*After Work / After School Routine*
5PM: Elian clocked out at Kael's house. Walked straight to the farm.
Found Cherry. Always.
"Let's go," he'd say.
"Where?" she'd ask. Like she didn't know.
"Home. Lola's making sinigang."
Lola would see Cherry at the gate and light up. "Anak! Come, eat. You're too thin. This boy doesn't feed you?"
"Lola, she steals my food," Elian protested.
"Because you're slow," Cherry shot back, already in the kitchen stealing a piece of pork.
After school days: He'd wait by the gate. In his work clothes. Still smelling like hay.
"Need a ride?" he'd ask.
"I can walk," Cherry said.
"Yeah, and you can do math too. Doesn't mean you should."
She'd throw her bag at him. Get on his bike anyway. Arms around his waist. "Faster, servant."
"Respect your driver."
*Math Tutoring — Disaster*
"Cherry. Focus."
"I am focusing!" She was drawing a mustache on Pythagoras. "He looks better with it."
Elian groaned. "If x = 2, then x + y = 5. What's y?"
"...3?"
"Yes! Okay, next. If x = 4—"
"Wait, how did I get 3?"
Elian put his head on the table. "God help me."
Ten minutes later, he gave up. Pulled out his phone.
"Fine. New test." He showed her a picture. "Who's this?"
"Lee Min Ho!" Cherry sat up. "_Boys Over Flowers_. _The Heirs_. _Legend of the Blue—_"
"And this?"
"Hyun Bin! _Crash Landing On You_!"
Elian stared. "You can identify 47 Korean actors by their eyebrow, but 2 + 2 is a war crime."
Cherry grinned. Unbothered. "Priorities, Elian. Priorities."
"You should identify math more than actors," he teased. Poked her forehead. "That stone brain of yours."
She laughed. Loud. Threw a pillow at him.
He caught it. Threw it back.
And for a second, it was easy.
No New York. No missed calls. No kisses at the bay.
Just Best.
Cherry laughing. Elian rolling his eyes.
And both of them pretending that was enough.