"Misa De Gallo" | Ryujin x Reader

Ten minutes remained until the evening's last mass started. Before you explored, you parked your vehicle properly onto the vacant spot in the parking lot. As you entered the sacred area wearing your formal clothes of choice for attending a mass, you took in the cool, windy evening air that caressed your skin.

Looking around the sacred building and its surroundings, you saw a lot of people, probably less than the batch who were gathered an hour earlier, judging by the number of individuals who left and headed home as you showed up at your destination.

That didn't seperated them for a difference that majority  of them wears a smile in their faces, it is unknown whether what's going on through their minds but certainly for sure you knew that they're glad that they got to experience having a Misa De Gallo with their loved ones.

Misa De Gallo or Simbang Gabi if you will translate it in Tagalog, is a part of Filipino culture, mainly influenced from the Spanish during their time of colonization in the Philippines, through their intention of implementing and propagating the religion known as Catholic to the Filipino people.

As part of the religious beliefs ingrained in Filipino culture, it is believed that if you attend evening mass on all nine nights—the ninth being known as Misa De Gallo—your one special wish for the upcoming year will be fulfilled.

Aside from your enthusiasm to pray to God to express your gratitude and requests for guidance in life, that is precisely your intention for coming to this church. Over the previous several years, you haven't had the opportunity to complete the Misa De Gallo because, either at first, you weren't interested, or after you and your family attempted to go, you established a premise that primarily links your decision to participate to the availability of your family.

However, you haven't been able to experience Misa De Gallo for a long time because of some personal circumstances that they have been going through for the past two years following the lessened strictness of the safety guidelines for COVID a year prior to that, allowing people to attend with more freedom and caution.

Not until today.

Knowing that your siblings won't be able to start over again that automatically brought your parents also to remain and check upon them, you've decided to do it alone this time. You're left with no option but to finish the nine night masses by yourself.

Entering the chapel, you could convey how serene and bizarre it is to experience this all by yourself regardless of the fact that you're still being a little bit sleepy along with the people present inside since it was still quite early in the morning when the sun hasn't risen yet.

The unexaggerated noises of the crowd sufficient to keep yourself quiet while waiting for the mass to be prepped up, the dazzling decorations around the chapel and the graceful ambience of the holy structure says it all.

About almost half an hour later, the mass is ongoing. The priest starts to pronounce his first prayer after the insightful sermon he just recited to the devoted crowd. You tried to admire the view of all of the people politely listening to the wise words from the Bible with grace and when you were looking around, a side profile of a very intriguing woman drew your attention for a while.

Throughout the remainder of the time, your eyes never left on the woman sitting beside you, mesmerized at how beautiful her appearance was. Her presence almost created this strange vibe as if the people around became blurry and the only ones that exists are you and her in the midst of the glimmering lights from the divine chapel.

You walked home, successfully finishing your first single night mass with a smile on your face, astounded by it while being curious at the same because of encountering that woman.

On the third night, you were looking for some available seat when you unbelievably spotted again the same woman that you met from the first two nights. Yesterday you have got to see her but unfortunately she was on the other row of the aisle rather.

Noticing that she doesn't have anyone with her yet, you made the initiation on taking the opportunity to sat beside her.

"Let us offer one another a sign of peace." The priest extends his hands to the air, giving the signal for the crowd to follow. Everybody exchanged short messages of "peace be with yous" to those they can set their eyes for. You looked at each your sides, and for the first time; the girl has captured your gaze.

"Peace be with you." She bowed at you and flashed her cute grin. You couldn't help but to smile in delight too at how contagious her display was, along with your own words in return for her.

You walked home, successfully finishing your third single night mass with a smile on your face, uplifted by it while being intrigued at the same because of encountering that woman.

On the fourth night, they have once again sat at the same chair, almost got you into wondering if this has became a fate that was casted for you as an additional christmas gift sent from God herself to often meet this woman.

You and her both noticed the empty space between them as it was brought by the mutual shyness, prompting you into surmising that she may have started to find it suspicious now too. You could just hope that she won't take it a wrong turn.

A mother with her child appeared on their row, and you had no choice but to adjust yourself closer to her. You didn't look at her to get her out of thinking you may have stalking her everyday, but in your surprise, the woman talked to you for the first time.

"Aren't you the same guy I've seated with from yesterday and the days before that?" You finally heard her voice. It suited her alluring and hypnotizing looks, kind of deep and sultry.

You inclined your head, giving her the look of acknowledgment. "O-oh yeah, wait a second. You do are right.", fakely amazed as you pointed the obvious. "Now it got me wondering the same too."

The girl laughed and my oh my it was so pleasant to hear. "This is beyond just a simple coincidence now, I should say. It's our fourth straight in a row meeting at this point.", she mentioned through her impressive English with a hint of that Korean accent that you have observed, putting you into another observance that she's probably a foreigner too.

"I wouldn't be surprised now if we did get to make it happen again for tomorrow." You chuckled. The woman shared the same sentiment and nodded at you.

Through that, it started to provide you a wider sense of recognizing each other praying and listening together respectfully to the entirety of the mass.

You walked home, successfully finishing your fourth single night mass with a smile on your face, contented by it while being lucky at the same because of finally accomplishing that you get to communicate with that woman.

On the fifth night, they have sat again at the same spot and made a deal that they'll continue this through the remaining masses before Christmas. This also marked your first exchange of greetings with her too, adding a more wholesomeness to it.

As the Our Father (or commonly known as Ama Namin in Tagalog) prayer began, you felt an unusual damp of touch to your free hand. You looked to the side and your eyes widened, realizing that the girl took your hand in her own will.

