Absinthe

Halfway through our meal at Jollibee, I fished out my phone to check if there were any messages from my friends. None. I sent a quick text to Cassie, Faye, and Derrick. I doubted they would respond, but I just wanted to let them know that I was open to talking things over with them.

"Do you have any social media accounts?" I asked Jiwoo.

"I don't really have time for those."

"You know that you can get some income from them, right?"

"Really?" Jiwoo was now interested, his eyes suddenly alert.

"Yeah. If you get enough followers, brands will start to notice you and give you sponsorships."

Jiwoo was quiet for a bit. "How do I do that? And will it really allow me to earn a lot of money?"

I nodded. "Pretty much. I've heard of some IG stars buying houses mostly with their earnings from IG."

"How do I get... What did you call it? Followship?"

"Followers. Well, there's no surefire way to get them, but in your case, you can always use your face."

"I don't understand."

"I'm talking about fan service. Everyone wants to see attractive people, so you just have to show them your handsome face!"

Jiwoo smiled and blushed. "You think I'm handsome?"

Fuck. How do I answer him without revealing my attraction to him?

"I think you're more handsome than I am," Jiwoo added.

"That's not possible," I said.

"So you really think I'm handsome, then?"

"Do you know Gossip Gurl?" I asked, suddenly remembering something and deliberately ignoring his question. "She posts pictures of the hottest people in the metro, celebrities and non-celebrities alike. She even had a photo of you one time!"

"Can I see it?" he asked excitedly.

"Here." I opened Gossip Gurl's page and showed it to Jiwoo. And I'll be damned—it was now full of candid photos of me and Jiwoo earlier in Recto. "See? Gossip Gurl's making money off of your face and mine!"

mystery handsome guy on a date in Recto!" Jiwoo said, reading the caption of another candid photo of him holding my hand and crossing

her secretly take photos of her subjects

"Are you @bjmesoftly?"

Faye who had come up with that username several years ago. I only had like 30 or

like it hard, huh?" Jiwoo

embarrassment, and I punched Jiwoo lightly on the shoulder. "I wasn't the one

Can you tell me how to make one,

chose the handle @g_whooo as a play on how his name sounds like. I taught him how to follow other

followers. Do you earn money

to gain followers. It just sort of happened when this Gossip Gurl started tagging me in

pointing at a picture of me and JM with Elle

how gullible I was, and there was no reason for

he said, scrolling through more pictures of me with

and I remembered what Janus had told us last time about Jiwoo's

admitted. "But I'm

respond

of those people are my exes!"

followers are females? I mean, this Gossip

boys' love. They're basically fans of guys who date one another. I don't really know why, but

their palabok is amazing. I don't expect a lot from Jollibee since it's a fast

"Kiss me then."

half the palabok still in my mouth and nearly

photo of you pretending to kiss me. Maybe that will

the whole suggestion had not shaken me.

around my shoulder and pulled

now?" I asked, flustered and trying my best to conceal

nodded as he raised his phone in his left hand and prepared to take a selfie. "Just pretend to kiss me.

mimicked

another one," Jiwoo said. "Don't close your

this time keeping my eyes open. Jiwoo snapped a

"How?" I asked, annoyed.

"Like this!"

still slightly open, forming out the vowel in the word "how." Jiwoo turned and pretended to

head away, picked up a