Sa lapag ng executive lounge ng Mo Hotels, may isang maliit na pink na papel na tila hindi bagay sa seryosong ambiance ng lugar—isang sticky note, kulubot sa gilid, parang hindi sinasadyang naiwan.
Charlie Mo squinted at the note stuck on his coffee cup. "You deserve a soft afternoon. Like a good cup of tsaa and people who don't leave," it read, written in bubbly pink ink and loop-de-loop handwriting.
"Seriously?" he muttered, half-laughing. "Ang cliché naman nito."
Sinong nag-iiwan ng ganito sa corporate lounge ng hotel?
May pumasok na staff, dala ang report. Charlie didn't even lift his eyes. "Who left this?"
"Sir? Uh... I don't know po. Baka housekeeping po."
Charlie waved him away. He was used to receiving cold emails, firm memos, and sharp-tongued reminders from his father. A warm, handwritten message? This felt like it came from another universe.
He stared at the note again.
"You deserve a soft afternoon."
What does that even mean?
Maia's voice echoed in his head—"You're too uptight, Charlie. Loosen up. Smile more. God, you're like a spreadsheet in human form."
And now this... strange, useless note.
He was about to crumple it, but something in him paused.
Hindi niya maintindihan. Maybe it was the absurdity. Maybe the handwriting reminded him of something lost. Maybe because it didn't ask anything from him.
So instead, he folded it gently and slid it inside his wallet.
Meanwhile, Peachy was rushing across the parking lot, hawak-hawak ang maliit na envelope ng thank-you notes she wrote for her sister's coworkers.
"Patty's gonna kill me!" she puffed, hair flying.
Habang binibilang niya ang mga sticky notes na nasa envelope, napahinto siya.
Isa ang... nawawala?
"Oh no." Her eyes widened. "Did it fall out? Hindi ko nalagyan ng pangalan—baka napulot ng ibang tao?"
She bit her lip. That one was supposed to be for her sister. A simple, "Thank you for making Patty smile. I hope you smile today too."
'Di naman siguro mababasa ng boss 'yon... right?
Sa office, Charlie leaned back on his chair. His phone buzzed. Another text from Maia.
Maia: "Saw your feature in Business Today. You look tired. Want company?"
He deleted it.
She left him. Publicly. No apologies. No remorse. Just Instagram posts of "choosing herself" and a trip to Bali with the guy she cheated with.
He thought he'd feel vindicated. But all he felt now was noise.
Then he opened his wallet and saw it again—the note.
"You deserve a soft afternoon."
A strange, quiet warmth tugged at his chest.
The next day, Peachy returned to the hotel with a basket of homemade brownies—her mini sideline.
She passed by Patty's desk. "Ate, do you think... may nakakuha nung note ko?"
"Note? Anong—oh my God, Peachy," Patty whispered-shouted. "Charlie Mo came in yesterday, right after you dropped those off. What if he saw it?!"
Peachy's eyes widened. "The Charlie Mo?!"
"The heartbreak billionaire. The human iceberg. Yes."
Peachy nearly dropped her basket. "Oh no. Baka akala niya prank! O kaya creepy stalker message..."
Patty sighed. "Hay, ikaw talaga. You and your notes. Minsan nga naiisip ko, baka tama sila—too gullible for your own good."
But Peachy just smiled faintly. "Maybe. But... what if the note made him smile?"
Sa kabilang banda, Charlie was in the elevator, holding the note again.
He had done it—read it five times. Folded, unfolded. There was something about the handwriting. Wala namang pangalan. Walang number. Walang expectation.
Just kindness. Something he hadn't tasted in a long time.
"Sir, 14th floor na po," sabi ng elevator staff.
"Right."
But before stepping out, he looked at the sticky note again and whispered, almost embarrassed to himself—
"Salamat."
END OF CHAPTER 2
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