#baguio days

[sheryelkim]

@sheryelkim on instagram !

— been trying to grow my account lately.

[gregorywebblog]

Have A Entertaining And Risk-free Trip

We all enjoy the anticipation leading up to and including soothing, satisfying holiday. Visiting your location, even so, is not always entertaining. Organizing can present you with migraines. We wish to discuss some tips along with you to lessen the level of anxiety that you simply practical experience, making your trip more enjoyable.

Keep in mind cons that try to take advantage of unwary travellers. In lots of poorer locations around the world, it is most trusted to believe that any person begging for the money or seeking to hold you back for just about any reason can be quite a pickpocket. Don't possibly show or hand over your finances to anybody, regardless of whether they boast of being police officers.

The next time you're out out and about and searching to grab a chew, look at chowing down on the nearby Japanese restaurant. Refreshing sushi and sashimi are full of healthy proteins, really low in extra fat, plus very scrumptious. Salmon, for example, is incredibly rich in vitamin D and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Vacation could be a very academic encounter for every single member of the family. Even getting a trip to a creating nation could be a harmless strategy to instruct children about the day-to-day lives of people outdoors their home land. Touring in foreign countries will help you be aware of the planet far better and stay a lot more tolerant of other people.

To spend less you want to plan your trip as much in innovative since you can. Each plane and hotel tickets will most likely be less costly should you buy them weeks prior to your holiday transpires quite then a few weeks prior to. You may use the funds you saved to savor on your own greater on your own trip, or help save it to be on an additional.

If you are making children with good friends or family while you are apart on a trip, ensure that you abandon important reports like medical health insurance cards and a notarized message, stating that their health worker has your authority to produce medical decisions. They created need this information if you find a health care urgent.

Dog warm and friendly vacation can be extremely gratifying if you are planning ahead. Make sure you determine if your pet moves nicely prior to subjecting him to extended automobile trips. The Internet can help you get dog warm and friendly accommodations and locations that could make holidaying along with your pet entertaining and inexpensive. Those days are gone of making your furry friend home.

Once you plan to take a thorough journey time and personal a home, it could be to your advantage to rent out your own home to ensure it is nicely maintained while you are eliminated. This will guarantee that bills are paid, tools nonetheless on, rather than allow you to lose money while you journey.

When it comes to exchanging your currency exchange, it is all about spot. Usually do not be considered a eleventh hour money exchanger running throughout the air-port to try to obtain your unfamiliar money. Airports can be a very pricey method to obtain forex, as well as the prices will not be to your great advantage. Exchanging must be one of several early facts you do with your preparation, as it also secures the money you mean for overseas paying.

So there you have it, the suggestions used by industry experts, to help make traveling more fun. As you prepare your following journey, remember to acquire an additional take a look at these pointers. They can minimize some pressure and enable you to travel simpler.

[lifeandspices]

Do you still remember the first time you set foot in Baguio? I do. It was in the cold month of February in 2013. I was with my former colleagues and we went there to witness the Penagbenga Festival. It was too crowded, I must tell you. But never did it discourage me to go back there every time an opportunity presents itself.

There are tourist places I have not yet explored in Baguio however that’s the least of what gravitates me towards it. Been years already since I set foot in Baguio due to the pandemic. Add to it, I moved away from Manila. So that’s about 20 hours travel time - give or take, if I plan to visit the City of Pines again.

What I missed most about Baguio was its cool weather and fresh, delicious food. Para kasing the first few visits, given na sakin na I want to see the tourist spots like the Mines View na ‘di yata nauubos ang tao o Burnham park na andaming bangka. When you get to see all of these, you really just endure a 4-6 hours bus ride just to experience comfort. Like a home or place I never grew up from pero it brings me so much nostalgia like ano ba, strawberry ba ako sa La Trinidad sa past life ko? Ahaha!

Honestly, I envy people who lives in Baguio or got the chance to study there during their College years. E di sana may chance na clear skin ako now. E wala, sabi ni Lord - ilalagay kita sa lugar na may Mt. Mayon. Can’t complain either, I love that moody, little gal especially on a clear day or cloudless night sky.

Lastly, I missed the late night walks in the city. The feeling of cold breeze on your face as you walk. That’s why I prefer staying in a hotel just close to Session Road para accessible. I would end up the night getting myself a bowl of lugaw (there’s a good one just below SM Baguio btw!) or corn on a stick from the night market then head back to the hotel.

There’s always a little joy in my heart every time I prepare for bed and put on that thick, warm comforter. Ang saya-saya matulog ng malamig. Little things in life that I don’t get to experience always kasi ang init-init, sa Manila man or sa probinsya namin. So I guess strawberry talaga ako in my past life. Ciao!

[linnielinnielinnie]

photo of the day

-day 40

[slvrdlphn]

Join the Victory Day Bike Ride in Baguio City

Baguio City will witness a momentous event that blends history and sportsmanship. The inaugural Victory Day Ride, spearheaded by the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB), slated on September 3, 2023, will take cycling enthusiasts and history aficionados on a journey to honor the sacrifices of World War II veterans and raise awareness about Baguio Victory Day. Mike Villa-Real, PVB First Vice President…

[joshleyson]

Life Update + Postcards from Mount Pulag

If there's one thing I'm particularly proud of that I did this year in the name of self-care, it is using my Apple Watch for what it was designed to do and being mindful of closing my rings on the Fitness App, which includes meeting my Move, Stand, and Exercise requirements for the day.

Last weekend, I went on my first major walk this year, to Mount Pulag in Benguet, the majestic and highest mountain in Luzon. For the first time ever, I was able to set a *drum roll please* record-breaking 42K steps, perhaps more because my watch died in the middle of the climb. It never occurred to me to go on this ALMOST 10-hour hike until J, who by the way was a famous OG Tumblr influencer during the peak Tumblr era circa 2012 (if you know him, mag-asawa ka na hahaha), introduced me to the idea of going to Baguio (I haven’t been to Baguio since forever) and eventually having to explore Mount Pulag after. J and I have known each other for over 12+ years, but it was only this year that we began to see each other more frequently; he is also the person who introduced and challenged me to finish my rings on the Fitness app. I began this "ring" journey at the end of March, but I wasn't fully committed until I started seeing some, hmm, what's the word, "changes" when I started monitoring my InBody results, which show my weight, BMI, muscle mass, and even body fat percentage decreasing. Long story short, I'm making some small progress with trying to make my BMI normal again. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to paint the typical fitness buff image with raging, strong-looking muscles, because that's not who I am, but I wanted to give myself credit also for losing 10kgs in just 4 months, and I'm not even pulling my hair out about it, just that awareness of "Did I close my rings today?" moment. Like I told J, I never expected accountability to feel this good. So I'm quite delighted with that.

Enough of the fitness thingee and going back to Mount Pulag, I'm so happy that we were able to pull it off this year. We started by staying in Baguio for 2 days which by the way the weather was THE. BEST. Having to walk around the city in layered clothes without breaking a sweat as a pawisin was HEAVEN. It was something that I missed when I went back to Manila. After 2 days, we headed straight to Kabayan, Benguet, where our homestay was located, and by midnight started our trek to Pulag summit. The trek was surprisingly easy. The quiet and quaint landscapes while on our way to the summit were something that I enjoyed so much. It was tiring and yes, the weather was extremely cold. Miss Hypothermia is REAL especially on the summit but with the right amount of clothing, it's no biggie. Just do a little bit of research before signing up for the hike and you'll be just fine. On that trip, we met and bonded with new faces which I hope soon will become friends because they're nice to be with which made the hike bearable. Being the beach person that I am which is very OBVIOUS on this blogosphere, exploring the mountains and the countryside was very refreshing to see and I kinda wanted to make that commitment to at least do this at least once a year. Let's see!

(No Light Pollution? Here's the Milky Way captured in the default iPhone camera app.)

