Expectation: You like someone since forever. The feeling is mutual. You two are a hundred percent compatible because a mobile application says so. Reality: Your crush doesn’t like you back. Your young, fragile heart gets so broken you vow to never get near that person again.
Now we know why Bea asks Pogs to stay ten steps behind, and why she hates him so much! As promised after reaching the target amount of one-million-peso donation to ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation’s “Operation Odette” fund drive via “Kapamilya Family Date Nights” finale last March 9, Viral Scandal and Maalaala Mo Kaya collaborated to bring us a short film featuring the hidden chapter of Pogs and Bea’s love story, played by Aljon Mendoza and Karina Bautista in the primetime series.
First love
In Viral Scandal, we see Pogs doing everything in his power to win Bea’s heart, chasing her every chance he gets. The young Sicat, however, strongly dislikes her persistent suitor to the point of insulting him. And the unknown reason can be traced back to their younger days.
The film opened with a teenage Bea – short-haired, had a big pimple on her nose and rashes on her neck, and so into colorful hair clips – taking on a compatibility quiz on her mobile phone. She ticked the boxes describing her crush. Keeps on teasing her, check. Someone she has liked since forever, check. She typed in her crush’s name, Leopoldo Ygot, and squealed as the application declared a hundred percent compatibility. First sequence in, we already got the adorable revelation that Bea used to be head over heels in love with Pogs.
In the next scene, she giddily went to his house to pick up Nico (Louise Abuel), as ordered by Rica (Charlie Dizon). The scene introduced Pogs’ two mothers – a lesbian couple who adore him so much. Then it established Bea and Pogs’ dynamics as childhood friends. He finds joy in teasing and bullying her despite his parents’ reminder to be kinder to her.
She saw his coin back, which he fondly calls “Bubot.” He was quick to take Bubot from her, saying it has a sentimental value because it was given by his grandma. His mom would say that he will probably break Bubot and use his savings to impress a crush. Pogs vowed, “Hindi ko babasagin si Bubot para sa kahit na sinong babae,” which we all know he will disobey for Bea’s most requested cheesecake.
First Heartbreak
Bea freshened up before Pogs walks her home. She eavesdropped on their conversation wherein his parents narrated their love story and said he must look into a person’s heart, not the physical appearance or social status. They also teased him for possibly crushing on his friend. However, Pogs, careless and with his big appetite for banter, enumerated the reasons why he’ll never fall for Bea – including the big pimple on her nose and the rashes on her skin.
Hurt, she ran off. He chased her. What we thought would end in a sweet confession turned into a scene of painful rejection. Pogs was sure he will never see Bea in a romantic light but that doesn’t mean they’d stop being friends. Still, the rejection felt horrible, and for the first time, she asked him to back off – 10 steps away.
“’Pag ako gumanda, ‘who you?’ ka sa akin,” she vowed. In what seemed like a little act of revenge, she searched up “How to be pretty,” bringing her to Raven (Kaila Estrada)’s vlog channel.
Prom night came. Pogs, who waited for Bea outside the venue, saw fireworks and felt the butterflies when she walked in. There was Bea, the girl he used to bully and promised to never fall for, making him gawk at her like a lovestruck dude. He wanted to escort her inside the venue but Bea asked her to stay 10 steps behind. And our KarJon hearts sank a little as Pogs stepped back while gazing at the beauty in front of him.
Bea and Pogs were almost there but never really quite been there. After watching this mini tale, we can’t wait to see what happens next between the ‘lalabs’ in the coming episodes of Viral Scandal, weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.