☾︎✿︎☽︎
“Home at last,” Gigi muttered as she put the car in park. “If I had to listen to your boy toy sing Baby Shark one more time, I was going to drive us into incoming traffic.”
She threw a disgusted side eye at the boy toy in question, who just grinned at her like the unapologetic gremlin he was.
“What? Zo said to play some music to fill the silence. She even gave me radio control privileges. I was just following orders.” Abby replied, feigning innocence.
She threw a disgusted side-eye at Abby, who grinned at her like a guilty golden retriever.
“Well, from now on, your radio privileges are revoked,” Zoey muttered, her eye twitching with annoyance.
“Ouch. My feelings,” he pouted, making Zoey roll her eyes.
“You’ll live. Let’s just go,” Zoey said, already reaching for the door handle, desperate for escape.
They jumped out of the car—well, Zoey jumped, Abby tumbled out dramatically. They were immediately greeted by the sight of a dark-skinned man in his mid-twenties standing tall and effortlessly dressed in a casual sweatshirt and joggers at the entrance of the double-story house.
“There he is,” Gigi beamed as she sashayed towards the man, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. Not a peck. A full-on, slow, performative but territorial kiss that lingered longer than it needed.
The man seemed slightly surprised but reciprocated the kiss, nonetheless. Zoey felt a hot flush of awkwardness and quickly looked down, pretending to be fascinated by the palm tree nearby
When they finally pulled apart, Caleb chuckled, a little breathless. “Uh… wow. What was that for?”
“I just missed you a lot, Caleb,” Gigi purred, running her hands on his chest.
“You saw me this morning,” he pointed out.
“What can I say, I’m clingy when it comes to you,” she replied.
His attention then shifted over her shoulder, his eyes landing on Zoey. A genuine, familiar smile spread across his face as he brushed past Gigi and approached her.
"Hey," he said breathlessly, closing the distance and pulling her into a hug.
"Hey," Zoey hugged him back.
The embrace lingered a moment too long, brushing against the boundaries of friendship. It felt almost too familiar—a rush of emotions from four years finally spilling over into the present.
Zoey cleared her throat awkwardly, giving him a gentle, firm pat on his back before pushing him away and creating a sliver of space between them.
He pulled back, but his hands still gently gripped her arms, a faint pink tinge colouring his cheeks. “Sorry. Wow. You’re really here.”
Zoey forced a light laugh, brushing non-existent lint from her jacket. “You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in years.”
“Four years is a long time,” he said, his voice soft before he seemed to remember they weren’t alone. He turned to the final member of their party.
Abby looked like he was trying very hard not to spontaneously combust. His eyes were wide, his lips were pursed into a thin line, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as if physically restraining his fanboy energy.
Before Caleb could even open his mouth, Abby exploded into motion, executing a perfect, almost 180-degree bow. “It is an absolute honour to meet you, sir!”
Caleb blinked, stunned, then let out a warm, surprised chuckle. He looked to Zoey for an explanation.
She sighed, the sound full of fond exasperation. “He’s a fan.”
“Ah,” Caleb said, understanding dawning. He extended a hand. “I’m Caleb. Nice to meet you.”
“Lee Woojin. I also go by Abel Lee, but friends call me Abby, sir,” Abby took Caleb’s hands with both of his and shook it.
“No need for the formalities, dude. We’re all equals here,” Caleb offered him a warm smile. “Come on in. You two must be exhausted and hungry.”
Zoey and Abby followed Caleb into the house, ignoring the tense look Gigi gave Zoey as they moved past her.
“We’re having dinner with the G.O.A.T. I must be dreaming. Pinch me.” Abby squealed.
Zoey nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t be weird.”
“Me? Weird? I am the epitome of cool! I am chill incarnate!” he whispered, his eyes still filled with excitement.
Zoey sighed. This was going to be a long night.
☾︎✿︎☽︎
The backyard was straight out of a magazine. The soft golden lights glowed beneath the balcony. The blue hues of the pool shimmered beautifully in its surroundings, and the warm air was comfortable enough to sit outside without a jacket.
The group was seated at the long dining table near the edge of the pool, with candles flickering in the centre, creating a cosy atmosphere. The soft clinking of utensils against plates filled the air, creating a perfect backdrop for their lively conversation.
“Thanks again for having us,” Zoey said. “The food is amazing.”
Caleb let out a soft laugh. “I tried. Gigi kinda let me know you were coming back on short notice,” he explained. “So, we didn’t have much to prepare a big feast in honour of your return.”
