The next day, Conrad and Alfred fetch Olivia on their way to school. Seeing her happy today, made Alfred ask behind her happiness. Olivia said that she’s overflowing with excitement since their plan for their Croquembouche will outstand everyone. Alfred curiously asks their plan for their Croquembouche, but Conrad and Olivia decided to keep it a secret until then.
By the time they arrived in their classroom, Chef Austin was already there and he was excited about everyone’s Croquembouche. Since croquembouches are only made during the holidays, he expects everyone that they’ll create their own version or concept of a Croquembouche. Once they settled in their station, Alexandria suddenly approaches them.
“Hey there, Conrad,” Alexandria greeted. “Ready for another fascinating win by me?” She asked full of pride.
“Why you ask, Alexandria?” Conrad asked. “Scared to lose?” He continued, staring at each o
By the time Chef Austin told everyone that it’s time for them to present their Croquembouche, he tells everyone that he and Alfred will go first. Alfred brings out their Croquembouche, some of them were mesmerized by it, while most of the students were clueless about their Croquembouche. Alfred tells them that their Croquembouche is inspired by the Filipino Culture. And what they see in front of them is not purple chocolate, but Ube; a popular and favorite flavor in the Philippines.Chef Austin invites everyone to taste their Croquembouche. Everyone goes in front and takes a piece. Once they have taken a bite of it, everyone imagined themselves being a part of the Filipino Festivities. They were also surprised that the custard inside is also Ube, and to them, it was creamy yet tasty to their taste buds. He asks everyone if they have comments and suggestions about it. Olivia tells them that it melts in her mouth. While Conrad, tells them that every time he takes a bite,
By the time they got back to their apartment, Conrad immediately goes to his bedroom to change his clothes and rest before cooking dinner. After changing, he lies down on his bed and thinks to himself for a moment, that maybe Olivia and he are a perfect pair after all. But considering the fact that he already started dating Jaiden, he guesses that his deciding between them will be more difficult than he anticipated. While he was scrolling through Social Media, seeing various posts from his friends, his mom, his dad, and his following pages, he stumbles upon a recent post from Jaiden. It shows a picture of a bright red dress with no sleeves with the caption, “Inspired by my favorite music album, Red by Taylor Swift. I cannot wait to show it to you in person 😉.” He reacted to her post with a love emoji and commented, “I can already imagine you looking beautiful in the dress you made. Can’t wait to see you in person 😊.” Minutes later, he was about to go out of his roo
After last night’s video chat, Olivia couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Conrad. During class, she couldn’t help but stare at him. She wonders if his feelings for her are starting to grow. Since her feelings for him had already grown a bit. Even though she knew the truth, she couldn’t stop thinking how the two of them would be a great couple. But then again, he’s already dating someone, and she wouldn’t want to make him fall in love with her all over again. She wants him to be happy, even if the cost is her own happiness.While she’s busy thinking deeply, she doesn’t hear Chef Austin calling her out a few times to answer his question. Conrad gives her a tap on the shoulder, and Olivia was a bit surprised by it. He whispers to her softly that Chef Austin is asking him something. She asks Chef Austin to repeat the question, and after giving out an answer, she gets the answer right. She sighs with relief after answe
Olivia felt relieved after bursting into tears. She was also a bit embarrassed for crying so suddenly and right in front of Conrad. She lets go of Conrad and wipes her tears away with her hand. Conrad gives her his handkerchief and tells her to use it to wipe her tears and to blow her nose.“Feel any better?” Conrad asked.“Yeah, I do,” Olivia answered. “I guess I needed that.”“Look, whatever it is you’re feeling at any day, you can always open up to me about it.” He said. “Or maybe I can comfort you if you just want to cry or anything,” He continued. “And it’s fine if you can’t tell me right away. I just want you to know that I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”“Thanks for being a good friend, Conrad.” She said as she gave Conrad another hug.After they hugged each other, Olivia gives Conrad’s handkerchief back. But Conra
A week has passed since the incident happened. The two never talked to each other nor went to class. Both of them took some time off to rethink everything, especially Conrad. He knew that he never meant to say any of that. It was a difficult decision to make since he was protecting his relationship with Jaiden. And for him to protect it, he knew that he had to break Olivia’s heart so that he could be with her. But, even if he did get to protect it, he still regrets breaking Olivia’s heart. He knew that she doesn’t deserve any of that, she’s a great person, yet he did it anyway.Meanwhile, Olivia regrets confronting her feelings towards Conrad. She thought that maybe it would be okay for Conrad to hear it, but instead, she received a thousand stabs by Conrad himself. She never expected that to happen since they put their problems aside and they were perfect partners for each other. Aside from that, they were getting closer, as if they were more than fri
