It started with a tag.
I was halfway through a boring email thread with one of our suppliers-something about missing bolts, as usual—when my phone buzzed.
Then buzzed again. And again.
I frowned and checked it. Instagram.
🔔 Tagged in a photo by @cupofjoefanbaybs
🔔 Mentioned in a comment
🔔 Gian Bernardino tagged you in a story
Wait-what's happening?
I opened the app, and there it was.
Photo of me and Gian. Inside that café. Smiling. Standing way too close.
The caption? "OMG I think I accidentally soft-launched Gian's jowa?? Ate was super nice!! Also, bagay sila! #cupofjoe #gianbernardino #cutecoffeepeople"
I stared at the screen for a good ten seconds, blinking like an error message.
WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. SOFT. LAUNCH. PAANO KO S'YA MATATAKE AS SOFT LAUNCH E HINDI NGA KAMI NI GIAN.
Then the comments:
@giannyy: Sino siyaaa omg parang corporate office worker???
@cupofcopigirly: Yung girl na 'yan din yung nasa Eastwood gig, diba???
@haeniari: Silent supporter turned secret gf? Ganun??
@taywgeh: Naiinggit ako pero kinikilig din, happy for our chiyen🥹"
And then... I received message from gian.
gian grrr
im so sorry isayyyy.
Tangina.
"Isay, you are everywhere omg," lumapit si Maxine sa workplace ko.
"I know right, never knew ut would turned out like this."
"You are known as "Gian's secret girlfriend.""
"We both know na wala talaga, hindi kami, hindi magiging kami kasi... We're.. we're friends." taas noo ko s'ya tiningnan after saying that.
"Friends? Like very very friends na sobrang usual magmeet?" she raised an eyebrow at pilit akong kinikilatis.
"Friends, that's it."
She shrugged while grinning and gave me an if-you-say-so look. Bumalik na s'ya sa workplace n'ya at tanging pagtipa ng keyboard ng mga kasama ko lang ang naririnig ko— pati puso kong mabilis ang tibok.
My phone started ringing halos mapatalon ako sa gulat. Gian.
I answered with a flat, "Alam mo bang umuulan ng notification ang socmed ko dahil sa mga mention sa'kin?"
His voice came through, sheepish but amused. "Isay, I swear I didn't know she'd post it. Wala akong ambag. I just... smiled."
"Yeah, well, the whole internet thinks I'm your girlfriend now. Congrats."
He laughed-that traitor. "You do realize this makes you an honorary Cup of Joe lore character, right?"
"Please don't say lore."
"No, legit. Rapha's already calling you 'The Mystery Girl.' Xen said 'pang-MMK love story 'to.' CJ's making memes. And Gab? He is everywhere inaasar n'ya ako."
I groaned, flopping onto my couch. "I hate all of you."
"Love you too," he said without thinking.
Pause. Fast. Heartbeat. Blink. Breathe
"Wait-sorry, slip of the tongue! I meant-like, 'in a platonic, not-a-date way!' You know? Chill! Friends! Acquaintances! ...Acquaintance love??"
I stared at the ceiling. "You're spiraling."
"I'm aware."
After we both recovered from mutual secondhand embarrassment, Gian cleared his throat.
"Okay, for real now," he said. "I actually called kasi may legit tanong ako."
"Sige."
"You free next weekend?"
I raised a brow. "Why?"
"May gig kami sa Tagaytay. Saturday night. Chill lang, outdoor set, smaller crowd. After nun may mini get-together with the band and some friends. Gusto ka sanang imbitahan."
"Me?" I said, suspicious. "As in ako?"
"No, 'yung kapatid mong imaginary. Of course ikaw. Pero—only if you want. No pressure."
I sat up straighter.
Tagaytay. Gig. Get-together. Gian.
Then I remembered my own schedule and blinked. Wait lang.
"Actually..." I said slowly, "I'm going to be in Tagaytay next week. From Thursday to Sunday. May site inspection ako. Client viewing. Progress walkthrough with engineers."
"Are you serious?"
"I wish I wasn't."
"So..." he said, hopeful, "pwede mo kong isama sa walk-through ng building tapos ako magddrive? Fair trade?"
I rolled my eyes. "Let's not mix business and personal interest—Lol, i mean, sarili mong desisyon. I need to work on that time, so..."
He laughed. "Caught that."
"Shut up."
"So, is that a yes?" he pressed. "Sa gig? Sa after party?"
I paused, pretending to consider, even if my stomach was already doing somersaults.
"Yeah," I said, finally. "Game. Gusto ko rin ng hangin. At siguro, ng konting music."
He exhaled like he'd been holding his breath. "Nice. I'll text you details. And... sorry again sa fan post, ha."
"S'okay. Next time, ako na magso-soft launch."
Dead silence.
Then—
"WAIT, FOR REAL?!"
"Bye, Gian."
Click.
