chapter four: Whatever floats your boat.

In the quiet, quaint village of Yongsan, where the rhythmic flow of daily life seemed to move at its own serene pace, Genevieve found solace amidst the chaos of her emotional turmoil. Three months had slipped by since the brittle threads connecting her and Stefan had finally unraveled, leaving a tangle of memories and unanswered questions in their wake.

Seated at a small café tucked away in a corner of the village, Genevieve found herself lost in the swirl of her matcha frappe, the cool sweetness providing a momentary distraction from the whirlwind of emotions that still lingered in her heart. Beside her sat Lorelei, her ever-supportive friend whose vibrant presence seemed to bring a flicker of light into Genevieve's somber world. Lorelei, the vivacious girlfriend of Eiko, Stefan's co-member in Cascade, had been a steadfast companion during Genevieve's darkest hours.

"You're lost in thought, again. Care to share it with me? Sana naman si new guy from Oasis na 'yan, my friend," Lorelei teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously as she nudged Genevieve, breaking through the melancholy that enveloped her like a shroud.

Genevieve managed a faint grin as she shook her head, a hint of amusement glinting in her eyes. "Rowan is not my new guy, he is only my friend," she mused softly, her voice carrying a tinge of hesitancy.

Lorelei arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "A friend don't stare like that to another friend, you know that. He acts more like a boyfriend than when Stefan and you were dating. Gusto mo ba siya or Gusto ka niya?" Lorelei prodded; her words laced with a knowing glint.

"Hindi ko alam at bakit ko naman aalamin, gwapo naman siya, maporma which is inclined in my job, maalaga tapos mabuting kaibigan sa amin ni Kuya," Genevieve sighed, her gaze drifting out of the café's window to the bustling street beyond. "Rowan makes me feel comfortable, unlike when Stefan and I used to hang out before. It seems like Stefan, and I never really tried to know each other, or he was implying me to be someone I'm not, which I don't like, that's the feeling I had for Stefan" she confessed, the weight of her emotions spilling out in a rush.

Lorelei listened intently, her eyes widening in surprise. "You endured three years together, fighting for that? Is he okay? I never thought Stefan was like that, and you already feel it why did you let yourself suffer from that," Lorelei murmured, a hint of disbelief coloring her voice.

Genevieve offered a tentative defense of her former boyfriend, her words tinged with the echoes of a past she was still trying to make sense of. "But only that, he is nice and caring. Pero minsan, kinuwestiyon niya ako kung paano ako nagbago ng malaki tapos hindi niya sinasabi sa akin kung ano ang mga pagbabagong iyon, and I can't let it go even if it is toxic. It's like my body is already used in toxicity and I can't seem to let it go," she admitted, the knot of confusion tightening in her chest.

Lorelei rolled her eyes, a flicker of indignation flashing across her features. "That guy has the audacity to do that to my friend and then cry in the Cascade's dorm for almost three months after losing you. Crazy, Stefan, you are crazy!" Lorelei muttered under her breath; her voice just soft enough to escape Genevieve's notice.

"Ano ba sinasabi mo d'yan, Lori?" Genevieve inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion as she turned to her friend.

Lorelei shook her head, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Wala. But my choice is Rowan. It's been three months, and you've surpassed the three-month rule. Si Rowan nalang, my friend, I don't know him but the guy seems genuine naman," Lorelei teased, her eyes dancing with mischief.

Genevieve shot her friend a mock glare, her lips twitching with amusement. "I can't. I still don't know Stefan's reason," she confessed, her words tinged with a lingering sense of unease. "Importante pa ba 'yon?" Lorelei probed; her voice soft with concern as she studied Genevieve's troubled expression.

Genevieve nodded; her gaze distant as she wrestled with the turmoil churning within her. "Yes, because every time my head hurts, Stefan turns pale. Maybe something happened in the past. I need to know that, before it kills me," she whispered, the weight of her uncertainty hanging heavy in the air between them.

Lorelei, with her fiery blonde hair and piercing brown eyes, exuded an aura of confidence and mischief. On the other hand, Genevieve, with her soft features with curly hair and gentle demeanor, complemented Lorelei perfectly.