While class is in session, Alfred went into deep thinking, not realizing that he wasn’t listening anymore. He just couldn’t face the fact that Olivia just ignored Conrad earlier. He thinks that maybe what Conrad said to her did hurt her badly. And because of that, Olivia pretended as if Conrad never existed. He starts to have a hard time wondering if the two of them can stay as friends or probably never see each other again because of it. Break time occurred, and Conrad excused himself to use the restroom. Alfred wanted to come with him and talk to him but didn’t go through with it after seeing Conrad’s regretted look. He also wanted to talk to Olivia as well, but she is busy talking to Chef Austin, asking about what she missed in class while she was gone. He decides to follow Conrad instead and try to talk to him regarding him apologizing to Olivia. Meanwhile, in the men’s restroom, Conrad splashed himself with water to realize if what happened earlier was real or n
As the glistening snow falls on the city of Philadelphia, people from all over the city prepare for the most joyous time of year, which most people like to call, Christmas. The one holiday where people would get together with their friends and families to celebrate this momentous occasion. Wherein they could enjoy a cup of cocoa by the fireplace, set up a Christmas tree and fill it with ornaments, drink eggnog with all their friends until they had enough, and most importantly, receive and give gifts. But on this momentous occasion, Conrad decided to do something different this year, along with his friends and family.It was a snowy morning. Conrad and his friends, Connor, and Jaiden were busy brainstorming ideas for their special surprise. They decided on treating the birds in nearby bird rescue.“Okay, what made you think to do this kind of thing at this time of year?” Connor asked.“Well, remember the time when Phili got out of his cage accid
Once Chef Austin dismissed his class, he asks Conrad and Olivia to stay for a private conversation between themselves. After hearing that, they stayed in their seats and waited for everyone to leave the room before approaching Chef Austin. Conrad told Alfred that he can go home first since talking to Chef Austin might take a while, and he didn’t want for him to wait outside. Alfred agreed, but before he leaves the room, he whispers to him that he should try to talk to Olivia after their little chat with Chef Austin later. Conrad agreed by saying that he’ll try talking to her once they're done talking to Chef Austin.Once everyone else left the room, Chef Austin walks up to them with a serious yet worried look on his face.“Do you know why I wanted to talk to you guys?” Chef Austin asked.“Is it because that we missed a week worth of lessons?” Olivia guessed.“Yes, but there are two more things…” Chef
For the two of them, touring Madison Square Garden was enjoyable. They get to see more than what is shown to the public; they get to experience the greatest moments that occurred there, even if it is just in virtual reality. They get to snap a lot of photos there, some of which are perfect for publishing on social media. Some were also ideal for changing their profile images. Despite this, Conrad is able to make Jaiden happy and enjoy her day, despite the fact that something is bothering her mind. He's simply hoping she'll open up before the day is done. After their tour of Madison Square Garden, they headed to Brooklyn, where Conrad had one more surprise in store for Jaiden. Since it was a little early for his surprise, he recalls how much she enjoyed Frozen Yogurt. So he decided to take her to a frozen yogurt shop he knew. Fortunately, the business was nearby, so there was no need for him to second-guess himself or rush their rendezvous. They h
Conrad has finished prepping for their New York tour. He was dressed in a white shirt and jeans with a Philadelphia-themed blazer.He was astonished to see Jaiden waiting by the doorway when he opened it.“Jaiden, everything okay?” He asked worriedly.“Yeah, I just kind of wanted to see what your room looks like.” She chuckled softly. “Hey, it’s the jacket I gave you.” She said as soon as she noticed the jacket. “It looks better on you in person than in the picture you sent me.”She holds onto Conrad’s shoulder and feels the fabric through as her hands caress his arms. She holds onto his hands and intertwines them.After a while, their foreheads stick to each other and they can feel each other’s warm breath. Jaiden gives out a smile as she reminisces the last time she felt comfortable and safe in Conrad’s arms. But now, she doesn’t feel it. It’s like the feeling she felt once, was long gone.“So… You’re going to let me in your room?” She asked as she let go.“Yeah, if you really want
Conrad felt upbeat as soon as he woke up on Saturday morning. He took out his phone and checked to see if he had any texts, which he did. Jaiden texted to inquire about tonight's movie night.He jumped out of bed, realizing he had forgotten it was movie night with Jaiden. He should have been panicked by this point, yet he was actually cool. It's not the calm before the storm, but rather the serenity of being ready for anything.After yesterday night, he thought he'd finally regained his confidence. But, he still has second thoughts about telling her the truth.He responds to her text and asks when they can video talk. He walks into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face while he waits for her response. Jaiden had not responded by the time he was through. He knows she doesn't typically take this long to respond, so this was unusual for him. He exits the room and keeps his phone nearby in case Jaiden responds.Moments later, as Conrad was about to eat breakfast, Alfred emerge
