Akala ni Aya, sapat na ang kilig kapag pinapanood niya si Jake Reyes sa mga cover niya tuwing Sabado. Pero habang lumalalim ang paglalagi niya sa fandom, unti-unting nagbabago ang mundo niya—at pati ang mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya.
Sa simpleng GC, nakatagpo siya ng bagong kaibigan—mga kapwa fangirls na kasing tindi rin ng kilig kapag naririnig ang boses ni Jake.
Unti-unti, naging close siya kina Lyca, Anna, Mica, Maureen, at Krystel. Maging sina Admin Rose at Co-Admin Janine, na dati ay parang unreachable, naging approachable at nakakwentuhan na rin niya sa mga araw at gabi ng sabayang fangirling.
Pero sa kabila ng tawanan, kilig, at bonding, hindi pa rin nawawala ang iisang pangarap ng bawat isa sa kanila—ang mapansin ni Jake Reyes.
---
Sabado na naman. Isang umaga na naman ng abang sa YouTube premiere ng bagong cover ni Jake. Tuwing Sabado ito nag u-update ng bagong song or cover songs niya.
Kahit may pasok si Aya, hindi niya ‘yon hinahayaang maging hadlang. Kahit abala sa trabaho sa opisina bilang isang fresh graduate ng Business Management, may tab na bukas lagi sa desktop niya—ang YouTube channel ni Jake Reyes.
Simpleng buhay lang ang meron si Aya. Panganay sa dalawang magkapatid. Nakatira sa QC kasama ng kanyang mga magulang, rent-to-own ang tinitirhan nilang bahay. May sarili rin silang bahay sa probinsya—sa Leyte, kung saan taga doon din ang tatay niya.
Pero si Jake?
Malayo siya. Nasa Seattle, Washington.
Kasama ang kanyang nanay, limang kapatid, at ang kanyang stepfather—na isang dating sundalo pero yumao na rin. Pero ang tatlong kuya ni Jake ay naninirahan ngayon sa Leyte at may kanya-kanyang pamilya na.
Bagamat magkaibang mundo sila, para kay Aya, ang boses ni Jake ay tila naging bahagi na ng kanyang araw-araw.
Ngayon hindi ito ordinaryong Sabado.
Dahil ngayong araw, “No One Else Comes Close” ang bagong upload cover song ni jake.
Kaya ibang level ng kilig at excitement ang nararamdaman ng buong fandom. Sino ba naman ang hindi madudurog ang puso sa lyrics na 'yon, lalo na kung si Jake Reyes ang umaawit?
---
Eksena: GC Updates
Lyca: “WAAAAHHHHHHH 😭😭😭 bakit ‘yan pa ang kinanta niya huhuhu”
Krystel: “I swear, nag-unwind lang ako pero ngayon gusto ko nang umiyak HAHAHA”
Anna: “Yung tipong iniisip mong para sa’yo talaga yung kanta… kahit alam mong hindi 😂”
Mica: “Bakit ganon? Ang sakit-sarap pakinggan ng version niya 🥹”
Maureen: “Guys, tayong lahat na lang! Tayong ‘Jakefanatics.’ Tayo ang 'No one else comes close' kay Jake. 😂😭”
Aya: “Grabe... parang ako ‘yung iniisip niya habang kinakanta niya ‘yon 😭💔❤️”
Admin Rose: “Kayo talaga. Umayos kayo, baka may magselos na d’yan. Charot!”
Co-Admin Janine:
"Sino pong mag seselos inay? haha grabe ang kilig talaga natin today!😭😭🥰"
Masaya. Magulo. Mabaliw-baliw. Ganito mag-react ang isang GC na sabay-sabay tinamaan ng boses ni Jake.
---
Eksena: Office Mode
Habang tahimik na nagta-type ng reports si Aya, sabay check sa YouTube tab.
Tumigil siya saglit, huminga nang malalim, sabay sabing:
"Bakit parang mas kabado pa ako kaysa sa finals namin dati?"
Nang mag-play ang video, nagsimula na ang intro ng kanta. Mellow. Warm. Ramdam ang bawat linya. Sa bawat salitang binitawan ni Jake, tila tumitigil ang oras.
“You touched my heart in a way I’m always dreaming of…”🎶🎵
Boom!
Lunod na lahat sa kilig.
Lunod na rin sa sariling pantasya si Aya.