Overall, the Mountain Province trip including late-night walks in Baguio, wandering to places and cafés and bar hopping walking side to side because we’re drunk AF, and then Mount Pulag was something I'm so grateful for that I get to check them out this year. There were "unplanned" and "down" moments on that trip, sure, but I guess that's just normal, especially since I'm with the person I wanted to get to know more, and J, if you're reading this, thank you. I feel like all the things that happened on that trip have a reason and I just wanna say thank you for being…you. I will not be surprised if one day that rough idea of a psycho-thriller slasher movie we kind of created while sitting on a bus will soon come to life. Write that fucking screenplay. PLEASE.

So that's my not-so-quick life update that no one asked about. I think I mentioned before in this space that the more I have something "major" going on with my life whether professional or personal, I am less inclined to talk about it versus in my heyday, loud, teenage years and I think that's what really living is all about. Touch some grass they say, and literally, I did that in the mountains of Mount Pulag, and those memories which I hope I could bottle, and that seeing something so beautiful is enough to remind me that everything's gonna be alright.

Siri, play Gravity by Sara Bareilles, JOSHY

(Mountain Province, July 2024)

[mankadavi]

my complete filipino pathologic (PHathologic) au! design notes + farkhad below

note: my AU is mostly northern luzon based, probably somewhere in modern-day baguio or around that area. this was mostly just a self-indulgent design project so i played around with a lot of historical aspects that are not accurate so apologies for any mistakes on my end :P

also these were done in early 2023 and i lost the drive to do the other characters. if i have time again i might draw them and add them to this post :)

[dezelies]

Quackity as ur bf.

Headcanons

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆ NOTES: my version of Quackity as ur bf!!! not proofread :d

VERSION ONE (shy type?)

It definitely took you almost a year for him to, say yes to you or realize his feelings for you because he is hotheaded and unbothered with romance.

After he said yes, he might have ghosted you for 2 days because he was so shy and didn't know what else to do so you came over to his house to hangout and so he can warm up to you.

Then after warming up to you he showed you a side of him you never saw,

He would be the one to take you on dates by surprise,

he would give you roses, bouquets, pretty jewelry that doesn't have to be expensive, chocolate, etc as a gift.

When he fully warmed up to you he became more comfortable with doing things he never really thought would happen to him.

Constantly checks up on you and asks what your doing.

SHOWERS YOU WITH COMPLIMENTS!!!! even if you look like a rat from new york that fell in a sewage, he would call you pretty and loves to hug you!!

Nicknames would definitely be considered in the relationship, you would call him nicknames out of the ordinary.

Third image, definitely him!!!

NOTICES SMALL THINGS ABOUT YOU BECAUSE HE THINKS YOU'RE SPECIAL

If you guys had a fight he would give you space but reminds you that he's still there and won't leave you. He would apologize with gifts and affection.

After you guys fought and made up, the clingy side of him would spawn and not leave for months until he knows that you and him are okay.

VERSION TWO (ewan type)

He was the one who courted you and it didn't take too long for you to say yes because he was constantly next to you and you already had feelings for him before.

After you said yes, he immediately warmed up to you but was still shy doing things with you, you and him decided to take things at a slow pace and not rush everything as there's still time.

The first date you and him had was somewhere expensive because he felt extraordinary, but the next dates that occurred were not too expensive because you told him that he doesn't have to tale you on these expensive dates every month, so every week he takes you on road trips whether it's from one city to another city vice versa. He definitely likes taking you to Baguio city or any city that's either cold or hot. Give him a weather, he's taking you there.

Emotionally smart and Street smart fr.

Sings for you!!! Or makes songs for you, the very first song he sang to you was a Daniel padilla song because he found out that you were a fan.

He loves hugging you and calling you his girlfriend, also loves complimenting you because he's great with his words. Treats you like a princess!!!

Nicknames are a must for him, "love". "pretty". "babe" any nicknames that are considered cheesy by single people

Very responsible and mature, so if you're being irresponsible and acting not so mature in a serious situation he would snap you out of it and act non-chalant.

Very seloso! (jealous) sometimes overprotective over you, like if you were talking to someone he doesn't know, his eyes would be focused on you and the person, he would observe everything the person is doing and would try to scan their personality based on their movements.

He's scary but gentle, honest, caring, loving, basta alam niyo na.

minsan di mo na alam kung pogi typings ba 'to or wala talagang pake.

If you guys had a fight he might ghost you for 4d-2w laging nagtatampo siguro, parang aso namin. But he would apologize with words while hugging you, he would gift you something as an apology.

After making up, he vows to not fight with you again because he didn't like that and he would be clingy and takes you on roadtrips.

[anexperimentallife]

From our balcony in Baguio, Philippines. Smoke from the recent fires still obscured the mountain peaks this morning, even though they didn't come near us. We've spent most of the day with the house closed up and both air cleaners on blast. In some ways, I'm ready for wet season, but I'll be sad when it starts getting hot again.

[pandoraroid]

redacted filipino hcs & thoughts! lol

mostly about shaw pack + vamps + guy&honey

inpsired by @erial-c nahiya akong itag ka pero hiiii po

the trivia and translations are probably not accurate 🧍‍♀️please forgive my very scattered brain thoughts

darlin probably does arnis. it's why they fight like a menace 😈 sam has never known peace since he's seen em wield an ital

arnis - a ph martial art

itak - a bolo sword(?)

asher doesn't call milo "tol" bc he's not tall /j

"tol" is like the equivalent of "dude" as in a way of calling your friend

lovely & darlin would probably call vincent & sam their asawang (gets niyo ba asawa + aswang)

asawa means spouse or wife or husband

aswang is a ph mythological creature. different sources tell different things but what is mostly agreed upon is that (1) they're nocturnal (2) they usually pretend to be humans in the day time if not (3) they hide in the woods (4) they prey on children, pregnant women (specifically for their unborn child), and maybe new borns. they often get lumped with vampires though i'm not too sure how accurate that is.

aspins have a very special place in darlin's heart. sam's cabin in the woods usually have attract lots of them and they never had the heart to turn them away. in a way too, they know what it's like to being wild, dirty, street dog.

aspin - a dog breed in the ph that is sort of a mix of other breeds. they often get a bad rep for being street dogs and not having a particular breed.

vincent n his cars get featured a lot in those carspotting around manila tiktoks. whenever lovely finds em they make sure to send those to vincent lol

(this is me also hoping that vincent gets to keep at least few of them when they leave the house of solaire)

not entirely sure how the entire mate thing would translate into ph culture but even with all that david & asher would insist on doing things properly before marriage - they would mamanhikan to their partner's parents respectively hehehe

mamanhikan or pamamanhikan is a like a traditional practice of going to the fiancee's family's house and asking for their hand in marriage lol.

whenever they drive down shaw boulevard, the pack would turn to david and go "taga dito ka di ba?" or something to that effect HAHAHAHHA

"taga-dito ka 'di ba?" = "you're from (around) here, right?"

angel know it's general cleaning morning whenever david is blasting opm songs or old timey songs around their house.

asher would take panliligaw very seriously!!!!! magpapaalam sa magulang lagi ni baabe paglalabas sila!!! aabangan niya after work si baabe tapos "sabay na raw sila umuwi" galawan mo asher talbot !!!! dyan ka magaling !!!! and ofc it never stopped kahit naging sila na ni baabe :))) 

panliligaw or ligaw is a more traditional pre-dating courting stage in a relationship. lol

marie has definitely said to david & asher & milo & darlin at some point na "kakaselpon niyo yan". it doesn't matter that they're adults.

