Special Chapter

Sean's POV

"Oh, come on! Take some time to enjoy life, bro!" my best friend started his usual antics. Anyway, this is Aljo—my best friend since high school, all the way through college. We got along so well that we even decided to take the same degree program. Weird? Maybe. But that's just how close we are.

"Pass. I have something to finish for a client. You know, extra income for my savings."

"Man, you're a beast when it comes to projects! You can always do that tomorrow. It's the weekend, no work!" he tried to convince me. And yeah, we even work at the same office now. We both graduated with a degree in Computer Science but I got my master's degree in Software Engineering, but unlike me, he's fine with being an employee for life. I, on the other hand, have bigger dreams—I want to start my own company one day. That's why I've been saving up and taking on extra projects after work.

"Promise, I'll make it up to you next time. I already committed to delivering this by lunchtime tomorrow. Just need to do the finishing touches. So yeah, I'm out for tonight, okay?" I explained quickly, knowing he wouldn't stop pestering me otherwise.

"Fine! But I'll hold you to that—next time, for sure! Anyway, I gotta go. The guys are waiting for me downstairs." I just smiled and nodded at him.

"Finally, some peace and quiet."

I stood up, packed my laptop and other stuff, and headed home. I still had work to do at my condo.

I was inside the elevator when it stopped on the 3rd floor. A few coworkers from another department got in.

"Good evening, sir!" one of them greeted upon seeing me.

"Evening," I replied lazily. I hated crowded elevators. And they were so noisy—did they not realize other people were in here too?

"Lui, come with us! Let's hang out and bond! No work tomorrow, so it's fine to stay up late tonight," one of the women invited. She looked around the same age as the person she was talking to—someone whose face seemed familiar but whose name I didn't know. If I remembered correctly, she was one of the encoders.

"Maybe next time. I still have a long commute home. I'll join you guys once I find a place to move into nearby," replied the other woman.

She had a cute voice. I mean, she was cute because she was petite. I'm not that tall myself—only 5'5"—but she was even smaller. If I had to guess, she was around 5'1" or 5'2".

"What the hell, Sean? Why are you even thinking about other people's heights?" I scolded myself.

"Seriously, why do I even care?"

I ended up getting off on the wrong floor—I was supposed to go to the basement, but why am I in the lobby?

"This is all because I got distracted thinking about how cute that petite girl was. But seriously, she really was cute. Wait, why do I feel like I've never seen her before? Unlike her companions, who I'm familiar with since I've seen them around the office multiple times—especially in their department whenever I go down there." Sometimes, I visit the head of the encoders when I need something.

"Finally, I'm done. Thank you, Lord! I can finally rest!"

Another project completed. I spent weeks working on this, putting in my best effort, even if it was just a small project. I always make sure to do a good job because my reputation is on the line, and I want to earn my clients' trust.

I don't mind taking on small projects. What matters is that people trust me and continue to seek my services. The bonus? If they like my work, they'll refer me to their friends, acquaintances, or even relatives.

See? That's how you do it! The more clients, the better! It's a simple strategy. I'd rather take on small, consistent projects than aim for big ones that don't come as often.

Besides, I don't need big projects right now—I'm already employed full-time at a company, gaining experience and saving money. I don't want to accept a huge project only to realize I don't have the time to finish it.

I'm doing this because I want my own hard-earned money to fund my dream of starting my own company. That's why I had a falling-out with my parents. They wanted me to work for our family business after college—it's related to computers, office supplies, and office furniture. They even promised to fund my startup.

But I didn't like that idea, so we argued. I turned down their offer, and things got worse when they found out I had already accepted a job elsewhere. It escalated even more when, after a year of working, I told them I was moving into my own condo.

I just wanted to be independent—is that so bad?

I didn't want them funding my startup because I knew they'd interfere with how I run my company in the future. This is my dream, and I want to prove to myself that I can achieve it on my own. It feels good knowing that when I finally establish my business, it'll be built with my own hard work.

