Chapter 16 (1/2)
If you haven’t yet, please read which lies between Chapter 100 and 101~ This chapter is dedicated to @ImJustTesting, @Fernandes27, @FanB23, @Slikrapids and other readers that are still reading this! I love you all, huhuhu. ❤
¹Che- An expression similar to clicking of the tongue as if saying ”whatever.”
#OfQuestionsAndReasons
“For life is laced upon with flawed perfection and chaotic beauty.”
-x-
It’s official: Riona Jayne “Jhing” Blanco abhor feeling nice.
She knew that a freaking nice feeling will turn everything upside down. And for the record, the universe proved her right. Again.
Everything felt light that evening? Nice, even? Well, curse that niceness feeling. The universe loathed every single fiber of her body it made her sick. So her plan to surprise-visit her family on Christmas? Ruined. Crashed. Burned like a b.i.t.c.h. She won't be able to finish her deadline on time.
She dragged herself to the office when she felt a little better. No Christmas spirit around their office lifted her mood even though she likes Holidays. This time, the lights, designs, and the Christmas songs made her dizzy.
Or maybe it was because the sneezing and coughing were crazy. Her world was spinning like s.h.i.+t. Jhing was slow as a turtle in editing the ma.n.u.scripts. July's teasing didn't help her either.
“You got sick at the same time?” she asked. “Did you infected each other in a way that will make me blush?”
Just like Jhing, Miko got sick too.
He was coughing and sneezing like a madman. A few of their co-workers get shocked and felt funny whenever Miko coughs loudly. And that idiot, he was acting like a basketball player as he shoots his used tissues to the trash can to which Yayo applauded to whenever he scored.
When Jhing coughed, so did Miko which July made a big deal about.
“Duet?” Another laugh. “You were both being romantic under the rain that's why you got sick, no? You can tell it to me. Spill the beans—” July was positive with the Miko-Jhing s.h.i.+p because the words 'Miko is not married' spread in the office.
Jhing’s version of ‘saved by the bell’ was Miss Zue. Thank G.o.d. She announced the Monito-Monitaevent, for the book team. Jhing got Yayo's paper from the box filled with the employees’ names.
And Jhing was sure Miko didn’t get her name. That idiot was trying to force Facio to exchange names with his. The latter unconsciously looked at Jhing which made a glare quickly flew to his direction.
Jhing heard Facio said, “Sorry bro, she'll get mad if I give it to you.”
Thank G.o.d for Facio who can read her expression.
It was at this moment when chaos broke out because they found out the categories for exchange gift for the week: Something hard. Something long. Something wet. Something sticky. Something hot. Something dirty. Something s.e.xy.
“Something s.e.xy? The person I got is really lucky. They will be receiving me as a pr—” Miko suddenly coughs.
Everybody laughed; if it was because of what he said or his cough, no one knew.
The day continued normally— until Miko emailed Jhing in the afternoon.
from: MJesus Crux
to: Riona Jayne Blanco
subject: The most important email in this whole wide world…
Hi.
[Riona Jayne] Wow. That's really important.
[MJesus Crux] Right! What do you expect from me?
Anything and everything I say is important!
[Riona Jayne] Busy. What's your problem?
[MJesus Crux] Awtsu Jhing is so cold… ಥ_ಥ
I just need instructions for the novella.
I'll be making a study for the illus and
I will show it to you after work.
Ms. Stels keep emailing me…
I think she has a crush on me.
Being handsome is a sin.
Oh my goodness.
Jhing went into panic mode. She was too distracted because of what happened for the past week, so she actually forgot about the ill.u.s.tration. She skimmed her novella. What to do? What to email back?
A few minutes, Miko emailed again.
[MJesus Crux] Jhing pls don't faint
from blus.h.i.+ng too much.
Do that later, okay?
We need to do our work first.
Hehe ^__^v
Jhing rolled her eyes just like the first time she read that line. Ugh. Everything was coming back again. s.h.i.+t. She was thinking of what to reply—or more like what excuse or some sort to send.
[Riona Jayne] I'm not sure about this…
Fall is the one who suggested it.
And she insisted.
Anyway, FALL said: a man and a woman
with their laptop are sitting back to back,
but they aren't in the same place.
They're both in their respective bedrooms.
With eyes closed, Jhing clicked send.
Gahd. How can sending email be this fatal? Sorry for using your name, Fall, Jhing thought. She went back to work, kept on repeating a paragraph she couldn’t understand. s.h.i.+t. She's getting anxious.
Then Miko replied. Jhing hesitated before deciding to read it.
[MJesus Crux] Copy.
Wow. Thank G.o.d he only replied… not. Another email.
[MJesus Crux] But are you sure that
the man is using a laptop?
And not a computer with a slim
and stylish 21.5-inch monitor?
The brand is also Asus.
The man worked hard to buy it, you know?
And are you sure you want me to draw his bedroom?
After all, he's in his studio working on
his ill.u.s.trations most of the time.
Jhing was sure her name is etched in h.e.l.l for cursing too much inside her head.
[MJesus Crux] We can do this novella project!
