OFFLINE:\Philippines\Makati City\Tejeros Bliss Garden>
April 06, 2014: One week before Holy Week, and two weeks before NOAH Online's global launch...
As the daybreak began, Ren and Ynes peddled fresh and hot pandesals on the neighborhood. They stopped by the basketball court and watched the basketball players. He noticed a white minivan stopped in front of their tenement. I wonder who just moved in today?
Ynes touched his smooth shoulders, "Psst! Who are you lookin' there, Ren?"
He glanced at his Ynes, "I'm just curious who just moved in"
Ynes placed her knuckles on waist, "You're looking for a new crush?"
"No, not at all, Ynes" Ren shook his head, "And I don't even have plans of getting girlfriends early either"
"Then, I'll be your girl—" He glared at her, "Friend!"
"Girlfriend or girl friend with a space?" Ynes stroked her head and she looked at an oncoming customer.
Ren laughed as he served some loaves of pandesal to a customer. "Of course, the one with the space, Ynes"
"Right!' She laughed, "We've been together for three months as coworkers, Rene-boy!" she patted his shoulders. "And we can't be a good pair either."
Ren let out a short hiss, "Anyway, let's not think about it today, Ynes"
The two laughed over their relationship as friends, until a spiky-haired boy walked before them. He pushed his glasses and asked for a bag of hot pandesal. They served the glasses boy 10 pieces of bread on his paper bag. Ren took a quick glance at the new boy, Is he our new neighbor?
The new boy noticed them, "Are you our new neighbor?" the bread-peddling duo asked in chorus.
He nodded at the two, "Yes, and do you guys live in building 5 too?"
"Yeah" the two answered altogether, and he took a picture of them with his cellphone. "You know, you guys look neat together!" he smiled at Ren and Ynes and did a peace sign.
Did I just hear what he just said? That we are good as pairs? Ren slapped his forehead and shook his head in a heartbeat.
Ynes embraced him from behind, "Why not, Ren? We're after all a good pair—"
Ren gave a lightning-shooting gaze on Ynes, "—In selling bread, Ynes"
Roy gazed at the two bread-peddlers, No really, they're adorable to look at. He donned a wide smile as he headed to the fifth tenement with a bagful of pandesal. He viewed the streets of the Tejeros BLISS Garden compound as a new world away from his birthplace: Iloilo city. He saw young children chasing each other for a game of tag, filled with laughter and grace.
On his other side, few children played their own take of Call of the Battlefield with brooms, twigs, and even plastic toy guns as their weapons. He took a deep breath as he stepped closer to his new home,
The way they play, it's giving me a throwback how we played in 90's even though it's not Throwback Thursday today!
He saw his sweaty parents and other home-movers bring their furniture to the 3rd floor.
"Nanay, I got the bread" Roy placed the bag of pandesal on the beige wooden kitchen counter and helped out in moving-in.
Ann tied her back-reaching silky black hair with white rubber bands and packed her lavender robes inside her knapsack. "Mama, I'm going out for the senakulo rehearsal today" She said in a loud voice.
"Be careful out there, Ann!" her mother said from a distance, "Don't forget that you're cosplaying as one of women in Jesus' time, okay?"
"Okay, mom!" She headed out from their flat and gaped at sweaty Roy lifted a wooden narra chair. Wow, he's such a diligent kawaii otoko! I dig his sugoi spiky hair! Her face felt warm and reddened her cheeks upon seeing her new neighbor.
She strode to the basketball court and saw fellow cast members checked their costumes. The tall man, who donned Jesus Christ's robe, noticed her, "Why did you just arrive today, Ann?"
Ann twirled her fringe, "Because I am told by my mom to buy bread this morning"
The tall Jesus actor raised his thick eyebrown, "You're lying, Ann."
She gulped and stepped back from him, "I stopped by my new neighbor's house a while ago, kuya" she twiddled her index fingers.
"So no wonder why your face is red today, Ann" said the Jesus actor and laughed in short bursts.
Other girls laughed at her and chanted all at once, "Uuuuuuuy! She's getting hoity-toity!"
"All right, all right! Let's all practice again!" the Jesus actor clapped his hand to get everyone prepared for the play.
Ren and Ynes sat together at the wooden benches in front of Manang Abe's fully-racked bread displays. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Ren's smiling face, "We're not a good pair Ren, at anytime."
Ren giggled, "Does it read at my face, Ynes?" and showed his blushing face to her.
She nodded at him, "I'll redden it for you, Ren Derringer!" and she pinched his cheeks.
Ren screamed as she squeezed his blushing cheeks tight as a lobster's grip, "Cut it out, Ynes!"
While the two were on a game of reddening faces, Roy and Ann went to their bakery. He spotted the two squeezing each others' cheeks, "See, I told you guys you'll be a good wacky pair" he laughed at the two.
Ren and Ynes gazed at him as either hungry wolves or startled soldiers, "So, you're the one who called us a cute pair!"
Roy nodded in a second, "No really, guys!" He stepped back, "Both of you look cute even when angry!" until he bumped onto Ann.
Ann's bag of french bread fell onto the smooth concrete floor. Her petite, six-peso orange softdrink spilled on her ash white shirt. She glared at Roy as she took her bagful of bread off the floor, "What a scamp! Where were you looki—"
Roy looked at her for a moment, as if cherry blossoms will instantly shower around them from some romantic comedy anime or other Asian drama. No way that this spiky-haired nerd is a klutz!
Ynes grinned at the two, "Cheesy! You're meant to be together, newbie!"
Roy and Ann stared at each other again. "Let's not think about this, we're all humiliating ourselves here!" Ann yelled at them.
The three twiddled their thums and sat at the wooden bences. She pointed at Ren's chest,
"Hey, are you the bread-peddling Call'field player, Ren Derringer?"
Ren bobbed his head, "Yeah, I used to be one," he swept his fringe rightward, "Just call me Ren"
"And I'm Ynes!" Ynes grinned and did an L sign under her chin, "And I'm his new bestfriend and the walking megaphone"
Roy pressed his eyeglasses up, "Anyways, I'm Roy. Roy Aguila, your new neighbor in building 5 guys!"
Ann stared at her new neighbor, Roy? Roy Aguila? Isn't this Roy Tsubasa from an art site? She brought out her wallet and showed an art card to him. "Hey, you're the one who draw this?"
Roy's hand flew to his chest, "Egad! You're one my fangirls in DeviantArt!" He pointed at Ann, "You must be Arnvalle who kept collecing my artwork ever since!"
"Yup, that's me Roy-kun!" Ann grabbed his hand and she faced the two, "Hi! I'm Ann de Valle!"