Chapter Text
Mingyu and Mia his 10 year old daughter are arguing habang papasok sa lobby ng condo building.
"It's Friday naman." Mia wanted to stay with her grandparents kaso kapag nandun sya puro laro lang silang magpipinsan kaya hindi sya pinayagan ni Mingyu.
"Nope. Tapusin mo muna lahat ng homework mo. Ihahatid kita bukas."
Sumakay sila ng elavator pero bago pa magsara yung elevator someone asked to hold the door.
Mukang bagong lipat ito dahil may bitbit itong box at may bag na nakasukbit sa balikat nito.
"Anong floor po?" Mia asked.
"Same floor." Jeonghan smiled when he saw na nakailaw na yung #10 button.
Nginitian din sya ni Mia.
"Ikaw yung bagong lipat sa tabi namin?"Mingyu asked.
Jeonghan looked clueless malay ba nya kung saan yung unit nila.
"Unit 1006 po kami. I'm Mia and this is my dad Mingyu. If you need help po you can ask my daddy." Sabad ni Mia.
"Thank you pero last na to. Nahakot ko na lahat. I'm Jeonghan. Sa 1004 ako."
Naninibago si Mingyu sa anak. Hindi ito basta makikipag usap sa mga bagong kilala lalo na sa stranger but here she is, sya pa yung nag initiate ng conversation.
Naunang lumabas ng elevator si Jeonghan because Mingyu hold the button for him.
Jeonghan thanked them bago ito nagpunta sa unit nya.
"Dad, will you cook dinner?" Mia asked her dad pagkalabas nito ng kwarto dala dala yung books nya. Naupo sya sa carpeted na sahig sa living room nila.
"Yeah, anong gusto mo?"
"Make lasagna. Let's invite our new neighbor for dinner."
Mingyu looked at his child. He knows kung anong ginagawa ng anak nya. Irereto sya nito sa bagong kapitbahay.
"What?"
"Sige na, daddy. He looks nice naman."
Mingyu gave in. Wala namang masama kung iinvite nila yung bagong neighbor nila.
"Okay. Tapusin mo na yang homework mo."
He headed to the kitchen and started cooking.
After nyang ilayer yung pasta sa baking dish nilagay nya ito sa oven and went back to his daughter.
"Mia, panay ka cellphone. Did you finish your homework?" Striktong sabi nya. He's a strict and protective parent, natural lang naman yun dahil babae yung anak nya. Like, in our today's society mabuti na yung maging protective kesa mapano yung anak nya. But isn't ironic? He's letting a stranger na maghapunan kasama sila. Pero sabi nga ni Mia he looks nice naman. And handsome.
'Pero mas bagay yata sa kanya yung pretty.' He smiled with that thought. Pero dinismiss din nya agad yung naisip nya. He's not even sure if his neighbor is straight or plays for both teams or gay. Sya nga hindi nya alam if he plays for both teams dahil he only had girlfriends.
"Tawagin mo na yung neighbor natin."
Mia got up from the floor at dali dali syang lumabas nang unit nila.
Jeonghan is still in the process of moving. Well, last week pa sya nakapag move pero ngayong araw pa lang sya makakapag ayos ng unit nya.
He's baking cookies because he wants his kitchen to smell like cookies. He likes the smell of freshly baked cookies, the sugary vanilla notes and the subtle hints of spices. He's planning to give the cookies to his neighbors na naksakay nya sa elevator.
He's putting the cookies on the cooling rack when he heard a knock. Iniwan nya muna yung ginagawa nya para tignan kung sino yung kumakatok. He checked the monitor first bago nya binuksan yung pintuan nya.
"Hey!" He greeted.
Naamoy ni Mia yung freshly baked cookies.
"Nagbake po kayo? Are those cookies po?" Mia asked.
"Yeah. Pasok ka na muna." Jeonghan apologized na hindi pa ganon kaayos yung unit nya. Yung kitchen palang yung naayos nya.
"Okay po. I'm here to invite you po for dinner. Nagluto po si daddy."
"Hindi ba nakakahiya?" Jeonghan is putting the rest of the cookies on the cooling rack.
"No po. Kami lang naman po ni daddy." Kwento ni Mia.
Sinabi nya kay Mia na para sa kanila yung cookies pero hindi pa pwedeng ilagay sa jar kasi mainit pa. Mia suggested na balikan na lang nila after nilang magdinner.
"Dessert na lang po. Can I call you tito po?"
"Of course." Jeonghan smiled.
"Hi, hindi ba nakakahiya?" tanong ni Jeonghan kay Mingyu nang makapasok na sila sa unit nila.
Napansin ni Jeonghan na nakapag bihis na ito, hindi na ito naka dress shirt. Nakapambahay na ito at hindi nakaligtas kay Jeonghan kung gaano kaganda yung katawan ng kapitbahay. Yes, pasimple nyang tinignan ito pababa at pataas.
Mingyu checked out his neighbor too. Nagustuhan nya yung medyo may kahabaang buhok ni Jeonghan.
Mingyu smiled.
"No, it's fine. Pawelcome na namin sayo." Sabi ni Mingyu at inaya sya nito papuntang kusina.
