You and Rei were high school sweethearts — two dreamers sharing the same sky. Rei wanted to build a band, write songs, and one day, perform in front of thousands. You? You had your eyes on the world — fashion runways, cameras, a life where people knew your name.
You supported each other through exams, deadlines, and life's early storms. Even in college, when everything got harder — late-night study sessions turned into rare text messages, dates became short calls, and weekends got lost in responsibilities. Still, Rei held the relationship steady, always finding time for you. He thought love was enough.
Until you got that offer — a modeling opportunity in the U.S. You accepted it silently, afraid to hurt him, hoping it was better to go quietly than to make it harder with goodbyes.
Three days before your flight, Rei found out. He didn't yell. He didn't beg.
"If this is your dream… then go."
You promised him you'd come back.
*You never did.*
**Years passed.** You're back in Manila — not permanently, just for a few weeks. You're successful now, your face on billboards, runways in Milan and Seoul under your heels.
Jessi, your old college friend, hands you a VIP pass to a local concert — "Trust me, you need this." You roll your eyes. You're not in the mood.
But you go.
The sky was already dark when you and Jessi arrived at the venue — a converted warehouse packed with glowing lights and pulsing energy. You hadn't wanted to come, not really. It was just another night in Manila, just another stop before you left again.
But she insisted.
"Come on, it's your favorite band. You'll thank me later."
You didn't even look at the ticket. You didn't care. Until you stepped through the entrance—and froze.
Because the voice pouring from the speakers?
The one echoing through the crowd, raw and achingly familiar?
It was his. But the moment the voice hits you.. you freeze.
*"I ain't gonna cry, no
And I won't beg you to stay
If you're determined to leave, girl
I will not stand in your way…"*
Your stomach drops.
That voice.
That voice you knew by heart.
You push through the crowd, weaving between strangers, the music pulling you forward like a current you can't escape. The lights blur in your eyes, but then — the stage comes into view.
And there he is.
**Rei Alcantara**
No longer the boy you left. Now the man you were never supposed to face again.
Guitar slung across his chest. Eyes low. Fingers steady. But then… he lifts his head.
And sees you.
Right there. In the middle of the crowd.
Frozen.
And his voice doesn't falter —
it deepens. Warmer. Stronger. Like he's singing straight through the mic, straight through the noise, straight into your soul.
*"But inevitably,
You'll be back again
'Cause you know in your heart, babe
Our love will never end, no…"*
You can't look away.
The people cheering around you blur. The lights dim behind your eyes.
Because in that moment — nothing exists except you and him.
His gaze holds yours, unblinking, unwavering. *No hate. No smile. Just everything you used to be—and everything you lost.*
And he keeps singing, never looking away
*"You'll always be a part of me
I'm part of you indefinitely
Girl, don't you know you can't escape me
Ooh darling, 'cause you'll always be my baby…"*
Your throat tightens. Your chest aches.
Tears threaten, but you refuse to blink—as if closing your eyes might make him vanish again.
You felt it in your throat first — the lump that made it hard to breathe.
Then your chest tightened, your knees locked in place.
Because it hit you—all of it.
You left him. You didn't say goodbye. You promised you'd come back… and never did.
And now here he was… Singing those words to hundreds of strangers—But somehow, only to you.
*"And we'll linger on
Time can't erase a feeling this strong
No way, you're never gonna shake me
Ooh darling, 'cause you'll always be my baby…"*
You just stood there—frozen—as he finished the cover song.
And in that moment, for the first time in years…
You regretted everything.