Overview:

A meteor shower lights up the night sky, carrying countless wishes. Among them, young Topher makes a fateful plea: I wish we could become heroes from the stories we love and the things we like.

Meanwhile, the Mallaris, caretakers of the Pangilinan Clan’s guesthouse, are introduced. Unbeknownst to all, Topher’s innocent wish sets off a ripple effect that will extend far beyond his imagination. In an extraordinary turn of events, he befriends a shooting star—only to find it trapped. Determined to save his celestial companion, Topher embarks on a daring rescue mission.

His cousins, along with a newfound friend, Roanne, join the quest—each driven by their own motivations, unaware of the adventure that awaits.

. I wish we could become heroes from the stories we love and the things we like.

-Topher made up his mind.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Someone rapped at the door.

“Who is it?” Uncle Ronald asked.

“You called for plumbing,” the man on the other side replied.

“Oh, yes! Come in.” Ronald opened the door, letting in the man and a young girl.

“I’m Carding, the guesthouse caretaker, and this is my daughter, Roanne,” Carding introduced them.

“The P-trap needs replacing, right? The sink in the toilet near the kitchen?” Carding confirmed.

“Yes, it’s in the kitchen. This way.” Ronald led them toward the kitchen.

Carding entered the toilet to inspect the sink, with Ronald following close behind. Roanne stayed outside the door, keeping an eye on her father.

Carding twisted the valve on the P-trap counterclockwise, releasing water into the bucket he’d placed beneath the sink to catch any leakage.

“Ate Roanne! You’re here!” Topher exclaimed, excited to see his new friend again.

“Hi, Topher! I didn’t know you and your family were staying at the guesthouse,” Roanne said, smiling at the boy.

“Why don’t you join me and my cousins? We’re playing an icebreaker game that James loves. They’d be happy to meet you!” Topher invited her eagerly.

“I’d love to, but I need to stay and watch my dad while he works,” Roanne said, declining gently.

“Go on, Roanne. This is a chance to make new friends. I’m fine—Ronald’s here to keep me company,” Carding said, unscrewing the slip nuts to remove the pipe.

“See, your dad already agreed. No more excuses, Ate Roanne!” Topher grinned, thrilled.

“Alright, I’ll come with you.” Roanne gave in with a smile.

“Itay, take care,” Roanne said to Carding before leaving.

In the den, James held a plastic bowl filled with cards. “Sharing our embarrassing moments strengthened our bonds—not just as cousins, but as friends.”

Allison interrupted, “To be honest, I’m only more traumatized. I confessed that I liked Edward, and then he outright rejected me for that ‘everyman’ girl, Nora. And you know me—Allison, the most popular girl in school, the one all the boys rave about!”

“Guys, this is Roanne—my new friend from Aling Corazon that I’ve been telling you about,” Topher said, introducing her to the group.

“Welcome, newcomer! Sit down and join us. We’re in the middle of an icebreaker game,” James said, warmly inviting Roanne.

“Okay,” Roanne agreed, sitting down hesitantly, unsure of the unfamiliar faces around her.

“Topher, it’s your turn. Here’s the bowl—pick a card.” James handed the bowl to him.

“Alright, let’s see what I get.” Topher swirled his hand through the cards before picking one.

“Ooh, this is a good one! I get to ask any question I want.” Topher grinned, holding up the card that read: Ask any question.

“If you could be any character in real life, who would you be? And from what genre?” he asked.

“Two questions—that’s against the rules,” Benjamin pointed out.

“It’s fine. There’s always some leeway with the rules. Besides, it’s a follow-up question—it’s related,” James said with a shrug, asserting his authority as the game’s facilitator.

“I’ll go first! I’d be a superhero. Who wouldn’t want super strength and cool powers? I’d kick butt!” Michael answered quickly, always the first to leap into things.

“I’d be a magical girl! I’d crown myself with a tiara of butterflies on my shiny blonde hair, wield a pretty heart-shaped wand, and take down bullies with love—literally! Heart-shaped attacks, just like my Pretty Cure heroines.” Allison chimed in, animated.

