☀️ The Return to Gubat
The sun hadn't even risen when the buses rolled into Gubat.
The cheers had faded. The medals clinked softly. Everyone was exhausted—but it was the good kind of tired. The kind that settled deep in the bones but hummed warm in the chest.
As Alona stepped off the bus, a gust of ocean wind greeted her like a hug from home. Sand found its way into her shoes again.
Nina, bleary-eyed but grinning, stretched and shouted into the dawn,
"Back to the middle of nowhere, baby!"
Coach Cely laughed. "Middle of excellence, you mean."
Coach Dan raised a high-five. "Damn right."
Parents swarmed the drop-off point. There were hugs, selfies, proud tears.
Every lola asked the same question:
"Who's going to Nationals?"
And cheered no matter the answer.
Yumi tackled Dane with the force of a charging goat.
"Kuyaaaa! You brought honor to the barangay!"
"Barely survived," he groaned.
"Still counts!"
🍱 Breakfast and Briefings
Later that morning, the school threw a welcome breakfast.
Long tables of pancit, sinangag, scrambled eggs, dried pusit, and mangoes lined the courtyard. Even the principal showed up, megaphone in hand.
"Our Regional Qualifiers!" she declared. "You carry the spirit of Gubat to the next battlefield!"
Dane, mid-bite of garlic rice, whispered, "No pressure."
Coach Cely stood beside Coach Dan like a general next to her co-commander.
"We start light practices tomorrow. Focus on recovery and sharpness," she said.
"Teamwork too," Dan added. "They've got to move like one."
Karl raised his hand. "Can we count karaoke as coordination training?"
Coach Dan stared. "…Yes."
🎾 Courts and Chaos — Training Begins
The next morning, the school courts came alive.
Volleyball girls passed and spiked. The basketball team was mid-suicides, with Marlon dramatically fake-sobbing after every sprint.
Badminton nets were strung tight.
Alona was practicing with Clarisse—yes, that Clarisse—who had been invited to train with Gubat before the Regional tournament.
"I owe you a proper match," Clarisse said, spinning her racket. "Regionals will be a new game."
Their rallies were sharp. Relentless. They trained like rivals. Fought like sisters.
From the basketball court, Dane watched with a mix of admiration and quiet panic.
Coach Dan elbowed him. "Focus, Romeo."
"I am focused."
"On the wrong court."
🧋 Slice of Life: Town, Friends, and Fuzzy Feelings
🛵 Halo-Halo, Again
Saturday afternoon. Town center.
Dane just happened to "accidentally" meet Alona near the halo-halo stall.
Trailing them, not-so-discreetly, were Yumi and Nina in oversized sunglasses with notebooks.
"Operation: National Lovebirds," Nina whispered.
"Observation log #001: Sharing dessert. Stirring in sync," Yumi muttered, scribbling.
"They're so in love it's embarrassing."
Alona and Dane, either unaware or pretending to be, sat close.
"So," Alona said, poking the ice cream, "what if we lose at Regionals?"
Dane leaned back. "Then we go home. Train harder. Go again."
She blinked. "You make it sound easy."
He met her eyes. "It is, if you're not alone."
🎶 The Karaoke Incident
That night, Karl's house hosted a "bonding session" that evolved into a chaotic karaoke war.
Mira belted out Adele like a banshee.
Marlon danced interpretively to My Heart Will Go On.
Randy, the chess prodigy, turned out to sing like a Disney prince.
When Dane finally gave in, he chose Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko.
His voice was soft. Steady. Unexpectedly sincere.
Alona couldn't look away.
Yumi whispered to Nina, "It's happening."
🌅 A Soft Sunday Sunset
Sunday, the team gathered on the beach.
No drills. No scores. Just the tide, the sky, and each other.
They built sandcastles. Nina made a lopsided one she called Castle Chaos.
Jomar and Mira chased crabs with tennis rackets.
Coach Leia almost got hit.
Yumi sat beside Alona, staring at the orange horizon.
"You're not scared, Ate?"
"Terrified," Alona whispered.
"But you're still going?"
"Yes."
Yumi smiled. "You're just like Kuya."
Alona looked at her. "Is that… a compliment?"
Yumi nodded solemnly. "The best kind."
Moments later, Dane flopped down between them, sand in his hair.
"What are we whispering about?"
"Nothing," Yumi answered too quickly.
Alona just smiled.
And for one perfect hour, as the waves erased their footprints and the wind softened the sky, the three of them sat still.
Together.
Home.
But already dreaming of the road ahead.