episode one: Sankarea
Ever since “Twilight” became big, there’s been a running joke between me and my sister about when someone’s gonna come up with a zombie romance.
Well, I think someone has already come up with one.
“Sankarea” tells the story of zombie-obsessed high school kid Furuya Chihiro. How zombie obsessed, you say? Well, in the first episode, we see his room cluttered with all sorts of zombie related movie posters, collectibles, and other paraphernalia. And to top it all off, one of his biggest dreams in life is to fall in love a kawaii zombie chick. The other main character in the series is the titular Sanka Rea, a rich girl with some major daddy issues, and whose biggest dream in life is to just die and be reborn in an ordinary family, with an ordinary, loving parents. Their paths cross each other when they end up retreating to an abandoned bowling alley on late nights, where Furuya is attempting to resurrect his dearly departed pet cat, and Sanka is simply screaming her heart out, her only way of dealing with her problems.
There’s a lot of potential going for this, based on what I’ve seen on the first episode. As to whether we’ll be dealing with literal or metaphorical zombies in the future, that remains to be seen.
episode one: Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Horror and comedy has always been one of the most commonly mashed-up genres in both film and literature. Thus, it’s no surprise that there’d be at least one animé to feature it this season. “Dusk Maiden of Amnesia” (“Tasogare Otome × Amnesia” for you purists), is one of those animé.
For its first episode, though, the comedy is a lot more apparent than its horror (or perhaps mystery) elements. In it we are introduced to the titular “Maiden”, Kanoe Yuuko, an amnesiac ghost who may (or may not) have been befriended by choice by middle schooler Niiya Teiichi. In a rather humorous and effective use of the “Same Scene, Different Viewpoints” technique, we see the clubroom for school’s Paranormal Investigations club, where the club’s resident scribe Okonogi Momoe, is busily reviewing the latest paranormal rumors circulating in the academy. Of course, she is completely oblivious to the fact that at that very moment something paranormal is already happening in the room. At first all we see are all the stuff floating around by themselves in the room, but in the replay of these same scenes, it is reveled that Yuuko is the one making all the mischief, all in an effort to amuse herself and try to get Momoe’s attention.
Though largely filled with light-hearted humor, there are still enough hints dropped in the first episode about some darker stuff waiting for us in the latter episodes. At least enough to make me want to watch episode two, and perhaps beyond. Backing up an interesting plot is the flawless animation courtesy of SILVER LINK, and a soundtrack that manages to highlight both the serious and playful moments in the episode.
episode one: Space Brothers
Remember when you were just a kid and you had all those big, sometimes even impossibly big dreams?
I do.
And mine was to become an astronaut.
Which is why among the new animé series for the Spring season, “Space Brothers” was the one that immediately caught my attention.
“Space Brothers” tells the story of, er, two rather closely knit brothers: Mutta, and Hibito. Mutta is the older one, while Hibito is the lucky one. Throughout the first episode, Mutta likes to remind himself that as the big brother, it’s his duty to always be “one step ahead of the little brother”. Which is why when his job at an automobile company is taken away from him after giving his boss a headbutt, the disappointment of his parents is more than a little palpable. I am the big brother in our family, so this is another plus point for this series, at least for me. Though not heavily underscored in my case, I can still feel that like Mutta, there is a certain amount expectation from me, to always set the standard for my sibling and make sure that I only positively influence her. Little brother Hibito, on the other hand, is the bigger dreamer of the two. He’s the first to make a wish about going into space, and the first of the brothers to achieve that goal. He’s gonna go to the moon, joining a Lunar mission jointly launched by NASA and Japan.
This time, the little brother’s gonna be the one who’ll blaze the trail for his big bro.
After learning of his brother’s plight, Hibito nudges Mutta in the right direction, by bringing back memories of the one event in their lives that kick started their star-spangled ambition: a UFO encounter. And after convincing their mother to send secretly send Mutta’s resume to the Japanese Space Agency, Mutta gets an invite to the official astronaut selection program. This time, for a mission to Mars.
At last, Mutta may finally have his chance to achieve his dream.
