LMLY #02

"Uhm, to start this, let's divide it into five categories." I sighed. "Are you good with food, music, your standard, books, colors?"

He nodded. "Just go on where you are comfortable."

"What's your favorite food?" I asked as I cleared my throat. "Uh, mine is sisig and chicken curry."

He also cleared his throat before answering after listing my favorite foods. "Uhm, it's karne frita and maja blanca."

I raised my head when I heard my favorite food. "You also like maja blanca?"

He nodded and smiled at me. "More on when it have cheese on top,"

"I see." I nodded and wrote it down on my pad while he said his least favorite food.

"My least favorite is the pork blood stew." He sighed. "And anything with seafood."

"Allergic?" I asked and saw him nod at my peripheral vision.

"Uh, mine's tinola and misua." I coughed and he looked at me with worry visibly seen in his eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking. Why don't you like those?" He scoffed. "If it's fine with you,"

"Uh, don't bother asking. You won't get any answer from me." I shyly answered before proceeding with the other question for him. "What about your music taste? Should we just input artists or do you want a specific artist and his or her song?"

He scratched his nape. "I would gladly go with my artist."

I nodded. "We could include K-Pop here if you're a fan."

"Uh, I like TXT and Taylor Swift. I somehow dislike uh, these.," he uttered and I just nodded at him, accepting what he said before he handed me a paper with the names of the artists that he dislikes. I just find him cute being a MOA and a Swiftie at the same time.

"I love Taylor Swift and NCT." I smiled. "Whole unit, if you're going to ask,"

He pursed his lips. "They're plenty."

I chuckled. "They are."

"How come you memorized their faces?" One of his brows raised, which made me laugh again.

"I watch their vlogs." I smiled. "I like Doyoung so much."

I saw how he tilted his head on the other side as a smile started to form in his lips.

"I see." He stared at me. "What bands or groups do you detest?"

"Uh, I'll just write it down," I said as I shyly get his paper from the top of his desk as I wrote down the groups that I never find attractive.

He read it and smiled at me. "Thank you."

"Uh, next is…" I was about to say the word 'standard' when my friend called me. I just signaled her to sit down and so she did. "Are you in a hurry?"

She shook her head. "I'm not. I don't have any company if I will not go with you,"

I nodded as I stood up and fixed my things. Mark is just looking at me with a question in his eyes.

"Can we finish this while we're waiting on the line outside? I'm afraid we couldn't go home." I answered his looks and he agreed with me, so he also picked his things up and started turning off the switches before we went outside.

"Your standard?" I looked up at him because I did not expect that he's this tall.

I saw his adam's apple move before he moved his gaze down just to meet my eyes.

Those looks started to send shivers down my systems, like those eyes are meant to just look at me the whole time.

"Uh, what I like about her is that she's kind, and a great company." He's the one who broke the staring contest between the two of us and guided me when I was about to slip because I did not notice the freaking rock in front of me! Good heavens! 

"Oh, my Taliyah! Are you okay?" My friend immediately came to hold my elbows and assisted me to walk.

The man beside me chuckled a little that made my cheeks heat up and I'm surely turning as red as a strawberry right now.

"What I somehow dislike about her is that she's clumsy and she always prioritizes others before herself." He's still guiding me until we come in line for the jeepney that will go on our way.

"I'm sorry…" I can't help but be sorry for causing inconvenience. I really did not see the rock!

Yeah, convince yourself that you really did not see the rock because you're looking at your way.

"You don't have to be sorry, Taliyah." He gave me a genuine smile before he proceeded talking. "Books… I don't read that much, but I guess, it's going to be this…" he showed me his phone and when I saw the titles, I excitedly clapped my hands.

"I love those books!" I am still smiling when I look at him and he's not looking anywhere else aside from me. "How come a man like you wants to read books?"

"The girl I like loves these books, that is why I really have to read it all and know what I could do for her while analyzing each character's character." He smiled like he's pertaining to me.

I nodded in agreement with what he had just said.

"And what books made you turn off?" I asked when I saw the line moving a little bit faster.

"Ohh. This." He showed me a book again and my forehead creased.

"That's a beautiful book." I once again look up at him, not able to process why he doesn't like this book.

"Uh, yeah. It is. But it made her cry." He said before showing me another book title and I can't help but to shoot him with my stares, asking him, 'seriously?'.

"What? If the story made her cry, I wouldn't like it then." He rubbed his nape and said, "My favorite colors are green and yellow. I don't like orange and pink."

I saw how the line fastly moved. "Mine's green and blue. I don't have any color to hate, but I don't like the oh-so shiny ones."

Yoshi and Ishanna just came right before I could walk to the jeepney and told us to just come with them as they would eat outside.

"Jia?" She just gave me a nod and I promised to accompany her.

We decided to get out of the line and go to the shop where they parked Yoshi's car.

"Where are you going to eat?" I asked in the middle of their chitchats.

Mark handed me a sandwich, which I gladly received because I'm really hungry right now.

"Thank you." I started eating the tuna sandwich he handed me while still looking at the two people in front of us. "Would you two mind if you answer my question?"

"Aish, we're going to Yellow Cab." Yoshi answered.

"I don't like to eat there," I said, sounding like I created the law. "Let's go somewhere else who serve rice."

"Who are you for me to listen to you?" He irritably asked. "We already decided to eat at the Yellow Cub before fetching you, right?" He looked at Ishanna who bit her lower lip and nodded slowly.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and ate the sandwich I am still holding. "Pepper Lunch would be a great idea. Well, only if you'll listen."

;

We're now here in front of the mall. And now that we're already inside, I grabbed Jia's hand and we went into the Pepper Lunch's place here and to my dismay, there were a lot of people eating there.

"Do you want to eat at the food court?" I looked up at Mark, who's standing beside me now while his bag is just plainly placed on his shoulders.

"What are we going to eat there?" I diverted my gaze to Jia. "Where do you want to eat?"

"KFC." She sighed. "I don't have enough money for these kinds of restaurants."

I nodded and gave my look back to Mark and he's just waiting for my response.

"KFC?" I asked for his confirmation and he nodded before walking beside me.

On our way to KFC, we're all silent like we never talked or even knew each other.

"Find a seat. I'll take your orders." He offered when we're finally in front of KFC, so we instantly followed his words.

"What's yours? I'll tell him," I insisted once we got a seat for us.

"Rice bowl and hot shots, I guess." She handed me her wallet, so I went into the line and searched for Mark.

"Hey, uhm…" I was about to poke someone when a man in line beside the man I am standing beside grabbed my waist.

"Are you searching for me?" His brows arched.

I nodded and immediately told him what we want to have and he just gave me a reassuring smile before letting me go.

I was about to walk out of the line when I saw Yoshi and Ishanna walking towards us.

"I thought you already planned to eat at Yellow Cab? What made you walk here?" I asked, pissed because Yoshi's here and hello, he looks like he wanted to apologize.

"It's full," he sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did earlier, Taliyah."

I did not respond on what he said, instead I started walking out of their sight and went to our table where Jia's already talking to someone.

I cleared my throat and she looked at me. "Oh, Naomi, this is Shaun. My classmate,"

I gave him a nod before sitting down where I put my bag.

I saw Yoshi and Ishanna go beside our table and did not bother to collide our table with them.

Mark is already handling a tray when he gets back, followed by a staff.

"Thank you," he smiled and tapped the crew's shoulder before he placed our orders in front of us.

"Yo, Mark! What made you transfer?" Shaun asked Mark as if they really know each other.

And Mark on the other hand just gave him a wink before he proceeded with our food.

What's with that? I kinda feel awkward.