she could react, Aiah gave her arm a squeeze and a pointed shh .
The girls headed to their respective vans. Jhoanna and Maloi were dropped off with their families in Manila, while the rest returned to their shared condo building.
Later that night, Aiah settled into her tub, letting the warm water and ambient music wash the week’s chaos away.
What a week, she thought. What a random night, too.
Yawa gyud… who was that girl?
Her mind was buzzing—overstimulated, restless—so she forced herself to relax, finish up, and go to bed.
She sat on the edge of the mattress, drying her hair and checking her phone.
1:17 AM.
“I better sleep,” she mumbled.
She climbed under the covers. But before she closed her eyes—
Kylo.
And then… sleep took her.
Honey, curled up at her side, didn’t even stir.
Aiah slept soundly.
The Next Day
"Kylo, are you awake? Food is ready."
A familiar voice knocked at her door, rousing her, but not enough to get her out of bed. She ignored it.
"Kylo, lalamig na ang coffee mo," the voice repeated, louder this time. She groaned, checked her phone—7:02 AM.
What the fuck? Bakit ang aga mangbulabog?
She rubbed her eyes. "I'm up. You can open the door."
"I know you're pissed for being woken up this early, but it's my job to get you moving. I am your secretary."
The person handed her a pen and some documents. "You need to sign these. They’re the changes you wanted for your company."
"You are my cousin first, Addison," Kylo sighed, taking what she was handed. "Fine." She began signing.
Addison stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed.
"I heard you bumped into an idol last night," she said casually.
Kylo didn’t reply—more like she didn’t hear.
"Ky, bingi ka ba?"
"Huh? Ano ulit sabi mo?" Kylo looked up mid-signature.
"An idol. Kuya Migs said you bumped into one."
Kylo blinked, confused. Trying to recall the night before.
"Idol? She’s an idol?"
"Oo! Kaya nga ang daming tao sa restaurant kagabi! Hindi mo ba napansin? Or masyado kang mainit ang ulo para mapansin?"
Kylo thought hard.
What was her name again? Alianna? Aliah?
Oh! Aiah.
"I didn’t know she was an idol. Yeah, I think I made a scene before storming out of the room, and I might’ve bumped into her then. Aiah, right?"
She returned the signed papers and pen to Addison, then stood to head downstairs.
"Coffee first."
She gave Addison a sharp look that said:
Bago ka chumika, hintayin mo muna akong makapagkape.
Addison chuckled, following her down. They sat at the table, Kylo taking a sip of her coffee like her life depended on it.
"About the idol?" Kylo asked mid-bite of toast.
"What about her?" Addison tilted her head.
Kylo chewed and spoke with food in her mouth.
"You said she’s an idol pero I don't know her. Maybe I’m just not into their music?"
"Dude. Are you serious?" Addison stared at her.
Kylo stared back. Dead serious.
"She’s from one of the biggest groups right now—BINI. They’re everywhere!"
Ang OA naman nito , Kylo thought.
"We literally see their billboards every time we drive to the office. The hell do you mean you don’t know her?"
"Um, you do know I’m always asleep in the car, right? Kasi hilohin ako?" Kylo replied sassily.
"Besides, I apologized to her. It’s not like I made a scene
at
her. It was with Dad."
Addison groaned, shaking her head.
This idiot. Thank God she’s my cousin.
"Still, I’m glad you did. That could’ve been a huge controversy. Tangang ‘to."
Kylo shrugged.
9:32 AM
"Tapos ka na ba diyan? We have a meeting in an hour!" Addison yelled from downstairs.
"Yeah! Almost done! Just finishing my hair!" Kylo shouted back.
She ran down shortly after, looking proud. "Here."
Addison took the files and Kylo's purse, scoffing at her.
"Anong klaseng necktie ‘to? Tabingi tulad ng may-ari."
She stepped forward and fixed it. "Ano na lang kung wala ako?"
"Dead na siguro ako," Kylo laughed.
"Buti alam mo!" Addison rolled her eyes.
"Kuya Migs is outside. Let’s go before traffic kills us."
10:15 AM
"Kuya, late na tayo! Hindi ba puwedeng sumingit?" Addison muttered from the front seat.
"Malapit na. Isang liko na lang," Migs replied.
In the back, Kylo was—as usual—asleep.
Addison slapped her knee. "Aba, bossing. Gising na, malapit na tayo!"
Kylo jolted up, groaning. "Ano ba, natutulog yung tao eh!"
"Look! Billboard—BINI!" Addison pointed.
Kylo glanced out and spotted a Jollibee ad with eight girls. One of them looked familiar.
Miss Clumsy.
"That’s Aiah Arceta. The one your idiot ass bumped into," Addison said.
Kylo rolled her eyes again. "Well, can’t really blame me if I didn’t know."
"’Dito na," Kuya Migs said, parking.
"I’ll be back in an hour or two—grocery run. Ikaw, Kylo, be presentable. Don’t make Addi suffer."
"Yes sir!" Kylo saluted jokingly.
They got out with their files. Kylo glanced around. "Any coffee shops?"
