Chapter 30: Til We Both Said Yes

Jhoanna's POV

Hindi ko alam kung anong mas stressful- yung mismong proposal o ang itong mga barkada kong parang event organizers kung maka-plano.

"Okay, listen up,," seryosong sabi ni Sheena habang hawak ang clipboard niya-na ngayon ay may nakadikit pang "Mission: I Do" sa harap.

Napairap ako. "Huy, ang OA mo naman."

"Hindi 'to OA, Ate Jho," sagot niya, sabay turo sa papel. "Ito ang magiging blueprint ng once-in-a-lifetime moment mo with Stacey. Kaya kung ako sa'yo, magfocus ka."

"Fine, fine," bumuntong-hininga ako.

"Ano bang mga kailangan pa nating gawin?"

"Step 1: Choose the perfect location," binasa ni Gwen, sabay check sa nakasulat. "Nakapili ka na ba, Jho?"

"Oo. Sa amusement park."

Nagkatinginan silang tatlo bago sabay-sabay na sumigaw ng, "HA?!"

"Wait lang, amusement park?!" sigaw ni Gwen. "Parang ang weird naman dun?!"

Napatawa ako. "I know it sounds weird, pero 'yun 'yung first time na talagang nag-usap kami-like, really talked-and it kinda felt like a date? Doon ko rin unang nakita 'yung side niya na hindi niya basta-basta pinapakita sa iba. That's when it hit me-hindi lang siya simpleng crush. I wanted her to be in my life forever."

Biglang natahimik ang tropa.

"Shettt ang corny mong mainlove" sabi ni Sheena, habang yakap-yakap ang unan.

"So anong plano mo?" Sabi ni Ate Colet

Nag-inhale ako nang malalim bago ngumiti. "I'm going to recreate everything that happened that day-, every food we ate, every conversation-everything. And at the end of the night, I'm going to propose to her."

Gwen grinned. "Okay, that's a solid plan."

"Pero paano mo gagawin 'yung setup?" tanong ni Sheena.

"I want it to be simple but sincere-fairy lights in a private area, with flowers. Hindi sobrang OA, but enough for her to feel that I really put effort into it and that it came from my heart"

"Aba, ang taas ng standards mo ha!Asan ang budget" sabi ni Sheena, natatawa.

Gwen smirked. "Alam mo ba kung anong itsura mo ngayon? Para kang sisiw na mukhang inlove na inlove."

Napangiti ako. "Eh kasi nga, totoo naman."

"Ay, piskit apaka corny talaga!" sigaw ni Ate Colet, sabay bato ng unan sa akin.

"Huy, seryoso!" sabi ni Sheena. "Ano ba yung mga exact details na gusto mong mangyari? As the leader of this plan dapat maging perfect lahat!"

Napaisip ako saglit. "Well, gusto ko muna kaming dalawa lang muna. Mag-eenjoy lang sa amusement park, walang halong pressure. Lahat ng rides sasakyan namin Tapos-"

"Wait lang, wait lang," putol ni Gwen, tinaas ang kamay niya na parang nasa recitation. "Paano kung hindi naman yun sumama sayo sa rides and my vertigo ka diba?"

"Eh 'di pipilitin ko."

"Knowing Stacey, matigas din ulo nun tulad mo! Di agad yun susunod sayo"

"Nakakainis ka, Pero seryoso, kilala ko si Stacey. Kahit magreklamo 'yun, susunod din 'yun sa trip ko."

"Ay, sinasabi mo bang under si Stacey sayo?" asar ni Ate Colet.

"Hoy wala akong sinasabi noh!" depensa ko. "Alam ko lang kung paano siya i-handle!"

"Tapos, ang last ride namin dapat Ferris wheel. After nun, dadalhin ko siya sa isang bench malapit sa may exit. Ang daming fairy lights dun, tapos tahimik. Doon ako luluhod at magpopropose sa kanya."