Bakit ko sinabi 'yun. Are you out of your mind Isay????
---
Thursday - Tagaytay
I arrived earlier than expected. Thanks to an efficient contractor (shocking, I know), natapos agad ang site coordination ko sa project. So I decided to find a decent café before I headed to the hotel. Walang kamatayang pagka-kape.
As soon as I stepped inside this aesthetic little café—may fireplace pa talaga for drama—I froze.
There, occupying the biggest table in the corner, were five guys with beanies, oversized hoodies, and laughter loud enough to shake the succulents on the windowsill.
Cup of Joe.
And sitting in the middle of the chaos, half-turned toward the door like he felt a disturbance in the Force—Gian.
Our eyes met.
And he lit up. As in, lit up like I was a Christmas tree in September.
"Oh my god," I muttered.
Then too late—CJ had already noticed the look on Gian's face. "Bro," he said, turning around. "Sino 'yan?"
"Hi, Isay!" Gian called out, grinning. "Wanna join us?"
No, I wanted peace and caffeine and maybe a nice view of Taal. Not five boys and an interrogation table!
But his bandmates were already watching me like I was the twist ending in their group movie. Gian stood up and waved me over.
So I walked toward them like I wasn't panicking internally.
As soon as I reached their table, Gian pulled out a chair beside him.
"Guys," he said, looking way too proud of himself. "This is Isay."
CJ leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Ahhh so this is THE Isay."
I blinked. "THE?"
Gab chuckled. "Yung viral coffee girl."
"Girl from Eastwood," added Rapha, who was sipping hot chocolate like this was a gossip sesh and not a casual coffee hangout.
Xen just nodded at me, smiling like he knew something I didn't. Which, honestly, made it worse.
"Nice to meet you?" I said, unsure if I should sit or run.
"Have a seat, Miss Mystery Girl," said CJ. "We've heard... a lot about you."
Gian groaned. "Ignore them. They're just being dramatic."
"Says the guy who talked about you for an hour in the van ride here," Xen added, totally betraying him with a grin. "At gustong gusto na pumunta ng Tagaytay kahit thursday pa lang at kahit sa Saturday pa ang gig."
I turned to Gian slowly. "An hour?"
He looked at his drink. "They're exaggerating."
CJ nodded solemnly. "Nope."
"Okay, serious question," Rapha said, putting his cup down. "Are you two...?"
"Not a date," I answered reflexively.
Everyone laughed including Gian. Do I sounds like defensive?
"Grabe, rehearsed na 'yung line," Gab joked.
I sighed, but I couldn't stop the small smile tugging at my lips. "We're friends. That's it."
CJ raised a brow. "Mhmm. Friends who get soft launched by fans and going out together?"
Sobrang nakakakaba sila, parang cino-corner nila ako sa gilid para mapaamin ako. Eh sa mismong sarili ko hindi ko maamin bakit kami ganito ni Gian, e!
"Friends who accidentally end up in the same café in Tagaytay," Xen added, lowkey enjoying this.
Gian finally stepped in. "Guys, easy. She has work here this weekend. Nagkataon lang 'to."
"But you're happy about the 'nagkataon,'" Rapha teased.
Gian just shrugged. "Who wouldn't be?"
And with that, the table went "OHHHHH" like a high school barkada hyping a promposal.
I facepalmed. "This is why I don't hang out with noisy people."
Eventually, the teasing simmered down (kind of), and they let me order my coffee in peace. Gian made sure my drink was covered, of course. "On the band's tab," he said.
He leaned toward me, voice lower this time. "Sorry sa pa-surprise. I didn't know you'd be here, like for real."
"Same," I said, sipping my drink. "I thought I'd sneak in some solo time before the work storm hits."
"Well," he smiled, "storm dodged. You found the band instead."
"Honestly, I'm not sure which is more chaotic."
He laughed. "You'll survive."
"You seem too happy about this."
"Can't help it," he said. "It's nice seeing you. Unexpected stuff like this? Feels... right."
I didn't say anything. Just stared at him for a second too long. He noticed. Of course he did.
But he didn't push.
Instead, he nudged the cookie plate toward me.
"Here. Consider this your survival kit."
---
Saturday came.
Kahapon sobrang pagod ko, ang dami naming naging discussion ng client. Ang dami n'ya kasing gusto ipabago, mangiyak-ngiyak na ako. Marami ring inspection nangyari, made some changes sa plano. And all. I'm glad, hindi rin ako binulabog ni Gian kahapon. No chat, no text, no calls. Busy rin ata sila for their preparation.
Today is Saturday, which means gig day. Naglaan talaga ako ng maraming energy para ngayong gabi, well, thankfully wala masyadong ginawa kanina sa site, inspection lang. After ko sa site, naligo lang ako sa hotel at diretso agad sa venue ng gig. Pagdating ko nagsisimula na sila. OMG. Late ako, sorry, Gian.