Though it may be the least visually and technically stunning among the series I’d like to watch this season, “Space Brothers” is the one animé that promises to be the most memorable for me. It reminded me of that big dream that I’ve clung to as a kid, that one dream that seemed more and more impossible to achieve as I grew older, took on more responsibilities, and simply became more jaded. Mutta’s descent into mediocrity really hit me in the kokoro, despite of, or even maybe because of, its rather lighthearted and humorous portrayal.
“Space Brothers” is one of those series that gets you emotionally invested in the characters right at the start. Who Knows? Maybe by the time I reach the last episode, I may actually be inspired, and convinced, to try to reset my life and set out to finally, really, try my hardest to stop dreaming my dreams and to start living them instead.
yumegiwa last boy [supercar | HIGHVISION]
yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI eien naru mugen
⌈The brink of dream’s last boy, infinity becomes eternity⌋
yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI furete itai mugen
⌈The brink of dream’s last boy, you want to touch those fantasies⌋
yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI eien naru yumegen
⌈The brink of dream’s last boy, the limit of dreams become eternity⌋
yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI yurete itai mugen
⌈The brink of dream’s last boy, you want to shake those fantasies⌋
takashii SAPOOTO no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni
⌈Grateful for the enduring support, Grateful for the enduring support⌋
takashii mirai e no rei ni shizen to ai e no rei ni
⌈Grateful for the bright future, Grateful for nature and love⌋
katai chikai e no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni
⌈Grateful for the solid vows, Grateful for the enduring support⌋
takashii SAPOOTO no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni
⌈Grateful for the enduring support, Grateful for the enduring support⌋
It’s tugish-takish time!
Man, this has got to be the perfect song to groove to on a lazy Saturday night. I need more songs like this. Hell, I need more songs from Supercar.
Too bad I only got to stumble over such a great band nearly seven years after their last gig.
episode one: Winter 2012 Anime Season
aka The Quick & Dirty Edition.
Thanks to the fact that I’m already two to three episodes behind (due largely to an extended state of writer’s block), I’ve decided to settle for a quick rundown of some of the new series showing this season.
Again, just to be clear, I’m just sticking to the ones that have caught my fancy. So expect zero objectivity here, boys and girls.
Anyways, enough of the prologue and on with the show!
Nisemonogatari
Hello mindscrew my old friend!
I absolutely loved and enjoyed “Bakemonogatari” in all its quirky glory, so it’s no surprise that this was the first new series that I snatched off the Interwebs for this season. The sequel to the above mentioned 2010 series, “Nisemonogatari” promises to deliver more of the same. The “same” in this case being a pastiche of wordplay, visual gags, metahumor, nods and winks to pop culture, snapshots of Araragi-kun’s pointy hair, and of course, Senjogahara’s tsundere-bordering-on-yandere antics. But this time, as hinted in the trailers, Araragi Koyomi’s sisters Karen and Tsukihi would be front and center. In the first episode, though, we see none of this happen, as it is primarily a “catch-up” episode, showing us glimpses of the current state of things between Araragi and his Harem club members.
My verdict: Worth watching - all the way to the finale.
Another
Dark, Gothic atmosphere - check.
Creepy, mysterious goth-loli chick - check.
Unsolved murder mystery in a middle of nowhere town - check.
This season’s obligatory mystery/suspense/horror series, “Another” hits all of the right notes in its premiere episode. Thus, though you won’t find anything particularly innovative here, it’s right use of the right tropes makes this series a promising one and well worth sticking to.
My verdict: Worth watching - all the way to the finale.
Bodacious Space Pirates
Let me get this straight: This is NOT an Intergalactic Hentai series. You won’t even find anything remotely ecchi here, at least not in the first episode. Instead, “Bodacious Space Pirates” is the embodiment of all that is fun and exciting about a shonen series.
Kato Mariko, your cute, average high school girl living a rather ordinary high-school life gets the surprise of her life when a couple of her mom’s old friends come by for a visit: They want her to be a pirate captain - their Pirate Captain. Apparently, her mom was married to a captain of a Pirate ship, the Bentenmaru. And since her father just died, she’s the only rightful heir to his throne.
The second in my list of “Generic Anime Series Done Absolutely Right”, “Bodacious Space Pirates” has all of the right ingredients: A reluctant adolescent hero(ine), a posse of quirky friends and/or allies, and the promise of adventure in the far reaches of space.
My verdict: Worth watching - but perhaps no more than once in your lifetime.
