It all began with a glance at a Sangguniang Kabataan seminar—I was there as the SK Chairperson, and he was an SK Kagawad. One that felt like love at first sight. He saw me, and his heart did a little flip. Not wanting to seem too eager, he waited for two whole days before finally sending a message on Facebook. A simple wave, a hesitant start. I waved back, and that’s when his now-legendary line, "Kamusta ka, Chairman?" popped up. It was a bit confusing—I didn’t actually know him yet. But he quickly followed up with, "Siguro nagtataka ka kung magkakilala ba tayo," breaking the ice with his charm. The funny part is, during our SK seminar lunch break, As I patiently waited my turn in the buffet, a voice from behind playfully announced, “Mauna na yung mga chubby!” Since I was next in line, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was meant for me—but I brushed it off, thinking, I don’t even know this person and I'm not sure if he is referring to me! Later on, he confessed that he was the one behind the line, admitting he had said it just to get my attention. His first attempt at courtship didn’t quite work out, but fate had other plans for us. Almost three years later, a message from me landed in his inbox—not for another wave, but to place an order for biryani. He saw his chance and, for the second time, asked if he could court me again. He courted me again, more persistent this time. Of all the things he's done, this one truly touched my heart. For a while, he’d been inviting me to go to church together, but I couldn’t join him since my hand was bandaged from a minor accident. Finally, when my hand healed, I decided to attend an afternoon mass. Before leaving, he asked me what I was up to, and I casually told him I was heading to church. He mentioned that I hadn’t even invited him, but I thought nothing of it since I am shy and he usually prefers morning masses. About 50 minutes, he didn’t reply to me. As I was sitting in church, waiting for the mass to start, I got a message from him, asking, “Nasa church ka na?” I replied, “yes” and he responded, “Ang init dito sa Church.” For a moment, I thought he was just kidding, but when I asked where he was, he admitted he was sitting behind me, too shy to come and sit beside me. After mass, he messaged me to ask if I was heading home. I told him no, that I planned to grab a bite, and invited him to join me. He agreed, and without either of us planning it, this became our first date. Later, he even offered to take me home. At first, I was a bit hesitant, but I agreed. When he dropped me off, he didn’t just leave me at the corner or somewhere hidden—he took me right to our gate, unafraid if any of my family members saw us. In that small, meaningful gesture, he showed me how serious he was, and that was the moment I started to think, "Maybe I should give him a chance.” And eventually, I said yes to him. Looking back now, I’m so glad I did.