"kakaselpon niyo yan" = "it's because of that (damn) phone"

this one is a bit more in general: vampire houses have THE filipino family drama. territory/progeny disputes? grudges? backstabbing? been there done that.

speaking of vamps: pre-turning, sam was once an altar boy (darlin: hahaha samkristan)

speaking of sam (again): pre-turning, he has a picture in baguio, riding a horse & wearing a cowboy hat. when darlin found it they couldn't stop staring at it for a loong while. 

sweetheart LOVES singing. marie loves having them over for karaoke.

marie would drag milo's ahh every night for simbang gabi.

simbang gabi - mass service for the nine nights leading up to christmas eve.

guy's filipino nickname would be "totoy"

"totoy" is another way of refering to a younger male. addtionally, it's also often used as a euphism for a dick HAHAJAHA

guy definitely has a tiktok acct tapos don siya nagpaparinig kay honey HAHAHAHA lagi niyang kinakanta "crush" by tweens of pop

guy always does those cheesy, poetry pick up line jokes to honey like:

"cheese, cheese, cheese. gusto kita i-keese (read: kiss)"

"mga 6 out of 10. medyo pilit yung rhyme"

"honey naman 😭😓"

translation:

"cheese, cheese, cheese. i want to give you a k-eese."

"a 6 out of 10. the rhyming was a bit forced."

"honey, c'mon 😭😓."

guy and honey are definitely oa x nonchalant pairings but may i also suggest na they are jeje x pogi typings. they both definitely have kanal humor though HAHAHA

- after returning to the pack, darlin couldnt help but cry tear up after marie called them "anak" again

anak = child

[eurydicesflower]

a lonely flight in Milan, or, when the daylight shines in Baguio (lty)

Pairing: Taeyong (NCT) x fem! Reader Tags: Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Relationships, and Light Angst Also very much self-indulgent Warnings: None Word Count: 7,478 words Summary: People come and pass by, some stay, some don't, and some left a remainder of their lives to us. A/N: So, I had these fic idea based on the movie I have watched on Netflix the other day! So I thought why I not write yet another self-indulgent birthday fic like I used to. And if you know the reference of this fic, well, it is based on ‘That Thing Called Tadhana.’ But then again, this is loosely inspired from that movie, and I added my own elements a la eurydicesflower. Also posted on: Archive of Our Own

The airport staff have been looking at you with worried looks. You're already frowning to the bone as you discard your stuff from your luggage. You really don't have any other choice but to throw away half of your clothes to the airport trash bin. Your luggage exceeds more than 23 kilograms and your luggage weighs 30 kilograms. You deeply sigh as you throw away the stuffed toy dog into the trash. Your lovely thongs? Down the trash. “Fuck this life.” You curse under your breath as you tuck in your luggage again so you can weigh it again.

You have been doing this for the last 30 minutes now. And if the weighing scale would not allow you again to board the plane, you are ready to burst out in flames. When you weigh your luggage again, you grit your teeth in annoyance because your luggage was only more than two kilograms, meaning you will be throwing more of your clothes in the trash. You curse under your breath as you drag away your luggage. Here you go again, beside your buddy for tonight, the trash bin.

“Miss?”

Someone calls your attention. You are about to lash at him, but you decided that it was not worth all of your energy now that you had poured all of it on discarding your clothes.

“You seemed like you needed help with your luggage?”

You gaze on your luggage and look up at him, saying: ‘No shit.’

You turn your back against him and you hear the man before you sigh, and crouches down to level with you.

“I can help you with your luggage. You can put most of your things on mine since I don't have much.”

You turn your attention to him again, and he shows his luggage. It was a smaller one compared to yours. It was a pink one with numerous cartoon stickers on it. You recognize characters from Spongebob to Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle.

“Why are you helping me? Do we have the same flight?” You asked.

“You’re going to Manila, too, right? So, I guess helping someone wouldn’t harm me in any way.”

You slowly nodded your head, but you are still skeptical of the man.

“You’re not a killer, are you? Are you sure you're not going to kill me?” You look up to him, and to your surprise, the man laughs heartily, and his eyes crinkle when he smiles. You roll your eyes at him but the moment you stare at him for a moment, maybe because of the stress, you don't bother looking at the man’s face. But the more you stare at him, that man was so fucking handsome as hell. It was not an exaggeration because who would have thought that you will encounter a man like him in a fucking public airport? Like who would have thought that of all places, you will meet a man that is sculpted by the gods itself, handcrafted like he had come from a webtoon with the mix of elvish and angelic look in a public place like this?

‘Excuse my language but who the fuck are you?’ You mumble out loud in awe.

You don't seem to realize that he had heard what you said, and he extended his hand to you, and introduced himself.

“Taeyong Lee at your service, ma’am. I have friends in Manila right now and I had to meet them there before I go back to Seoul in one week. I promise you that I won’t kill you. Did that help?” He smiled with his eyes.

“That’s what killers say, though…” You told him as you shook hands with him and told your name while still giving a skeptical look.

“And that’s what killers often say, too.” His smile grew even more as you rolled your eyes but it made your lips curl into a small smile.

“So, now that we are acquainted, let's start repacking, shall we?” He said before you proceeded with moving your things from the trash bin to his luggage.

The man, no, Taeyong’s company made your night bearable after the stressful time you had in Milan. Normally, you don’t trust anyone, and of course you wouldn’t forget the saying ‘Don’t talk to strangers,’ but what if that stranger has genuine intentions? Though, you know for sure if you let your guard down, maybe this man was lying and he would just proceed to kill you right now and stuff your dead body inside your luggage and then—

“Hey, you’re zoning out, you okay?” He asks, snapping you away from your fleeting thoughts.

You found yourself nodding quickly and mumbling ‘I’m fine,’ as you helped him move your things onto his small luggage. All those thoughts slowly disappearing, you surprisingly enjoyed the stranger’s presence.

-

You are seated by the window during the plane ride. Beside you, there was Taeyong who was taking a nap. You don’t know what to talk about so instead, you put on your earphones so you can listen to music. As you open your music app in shuffle, coincidentally, it is playing Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift, specifically the Live from Paris Version. Your tears are now building up in your eyes as you listen to the song.

You are once again brought back by the memories you had with your ex-fiancé.  You sang the lyrics as you started to cry out loud. He was the one who had dedicated this song to you. You could remember his acoustic guitar, and singing to you at dusk during your second anniversary. He even brought you your favorite strawberry cake, and celebrated under the stars. He was a romantic, and you fell through him.

You love him for what he was worth, and you had hoped he was the same. And all those years you believed him, did he ever really love you?

You don’t seem to notice that Taeyong gave you a box of tissues not until it was placed down on your lap. You looked at him, and held back your tears.

“Oh, I don’t need it—”

“You need it. Go on,” he said, not taking the tissue box from you.

Even though you refused to take it from him, sooner or later, you will cry after you repeat the song more than five times now. And the tissue box? It’s almost half empty, wiping all of your tears and snot. Taeyong only looks at you with pity, though, he didn’t say anything nor tease you. He gives you space to let out all of your emotions until you have used up all of your energy which in the end, you are now leaning against him as you fall asleep completely.

-

For fuck's sake, do people not have any shame doing PDAs? That’s just plain rude and insensitive. You grimace at the couple and say, “Go take the Taxi first. I think you two needed a room now.”

You roll your eyes at bitterness.

“Aren’t you going home now?” Taeyong stands beside you as you wait for another taxi to come in.

Being patient is an understatement for the man beside you because Taeyong had been with you from the Milan airport until you waited for your baggage at the Manila airport. He was not asking questions unless you talked about life stories with him. And for a guy like him, you didn’t know why he was sticking with you even after you gave him snarky retorts after a long flight from Milan to Manila.

“I don’t want to go home yet...” You confess as you stare down at the taxis in front of you. You don’t want to go home yet. Not now. You can’t just show your face at home. It feels like there is something you wanted to do, but you just can’t seem to know what it is, so now here you are at the airport, giving side-eyes at every couple you see.

“Then, why don’t we go find something to eat first?”

The moment he asked that, your tummy rumbled. You didn’t argue at him anymore because you were already hungry, so now you two were at a Japanese restaurant. You were the one who suggested it since you are craving tempura and sushi, and here was Taeyong together with your little trip.

“What did you even do back in Milan? Like why are you there in the first place?” You asked curiously. You don’t know a thing about him ever since you two met in Milan. Although obviously, this was the first time you two have met.

“Now you wanted to ask about me?”

