*Who's My Eternal*
*Kael's Farm — Breakfast, 7 AM*
Mr. Kael set his coffee down. Looked at his kids. "I got a call last night."
Noa didn't look up from his tapsilog. "From who?"
"Robert. From New York." Mr. Kael rubbed his face. "He's on the board at NYU. Says they're offering you and Cindy full scholarships. Room, board, everything. You leave next month."
Cindy's spoon clattered. "What? Seriously?"
"Seriously." Mr. Kael smiled, tired. "He owes me. Big. Called it a favor."
Cindy jumped up. Hugged her dad. "Dad! This is— this is huge! NYU!"
Noa went still. "Both of us?"
"Both," Mr. Kael said. "Finish your degrees. Come back and help run the farm better. Or don't. Just… go."
Cindy was already on her phone. "Elian's gonna freak. We can— we can do long distance, right? Or—" She stopped. Looked at Noa. "You're quiet."
Noa pushed his plate away. "I'm not going."
The room went quiet.
"What?" Mr. Kael frowned. "Noa, this is—"
"I said I'm not going." Noa stood. "Thanks, but no."
He walked out. Screen door slamming.
Cindy looked at her dad. "He'll change his mind. He has to."
*Fishing Bay — 4 PM*
Cherry and Elian were knee-deep, pulling in the net. Arguing about technique like always.
"Left side, Elian! Left!"
"I _am_ on the left—"
"You two sound married," Cindy called out.
They both turned.
Cindy and Noa were on the bank. Cindy beaming. Noa's hands in his pockets.
"What's up?" Cherry asked, dragging the net in.
Cindy couldn't hold it. "We got scholarships! NYU! Full ride! We're going to New York!"
Cherry dropped the net. "What?!"
Elian froze. "Both of you?"
"Yeah," Cindy said. "Dad's friend. It's crazy. We leave next month."
Cherry's eyes went wide. Then she grinned. Ran up the bank, soaked, and hugged Cindy. "Cindy! That's amazing! Oh my god, New York!"
She pulled back. Looked at Noa. "Both of you? That's—"
"I'm not going," Noa cut in.
Cherry froze. Water dripping off her. "What?"
"I'm not going," Noa repeated. Casual. Like he was declining rice.
"Why?" Cherry's voice pitched up. "Noa, that's… that's NYU. That's your _future_. Why wouldn't you go?"
Noa sighed. Looked past her. At Elian.
And thought it. Clear as day.
_I don't trust him._
_What if I leave and he suddenly sees her? What if he decides he wants her now?_
_What if I come back and she's broken again
He looked back at Cherry. Softened his voice. "I don't want to leave."
Cherry stared. Then she chuckled. Nervous. Punched his shoulder. Not hard. "Idiot. It's a great opportunity. You _have_ to go. You can't throw that away because of—" She gestured vaguely at the farm, the bay. At her. "Because of this."
Noa didn't smile.
Elian was watching. Every word. Every look. His jaw tight.
He turned to Cindy. "When did you find out?"
"This morning," Cindy said, but her eyes were on Noa and Cherry. "Elian, we should talk. About… about what this means. For us."
"Yeah," Elian said. Distracted. "Yeah, let's talk."
Noa took a step forward. Grabbed Cherry's wrist. Loose. Gentle. "Come on."
Cherry blinked. "What?"
"Fishing," Noa said. "It's been long. You still owe me from last time. I caught three, you caught zero."
Cherry rolled her eyes. "You cheated. You used my bait."
"Excuses," Noa said. Started walking. Pulling her. "Come on, Pink. Before the sun's gone."
Cherry let him pull her. Looked over her shoulder at Elian.
Elian was already talking to Cindy. Hands moving. Serious.
But his eyes flicked up. One second.
Met hers.
Cherry turned away first.
And followed Noa down the bank.
Noa didn't look back.
*Elian & Cindy*
They walked a little down the bank. Away from Cherry and Noa. Away from the net.
"So," Cindy said. Kicking a rock. "New York."
"Yeah," Elian said. Hands in his pockets. "New York."
Silence.
"I'm going," Cindy said. Not asking. "I have to. You know that, right?"