The Next Morning

"Good morning!" my best friend greeted me just as I stepped into the elevator.

"Morning. How was your night out on Saturday?" I asked, watching the floor numbers light up as we ascended.

"It was fun. Just some drinks, but no one got too drunk. The important thing was that we got to unwind. Unlike some people who don't even have a girlfriend and still refuse to take a break because they're too busy with work," he said teasingly.

"Oh, come on! You're talking about me again!" I complained.

"Who, me? I never even said a name!" he replied, grinning. I smacked him on the head. He really is an idiot.

"Ouch! You're so abusive! I hate you!" he dramatically whined.

"You think I'm stupid? I know exactly who you're talking about. So can you not start with your nonsense this early in the morning?" I scolded him.

Good thing we were the only ones in the elevator, or this would've been embarrassing.

"Geez, you can't even take a joke! It's just that—" He didn't get to finish because the elevator doors opened to our office floor. Not wanting to continue the pointless conversation, I quickly walked ahead to get to my office.

Lunch Break

My best friend and I went down to the cafeteria. It was a hassle to go out, so we usually just ate there. The food was decent, and the menu changed daily, so it wasn't too bad.

"Oh, by the way, bro. I saw Benjo on Saturday. He's inviting us to his farewell party two weeks from now. His whole family is migrating to Australia," Aljo informed me.

"Yeah, I already know. He ran into my sister in Manila recently and told her."

"So, are you coming? Or are you just gonna say you're 'too busy' again?" he asked skeptically.

"I'll go, but I probably won't stay long. I just want to see him before he leaves."

"What? How do you expect to enjoy that way, bro? You've been a killjoy ever since you broke up with your ex," he teased.

"There you go again! Why don't you mind your own life instead of mine? Weren't you planning to propose to your girlfriend? Why don't you focus on that instead of wasting time gossiping about me?" I snapped.

"You're so grumpy! No wonder you're still single!" he shot back, laughing.

"Excuse me. Relationships aren't my priority right now. That stuff is easy—I'll deal with it later. For now, I'm focusing on stability, so when I do meet the right person, I'll be financially ready." I smirked proudly.

"Oh please! Just admit it—you still haven't gotten over your ex!" he teased even more.

"Cut it out!" I protested.

"See? That reaction proves I'm right. You're not over her yet!"

"Lower your voice! You're so loud—it's embarrassing!" I scolded him as we entered the cafeteria, where people started looking in our direction. I frowned. This was getting annoying.

For the next few minutes, I stayed quiet, focusing on choosing what to eat while this fool followed behind me. I was about to sit at an empty table when some of our colleagues called me over. For the sake of camaraderie, I decided to sit with them.

As we were eating and chatting, a group of people passed by carrying their lunch trays, deep in conversation. I glanced at them and realized they were the same people I had shared the elevator with last week. They sat at a table in the same row as ours. Two of them had their backs to us, while she and another person were facing our direction.

"She really is cute. Simple look—no makeup, check. Her long, shiny black hair falls just past her shoulders. That powder-blue three-fourth sleeve polo suits her well. She doesn't seem like the high-maintenance type—you can tell from the way she moves and even how she eats. She brought her own lunch. Hmmm… frugal, check. She only bought juice and has a water tumbler with her. Is she just naturally frugal, or is she trying to save money? Her simple necklace and cute little earrings match perfectly—they suit her. Maybe she's one of the new encoders? I'll find out soon enough."

She wasn't very talkative—mostly just listened to her colleagues' conversations. But whenever they laughed, she would smile along.

"Hey! You've been staring into space for a while now. What's on your mind?" One of our colleagues tapped my shoulder. He was older than us—a Computer Engineer we all called Boss Ed, short for Eduardo.

"Oh, I know what's up. He must've seen someone beautiful!" Ricky, another Computer Engineer, added with a teasing grin.

"You're both wrong! Ask me—I know the real answer," Boss Ed said smugly.

"Why do you guys always pick on me? I was just thinking about something, and now you're making up stories! And the way you're talking, it's like I'm not even here!" I complained.