"Pwede na" sabi ni Sheena. "Pero... paano kung mauna siyang magpropose sa'yo?"

Napatigil ako. "Ha?"

Ate Colet smirked. "Eh paano kung may sarili rin siyang plano?"

"Hindi 'yun mangyayari," sagot ko agad.

"Seryoso?" tanong ni Gwen. "Feeling mo hindi rin siya nagpaplano?"

Napatahimik ako.

Kasi sa totoo lang... hindi ko rin alam.

Stacey has always been unpredictable. Kung may sarili nga siyang plano, hindi ako magugulat.

Pero isa lang ang sigurado ako-ako ang mauuna.

"Uy may nag ooverthink at nag aassume nanaman ," sabi ni Sheena, "Excited ako sa proposal mo Ate Jho. Pero mas excited ako sa magiging reaction mo kung sakaling may plano din si Stacey."

" Bakit wala kayong tiwala sa akin!?."

"Tiwala naman, Jho," sabi ni Ate Colet, "pero kasi, knowing Stacey... may kutob akong hindi lang ikaw ang may surprise."

And for the first time since I started planning, kinabahan ako nang bahagya.

Dapat na ba akong mag assume?

What if... may plano rin siya?

Stacey's POV

The moment Aiah stepped into the café where we were supposed to meet, I knew I had successfully orchestrated a disaster.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Mikha immediately blurted out, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat.

Aiah, unfazed, simply smirked and pulled out a chair for herself. "Nice to see you too, Mikhaela. Your attitude is still as charming as ever."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Okay, I called you both here for a reason and Aiah here is now my friend as well, Mikhs, so can we at least pretend to be civil for, I don't know, an hour?"

Mikha scoffed. "Civil? You invited her, Stace. What did you expect?"

Aiah feigned a hurt expression. "Oh no, I'm so heartbroken. Mikha Lim still hates me." Then she grinned. "And wala akong pake"

Mikha exhaled sharply, clearly trying to keep her composure. "I swear to God, Stacey, if this is some twisted way of torturing me-"

"It's not," I interrupted. "I need both of you to help me"

That caught their attention. Both of them stared at me, intrigued.

"With what?" Aiah asked, leaning forward.

I took a deep breath. "I'm planning to propose to Jhoanna."

For the first time since they sat down, Mikha and Aiah actually looked at each other-this time, not in hatred, but in shared shock.

Aiah was the first to recover. "Oh, so you're serious about this," she mused.

Mikha, still processing, shook her head in disbelief. "You? Proposing? I mean, I know you love her, but I didn't think you'd actually be the one to make the move."

I shrugged. "I'm not letting this chance slip away. I've waited long enough."

Aiah smirked. "Damn. Didn't expect you to be the romantic type."

Mikha sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, fine. So what's the plan?"

I straightened up. "I want to propose at the amusement park."

Aiah raised a brow. "An amusement park?"

Mikha frowned. "Wait, why there? You don't even like crowded places."

I bit my lip before answering. "Because that's where I first met her."

A brief silence followed. Even Aiah, who usually had a snarky remark ready, stayed quiet.

"There's this girl who found someone special in the amusement park," I started, my voice softer than before. "She got lost, and just when she thought she'd never find her way back, another kid found her and stayed with her until help arrived."

Aiah's expression shifted. "Wait, that sounds-"

"They made a promise after that," I continued, cutting her off. "That when they grow up, they'd find each other again and get married."

Mikha's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying..."

I nodded. "Jho doesn't remember, but I do. I held on to that promise for years."

Aiah let out a low whistle. "Wow. That's some fate-level shit right there."

Mikha, on the other hand, looked more concerned than amazed. "And what if she still doesn't remember even after the proposal?"

I smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in it. "Then it's okay. I don't need her to remember everything. As long as she says yes, that's all that matters."

Aiah leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "Damn. I actually respect that."