---
Eksena: YouTube Comments
Matapos ang video, gaya ng nakagawian, nag-comment agad si Aya:
"Jake, your voice just ruined me—in the best way possible. This song hits differently because of you. Grabe ka. Thank you for always reminding us how it feels to fall in love. ❤️ #JakefanaticsForever"
Tatlong buwan na siyang loyal commenter. Laging nanonood. Laging present. Although laging may heart reaction si Jake sa lahat ng comments pero bihira lang ito mag repy. At kahit simpleng reply lang, ‘yon ang pinapangarap ni Aya..
Pero ngayon ay may dumating na biyaya,
---
Ilang oras din ang nakalipas..
Habang nagliligpit na si Aya sa opisina dahil pauwi na din siya sa bahay, biglang may notification siyang natanggap:
“Jake Reyes replied to your comment.”
Napahinto siya. Napatingin sa screen.
Totoo ba ‘to?
Agad niyang tinignan ang YouTube.
At andun nga.
Jake Reyes:
"Thank you so much, Arianna! Your words mean a lot. Stay safe always and God bless!" 🙏💙
---
Eksena: GC Frenzy
Aya: “GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Help me pls! 😭😭😭😭😭😭”
Lyca: “GURL ANYARE SAYO 😂 KALMA KA BAKIT?! 😭”
Aya: “NAGREPLY SI JAKE SAKIN. HINDI ITO DRILL 😭😭😭😭😭”
Krystel: “HUH?!?! SHARE MO NA!!! SCREENSHOT PLS!!”
Aya: [nagpadala ng screenshot]
Anna: “OH. MY. GAAAAAD. LEGIT NGA GUYSSSSS 😭😭😭”
Maureen: “You deserve this, girl! Ilang buwan ka nang consistent! Kayo na ba ni Jake? Hahaha!”
Mica: “Promise, kahit pa nagkakandaugaga tayo dito sa GC, proud kami sa’yo ❤️”
Lyca: "Aaayy we are so happy for youu girl! Congrats! Baka may umiyak sa selos jan haha."
---
Narrator:
Kahit abot-langit ang kilig ni Aya, naramdaman niyang may konting pagbabago sa paligid. May mga tahimik. May hindi nag-react. Yung dati niyang ka-jive sa GC, biglang nawala sa thread.
Hindi man sabihin nang direkta, dama niya… may konting selos. O inggit. Pero tuloy lang siya.
Dahil kahit sino pa ang main character ng gabi, palaging solid ang lima niyang kaibigan.
Sina Mica, Maureen, Krystel, Anna, at Lyca—hindi nagbago ang suporta. Hindi nanghinayang. Hindi nagtago ng inggit. Sila ‘yung type ng friends na mas kilig pa sayo kapag ikaw ang napansin.
—
At ng nakauwi na si Aya sa bahay, kumain at nagpalit na ng damit-pangtulog at pumunta na siya sa kwarto niya. Hindi pa din maalis sa isip niya ang pag reply sakanya ni Jake.
Monologue ni Aya (habang nakahiga na at nakatingin sa phone screen)
“Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig sabihin ng reply na ‘yon... pero grabe, parang pinigilan kong tumalon sa sobrang saya at kilig kanina.”
“Malay mo, random lang talaga… pero… what if hindi?” - sagot sa isang sulok sa isipan ni Aya.
Nagplay pa ulit siya ng song ni jake at habang nakapikit, may ngiti at kinikilig pa din siya.
---
Sa isang fandom, hindi lang artista ang bumubuo ng koneksyon—pati kapwa fans. Sa bawat “kilig mo, kilig ko rin,” lumalalim ang samahan.
At sa isang simpleng comment na napansin
, nagsimula ang panibagong yugto kay Aya.
Hindi lang bilang fan.
Kundi bilang isang taong may pangarap. May kaibigan. At may dahilan para kiligin nang todo.
Isang araw, day off ni Aya. Nasa kama lang siya kaharap ang laptop habang nagre-reply sa work emails nang biglang mag-message si Lyca.
Lyca (PM):
"Ayssst gurl, may sasabihin ako... wag kang mabibigla ha."
Aya:
"Ano ‘yun? 👀"
Lyca:
"May access ako kay Jake... and kay Tita Carol—yes, si Mami ni Jake! Hindi alam ng ibang fans ‘to. Pero since ikaw lang ang OG single dito aside from Janine, baka pwede na kitang i-connect. IF game ka."
Aya:
"H-hala? Totoo ‘yan, ate? 😳"
Lyca:
"Oo, through IG kasi si Admin Rose, tapos ako, matagal na akong fan—nakilala na rin ako ni Tita Carol. Pero syempre, wag mo muna i-share kahit kanino. Secret lang ‘to ng solid 5."
