"Yung atin kasi was young love na may pagka-mapusok. Kung ano ang mga yun, a big part of that would always be yung part na naging tayo. And for that, I'll always be thankful and grateful. If I were to live my life again, I'd still choose you to be my first boyfriend and my friend now."

This was Claudine Barretto's very candid and final message to ex-flame Mark Anthony Fernandez in their one-on-one interview held yesterday, August 1, on Showbiz Central. The ex-lovers reunited as members of the Kapuso network, and in the process, settled old issues after 15 long years of having no communication with each other.

"Never akong nagkaro'n ng masamang tinapay sa 'yo," Mark, for his part, said to Claudine before Claudine's final message. "Lagi kong iniisip na kakampi kita kahit anong mangyari. At iniisip ko na kung nalagay ako sa isang mataas na pedestal, hindi kita puwedeng kalimutan dahil kaibigan kita."

Later he added, "Never ko naman tiningnan ikaw na hindi kaibigan, kahit hindi tayo nagkita, iniisip ko kaibigan pa rin kita, na hindi lang nagkikita."

Mark and Claudine were a serious boyfriend-girlfriend tandem when they were just 16 years of age and were both with ABS-CBN. They did two movies together, Pare Ko and Mangarap Ka, both shown in 1995, for Star Cinema, the film arm of the Kapamilya network. Now the two are with GMA-7, and would have appeared in a co-production of Viva Films and GMA Films, the film arm of the Kapuso network.

15 YEARS OF SILENCE. Claudine, who co-hosts Showbiz Central for a limited engagement, also grabbed the opportunity to ask Mark to comment about a few unsettled issues.

"Fifteen years nga ba? Bakit?" she asked, pertaining to the long period of time they did not see or talk to each other.

"Ang theory ko, talagang naging busy na lang tayo sa kanya-kanyang buhay," Mark replied. "Si Claudine, bilang sikat na noon, lalo pang sumikat, lalong naging busy. Tapos nung ako, nung naging okay na, naging busy na rin. So, wala nang oras para magkatawagan pa sa panahon na yun. Yung time na yun, wala pang cell phone..."

"May cell phone na no'n!" interrupted Claudine, sending the audience laughing. "Binili ko yung unang cell phone mo. Ginamit mo sa pambababae mo. Nakakaloka ka!"

She also asked him the reason behind the breakup.

"Masasagot mo ba 'yan o masasagot ko?" asked Mark. "Sa tingin ko, masasagot ko. Sa tingin ko, Claudine, priorities lang. May mga ibang bagay ako na mas binigyang importansiya."

Claudine said, "I don't remember na nagkaro'n tayo ng closure."

"Actually, wala talaga," agreed Mark.

"Kasi, parang one day, nawala ka na lang, or one day umalis na lang ako," said Claudine.

"Parang hindi na lang tayo nakapagkita ulit," Mark added.