CHAPTER 3
559 Words
Three Months Later...
Three months.
Three months of living under the same roof.
Three months of sharing meals.
Three months of arguing over the smallest things.
Theo had gotten used to the peaceful rhythm of village life, but there was one thing he still hadn't gotten used to—
Caspian Wade Hashiro.
---
"Theo!"
A loud knock echoed through the small house.
"Wake up! The sun's been up for hours!"
Theo groaned and buried his face deeper into the pillow.
"It's Saturday..."
"It's six in the morning."
"Exactly."
Wade sighed dramatically.
"You're impossible."
The door suddenly swung open.
"There you are."
Theo peeked from under the blanket.
"...Do people in this village not believe in privacy?"
"No."
"...I noticed."
---
After breakfast...
Wade handed Theo a basket.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"The market."
Theo frowned.
"Again?"
"You live here."
"I know."
"So you help."
Theo sighed.
"...Fine."
---
The market buzzed with laughter and conversation.
Almost everyone greeted Wade.
"Magandang umaga, Wade!"
"Uy! Kasama mo na naman ang gwapong dayo!"
Theo looked at Wade.
"What did they say?"
Wade smiled innocently.
"They said..."
"Good morning."
One of the old women laughed.
"Ang pogi talaga!"
Theo looked hopeful.
"And that?"
Wade nodded seriously.
"She said..."
"You're very hardworking."
Theo smiled politely.
"Please tell her thank you."
Wade translated with a completely straight face.
"Sabi niya, salamat po."
The old woman giggled even harder.
As they walked away, Theo noticed everyone trying not to laugh.
"...Why are they smiling?"
"No reason."
---
On the way home...
Wade suddenly stopped.
"I think it's time for today's Tagalog lesson."
Theo sighed.
"I don't trust you."
"You should."
"I absolutely shouldn't."
Wade grinned.
"Repeat after me."
Theo folded his arms.
"...Fine."
Wade pointed at himself.
"'Gwapo.'"
"Gwapo."
"It means..."
"...best friend."
Theo nodded.
"Best friend."
Wade nearly laughed.
"Good."
A few minutes later, they passed a group of teenagers.
Theo smiled politely.
"Magandang hapon."
The teenagers smiled back.
Then Theo proudly pointed at Wade.
"Si Wade ay... gwapo."
The group froze.
A second later—
They burst into laughter.
Theo blinked.
"...What?"
Wade was laughing so hard he had to hold onto a fence.
"You..."
Theo narrowed his eyes.
"What did I just say?"
Wade tried to stop laughing.
"You called me..."
"...handsome."
Theo stared at him.
"...You said it meant best friend."
"It does."
"It clearly doesn't."
"It means..."
"My handsome best friend."
Theo grabbed a nearby leaf and threw it at Wade.
"You liar!"
---
That evening...
Theo sat outside the house with a small notebook.
Across the top of the page he had written:
Tagalog Vocabulary
Salamat = Thank you ✅
Tubig = Water ✅
Bahay = House ✅
Gwapo = ❌ Never trust Wade.
He underlined the last line three times.
---
The next morning...
Wade walked outside carrying two mugs of coffee.
"I have another word."
Theo didn't even look up.
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
"This one's real."
"I said no."
Wade sat beside him anyway.
"'Mahal kita.'"
Theo looked suspicious.
"And what does that supposedly mean?"
Wade answered without hesitation.
"It means..."
"You're annoying."
Theo raised an eyebrow.
"...Really?"
"I promise."
Theo wasn't convinced, but after three months, he'd learned at least one thing:
Whenever Wade smiled like that...
He was definitely up to something.
And somehow...
Theo always fell for it.
End of Chapter 3
- Writer
