Renegade / Luckytin

Jhoanna sat alone at a small table, lazily poking at her lunch. The café was buzzing with chatter, but a particular conversation at the next table caught her attention.

“Maloi looked so pretty last night,” one girl gushed.
“Kahit ata pagsuotin mo ng sako yon, babagay sa kanya.”

“And her skin? Ugh, so unfair,” another added. “She has that effortless glow, you know? Halatang paborito ni Lord.”

“And the way she dresses,” a third voice chimed in. “Hindi siya simple, but it’s unique, and it always works. Like, that oversized blazer kagabi? Super hot.”

“Oh, and don’t even get me started on her glasses,” the first one sighed. “The Bayonetta glasses? They should be illegal.”

Jhoanna exhaled through her nose, biting back an eye roll. But before she could refocus on her food, her thumb instinctively refreshed Instagram.

And there she was.

Maloi. Front and center in almost every post from last night’s party. One she deliberately skipped.

The first photo? Maloi, standing on a couch, drink in hand, head thrown back in laughter. The next, Maloi and Colet, arm in arm, sunglasses perched on their noses like they were VIPs at some exclusive event. Then Gwen, Mikha, and Maloi mid-dance.

Jhoanna swiped again.

Then, she paused.

Maloi, leaning into some girl’s space, mouth close to her ear, a smirk playing at her lips.

Jhoanna swiped again.

Maloi, with her fingers casually resting on someone’s wrist.

Jhoanna swiped again.

Maloi, gazing up at another girl with that same lazy, teasing look Jhoanna had seen before—like she knew the effect she had.

Jhoanna set her phone down.

It wasn’t a big deal. Maloi flirted with 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦. It was just how she was.

So why did her appetite suddenly disappear?

Her phone buzzed. A message from Maloi.

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘎𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘢?

Jhoanna rolled her eyes and picked up her phone again.

𝗝𝗵𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮: 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 1 𝘱𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵?

Three dots appeared. Then disappeared. Then came back again.

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘐𝘮𝘺.

𝗝𝗵𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮: ?

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: ‘𝘋𝘪 𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘣𝘪. 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢.

Jhoanna scoffed.

𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢? It was funny, really. God knows where Maloi spent the night. She probably didn’t even have time to think about Jhoanna if she was out kissing another girl.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Before she could even set her phone down, it lit up with an incoming call. Aiah.

Aiah was her blockmate, a fellow psychology student—smart, effortlessly composed, and stunning in a way that seemed almost intimidating.

Long dark hair, always perfectly styled, sharp eyes that carried an air of quiet confidence, and an overall presence that demanded attention without trying. She was the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward, and yet, she had always been somewhat distant.

She and Jhoanna were close in the sense that they often studied together, exchanging notes and discussing theories, but not to the extent that they'd call each other friends.

Jhoanna hesitated before answering. “Hello?”

“Frost!” Aiah's voice was warm, a little rushed. “Hey, sorry, are you busy?”

Jhoanna raised an eyebrow at the nickname but didn’t comment. “Not really. Why ka napatawag? Do you need anything?”

“Okay, so, there’s this new psychological thriller that just came out, and I 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 you’ll like it. The reviews say it’s insane, like 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥-𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 kind of insane. I was gonna watch it alone, but then I thought, ‘Hey, Jhoanna would totally appreciate this,’ so…. what do you say? My place? it's just us, don't worry!”

Jhoanna blinked at her screen. Aiah never invited her over for anything until now.

Her phone buzzed again—Maloi. But Jhoanna ignored it, focusing on Aiah instead.

She leaned back in her seat. “You know what? Yeah. That sounds good. I'll bring over food, is there anything you want?”

“Really? Great! I’ll send you my address. And hehe ice cream? our usual?”

Jhoanna huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, yeah. See you later, hon.”

That evening, Jhoanna arrived at Aiah’s condo unit—a sleek, modern space that felt just as composed and put-together as its owner. Aiah greeted her with a soft smile, effortlessly casual yet polished, as if she hadn’t even tried.

On the coffee table, a bottle of wine sat open, two glasses waiting beside it.

“Hope you don’t mind,” Aiah said, handing her a glass. “Thought we’d make a night of it.”

Jhoanna held up the pint of ice cream she had brought, a smirk tugging at her lips, “Sakto.”

Jhoanna took a sip of the wine, settling into the couch. “Not bad.”

Aiah laughed. “You haven’t even seen the movie yet.”

As the film played, the room grew quieter, the tension shifting from the screen to something else entirely. Aiah sat close, their shoulders nearly touching.

Jhoanna was hyper-aware of it, of the way Aiah’s perfume lingered in the air, of how her fingers lightly traced the rim of her glass. It was easy, comfortable—dangerous in a way Jhoanna couldn’t quite define.

Aiah snapped a quick photo of their wine glasses clinking together, the dim glow of the apartment making the red liquid look even richer. A moment later, Jhoanna heard the soft hum of music playing from Aiah’s phone.