Mikha, finally convinced, exhaled. "Fine. I'm in. What do you need us to do?"

I grinned. "Help me make it unforgettable."

Aiah smirked. "Oh, trust me. If I'm involved, it will be unforgettable."

Mikha rolled her eyes. "God, this is going to be a disaster."

And just like that, my proposal plan was officially in motion.

JHOANNA'S POV

Nakakunot ang noo kong nakatingin sa paligid.

Kilala ko si Stacey-she's elegant, professional, and the type of woman who would propose in a five-star restaurant or isang exclusive event na puno ng businessmen. Pero ngayon, nakatayo ako sa entrance ng isang amusement park.

Again.

I tightened my grip on the small velvet box inside my jacket pocket.

"What the hell are we doing here, Sevilleja?" nakataas kong kilay na tanong habang nakatingin sa kanya.

Walang ka-effort-effort siyang ngumiti at hinila ako papasok. "A date, obviously, hanggang ngayon ba naman di mo parin ma figure out kung bakit tayo andito? Nasa siko ba talaga yang utak mo?"

"Date?" Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako o magugulat. "Bakit amusement park na naman?"

"Andami mong tanong Jho" Humarap siya sa akin at inabot ang kamay ko. "Let's do what I want to do."

Biglang bumalik lahat ng alaala ng unang beses naming pumunta dito. 'Yung pinagpilitan niya akong sumama, 'yung nakipagsagutan kami sa cotton candy, 'yung nagbato siya ng stuffed toy sa mukha ko matapos kong ipanalo 'yon para sa kanya.

Napalunok ako.

She's planning something.

_

Habang naglalakad kami, napansin kong para bang alam na alam niya kung saan kami pupunta. Hindi katulad dati na parang wala siyang kaalam-alam sa amusement parks. This time, she looked confident-like she had planned everything.

"Gutom ka na?" tanong niya habang hinihila ako papunta sa isang food stall.

Napatingin ako sa binebenta.

Cotton candy.

Tumingin ako sa kanya, and she just smirked. "I don't have a credit card this time, don't worry, I have my cash"

Napangiti ako. "Great improvement, Ms. Sevilleja."

Binilhan niya ako ng cotton candy, and just when I was about to take a bite, she suddenly pulled out something from her pocket.

A ring pop.

Napataas ang kilay ko. "Anong ginagawa mo?"

"I got you a ring," casual niyang sabi, sabay suot ng candy ring sa daliri ko. "Congratulations. You're now engaged with me"

Napanganga ako. "You're kidding."

"Am I?" ngumiti siya, tapos lumapit sa akin at bumulong, "Keep that on for now, Robles."

Ramdam ko ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko.

Kaya nag-smirk ako at tinignan siya sa mata. "Fine. I'll keep it. Pero," sabay kuha ng isang ring pop sa stall, "you're wearing one too."

Bago pa siya makatanggi, sinuot ko na 'yon sa daliri niya.

Now, we're even.

---

Dinala niya ako sa dating booth kung saan siya naglaro ng darts noon.

Agad ko siyang tinignan nang may hinala. "Don't tell me-"

"Yes," seryoso niyang sagot. "I need to redeem myself."

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "You were terrible at this game, Stacey."

"Shut up. I have improved."

Napatigil ako.

She has improved?

Sinulyapan ko siya habang kinukuha ang darts.

Noon, she was frustrated and irritated. Ngayon, she looked... different. She looked determined.

At lalo akong kinabahan.

She took her stance.

Isa.

Dalawa.

Tatlo.

And bull's eye.

Napanganga ako.

"What the-"

"Of course, I practiced," she said nonchalantly. "Do you really think I'd let my fiancée beat me again?"

Nag-init ang mukha ko. "Ano raw?!"

Ngumisi siya at nag-lean in. "You heard me, Jho."

Tinitigan ko lang siya, nag-aantay ng susunod niyang gagawin.

