Aminado si Mikael Daez na "sobrang torpe" niyang manligaw ng babae, pati sa napangasawa niyang si Miss World 2013 Megan Young.
Nagbukingan kasi sila kung ano ang ligaw style ni Mikael at kung ano naman ang ideal na courtship para kay Megan.
Sobrang magkaiba sila ng konsepto ng ligawan, kaya natatawang sinabi ni Mikael na baka hindi raw umubra ang style niya kung napaaga ang pagkakakilala nila ni Megan.
Ibinahagi nila ito sa kanilang YouTube channel na Megan & Mikael podcast, Linggo ng hapon, August 9.
Sa kaso ni Mikael, "romantic" daw ang tingin niya sa panliligaw—yung tipong bibigyan niya ng "flowers, chocolates, at gifts" ang babaeng napupusuan niya.
Pero bukod sa mahiyain siya, wala pa raw siyang pera panregalo noong kabataan niya.
Kuwento ni Mikael: "In high school, ang naging M.O. or mode of operation ko was I would tag along with a group. Group movie date.
"Pipilitin ko lang talaga that I sit beside that person. Pero eto, it never happened.
"I think I went out with a group movie date twice, but I wasn't able to sit beside the girl that I like. I think I was sitting beside the boys."
Hindi naman daw makuntiyaba ni Mikael ang mga kaibigan niya dahil siguradong aalaskahin siya ng mga ito.
"Siyempre ayokong mabuking!" natatawang sabi ni Mikael. Sabay dagdag niya, "I wasn't very open with my feelings."
MEGAN'S MOVIE DATE IN HIGH SCHOOL
Para kay Megan, isang patunay na gusto talaga siya ng kanyang suitor ay kapag niyaya siyang manood ng sine.
"That's what I thought when I was in first- or second-year high school. If you're not taking me to the movies, then you're not serious about me."
Second-year high school daw si Megan nang pumayag siyang makipag-date sa isa niyang manliligaw.
"It was just the both of us. I was so nervous," balik-tanaw ni Megan.
"Solo date, second year?" tanong ni Mikael.
Nilinaw ni Megan na marahil ay naroon din sa sinehan ang iba niyang mga kaibigan, pero malayo sa kanya ang kinauupuan para may kaunting privacy siya at ang ka-date.
Gusto raw sana ni Megan noon na hawakan ang kamay niya ng ka-date para may kilig moment.
Patuloy ni Megan, "For some reason, at the back of my head, I was just waiting.
"I put my hand on the hand rest of the chair. I was kinda waiting for him to inch closer, touch my hand..."
Nasorpresang tanong ulit ni Mikael, "First date, second-year high school and gusto mo na may holding hands? Grabe!"
"Yeah," napangiting sagot ni Megan.
Natatawang biro ni Mikael, "Aggressive si Bonez! American ka nga. Hahaha!"
Bonez ang term of endearment ni Mikael kay Megan.
Nakangiti pa ring depensa ni Megan, "Grabe, holding hands lang."
Bilang aminadong torpe si Mikael, sabi niya, "I never even thought about holding a girl's hand before."
Tingin daw ni Megan ay "test" iyon kung gaano siya ka-type ng kanyang manliligaw.
Paliwanag ng aktres, "You know why? I wanted to know, 'Does he like me?'
"'Coz you would see in the movies na if the guy held your hand, then that meant he really liked you."
Kaya raw kaswal na ipinatong ni Megan ang kanyang kamay sa hand rest ng upuan sa movie house.
Aalisin daw niya ang kanyang kamay at maya-maya ay ibabalik ulit sa hand rest.
Pero bigo si Megan.
"And then, you know, he would put his hand, and it would be close but he wouldn't hold my hand. I was, like, 'Maybe he doesn't really like me.'"
MIKAEL Teases MEGAN: "YOU'RE SO AGGRESSIVE!"
Napahagalpak ng tawa si Mikael sa puntong ito.
Typical Pinoy daw kasi si Mikael na may halong pag-aalangan kapag siya ay pumoporma sa gusto niyang babae.
"Okay, just to let you know," sabi ni Mikael, "if I were the guy in that situation, I would not hold your hand. I wouldn't even think of holding your hand, at all.