“I was occupied. You know how swamped I was with wedding preparations, babe,” Gigi replied.
“Well, you really outdid yourself even on short notice,” Abby said with praise in his tone. “And what’s this… smooth, fluffy—cake-thing?”
Caleb laughed. “That’s sadza. It’s from my home country, Zimbabwe. It’s cornmeal cooked into a thick, smooth dough.”
Abby blinked. “Oh. Is it good?”
“Why don’t you try it?” Caleb teased, nodding toward Abby’s plate. “Think of it like our version of bap in Korea — but made from corn instead of rice.”
Abby turned to Zoey. “Have you ever tried this before?” he asked.
“Yeah, a few times when I came over to his place back in the day,” she answered. “His sister always cooked it twice a week. It’s really good. Try it.” She nudged him.
Abby stared at the sadza in his plate before scooping it with a spoon. He took a cautious bite before putting the spoon down and letting out a sigh.
Zoey furrowed her eyebrows and leaned in, worried. “Is it bad—?”
“Why did no one tell me this is AMAZING?!” He exclaimed.
Caleb cracked up. “Is he always this dramatic?” he asked Zoey.
“That’s putting it lightly,” Zoey replied with a sigh.
“Come on! This is elite comfort food,” Abby declared. “I’m offended no one exported this to Korea,” he turned to Caleb. “How do I get a lifetime supply of this?”
Caleb laughed. “Come to Zimbabwe, my friend. I have a feeling you’ll love it there.”
“Did you cook this?” Zoey asked, turning to Gigi.
Caleb laughed softly. “Nah, I handled the sadza and most of the food. She’s not really a fan of cooking it.”
“How come?” Abby asked.
“It was aggressive,” Gigi deadpanned.
“She doesn’t like it when it fights back. The thick paste tends to spatter on you when it’s simmering,” he explained, then added with a chuckle. “She got burned once, and that did it for her.”
“Girl, you totally survived getting burned by hot oil. This should be a piece of cake for you,” Zoey teased.
“Please, you cried when we watched Kubo and the Two Strings,” Gigi shot back. “You’re the last person who can tell me what I can or can’t handle.”
Zoey’s cheeks turned bright red. “I was a kid!”
“We were 14,” Gigi reminded her.
“Well, according to the law, anyone under 18 is still a kid,” Zoey argued stubbornly.
“You ain't slick, Geobug-i. You cried during Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, too,” Abby jumped in.
Zoey sputtered, “That was a long time ago!”
“It was your college sophomore year,” Abby grinned cheekily.
“Speaking of college,” Gigi said, giving Zoey a polite, razor-edged smile. “Still doing that music thing? Since… you know… no degree.”
The light-hearted banter evaporated instantly. The clinking of utensils stopped abruptly as tension thickened and the silence filled the air around the table.
Zoey froze mid-chew, the fork hovering over her lips, feeling her blood turn cold, and her throat tighten. Abby's playful expression dropped. He didn’t say anything—didn’t jump in immediately the way he usually would—but his jaw clenched, staring at Gigi’s smug face. Caleb's eyes darted around the table, confused by the sudden shift in atmosphere and let out an awkward laugh despite himself.
“What’s this about?” he asked.
“Didn’t you hear?” Gigi casually dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Z dropped out of uni to be a Soundcloud rapper or whatever,” She replied.
Zoey swallowed hard. Heat crept up her neck, embarrassment blooming fast and ugly.
“I’m not just a Soundcloud rapper, you know,” she said quietly, her eyes fixed on her plate. “I also write and produce music.”
“Yeah, she’s written and produced music for famous artists,” Abby jumped in.
Gigi scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Artists also write and produce their own music. Their music will still chart, with or without her help.”
“Still doesn’t make her part less relevant. Artists and labels still need music producers and songwriters,” Abby pointed out.
Gigi hummed. “Still don’t see how that’s worth dropping out of university for, especially since that’s the reason her parents even allowed her to move to South Korea in the first place.”
Zoey sat in silence, the weight of Gigi's words pressing heavily on her chest, and the guilt started gnawing at her insides.
Caleb sighed, setting his fork down. “…Gigi.”
She blinked innocently. “What? I’m just saying. I finished college, earned my degree, and secured a stable job, and she quits when things get hard.”
Zoey stayed silent, swallowing the lump in her throat.
That hurt more than arguing ever would.
