MAY putanginang plano na si Rinn for Valentine's.

Pumunta si Inggo sa bahay nila kasi may plano siya for them—an escape room adventure, a trip to a pottery studio, tapos may nahanap siyang date place an hour away that he booked for them. Naka-picnic setup na 'yong place with romantic lights and candles and a huge projector for the movie they're going to watch.

Hindi pa alam ni Rinn na mayro'ng ganap na gano'n pero okay lang, spontaneous ang peg, balak niya lang sabihan si Rinn na magbihis at wala siyang choice kasi pupulutin niya siya at ilalagay sa kotse.

Pero may putanginang plano na siya. With someone else.

"Bakit ka nga pala nandito, gago?" tanong ni Migo, scrolling through his phone while waiting for Jiya to pick him up para sa date nila. Sa sobrang excited nitong tanginang 'to, nag-ju-jump na leg niya.

"Sira motor ko, sasabay ako sa inyo," sabi niya flatly. His ears are still ringing from the fact na nagbibihis daw si Rinn sa taas 'tsaka may papuntang gago dito para sunduin siya. "Ano balak natin sa gago."

Alam na ni Migo ibig sabihin niya. "I-co-corner ko siya sa labas, dito kayo ni Mau."

"Ba't ka pumayag?" Inggo snaps in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "Tangina, Migo, alam mo ba kung ano gusto ng mga gagong ganyan tuwing Valentine's? At Valentine's pa talaga?"

"Sino nagsabing pumayag ako?" balik na tanong ni Migo. He glances at him, eyebrows furrowing in obvious defense. "Tangina, bwisit, alam mo ba kung ga'no kahirap maging tatay 'tsaka kuya? 'Di ko alam minsan kung sa'n 'yong line between being protective and being an asshole, kaya shut up ka na lang kasi wala kang alam sa pinagdadaanan ko pagdating kay Mau. Hindi ko siya pwedeng ikulong, putragis ka, papagalitan na nga ako niyan ni Valle sa binabalak ko."

Inggo blinks at him.

Tama nga naman siya. He raises his hands in surrender and mumbles, "Okay, sorry, sorry."

"Problema mo?" tanong ni Migo, hitting him roughly on the shoulder. "'La kang date? Gusto mo maging third wheel? Sorry, 'di pwede, sosolohin ko si Valle, akin siya."

Ang problema ni Inggo is he screwed up.

He screwed up so bad, and now he's scrambling to fix it.

Shit, nag-panic lang naman siya kaya siya umalis, e. Hindi naman niya sinasadya na iwanan si Rinn nang gano'n, putangina. Every night since then, every night, Inggo wishes he stayed.

E 'di sana siya ang ka-date ni Rinn ngayon.

Putangina.

He sighs and rakes his fingers in his hair. "Wala akong prob—"

Parehas silang napatayo ni Migo from the couch nang bumaba ng stairs si Rinn.

Pu. Tang. I. Na.

His head is scrambling to put together what the fuck he's seeing, and his brain focuses on the first thing his line of sight is at level with.

Legs. Legs for miles. Inggo's eyes follow her white sneakers, then her ankles, then her knees, then her thighs, and then finally—a white cloth they fucking call a skirt.

It's short and hugs her hips so fucking perfectly, and it has a slit.

After that, a sliver of her stomach is showing from where the skirt begins and her top ends—that corset top with crossed ribbons holding it together in the middle, ending in between her breasts. The cut is low enough to show enough of her chest, to show off the single, gold necklace she has around her neck. Her dark brown hair is hanging in loose curls over her shoulder as she rummages in her purse for something.

Holy. Shit.

"Maureen."

It's not his voice, thank fuck.

Migo's also staring at his sister, dumbfounded.

Rinn finally looks up—sa kuya niya lang. Her pink glossed lips stretch into a smile. "Kuya, akala ko nakaalis ka na."

"Hindi pa," Migo says, blinking, crossing his arms over his chest. "Huy, si-sigurado ka ba sa suot mo?"

Rinn sighs, sliding her hand down the railing as she walks down.

It's possible Inggo is drooling.

Rinn has always—always—looked beautiful. Pero this—ngayon lang niyang nakitang ganito si Rinn.