Narrator:
Hindi agad tinanggap ni Aya ang offer. Kinabahan siya. Naihiya. Baka sabihin ng iba, nakikisipsip lang siya. Pero sa puso niya, parang may kaba na may halo ring excitement.
Lyca:
"Huwag kang mag-alala. Hindi kita isusubo. Gusto lang kitang tulungan. 'wag mo ng palampasin ang pagkakataon, Deserve mo ‘yan."
---
Narrator:
At habang patuloy pa rin ang Saturday uploads ni Jake, mas lalong naging active si Aya sa fandom. Habang nagta-type sa office, naka-open sa tab ang YouTube channel ni Jake.
Aya (bulong):
"Di ko man siya personal na kilala... pero iba talaga epekto ni Jake sakin."
Sa puso niya, hindi lang simpleng fangirling ‘to. Parang may paparating pa. Something deeper. At hindi niya alam, ang mga susunod na araw ay mas lalong magpapagulo sa puso niya.
---
Author’s Note:
Akala niyo ba hanggang fangirling lang si Aya?
Naku, beshie, ‘di mo pa alam ang susunod.
Sa isang iglap... pwedeng magbago ang dynamics ng buong Jakefanatics.
Kaya kapit ka. Dahil minsan, ang kilig... may kaakibat
na selos.
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Closer than Expected
ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW:
(Full translation of Chapter 3)
Aya thought it was enough to feel giddy just by watching Jake Reyes’s Saturday covers. But the deeper she went into the fandom, the more her world began to change—including the people around her.
In a simple group chat, she found new friends—fellow fangirls who felt the same thrill whenever they heard Jake’s voice.
Slowly, she grew closer to Lyca, Anna, Mica, Maureen, and Krystel. Even Admin Rose and Co-Admin Janine, who once seemed unreachable, eventually became approachable. They started chatting with her during long days and late nights of shared fangirling.
But amidst all the laughter, butterflies, and bonding, one dream stayed the same for each of them—to be noticed by Jake Reyes.
---
It’s Saturday again. Another morning of waiting for the YouTube premiere of Jake’s latest cover. He uploads a new song or cover every Saturday.
Even if Aya has work, she never lets it get in the way. Despite being busy at her office job as a fresh Business Management graduate, she always keeps a tab open on her desktop—for Jake Reyes’s YouTube channel.
Aya lives a simple life. She’s the eldest of two siblings. She lives in Quezon City with her parents, in a rent-to-own house. They also have a home in the province—Leyte, where her father is originally from.
But Jake?
He’s far away. Living in Seattle, Washington.
With his mom, five siblings, and his stepfather—a former soldier who has already passed away. Jake’s three older brothers now live in Leyte with families of their own.
Even if they come from different worlds, for Aya, Jake’s voice has become part of her everyday life.
But today isn’t just any Saturday.
Because today, Jake is releasing a cover of “No One Else Comes Close.”
That’s why the whole fandom is on a different level of excitement and giddiness. I mean, who wouldn’t be wrecked by those lyrics—especially when sung by Jake Reyes?
---
Scene: GC (Group Chat) Updates
Lyca: “WAAAAHHHHHHH 😭😭😭 Why that song of all songs, huhuhu”
Krystel: “I swear, I was just trying to relax, and now I wanna cry HAHAHA”
Anna: “That moment when you really believe the song is for you… even when you know it’s not 😂”
Mica: “Why does it hurt so good to hear his version? 🥹”
Maureen: “Guys, let’s just be real. We, the ‘Jakefanatics,’ are the true ‘No One Else Comes Close’ to Jake. 😂😭”
Aya: “OMG... it’s like he was thinking of me while singing that 😭💔❤️”
Admin Rose: “You guys are too much. Behave yourselves, or someone’s gonna get jealous. LOL!”
Co-Admin Janine:
“Who’s getting jealous, Mommy? haha The kilig is real today!😭😭🥰”
It was chaos. Pure joy. Fangirl madness. That’s how the GC looked when everyone got hit with Jake’s voice at the same time.
---
Scene: Office Mode
While Aya quietly typed her reports, she snuck a glance at the YouTube tab.
She paused, took a deep breath, and said,
“Why do I feel more nervous now than during our finals back in college?”
As the video started playing, the intro of the song filled her ears. Mellow. Warm. Every line, heartfelt. With each word Jake sang, time seemed to stop.
“You touched my heart in a way I’m always dreaming of…” 🎶🎵
Boom!
Giddiness overload.
Aya was already drowning in her own fantasy.