She took the last dart and threw it-bull's eye ulit.

And then, the booth lit up.

Confetti fell. The staff cheered. The crowd gathered.

At saka ko lang napansin ang malaking banner na biglang bumagsak sa likod ng booth.

"LEWSER, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

Nanlaki ang mata ko.

"W-wait, what the-"

She turned to me, holding a small velvet box.

This time, it wasn't a ring pop.

Napasinghap ako nang makita ang eleganteng diamond ring sa loob.

"Jho," her voice was softer this time, pero may halong pang-aasar pa rin, "I know I'm a pain in the ass. Alam ko rin na madalas kitang naiinis, pero aminin mo, you love me."

"W-who said that?!"

Ngumiti siya. "Sino pa bang hahabol sa isang terror boss sa amusement park? Who else would agree to be my mistress?"

Tumingin ako sa paligid. Maraming tao ang nanonood. Marami ang kinikilig. May mga nag-che-cheer pa.

Pero wala akong pakialam.

Nakatingin lang ako kay Stacey.

My arrogant, competitive, stubborn boss.

And the woman I fell in love with.

"Robles," she smirked, "will you marry me?"

I took a deep breath.

Tumingin ako sa singsing sa kamay niya. Then, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my own velvet box.

Her eyes widened.

"Miss Sevilleja," I smirked, "Masyado kang nagmamadali."

Bago pa siya makapagsalita, binuksan ko ang box at pinakita sa kanya ang singsing na matagal ko nang planong ibigay.

"I was supposed to propose to you today," sabi ko, "pero naunahan mo ako. So..."

I knelt down.

The crowd gasped.

Stacey's jaw dropped.

Now, we're even.

"Since gusto mong unahan ako," I grinned, "Ako naman ang magtatanong. Lindtsey Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja, will you marry me?"

Tahimik lang siya.

Then, out of nowhere, she started laughing-hindi dahil sa pang-aasar, kundi 'yung tawang may halong kilig at gulat.

"You're serious."

"Obviously."

She looked down at both rings, then back at me. "Ako unang nagtanong Jho, you should answer me first"

"Will you marry me, Jho?" Stacey sincerely asked me

"Of course Staku, I'll marry you" I smile widely while she's putting the ring on my finger.

Nagtaas ako ng kilay. "And?"

Ngumiti siya. "And now, I say yes to you Jho."

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinayaan akong isuot sa kanya ang singsing.

And just like that-while the confetti slowly falls, while the crowd cheers for us, while we stand under the fireworks and lights-

Stacey and I, we both won.

STACEY'S POV

I planned everything down to the last detail.

From the cotton candy, to the darts, to the exact moment I would get down on one knee. I spent weeks making sure everything was perfect. Heck, I even practiced my aim just so I wouldn't embarrass myself this time.

But of course...

Jhoanna freaking Robles just had to one-up me.

I stared at the ring on my finger-her ring. She slipped it on me right after I proposed, grinning like she just hit the jackpot. And technically, she did, because I said yes.

Pero ang pinaka-masaklap?

Hindi lang pala ako ang may plano.

I turned to her, eyes narrowing as she held up her ring-the one I gave her-like a damn trophy sa isang award show.

"Sabi ko na nga ba mas maganda 'yung singsing na binili ko ehh," she teased, tilting her head like she just won the lottery.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "Excuse me? I spent weeks choosing the perfect ring for you."

"Well," she smirked, "ako, months."

My jaw dropped. "Months?! Ano to', a competition for the longest preparation?!"

She crossed her arms, smirking. "Sorry na lang, Naunahan mo nga ako, pero mas pinag-isipan ko 'to."

"Can't we just be happy that we're engaged? Why does it still feel like a competition?!"

She shrugged. "Di mo kasi ako pinagbigyang manalo ehh."

I was about to argue more when-

"AYIEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

We both turned-

Only to see a stampede of our friends charging towards us like rabid fangirls sa K-pop concert.

