Episode 11

Watching Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is forcing my brain to replay events in my life I keep trying to forget. Naturally, nothing's working. 

It all started with episode 10: Second Male Lead Sung-hyun's confession. The one thing he regrets sounds awfully familiar, but then again, most adults probably share the same regret: not doing something in the past, not doing it now, not gunning for a second chance.

K-drama works because the writers make the stories relatable. When I decided to start watching this series, I only had 2 criteria: #1 it had to be English-dubbed, and #2 it plays out a simple, lighthearted story. I should've known better than to think drama wouldn't eventually unfold.

Female Lead Hye-jin didn't look happy. She was teary-eyed. So was I.

In contrast, after spending the day in Seoul with her best friend Mi-seon, she couldn't wait to drive home to Gongjin the moment she realized she could no longer deny her feelings for Male Lead Du-sik.

How fortunate are those who can freely profess their love? People don't seem to appreciate this enough nowadays.

Then episode 11 came: Du-sik tells Hye-jin that his grandpa took the family pic at the beach. They also met in their teens, as if destiny brought them together.

I hated how it made me remember our conversations — sorting out the time we spent in the same city, only streets apart, completely unaware of how close we were. We were in different relationships, but we thought of one another now and then. Retracing our important dates. The day he left was the same day I said yes to another man 7 years later. The dates spelled our home address number. Was this all a cruel twist of Fate, or were we meant to get back together?

If this is how it turns out, indeed we wasted so much time.

A few days pass, and she turns Sung-hyun down. The two guys walked away to talk, and this is the part where I felt reality knock: it's still K-drama. Real life is much messier, with real-life consequences. Rivals don't just kiss and make up like that.

Choosing when to start being a couple, an actual day of the year. Again — how fortunate are those who can freely profess their love.

An official label. We never had it in the present... No one can say we didn't try, but we knew the truth. I thought I could, with a little push in the right direction, but that was a wall I couldn't climb.

After getting dumped, Sung-hyun gets drunk with local district head Young-guk, both lamenting bad timing. Ah, there we go again, making this tragedy so relatable.

When Hye-jin finally admits to the townspeople that they're dating, she says, "I wanna love you out in the open so everyone can see." I said the exact same thing to him. No one deserves to stay in the shadows. 😞

Why did all of this have to happen in episode 11 again? 😩

Silence

Today's my birthday. Midway through the day and your chat window is still dead. This is okay.

I was stubborn enough to tell you once that instead of lambing all I wanted was peace of mind. I haven't seen you online since you went back to her. Yes, I knew. I never asked, I just get informed even without me asking.

Maybe this was the kind of peace I didn't want. But according to what is right, I know this is what I need. This is what she needs too... If she's still willing (and/or stupid — desperate enough) to take you back.

I love you. Perhaps you knew it too. Is that why you wanted to meet? To confirm my feelings first hand? Then you shouldn't have wasted the chances I gave you. Nalaman mo nga sana. I could never keep anything from you. But what did you plan to achieve?

Maybe the reason why you said we can't be friends is because you don't want to let go of the romance, the intimacy. But if you opened your mind, I can show you it's possible. I offered you friendship not because I was closing that door for good. I was doing it to allow us to stay in each other's lives without hurting your chances with someone else — her. I did it this way, because you can't seem to stop reaching out to me... And here I am still seeking you in my heart against my will. Logic be damned, I might still welcome you back.

But everyone has limits. The amount of disrespect you've subjected me to thus far, and the way you used my feelings to fuel your self-centered goals have numbed the love I've always saved for you.

We've been so very unfair to each other, and it's tiring to keep score at this point. I refuse to make things harder than it is now. Time and again, you've chosen the hard road even when everything went against you.

Just fix your life. That's the only gift I will accept. You don't need to know what I really want. Whatever it is you want, please make it work. It'll be worth the pain.

May this period of silence last until my heart forgets you.

That Damned 1%

November 1st – a day to commemorate martyrs and remember lost love

Just thinking about it, napaiyak nanaman ako. How much longer must I suffer?

Di ko naintindihan bakit hinihila mo ko pabalik kahit ilang beses na ko dumistansya. Umalis ako ng mga gc at discord server dati, binalik mo ako. Ikaw madalas yung nauunang magchat sa akin. I was giving you space so you can focus on her and forget about me pero it felt like ayaw mo akong mawala. Gusto mo pa rin akong ma-involve. Tinanong mo pa ako sa topak ng babae, na love nyo naman ang isa't isa. I don't need to know that. Masakit e. Aware ka ba kung anong effect nun sa akin?

I wondered how much of what happened between us was real or if it was just sexual desire. We knew our chemistry well, and I was there first after your dry spell (not counting Yuri). Para akong naging pitstop sa karera mo. I was hurt for you, for her, and for us when you said you missed me and the things we did together. Ang dating sa akin gusto mo tumikim ng ibang ulam for the last time; that last hurrah. How insulting... Napapalitan yung love ng hate. The confusing part is, everytime we talked, bumabalik yung love and if we met and you did your sweet talk again, we could get in trouble.

Yes, I still want you. There's a little love left too. When I allow myself to miss you, I still feel the hurt. The only way I can protect myself and prevent further mistakes is by refusing to meet.

In hindsight, I wonder if you were my real first love? Nung pinag-usapan kasi natin to, naisip ko dapat ibang tao, so baka si Uri. Problem is, I recall mostly the sex and pain – I have little memory of anything else. You on the other hand, got the complete version of me that no one else did.

I want to be happy for you, pero I can't do it wholeheartedly when I keep wishing we have a future together (minsan na lang naman pero hindi ko kontrolado utak ko e). That damned 1%. Tapos nakikipagbiruan ka pa na gusto mo ko makasama. You are my favorite mistake, but one we must choose not to make again.