Daily Lives of High School Boys
It is exactly what it says on the title. This series IS indeed about the daily lives of high school boys!
Admittedly, though, it’s a fun series to watch. And that’s all there is to it.
My verdict: Worth watching - every time I find myself reminiscing about my own daily life as a high school boy.
Kill Me, Baby
Also known as “Baby, please kill me.”, this series features the daily lives (there goes that phrase again!) of high school students Sonya and Oribe Yasuna. Sonya is a trained assasin, while Yasuna is her unlikely best friend. This series has a “Loony Tunes” and “Tom & Jerry” vibe to it, with each episode having no main story at all. Instead, viewers are treated to a collection of gags as the best buddies go about their high school life.
My verdict: Worth watching - occasionally, to kill the boredom.
Dead End
It was an hour before lunchtime on a Wednesday. Buoyed up by last week’s (sort of) successful gift-giving mission, our hero decides to give it another shot.
Señor Baka-Chi will, for the fourth time, try to ask her out.
There’s a new tea joint somewhere near his office; The perfect place to take her to. And since it’s lunch break, he thought perhaps there’d be a good chance that she’d be able to spare a few minutes for him this time. So he grabs his mobile phone, and starts to text away.
“Heya Yoshimi! Doing anything during lunch time? Aside from eating of course! [smiley]”
Her reply arrives fifteen minutes into lunch hour.
“Daya, naunahan mo ko dun a! Anyways, nothing much, I guess. Why? [smiley]”
“Oh, okay. Nag♦♦-♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ka po?”
“Yup. Treat mo ko? [smiley]”
“Of course not. Ako nga yung mag-papalibre e, joke!” Was Senor Baka-Chi’s witty reply.
Then, he added, “Actually, that’s not where I’m gonna go. I’m planning to try out ♣♣♣♣♣ ♣♣♣♣♣♣ Tea right now. Perhaps you’d like to try it out as well?”
Silence.
Five minutes later, still no reply from her.
The negativity starts to seep in to his consciousness. Perhaps he made the wrong move. Perhaps his luck has finally run out.
Perhaps in this case, silence means no.
Then, at past twelve-thirty, his phone beeps. It’s a new message.
From her.
“Sorry for the delayed response. Had to answer a phone call earlier. Anyways, is that the one on the way to ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠? Are you gonna go there now?”
“Yup. Sana. So, is it a yes or is it not a yes?”
“Ok. Sure! [smiley]”
Epic win!
“Cool, thanks. Then I’m gonna leave now. Let’s just meet at the ground floor.”
And down he went, then down she went.
Baka-Chi was the first to get to the ground floor, and so had to wait for something like five minutes for her. Once they met, they said their Hi’s then went on to the tea house.
“Finally, napa-oo rin kita.”
“Sensya naman, holiday rush hanggang last week e. Kaya puro kami delivery men and women dun.”
“Ano ba yun? Mga gifts ba for the loyal partners and agents ng company?”
“Parang ganun na nga.”
At last they arrived at the ♣♣♣♣♣ ♣♣♣♣♣♣ Tea house. Thankfully, the lunch hour rush has passed already. Thus they were able to get their orders in no time. For Baka-Chi, it was the Japanese Green Milk tea, if only because it had Japan in the name - music to the ears of a self-confessed otaku-slash-Japanophile. Yoshimi, on the other hand, ordered the Jasmine Milk Tea. Seeing that it was one in the afternoon already, they had to leave as soon as they got their orders.
On the way back, they managed to chat up some more.
“So how’s Rilakkuma-chan? Baka na-recycle na sya ah?!” Baka-chi joked.
“Uy di naman no! Andun nga sya ngayon sa desk ko. It’s just so adorable. Thanks again for that!” Was her reply.
“Sure, you’re very much welcome! Thanks naman that you actually liked it.”
They arrived at their building at half past one. Luckily, there already was an elevator waiting for them when they got there. Before they parted at her floor, Baka-chi of course thanked Yoshimi again for joining him, and joked about the possibility of a take two for it.
“Hey, no problem about that. Basta ba may time ako e!”
Meanwhile, back in the real world…
“Ei Yoshimi, doing anything this lunchtime? Aside from eating of course! [smiley]”
“Hi Baka-chi, yes. I eat during lunchtime. That’s what I do. [smiley]”
at oo nga naman..
