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“Angelo Yoon, you’re a jerk.”
“Alam ko.”
“Pasalamat ka talaga…”
“Na ano?”
“Na maha― na magkaibigan tayo!”
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The huge dumb grin that appeared on the boy’s face after hearing her flustered answer, was what Sanari fell in love with.

Angelo grabbed her by the wrist, slinging his arm around her shoulders after pulling her towards him. He’s always been like that― spontaneously sweet. Just enough for her to dive into the dangerously pristine waters of Angelo’s clear and open personality, just enough for her to be ready to give her heart any time if he asks for it.
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4:47PM.

It’s been their everyday routine for 5 years. Walking home after school, they’d pass through the bustling streets of the early night market. They’d both spend their spare changes on fried fishcakes and dirty ice-cream and then race each other on the way home.

Sanari lived just five blocks away from Angelo, but it has become a habit for them both to take the longer route, where he’d have to walk farther from home just so he can drop her off at her doorstep. She never teased him about it, as much as she wanted to, and frankly it because she was afraid that he just stops doing it altogether.

She learned it the hard way: Never point out the things that Angelo does. Be it something he is aware of, or something he was unconsciously doing. Never. Point. It. Out.

That’s unless you want it gone for good.

She had it figured that it might have been because he had a tendency to be utterly shy or embarrassed to the point that he’d just stop doing it to avoid being made fun of, like that time in middle school when a classmate of theirs made a comment about Angelo tapping his fingers on his desk and tried to poke fun at him for it and just like that, he stopped. Or should she mention that incident in 9th grade when she stupidly teased him that he probably has a crush on her since he sits with her in the bus every day? You could’ve guessed what happened next.

But it didn’t take them long to start their solid friendship. Eventually, all the bickering and teasing (and occasional fighting) led them to become really good friends. It was in Sanari that Angelo found the good things about having someone to depend to. And somehow, for the first time, not being alone didn’t seem that bad.

Not that Angelo was a loner, God, no.

He was the typical pretty boy who very much looked like a jerk and has a tail of girls following him around. Most cool boys in his year hang out with him every now and then, playing games after class in PC cafés. Sanari first met him when he transferred to her school, the first day of 8th grade. The boy was the talk of the lowerclassmen. Good looks, deep voice― Angelo instantly became the school’s number one wet dreamboat. Imagine how much the girls went completely insane during the school’s music festival when they all learned that he was a drummer?
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5:03PM.

“Magaling ka na niyan?” Angelo asked, peeking over at her shoulder to check what she was doing on her phone as they stood by the ice-cream cart. She had just unlocked another level in Word Play and the boy immediately caught the smile that’s now plastered to her face. But as per usual, he just makes fun of her and tries to get a good laugh out of it.

This brings her a few years back― the day she actually met Angelo. Where the words Angelo just said, just a moment ago, were first said to her.
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Music fest practice, 8th grade, she was early in the studio for practice which meant she would be there all alone for the next hour or two. The drum set was in its shining glory at the far corner of the room and it was safe to say that Sanari was smitten. She always had a thing for drummers. They were always cool and they always had that vibe that captivates anyone paying them attention.

Sanari has always wanted to learn how to play but unfortunately, she had it long accepted that her skills lie in the comforts of her 6-stringed guitar alone. Luckily enough, her former band drummer taught her a few things here and there, and with that, she put the headphones on and started a few beats with the spare drums sticks the studio had provided.

Immersed at the adrenaline given to her by the stomping of the bass and the vibration of the snare against the force of her hits, she failed to notice the tall figure that just arrived.

The boy did not pass up the chance to make his presence known when he literally stood in front of the drums with his hands in his pockets as he stared at her while she clumsily played with the toms. It took her a solid forty-seven seconds before she even was made aware that someone was in the room with her, causing Sanari to hurriedly unplug the wires from the audio jack and rise from the seat in embarrassment. She was actually looking forward to meeting the infamous Angelo Yoon, although she didn’t quite imagine it to be in a way where her hair was messed from the headphones and her face was crimson red.

The silence that ensued was deafening and in her attempt to make the situation less awkward (and to supposedly strike a conversation) she made the dumbest mistake of commenting that her drum-play was great. Angelo, the frank person that he is, straight up asked her, “Magaling ka na niyan?” in the most deadpanned voice he could possibly muster.

This left her absolutely baffled and confused. She was very friendly and one could argue that she was possibly friends with everybody in school because of her excellent people skills and her friendliness. Taking pride at the fact that she could practically walk up to a stranger, talk them and in a few minutes― voila! She has a new friend. So you could see why it bothered her so that she didn’t get to pierce through his walls on her first try. And little did she know, she still would fail at her second.
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“Oo, magaling ako wag ka ngang epal,” she scathingly replies, taking a bite at her steaming tteokbokki. She realized that she probably made a face at him unknowingly now that Angelo was chuckling lowly beside her, seemingly amused. He’s always been like that.

Remembering how they first met, the realization hit her that he didn’t really leave a good impression that day― and all the days after that. Until that one faithful day, Angelo showed his true colors, saving Sanari from what could’ve been the most shameful day of her life.

But even then, the thought that Angelo was a jerk still stuck with her.

Ever since they became really close in high school, she discovered these little things about him slowly. Like how he often shows affection through teasing and roughhousing, and that he cares so he’d secretly leave you notes for the upcoming tests or subtly helps you with studying. When you’re not feeling okay, he’d cheer you up in every way possible, like maybe treat you in the movies, or bring you food that his mom made. Or even just act all silly and cute just to make you smile. He eventually proved Sanari wrong.

Angelo was really sweet.

And she fell for it. She foolishly fell for him.

In her defense, it wasn’t that hard to be captivated by those bright eyes and gummy smiles.