Still Into You

11 - The Wrong Door, The Right Notification

Yunah’s POV

[girl, I’ll rest here at the condo first, I’ll call you later]

“Okay, get well soon.”

[yess take care, muah]

I’m on my way to the library, determined to finally finish my report. Exam week is looming, Christmas break is practically knocking, and professors are cramming every single requirement into the last remaining days.

Sometimes I wonder why we even bother celebrating Christmas break. All it really means is cramming two months’ worth of work into one week.

Ree couldn’t come to school today because he’s sick. He said he’d rest at his condo, and I’m already thinking of dropping by after class to check on him. Clare and Iyah are having lunch, but I declined. I have too much to do—reports, papers, and Saturday classes that haunt me like a bad breakup.

I settle down, open my laptop, and dive into my work. Knowing my professor, I’ll probably be the first one called to present again tomorrow. It’s ironic, really. We’re business majors, but half the time it feels like we’re training to become journalists.

Just when I’m about to wrap up, a McDonald’s paper bag appears right in front of me.

“Delivery from Ree. He said you wouldn’t bother eating,” Justin announces, sliding the bag onto my desk like a waiter with too much confidence. He moves my papers aside and pulls out a burger and fries.

“Eating isn’t allowed in here,” I remind him, lowering my voice. The library rules are plastered everywhere: NO FOOD OR DRINKS.

“No one’s watching. Come on, hurry. And by the way, that burger’s mine.”

Of course.

I unwrap the chicken fillet ala king, the warm smell instantly distracting me from my guilt. The fries are large—too large for Justin not to steal from. And sure enough, a hand snakes toward the box.

“Justin, don’t eat everything! You’ve had more than half already!” I swat his hand away.

“Ouch! You hit me! It’s turning red!” He clutches his hand dramatically, as if I’d just committed a crime of passion.

“You deserve it. I barely touched them!”

He freezes mid-act, realizes I’m right, then quickly tries to shift the conversation.

“You know, fries remind me of my mom. She loved them too. We always had a stock at home—never missed from her grocery list.”

His voice softens, his eyes almost glowing with nostalgia. He always spoke about her like she was the sun itself. My curiosity gets the best of me.

“Where is your mom now?” I ask gently.

The spark dims in his eyes. For a moment, silence settles. Then he stands abruptly. “Finish up. I’ll just run to the restroom.”

And just like that, he’s gone.

When he returns fifteen minutes later, we both pack up. I’ve emailed my finished report, and we head to our next class. Afterward, the plan is to visit Ree at his condo, bringing food and medicine. I’ll handle the food, Justin the meds.

Walking to the car park, we part ways briefly since our parking spots are on opposite sides. On my way, I grab a Greenwich pizza. Perfect comfort food.

“Ree’s in room 1738,” I tell Justin over the phone.

“No, it’s 1736. I’m sure!” he insists.

“He told me himself!”

“I’ve been there before!”

“Five years ago, in high school!”

We argue all the way to his floor until I snap, “Fine. You knock on 36, I’ll knock on 38.”

So we do. I glare at Justin as we pound on separate doors. But before either opens, door 1737 swings wide.

Ree stands there, holding a garbage bag, eyebrows raised. “What the hell are you two doing?”

I drop my hand from 1738’s door like it burned me.

“You told me 1738!” I protest, biting into a slice of pizza out of pure irritation.

“No, I said the guy in 1738 is cute. I never said it was me!” Ree doubles over laughing.

Justin groans, sitting cross-legged on the hallway floor. “I told you I’d been here before!”

“Yeah, in high school! Things change, idiot.”

I want the earth to swallow me whole. If the guy from 1738 had opened the door, I’d never recover from the shame.

Inside, we settle down, Ree orders Japanese food, and I finally get the maki I’ve been craving for weeks. The smell alone makes me swoon.

“Slow down, girl, you’ll choke,” Ree teases from the bathroom.

“My mouth can fit three of these rolls if it wants to. Worry about yourself,” I fire back, rolling my eyes as Justin laughs.

Hours later, Justin is stuck with trash duty.

When I finally get home, the house is quiet as always. My sister’s locked in her room, the maids keep to themselves, and the December air is cold without a single Christmas decoration to warm it.

After my shower, I remember the photos from Ej’s birthday trip to Batangas. I upload three shots to i********::

- Me on a bench, sipping fresh coconut juice.

- Me sitting on the sand, staring at the sunset.

- Me by the indoor pool at night, wine glass in hand, fairy lights glowing behind me.

Caption? late. That’s it.

Within seconds, my phone explodes

.

126,902 likes. 258 comments.

Aliyah, Amore, Diane, Clare—my friends flood the comments with chaotic jokes that make me dizzy. Justin chimes in. Ree calls me her mistress. Ej compliments me from behind—literally.

And then—

Ej tags Rai.

My heart drops.

I scroll frantically through the replies. Rai himself responds with nothing but a middle finger emoji. Typical. But before I can breathe—

@raijin.hinata liked your post.

@raijin.hinata started following you.

My blood runs cold. Should I follow back?

I stare at his profile.

Raijin Hinata. 🇯🇵|🇵🇭. Living life one takeoff and landing at a time.

My finger slips.

I follow him back.

“YAZZIE!” I shriek. My phone nearly flies out of my hand as my little sister bursts into the room.

She sees my face—red, panicked—and her grin spreads like wildfire. “Don’t tell me. Kuya Rai?”

“Shut up!” I throw a pillow at her, but she just cackles, rolling onto my bed.

“What if he thinks I’m assuming things?” I groan, clutching my phone.

“Assuming what? It’s just a follow back.”

But my chest is tight, my palms cold.

Then the notification arrives.

@raijin.hinata liked your story.

My sister screams loud enough to wake the neighborhood. I drop my phone, burying my face in a pillow.

And then—another notification.

@raijin.hinata replied to your story: good luck, you got this 👍

“HE REPLIED?!” I shriek, my hands trembling

.

Yazzie is dying of laughter beside me. “What are you going to say?!”

I panic-type. Delete. Type again. Delete. Finally, I settle on:

thank you captain ✈️ haha

“Captain? Really? That’s practically flirting!” Yazzie howls.

“It’s respectful!” I argue, but my face is burning.

Another bubble appears. He’s typing.

np, hope you can sleep early after studying. finals suck haha

I freeze. My heart races so loud I’m sure Yazzie can hear it.

“Just thank him and stop. Don’t ruin it,” she advises.

I type: yeah i hope so too haha, thanks again! gn!

I lock my phone and scream into my pillow. Yazzie is grinning like the devil beside me.

“So… are you two getting back together?”

I don’t answer. I just lie there, heart racing, pretending the world isn’t about to tilt on its axis again.