"Kylo, we have five minutes! Get it later!"
Kylo dodged Addison’s grab. "Sabihin mong nag-washroom ako. See you in ten!"
Addison sighed. Lord, give me strength. Kung hindi, masasakal ko na ‘tong baklang ‘to.
Kylo weaved through people, finally spotting a café. Before going in, she looked back to check where the elevators were. She turned and—
Splash!
"Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!" A girl bumped into her, spilling coffee on her white polo.
Before Kylo could explode, she heard:
"Kylo? What are the odds?"
She looked at the girl—baseball cap, face mask—and then down at her ruined shirt.
"First of all, I have a meeting and you JUST ruined my shirt. Second, should I know you?"
The girl leaned in and whispered, "It’s Aiah. Be quiet."
Kylo’s eyes widened. Miss Clumsy. You again?
"Don’t be sorry. I wasn’t looking either."
"I think I have a shirt upstairs to give you—"
"You live here?"
"Uh, yes but—"
"Don’t worry, I won’t say anything." Kylo smirked. "Just hurry. I’m already ten minutes late and my secretary will kill me."
Aiah laughed. "Wait in the washroom. I’ll be back fast."
Kylo followed the instructions. Inside the washroom, she sighed in the mirror, unbuttoning her stained shirt.
Of all the things... I love coffee, but not like this.
She was just in her sports bra when—
"I have your shir—"
Aiah walked in, eyes wide, then slammed the door shut. "I’m sorry!"
Kylo chuckled. "It’s fine, I’m not naked. Come in, I don’t mind."
Aiah peeked back in—and froze. Kylo stood there in a maroon sports bra, a necklace on her chest, tattoos wrapping her right arm, a glimpse of ink peeking from her hips. Water trickled over toned abs.
"Well? Don’t stare, Miss Clumsy. I’ll be dead soon."
Aiah looked away, flustered. "I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry. Here’s the shirt."
"Thank you," Kylo smiled, brushing her hand against Aiah’s.
"I don’t bite, Miss Clumsy."
Aiah turned bright red.
Kylo got dressed quickly, then looked at her. "I’ll give your shirt back. I know where to find you."
She winked—and walked out.
10:45 AM
Kylo stood at the meeting room door. Lord, please keep me alive.
She entered. Addison’s glare could burn through steel.
"Little accident at the coffee shop," Kylo said, holding up her stained shirt.
Addison forced a smile and apologized to everyone. The meeting began.
10:46 AM
Her again! And this time I spilled coffee on her shirt!
Aiah sat in the washroom chair, pulled out her phone and typed:
To: Sheena
Guess who I bumped into again?
10:45am
From: Sheena
OMG?! Don’t tell me it’s Missterious? Diyan mo na ikuwento. Be there in 5.
10:46am
Aiah groaned. Kapag chika, ang bilis sumagot.
Soon enough, Sheena and Gwen were on her couch.
"So? Ano ang happenings, Ate ko?" Sheena grinned.
"Bebe, ataters ka talaga. Minadali niya ako pumunta," Gwen sighed.
"I spilled coffee on her shirt," Aiah muttered, defeated.
"She didn’t recognize me at first, kasi naka-cap and mask ako. Then I gave her one of my shirts… walked in on her while changing… saw her tattoos and abs… she left with my shirt."
"Wait, wait, stop," Sheena said. "Saw her what?"
"Bebe naman!" Gwen scolded.
Aiah groaned. "That’s not the point! She’s literally in the building. I didn’t tell her my floor, of course. She promised to keep it quiet."
"Eh ikaw, paano ka sigurado?" Gwen asked.
"Sheena and I heard her last night. She owns the company. She probably wants privacy too," Aiah explained.
"‘This is my company, you gave it to me!’" Sheena mimicked dramatically.
"CEO?! Ate Aiah!" Gwen gasped.
The girls spent the rest of the day laughing, teasing, and chatting. Stacey, Mikha, and Colet arrived later, catching up on the “Miss Clumsy” saga.
That night, after everyone left, Aiah cleaned up and got ready for bed.
I know where to find you, echoed in her mind, making her blush.
As if. You don’t even know my floor.
Then— ding!
From: 09 ********
Thank you for the shirt, Miss Clumsy. I’ll give yours back next week. Busy sched.
Ky :)
She stared. How the hell did Kylo get her number?
To: Kylo
How did you find my number?
No reply.
She wasn’t scared, but definitely curious. She called Ate Jovy.
"Hi Ate, sorry to call late. Not an emergency, just curious..."
After she explained, Jovy responded, "Wait, what? You bumped into Kylo? The Kylo?"
"Uh… yeah. She owns a company, right?"
"Aiah, Kylo Red Anderson is the daughter of the country’s biggest private business owner. She was handed three companies. Celebs love her restaurants. She’s loaded. "
Aiah was stunned. She didn’t even look like it. Grumpy, flirty, casual...
"Okay, Ate. Thanks." She ended the call and laid down, one hand on Honey.
What did I get myself into?
She stared at her phone—still no reply.
It’s just a shirt, just a number.
I can always change it.
Eventually, she drifted off to sleep.