I left Amanogawa. I'm still contemplating if I should leave Evil Plan, too. Unti unti ko na buburahin ang connections natin... I can't last for much longer. I just want this to be over. It's okay to remember, but to live through the pain again everyday... will be the death of me.

Unstable Ground

It's been a whirlwind of emotions these past 3 weeks. Something I've been waiting for since February came knocking on my door (well – they actually called, but you get the drift) and asked me if I still wanted to push through. Of course I said yes. But damn, I'm so exhausted. The fatigue is eating through my stamina, I wish the body fat would melt along with it. 😩

Shortcuts are a way to reach the same destination in a shorter amount of time compared to a normal route. That's what my course is. Yes, I finally went back to school. I'm just bulldozing through the damn thing hoping I pass. Let's hope my body can keep up. 😂

I feel like my life has purpose again. Even thought like a restart because it's been almost 20 years since I was a student. This blog was a witness through most of it. So I don't care as much that I feel so sleep-deprived and 24 hours per day are severely lacking. 10 weeks (7 left since I started 3 weeks ago) will be a breeze. I've taken the first step and I'm not turning back.

Thanks, Universe. Please be kind to me this time.

Verdict

A decision has been made. I let it sink in. You were right, of course. I just needed time to think (and lots of consultations here and there).

It took a while for me to accept and understand. It's a show of weakness for me to even consider granting you this chance. The thing is, I will probably regret not meeting you. I wonder if the risk is worth the reward?

I still don't know your real motive. That's what bothers me. What's so important that you can't say it over a phone call? When I was the one asking you to meet me, you refused and pushed me away. No difference from when we were young... I still take what I can receive.

Please... If this is the last time, be honest with me. No promises, no lies. Even in the absence of love, there should be respect.

Tired

3 dreams, 3 readings.

2 cards appearing on all readings telling me the same thing.

1 person.

From my 3 dreams, I went from running away and learning, to receiving a confession and missing the feeling of being cared for, to exhaustion. I feel like everything I'm doing is for naught. But I won't give up, I won't give in. This is the cross I chose to bear. We play with the hand we're dealt.

In all 3 readings I've been told to set my boundaries. The dreams are permeating my reality with a vengeance. Persistence of the highest level. I thought I was okay, and it took just one phone call to undo all that progress.

Take baby steps, be firm, plan for the future they said. I swear I'm trying! It's just that gaping rabbit hole in the middle is so easy to fall back into. 🤦‍♀️

These memories, this heart, this mind and my inner being – they're all stubborn. Just like you. One moment I'd hate you, then after a while I forget, focus on other things, then randomly remember you fondly and miss you. It's a vicious cycle. How long will this last? I don't know. But talking to you doesn't help memories stay there. If you're trying to soil them with your negative traits, it's not working. All you're doing is to keep the feelings alive when they should be long dead.

Knight of Cups: Nagliligawan. One wooing another.

Queen of Swords: We need to set and keep our boundaries.

I'm so tired.

So very tired.

I know what we need to do but why is it so hard?

Do you feel the same way?

What do you really want from me?

Tomorrow is your mom's birthday. May she be blessed to live longer and see you succeed.

I never got to meet you even once yet I can't deny my desire to see you well taken care of. Happy birthday, mama. I'm sorry I can't send you anything except my love and wishes. Just think of your mother's day bouquet as my advanced gift. 😞

Into The Future

Epsilon Perseid meteor shower later today @ 4AM. Can't watch it live coz am prolly in dreamland, but here's hoping someone posts nice pics and/or vids later.

Anyway, I found a community of like-minded people I am comfortable with. Been hanging out with them for a week now, and so far it's been a blast. This week's Mafia game theme featured a bomber (so it was literally a blast 🤦‍♀️), 2 hunters (yours truly being one of them), and 5 jesters. It runs simultaneously with the Q&A Sessions, and this week's theme is "Into The Future".

Future, huh? 🤔...

I'll post the questions and answers here for the record.

Questions 1, 5, 6 and 7 have secret answers I'd rather not disclose to this community, I don't need to go into detail really. But in my heart of hearts, I know. Best not jinx it.

That's it. Imma go back to my ecom apps and checkout. Happy 9.9!

fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

I'd be lying if I said I'm healed. I'm not quite there yet. There's still a certain weakness there for you – a persistent part of me that refuses to let go and see you in a bad light. My tender self who wants you to find happiness even if it's not with me. The younger me who wants a do-over with knowledge of the future.

I can't bring myself to watch Lovely Runner while this persona exists.

I'm not okay. I just make it seem so. In a hostile world, no one will fight for you if not out of selfless love. I still can't forgive myself for the crap I allowed to happen. Things went the way they did because of me. All I can do now is to drink wine and accept that I can't change the past. In Vino Veritas.

I can't bring myself to watch Queen of Tears while I haven't completely forgiven us all.

I told myself, that the moment I stop crying over the last 10 songs of your playlist, I would know I'm over you. That I would stop adding and removing songs from it. I already stopped crying, but the editing didn't.

You made me cry again last night. Dangerous. You still have power over me that I must refuse to grant you again.

People change, so does love. But they both stay, apparently, in some way or form.

I don't understand you, really. What sort of self-respecting woman would I be if I let you hurt me again? Are you this desperate for attention? I will resist and persist for as long as I have to.

If this is your way of destroying our precious memories together, you're doing a fantastic job.

They say "you deserve what you tolerate".

I don't deserve this from you.

She doesn't deserve this from you.

Your kid will carry a generational curse the same way you did.

If you still don't understand, you're hopeless...

I wanted you to live the life you deserve. The Universe seems to tell me this is it.

Then you called.