23: The Courtship Game

The time travel back to college memory lane has reached an end. Ashmille was brought back to the present.

Her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe what she just saw!

Drino noticed she followed him on his social media page-um, no! She accidentally sent him a follow request on his main personal social media account instead of just following his public page!

This was the same account he was using when they were following each other in college until she unfollowed him, losing him on her friends’ list, and deactivated her account for three years.

Only a few people, especially those who are close to him, would know his personal account because it was named Alejan Montez, the shortened version of his full name. His profile was also set to private, which can be accessed by his family, friends, relatives, close co-workers, and loved ones only.

But what confused her was how it happened. She didn’t even remember tapping the follow button. Then it hit her. She had left her phone face down on her bed earlier. It must have somehow pressed against the screen and followed Drino’s personal account by accident. She was so preoccupied, she didn’t notice it was his main personal account instead.

Her heart raced as she buried her face in her hands, groaning in disbelief. Of all people to accidentally follow, it had to be him. Her cheeks flushed with heat. She’s totally embarrassed. Not only did she follow him out of nowhere, but she did it using her real account with her full name and a real smiling profile photo.

And what’s worst of all? Is Drino accepting her following request!

She grabbed her phone in panic, hovering over the ‘unfollow’ button, but froze.

Would that make it worse? What if he already saw it? What if he thought she was stalking him?

These thoughts made her want to sink into the floor and never resurface.

She thought of messaging her mother to ask for advice since her parents knew him when she saw an unusual person chatted with her.

Alejan Montez: Hiii Ashmille! How are you?

Alejan Montez: Let’s continue our story. It’s time, shall we?

***

Drino Montezales Unveils Innovative Delivery App

“Influencer and young entrepreneur Alejandrino Montezales has officially launched a new start-up called Drino, inspired by his own nickname, which now doubles as his personal brand.” The video panned towards the female host and interviewee, who is with Drino. “Good day, Mr. Drino.”

“Hi!” He shook her hands. “Hello, everyone,” he greeted the viewers by looking to the camera.

“I love your branding! It not only highlights the app's features, but it also uses your nickname, making it memorable.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“What made you call the app Drino?”

“It never really crossed my mind to call the app Drino. But since I established a brand name for several years by being an online content creator and an influencer, many people have known me by that name. So, my team and I already had a rock-solid idea about the startup, but what was missing was the name of the app. Coming up with one credible name was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made.”

“Harder than deciding on what startup to build?”

“Precisely. My programmer friend from college, Tim. Hi, Tim! I know you’re watching this.” He waved his hand, greeting Tim. “He and I loved the idea of creating a ride-hailing app like we’re mad scientists. But we had this problem of choosing one name for it. We had a total list of 200 plus names, but none of them appealed to us. I called Tim’s phone to open the door for me when we were in our tiny office, doing our prototype app. I stood outside, still waiting for him to pick up the phone. Luckily, I brought the key with me. I entered the room and saw his phone on the table with my name on the screen, still calling. After I saw my name on it, that’s the moment I chose to call the app, Drino.”

“How interesting. Accidents can be turned into opportunities, right, Drino?”

“I agree. It was an amusing story of how our app branding started.”

“Please elaborate to us what your app does.”

“The platform is designed to offer a locally powered, all-in-one solution for seamless transactions, using electric vehicles to serve both customers and business merchants. This aims to boost and modernize the local delivery service industry.”

“Impressive endeavor. How do you compete with the existing ride-hailing apps? And what makes your app different from others?”

“Based on our market research and ride-hailing apps user feedback, there are still relevant concerns that many existing ride-hailing apps couldn’t accommodate. We simply address these problems, accompanied by innovative solutions like utilizing e-vehicles. We also support our local drivers through our rent-to-own program. In 2 to 4 years, they can own the vehicle they’ve been renting from us and keep driving it for Drino service. Our goal is to build a platform that bridges gaps in safe, efficient, and accessible public transportation and delivery solutions for everyone. According to our data, we currently receive a high rating of 9 out of 10 stars, the highest rating of all apps. We are still on a learning curve, but with continuous support, we do our best to deliver the service our customers deserve.”

“And we heard that you will be expanding soon?”

“Yes, the Drino App will soon expand to include motorcycle ride services. We have a lot of demand for this lately, and we’re happy to announce that it will be available soon.”

“What inspired you to create a ride-hailing app? You are an emerging entrepreneur, and venturing into the world of transit services and software apps can be quite challenging for young entrepreneurs like you.”

“It is!” He scoffed. “It is more than challenging to start this type of startup, especially for rookies like me. However, what motivated me the most was witnessing the hardships my fellow men face in their daily lives. A little story time. I haven’t tried commuting until I was in my 4th year of college.”

“For real, Drino?”

“Yeah”

“Well, you came from a well-off family. What drove you to commute at that time?”

“I didn’t plan to try it at that time, but I did ride a tricycle, a jeepney, a bus, and a train because I was wondering what kept my date so long to arrive at our dating spots.”

“So, Mr. Drino was dating someone in college! Who is the lucky girl? Are you still with her?” the female interviewee questioned intriguingly.

“Oh, no. That’s for another day,” he laughed, dodging the consecutive questions about his love life. “We’re here to focus on the Drino app.”

“Alright. Let’s have another chat for that specific topic, shall we?” she joked.

Drino just smirked.

“How was your experience commuting for the first time?”

“It was way more fun than I thought it would be.”

“What were the unforgettable moments you had?”

“I almost got lost if I didn’t use GPS on my phone. I got tricked into paying 150 pesos for a tricycle ride that was only about 800 meters—something I could’ve easily walked. I was unsure whether to read the sign on the front of the jeepney or the one painted on its side. I didn’t know I was supposed to hand over other people’s money to pay the driver. I had no idea they could overfill the bus capacity by standing. I dropped my train card on the train tracks because of the crowded people.”

“Those are notable experiences you had. I’m sure you had it rough for the first time. How did you overcome those commuting struggles?”

“I usually ask for help with security guards, random people I see, and with my co-commuters.”

“You said commuting for the first time was more fun than you expected. What made it enjoyable?”

“I can search everything online beforehand, but what made it more exhilarating is when I engage myself in small talks with strangers, to navigate the streets by reading the rusty street signs, to be in the moment while walking alone on busy sidewalks, to discover places I’ve never been, and to be more patient with the things that I have no full control of.”

“How would you relate those experiences to your app?”

“I learned a lot from it, which greatly influenced my startup. Despite those commuting encounters, I found radiance in it and grabbed the opportunity that comes with it.”

“And thus, how the Drino app was born. One last message about the app and to the ride-hailing app users.”

“Transportation is vital for survival, and this basic need must be met to perform better. I’ve seen how this problem has been addressed multiple times, but there are still many concerns from commuters. I am here to serve everyone through the help of technology and innovation for a better nation.”

“Thank you, Mr. Drino Montezales. It was a pleasure meeting you. We send our best regards on your career and business.”

“My thanks. I appreciate your support.”

They shake their hands.

“Once again, thank you to our viewers. Watch us again every Sunday at 2:00 PM. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for the latest updates.”

The host has ended the short segment.

Ashmille finished the interview video. She went back to reading Drino’s shocking message. She typed gently the words she’d like to respond. If Drino managed to message her first after she made her first ‘accidental’ move by sending him a follow request, then she could face this one, too. She hit the enter button with a brave heart.