---
Scene: YouTube Comments
After the video, as usual, Aya left a comment:
"Jake, your voice just ruined me—in the best way possible. This song hits differently because of you. You’re amazing. Thank you for always reminding us how it feels to fall in love. ❤️ #JakefanaticsForever"
She’s been a loyal commenter for three months now. Always watching. Always present. Jake would often react with a heart to comments, but he rarely replied. And even just one simple reply—that was Aya’s ultimate dream.
But today, a miracle happened.
---
Hours passed...
Aya was packing up at work, ready to head home, when a notification popped up:
“Jake Reyes replied to your comment.”
She froze.
Stared at the screen.
Is this real?
She quickly opened YouTube.
And there it was.
Jake Reyes:
"Thank you so much, Arianna! Your words mean a lot. Stay safe always and God bless!" 🙏💙
---
Scene: GC Frenzy
Aya: “GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Help me pls! 😭😭😭😭😭😭”
Lyca: “GIRL WHAT HAPPENED 😂 CALM DOWN WHY?! 😭”
Aya: “JAKE REPLIED TO ME. THIS IS NOT A DRILL 😭😭😭😭😭”
Krystel: “HUH?!?! SPILL IT!!! SCREENSHOT PLS!!”
Aya: [sent screenshot]
Anna: “OH. MY. GAAAAAD. IT’S LEGIT GUYSSSSS 😭😭😭”
Maureen: “You totally deserve this, girl! You’ve been consistent for months! Are you two a thing now? Haha!”
Mica: “Promise, even if we go wild here in the GC, we’re all so proud of you ❤️”
Lyca: “Aaayy we are SO happy for you girl! Congrats! Someone’s probably crying from jealousy now haha.”
---
Narrator:
Even with the butterflies shooting through Aya’s chest, she noticed something change in the air. Some people went quiet. Some didn’t react. Those who used to vibe with her in the GC suddenly went silent.
No one said anything outright, but she could feel it... a little jealousy. Maybe envy. But she carried on.
Because no matter who the “main character” of the night was, her five closest friends stayed solid.
Mica, Maureen, Krystel, Anna, and Lyca—never changed. Never bitter. Never jealous. They were the kind of friends who got more excited than you did when it was you who got noticed.
---
That night, when Aya got home, had dinner, changed into her pajamas, and went to her room, she still couldn’t stop thinking about Jake’s reply.
Aya’s monologue (as she lies on her bed, staring at her phone):
“I don’t know what that reply really means... but oh my god, I was trying so hard not to scream from excitement earlier.”
“Maybe it was just random… but… what if it wasn’t?” a voice in her head replied.
She played Jake’s song again.
Eyes closed. Smiling. Still swooning.
---
In a fandom, it’s not just the artist who builds the connection—it’s the fellow fans too. With every “I felt that too,” the bond grows stronger.
And from one simple comment that got noticed, a new chapter began for Aya.
Not just as a fan.
But as someone with a dream.
With real friends.
And with a reason to fall in love with the feeling, all over again.
---
One day, on Aya’s day off, she was lying on her bed, replying to some work emails on her laptop when a sudden message popped up from Lyca.
Lyca (PM):
“Girl, I have something to tell you… but please don’t freak out.”
Aya:
“What is it? 👀”
Lyca:
“I have access to Jake… and to Tita Carol—yes, Jake’s mom! The other fans don’t know this. But since you and Janine are the only OG singles left… maybe I can connect you. IF you’re up for it.”
Aya:
“W-wait? Is that real, Sis? 😳”
Lyca:
“Yeah, it’s through IG. Admin Rose is connected too, and I’ve been a fan for a long time—Tita Carol already knows me. But of course, don’t share this with anyone. It’s a Solid 5 secret.”
Narrator:
Aya didn’t say yes right away. She got nervous. She was shy. She didn’t want people thinking she was being a suck-up. But deep down, she felt something—a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Lyca:
“Don’t worry. I won’t throw you under the bus. I just want to help you. You deserve it.”
---
Narrator:
As Jake continued his regular Saturday uploads, Aya became more and more active in the fandom. Even while typing at work, Jake’s channel stayed open in a tab.
Aya (whispering):
“I may not know him personally… but he really has a different kind of effect.”
In her heart, this wasn’t just simple fangirling anymore. Something was coming. Something deeper.
And little did she know… the coming days would only make her heart even more confused.
---
Author’s Note:
You really thought Aya’s journey would stop at fangirling?
Oh you have no idea what’s next.
In the blink of an eye… the whole dynamic of Jakefanatics might change.
So hang on. Because sometimes, with kilig… comes a bit of jealousy.
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Closer than Expected