Caleb exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
“Okay, but there’s nothing wrong with dropping out,” Caleb pointed gently. Some of the most successful people did—Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg, Oprah. And it’s not like she even wanted to do the degree anyway.”
“Oh, please, Caleb. You did a degree you never wanted to do, but still managed to graduate.”
“Yeah, because I was on a scholarship, Gigi. A full one. Tuition, housing, everything. Dropping out wasn’t an option for me. If I quit, I’d lose my funding, my visa, and my place on the team. And it’s not like she needs a degree to write and produce music anyway.”
Gigi’s smile tightened. “Of course, you’d take her side.”
“I’m not taking sides. It’s the truth,” he reasoned. “And you know Zoey’s been writing songs since middle school. Even back when we were in high school, she had stacks of notebooks. I remember we always passed by the stationery store so she could buy a new one on our way home.” His eyes softened with nostalgia.
Zoey’s cheeks flushed. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Zo, you had mountains of notebooks stacked in your closet,” he laughed.
Abby perked up. “She still does! She almost killed me for misplacing one of them. I thought she was going to turn me into a roast corncob.”
Zoey whipped her head toward him. “That’s because you left it on the bus seat, Abby!”
“You told me to hold it!”
“Yes! Hold it, not abandon it like a Victorian orphan! You’re lucky the bus driver was kind enough to pick it up and return it to me the next day!”
“Disclaimer: no abs or family jewels were harmed in the process,” Abby flashed a cheeky grin.
Zoey sighed.
Caleb laughed, amused.
Gigi rolled her eyes, irritated.
She cut in sharply. “Anyway. Wedding planning. Zoey, I’ll need you at your A-game. No flaking.”
“Already?” Zoey asked, confused. “Girl, you just got engaged. I’d have thought planning your engagement party comes first.”
Caleb blinked. “What? No—the wedding’s in a few weeks.”
Zoey’s eyes almost jumped out of her sockets. Abby’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline.
“A few weeks?!” Zoey exploded.
“Damn. Y’all didn’t waste time,” Abby commented, dumbfounded.
“No, no. Gigi and I have been engaged for a year. We already had our engagement party just a month after I proposed and basically covered most of the wedding planning except the venue, décor and wedding attire for the wedding party,” Caleb explained before turning back to Gigi, confused. “Wait? Is that why you invited her at the last minute?”
Zoey’s heart sank.
A year. Last minute.
Her best friend since childhood had been engaged for a year, and she didn’t even know until now. She didn’t know what hurt more, finding out about it during the dinner they hosted, or that Gigi never thought to include her in a big event in her life.
Gigi rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that look.”
Zoey blinked. “What look?”
“That wounded puppy look you always wear when you feel like I betrayed you or something.”
“How am I supposed to look after finding out that my best friend has been engaged for a year and didn’t even tell me?”
“Don’t make this about you, Zoey.”
“I’m not. I just—" Zoey retorted defensively, but was immediately silenced by Gigi’s glare, which was sharp enough to cut. Whatever she had intended to say dissolved on her tongue. She swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking away the tears that were threatening to pool in her eyes.
Then Abby cleared his throat loudly.
“Well,” he said, clapping his hands together once, the sound cutting through the tension like a reset button. “This feels like a great moment to commemorate the night before someone flips a table. Who’s up for a group selfie?”
All eyes were on him
“Wait, now?” Zoey asked, taken aback by the sudden shift.
“Yeah, why not?” he replied, already pulling his phone out. “We did survive dinner with the G.O.A.T. and his… lovely fiancée,” he dramatically side-eyed Gigi. “Plus, I get to brag to the gang back home that I met the Caleb Dela Cruz. Come on. Future Mrs Dela Cruz, scoot in and put on your best plastic smile.”
Zoey shot him a look. “Abby—”
“Relax, geobug-i. She’s been hurling jabs all night. I’m sure she can handle a few light insults or two,” he grinned, standing and circling the table, ignoring the glare Gigi drilled behind his head. “And you’re not allowed to hide.”
Everyone moved into the frame. Gigi slid closer to Caleb, who slid his arm over her shoulder. Zoey leaned forward and raised two peace signs with her hands and forced a smile. It was small and tight, but a smile, nonetheless.
“Yes! Keep that ‘we come in peace energy,’ Zo. At least we’ll look civil.” Abby said.
Caleb chuckled.
Gigi rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.
Zoey sighed but smiled, genuinely this time, despite herself and felt herself relax.
“Say ‘wedding stress!’” Abby chirped.
The flash went off.
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