The stars and moon shone brightly in the night sky, creating a lovely atmosphere. The couple was walking through the park, hands clasped and a smile on their cheeks.This hasn't transpired in New York since the couple met. The universe seemed to want them to meet and be together. Nothing went wrong on their date, and they intuitively felt like they could face the universe's challenges together.Walking along the park, they came across a huge fountain that seemed like where all the couples hang out. Some are throwing coins into the fountain wishing their love would last, some are sharing an ice cream cone by the side, and some just happened to make their relationship official.Looking around for a place to hang out, an outdoor cafe caught Conrad’s eye.“Want to hang out here for a while?” Conrad asked.“You go on ahead. I think I’m just going over the fountain.” She walked on over there immediately with a bothered look, leaving Conrad behind.Conrad noticed her troubled expression and
Friday night, the night where Conrad and Olivia had been waiting for. Both planned an extravagant night for their first date. And by means of making it extravagant, they both wanted it to be perfect. But little did they know, destiny has other plans for them.Conrad arrives at Olivia's apartment at exactly 7 pm as planned. As he was about to knock on the door, his hand stopped before his fingers could even touch it. He asked himself again if this was the right decision as anxiety is creeping up on him.He overthinks that maybe wearing a royal blue long sleeve polo, jeans, and white sneakers was a bad idea. He also thought that maybe he was making a bad decision.He takes a step back, shakes his hands, and takes a deep breath. He tells himself that he looks great tonight, his decision was right and nothing wrong was done as he reminds himself that he’s doing this for love. He regained his confidence and felt ready for their date again.He knocks on the door and patiently waits for Oliv
Back at the apartment, Conrad was lying down on his bed. After today’s events, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. It got stuck to his mind like sticky notes on a book. However, even though Olivia was acting a bit weird today, he didn’t realize during those moments that she was turning head over heels over him. He asked himself full of hope, “Is she the right person that will fit my future life?” But then, Jaiden suddenly pops into his head out of nowhere. He knew that Jaiden is also the right person, but he was having second thoughts wherein maybe having a long-distance relationship won’t work between them. They might be great for each other, but there will come a time when you will find someone else, and sooner or later, you’ll love that person more than the one you loved first. Alfred knocks on the door as he enters Conrad’s room and stands by the doorway. “Hey, you’ve been quiet for the past couple of hours… You okay?” Alfred said in a worried tone. “Yeah, it’s just that… I’ve
It’s finally Friday! However, it’s not the usual Friday where the day isn’t tiring nor relaxing.Today’s the day when Conrad and the others returned to school after a short break. Yet, they still have no clue about Chef Austin’s plan for today’s class. They clearly haven’t prepared for it and everyone is scared of what’s in store for today.As soon as Chef Austin enters the room, the room became silent and everyone was preparing themselves for whatever was coming their way. Chef Austin puts down his stuff on his desk and was confused why his students are quiet and being so serious.“Is everything okay class?” Chef Austin asked confusingly. “You haven’t looked this serious since our first day of classes.”Conrad stands up from his seat and answers Chef Austin. “With all due respect Chef Austin, everyone is actually preparing themselves for your plans today.”“What plans?” He became more confused by Conrad’s answer. “Am I forgetting something for today?”“Well, from your announcement th
Conrad was relieved when they arrived at a nearby café that wasn't overcrowded. Going to crowded places makes him nervous. He believes he is being judged by strangers, despite the lack of clear proof that they are. Let's just say that when he's depressed, he tends to avoid going to crowded places.Conrad smelled something aromatic as soon as they stepped inside. It wasn’t the freshly made pastries that the employees are putting inside the case nor the freshly brewed coffee. He takes a look around to see where the fragrant scent is coming from. Then he noticed one of the employees making fresh crepes in front of the customer on the same counter as the coffee machines. However, just in front of the pan, the counter has a glass divider. Perhaps the cafe's manager or owner decided to install a divider to protect customers from injury.Alfred then told him that this is his favorite place in New York. The reason is that the crepes they made give him a warm feeli
The next morning, Conrad decided to open up his dad's journal once more, while drinking his coffee. He hasn't gotten to read its contents after reading the first page. He didn't expect his dad to leave so suddenly. It was heartbreaking for him, knowing he bid his final farewell. He won't be able to see his dad again, and he won't be able to do the things he wanted to do with him. But he told himself if they were able to cross each other's paths sometime, he would just put a smile on his face and act as if they were once strangers. But even if he left so suddenly, he still wants to find answers in the journal he left, the answers to his sudden disappearance, the key tied to the journal, and the envelopes. Opening up the journal, he gathers the courage to prepare himself for any painful statements inside the journal. The second page read; Dear Conrad, If I were given a wish to be granted immediately, I wish that I could take