“Uh… I’d be a cartoon character, like a bee girl. I’d have antennas, insect wings, and a stinger. I’d be mostly yellow, like a sea sponge or Pooh, with black stripes. I’d fly around collecting nectar and making sweet honey,” Sophie added, following the flow.

“I guess I should give a good answer, being the facilitator,” James said, pausing for a moment as he was known for being indecisive.

“Maybe a K-pop idol. People at school already call me ‘Oppa’ because of my band, Kaleidoscope,” he finally said.

Michael couldn’t resist. “So I get to roast you with my superpowers, Allison bursts you with her heart attack, and Sophie stings you—and you’ll fight back by strumming your guitar?”

“Well, at least I’ll have music,” James replied coolly.

“Now, let’s hear from our newcomer, Roanne.” James pointed to her.

“Er… I’d be a mermaid princess, like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I love the sea, and I’m a pretty decent swimmer. It’d be nice to have a beautiful singing voice, and of course, a spring-green mermaid tail,” Roanne said, mustering the courage to answer.

“Do I have to answer? I think your elaborate answers will do.” Benjamin tried to dodge the question.

“Dad, come on—spill it!” Michael nudged Benjamin to give his answer.

“Okay, fine. A space captain. I read Dune, so I’m into sci-fi—space, galaxies, spaceships, space armor, futuristic weapons, advanced technology, and aliens,” Benjamin finally answered, giving in and indulging in the idea.

“I guess I’m last but not least. I’d be a paladin—winged helmet, holy sword, a cross on my shield, full plate armor, a glorious cape, and divine magic from the heavens. A paladin is an all-around fighter, tank, and healer.” Topher spoke with confidence, well-versed in RPGs.

This went even better than I expected, Topher thought to himself, chuckling. A team of a superhero, a magical girl, a cartoon character, a K-pop idol, a mermaid princess, a space captain, and a paladin. How crazy would that be?

Meanwhile, the Pangilinan family was gathered in the living room, watching a primetime teleserye (TV series). Mary was cradled in her mother Martha’s arms, while her father Greg sat beside them. The blue-white light from the television bathed the family in the dim room.

On the screen, Maria, the protagonist, found a diary among her late grandmother’s belongings in a box.

“That’s where she’ll learn she’s the real daughter of the rich family, and that she was switched at birth with Clarita, who’s a brat but came from poverty,” Martha predicted.

“Let the scene play out, stop with the unnecessary comments,” Greg scolded his wife.

On screen, after reading the diary, Maria was devastated, realizing her whole life had been a lie. She confronted Barry, the man she thought was her father.

“That’s why you never loved me as your daughter! You’re not even my real father!” Maria cried, tears streaming down her face.

“You took me from my real parents because my mother’s heart only belonged to my father!” Maria continued.

“Yes! I did it! I couldn’t let your family be happy while I was miserable,” Barry finally confessed.

Later, the teleserye ended, and the TV switched to the late-night news.

“Breaking news—a meteor shower will take place tomorrow at midnight,” the news anchor announced.

“The sky will be clear, so viewers should have no trouble watching the celestial event,” the weatherman added.

“It’ll be a great experience for everyone. We’re excited about it. We’ll set up camp and bring a telescope to get a close-up view of the night sky tomorrow,” an astronomy enthusiast leader told the reporter.

“The meteor shower is a celestial event where several meteors appear to radiate from one point in the sky. These meteors are caused by cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds,” Dr. Armstrong, an astrophysicist, explained.

“Get ready to make your wishes upon the shooting stars tomorrow night!” the cheerful news anchor said.

“What are you wishing for?” his co-anchor asked playfully.

“That my career stays afloat, hopefully,” he joked.

“For me, I’ll wish for my family to stay happy and healthy,” the female news anchor shared.

Later, Roanne, her sister Kate, and their father Carding entered a convenience store, browsing the shelves.

“Inay (Mom) needs two 30-ounce cans of mixed fruits, a 7.6-ounce can of table cream, and half a can of condensed milk,” Kate recited.