BAKA.
So I finally did it.
Last Friday, December 23, I finally manned up and went ahead to give her a Christmas present. Yes, in my twenty-six years of existence, this is only the first time I’ve managed to do it. Thus, this makes it the farthest I’ve gone so far in my dealings with the beings with double-x chromosome.
For my first gift for a girl, I decided to pick something that’s neither too cheap nor fancy. More importantly, I wanted that gift to be something cute in a decidedly non-formulaic way. Fortunately, I managed to pass by Clipper the day before, where buried beneath all of the Angry Birds-related items, I found the perfect item: a Rilakkuma stuffed toy-slash-pen holder. It fit all of my criteria to a T. Plus, it’s from Japan, so it had that extra kawaii factor going for it.
Originally, I planned to give it to her during the lunch hour. So I texted her around eleven-thirty, just to check if she’d be around during lunch time. By twelve-thirty, there still wasn’t any reply. Thus, a bout of negativity struck me again. I thought it was finally over, that she had gotten sick and tired of pretending to be nice. Then, at around one, my phone alarmed. There was a message for me, and it’s from her! I waited a few minutes first, then read it. She just came back from lunch, after rushing over some last-minute tasks.
I am still very much in the game.
I checked to make sure that she’ll be around the rest of the day, then let her know that I’ll be dropping by her corner to hand over my little something for her. Needless to say, it took quite an effort on my part to refocus on my work instead of dwelling on what could go down later that day. At four-thirty, I finally decided to proceed with my plan. After making sure that none of my colleagues would notice, I slipped off ninja-style from our area and went to down to her area.
She was exactly where I thought her cubicle would be, so I went on and stood behind her back. I stood there silently for a few seconds, just to gather up a little more courage for the huge task ahead. Finally, I announced my presence, and handed her my gift. Seeing her face light up at that moment was more than enough reward for my effort, I thought. We chatted up a little, though not as much as I would have wanted to, no thanks to a sudden bout of torpe-do. But hey, bottom line is I managed to give her something of an offering, and for a guy like me, that’s already quite something.
Hopefully, this wouldn’t be the last of my contact with her.
I bumped into her today.
It was the first time I’ve seen her since last week.
It was also the first time I’ve seen her since my second attempt at asking her out failed.
I was on my way to 711 when, lo and behold! There she was, standing in the corridor, waiting for the elevator. I felt my heart shift into high gear as I walked closer, and closer, towards her. However, once I was practically standing next to her, all I could mutter was a plain and simple…
“Hi”.
Hi? Man, I coundn’t get any lamer than that. But hey, at least she managed to greet me back.
“So, naligaw ka yata sa floor namin?”
(Mild laughter.)
Then as if on cue, one of the elevators opened up for us. Apparently, we were both going down, she to the nineteenth, me to the ground floor.
Sweet! That meant a few more seconds I could spend with her.
There was another passenger aside from us, which only made me feel extra awkward. Thus, the next ten seconds felt like ten hours of silence.
All I could do was snatch a glance of her really cute face. For some reason, however, I sensed that some of the charm I’ve associated with her was missing. Her smile looked like it was tinged with sadness.
Perhaps it was just stress. Perhaps she was being honest about the reason she couldn’t join me last Wednesday. Perhaps her whole week at the office has been just plain toxic.
And yet I didn’t say anything about it. I got too worried that if I commented on it, she may take it the wrong way. Then she’s gonna snap back at me with something like…
“Eh anong paki mo?!”
Thus further sinking my already sinking chances of being with her.
She announced her arrival at her floor by making a graceful, sweeping ballerina gesture with her arms.
At that moment, I thought she looked like the White Queen.
I then said my good-bye (bhay-bay) then off she went back to her place.
Then, during the rest of the way down, all the right words came rushing at me.
But just like before, it was too late.
Way too late.