She glanced over just in time to see Aiah post the picture to her story, Bruno Major’s voice filling the space between them—

'Track suits and red wine, movies for two
We’ll take off our phones and we’ll turn off our shoes…'

Jhoanna huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Really?”

Aiah just smiled, blushing a little, setting her phone down. “Fits the vibe, doesn’t it?

“You're so silly.”

----------------

After another hour or so, Aiah shifted beside her, leaning in just slightly. There was something softer in the way she looked at Jhoanna now. She wasn’t stupid—she knew what this looked like. What it was. Aiah was gorgeous, smart, the kind of person anyone would be lucky to have sitting this close, looking at them like that.

The warmth of the room, the slow hum of the music in the movie while it played, the silence between them—it should’ve made Jhoanna’s heart race.

So why did it feel like her body wasn’t responding the way it should?

Jhoanna exhaled, fingers tightening around her glass. She didn’t move away, didn’t say anything. She just sat there, confused at the way her heart wasn’t racing, at the way something about this didn’t sit right.

Like she was in the wrong place.

With the wrong person.

Jhoanna’s train of thought was interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone. She glanced at the screen.

Maloi.

Suppressing a sigh, she picked up her phone and muttered an apology to Aiah. The other girl simply laughed, brushing it off with an easy smile.

Without hesitation, Jhoanna declined the call and switched her phone to silent mode.

Moments later, three more messages from Maloi appeared.

Jhoanna ignored them, setting her phone aside as she reached for her glass again. But the taste of the wine had turned strange on her tongue. The atmosphere, once warm and easy, now felt off.

Aiah, ever observant, tilted her head slightly. “You okay?”

Jhoanna forced a nod. “Yeah. Just—” She shrugged, looking anywhere but at Aiah’s expectant gaze. “It’s nothing.”

Aiah didn’t press further. She just offered a small, knowing smile before taking a sip of her wine. “If you say so.”

Jhoanna wanted to say more—maybe apologize for suddenly being so distant—but she didn’t know 𝘸𝘩𝘺 she felt that way in the first place. Instead, she stayed quiet, watching the movie without really seeing it.

Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Maloi.

Jhoanna clenched her jaw, finally grabbing the device and standing up. “Aiah, I'm really sorry. Emergency lang, I should go. Thanks for tonight.”

Aiah blinked, surprised, but nodded. “Of course. Take care on your way home. Message me, okay?”

Jhoanna offered a tight smile before slipping out of the house, the cool night air hitting her as she finally glanced at her screen.

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘈𝘯𝘰? 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢 𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯?

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘈𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘬𝘰 𝘣𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘵 𝘬𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘢?

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘑𝘩𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢.

Jhoanna exhaled sharply, opening their chat. She hovered over the keyboard, hesitating. Then—

𝗝𝗵𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?

The reply came instantly.

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

Jhoanna stared at the message, fingers tightening around her phone. She should ignore it. She 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥.
But she found herself typing back anyway.

𝗝𝗵𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮: 𝘖𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢?

A pause. Then—

𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗶: 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵.

Jhoanna’s stomach dropped. Annoyance flared instantly.

She rushed to her Porsche, heart pounding in frustration more than anything else. As she drove home, her grip tightened around the wheel, irritation simmering beneath her skin.

What was Maloi thinking?

By the time she reached her condo, her irritation had reached its peak. She spotted Maloi leaning against the wall, scrolling through her phone. A plastic bag hung from her wrist, filled with takeout containers and a few canned drinks.

The sight of her—all too comfortable outside her home—made Jhoanna regret ever letting her inside once. Now, she just showed up whenever she pleased.

Maloi looked up as Jhoanna approached, smiling. “Took you long enough.”

Jhoanna folded her arms, scowling. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Maloi grinned, lifting the bag. “Brought you food. Figured you’d need something after your little date.”

Jhoanna’s jaw tightened. “What do you know? and it wasn't a date.”

“I have my ways, and bae, it sure looked like one.” Maloi shrugged her shoulders.

Jhoanna exhaled sharply. “You’re annoying.”

“Okay?” Maloi stepped closer, smirk growing, “but you’re still standing here talking to me.”

Jhoanna scoffed. 𝘜𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

She turned toward her door, intent on shutting Maloi out, but as she reached for the handle, a gust of cold air blew past them. She glanced back, catching the slight shiver Maloi tried to hide.

With a groan, she yanked the door open. “Get inside before you freeze to death.”

Maloi grinned victoriously as she stepped in. “Alam ko namang hindi mo ako matitiis, Jho.”

Jhoanna rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

Once inside, she barely had time to take off her shoes before Maloi started talking again. Teasing, pressing, making some comment about how 𝘈𝘪𝘢𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦. 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺, 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵—

Jhoanna groaned. “Maloi, shut up.”