As they sat at a cozy corner table, sipping on their drinks, Lorelei's words tumbled out like a whirlwind, always edgy and unpredictable. "Whatever floats your boat my friend, just like Eiko to your ex, Nandito lang ako lagi for you," Lorelei's voice held a hint of mystery, her eyes locking with Genevieve's.

Genevieve, with a soft chuckle, shook her head in disbelief. "Lori, he is still your boyfriend's friend. Stop being rude," she playfully scolded Lorelei, who simply grinned in response, taking a bold sip of her americano in one full shot.

"Eiko will get mad at me for letting you drink americano, you know," Genevieve's worry seeped into her words, concern lacing her tone. But Lorelei brushed it off with a nonchalant shrug. "If he gets mad, then Am I allowed to get mad at him, for drinking with your ex-boyfriend every end of the week," Lorelei's words slipped out, catching Genevieve off guard.

"H-he is drinking every end of the week?" Genevieve's surprise was evident as she sought confirmation from Lorelei, who hesitated for a moment before lowering her gaze apologetically. "Cascade has been worried about his condition for the past three months. Well, your ex is not well after breaking up with you and gaslighting himself to be okay, so Eiko and the others invite him to drink just to wish him well. But no words have been spilled, only tears, Eiko don't even know how can they help him cause he don't even utter a word," Lorelei's voice softened, offering a glimpse of vulnerability beneath her tough exterior.

"But he says it is for the best? Why is he acting like I am the one who dump him? Bakit parang ako pa may kasalanan?" Genevieve utter and analyze the situation,

"It's not your fault my friend, well that's the thing he keep on blabbing while I drank," Lorelei clarrifies making her calm yet,

Genevieve's brows furrowed in concern. "I really don't want to open this topic to you, but maybe you're right. He's hiding something, and that something needs to come out. He is an idol already, always on the camera. He can't hide those, but maybe you need to find something to trigger you," Lorelei's words lingered in the air, a challenge wrapped in a promise.

"Something to trigger me? Like what?" Genevieve's curiosity got the best of her as Lorelei dove into the depths of her thoughts, pulling out a notebook from her bag. "Every time your head hurts, may iniinom ka ba or something like medicines ganon?" Lorelei probed; her sharp gaze fixed on Genevieve.

"I stopped drinking that propanol just a year ago after the big fight with Stefan," Genevieve confessed, her voice tinged with a hint of remorse. Lorelei wasted no time, swiftly scrolling through her phone to find the meaning of propanol and showing it to Genevieve.

"That drug blocks your memory. It's good that you're not drinking it. Sino ba nagbigay sayo ng gamot na 'yan?" Lorelei's question hung heavy in the air, prompting Genevieve to revisit memories she preferred to bury. "It's Kuya Gavin. He's the one who gave that to me, four years ago, My parents actually proposed that so It's clearly not Kuya's fault," Genevieve's admission was met with a mix of shock and concern from Lorelei.

"Why would your parents give you a drug that blocks your memory? Have you been in an accident before?" Lorelei's probing questions delved deeper, peeling back the layers of Genevieve's past. "Well, they say I jumped off the Han River bridge for committing something, and someone rescued me. Then I got amnesia due to trauma, that's all I know cause that's all they wanted me to know," Genevieve's words held a weight of unspoken truths, laying bare a part of her past she struggled to confront.

Nodding in understanding, Lorelei continued jotting down notes, piecing together fragments of a puzzle that had long haunted Genevieve. After compiling her thoughts, Lorelei looked directly at her friend, a smile playing on her lips. "I'll help you look for answers. Maybe we'll uncover the reason why you jumped that night, and perhaps that night was also the reason why Stefan broke up with you," Lorelei's words held a promise of unraveling mysteries and seeking closure.

Genevieve couldn't help but smile back at her friend, gratitude and anticipation swirling in her eyes. "I love this, Eve. Para tayong naglalaro ng mystery game or para tayong nasa mystery game kaso memories mo nga lang ang need natin i-unlock," Lorelei's mischievousness sparkled in her gaze, igniting a newfound determination in Genevieve to confront the shadows of her past and discover the truths that lay buried within her memories.

"I'm ready to whatever comes my boat," Genevieve speaks to her mind as they plan to unravel the mysteries that lingered in the shadows of her past.

'Whatever it is, I hope I won't end up breaking own heart,'