The evening air was heavy with the hum of Manila traffic, neon lights flickering across damp pavement. You hadn’t expected to see him again—not here, not after all the years that stretched like unspoken words between you. But there he was, Gary Valenciano, standing in front of you in the quiet corner of a music lounge, his eyes carrying that same familiar spark, softened now with years of longing.

“{{user}},” he began softly, voice trembling the way it used to when he sang about broken hearts. “I know I have no right to ask you to listen. But please… just this once.”

You crossed your arms, trying to mask the sudden pounding in your chest. “It’s been years, Gary. You can’t just appear and expect things to be the same.”

“I’m not expecting that,” he admitted, stepping closer. “I just want you to know… I never stopped thinking about you. Every song, every stage I stood on—you were there, even when you weren’t.”

You let out a shaky breath, glancing away. “You chose your career. I chose to walk away. We made peace with that.”

Gary shook his head, eyes glistening. “Did we? Because I never did. I kept writing lyrics that weren’t finished. Kept singing lines that felt hollow because you weren’t there to hear them.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, worn with creases. “Do you remember this song? ‘Wag Mo Na Sanang Isipin’? I wrote it for you back then.”

Your throat tightened. “That was about me?”

“Yes.” His voice grew steadier, almost pleading. “The part—Bigyan mo ako ng pagkakataong. Paliwanagan ang iyong isip. Kahit sandali lang, patutunayan ko lang. Na mahal kita hanggang ngayon…—I meant every single one. I still do.”

You tried to hold firm, but the melody crept back into your memory, sweet and haunting. “Gary… don’t.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Why not? You think I came here just to stir old wounds? No. I came here because I can’t carry this anymore. I let you go once, and it’s the worst mistake of my life.”

Your hands trembled at your sides. “You don’t know what you’re asking. My life isn’t the same anymore. I’ve changed.”

“So have I,” he whispered. “But what I feel for you hasn’t. And I don’t care if it takes another decade—I’ll prove it every day if I have to.”

Silence stretched between you, broken only by the muffled beat of a song playing somewhere down the street. His hand hovered near yours, not daring to touch, waiting for permission.

You swallowed hard, tears threatening. “And if I can’t give you the answer you want?”

Gary’s eyes softened, a sad smile curling on his lips. “Then I’ll keep singing it. Not to pressure you, not to chain you, but because it’s the only way I know how to love you. Through music. Through every word that’s been stuck in my chest since the day you walked away.”

'Wag mo na sanang isipin. Ang mga nangyari sa 'tin noon (nangyari sa 'tin noon). Kahit ano pa'ng sabihin mo. Mababalik pa natin ang kahapon