Kaisha's Pov
I was casually scrolling on my phone while lying in bed when a notification from my game app popped up. Curious, I opened it to see a message from Nalu.
Nalu_: Hey stalker! You like rain, huh? Good to know you had a good sleep!
A smile tugged at my lips as I read it. I really love the rain—it’s always been calming for me. I quickly typed back.
s_Kai: Yes! I really like and love the rain! Now you know!
Nalu_: Hmm, noted! Thanks for telling me! I’m bored, Kai. Let’s hang out in my room?
s_Kai: Maybe later? I’m going out for a bit.
Nalu_: Okay! Ingat! See you later in my room!
Even though I appreciated Nalu's invite, I decided to decline. I planned to go to the gym with Yanny instead. I really need to get moving and shake off this lazy vibe. Plus, bonding time with my bestie is long overdue—I honestly can’t remember the last time we went to the gym together. So yeah, it’s gym time with Yanny today!
The gym was buzzing with energy—music blasting, weights clinking, and people all hyped up sa kanilang workouts. Yanny and I walked in, and I swear the smell of rubber mats and metal equipment hit us agad.
“Wow, finally decided to make balik ka na dito, huh?” Yanny teased, nudging me habang naglalakad kami papunta sa lockers. “It’s been forever since we worked out together.”
“Grabe, I know!” I laughed. “Na-miss ko rin, promise.”
“Same! Let's make sulit today, okay?” she said, tying her hair into a ponytail.
We started sa treadmill, warming up habang sabay ang tunog ng paa namin sa beat ng music. After a while, Yanny broke the silence.
“So, ano na? Still gaming 24/7?” she smirked.
“Guilty!” I laughed. “Pero at least andito ako now, di ba?”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Fine. Basta huwag ka na mag-ghost ng gym, okay?”
I smiled, "I can't promise that! You know that I'm always tamad and it depends sa mood ko! Sorry, Yanny."
Yanny laughed, "I know! so stop explaining yourself! Kilalang kilala na kita!" She replied.
Next stop: weights. Yanny was super seryoso, correcting my form and pushing me to lift heavier. Ang galing niya talaga mag-motivate, buti na lang she’s my gym buddy.
After ilang reps, parang jelly na yung arms ko, but worth it naman. By the end, pareho kaming drenched in sweat.
“Grabe ka, Yanny. Salamat for dragging me here,” I said, drinking water like wala nang bukas. "I'll just gonna go to the comfort room."
After leaving Yanny, I headed to the comfort room kasi I needed to pee. Pagbalik ko, habang naglalakad pabalik sa kanya, something caught my attention—isang babae at yung coach niya nag-sparring. Napahinto ako to watch kasi grabe, intense sila.
The girl was impressive. Sobrang bilis ng galaw niya, parang hindi man lang nahihirapan. The coach kept throwing punches—jabs, hooks, pero she dodged them like a pro. Minsan parang mabibigla ka kasi she countered agad with precise punches to the coach’s body and head. Solid yung stance niya, feet firmly planted, pero ang smooth pa rin ng footwork.
The coach tried to corner her, pero she slipped out easily, doing this swift pivot move na parang effortless lang. May mga moments na sobrang galing niya mag-deflect, halos parang nahihirapan na si coach to keep up.
“Wow,” I whispered to myself. “This girl is next level.”
Ang bilis mo talaga,” narinig ko yung coach sabi after a reset. He shook his head, parang hindi makapaniwala. The girl just grinned, wiped her sweat, tapos back to sparring mode ulit. Wala sa vibe niya yung pagod—pure focus lang, astig!
What if mag-try ako ng boxing? It’s not just about strength, parang art siya na may strategy and timing. Plus, ang saya siguro ng ganito—learning how to move, defend, and strike properly.
I laughed with my thoughts! I just know to my self that after a minute I'll change my mind on wanting to learn boxing because as I said I'm always lazy.
After their sparring session, the girl and her coach wrapped up. I kept watching as she grabbed a towel and wiped her face, catching her breath. Ang intense ng session nila, pero parang fresh pa rin siya—confident and composed. Wow!