“Of course, at least I know something about you before you can kill me.” You roll your eyes at him while he scoffs playfully before he shakes his head at your morbid remark.

“I was there for a job because my client wants me to be there in Milan.” He starts off with a small shrug.

“Woah, you’re big time. What do you even do for a living when you have a client based in Milan?”

“I’m a graphic designer. And yes, I design.” He cuts you off before you tease him. “And coincidentally, I just found out that my friend was there and he was one of the models there in that same agency. We decided to catch up there while we were not too busy with both of our jobs.” He shares casually, and shows some of his sample works with you from his phone.

One of the pictures had caught your attention when you noticed that one of the female models seemed familiar to you. You kept on staring at it for like five seconds not until Taeyong asked if something’s wrong.

“No, no, I’m fine…” You smile at him and steer away the conversation even if you know there will be more questions inside his mind.

“Since you’re an artist then? So, what are your hobbies?” You look at him with curiosity while you move your hand under your chin.

“What is this? A job interview? Do I even get hired for your company, ma’am?” He raises a brow while a small curl tugged on his lips as he looks at you. Meanwhile, you throw an unused napkin on his chest to rub that cheeky smirk on his face.

“I am just asking and I am curious.” You pout, and he just laughs it off.

“Well, I have these tattoos that I designed.” He rolled up his sleeves and showed some of his tattoos.

“I never knew that you had tattoos.”

That’s because he was wearing a long-sleeved white button-down shirt. Of course, I wouldn’t see it.

“Yeah, you can take a look.” He shows his left and right arm respectively to you. On his left arm, it has a tattoo of a cartoon dog, and a shooting star. You can’t just describe all of the tattoos but he does really have a bunch of them. There was even a rabbit balloon tattoo on his right arm. “I also have the word ‘understand’ on the back of my arms.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I try to be someone who tries to understand people,” he says.

“That’s… profound...” You mumble in awe and he nods.

“And I also forgot to mention that I have one on my sternum.” He points at the middle of his chest.

“You had a tattoo there?” You scoff unbelievably.

“You are a pervert.” He grins widely when he sees the flustered look in your face but you are quick to dismiss his comment. “Excuse me? You are the one who told me you had one on your chest.” You scoff as you cross your arms as Taeyong smiles cheekily at you.

“Do you want to see it then?”

Before you can even bite back a snarky refusal, he unbuttons his white shirt and shows you his twin dragon tattoo on his sternum. You didn’t even try to stop him, you just stared at it like it was the expensive dress you saw at a boutique in Milan. ‘It’s beautiful,’ you muttered to yourself.

“Does that hurt? I’ve read that when you have a tattoo there, it's one of the most painful parts...” You ask in a hush tone, curiosity laced in your voice.

“Well, I slept through it so I don’t think it hurts.” He shrugs before buttoning his shirt back. “So, are you happy you saw a stranger's tattoo?” He asks, and once again there was that lopsided smirk on his lips that you wanted to wipe off of his face.

“Shut up.” You smiled at him either way, and proceeded to eat your dinner when it had arrived.

-

You insist on ordering a bottle of beer, but you don’t seem to realize that you’re about to have your seventh bottle of beer with you. You don’t even know if Taeyong was drinking with you, and the fact that he hadn’t left you, you don’t know why. Instead of leaving you alone in the restaurant, he was out here with you, listening to your ramblings about your pathetic fiancé. You tell him all about your ex. You tell Taeyong all the things that made you fall for him and all the things you love about him, and all the reasons why you are so stupidly in love with him.

“That man... He's the one I was supposed to marry yaknow...” you slurred. “For eight years. Eight fucking years, we've been together and he fucking cheated on me on fucking Milan of all places.” You chuckle bitterly as you recall the day you saw him there. You even dressed to the nines. Donning your hard-earned Prada black satin dress, and Dior pump, you went to his place where he was staying there and then instead of seeing your ex-fiancé alone, he was with another woman. He was supposed to be the one surprised, not his mistress and it was absolutely not your own fiancé.

People are right about trauma dumping on strangers especially when you had liquor on your side. The story comes out of your mouth automatically, and it felt good telling all your problems to him that night. Letting out your grievances onto someone you don’t know never felt so good and that night, you felt you were not being judged by him.

“That's because you love him,” he said in between your rants.

“Love him? Yeah, I may love him but I am fucking stupid enough to love him. Fuck him. But yeah… I love him… I love him… Jae… I miss him…” You choke out a sob as you take another swig of your beer. You don't count how many beers you have drunk already but you are sure that you're about to pass out and vomit the last food you ate.

“Do you know where Baguio is? Because I want to go to Baguio.” You grin sheepishly at the man beside you. The only thing you remember before you completely pass out was you finally vomited on the gutter and Taeyong was comforting you, and he never left your side.

-

You woke yourself up seated at a bus seat with a blanket wrapped around you.

‘Oh, fuck now where am I?’ You quickly blink your eyes as you scan the surroundings, and your eyes fall on the man you met at the airport.

“Where the fuck are we? Where are you taking me?”

“Milan.”

“Fuck you.”

He just grins at you and you roll your eyes.

“You know I am gullible you know.” You grumble in annoyance and wrap the blanket even tighter around your arms. You turn to your right side and rest your head against the window so that you can ignore the man beside you. But even if you ignore him, you can’t shake away the unnerving thought about going home and not going on a road trip with a stranger you met at the airport.

“Where are we going?”

“You told me you wanted to go to Baguio so I messaged one of my friends about it, and told me to go to the nearest bus station so now we’re on the way to Baguio.”

“I said that? We’re going to Baguio? When?”

“I don’t think you’ll remember but you told me that last night.”

Your head was still throbbing from the hangover, and it didn’t help when Taeyong had told you that this was your idea to go on a road trip on the way to Baguio.

“By the way let me ask you something: What’s in Baguio?”

You sighed deeply, and massaged your head. “Stop asking me questions.”

“Okay.” He shut his mouth afterwards.

You thank him silently before you focus your eyes on the plantains you pass by. You count the cows, and the goats you see until you get bored and finally decide to answer Taeyong’s question.

“Well, Baguio is where he and I had our first date on our first anniversary. So, we decided to celebrate there.” You started. “Baguio was very special to me, but now…”

“Do you want Baguio to revisit those old memories?”

You bit the inside of your cheek. You can’t just tell everything to Taeyong but apparently you have told almost all of your life to someone like him who had only been your companion since last night. And maybe this was just like a start of something new, and maybe the universe was just acting upon its powers and made you meet this kind of man— charming yet quite intriguing in a way that you didn’t even feel anything suspicious because there was just something that you couldn’t explain. That something was already on the tip of your tongue.

“Maybe I just wanted to make new ones and replace those bad memories?” You trail off your words. “Like I don’t know if you’re familiar with how a female lead in romcoms do— when they tend to get broken hearted because of their ex and then they will go soul searching— just like that. I wanted to do something like that.” You let out the lump in your throat, and you never felt so relieved when you had told someone about that. It was out of your agendas the whole week, but the choice is really yours, it’s either you head back and go home and sulk for the rest of the month, OR, go to Baguio with Taeyong and make some new memories.

And in the end, you choose the latter.

“Count me in, though, technically I am already here with you, but you get the point—let me help you with that if that’s okay for you,” he said.

You chuckle at him. You don’t really expect that a man you just met would just do this, but who are you to refuse? If he was willing to help you, then why not? Maybe he has a reason why he was doing all of this. You just hope that it is with good reason or else you are ready to raise your fists against him if he ever does something bad to you.

“Well, be my guest.”

-

Your bus arrived at Baguio and you two found yourselves wandering around. You asked him if he had booked a hotel because there’s no way he could book right away in the city, turns out he had a friend who happened to have a lodging in the city. You now wonder who the hell is this man and why does he have so many connections to easily book an accommodation. Once you had left your belongings in your lodging, the two of you wandered around Burnham Park.

You take turns to point out what you see around the park. One time, he had pointed at a Papillon dog and he told you about his pet dog, Ruby, who had passed away recently. He also explained the meaning of his tattoo, and the answer to your question on who that dog could be was finally answered.