"Pfft! 'Thinking about something,' sure. I clearly saw you staring at that girl over there!" my best friend said, pointing directly at the cute girl.

"Damn it! Why is this guy even my best friend? He only ever gets me into trouble!"

Of course, our gossip-loving colleagues immediately followed the direction of his finger. I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Am I right or am I right, best friend?" he gloated. Before this conversation escalated further, I figured I should just leave. I suddenly lost my appetite.

"This idiot—always ruining things!"

"Oh? Where are you going? Stay here so we can talk about it—we might be able to help you, you know," he said with a mischievous grin, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm just going to the restroom," I lied, glaring at my best friend—this absolute menace in my life.

"Restroom, huh? Look at your food—you haven't even finished eating! You're just trying to escape," Boss Ed pointed out.

"I just lost my appetite," I muttered, but they wouldn't let me off the hook and made me sit back down.

"Come on, spill. We're waiting," Ricky chimed in.

"Spill what?" I grumbled.

"Not what—who?" Boss Ed smirked, while my best friend just laughed beside me. I secretly kicked him under the table, but instead of yelping in pain, he laughed even harder.

"What are you guys even talking about? This idiot is just full of nonsense!" I huffed, smacking Aljo on the shoulder.

"Ow! That hurt! How many times are you gonna hit me today?" He complained loudly, starting to pull his antics.

"That's still not enough for all the trouble you've caused me today," I muttered, shaking my head as the two in front of me kept grinning.

There was no way I was going to admit they were right—it would just make me their favorite target for teasing. When these guys latch onto something, they never let go. Besides, what's wrong with simply finding her cute? I just looked at her, that's all.

"Wait… was it just a look? Ugh, whatever! I'm not saying anything. That's final."

But just as I was about to escape their nonsense—

"Jessy!" Ricky suddenly called out to someone passing by our table.

"Sir Rick? Yes?" I heard a female voice reply. My eyes were shut as I rested my head on my hand, already dreading what was about to happen.

"Do you guys have a new colleague in your department?" Ricky asked.

"Oh, yes! Lui, come here. Sir, this is Lui—our newest team member," Jessy introduced her to him. I quickly fumbled for my phone in my pocket, pretending to be busy.

***

"Hi, Lui!" I saw them shaking hands from my peripheral vision.

"Let me introduce you to my fellow engineers here. This is Boss Ed, we're both Computer Engineers in the company," he pointed at Boss Ed, who extended his hand.

"And this is Aljo—he's Computer Engineer. And this guy—hey!" Aljo elbowed me.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, 'huh?' I'm introducing someone here! This is our new encoder!" he said, pointing at her.

"Oh, Lui, I'm sorry about him—he's always like this because he has no love life," he explained while introducing me. "This is Sean, also a Software Engineer. We have other colleagues too, but they're not here right now."

Cute—er, Lui—just gave a small smile.

"Hmmm, so her name is Lui. Her name is cute just like her. Her name suits her well."

"Ahem..." Aljo nudged me again and subtly whispered, "Shake hands with her."

Like a robot, I automatically followed his words. I saw her smile at me, too.

"Her smile is so cute."

They soon excused themselves and left. Meanwhile, the three guys with me exchanged knowing looks, but I chose to ignore them.

"It's obvious," said Boss Ed.

"Yeah, totally," Ricky agreed.

"But he says there's nothing going on," added my best friend, that annoying troublemaker.

I just kept walking without looking at them, knowing that engaging would only make the teasing worse. I stepped into the elevator first since they fell behind, probably gossiping about me again as if I couldn't hear them.

***

Later, at a restaurant dinner time (yes, they managed to drag me along), I overheard Aljo chatting with Lui.

"Oh, that's great you found a job here. How's your stay in Cebu so far?" he asked.

"It's okay. Everything's new, so I'm still adjusting."

"Is it difficult?"

"A little, but I can handle it," she answered with a smile.