I was about to head back to Yanny when our eyes suddenly met. For a second, I froze, not expecting the encounter. She raised an eyebrow, curious siguro kung bakit ako nakatingin. Napaka-smooth ng dating niya, parang hindi lang dahil sa boxing skills, she had this magnetic vibe.
“Enjoy watching?” she asked, half-smiling, her voice steady but friendly.
Caught off guard, I laughed a little. “Ah, yeah! Ang galing mo kasi. Parang pro ka na!”
She chuckled, slinging her towel over her shoulder. “Thanks. Just practice lang talaga.”
“Practice? Parang you’re ready na for a match!” I said, genuinely impressed.
“You box too?” she asked, her tone curious.
“Uh,! No! Pero parang gusto ko na mag-try after watching you,” I admitted sheepishly. “You made it look fun... and challenging.”
“Ganun talaga,” she nodded, grinning. “Nakaka-addict siya, pero worth it. Sali ka na, baka mag-enjoy ka.”
Before I could respond, the coach called her back. “Next time, ha?” she said, waving as she walked away.
Yanny suddenly appeared beside me, smirking. “Hmm, sino ‘yan ha? New friend?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “ Maybe? kapag nag-boxing na rin ako.”
As I turned to Yanny, she gave me a teasing grin, her eyes narrowing with that familiar mischievous glint.
"Aha! So my bestie here have a crush?” she teased, her voice full of drama. “Si boxing girl? Eh, hindi ba’t ‘di ka nga marunong mag-box?”
“Wala akong crush, okay? Na-impressed lang ako sa moves and punch niya.”
Yanny raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Impressed? Impressed daw."
“Shut up!” I whined, playfully swatting her arm.
“Uh-huh. Sure, sure, but you know tanggap ko kung maging kayo! I know she can protect you!” Yanny teased.
I laughed and shook my head. “You’re too advanced mag-isip!”
“I'm sad! My bestie is giving me away!” I said dramatically.
Yanny just laughed, clearly enjoying herself. But underneath all the teasing, we shared the same belief when it came to love. For us, love knows no gender. Love isn’t bound by rules or restrictions. It doesn’t have limits. Love is love—pure and simple.
It’s about accepting someone for who they are, regardless of labels or societal expectations. Love should never be complicated. If you love someone, you don’t need to overthink it. You just feel it and go for it. Because in the end, love is not about what’s expected or accepted by others; it’s about what feels right for you, and the happiness you find in giving yourself to someone you care for deeply.
“Love doesn’t need to make sense,” Yanny once told me. “It just needs to be real.”
And I agree. Love should be free from boundaries, limitless in its depth. It’s something pure and simple, without needing to justify itself. If you love someone, that’s all that matters. Nothing more, nothing less.
After going to the gym, we went straight home to our apartment, completely drained. My muscles ached with every step, and my body felt like it was on the verge of surrender. The only thing I craved was the comfort of my bed. As soon as I flopped down onto the mattress, the soft embrace of the pillows pulled me closer to sleep. My eyelids grew heavy, and my breathing slowed, signaling that blissful rest was just moments away.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated loudly on the bedside table, shattering the peaceful silence. Groaning, I grabbed it without even glancing at the caller ID. "Hmm?" I mumbled groggily.
"Hey, Kaisha, it's Mom. Did I wake you up? I just wanted to ask if you're still coming tomorrow. Grandma's excited to see you and cook for you," she said warmly.
I blinked a few times, trying to register her words. I had almost forgotten my plans to visit home tomorrow, and without Mom's call, I would have missed setting an alarm altogether.
"Yes, Mom, I’ll be there tomorrow. Sorry, I’m just really tired. I went to the gym today, and now I have zero energy," I said, barely able to keep my voice steady through the haze of sleep.
Mom laughed gently. "That's great, Kaisha! It’s good to hear you’re taking care of yourself with a healthy lifestyle. Keep it up! I’ll let you sleep now. See you tomorrow. Love you!"
"Love you too," I whispered as the call ended, the phone slipping from my hand onto the blanket.
I let myself sink deeper into the mattress, my tired body finally surrendering to rest. The soft hum of the world faded into nothingness as sleep claimed me at last.