Mia set the table naglagay sya ng mga plato at kubyertos sa pang-apatang mesa.
Mingyu took the lasagna out from the oven and put on the table. He asked Mia and Jeonghan na maupo. Mia said grace bago sila nag umpisang kumain.
"It's my daddy's specialty po." Pagyayabang ni Mia.
"Kaya pala masarap. Thank you for inviting me." Sabi ni Jeonghan and sumubo ng lasagna.
"May kapalit po. Yung cookies." Nakangising sabi ni Mia.
Pinandilatan ni Mingyu yung anak nya. Pero tinawanan lang sya ni Mia.
"Yeah. I baked them for you. Kunin natin mamaya." Sabi ni Jeonghan.
Tahimik lang silang kumain except kapag may sinasabi ni Mia.
"Daddy, tito Jeonghan's unit smells good. Amoy cookies. Excited na ako to try them." Kwento ni Mia. Mingyu smiled at the older.
Nang matapos silang kumain, Jeonghan helped Mingyu na maglagay nga mga dishes sa sink. The taller didn't let him wash the dishes. Nakakahiya daw dahil bisita sya.
"Okay. I'll get the cookies. Balik ako."
"Tito, can you help me with my Math assignments?" Sabi ni Mia bago makalabas ng unit nila si Jeonghan.
Nagpaalam sya na kukunin lang yung cookies at babalik din.
"Daddy, I told you he's nice and pretty." Nakangising sabi ni Mia na parang tinutukso ang ama.
"Gawin mo na yang assignment mo."
"I'll wait for tito Jeonghan. He will help me daw."
Di naman nagtagal si Jeonghan. Pagbalik nya may dala na syang cookie jar. He made chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies.
Nagliwanag yung mukha ni Mia when she saw the cookies. Ipinatong ni Jeonghan yung jar ng cookies sa centre table malapit sa mga books ni Mia. The kid didn't waste time agad itong kumuha ng cookie. Pinanood lang sya ng ama. Mingyu likes what he's seeing. Nginitian nya si Jeonghan. He went back to the kitchen para ikuha si Mia ng gatas.
"Asan yung assignment mo?" Jeonghan asked saka naupo sa tabi ni Mia.
Ipinakita ni Mia yung assignment nya. "Hindi magaling si tito sa Math eh." Natatawang sabi nya pero sinubukan pa din naman nya and Mingyu joined them at tinuruan din nito ang anak.
Nang matapos yung assignment ni Mia, sinabihan sya ni Mingyu na magtoothbrush na at pumasok na sa kwarto dahil it's almost her bedtime.
Mia made a face kasi wala namang pasok bukas. Pero pumasok na din sya dahil maaga syang ihahatid ng daddy nya bukas sa mga lola nya.
"Good night po."
"Good night."
Nang makapasok si Mia sa kwarto nya magpapaalam na din dapat si Jeonghan but Mingyu asked him to stay for tea.
Bumalik sila ng kitchen. Dala ni Mingyu yung jar of cookies. He turned the electric kettle on saka naglabas ng mug for their tea.
"I have jasmine and earl grey. Anong gusto mo?" He asked.
"Jasmine." Sagot ni Jeonghan. He likes both naman pero mas pinili nya yung Jasmine tea.
Ipinatong ni Mingyu yung mga mug at yung cookies na nilagay nya sa small plate sa mesa at naupo sya sa harapan ni Jeonghan. He apologized for Mia.
"Oh no. That's totally fine. Thank you for inviting me for dinner." Kwinento ni Jeonghan na kung di sya ininvite baka instant ramen yung dinner nya.
They mostly talked about Mia.
"She's a nice kid. You're doing great." Jeonghan smiled.
For Mingyu, as a father and a person it's the best compliment na natanggap nya. Nginitian nya din yung kaharap.
"Why did you move pala?"
"I'm opening a cafe down the street."
Kwinento ni Jeonghan that he left his job and here he is opening a cafe. Kwinento nya na dati hobby lang nya ang magbake tapos he took baking courses.
"That's nice."
"Yeah." Jeonghan smiled. He invited Mingyu to come sa opening ng cafe nya next weekend.
"Your cookies are great. I like them."
"Nah. You're too kind." Jeonghan chuckled. Well, he takes pride naman pero hindi pa din sya sanay na napupuri yung mga baked goods nya.
"I'm not even big on sweets pero nakakatatlo na ako." Nakangiting sabi ni Mingyu.
Jeonghan wanted to ask Mingyu what happened to Mia's mom pero naunahan sya ng hiya.
They talked about Jeonghan's job. He's an archictect pero ayun nga iniwan na nya yung work nya and he's now pursuing his new passion. Nakwento ni Mingyu na he's an engineer and working for the government.
Nagpaalam na din si Jeonghan dahil mag aalasdyes na ng gabi at may mga gagawin pa sya.
"Katok ka lang if you need help. Or text me." Sabi ni Mingyu. He asked for Jeonghan's phone para isave yung number nya.
"Thank you."
Hinatid sya ni Mingyu sa hanggang sa may pintuan.
"Good night." Sabi ni Jeonghan.
"Good night." Mingyu waited hanggang makapasok si Jeonghan sa unit nya.