JANELL POV

It was rush hour, and the restaurant was crowded with customers. I was taking my training exam with my colleagues when a man suddenly came from behind. His aura seemed kind of arrogant and bossy as he approached our table to check and correct our answers on the training exam. Little did he know that I had already finished and knew the correct answers. And then, he bluffed. 

DHON POV

It was an ordinary busy day. I was on duty at one of the fast food chains in Balanga, where I had already been working for years. Like any other day, everything felt normal nothing special. Until some newly hired staff members finished their orientation. As they were walking by, I noticed this girl going down the stairs. She immediately caught my attention. She was simple, pretty, and had a beautiful smile. There was something about her aura that was so easy to be attracted to. As the days passed, I saw her taking her training exam. As a senior staff member, I came to their table to check on them and help if she needed anything. But surprisingly, she had already finished her exam, and she got everything right. As I looked at her, she seemed surprised and even a little irritated by my presence.

JANELL POV

I continued working as a service crew. At that time, we were required to rotate between different stations. You could be assigned as a cashier today and work in the dining area the following day. But on that particular day, I was assigned to the fries area, where I became the fry man.

In the middle of my shift, an accident happened. The clip from the frying pan accidentally fell into the boiling oil, causing the hot oil to splash onto my arms and burn me. Luckily, it wasn’t a major burn, so I went upstairs to the crew room to get first aid. Then, after a few moments, he suddenly came over, held my arm, and asked, “Napano ka? Okay ka lang ba? Lagyan mo agad ng ointment.” I just shook my head.

But deep inside, I thought, He’s not as arrogant and bad as I thought he was during our first encounter.

That was when my first impression of him slowly started to change.

DHON POV

Days passed, and work duties started piling up. On one particular day, I saw this girl again. We didn’t get to see each other often because we had different work schedules, and she was also studying at that time. Then came our first time having the same schedule a morning shift. As the restaurant got busier and we were all busy at our different stations, an accident happened. We suddenly heard a scream. When I looked, I saw this girl nearly crying and in pain. Her arms had been burned. I watched as she went to the crew room to get treated.

A few moments later, it was my break time. When I went to the crew room, she was still there, so I approached her and asked if she was okay and if her wounds had already been treated. She simply smiled and said, “Okay lang ako, salamat.” It was short and simple, but for the first time, she smiled at me.

JANELL POV

It was midterm exam week, and I still had a morning duty. I was in a hurry to finish my work so I could get to campus in time to take my midterm exam. Because I was rushing, I forgot my favorite tumbler at the store.

As a very sentimental person, I really hated losing things that meant something to me. It stressed me out so much, especially since the following day was my rest day. I wouldn’t be able to go to work, and I already had other plans that day, so I just let it go and waited for my next duty. Finally, my next duty came. The first thing I did when I got to work was look for my tumbler. I was already very frustrated because I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t even remember where I had put it or where I had left it. It wasn’t at my station or in my locker.

I was so sad, and just when I was about to give up, I saw this guy in my peripheral vision drinking from a yellow tumbler. I sneaked a glance to check, and yes it was my tumbler! So, I directly told him, “Kuya, tumbler ko ’yan.” He simply smiled and asked, “Sa’yo ba ’to?”

DHON POV

We were required to bring our own cup or tumbler so we would have a personal one to use for drinking. Being the easygoing type of person that I am, and not wanting to go through any hassle, I would sometimes just drink from whatever cup I could find or borrow one from a friend. At the start of the day, I already knew that it was going to be a long and busy duty, with extended hours. So, I fixed myself up in the crew room and was about to start my work. Before going downstairs, I saw this yellow tumbler sitting on the table. There was no name on it, so without any hesitation, I took it to use. No one was around, and I thought that if someone came looking for it, I could simply return it. But for the meantime, I decided to use it. My duty ended, and no one came looking for the tumbler, so I just kept it and planned to use it again the following day. I even asked some of my colleagues if they knew who the owner was, but no one knew. So, I decided to keep it for the meantime.

The next day, it was the same routine and the same duty. In the middle of my shift, I got thirsty, so I grabbed the yellow tumbler and took a drink from it. Little did I know, the owner was already flipping the whole store upside down looking for her missing tumbler. And then she caught me in the act. She came directly toward me, not asking, but confidently saying, “Kuya, tumbler ko ’yan.” I simply smiled and replied, “Sa’yo ba ’to?”

