Paige throws Felip a comforter as her way of saying that she doesn't want to see his shirtless glory on the couch.
Felip just rolls up the comforter into a ball and confidently stands up.
Paige glares at him, knowing exactly what he's about to do next.
Felip meets Paige's eyes and he tosses the balled up comforter onto her bed.
Until only the half-naked, white blonde egg-head is standing right before Paige's eyes.
Lean, tattooed up on one arm, caramel skinned, almost white-colored close-cropped hair and has sharp facial features.
Paige doesn't know how or why she knows this but she feels like Felip is just trying so hard to do what he's told in this game show.
And that this is not who Felip really is and he's just acting from a script.
Deep down, Paige somehow feels like Felip is actually a shy, timid guy.
Then, there's the awkward silence.
Paige didn't want to give Felip the satisfaction that she's seeing his abs in front of her.
So she kept her eyes on Felip's jaw that tenses a little instead
Paige watches as Felip's lips form a small smirk
"Di ka komportable?" (Are you uncomfortable?) Felip continues to pretend he's confident and arrogant.
Paige is still wearing a serious expression "Di ka ba marunong mag damit?" (Don't you know how to wear clothes?)
Felip just laughs embarrassingly to himself.
It surprised Paige that there's someone like Felip who could be so cocky one moment and then chill the next.
"Di ako nakakatulog ng may damit" (I can't sleep with clothes on) Felip admits calmly, tugging his sweatpants so low that his Supreme boxers are showing.
Paige takes a deep breath, closing her eyes to prevent her mouth from slipping swear words.
At this moment, Paige would've lost her patience.
Felip just anticipates a clash coming between them. He readies each of his hands on either side of his waist.
"Okay. Ganito..." (Okay. Tell you what...) Paige feels suddenly really hot from building up argument.
The heat made Paige sweat like crazy. So she took her hoodie off first
And then she starts, "1. Kung matutulog ka ng walang damit, mag kumot ka
2. Dyan ka lang sa side mo
3. Di mo ko kailangang kausapin unless sobrang importante
4. Mag damit ka pag matutulog ka dito
and
5. Wag mo kong tinititigan
Okay?"
(1. If you're going to sleep naked, cover yourself with a blanket
2. Stay on your side
3. You don't need to talk to me unless it's really important
4. Wear clothes around here when you're not sleeping
and
5. Don't ever stare at me
Okay?)
Felip looks away, bites his lip, and smiles through his prominent frustration "Tapos ka na?" (Are you done?)
Paige just crosses her arms, unbothered.
"Okay. Ako naman" (Okay. My turn) Felip steps closer, pacing the floor "1. Kung gigisingin mo ko mamayang gabi dahil di mo na kaya ang lamig, kailangan mag share tayo ng kumot." (1. If you're going to wake me up tonight because the cold won't let you sleep, we're gonna have to share the blanket)
Felip takes another slow step, his eyes are now searching the air for what seems like a hundred ideas "2. Pwede na ko matulog sa bed kung magsheshare tayo ng kumot." (2. I can sleep on the bed if we're gonna have to share a blanket)
Paige nearly stumbles a step backward to keep a safe gap between them.
While Felip is stubbornly closing their distance "3. Basta sabihin mo lang yung magic words: 'Please, boss Felip' " (3. Just freely say the magic words: 'Please, boss Felip')
How are guys so much better at making fun of people?
Paige opens her mouth to use her sarcasm "No wa--"
But Felip took advantage of Paige's vulnerable moment and uses his unclothed torso to unarm her
He snatches Paige's unworn hoodie from her hand "4. Bigay mo nalang mga hoodie mo sakin kung ayaw mong nakikita akong topless and..." (4. You're gonna have to give me hoodies if you don't like seeing me topless and...)
Unrealizingly, Paige's back is almost already out for the door
THUD!
Paige almost jumps, closing her eyes as Felip had shut the door behind her a little powerfully.
She's now cornered.
Felip is breathing so close to her forehead, his arm is pressing the door above her head, and his other hand is clutching the door knob just on her other side.
Felip is digging Paige's baby powder scent that he hasn't met on any woman his age before.
When Paige opens her eyes, Felip's face is leaning on one side and Paige could almost drown in his posh scent.
But he has a deadly angsty expression and he only left a space that only a pen to slip through.
"and last, tititigan kita hanggang kelan ko gusto" (And last, I can stare at you whenever I want and as long as I want.) He tells her closely, quietly, huskily and.... steadily. His eyes wander from Paige's lips to her eyes.