When you two decided to buy some snacks around, you two found a small ice cream shop. You noticed that he definitely like Strawberry flavor because of the way his eyes sparkled and grinned as he received the ice cream. You told yourself that it was so cute of him and you even ended up ordering one even though you are planning to get Cookies and Cream.

And once again, he was listening to your ramblings again as you two sat at the park, watching the park goers come and go.

“Wait, what was his name again?” He asks when you are in the nth time telling him about your ex-boyfriend.

“Didn’t I tell you already?”

He just gave a shrug as his response.  

“Why didn’t you say so? Well, he is Jaehyun. Jaehyung Jeong. He's a photographer for models in famous magazines like Vogue, Esquire and Elle. And Milan happened to be one of the places he was assigned to. I was really happy for him, honestly. Like his partner, I am very supportive of him even if we are in a long-distance relationship. But we made it work. We never failed to update each other. We even had these scheduled video calls every night for almost two years but one night… I don’t know how or why or when it had happened, but that particular day, he seemed preoccupied…”

You remember that night. He was in a rush. Didn’t even take a time to say a word to you right after you just told him about the project you landed on your job.

When you thought that would be the last time that he would do it to you, you didn’t think that it would also be the last time you called each other every night. But then again, you were understanding to him, and you just let it go without confronting him about it.

When the usual nights you were in your pajamas and waiting for him to call, it turned into weeks to months waiting for him to call instead of just messaging you like he had gone cold.

“Did you ever get to know the reason?”

“Oh, yeah damn right I did but that was when I flew all the way to Milan. You know, to know the answers to my questions.” You smiled bitterly before you resumed telling bits of the story to Taeyong.

“I didn’t believe it when I didn’t see it even though my friends already told me something must have happened so… I gathered up all of my savings, and even asked my friends to back me up, and thank God they were all supportive of me because it is never easy to be flying alone in a country that you’re not familiar with— you never know what you should expect… But deep inside, I think I already knew the reason why but… I wasn’t just ready to hear it even though my friends kept on telling me that...”

Taeyong then offers you a cup of juice, and you chug it in one drink and you close your eyes and sighed deeply.

“I am just in denial, Taeyong…” You trail off your words. “I am just in denial to the point I thought he would be welcoming me in his arms but instead…” You choked out a sob. “Instead, I saw him with another woman…” You stop yourself from tearing up with a forced smile.

“Am I stupid?”

“You did that for love. But yes, you’re stupid.” He tried to lighten up the mood. It didn’t help boosting your mood, which honestly you wanted to shut him up, though right now he was the one who had been patient with you right now, so you silently thanked him with his blunt honesty.

“I just can’t believe you would be the one accompanying me for the rest of my days here at Baguio.” You said afterwards. You then roll your eyes at him when he shows a glint of teasing in his smirk.

“By the way? Don’t you even have work the next day?” You ask him jokingly.

“What? Do you want us to go home now that we just arrived?” At first you thought it was a joke, but his tone had changed onto sincere concern.

You shake your head, and say, “I still wanted to stay here.”

You swear you saw that his eyes speak happiness to you even in a brief glance, and you? You felt the same, too.

“I’m still on leave till Tuesday. And it’s the weekend, right? So, I can still accompany you till Sunday night, and we’ll part ways after that.”

“Right. Right, you’re just here to accompany me.” You said, brushing off the fact that it kind of bothered you that you two will part ways in the next few days and now your time grows thinner and thinner, the eagerness inside you makes you feel more curious about who and what he really is like. A stranger who you had been accompanied, no longer than a week, but it looked like you had known him for so long, like a friend who you had just reunited with after years of not meeting, and then one day, you met at the airport, and caught up like nothing happened. But the truth is, you just really met him for the first time, and you know nothing about him.

You might be repeating yourself over and over again with this encounter with him, but it really feels surreal that you had been together with him. you, who came from a bitter breakup while he... You really don’t know a thing about him aside from what he had shared to you. And the thought of it saddens you even more.

Every time you tell him stories about yourself, it makes you wish he would tell something about himself, too. Maybe you were just so easy to trust him, you had opened your door and led him to a glimpse of your life story, while unlike him, you were still a stranger— and maybe you should do that now.

Despite being slightly disappointed, you spent the day with him with the two of you wandering around the streets. Lots of heartfelt laughs were exchanged between the two of you that, you know, it was as genuine as you hoped.

You two almost didn’t realize that it’s about sundown when you two stopped by an overlooking place.

“Hey…” He said momentarily as he rested his arms on the railing.

You hum as a response. “Yeah?”

“You know how I told you about being stupid earlier?”

“Yeah, how can I not forget that?” You scoff jokingly.

“Well, I could say I’m the same.”

Now, that piqued your interest. You don’t want to go back yet. This is the first time you will get to hear something from him aside from knowing his tattoos, and his dog, Ruby. Taeyong tells something about his love life, how that woman wanted to be with him already but he was this coward, although he loves her, he refuses.

“I wanted to start a life with her but... I was too afraid that I might not be enough. So I did the cowardly thing and broke up with her. I thought I did the right thing, but in the end… So, long story short, I realized I’m still in love with her but it's fucking too late...”

He had a small bitter smile on his face, his eyes remained on the grass before him as he recalled the events.

“She had an engagement party a year ago; I saw it on her Instagram. Most of my friends liked it and of course, I liked it and commented 'congrats' to her. I don’t want to come off as a bitter resentful ex but... If that’s the thing that will make you do for the sake of the person you love, then maybe I really did the right thing— To set her free.”

“Do you still love her?” you ask him. Same question he asked you when you had told him about your ex-fiancé.

Taeyong only shrugged off his shoulders. “I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe no. But then again, if she's already happy with her life, and then I am happy— in that way I can now move on with my life.”

“You’re a fighter.”

Taeyong shook his head. “That’s what just love does to people. Even the most logical and sensical people would go nuts in the name of love.”

You smiled lightly.

And yes, he was right.

“So, the both of us do have broken hearts, huh?”

He only hums in response.

After that, a short still silence wrapped between the two of you as you two watched the sunset above the pink-purple skies. You never had the chance to see the sun set for so long, you are always occupied with work. And for so long, this was the first time you got to see it— a fresh start.

“Why did you help me back in the airport?” You break the silence for the first time with one of the questions you seemed to forget to ask.

“Honestly, I won’t just stand and not help someone who’s in need.”

“And you didn’t think twice about helping me?” You ask, still couldn’t believe that he would do that without further question.

“I would be lying if I didn’t find you pretty at first sight, but the point is— Yes, I didn’t think twice.”

You smirk at his first remark, but then again, you do think that he was handsome the first time you saw him.

“You think I’m pretty?” That’s not the point, but you just wanted to tease him and it worked, he fiddled with his hands, and was smiling shyly. Before he could get flustered, he changed the subject.

“So, what are you planning next after this trip?” He asks instead.

“I don’t know…” You honestly really don’t know yet. Hell, you will be going back to reality on Tuesday, and you will get back to finding a new job right after you had left your previous job so that you can stay in Milan for about a month.

“But one thing for sure, I hope I can move on from him.” You say firmly. But right now, you wanted to rest here for a while like you wouldn’t think of what was about to happen in the next few days.

“You’re not talking about him since earlier. Which is a good start, you know.”

You match his perfect smile.

You know that this will never repeat ever again. This was spontaneous, you never planned all this Baguio Trip and you know to yourself that this will never occur ever the same again if that person with you is someone like Taeyong.

“Thank you, Taeyong.” From the bottom of my heart.

 -

Later that night, the two of you head back to your lodging. While waiting, you stand before the balcony and wrap yourself with a shawl that cold night. You are waiting for Taeyong, who had ordered food delivery and was waiting at the lobby.