(ง ͡ʘ ͜ʖ ͡ʘ)ง
High five!
(｡-_-｡ )人( ｡-_-｡)
Okay. She was done. Over.
RIP JHING.
She did not die, unfortunately, but she did her best not to get Miko to talk to her. Surprisingly, she succeeded. To distract herself from overthinking, Jhing decided to edit the rest of the ma.n.u.script at home. However, her laptop decided to be a b.i.t.c.h like her throbbing head.
The laptop died. It freaking died on her with a 23-pages ma.n.u.script edit. UNSAVED. And the laptop couldn’t resurrect it.
Well, f.u.c.k it.
Jhing was on rage! Her throat was sore, nose still runny and G.o.ds, she was dying. No joke! Or maybe it was exaggerated a little. BUT SERIOUSLY. Deadlines!
Their Monito-Monita event has ended—Jhing gave and got decent gifts except for the something s.e.xy category: A polaroid photo of Miko seducing the camera is what she received.
On Friday, Jhing almost cried because she wasn't done with her editing yet… and the year-end party was getting nearer! So she had an idea.
“I'll do an overtime. I'm on my last ma.n.u.script,” she asked permission from Miss Zue. “Please let me—” She coughed. “So I can rest early and not think about anything.”
Miss Zue had no choice.
While her co-workers were preparing to go home, Jhing stayed on her seat. Almost everybody bid their goodbyes until Miko sat next to her. The image of Miko's something s.e.xy suddenly flashed in her mind. My goodness.
“You're not going home yet?” he asked.
Jhing shook her head.
“Why?”
She couldn't concentrate on her work. Jhing closed her eyes for a bit to take a rest before replying “I'll stay overnight to finish my edits.”
“Overnight? Here?”
Even with closed eyes, she wanted to roll her eyes. “No. There.”
“Wow.” Miko coughed. “What about dinner?”
“Later.”
But Miko couldn’t understand the word ‘later.' Jhing's eyes flew open when Miko pulled her to the elevator. The two disturbed other people walking in the hallway because of their tug-of-war.
“What's your problem?” Jhing asked when they got in the elevator, annoyed.
“Eat first. It's already 10 oh. You're already sick, but you dare to not eat your meals properly. Do you want to be sent to the hospital?” Miko said with a serious tone of voice.
Jhing wanted to complain but he had a point. In the end, she ate at Mcdo with Miko. The man still looked serious so Jhing felt the atmosphere was kind of awkward. After the meal, Jhing bought them sundae.
“What's this?” Miko asked.
“Ice cream. Does it look like fries to you?”
Good. He laughed. Better.
They ate their ice cream, in between coughs, on the way back to the office. Miko and Jhing seemed like composing a beatbox with their coughs as the highlight.
“Cornetto is still better,” Miko commented.
“Are you complaining?”
“No ah!”
Jhing rolled her eyes. “The chocolate at the tip is the best part.”
“Yeah!” Miko laughed so hard that he almost choked, “We're both sick but we're still eating ice cream? We're so number sign rebels ah.”
“Number sign?”
Miko smirked. “Hashtag. Hashtag rebels.”
Jhing stared at Miko, thinking why the heck she was with him. Miko, on the other hand, frowned as he continued walking. When they finished their ice cream, they went directly to the building, up the elevator, and reached Jhing's workstation in the office.
That’s when it hit her.
“Why are you still here?”
Miko looked around and at the clock: 11pm. The whole place was deserted, a few lights on— the rest— creepy.
“It's really quiet without any of them here, no?”
Miko waited for Jhing’s reply. Unfortunately, she just stared at him.
Miko sighed and looked at the clock again.
“Seen 11:11.”
Jhing continued with her work while Miko started playing with his computer chair. The man was rolling from one end to the other while saying, ”I've wanted to do this for a long time!”
Jhing just focused on what she was working on until she was stunned when a familiar song started playing.
The Script song from Miko’s phone.
The two of them fell silent.
So I’m not moving, I’m not moving.
Jhing's heart was far from calm.
“Do you remember what you said back at the bookstore?” Miko asked. “On why the others want to publish a book when they aren't even sure if someone's going to buy it?”
Her eyes still on the screen but her attention was on Miko. “O?”
“How cold.” Miko chuckled. “I realized… maybe they were hopeful.” Jhing stopped from typing. “Didn't I wanted to buy all your books, but you told me not to because someone else might want to read it? Maybe they were like that too.”
”Hoping for something even if the chance of success is merely 1%.”
Jhing turned her head to Miko who was leisurely sitting on his chair. She didn’t expect that he’d remember that. “You see everything from the positive view.”
“It's probably a talent.” He smirked. “Only a few people can think positive in this world.”
“Yeah right.” She rolled her eyes. “But those hopeful authors should fix their ma.n.u.scripts before sending to us.” She pointed at her screen. “There's still a bunch of notes saying 'please read,'and 'please follow.' Before being hopeful, they should keep in mind that I'm an editor and not an eraser for the author’s note that was copy-pasted from Wattpad.”
Miko laughed while Jhing was p.i.s.sed.