…huff, huff, huff…
He zipped past the people at the side walk, almost bumping the woman texting...
…Huff, huff, huff…
Sweat beads down his forehead as he skips the cracking pavement, cursing…
…HUFF, HUFF, HUFF…
The car comes to a full stop, honking loudly as he crosses without notice…

Finally, he reaches the steps of his destination. “Oli Mall”, he read quietly. With a quick sigh of relief, he goes up the steps as fast as he could. He stops momentarily at the entrance so that the guard can search him. To his dismay, the guard barely even looked. He continues his mad dash, ignoring the surprised look of the people he passes. “I hope she’s not too mad…” he wished, but he knew it was a wish not even ten shooting stars could grant. His face finally relaxed when he saw the store packed with books and school supplies, and the name International Bookstore written above it.

He looked right and left, but he couldn’t find her. With each blank space and unfamiliar person, his heart beat faster. Although she’s never done it before, she had every reason to just leave him here. He tucked his right hand inside his pocket, but before he could take out his cell phone, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, face relaxing. “I thought you left”, he said. She just shrugged and looked away. Here we go again, he thought sadly. “Sorry I’m late, traffic was unbelievable out there. It took me an hour just to get from Everydaily to Oli Mall. Look, I’m sweating all over, even with air-conditioning.” She regarded him silently, making no reactions and remaining indifferent. “C’mon, it’s not my fault. Traffic was really bad.” She walks towards the hand rail and leans on it, her back towards him. He follows her, leaning beside her on the railing. “I’m sorry.” he said softly. Without looking at him, she answered, “You’re always like that”. He sighs. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you wait”. “You could have left earlier, so that you wouldn’t have to be caught in the traffic. You know how bad traffic is in Lubao.” she answered. His expression became even sadder. Then he said, “I wanted to, but my mother had a lot of chores for me. I had no choice but to finish them before I left.” He looked at her, and when it seemed that her expression did not change, added, “I’m really sorry. It was unexpected and I really didn’t mean it”. Anger seemed to cross her face, and then it subsided. Finally, after a pause of what seemed like an eternity, she said, “Let’s go, we’re wasting time.”

She walks away from the railing, with him following closely. He looked at her while walking. She still held that indifferent look, but seemed less tense than before. He smiled, and then took her hand into his. The hand shied away at first, and then slowly gave in to the warmth of the other. Fingers intertwined with each other. Their hands locked tightly that it seemed nothing could separate them. “Hungry?”, he asked. “What do you think?”, she answered abruptly. “Well then”, he said, still recovering from the blow of her reply, “would you like some Japanese food?”. Again, with a voice of indifference, she said, “Anywhere will do”. They stopped in front of a restaurant with the name Okyo-Okyo printed above. They walked in and proceeded to the counter. After ordering, they seated themselves beside the window. “So, how’ve you been?”, he asked, looking as comfortable as possible. “I’m fine.”, she replied. He looked intently at her. Suddenly, he reached out and pinched her nose. She moved back, shouting “Hey!”. He grinned, carrying the expression of having achieved a successful mission. “Hmp!”, she pouted. “You know you’re not allowed to do that. It’s strictly prohibited.” His grin widened. “Why not? You know doing that is one of my happiness in this world. Do you want to take that happiness away from me?” He sits back, pretending to be hurt. “Eh”, she replies, “It’s still not allowed. You know I don’t like it when you do that.” “You mean this?” He quickly moves his hand and pinches her nose again before she can cover it. “EH!”, she shouts. His grin breaks into laughter, and soon she is laughing as well. Afterwards, they continued eating, stopping only for the occasional talks and tickles.

Satisfied with their meal, they walk out of Ukyo-Ukyo and continue their stroll around Oli Mall. After some time, they decided to watch a movie. “Hmm, and what do you want to watch?” he asked. “Anything you like.” she answered, smiling. Once they agreed to watch, they went to the ticket counter for tickets. She kept teasing him all the while, insisting that he should always pay for her. He laughed. “Of course, of course.” he conceded. They then went to the cinema, gave their tickets, and entered. The darkness of the cinema and its loud sounds filled the walls around them. They started walking into the hallway. Halfway through the hallway, they stopped, stealing the fleeting moment of privacy that they had. Their bodies closed together, held tight by their arms. The air seemed warmer around them, despite the coldness that filled the cinema. Their lips, as if drawn together by some invisible force, touched each other. Each kiss brought a wave of passion that only grew stronger with each new kiss. Finally, they broke away and again held each others hand tightly. They continued into the cinema, seating themselves at the left side of the theater. They watched the movie quietly. As minutes passed, they held each other closer. Again, they could feel that at that moment there was only them, and no one else. They kissed until the movie ended.

The day was beginning to drift into night, and it was time for them to part. She accompanied him to the Jeepney station, where he was going to take his ride home. He felt bad, for he knew he should be the one that was accompanying her home. They stood quietly for sometime, letting the tightness in their hands convey their true feelings. The Jeepney that read Baybay arrived, and she bid him farewell. He faced her, then smiled. “You thought I forgot, didn’t you?” he said slyly. He took out from his pocket a letter, then handed it to her. “Happy Birthday, Kat.” He moved closer and whispered, “I love you”. Satisfied, he jumped into the jeepney. The jeepney drew farther and farther away, until all that was left was a cloud of dust. Still she felt that he was still looking at her. Waiting for her. She looked down, towards the letter in her hand. She turned the letter to the other side. It read, A Short Story for a Birthday.


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This is a gift for me from my boyfriend. Thank you so much! I love you, Ivan!