Last Testament of Love

CHAPTER I

[Now playing: Lowkey - NIKI]

I couldn't help but smile at the beauty of the view I see while driving, at the breeze touching my skin, and oh, the birds, their sweet symphony dances through the air, weaving a melody that resonates deep within my soul.

"First, we're going to Calle Crisologo, passing by Paoay Church, the Sinking Bell, Bantay Tower, and of course, on our second or maybe third day, we'll visit Cape Bojeador, and lastly, the Blue Lagoon!" I glanced at the side mirror and saw my best friend, Clyde Angela, excitedly explaining.

As of the moment, I am traveling with my best friends, including Clyde Angela T. Manansala, a BSBA Marketing Management student at NU. Almost the entirety of my remaining life here on Earth feels intertwined with her, as if my existence has been extended because we've been friends since childhood. Our mothers were not only best friends but also business partners, which ultimately led to us forming a close bond as well.

"Sounds fun, right, Han?" she asked, seriously, Clyde Angela?!

"Yes!" replied Hannah, her excitement seemingly about to tear her skin from lips to ears. She's Johannah Baltazar, a BSED English major. Among the three of us, the simplest concept to explain our friendship is that we're like Freud's theory of personality. I'm like the Id, where whatever or whenever I want something, I will make it happen. Clyde is like the Superego, kind and always ready to explain, like a mother with a broad understanding of her child. And Hannah is like Ego, the balancer. She doesn't take sides or choose when Clyde and I argue; she just balances and seeks the point of view of each of us.

We were in Senior High School when she joined our circle while we were studying at a private school in Caloocan near Zabarte. At that time, we were still undecided about our lives, so we took Humanities and Social Sciences as our strand, but Hannah was the only one sure about her dreams since HUMSS was anchored in teaching. Since then, she has always talked about how passionate she is about kids and teaching.

And I'm Liliane Isobel Iglesias – AB Mass Communication. For me, I aspire to be recognized as a woman in film. I want to become a videographer and editor, and to produce a wide variety of genres in films, I aim to work for top companies in Korea mainly because it's a country that is now becoming a world-leading exporter and importer of entertainment and media. Beauty isn't the only thing that sets me apart; I value intelligence and talent. I can confidently say that I excel in theater arts too. Throughout my freshman and sophomore years, we successfully produced impactful theater productions like Clickbait, Tenses, and The Blank Adventure.

So yeah, it's just me... Liliane, the jack of all trades.

Time flies so fast, and now we're already in our third year. It feels like just yesterday we were unsure about what we wanted in life, but now, if I reflect on us, I can say that our character development has been remarkable.

Going back, they both looked at me as if waiting for a response, but instead of answering, I just raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'm sorry... We'll just postpone our Diplomat Hotel in Baguio trip for now, okay? I know we've been planning that for a long time, but I'm really sorry. My family needs me. Second, did I force you to come along? You all willingly agreed, didn't you? Tsk." Clyde.

After explaining, I suddenly let go of my annoyance and just tried to understand why we ended up where we did and why our original plans fell through.