Burger Joint Blues
⌈Office hallway. Lunch time, around twelve-thirty. Le Geek Boy finds an empty spot, makes sure it is indeed empty, then sits there. He brings out his cellphone, looks up her name, then her number, then proceeds to dial her up.⌋
Le Phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈On the eigth ring, Le Geek Boy drops the call, then waits till quarter to one before attempting to establish contact once again.⌋
Le phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈Still getting no answer from her, Le Geek Boy drops the call yet again. He waits for 10 more minutes before his third attempt.⌋
Le Phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈Losing all hope, Le Geek Boy is about to drop the call for the third and last time when…⌋
Le Phone: Click!
Le Mademoiselle: Hello?
Le Geek Boy’s Brain: Finally! She picks up the phone!
Le Geek Boy: Hello xxxx! It’s yyyy. Mukhang busy po yata?
Le Mademoiselle: Kinda. Sorry, was talking to a client over the phone the whole time you were calling.
Le Geek Boy: Oh, sorry! Ako pa yata naka-istorbo!
Le Mademoiselle: Nah, ok na po. Anyways, phone call’s already over. So, what’s up?
Le Geek Boy: Uhmm, remember po last Monday? I also tried contacting you then?
Le Mademoiselle: Oh, yes po. Why?
Le Geek Boy: Uhmm, I was wondering kung may time ka po for breaktime later this afternoon?
Le Mademoiselle: Hmm, yes. I think so. Pwede naman maisingit.
Le Geek Boy’s Brain: Okaay. This is it, here I go..
Le Geek Boy: Sooo, would it be ok if i-invite kita for merienda later?
Le Mademoiselle: Ahhh.. Sige, ok lang.
Le Geek Boy: Wait. Again, again. Just to be sure, yes po right?
Le Mademoiselle: Hihi.. Yes, yes po.
Le Geek Boy’s Brain: Hell yeah!
Le Geek Boy: Sweet! So which would you prefer? If we’re gonna stay close, options lang natin are 711 and Mcjo. Nakapag-Mcdo ka na ba this week?
Le Mademoiselle: Not yet, so far. Dun na lang siguro.
Le Geek Boy: Woki. Hmm, mga 4PM ok po?
Le Mademoiselle: Yup, sure.
Le Geek Boy: Cool. Ok, text-text na lang po later when it’s time to meet up. Oh, and ngayon pa lang I wanna say thanks a whole lot already!
Le Mademoiselle: Hihi, ‘kaw naman. No problem!
Le Geek Boy: Thanks! Sige po, kita na lang laters!
Le Mademoiselle: Ok, bye.
Le Geek Boy: Bab-ay.
⌈Success! Le Geek Boy’s gambit actually paid off. But being in the office, Le Geek Boy has to put aside thoughts of her for the next three hours and focus on the tasks at hand.
Or not.
All throughout the time he was working, a part of Le Geek Boy’s mind is out wandering in the nether regions of LaLa Land. Thinking , thinking, thinking about what could happen later in the afternoon.⌋
Le Cellphone Clock: 15:59:50… 15:59:51… 15:59:52… 15:59:53… 15:59:54… 15:59:55… 15:59:56… 15:59:57… 15:59:58… 15:59:59… 16:00:00!
⌈It is now Four o’ Clock! Now is the time! Not wanting to be the one to end up late, Le Geek Boy proceeds to text Le Mademoiselle…⌋
Le Geek Boy (via Mobile Phone): Ei xxxx! Ready to go?
-FIVE MINUTES LATER-
Le Mademoiselle (via Mobile Phone): Sure. Now na?
Le Geek Boy (via Mobile Phone): Now na. Let’s just meet up at the elevator area there at nineteenth floor, ayt?
⌈Le Geek Boy stands up, then proceeds to go down to the nineteenth floor. Miracle of miracles, it only takes a couple of minutes to call up an elevator. So in no time at all, our hero is now in the nineteenth floor. After a few more minutes, she comes out and meets up with him.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Heya! Taralets?
Le Mademoiselle: Tara po!
⌈Le Geek Boy and Le Mademoiselle then proceed to take the elevator and walk on their merry way towards McDonald’s, where they order a couple of burgers, large fries and a couple of monster cock.. er, coke floats. They then have a hearty conversation over their hearty meal.⌋
Le Geek Boy: So how was the party? Tinapos nyo pa until twelve?
Le Mademoiselle: Almost. Mga quarter to twelve na siguro kami umalis.
Le Geek Boy: Hehe, party pipol ka pala a. Ako after nung mag-meet tayo sa lobby lights out na agad e.