"I know," Elian said. Fast. "You should. It's… it's huge, Cin. NYU. You'll kill it there."
She looked at him. "We can make it work."
Elian nodded. "Video call. Every night. Or, whenever. Time zones are—"
"Twelve hours," Cindy said. She'd already checked. "You'll be sleeping when I'm at class. I'll be sleeping when you're at the farm."
"Right." Elian rubbed his neck. "But we'll figure it out."
Cindy stepped closer. Took his hand. "And I'll visit. Every holiday. Christmas, summer, sem break. Manila's not that far from New York."
Elian laughed. Hollow. "Eighteen hours on a plane."
"I've done worse for pandesal," Cindy said. Tried to joke.
He didn't laugh back.
Cindy's smile faded. "Elian… are we okay?"
He looked at her. Saw her. Pretty. Hopeful. Trying so hard.
And he hated himself.
"Yeah," he lied. "We're okay. We'll make it okay."
She kissed him. Quick. Sweet.
He kissed back. Because it was easier than telling the truth.
*Down the Bank — By the Old Dock*
Cherry was baiting a hook. Badly. "This is stupid. We haven't fished in months."
"i said i missed it," Noa said. Sitting next to her. Legs dangling off the dock.
She rolls her eyes
Noa watched her. Short hair wet from the bay. Black shirt stuck to her back. No makeup. No ribbon.
And she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen.
"Cherry."
"What."
Noa didn't look away. "I'm not going to New York."
"I heard you," Cherry said. Stabbed the worm too hard. "You're an idiot."
"I'm not going," Noa said again, "because of you."
Cherry's hands stilled.
"I don't trust him," Noa said. Nodded toward Elian. "I don't trust that he won't wake up one day and realize what he had. What he threw away. And I don't trust that you won't let him."
Cherry's throat closed. "Noa—"
"I've loved you since Grade 9," Noa said. Just dropped it. Like it was nothing. Like it wasn't his whole heart. "Since you punched Miguel Santos for stealing my lunch. Since you showed up at my house when my lolo died and didn't say anything, just sat with me."
Cherry's eyes went wide. "What?"
"I didn't tell you," Noa said. "Because you were in love with him. And I'm not that guy. I'm not the guy who gets in the way. I'm the guy who waits. Who picks up pieces."
He looked down at his hands.
"But I'm done waiting. I'm done watching you wait. If I go to New York, I come back and you're his again. Or you're broken again. And I can't—" His voice cracked. "I can't do that. I can't leave you here with him."
Cherry couldn't breathe. "Noa, I— I didn't know. I didn't—"
"I know," Noa said. Soft. "You never looked at me like that. You only had eyes for him. For eighteen years."
He finally looked at her.
"But I'm asking you to look at me now."
Cherry was shaking. "You're my friend. You're—"
"I'm in love with you, Pink," Noa said. "Not your friend. Not your backup. In love with you. The girl who cusses at mangoes. Who cut her hair off to stop loving someone who didn't deserve it. Who gave me half her lunch when I forgot mine."
Silence. Just the water.
Cherry's lips parted. "I don't… I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing," Noa said.
And leaned in.
It wasn't rushed. Wasn't desperate.
It was sure.
His lips found hers. Gentle. Warm. Asking, not taking.
Cherry froze.
For one second.
Two.
Her eyes shut.
And she kissed him back.
Hand fisting in his shirt. Not pushing. Pulling.
Because for the first time in 13 years, someone kissed her and meant _her_.
Not the idea of her. Not the girl who waited.
Just Cherry.
When they broke apart, she was crying.
Noa wiped her cheek with his thumb. "Don't cry."
"I'm not—" Cherry choked on a laugh. "I'm not sad. I'm… shocked."
"Good shocked?" Noa asked. Scared.
Cherry looked at him. Really looked.
At the boy who stayed. Who saw her. Who didn't leave her on a rock.
"Yeah," she whispered. "Good shocked."
Up the bank, Elian had seen.
He didn't move.
Just stood there. Cindy's hand in his.
Watching Cherry kiss Noa.
For some unknown reason,he felt jealous and anger just by watching them