@_elleong: #POV 2: Part 20 “My MVP” The morning they were set to leave, the air smelled of brewed coffee and sea salt. The sun had barely risen, but the whole house was already awake. Tita Janice was in the kitchen, humming as she wrapped snacks in brown paper bags. Astrid sat cross legged on the couch, pouting. “Kuya, bakit ang bilis niyo umalis?” she mumbled, chin propped on her palm. “Akala ko two weeks kayo dito.” Astrid said Jeo laughed, ruffling her hair. “Kung wala lang kaming game, I’d stay.”
“Lagi na lang may game,” she grumbled. “Ate, you’ll come back, right?” I smiled and knelt in front of her. “Of course. Baka next time, sabay na tayong mag braid ng hair.”
Her face lit up instantly. “Promise?”
“Promise.” Alona said. From behind us, Tita Janice called out, “Oh, Alona, I packed some dried mangoes for you. And para kay mama mo rin.”
“Salamat po, Tita.”
She smiled warmly. “I’m happy you came, ija. You made this house livelier.” I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just gave her a tight hug. She smelled like jasmine and morning air comforting and familiar. Outside, Jeo was loading their bags into the car, his shirt damp from the humidity. When he looked up and saw me watching, he smiled that easy smile of his the one that made it hard to think straight. “Ready?” he asked.
I glanced back at the beach house the blue walls, the wind chimes, Astrid waving through the window.
“Ready” said. The ride to the airport was quiet, the kind of silence that didn’t need words. The sea shimmered in the distance, the same sea that had felt like home just the night before. At the terminal, Jeo handed her boarding pass, his fingers brushing against mine.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Just… not ready to go back to reality yet. I love it here” Alona said. He chuckled softly. “Reality’s not so bad. I’ll still be there.”
“Yeah, but exams will be too” Isaid, rolling my eyes. He laughed, the sound light and familiar. “Fine. After the game, we’ll plan another break. Maybe somewhere closer this time.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Closer, meaning…?”
He smirked. “Batangas? Or, you know, your favorite coffee shop across campus.”
I nudged his arm. “That’s more like it.” When the plane took off, I looked out the window one last time. The ocean faded into clouds, and soon, the islands disappeared completely. Jeo leaned his head back, eyes closed, earphones in. But his hand found mine between the seats, fingers intertwining. “Next stop,” he murmured without opening his eyes, “home.” 
I looked at him his lashes, his steady breathing, the faint smile at the corner of his lips and thought, maybe home follows you wherever you let it. By the time they landed in Manila, the city had already sunk into its usual rhythm cars honking, people rushing, the air thicker with noise and movement. But even as we stepped out of the terminal, dragging our bags and heading straight for the waiting van to take him to the arena, I realized something. I didn’t feel the weight of leaving anymore. Because somewhere between the long drives, late night laughter, and quiet porch talks, I had stopped feeling like an outsider in his world. And as Jeo turned to me one last time before heading into the arena, grinning like he always did before a game, I just smiled back and said, “Play well, okay?”
He winked. “Always do when you’re watching.” And just like that, we were back to the noise, but somehow it didn’t feel loud anymore. #jeremiahong #jeoong #pov #au

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Saturday 18 October 2025 03:22:26 GMT