"OH MY GOSH-!"

And not just Mikha-Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Sheena, and Maloi were there too, ALL of them screaming, ALL of them running towards us like we were celebrities caught dating in public.

Before I could react, Sheena launched herself at me like a freaking missile, nearly knocking me over.

"OH MY GOSH, STACEY! DI MO MAN LANG SINABI SA AMIN?! PAANO BA YAN ATE JHO NAKATIPID KANA SA PROPOSAL HAHAHAHAHA"

"I-How the hell did you all get here?!" I yelped, trying to detach Sheena from me.

"Ahem," Maloi smirked, flashing her phone. "Livestream, boss."

My heart stopped. "You did NOT- Miss Ricalde"

"Oh, we did." Maloi grinned like a devil. "Pang reels din to' Miss Sevilleja"

Slowly, I turned my head towards Jhoanna, who was barely holding back a laugh.

I groaned. "You have to be kidding me."

"'Di mo ba napansin na ang daming taong nanonood kanina?" Aiah raised a brow. "We made sure to capture every moment."

Mikha raised a hand. "Wait lang. So sino ba talaga ang nag-propose sa inyo?"

Nagkatinginan kami ni Jhoanna.

Then, in perfect sync-

"Ako."

"Me"

Aiah snorted. "You two are IMPOSSIBLE."

Colet smirked, shaking her head. "Pero 'di bale na. We love the drama."

Gwen clasped her hands. "Okay, okay! Celebration time! May after-party ba 'to or what?"

"WAIT!" Sheena suddenly gasped, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Di pa natin alam kung paano actually nangyari 'yung proposal! Ate Jho, anong feeling na naunahan ka? Yan sinasabi namin sayo ehh sobrang bagal mo kase!"

Jhoanna flipped her hair dramatically. "Excuse me, ako yung last na nagpropose, kaya ako nanalo."

I scoffed. "Excuse me rin, pero ako 'yung may speech! Ako 'yung unang lumuhod ! AKO ANG PANALO!"

"Teka, teka." Maloi raised a hand. "Wala po tayong winner tonight."

Gwen gasped, holding her chest. "Kahit sa ganito may bardahan parin talaga kayo?!"

Colet facepalmed. "Competitive pa rin kahit sa proposal?!!"

Mikha crossed her arms. "Alam niyo, sa imbes na 'til death do us part, dapat ang vows niyo 'til competitiveness do us part'."

Sheena giggled. "Or 'til bardahan do us part."

Jhoanna winked. "Sorry, Pero mas maganda talaga yung singsing ko."

I groaned, grabbing her wrist at tinapat sa singsing ko. "Parehas lang kaya 'to!"

"Hindi."

"Oo."

"Hindi."

" JHOANNA MAGKASING-PRICE LANG YAN!"

"Why? Isn't my love for you worth more?" she said with the most innocent, pa-cute smile.

Natahimik ako saglit.

Tumingin sa kanya.

Tumingin sa singsing.

Tumingin ulit sa kanya.

Tumingin ulit sa singsing.

And then-

"KADIRI JHO?!"

"CRINGE, DI SAYO BAGAY ATE JHO!"

"ANO BANG BANAT YAN!?"

The group burst into laughter again, with Mikha patting my back habang si Aiah at Maloi ay halos gumulong na sa kakatawa.

Aiah smirked. "Well, one thing's for sure... kahit sino man ang nanalo sa proposal-"

We all turned to her.

"You're both off the market now."

I sighed, but my lips curled into a smile when I felt Jhoanna squeeze my hand.

At kahit gaano siya ka-competitive...

At kahit gaano siya nosy minsan...

She's mine. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I smirked. "Ayan, may reason na tayo para mag-away for the next ten years."

Laughter. Cheers. Confetti. Fireworks.

And the sound of my heart, beating only for her.

⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── End of Chapter 30 ── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