You almost forgot that your phone didn’t exist after being together with a stranger for almost 24 hours now. Opening your phone, there are so many missed calls and unread messages— some of them came from your friends and from your mother, and one unnamed number.  You read through your messages, and all of it was full of worried text and ‘How are you’s?’ You messaged them one by one, and told them you were fine and you were fine together with a friend in Baguio. Once you’re done, you dialed one of the numbers and you waited and waited until they picked up the phone.

“Hello? It’s me.”

-

24 hours is not enough. But maybe it is worth it to have someone to accompany you like this. The moments last. You dusted your clothes, worrying that there might be small particles of dirt there even if there weren’t. You smoothed your hair, checked your makeup, and smiled at the mirror until you heard his three knocks and you’re ready to seize the day with your newfound companion on your last day in Baguio.

“Hey. Something just came up.” His eyes darted on the floor, unable to look at your gaze. “I think I won’t be able to be with you until Tuesday morning.”

You tightly grip the doorknob as discreetly as possible. “Oh... It's fine.”

“But we can still do your last agenda.”

‘Screaming on the top of your lungs at the high mountains of Sagada.’

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You look at him unbelievably.

“I mean if you don’t like it, then, we should just plan another one and not this—”

“It’s perfect, Jae! We’re going to do this on our fourth anniversary next week!” You hug your boyfriend, smiling ear-to-ear, you just can’t wait to spend it before he goes to Milan for work.

“Are you alright?” Taeyong asks you, snapping you back from reality where you two were standing in the doorway of your hotel room.

You were holding back tears. Stop it, you weren’t supposed to be crying in front of him again.

“Yes. See you later, Taeyong.”  You said before you closed the door before him.

-

You both rode the bus all the way up the mountains. Both of you will experience for the first time even if in the next few hours, you will part away.

“Do you know this song-?”

You just remembered that you sat away from him and he never said a thing, he respected it. You kind of wish he was sitting beside you like he did during the bus ride to Baguio. And the rest of the bus ride, you just sulk there and listen to your playlist on your own. Later that day, it was almost late afternoon when your bus arrived at the bus stop.

You still haven't talked with each other since the two of you arrived but he already made sure to rent a tent for the rest of the night.

“Sorry sir, we only have one tent available.” the woman told Taeyong.

“It's okay we'll take it,” you heard him reply and waited for the tent.

“Taeyong, what do you mean there's only one tent?” You quickly stood beside him as soon as the woman left her seat to fetch the tent.

“It's fine, you can have it, I'll just have a sleeping bag beside-”

“We can share.” You cut him off.

“Then fine.”

You swore he smirked but it instantly faded away when the lady called him to give away the tent.

-

Even if you just went through with silence as you both set up the tent which almost threw you off in range on how you couldn't figure out fixing it but luckily, Taeyong knows how to build it, fortunately, your mood settled in. You brought some cup noodles for you to eat, and you even left one for him hoping he would eat.

You couldn't just sit there in silence and ignore him now that this would be the last time you two will meet. You can ask his number but are you sure he will give it after you ignore him for the rest of the day? You don’t think so.

Taeyong was still inside the tent after he had finished building it. You deeply sigh to yourself, and go inside to see a sleeping Taeyong.

You saw how peaceful he looked when he was sleeping thanks to the moonlight shining above. You snuggled in, but as far as possible from him, until you had settled lying down beside him.

“Do you think we will ever meet again?”

You were lying down beside him as you gaze above the tent. You can only hear his breath, and you wish he would never hear it nor answer your question because the answer you were waiting for might not be the one that will come out of his mouth.

“I'm sorry I ignored you for the rest of the day. You were a great company by the way. I wish we were friends even after this. I don’t know how I can even ask for your number now that we're back to strangers again.” You were fighting off the little tears that were about to stream down your cheek.

“I hope we can still be friends after this.”

And you turned away from him and faced the other side.

You slowly woke up yourself and there was a blanket wrapped around you. It was still dark outside, you observe. And the man beside you? He was gone.

You start to jolt awake, removing the blanket, and jump away outside the tent from panic. You almost shouted out his name but as soon as you spotted a familiar figure sitting meters away from the tent, your shoulders relaxed seeing him right there and exhaled in relief. He seemed to sense you being awake, so he waved his hand, and smiled solemnly.

“Good morning.”

“I thought you left...” You mumbled.

He furrows his brows at you. “Why would I? Our journey wasn’t over, remember?”

“I thought you left…” You would not dare cry in front of him once more but all of your repressed emotions had flooded and you let your emotions give in. You shielded your eyes with your arms as you cry, and moments later, you felt arms wrapped around you, and you just melted into it and succumbed to comfort.

“I am sorry...” you choke out a sob.

“Don’t be, I understand it so it's okay…” He shushed gently as he smoothed down his hand on your back. “Besides you’re still gonna scream and curse out remember?”

A mix of blue and orange hues painted the skies above as it welcomed the rising of the sun. Like the sun, Taeyong smiles at you, radiating with warmth, and even if you're fresh from tears, you match his smile and wipe away the remaining tears on your cheeks.

“Let's go curse the hell out of my ex and welcome the start of something new.” You grin and he chuckles seeing you back on track.

“Then, let's go, and scream, shall we?” He assists you to stand right up. Hand in hand, the two of you ran almost towards the edge of the mountain with crazy grins on your faces. You two were laughing like it was the end of the world until you reached the end of the cliff.

“I WILL BE THE MOST HAPPIEST WOMAN IN EARTH, AND MOVE ON FROM YOU JAEHYUN JEONG!!!” You were the first one to scream and you can see the delight in Taeyong's face as you said all those words.

“I will never just stay back to the past and move on from you, I PROMISE THAT FROM NOW ON—!”

You didn’t hear the name he shouted from the last one, but what is important is that when you two both welcome the sunrise, you can feel the cold breeze of the morning air which didn’t seem to bother you, and the problems of the past seemed to be forgotten.

“Thank you.” You told him.

“You’re welcome.”

Maybe there was really a reason that the two of you had met in an unexpected circumstance, and here you were, together with Taeyong Lee, promising for a beginning of a new journey. Maybe it was fate, maybe it wasn’t, it doesn’t matter. At least, at that moment, even an unexpected turn of events in our life, like what happened in Milan, you were sure there were more plenty of great things waiting for the both of you, and that includes the sunrise at the highest mountains, and the warmth radiating beside you.

-

You were sure you insisted that you are okay for going home alone, but instead, Taeyong was still true to his word so he was here with you until you go home. From the airport in Milan to driving you all the way back to home, he was there with you, making sure you were safe.

As you were about to arrive where your home is, you noticed that there was black sedan parked in front of your home. It was already 3 in the morning; you wondered who that could be and when you stepped out of the car, a black-haired man in a white shirt, holding a bouquet of flowers, was waiting in front of your home, your question was finally answered.  

Fuck. Your ex was literally in front of your house… Like what the fuck? Why could he be here? Didn’t you already tell him the other day that you are now really ending it for real?!

“Hey.”

Now this is awkward. Jaehyun Jeong was standing in front of your house while Taeyong was right beside you.

“I’m Taeyong, I’m just her friend so don’t worry.” Taeyong introduced himself to Jaehyun as he extended his hand. You kinda wished Taeyong didn’t do that.

“I’m Jaehyun.” He smiled at the man.

Before you could even stop them from further introducing themselves to each other, Taeyong stepped in and said, “Well, it’s nice meeting you, man, but I need to help her unload her bags, so I’m gonna go take care of it first,” he said passively as he waves his hand at you, and nodded his head to Jaehyun. He muttered ‘Wait for me,’ to you before he went back to his car. When Taeyong was walking all the way back to his car, that’s where Jaehyun spoke for the first time.

“I’m sorry.” He starts but you shake your head. “Jae, it’s three in the morning, I’m already tired.” You were still standing there, waiting and craning your head to see if Taeyong was coming back already.

“Is that the new guy you’re dating?” He stops you looking for Taeyong. “Wow, it’s only been a week, and you already found a new man?” His tone seems to be joking, but you both knew it wasn’t a joke. And look who’s talking as if you were the first one who had been the first who had strained your relationship.