"As in, I would be, like, 'Oh my god, sobrang aggressive ko kung hinawakan ko yung kamay ni Bonez!'"
Itinanggi naman ni Megan na agresibo siyang babae dahil hindi naman daw siya gumagawa ng first move.
Paliwanag ni Megan, "No. For me, aggressive would be grabbing your hand. But I was testing the waters and I was trying to see if you would make a move.
"So I went out 50 percent to see if he would go the other 50 percent."
Tawa nang tawang tinukso pa rin ni Mikael si Megan. "This just goes to show how incompatible Bonez and I were five years before we met. We were insanely incompatible.
"Everything that she wanted in a guy, I was not going to give. You are too agressive for me. Antaas ng expectations mo. Hahaha!
"Like, kailangan madaming date muna bago magka-holding hands, especially as a highschooler."
MIKAEL'S COURTSHIP OF MEGAN
Sa puntong ito, ibinahagi ni Megan kung paano siya niligawan ni Mikael.
"Now that I'm thinking about it, when we were going in our group hangouts, it took you so long to hold my hand!" napapangiting balik-tanaw ng beauty queen-actress.
Si Mikael ay 23-anyos nang ligawan niya si Megan, habang ang aktres naman ay 21 noon.
Ani Mikael, "Matanda na ako nun, ha. Graduate na ako nun. How long did it take? I'm pretty sure the first three dates, I did not hold your hand."
Tandang-tanda pa raw ni Megan na sobrang kinilig siya nang unang hawakan siya sa wrist ni Mikael habang nasa isang restobar sila sa Makati City.
Dun pa lang ay napa-text daw si Megan sa kaibigan niya, "I was, like, 'Besh, hinawakan ni Mikael yung kamay ko. LOL."
Excited na sabi rin ni Mikael, "Oh my god I remember! I even remember your look, and your face, and your makeup... I haven't recalled that memory in ages!"
Patuloy ni Megan, "It was after a night out with friends. You were gonna take me home because I didn't have a car, and our other friends had cars.
"We were crossing the street and you took my hand.
"And I was, like, 'Sparks are flying right now!'"
Sobrang saya raw ng pakiramdam noon ni Megan at magpahanggang ngayong naalala niya ulit ito.
"Hahaha! I'm kilig right now," natutuwang komento ni Megan.
Sang-ayon ni Mikael, "I'm so kilig!"
HOW MIKAEL ASKED MEGAN TO BE HIS GIRLFRIEND
Palagi rin daw silang may kasamang mga kaibigan nang mag-date sila sa Tagaytay, sa isang KTV, sa bar, at sa ilang parties.
Sinadya rin daw ni Mikael na idaan sa common friends nila ang pagyaya kay Megan.
Ibang-iba man sa kanyang idea ng ideal date noong kabataan niya, "exciting" daw para kay Megan na iba-iba ang activities sa kanilang group dates.
Pareho raw nilang na-enjoy ang swabeng pagkikilanlan nila noon.
Birthday ni Mikael, o January 6, 2012, nang maging magkasintahan sila.
Sobrang "spontaneous" pero heartfelt daw ang speech ni Mikael.
Nasa parking lot sila nang maramdaman ni Mikael na iyon ang tamang moment para tanungin niya si Megan, "Would you be my girlfriend?"
Nakangiting dugtong ni Megan, "And I was, like, 'yes.'"
Hinintay daw talaga ni Megan ang pagkakataong iyon. Kilig na sambit niya, "Coz I really liked you! And we held hands na!"
Matagal inilihim nina Megan at Mikael sa publiko ang relasyon dahil aminadong prayoridad nila ang kanilang showbiz career.
Limang taon ang lumipas bago kinumpirma ni Mikael—sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa isang presscon—na nobya niya si Megan.
As early as 2014 ay engaged na rin sila.
Pero sadyang low-key ang celebrity couple, hanggang sa lihim silang nag-isang didib sa Calaruega Church sa Nasugbu, Batangas noong January 10, 2020.
Sinundan nila ito ng intimate wedding sa Subic, Zambales noong January 25, 2020.
Isa ka bang showbiz fan na laging updated at naghahanap ng latest chika? Share what you know. Join here! https://bit.ly/PEPChika