Le Mademoiselle: Sayang, you should’ve stayed a bit longer. These things happen only once a year you know?
Le Geek Boy: I would’ve, kung may kasama.
Le Mademoiselle: Bakit, ako ba di pwede maging kasama? Hihi!
Le Geek Boy: Hmm, good point. Haha! Anyways, may na-snatch pala ko ditong ilang pics of our quote-unquote presentation. Courtesy nung fellow newbie ko sa ISD na di sumipot sa mga practice natin.
⌈Le Geek Boy then proceeds to bring out his ipod, taps the photos icon, and loads up the pics from the previous week’s company Year-end party.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Naks, performance level ka talaga dito a.
Pwede ka for singing and dancing! Dapat mag showbiz ka na, haha!
Le Mademoiselle: Uy, sobra ka naman. Haha!
Le Geek Boy: No, seriously, it’s quite obvious that your comfortable doing this stuff. Malamang nung college and high school years mo laging kang nasa mga activities
ano?
Le Mademoiselle: Well, yeah. You can say I’m quite active in school presentations.
⌈After browsing through photos of their performance, they finally reach the last couple of pictures. Featuring none other than them.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Oh well, what can I say? You look really great here.
Panira lang ako, kaya parang gusto ko na siya i-photoshop para wala na ko sa picture, hehe.
Le Mademoiselle: Ganun? Humble naman nito masyado, hehe!
⌈Nearly half an hour has passed. After all the talking and munching, it was time to head back to the reality of the office.⌋
Le Mademoiselle: Uhmm yyyy, past three-thirty na pala.
Le Geek Boy: Nyay, oo nga. Guess its Time-to-Get-Back-to-Work time eh?
Le Mademoiselle: Yeah. Unfortunately, hihi!
Le Geek Boy: Oh, lest I forget. Thank you so very much for bearing with me! I haven’t bored you death, have I?
Le Mademoiselle: Hey, your welcome! And don’t worry! Enjoy din naman ako e.
⌈This is it. The most important part of the afternoon. Deep inside, Le Geek Boy is quivering, having second, third, fourth, and even fifth thoughts about whether he should tell her his plans. He reminds himself that he’s already long passed the point of no return, and that today is that day that he’s gonna have to learn to accept rejection like a real man.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Whew! Nice to hear that. Just one more thing. Uhmm, for the sake of honesty, and also because you deserve absolute transparency on my part, I think I should make this clear right now.
Le Mademoiselle: Okay, ano po yun?
Le Geek Boy: Uhm, I think you’re a very interesting person. No, in fact you are the most interesting lady I’ve met by far. And that’s why I was hoping to get a chance to get to know you more, and also for you to get to know me more. Of course, only if it’s all okay with you?
⌈A giggle from Le Mademoiselle. Then silence.
He smiles.
She smiles.
Le Geek Boy wonders what she’s gonna say next.⌋
Le Mademoiselle: Are you for real? Is this serious?
Le Geek Boy: Yes this is real, and yes I am serious. Never been this much, in fact.
Le Mademoiselle: You know yyyy, you seem to be quite a nice guy. So I guess, why not?
⌈Incredulous, Le Geek Boy seeks confirmation.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Uhhm, so it’s a yes. Positive? Comprende?
Le Mademoiselle: Hihi, opo! Yes po.
⌈The magic words. Le Geek Boy actually managed to pull it off! He’s now ecstatic, feeling like a lottery winner.⌋
Le Geek Boy: Cool! Salamat salamat! So may next time pa po tayo?!
Le Mademoiselle: Of course, basta invite mo ko e.
Le Geek Boy: Thanks! Ay, wait. Late na tayo a, tara na pala!
Le Mademoiselle: Ok, let’s go!
⌈And so finally, the duo stands up, walks out of Mc D’s and walks back to the office. Le Geek Boy is happy. Le Geek Boy is ecstatic.
Finally, he may be on to something here.⌋
=BUT IN REALITY=
⌈Office hallway. Lunch time, around twelve-thirty. Le Geek Boy finds an empty spot, makes sure it is indeed empty, then sits there. He brings out his cellphone, looks up her name, then her number, then proceeds to dial her up.⌋
Le phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈On the eighth ring, Le Geek Boy drops the call, then waits till quarter to one before attempting to establish contact once again.⌋
Le phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈Still getting no answer from her, Le Geek Boy drops the call yet again. He waits for 10 more minutes before his third attempt.⌋
Le Phone: BRRTBRRT! BRRTBRRT! BRRRRRRTBRRRRT!!!