She wasn't the demure type, but she wasn't rude either. She was… different. That was the best way I could describe her.

Since then, she started hanging out with us more often. We even had one-on-one conversations, and honestly, I really enjoyed talking to her. She had a great sense of humor, and sometimes, she could even outmatch Aljo and Ricky in banter.

We grew closer and shared a lot about ourselves. I genuinely enjoyed her company. Eventually, I learned she had a boyfriend back in Mindanao, but their relationship was already on the rocks. She even introduced me to her best friend once when I dropped her off at her apartment after we hung out.

Sometimes, just the two of us would go out. Large, noisy groups could be exhausting, and I liked the quieter moments with her—we got to talk more and really get to know each other.

I found myself wanting to be with her all the time. She never refused whenever I offered to send her home since we took the same route anyway, though her apartment building was along the way before mine. Others started tagging along when they found out, so to avoid suspicion, I let them join us.

Because she was new to Cebu, I took her to different places on weekends and holidays. The only times we couldn't hang out were when she visited her best friend's home—about a two-hour drive from the city. She had promised her best friend's aunt (who she considered family) that she'd visit from time to time.

I admired her independence at such a young age, but I also felt bad knowing how much she had to go through on her own. That's why I wanted to take care of her.

Even with this new person taking up my time, I still kept up with my part-time work at night after getting home.

Months later, I couldn't keep my feelings for her a secret anymore. I thought things would be awkward after I confessed, but thankfully, they weren't. She was honest with me about her situation, and I respected that. What mattered to me was that we could still spend time together.

I could tell her relationship was nearing its end. She eventually discovered her boyfriend was deceiving her—not with another girl, but over money.

That gave me hope. And then one day, she admitted that she had started to like me too.

Not long after, she and her boyfriend—well, ex-boyfriend—officially broke up. I didn't waste any more time and immediately started courting her.

Five months later, she became my girlfriend.

I couldn't ask for more. I was so happy with my life—content with my stable job and my wonderful relationship. She's the one I want to grow old with. I want her to be the mother of my future children.

I can see it in her eyes—she's happy with me. We may have our differences, but we always work through them before they turn into bigger problems.

I love everything about her. I don't care about her background or her past. What matters to me is that I am her present and her future. We both adore and love each other. She is incredibly understanding and supportive of my dream business. She even encourages and motivates me, and I do the same for her because I know that her dream job is definitely not the one, she's doing right now.

Since I discovered her love for nature and that she used to be a member of a mountaineering club back in college, I started taking her to places like that here in Cebu. I even do my own research because I love seeing her smile every time I bring her on short nature trips. Because of this, we both agreed to celebrate our upcoming first anniversary with a hike and an overnight camping trip.

Months before our anniversary, we started gradually buying the things we would need—every payday—so that the expenses wouldn't be too overwhelming. From shoes to bags, a tent, and more, we took our time collecting everything. Most of the time, we split the costs because she didn't want me to always pay for everything.

Without her knowing, I had prepared something very special for our anniversary. I talked to her best friend to help me with my plan. Once everything was set, I scheduled a lunch date with my parents to inform them about my plan—to propose to Lui under a sky full of stars, with the moon shining upon us.

She is the only dream I have yet to fulfill. After all, I already have my own company, and though it has just started, it's doing well, and more and more people are interested in investing. I'm already content with how things are going. In fact, she also invested in my company—not as much as my bigger investors, since this is her first time venturing into something like this. I told her that it's a good start, especially for someone who isn't business-minded. I'm also grateful that our number of clients continues to grow.

I got home late at my condo because I had to meet with people for the final touches and briefing. Since she thought it would just be the two of us hiking, I couldn't contact Ainee while we were together. I was lucky that her best friend's boyfriend was also supportive and helped me with my plans.

After packing my things for our early morning departure, I decided to call her, but she didn't answer. I assumed she was already asleep. We hadn't seen each other the entire day because I was busy making sure everything would go smoothly tomorrow night. So, I just sent her a message saying, "Good night and I love you. See you tomorrow."