“I don’t have time for this, Jae. We’re already done, remember?” You tried to be as polite and dismissive as possible so that he could just leave you alone, and you succeeded.

He clenched his hand tightly on the bouquet’s handle before finally sighing deeply, and relaxed his fingers around the bouquet.

“Fine. I just wanted to know if you’re doing alright, and it turns out, you were okay right now. I wish you well.” He said before leaving you the bouquet of lilies, which was your favorite, and left you alone. Just in time, Taeyong just got back from his car while holding your luggage.

“So, that’s Jae, huh? Did he hurt you—?"

Your first instinct was to hug him tightly. You don’t know if he understands what you’re saying, but you’re actually thanking him for being more present to you than the man whom you used to love. The man was too stunned to speak, yet he didn’t push you away, and he even patted your back as you hugged him.

“You should take a rest now, and it’s nice being with you for almost three days.” He said somberly as you gently pull away from him.   

“Yeah, you, too. See you next time.” You said as you waved goodbye at him.

‘Taeyong hasn’t left, right?’ You asked yourself and you were right, his car hadn’t even left where he had parked. You knock on the window of his car, and he opens the window slowly, and you see him lounging inside the car with close eyes.

“I thought you’re going home now?”

“I thought you’re about to go back to Seoul?”

He smiled cheekily. “I was waiting for you to go inside your home.”

You raise a brow before he raises his hands in the air in defense. “Okay, okay, I just wanted to make sure you’re—”

You peck a kiss on his cheek before you waved goodbye at him and head back home.

And there was a smile on your face when you see one of his keychains from his luggage was there along with a short-written message just above the handle.  

‘Hope we can meet again so I can treat you with ramen next time ; hope you can message me next time on taeoxo on ig, if u want. I will be glad to talk again with u some time : )

- TY’

You left a mental note that you’ll message him when you’re ready. And if he’s willing to wait, then maybe sometimes fate is not cruel as they always tend to be.

[ziggyevenstar]

tsokolate eh para sa last day sa baguio 💜

[bbobpul]

midnight memories — kmg

PAIRING. kim mingyu x reader SUMMARY. in search of the true meaning of home, i found myself in baguio city, a place that failed to capture my heart. amidst homesickness, i encountered mingyu, a kind stranger who became my refuge. GENRE. fluff, angst W/C. 2.7k NOTE. enjoy pls (⁠ﾉﾟ⁠0ﾟ⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠→ other works

"home," a word effortlessly spoken, yet its essence evades definition. what does it truly mean? is it found in a person, a lingering connection to a distant place visited but never returned to? does it reside in cherished memories or the beckoning of a soulful city? in reality, the concept of home intertwines with personal journeys and unique experiences. must it always be perfect, brimming with eternal happiness?

though i've wandered this world for what feels like eternity, stability remains elusive. a perpetual seeker, i've resided in baguio city for three fleeting years. still, this place fails to capture the essence of home, as a piece of my heart remains bound to my birthplace.

homesickness, a familiar companion, anchors me amidst life's ebb and flow. it echoes in my studies, reverberates through the hours spent toiling at the local café, and even in the faces of transient tourists gracing baguio's streets. a bittersweet melody courses through my veins, for i yearn for the comforting warmth of home, while simultaneously cherishing the fleeting beauty that surrounds me.

baguio city, they say, wears a cloak of melancholy in the philippines, as many come, not with the intention to stay, but to pass through its embrace. some arrive to study, like me, while others seek to forge memories, but in a matter of days, they leave, leaving this place behind, carrying those cherished moments in their pockets. three years in this city and yet i've met more tourists here than locals.

in the hush of that moment, the cafe's door chimed, announcing an arrival. engrossed in my task of wiping the counter, i caught only a glimpse of a towering silhouette casting a gentle shadow over me.

"excuse me, could i have a large strawberry creme frappe, please?"

i glanced at the customer, then shifted my gaze towards the clock. 12:34 am. strawberry drink at such an hour? i stole another look at him, and there it was—a radiant smile that seemed to hold the answers to my unspoken questions.

"a large strawberry creme frappe for whom?" i inquired.

"mingyu," he replied, his grin widening with delight.

"alright, please wait for your name to be called as i make your drink." i said with my customer service voice while wearing the smile i trained three years for.

within the walls of the 24-hour café, the midnight hours wore on, enveloping the space in a quiet solitude. though usually bustling with students during these late hours, tonight, only one soul sought refuge in the cozy haven. as i prepared the requested drink, my eyes darted toward the rain-soaked parking lot, where one car rested. perhaps it was his, and the torrential downpour had deterred others from venturing out into the storm, leaving him the only person who seeks for peace and quiet in this establishment.

"mingyu," i called, presenting the freshly prepared drink with a smile.

"that's me!" he replied, his cheerfulness evident. "i mean, i'm the only one here, so..." he trailed off with a hint of playfulness in his voice, adding another remark.

perplexed by his response, i tilted my head and handed him the beverage. as he handed me the payment, i expected him to return to his table like any other customer, but to my surprise, he stayed there, standing before the counter. an unspoken curiosity lingered between us as we met each other's gazes, the moment hanging suspended in time.

"do you need anything else?" i inquired, trying to understand the reason behind his lingering presence.

"do you mind if i sit here?" he asked, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "it gets quite lonely sitting all alone at that table, or well, in this entire café, considering i'm the only one here. plus, i wouldn't mind a bit of chitchat. by the way, are you the only one working at this hour?"

"shouldn't you be studying?" i pointed towards his table, where an assortment of papers and a laptop were strewn.

he chuckled, dismissing the notion, "nah, those are just for show. trying to look smart, you know." his laughter filled the space, lifting the quietude. "so, are you here all by yourself, working late into the night?"

"my co-workers decided to call it an early night, but i opted for overtime since i don't have classes tomorrow," i explained.

"ah, right, it's saturday," he noted, as if the weekend had granted him a moment of reprieve from the demands of academia.

without uttering a word, i watched as he claimed a stool by the counter and settled into it comfortably. with no tasks left to occupy my hands, i joined him, positioning myself across from him, maintaining a comfortable but not too close proximity. a serene stillness enveloped us, accentuated by the gentle patter of raindrops outside. the only audible sounds were the rhythmic melody of the rainfall and the occasional subtle noises he made, a testament to his enjoyment of the drink he held. in that shared silence, an unexpected tranquility filled the air, creating a quiet connection between us.

"so..." he began, a hint of curiosity in his voice, attempting to bridge the silence, "you're a student?"

"yeah, third year in bs mathematics. and you?" i replied, reciprocating the inquiry.

"i'm a graduating student, studying architecture," he responded, his tone carrying a sense of accomplishment.

"do you live here?" he queried once more, his interest piqued.

"for the past three years, yes. and you?" i inquired, eager to learn more about him.

"i actually grew up here," he answered, accompanied by a gentle smile. a realization sparked within me—how peculiar that our paths had never crossed until this moment.

"i wonder why i've never seen you before," i mused aloud, the mystery lingering in my thoughts.

he mirrored my sentiment, a playful glimmer in his eyes. "and how come i've never seen you before?" he countered, extending the question back to me.

as the conversation flowed, i didn't want to appear uninterested in his life, so i took the initiative this time, posing a question of my own. "what are your plans after graduating?" i inquired, curious about his aspirations.

his face brightened with a smile, but a hint of bittersweetness tinged his words. "i'll be leaving baguio," he replied, a dry chuckle escaping him. "there are more opportunities for me elsewhere, and i've come to realize that i need a fresh environment to grow."

his question returned to me, and i felt a sense of vulnerability as i was about to share something i hadn't expressed to anyone before. "i haven't told anyone this yet, but i want to stay here," i confessed. "i believe i've found a sense of stability in this place, you know? my dream is to open a café like this, even though it's entirely unrelated to my course." the revelation carried a mix of determination and uncertainty, but there was a glimmer of hope in my eyes as i shared my heartfelt ambition.

a soft smile played on his lips as he looked down at his half-empty drink. "that's nice," he said, his voice warm and genuine. "really, that's so nice. i love it when people are happy and sure with what they want," he continued, his words carrying a sense of admiration.

his heartfelt appreciation touched me, and a gentle gratitude welled up within. in that moment, i realized how our chance encounter, amidst the rain and solitude, had sparked an unexpected connection—a brief yet meaningful exchange of dreams and aspirations, and a shared appreciation for certainty in our paths.

