The Beauty Queen's Chaos

CHAPTER 5: Familiar in the Wrong Moment

The next morning felt too normal. Walang unknown numbers. Walang messages. Walang kahit anong babala na biglang susulpot sa screen ko. For the first time in days, tahimik ang phone ko.

And I didn’t trust it. l was sitting on the edge of my bed, scrolling through nothing in particular, when Kylie suddenly pushed the door open without knocking, again. “Get dressed.”

I didn’t even look at her. “No.”

“Not optional.” I sighed, dropping my phone beside me. “Kylie, if this is another one of your random plans. “It’s not mine,” she cut in, smiling like she already won. “Dad’s.”

That made me pause. Slowly, I looked up. “Why do I feel like I’m about to be scammed?”

“Because you are,” she said proudly.

Thirty minutes later, I was downstairs, fully dressed against my will, staring at a guy I had never seen in my entire life. Tall. Polished. The type na mukhang hindi marunong mapagod. He stood up the moment I walked in, offering a polite smile. “Hi. I’m Luca.” I didn’t take his hand

immediately. Instead, I looked at my dad. Then at Kylie. Both of them looked way too satisfied.

“This is a setup,” I said flatly.

“It’s a date,” my dad corrected. “It’s an ambush.” Luca chuckled softly.

“I can leave if this is too much.” his chuckles became awkward like he was about to be rejected by his employer.

“No,” Kylie said quickly. “You’re staying.” I exhaled, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Of course he is.” I forced a smile

…

The mall was crowded. Too bright. Too loud. Too alive for something I didn’t even agree to.

I sat across from Luca in a café, stirring my drink slowly while he talked. He wasn’t bad.

That was the problem. He was nice. Educated. Easy to talk to. May sense kausap. The kind of guy people would actually like. But I didn’t. Not like that.

“so I’ve been going back and forth between here and the States,” he said, relaxed, comfortable. “Trying to figure out where I want to settle long-term.” I nodded. “That makes sense.” Automatic response, Polite and Detached.

My phone stayed quiet on the table.No vibrations, No interruptions. And somehow, that bothered me more than anything. Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ang nangyari kagabi. He gave me a hustle last night and now he’s giving me this uncomfortable peace.

“You okay?” Luca asked, noticing my silence. I looked up and gave a small smile. “Yeah. Just tired.” I faked a smile while sipping my coffee.

“From the competition?” he asked again.

“Something like that.” He nodded, not pushing further. At least he knew when to stop.

“Excuse me,” I said after a while, standing up. “I’ll just walk around a bit.” nasa labas na rin lang ako, why not mag ikot. Minsan lang ako makalabas without my handler and camera’s patrolling me

“Sure,” he replied easily. “Take your time.” Of course he would say that. Everything about him was easy. And maybe that’s why it felt so boring.

I walked without direction, letting the noise of the mall drown everything out. People passed by. Laughter. Music. Conversations that didn’t involve me. For a moment, it felt normal.

Until I stopped outside a fast food restaurant, someone was sweeping the floor.

Walang kakaiba. Walang special. Just someone doing their job.

Then he looked up.

And I froze.

Rylan.

Rylan

For a second, we just stared at each other. Recognition came easy. No confusion, No hesitation.

Just, memory.

“Uy hi,” he said, like this was any other day. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I crossed my arms. “Same.”

He rested the broom against the wall, relaxed, like he had all the time in the world.

“You look different,” he added.

“Good or bad different?” I asked.

“Stronger. and maganda syempre” he smiled. That smile.

Simple, No hesitation, No extra meaning. I nodded once, glancing briefly at what he was doing. “Work?”

“Oo eh,” he said. “Break na rin.”

Just like that, No explanation, No discomfort. “Uy may kadate ka ba?” he said after a moment, eyes shifting past me. I followed his gaze. Inside the café. It was Luca. Still sitting there. Waiting.

“Unfortunately,” I muttered. Rylan let out a quiet chuckle. “Mukha nga.” “I’m bored,” I admitted.

“Obvious.”

“At least honest ako.”

“Consistent.”

A small silence settled between us. Not awkward, Just familiar. A small smile appeared on my lips.

“High school feels like a different lifetime,” I said.

He chuckled. “nakakamiss nga eh, kahit pasang awa si ako” A soft laugh slipped out of me. Real this time.

“So,” I said, tilting my head slightly as I looked at him, “kamusta ka?” “Okay lang,” he answered simply. “Ikaw?” I let out a quiet breath, one shoulder lifting in a small shrug. “Still dealing with things I didn’t ask for.” He nodded once. “Mukha nga.” he said, focusing on me.

And that was it. No follow-up questions. No curiosity that felt invasive. No attempt to dig deeper than what I was willing to give. He didn’t need details. And somehow, that made it easier.

“I told him I’d walk around,” I added after a moment, glancing briefly toward the café where Luca was still waiting.

Rylan followed my gaze, then looked back at me. “So you are.” I crossed my arms loosely. “Technically.” A faint smirk formed on his lips. “Technically.” I exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease just a little. Not completely, but enough. “I’m not enjoying that,” I admitted.

“I can tell,” he said without hesitation. “I just needed a break.”

“You got one.” Simple. Direct. No unnecessary words. I found myself looking at him longer than I meant to. Same Rylan, but not really.

There was something steadier about him now. Something quieter, still jolly and baliw but stronger. Like he wasn’t trying to be anything other than what he already was. And maybe that’s what made it different. What made it, grounding.

“I should go back,” I said eventually, though my voice didn’t carry the same urgency. “Yeah,” he replied. But neither of us moved right away. The silence settled again, but this time, it wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t suffocating. It just… stayed.

“Rylan.” I called him. He looked at me. “bakit?”

I hesitated for a second before speaking. “ it was- it was nice catching up.” I said softly. Not the typical me. Then I turned and started walking back toward the café. This time, I didn’t stop.

Didn’t look back. Didn’t second-guess it.

bigla ko tuloy naalala si zam. ano kayang magiging reaction Niya kung kasama ko siya right now. may crush parin kaya siya Kay Rylan De vera? I suddenly missed my best friend. well, ex best friend.

When I sat down across from Luca again, he smiled like nothing had changed, like I hadn’t just stepped out of a completely different moment. “Better?” he asked. I picked up my drink, taking a small sip before answering.

“Yeah,” I said. And for once, that wasn’t completely a lie. He continued talking, his voice steady, easy to listen to. Something about travel. Business. Plans. I nodded at the right moments.

Responded when needed.

I played my part. But my mind wasn’t fully there anymore. Not like before. Because for the first time in days, it didn’t go back to the messages. Not to the silence. Not to the feeling of being watched.

It went somewhere else. Somewhere… simpler, Familiar and Unexpected. And as I sat there, pretending everything was normal, I realized something I wasn’t ready to admit out loud. That moment, that small, unplanned encounter, shifted something. And I knew one thing for sure. That wasn’t supposed to happen today.