⌈Losing all hope, Le Geek Boy is about to drop the call for the third and last time when…⌋
Le Voice on the Phone: Sorry, this number cannot be reached.
⌈Le Geek Boy stands up, then goes back to his work spot. He waits for about five minutes, then brings out his phone so he could text her.
However, she beats him to the punch.
Thus, Le Geek Boy ends up reading her message instead.⌋
Le Mademoiselle (via Mobile Phone): Hey yyyy, sorry I missed your calls, was busy for a while. Why po? [smiley]
Le Geek Boy (via Mobile Phone): Woops, sorry. Ako pa yata naka-istorbo. Anyways, I was just wondering if you’ve got extra time for breaktime this afternoon? I would like to ask you sana to join me for merienda later. Of course, kung ok lang sa ‘yo? [smiley]
Le Mademoiselle (via Mobile Phone): So sorry yyyy, I’m quite busy these days. Hope you understand.
⌈Cue background sound of a very disappointed audience. Busy again? Is she using excuse # 49 on Le Geek Boy?⌋
Le Geek Boy (via Mobile Phone): Oh, ok. No biggie! [smiley] Just one more thing, though. Would it be ok to ask if we can try next time?
Le Mademoiselle (Via Mobile Phone): Sometime, with the others, perhaps. [smiley]
⌈Even more disappointment. “With the others”? Why would she involve the others? Le Geek Boy is only asking her out, not everyone. This is bad. Perhaps this is Le Mademoiselle’s rather polite way of telling our hero Le Geek Boy to get lost and self-reproduce.
Later in the afternoon, while Le Geek Boy was about to step out of the building, he sees her.
But she’s not alone.
She’s with another dude. From the same department as Le Mademoiselle’s perhaps? They look pretty ok. And hell, he looks waaay cooler than our geek hero.
Le Geek Boy sees all this through his peripheral vision, not wanting to let her see him see her. Thus, he’s not a hundred percent sure if there were indeed only the two of them walking side by side. However, the whole scene seemed suspicious enough for him to grow even more depressed.
Is it time to quit already? Is she a lost cause for the geek?⌋
Or am I just being plain old pessimistic?
Walking in Place
The good news is finally managed to ask a girl out.
The bad news is I did a helluva sloppy job doing it.
Having mustered all the courage that I could, I decided to go ahead with my plan last Monday. But just to be safe, I texted her first during lunch time, asking if it’s ok to call her up.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Then fifteen.
Still no reply from her.
“This is it”, I thought.
“Guess this is her way of telling me to fuck off.”
Then, nearly half an hour after my message, I got a reply!
As I am usually prone to do whenever I get a message I’m too anxious to read, I delayed opening it for another five or so minutes. Then when I couldn’t delay it any longer, I finally read it.
Cue a huge sigh of relief.
She said she was somewhere noisy, and that she’d just text again once she got back to the office.
“Cool”, I thought.
I’m still very much in the game, apparently.
In the meantime managed to get my focus back to my work, but just as I was starting to get into the groove I heard the phone ring. My teammate was the one that got to answer it, then passed it on to me.
It was her.
First thing I managed to blurt out was an apology for forcing her to call me. She said it was ok, in her usual cute, giggly, cheerful tone that I’ve come to long for.
Upon finding out that she ate out for lunch, and upon seeing in the window that it was starting to rain again, I told her that Imeanttoaskheroutformeriendalaterintheafternoonbutsincesheateoutshemaynotgethungrytillmuchlateronandbesidestheweatherain’tseemtobesogoodthatdaysowhydon’tIjusttryagainsomeotherday.
More giggles from her, and an ok.
(Or so I thought I remember.)
And as soon as we said our goodbyes and I brought down the receiver, I knew I screwed up.
Big time.
I immediately thought of a million better ways I could’ve handled the conversation. But alas, the conversation’s already over.
I’m gonna try again tomorrow. Hopefully, things are gonna turn out better this time around.