JANELL POV

I was so bored. It was the same routine every day study, work, work, study. That night, it was particularly long, quiet, and boring. Then, a naughty little idea suddenly popped into my mind. I remembered a conversation I had with my friends earlier that afternoon. Two of my colleagues, who eventually became my best friends, and I were talking about who was the most handsome guy in our workplace. As teenagers, we were really hooked on the idea of having crushes. Both of my friends mentioned the same name: “Dhon.” I asked, “Yung PC?” They said, “Yes.” We then agreed on a bet: whoever managed to get close to, flirt with, or somehow end up with this guy would get treated to a meal at one of the pizza houses in our place. And so, the bet started. I wasn’t really sure if it was a serious bet or just something we were joking about, but a bet is a bet so, why not play along? That night, I asked one of our colleagues if she could give me Don’s contact number. She gave me a number, but unfortunately, it was the wrong one. Luckily, one of my male friends texted me and told me that the number she gave me was incorrect. He then gave me the right one. After receiving the number, I didn’t think twice. I texted him directly:

“Hi, is this Dhon?”

A few minutes later, he replied: “Sino to”?

I answered : Janell

He replied : “Sinong Janell?”

I answered, “Crew.”

He replied, “Ahh, yung may-ari ng tumbler.”

I said, “Yes.”

After a little introduction and some getting-to-know-you conversation, he suddenly started sending some not-solovable, kind of green-minded messages. I immediately stopped him and said:

“Sorry, I don’t like this kind of conversation.”

He apologized, and I decided to end the conversation there.

The following morning, when I woke up, I had a couple of messages from him:

“Oy Ja, sorry kagabi. Akala ko kasi hindi ikaw ’yan at may nanloloko lang sa’kin. Lasing din kasi ako.”

As a forgiving person, I simply replied: “It’s okay. See you at work.”

DHON POV

I was the type of person who believed in the idea that you only live once. I was close to everyone, worked freely, and wasn’t committed to anyone. I enjoyed my freedom. From time to time, I would go out with friends, drink, and have a good time until morning. It never crossed my mind that there was someone who would unexpectedly come into my life and change everything. That night, I was having drinks with my friends. I had already had quite a few when I received a text message:

“Hi, is this Don?”

I replied : “Sino ’to?”

She answered : “Janell.”

I replied : “Sinong Janell?”

She answered : “Crew.”

I replied : “Yung may-ari ng tumbler.” She answered : “Yes.”

Under the influence of alcohol, I thought someone was just trying to make fun of me, so I didn’t take the conversation seriously. I started sending her some flirtatious messages, until she responded: “Sorry, I don’t like this kind of conversation. Goodnight.”

And somehow, from that moment, it felt like the alcohol suddenly flushed out of my system. Totoo kaya ’yun? I started wondering if it was really her. I texted her again, simply saying, “Sorry. Goodnight.” The following morning, I woke up and read our messages again. I just shook my head. I was so drunk the night before, and I immediately felt guilty about the things I had texted her. So, without thinking twice, I messaged her:

“Oy Ja, sorry kagabi. Akala ko kasi hindi ikaw ’yan at may nanloloko lang sa’kin. Lasing din kasi ako.” A few minutes later, she replied: “It’s okay. See you at work.”

I smiled. I didn’t know it yet, but that simple conversation was the beginning of something I never expected.

JANELL & DHON

And the rest is history

It all started in 2011 with two people who never imagined that a simple encounter at a fast-food restaurant would change their lives. A first impression that went wrong, a small accident, a missing yellow tumbler, and a simple text message became the beginning of their unexpected love story. They were young, carefree, and had no idea where life would take them.

Fifteen years passed. They broke up several times. They fought, hurt each other, and sometimes hated each other. There were moments when they thought their story had already ended. But somehow, no matter how many times they fell apart, they always found their way back to each other. They were never a perfect couple. Their journey was messy, complicated, and far from a fairytale. But through every fight, every heartbreak, and every second chance, one thing remained certain their love was real. And after 15 years of loving, losing, forgiving, and choosing each other over and over again. They are finally here. Not perfect. Not without scars. Just two people who found their way back to each other and this time, they’re choosing forever.