Tita Hanya arrived at Glad's apartment with a camera crew, a ring light, and the determination of a woman who'd been ignored for too long.
"Ms. Gladys! Tita Hanya from Facebook! Remember me? I made you famous!"
Glad, still recovering from the meet-and-greet, stared at the woman on her doorstep. "You're the one who live-streamed me without permission."
"Exactly! And now I want an exclusive interview. The REAL story. Behind the scenes. My followers deserve it."
Professor Kim appeared behind Glad. "She has 200,000 followers now. Ever since your video, her page exploded."
"Because of ME!"
"Exactly! So she feels entitled to more content."
Tita Hanya nodded vigorously. "Entitled is a strong word. I prefer 'deserving.'"
Glad looked at Kim. Kim looked at Anino. Anino looked at Tita Hanya like she was a particularly annoying insect.
"Fine," Glad sighed. "Thirty minutes. No close-ups of my intestines. And you bring food."
"Deal!"
Twenty minutes later, Tita Hanya had transformed Glad's living room into a makeshift studio. Ring lights everywhere. A backdrop she'd brought from home. Even a small banner reading "Hanya's Exclusive: The Real Manananggal!"
"Okay, tara na!" She pointed her microphone at Glad. "First question: how does it feel to be the most famous supernatural creature in the Philippines?"
Glad blinked into the camera. "Overwhelming? I didn't ask for this. I just wanted to live quietly and watch Netflix."
"But you're not quiet anymore! You have merch! You have fans! You have—" Tita Hanya leaned in conspiratorially. —"a boyfriend?"
Glad choked. "A WHAT?"
"Nakita ka sa Cebu! May kasama kang lalaki na naging aso! May video!"
"There's a VIDEO?!"
"Of course there's a video! May nag-record sa inyo sa The Bleeding Bean. Sinong lalaki 'yun? Aswang din ba? Gwapo siya!"
Glad's face went through several colors that weren't normally possible for humans. "That was—he's not—we're just—"
"JUST what?" Tita Hanya's eyes gleamed. This was better than she'd hoped.
"We're... getting to know each other."
"Getting to know each other HOW?"
"As friends!"
"Friends who meet at blood cafes and shift into dogs?"
Kim intervened. "Okay, I think that's enough personal questions. Let's focus on Glad's message of acceptance and—"
"Acceptance, yes!" Tita Hanya pivoted smoothly. "What message do you have for your haters? Yung mga nagsasabing demonyo ka?"
Glad considered the question seriously. "I'd say... come talk to me. Have coffee. Or blood, if that's your thing. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want to exist."
"And for your fans? Yung mga sumusuporta sa'yo?"
"Thank you. Seriously. I've been alone for a long time. It's nice... not being alone anymore."
Tita Hanya felt something unexpected—a genuine emotion. She quickly buried it under professionalism.
"Last question: Anino. Yung pusa mo. Totoo bang sinasakyan niya ang drones?"
Glad looked at Anino, who was watching the interview with thinly veiled contempt.
"I'll let him answer that himself."
Anino stood, walked directly to the camera, stared into the lens for a full five seconds, then walked away.
The internet lost its collective mind.
"That cat is the main character"
"He looked into my SOUL"
"Anino for president 2025"
"The way he just... stared... I'm scared and impressed"
Tita Hanya ended the interview knowing one thing for certain:
The cat was the real star.
And she needed to monetize that immediately.