Nagpaganda. Which means this isn't an ordinary or casual date.

His head feels like blowing up.

"Why? Do I look bad?" she rushes in one breath, still smiling, although it looks a little nervous now.

She's still not looking at him, keeping her gaze on her brother.

No. Fuck no.

"No," sabi ni Migo. "Ang ganda mo masyado."

Natawa si Rinn. "Thanks, Kuya—"

Pare-parehas silang gumalaw nang may marinig na kotse sa labas.

Tiningnan ni Migo si Inggo, then heads to the door.

Rinn goes to stop him, shouting, "Kuya!" pero Inggo moves in front of her and blocks her way.

Finally. Tiningnan na rin siya.

"Rinn."

"Kuya Inggo," she greets through her teeth. "Can you please move?"

She's so beautiful it hurts. It actually, physically hurts that Inggo wants to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. "No."

She's so cold when she says, "If you don't move, I will never look at or speak to you again."

Putangina. Gumalaw siya without a second thought, and Rinn pushes past him.

Natural, sinundan siya ni Inggo.

Narinig niyang masungit na sabihin ni Migo, "Sino ka?"

Inggo's jaw hardens. Napakapanget nito, putanginang putragis na kingina 'yan. Napakaliit, napaka-walang kwenta, napakagago—

"U-um, Josh po—"

Takot pa, putanginang 'yan, pa'no niya aalagaan si Rinn? Hindi pwede.

"Kuya!" Rinn snaps, her purse swinging around her shoulder. "Ano ba! Don't scare him away!"

"Asan sasakyan mo?" tanong ni Inggo, sneering. "Don't tell me na dadalhin mo si Rinn sa dinner by MRT when she's all dolled up?"

He feels her stare at the side of his face, but Inggo doesn't look at her, hinihintay ang sagot ng tarantado.

He looks like he's about to piss his pants. "Um, wala po akong car, I—"

Jiya—ay, nandito na pala siya—gets out of her car and puts a hand on Migo's chest. "Babe."

"So paano ka pumunta dito?" Migo asks, sliding a hand to his girl's waist, not looking at her.

"I took a Grab—"

"Kuya, please," Rinn snaps. "Stop it. Go with Ate Jiya, umalis na kayo. Kayong lahat." She bumps past Inggo's shoulder, tapos kinuha niya wrist ng putanginang 'yon at dinala sa loob ng bahay.

Inggo is ready to haul his ass to the ground.

"Mau, how are you getting there? Grab din?" Migo steps forward to follow her, pero pinigilan siya ni Jiya.

Hindi siya sinagot ni Rinn, kaya Inggo grabs her arm, pinning her with his gaze. Lowly, he says, "Kinakausap ka ng kuya mo."

She yanks it away angrily, facing him, and says through clenched teeth, "Oo, Grab."

Parehong nagbukas ang bibig ni Migo at Inggo sa isang mahiwagang, "Putangina."

Pero Jiya butts in before they can protest and says, "Get in. I'll give you guys a ride."

Nakatitig pa rin si Inggo kay Rinn. She's also staring at him, anger and hostility on her perfect face.

Hindi ito ang plano niya. He was supposed to take her to an escape room and the studio and then to that date place. Pumunta si Inggo kaninang umaga para i-set up. He wanted it to be perfect—and it is.

Pero hindi na mangyayari, putanginang 'yan.

May tinatawag kasi na tanungin muna ang date mo bago ka gumawa ng date, sabi ng utak niya, mocking him. Ano 'yan, ikaw lang mag-isang magd-date? Kingina.

"I won't ask him questions anymore, hahatid lang namin kayo," Migo says, raising his hands in surrender. "It's safer than a taxi and booked masyado ang Grab today. Tapos susunduin ko na lang kayo after. I promise I won't talk to him."

Rinn tears her eyes away from Inggo and gives Migo a hard stare. "Fine."

His plan was to make her smile and laugh and happy. His plan was to ask her to forgive him for being a fucking idiot and for a do-over.

Inggo bites his lip at the press of her thigh against his sa kotse. He curls his hand into a fist to keep from reaching out to hold her hand or to curl his fingers around her knee possessively.