“What?” Maloi laughed, undeterred. “I’m just saying, she’s the kind of girl you’d actually bring home to your parents, diba? Mabait, hindi pabalang sumagot, parang laging mabango kahit pawis—”

“I know,” Jhoanna cut in, voice thick with sarcasm. “She’s smart, pretty, effortlessly elegant. Always so put together, you know? She’s kind, thoughtful—probably the kind of person who remembers birthdays and sends ‘good morning’ texts. She’s—”

Maloi gasped dramatically, hand clutching her chest. “Nagpaparamdam siya ng ‘good morning’ texts? Wow, sobrang wife material. Saka ano, lagi kang kinukumusta? Tinatanong kung nakakain ka na?”

“At least marunong siyang tumigil kapag sinasabihan.”

Maloi ignored her. “Siguro ‘pag may quiz, siya yung nagse-send ng reviewer bago ka pa magtanong. Tapos kapag may sakit ka, siya yung magpapadala ng lugaw, tapos may note pa na ‘get well soon, ingat ka palagi’—”

Jhoanna sighed. “Maloi.”

“Siguro hindi ka niya inaaway nang walang dahilan. Hindi siya paiba-iba ng isip, hindi siya pasulpot-sulpot kung kailan lang niya gusto—”

“Yves.”

“Tapos kapag tinanong mo kung anong gusto niya sa’yo, hindi siya iiwas sa sagot. Hindi niya babaliktarin na parang ikaw pa may kasalanan. Hindi siya gagawa ng dahilan para lang—”

“Maloi, shut the fuck up.”

“O bakit? Naiinis ka na?”

Jhoanna rolled her eyes, patience snapping.

Maloi didn’t stop. If anything, she only got worse.

“Tapos siguro kapag birthday mo, siya yung tipong magpapadala ng surprise cake, ‘di ba? May pa-handwritten letter pa, tapos ang sweet ng message— ‘Hope all your dreams come true, I believe in you always.’ Agh, classic. Bet mo yun, ‘no? Kasi gusto mo ng thoughtful. Gusto mo ng tahimik. Gusto mo ng gentle.”

Jhoanna shut her eyes, inhaling deeply. “Mary Loi Yves.”

Maloi ignored her. “Tapos kapag may problema ka, hindi siya magagalit agad, hindi siya magdadrama, hindi siya magpapalabo ng usapan—”

“Hindi siya tatahimik lang at magpapaka-misteryoso, tas bigla-bigla na lang ulit lalapit like nothing happened. Hindi siya—”

“Lucky!”

Maloi grinned triumphantly, throwing her arms up. "Hindi siya maingay, hindi siya madaldal, hindi siya madaming tanong, hindi siya—"

Jhoanna shot her a look. A real, slow, piercing look that made Maloi falter mid-sentence.

Jhoanna rose to her feet, her gaze locked onto Maloi’s as she stepped closer—slow, deliberate. Her expression remained unreadable, but the intensity in her eyes sent shivers down Maloi’s spine.

Jhoanna tilted her head slightly, voice low and edged with impatience. “Hindi ba napapagod yang bibig mo kakasatsat?”

Maloi barely had time to register how absurdly attractive Jhoanna looked—black glasses now discarded, hair a mess from frustration, lips parted just slightly—before her mouth moved faster than her brain.

“Bakit?” Maloi smirked, leaning in just enough to be infuriating. “gusto mo bang may ibang gawin ‘tong bibig na ’to?”

Jhoanna took another step forward, forcing Maloi to lean back against the counter.

Now, Maloi wasn’t smirking anymore.

Not when Jhoanna was this close.

Not when her scent—clean, expensive, laced with something undeniably 𝘩𝘦𝘳—was filling Maloi’s lungs.

Jhoanna tilted her head, gaze flicking lazily over Maloi’s face. “Ang daldal mo.” Her voice was quieter now, almost a whisper, but there was something in it—something firm, pressing—that made Maloi's stomach twist.

Maloi swallowed, but she still had enough bite left in her to tease. “Tsk, nabbwisit ka na ba talaga o kinikilig ka lang kay–”

She didn’t get to finish.

Jhoanna grabbed her jaw, firm but not rough, tilting her chin up just slightly. The contact left Maloi shocked, her breath hitching involuntarily. Jhoanna’s thumb ghosted over her jawline, just barely there, like she was testing something.

Maloi couldn’t think. Couldn’t speak.

Jhoanna leaned in, her lips a breath away from Maloi’s ear. “You talk too much.”

Maloi barely had a second to process before Jhoanna’s next words came, smooth, unwavering, and final—

"Shut up and kiss me."

And then Jhoanna was kissing her.

It wasn’t soft, wasn’t gentle. It was frustration and tension and every unsaid thing crashing together all at once.

Maloi barely had time to react before instinct took over, her hands gripping Jhoanna’s waist, pulling her in like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jhoanna’s fingers tangled in Maloi’s hair, tugging just enough to make her gasp against her mouth. Maloi melted into it, into her, into the dizzying heat of it all.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this was a bad idea. A terrible one, even.

But Jhoanna was warm, demanding, impossible to resist—

And besides, Maloi had never been one to back down from a bad idea.