The night was cool, the crowd buzzing with energy, but all I could focus on was him—Gian, in full performer mode. The band was Cup of Joe, of course, and when they sing into "Tataya," I felt something different this time.
Kahit ilang dagat man ang pagitan natin
Hangga't ika'y abot tanaw, ito'y lalakbayin...
Gian's voice filled the air, and he kept looking at me while singing like the lyrics were meant for me. My heart did a weird little flip, pero I told myself, 'Chill, friends lang tayo.' Kasi that's what we were, di ba? Friends. Or at least that's what we agreed on.
Wag ka nang magduda pa
'Di mapagkakaila
Magkaiba man ang ating mundo
Tataya pa rin sa'yo...
The words stuck to my skin, but I chose to ignore the meaning behind the glances. Friends pa rin kami—kasi di pa kami sure sa nararamdaman namin.
I tried not to stare too much. He tried not to smile too much.
It was complicated, di ba? Pero that night, we both sang the same tune, both pretending it was nothing.
I'm happy to see na sobrang nageenjoy s'ya sa ginagawa n'ya. I'm happy for them.
---
After the last song, the band's energy shifted from stage to chill mode. We all went to a small get-together party at a nearby bar, mostly for the band, their friends, and a few lucky fans.
Everyone was laughing, drinking, and taking pictures. Gian introduced me as his friend and bandmates were joking about "sino ka ba sa buhay niya?" but I just smiled and shrugged.
Then something happened that I didn't expect.
One of the fans, a super enthusiastic girl, pulled out a phone and snapped a candid photo of me and Gian close, laughing, caught in a moment that felt too personal.
Di ko nga alam kung pano pero the pic was instantly shared on a fan page with a caption na "Secret moment alert! #GianAndHer?"
The chat exploded, texts, comments, jokes. Rapha was teasing Gian, CJ was asking about "the chemistry," and I felt my face heat up.
I tried to laugh it off, but when I caught Gian's eyes, I saw the same confusion and maybe something more.
The party was already buzzing-may mga tawanan, kantyawan, and the band was relaxed, finally off-stage. I was standing near the bar, drink in hand, when I noticed someone unfamiliar walk in.
Tall. Flawless makeup. Confident sa heels na parang stage din ang lakad.
Then CJ leaned in beside me.
"Uy," he whispered. "Ex 'yan ni Gian."
I blinked. What?
Before I could even process that, she was already walking—no, step over-toward us. As if she knew exactly who I was.
"Hi," she said sweetly. Too sweet.
"Uh, hello," I replied, trying to be polite.
"You're Isay, right?" she asked, flipping her hair like she was in a shampoo commercial. "I saw your pic with Gian earlier. Ang... lapit niyo ha."
I gave a small laugh, awkward. "Ah, wala naman 'yon. Friends lang kami."
She smiled again—but this time, may ibang hangin.
"Friends? Talaga lang ha?" she said louder, enough for people around us to hear. "Ganyan din kami dati. Friends lang daw kami."
Some people started looking over. Gian was across the room, still talking to Rapha, clueless.
I shifted in place. "I think you're misunderstanding—"
"Girl, don't flatter yourself, hindi ka leading lady dito," she said, her tone now sharp. "You think you're the one just because he sings while looking at you? Ganyan talaga 'yon. Kahit sino pwedeng kantahan niyan."
My throat tightened. What the hell?
"I'm not trying to be anything," I said quietly. "Wala akong inaagaw."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure ka? Kasi sa itsura mo, parang ikaw na ang leading lady. News flash, babe—you're not."
The music kept playing, pero para sa'kin, parang nawala lahat ng ingay. All I heard was the blood pounding in my ears.
I could feel people watching. Whispering. I hated it.
I glanced at Gian—he finally turned and saw us, brows furrowing. He started walking over.
Too late.
I downed what was left of my drink, placed the glass down shakily, and stepped back.
"Excuse me," I muttered, my voice tight. "I have to go."
I didn't wait for Gian. I walked fast, heart racing, head burning with embarrassment.
What just happened? Was I overthinking? Did I really look that... assuming?
As soon as I reached the parking lot, I unlocked my car, got in, and slammed the door shut.
My phone buzzed. Gian.
I didn't answer.
I locked doors, reversed, and sped away before anyone noticed.
Stop. Breathe. This wasn't fair. Bakit kailangan ipahiya ako nung babae na 'yun sa harap ng maraming tao. Ex naman na s'ya ah, Why does she act like that. Di maka-move on? This is not fair. Sobrang nakakasama ng loob. Gusto ko umiyak.
Behind me, I heard the car horn. Gian's? I wasn't sure.
I didn't look back.
I didn't know where I was going—basta palayo.
-----
thank you so much for reading this story, akala ko matetengga lang s'ya since pinublish ko ito just for fun hehe thanks guys. love lots💓