"how are you planning to get home? the rain is still quite harsh," he asked, displaying concern for my well-being.

my gaze shifted towards the clock, and a jolt of surprise shot through me. it was 2:34 am. had we been engrossed in conversation for two hours? as his question echoed in my mind, i realized the challenge that lay ahead. how was i supposed to make my way home in this relentless downpour?

considering the circumstances, i contemplated the possibility of closing the café earlier than the designated 24-hour mark. after all, the weather had dissuaded any potential customers from venturing out into the storm. it seemed unlikely that anyone would brave these conditions to go here.

as my eyes fell upon the large glass before him, condensation forming from the melted ice, uncertainty lingered in my response. "i don't know," i confessed, my voice carrying a touch of vulnerability.

at that moment, he offered a gesture of kindness that caught me off guard. "i can take you home if you want," he suggested, his words resonating with a willingness to go the extra mile.

that night, he took the wheel and drove me home, the raindrops dancing against the car windows as we embarked on a journey that transcended the physical distance. little did i know that this act of kindness would mark the beginning of a beautiful connection.

in the days that followed, our midnights intertwined, weaving a tapestry of shared moments within the confines of the café where i worked.

time seemed to stand still as we forged memories in that small space, an oasis illuminated by the soft glow of dimmed lights. even on my days off, he made it his routine to visit the café or my apartment, seeking solace in our late-night rendezvous.

his presence became a cherished constant, a testament to the significance he placed on those stolen moments of respite. the fact that he chose to spend those precious hours with me carried a depth of meaning that words alone could not express.

amidst the flow of life, he became the anchor i had long sought—the elusive stability that had evaded me for so long. in the vastness of baguio, he emerged as my confidant and companion, my sole friend in this city of transient souls. together, we found solace in each other's company, weaving a cocoon of understanding and support.

through the laughter shared at the café and the whispered conversations during quiet nights, he became my refuge, and i, his. our bond transcended the mundane hours of midnight, blossoming into something profound and meaningful. in this bittersweet dance of fate, we discovered that sometimes, it is amidst the transient moments that the most enduring connections are forged.

as the day of his long-awaited graduation approached, mingyu extended an invitation for me to join him at his school, a bittersweet occasion that would mark both a milestone in his life and the end of our precious moments together. however, the timing couldn't have been more unfavorable, for my own finals still held me captive.

"i'm so sorry, gyu, but i don't think i can make it," i expressed, my voice tinged with a melancholic frown etched upon my face. searching his eyes for any trace of disappointment, i found instead a gentle smile, his understanding nature shining through.

"it's alright," he reassured me, his smile unwavering. "i know how daunting final exams can be. we'll just see each other after graduation." mingyu's ability to grasp the depth of my obligations and his unwavering acceptance spoke volumes of his character. in return for his kindness, i resolved to mirror his understanding, appreciating the unspoken bond that existed between us.

as the days marched forward, mingyu remained true to his promise and sought me out after his momentous graduation day. exhausted from hours of relentless studying, i found myself on the verge of sleep at the center table when a gentle knock echoed through my door, stirring me from the brink of slumber.

opening the door, i was met with the sight of mingyu, standing there with two duffel bags in both of his hands.

"came here to say goodbye." his nonchalant demeanor masked the momentous weight of his impending departure, as if he could shield me from the ache that would soon pervade my life.

"this sudden?" i managed to ask, a rush of alertness washing over me at the gravity of the situation.

"i have to. i need to find a place to stay there, and it's not easy to find something suitable," he replied, his words hinting at the hidden struggles he faced.

unable to find the right words, i simply gazed at him, a thousand unspoken emotions swirling within me. and then, before i could hold back, i enveloped him in a tight embrace. the realization of my only pillar of stability leaving me had yet to fully sink in, even though deep down, i had known that this day would come ever since that very first midnight we shared. he embraced me back, his arms mirroring the same profound emotions coursing through my being.

in the midst of our embrace, his whispered words pierced through the heavy silence, carrying a bittersweet melody that resonated deep within my heart. "i will miss you," he confessed tenderly, his voice laced with both longing and encouragement. "achieve your dreams in baguio, okay?"

the weight of his departure bore down upon me, rendering me speechless, my emotions swirling in a tempest of hurt and longing. i couldn't find the words to articulate the ache that clenched my chest, unable to express the depths of my own affection. and in that moment, as the weight of unspoken sentiments hung in the air, he uttered those three profound words that echoed through my soul.

"i love you."

time seemed to stand still as those heartfelt words lingered, their impact rippling through every fiber of my being. yet, my lips remained sealed, as if afraid to utter the fragile vulnerability that had blossomed within me. instead, i tightened my embrace, clinging to the precious fragments of our connection, silently vowing to carry his love with me, even as the physical distance between us grew.

in the wake of mingyu's departure, a profound realization washed over me: our time together had been fleeting, a mere flicker in the grand tapestry of life. yet, at least i could say that for once in my life, i had tasted the sweetness of having someone to call home. as i had pondered before, the notion of home is deeply personal, intricately woven into the unique experiences and connections we encounter along our journey.

perhaps home can be found in that unexpected place, where love and fondness intertwine with every breath we take. it could be a sanctuary that captures our hearts, even if its time in our lives is but a fleeting moment. or perhaps, home manifests in the form of an unexpected person who enters our world, bringing solace and understanding, but is never meant to stay.

8 months later..

as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, i find myself entrenched in the familiar embrace of the city i now call home. with each passing day, i work diligently, striving to gather more experience and wisdom in the café that witnessed the tender blossoming of my heart. my fourth year of college rolls on, and though the world around me evolves, i feel somewhat stagnant, yearning for something more. i lost contact with him a few weeks after he left. we eventually stopped messaging each other because we are both busy with our own lives. he's now a professional while i am still here waiting for a change.

amidst the shifting tides of time, my feelings endure, unyielding. as long as baguio city remains, it holds the solace of midnight and the memories of cherished moments with an old friend close to my heart.

in the midst of my reverie, the café's door chimed, breaking the silence and capturing my attention. i turned my gaze towards the entrance, and to my astonishment, a figure from the past stood before me. in that fleeting moment, a rush of memories, both tender and bittersweet, flooded my senses, as if time itself had slowed its relentless march.

our eyes met, and in that exchange, i witnessed a smile that emanated from his eyes, mirroring the curve of his lips. it was the same smile that once accompanied those three words that stirred both wonder and heartbreak within me for eight long months.

and in that instance, a glimmer of possibility sparked within me. perhaps, just perhaps...

"excuse me, could i have a large strawberry creme frappe, please?"

kim mingyu is meant to stay.

[sunb0rn]

Baguio//September 2023

@ipickedoutyourstar @realithei

Day 2 Elyu pa din dapat ito kung hindi nag katamaran mag beach at naisipan na mag sponty baguio *baka obvs sa damitan*

tamang (o mali?? haha) ikot lang, tapos lunch. nag ukay din saglit bago mamroblema sa sasakyan pabalik ng Elyu.

*huhu di nakapag random pics ng pag iikot/ukay*

nag FX na kami pauwi at hinahabol maka abot sa San Juan para mag dinner.

pagod pero enjoy bilang first time ko din maranasan mga ganong trip.

[kysrcsm]

Day 1 - Baguio City, Philippines

After a long tiring day from the office I went straight to Baguio. Ngayon nalang ulit nakapag travel. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's activities. I think I need to try that photo studio thing.

Ps. yes, medyo naging chubby tayo. Pero at least happy. ✨