Iniisip pa rin kasi ni Inggo kung paano niya papatayin ang tanginang Josh na 'yan when Rinn bites out,"I said fine to giving us a ride, but why is he here?"

Ouch.

He deserves that.

Migo turns around to look at her, confused.

"My motorcycle's broken," Inggo says as casually as he can. "Bababa ako kung saan kayo bababa, may date din ako. May problema?"

Ang loser mo, tangina, de Paz.

"You have a problem with Inggo, Mau?" diretsong tanong din ni Migo.

Iniwan niya 'ko sa kama after we had sex multiple times and after I told him I love him.

'Yan ang in-e-expect ni Inggo na sagot ni Rinn.

She can just tell her brother what he did and Migo would stop the car and bash his head against the window, and Inggo would've let him.

But Rinn only sighs and looks away from him, fisting her hands into balls on her lap. "Wala," she mutters.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, he did this to his perfect fucking angel—

"Call me when you're done," sabi ni Migo when Jiya stops the car sa Eastwood. "Kami na susundo sa inyo."

Maureen mutters a small, "Thanks," and then gets out kasama ang gago.

Inggo gives them a salute and gets out. "See ya, bossings."

Tinatakbuhan siya ni Rinn, dragging the tarantado with her to across the street.

Pota, ano ba 'tong lugar na 'to? Hindi naman magiging masaya si Rinn sa isang dinner lang at a subpar restaurant.

Wala siyang alam kay Rinn at wala siyang aalamin.

Pinauna ni Rinn ang gago sa loob ng restaurant before turning the corner to the restrooms.

In just a few strides, Inggo reaches her. "Rinn."

"Leave," she hisses. "Please, Kuya Inggo."

"I can't." He pulls her back and she stumbles into him, defiance in her furrowed eyebrows and hard jaw.

"Puntahan mo date mo," Rinn snaps. "I'm sure hinihintay ka na ni Sunday."

Inggo blinks. "Sunday?"

"Your girl of the week. Yung today."

Pota, she's so hot. "Sunday na pala pangalan mo. 'Tsaka Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, at Saturday."

She raises an eyebrow. "Go. To. Your. Date."

"Ikaw. Nga. Date. Ko."

"Tangina, nagka-amnesia ba ako saglit and I don't remember that particular conversation where I said yes?"

His mouth almost twitches, pero alam niyang susuntukin na talaga siya ni Rinn if he smiles because she's pissed and has every right to be. "Rinn, nag-panic ako, okay? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry and I regret the shit out of it. Pero don't get back at me like this. Don't."

Rinn stares at him.

And then, in quiet fury, bites out, "You don't get to tell me what to do. I don't tell you what to do with your countless women, Kuya Inggo. 'Wag mong sabihing you've been celibate since me."

"I have," Inggo answers truthfully, swallowing thickly. "It's been only you, and it will stay that way. It will only be me for you too, so you can slap me and ignore me all you want, pero you don't get to shut me out and start seeing other people nang 'di tayo tapos."

He can see in her eyes that she believes him.

The first part, anyway.

"Walang tayo. You made that clear. Leave."

Inggo does, despite the hurt in his fucking chest, only because he needs to shoo away the cockroach.

Umupo siya across him, spreading his legs, and says, "Bro, umuwi ka na."

He widens his eyes. "P-po?"

"Out of your league si Maureen Salas. Hindi ka niya i-da-date. Ever. I won't let her."

The cockroach tries to put on a brave face despite his sweating and intimidation. "And—and who are you to decide that?"

Inggo crooks a finger at him.

When he leans closer, Inggo whispers in his ear, "Ako lang ang lalaki ni Rinn. So get lost."

Binigyan niya ng pera si gago para sa taxi 'tsaka para manahimik.

When Rinn comes back from trying to compose herself in the bathroom, she blinks in confusion at the empty chair across Inggo, her sexy lips parting. "What did you do? Where did—"

"Ikaw ang date ko," ulit ni Inggo, standing up and taking her hand. She's frozen in place. "At may tayo. I'm making it clear right now. Kaya tara na, medyo behind schedule na tayo dahil sa putanginang mosquito na dinala mo rito, pero okay lang, magaling ako sa crisis management."