Paige is speechless for five seconds before she chooses to bump her shoulder past against him "Bugok." (Dumb ass)
Paige is annoyed about all his act. To keep the viewers and the ratings up, probably.
Felip is just playing his role. Everyone around her is just acting for the cameras.
This is why Paige didn't want to be here if it weren't for New York and money.
Everything is all but fake.
Suddenly, Paige actually becomes sorry for these actors.
Paige sighs.
"Bakit ba kailangan nating umacting na para tayong mga tao na hindi naman tayo?" (Why do we all have to act like the people we are not?) Paige's thoughts explodes too honestly in front of Felip.
She doesn't care about the cameras anymore. She doesn't care if everyone hears.
Felip's guilty face accepts those words like a sport, agreeing and looking at Paige like he could just hug her.
Paige decides to be a little kinder.
Paige grabs the comforter again and flings it over back to Felip "Sorry. Pagod lang. Sorry, ah? Di naman kasi ako sanay sa ganito..." (Sorry. I'm just really tired. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm not used to all this...)
Felip retreats on the couch, giving Paige the space she deserves.
But even if they're already on two opposite sides of the room, Felip's scent remained like a shadow behind her.
God, it's like this boy bathes in good perfume all the time.
"Okay lang. Maka-cut naman siguro nila direk yung mga ayaw nila na scenes. Safe ka." (All good. The director will probably cut out the scenes they don't like anyway. You're safe.) There's a sudden shift in Felip's personality now.
It lightens up the mood as he just lies down on the sofa with his hands resting behind his head.
Like Felip's suddenly become someone Paige could be friends with. Her confidant in all this mess.
Paige feels ashamed for treating Felip really badly.
"Sorry talaga kanina." (I'm sorry for the way I acted) Paige plumps a pillow. "Pero ang totoo talaga. Natatakot ako..." (But the truth is. I'm really scared...)
This caught Felip's attention. So he readjusts on the couch to hear her better.
Felip just lets Paige talk now as she finds her sleeping spot on the bed.
"Andito lang talaga sa New York pangarap ko. Kaya eto... nakipag sapalaran na ko." (My dreams live here in New York. So here I am... risking everything) Paige traces imaginary lines on her pillow.
She goes on "... Kahit na hindi ko alam kung sisiputin ba ko ng mga pangarap ko ngayong andito na ko. Kahit na hindi ko alam paano makikipag sabayan dito sa pinasok ko na di ko naman ginustong pasukin." (... Even if there's no certainty that my dreams will show themselves up to me now that I'm here. Even if I don't really know how to keep up with this thing I signed up for that I didn't even want to sign up in)
There's that silence again.
"Malay mo magustuhan mo din dito." (You'll never know. Maybe you'll actually like it here) Felip is covering his face under a forearm now, yawning.
Paige dims the lamp which is the only thing that's illuminating the room "Paano naman magugustuhan? Rules palang dito parang ang weird na. Para bang ginawang game ang love? Tama ba i-normalize 'yun? Maglalaro ka ng feelings tapos...? Tapos na." (What's there to like? Judging this game just by the rules, it's already weird to me. To make a game out of love? Is it even right to normalize it? To mess with feelings and then... it's over?)
All Paige could hear from Felip's side of the room is a sigh.
Felip must already be sleepy.
Which is better than acting like who he was a few hours ago.
Paige is ready to turn the lights off when she hears Felip speak:
"Lahat naman ng experiment may lesson sa mga tao eh. Kahit ano pa 'yun, may lesson padin. Kaya mabuhay ka lang ng hindi perpekto. Basta wala kang nasasaktan, wala kang dapat ikatakot" (All experiments bring lessons for people. No matter what it is, there's always a lesson. Life is imperfect like that. But long as you're not hurting anyone, you don't have to worry about anything)
With just simple words, Paige is strangely comforted.
Comforted by someone who is not Kent.
All these years, she never thought about anything like that.
That life doesn't have to be planned out well after all.
That there will be twists and turns. And it's okay.
It's okay because we should live for the lessons.
All the things Paige has been burdened by, gone in a second.
But she still refuses to show her true emotions to a person she just met "Drama mo naman. Matulog ka na nga" (You're so dramatic. Just go to sleep)
Felip's one last laugh echoes "Good night, kaaway" (Goodnight, enemy)
So this is the real Felip. Uninterested, quiet and unbothered.
Without any additional conversations, Paige felt like all the heaviness of the world leave her shoulder.
And for the first time in a few years, Paige is finally getting a very peaceful sleep.
All the more making Felip a mysterious, mysterious guy.
But Kent is still the last person she thought about before falling asleep.