Your fingers slowly curled and clamped on her grip and nervously sang with her. In your mind was thoughts running in imagination that the heavens might probably singing together with them as they witnessed this lovely spectacle.

Before you and her parted ways, they both decided that in order to make their interaction more comfortable and welcoming, they decided started to get to know each other more at the conclusion of the mass.

Being true to their words, they have indeed continued to do so on the following 6th, 7th, and 8th nights. They've done it through exchanging social media accounts, and it has come to your knowledge that her name is Shin Ryujin, sharing the same age as you in 22 years and she is half Korean and half Filipina from her mother's side.

There were other times that you have done a more daring and challenging attempt to get closer on her, taking the time when you escorted her on her house after she noticed that there's no transportation available due to the stampede and traffic outside the church.

"I-I can take you home if you want to." You offered, remembering that you have your own motorcycle with you. Fortunately, only motors can pass through in this not so tight traffic.

"Y-you sure, YN?" Ryujin checked. "It must be embarassing for me to-"

You interrupted her words, wanting her to feel not shy and guilty that she may have pressuring you to do this. "No, I swear I'm being absolute generous right now, Ryujin. You said that your parents may have been looking now for you, and we don't want them to keep waiting longer in worry, don't we?"

Ryujin sighed and tightlipped. She lowered her head, still a sign of shame atleast that she just had somebody she just newly met had to accommodate and adjust for her sake. "You don't have to do this but... if that's what you want then I won't be resisting much more." She slowly nodded and frowned. "Sure, I'll come with you."

You are thankful for her trust that you have earned, and you have no intentions to ruin and waste it. Quickly setting up your motorcycle, you let her sit first before you do like a true gentleman. Starting your engine, you gripped onto the handles and fixed your helmets properly first before rolling the wheels.

"Hold on to me if you want to so that you may not fall, okay?" You gave her one more tip before leaving the chapel together and finding an alternate way to pass through the traffic.

You were busy on keeping your sight on the road until your body was sent into shivers and beats of your heart almost chasing the speed of your driving when you unexpectedly felt that Ryujin's body is pressed on your back, with her arms wrapped around your waist.

Through her directions, you and her reached her safe haven as you discovered her place for the first time also. Parking in front of her house, you hopped out first so that you can help her also hop out from her seat.

Removing your helmets, she looked at you and bowed down in gratefulness. "Thank you so much for taking me home, YN. I really appreciated sparing me from out there." She felt touched at your kind act.

"No problem, I couldn't just let you there be alone and feeling lost, especially that you haven't been familiar yet around there." You said.

"Take care on your way home, okay?" She patted you in the shoulder. "I still need to see you tomorrow."

You blushed and laughed at her silliness and heartfelt favor. "I will, Ryujin. We will meet again, don't worry."

You and her gave waves of goodbye to each other before you ride your motorcycle and drove all the way now to your home. You then found out on the 8th night that the reason she said that was to treat you for some street foods after the mass as her way of expressing her appreciation more for your kindness.

They made it together at the very end. on the 9th and last night before Christmas arrives, Ryujin detected a glimpse of your uncomfortable and sullen demeanor. She sweared that she could atleast barely see you smiling genuinely through the whole length of the mass, and she hated how you're easily making her sympathy for you without having to know the story behind of it yet.

That's why she decided to ask it straightforward to you, especially that she did felt something's wrong based from your lack of focus to your surroundings. It got interrupted shortly when you invited her to try this famous Filipino delicacy during Christmas season known as Bibingka.

You bought each one for you and her. She didn't ate it yet because of it's too much hotness since it was freshly cooked. You did the same, and Ryujin didn't want to spend another time being uneasy at the silence developing between you and her so she poured her confidence to ask you.

"What's gotten into you? You seemed quiet tonight." Ryujin spoke out her observings. You looked at her with that pale expression. "Cmon don't be like that, we literally just finished all the nine night masses. Do you have a problem? You can share it to me if you want."

Ryujin passed the wrapped Bibingka on the plastic back and forth in her hands to endure its heat before trying to place it on her clothed lap. You sighed and looked at her in sorrow, feeling bad for making her worry. "I'm sorry, I just had this realization since earlier this morning."

"Care to tell?" Ryujin pardoned.

"Well, you just said that tonight's the last Misa De Gallo, and now we're about to greet Christmas later." You said in a melancholic tone. "Doesn't it mean that this might be one of our last or... i don't know, exactly the last time that we'll get to share a moment like this?

Because I must say, it has become awesome for me. So much that I didn't want to end it yet, with you."

Ryujin stares at you, allowing you to speak what's boggling through your heart and mind. She did smiled at your note that you're enjoying her company throughout these 9 nights of meeting her.

"I'm not just speaking it as from what I experience from all those nights I've spent on getting along with you, this is me being the guy whom you managed you steal my attention since the beginning." You said to her, not leaving your sight on her while you sincerely releasing all of the sensation  she had caused that is lingering into your insides.

"I'm interested on you, Shin Ryujin."

Ryujin's eyes blinked rapidly, her mouth partly gaped and cheeks reddened on the spot when you declared your admiration for her. "I know it was a bit fast, that I only got to meet you for only less than 2 weeks, that's why I didn't fully recognized it already that I love you already or what, but I know i'll get there. I mean, it always comes to that way when you couldn't get to turn your eyes away at that one person right, and that is you for me, Ryujin."

Ryujin wheezed and scratched her forehead. She sighed and smiled at you. "And now you're trying to get through my feelings, I thought I wouldn't get to witness it at all, but now I did."

You gave her the opportunity to speak on her own behalf now, while albeit nervous at what she's going to say, brought by the fear that this may have cost your shortly built closeness with her.