“Here, two cans of fruit cocktail,” Roanne said, placing the cans in the basket their father was pushing.

“Ah, you guys are here! Need help? I work here, after all,” Roel said, almost bumping into them by the next aisle.

“Kuya (Big Brother), I thought you were off work already,” Kate said.

“Nope, I’ve still got twenty minutes left on my shift,” Roel corrected her.

“Here’s the table cream. The condensed milk should be around here somewhere.” Roel added the cream to the basket and kept looking for the milk.

“You’re working hard, son,” Carding praised Roel.

“It’s part of the job,” Roel replied modestly.

“Nanay’s fruit salad ingredients are complete now. The condensed milk’s in the basket. Let’s head to the cashier,” Roel said, leading his family to the register.

Later, Carlota opened the fridge, took out the fruit salad, and carefully carried it to the dining table. The family had just finished the main course and was ready for something sweet to balance the savory meal.

“Here’s dessert—fruit salad,” Carlota announced as she set the container down.

“Mahal (Love), it looks delicious,” Carding complimented his wife before digging in.

“The fruits are so colorful!” the family’s youngest child exclaimed, delighted by the dessert’s vibrant appearance.

“And it’s sweet, too. I can taste the condensed milk—so good!” the second-youngest daughter exclaimed.

“Just don’t eat too much, or you’ll end up with cavities,” Roanne, the eldest daughter, cautioned her younger siblings, who were already taking second servings of dessert.

“Inay, I helped Itay, Roanne, and Kate find the ingredients at 7-Eleven. Martin even asked for his share at the cash register,” Roel shared another workplace story with their mother, Carlota.

The Mallari family lived in a modest home with unfinished cement walls, a low ceiling, and limited space, which was tightly packed with storage. Despite its size, the house was always lively—filled with the energy of seven children: four daughters and three sons. The saying “The more, the merrier” certainly rang true in their bustling household.

An hour before bedtime, the small bedroom housed a bunk bed for Christine and Sarah, the two youngest Mallari children, and a banig (a traditional handwoven sleeping mat) for the older daughters, Roanne and Kate.

Roanne leaned her back against a soft pillow, avoiding the cold, hard cement wall, as she held up a closed fairytale book, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, for her younger sisters, Christine and Sarah. The three girls sat together on the blanketed banig spread across the tiled floor.

“The Little Mermaid” was Roanne’s all-time favorite fairytale. Kate, sitting on the lower bunk bed, smiled as she combed her freshly washed hair, amused by her sisters’ nightly routine.

“The story I’m going to read is The Little Mermaid,” Roanne began, opening the book as Christine and Sarah waited eagerly.

“Once upon a time, there was a red-haired, green-tailed mermaid princess named Ariel. She was the youngest daughter of King Triton, ruler of the merpeople in Atlantica. Though she had never seen the human world, Ariel was fascinated by it. But her father, King Triton, forbade all merfolk from surfacing on land after Ariel’s mother was killed by humans…”

The night of the meteor shower finally arrived. The shore of Laiya Beach was crowded with people eagerly waiting by the waves. Among them were the Pangilinan, Sevilla, and Kennedy families. Some had even set up camp, and there were a few telescopes scattered about.

“Is it worth keeping the kids up so late?” Martha, the mother, asked.

“Of course, it is! It’s not every day we get to see shooting stars,” Greg, her husband, replied.

“We’d feel like fools if we missed it,” Michael added with a hint of irritation.

After some time, a streak of white lights appeared in the sky, exciting the crowd.

I wish to always be the MVP of the basketball team, Michael thought loudly to himself.

I wish to be a star—a famous A-list Hollywood actress and celebrity, Allison wished, knowing what she had always wanted.

I wish to draw lots and lots more, Sophie thought, her bubbly and sweet personality shining through.

I hope I meet a nice girlfriend soon, James, ever the hopeless romantic, wished.

I wish for my family to be happy and healthy, Roanne wished as she gazed up at the stars from the Mallari family’s backyard, not at the beach like the others.