Chapter 4

I haven't been in the Galleria, but we've been passing thereby most of the time. Most of the time, BJH was the only one who went there alone because he believes that most of the people who went there won't come running around him and will respect his privacy and sure he does maintain that even their music dominated the world almost three years ago.

As we've reached Apgujeong Rodeo Street and headed straight to the parking area behind the mall. The driver went under the basement and look for space to park the car. It doesn't take us long and dropped us there and then we proceed to head inside the 1st basement floor of the west side building.

"What are we actually doing here, sir?" I asked him.

"Just hanging around..." Kibit balikat nitong sagot sa akin. "You know I've been away for how long and I've missed hanging out with friends. Just the feel of being out of the military makes me feel so much alive right now."

"Okay..." Bahagya naman akong natauhan sa sinabi niya. "No, I mean, that's great! Hindi naman lahat ng mga nae-enlist sa military ay pareho pa rin sila ng simula no'ng umalis sila at bumalik sila sa usual routine nila... I've known that..."

"And how do you know?"

I giggled. "Well, I've been spending a lot of my free time back home with k-drama's and all. That helps me though... to a lot of things."

"Sure... I won't ask you about those things, but that's good for you. You said you've never been here before, right?" he inquired and I nodded to answer his question. "Then let's just have some fun. I know Chini wouldn't mind."

"I hope she really doesn't." I winced and he just chuckled seeing my reaction. "But, oh! I have a question... if you don't mind?"

He rose his brow. "Ggerteun muotipnikka?" (What is it?)

"What would happen if people found you here and then followed you, asked for pictures, and it would be hard for you to get out of this place because people are all over cramming on your way. Shouldn't you be wearing some disguises like a cap and a shade? Just to hide this..." I said, motioning my hand around my face as if I'm sending him a message with it by his looks are so prominent and easily be able to distinguish by many.

He shrugged off. "I don't know about that. No one really cares about me now."

I nudged him on his side. "Don't say that... just because these articles aren't posting anything about you it doesn't mean they don't really care about you. They just don't..."

"Fine me interesting anymore. That's what you're gonna say, right?"

I immediately shook my head. "No. That's not what I'm going to say. You're overthinking about it... you know what, let's just have fun just like what you've said."

He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yup, that's what are we gonna do and I don't need disguises. Those are for the weak."

I slightly chuckled when he said that. I must admit that BJH is funny at times, his humor is somewhat he can only express and he's one of the bubbly members of their group before. He was so loved, people abroad, surely in the Philippines still love him. Alam naman natin na kapag may halong dugong pinoy ang isang sikat na artista, they would claim them as if they have something to do with it—and they are just going to call it Pinoy pride, but BJH doesn't deny his Filipino heritage and he talks about it in some of his interviews.

Pagkapasok pa lamang namin ng building, I literally had my mouth open as expensive stores greeted us on our way in. The place is heavily air-conditioned. Glassy walls and luxurious divisions in every hallway we walked into. There were so many things to process, but I just can't do it all at once. Kapag may nadadaanan kaming mga kilala kong luxury stores, naiiwan 'yong ulo ko dahil sinisilip ko talaga 'yong mga display sa shelves as if I have the money to buy those expensive stuff, pero hindi masamang magwindow shopping. Nakalilibang kahit papaano.

Hindi naman ako nagtatanong kay BJH kung saan kami pupunta ngayon. Para inililibang na lang din niya ang sarili niya that's why I was only following him from behind. Natigilan din naman ako nang tumigil siya sa paglalakad ay nabunggo ang noo ko sa likod niya. He made a little chuckle, slightly looking back to see me.

"Na due mwago issni?" he asked. (What are you doing behind me?)

"Because I'm just looking after you?" pasagot kong tanong sa kanya.

He chuckled and I thought I made a dumb answer. Napangiwi na lang din naman ako sa kanya.

"You should walk with me, not walked behind me," he stated. Napatango na lang din naman ako saka niya hinablot ang palapulsuhan ko at hinigit niya ako sa tabi niya. He didn't let go of my hand as we started walking down the hallway.

Ako tuloy ang napayuyuko ang ulo dahil hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko if one of his fans come to us and then made an issue about it. Hindi ako sa gano'ng issue, but people already made a fuss about it before dahil madalas din akong makuha sa mga paparazzi photos na kasunod lamang ni BJH at minsan ay nahuhuli pang nakahawak ito sa akin, just like what he's doing to me now.

"Ah, Raijine," he muttered, looking at me. "Are you a make-up person?" he asked.

Umiling naman ako. "I'm not really fond of make-ups, but I wear one when in need of the occasion. Just like now, wala akong suot. I always go out bare face when it's nothing important."

"Oh... okay, let's go to the first floor," he said, and then we took the escalator which most of the luxury boutique and cosmetics store. We've been through stores that sell organic products and the food court on the 1st basement. "Let's get into this store." He pulled me into a store called Kilian.

I'm not that familiar with the brand, but as soon as we got inside, everything screams luxury. The staff greeted us and asked what do we need. Si BJH naman ang kumausap sa babaeng staff and then the staff just look at me, bowing her head and making me follow her. Nilingon ko naman ang boss ko and he just motioned his hand that I should the store staff and so I did even though I'm clueless of what's happening.

There are expensive sets of perfumes displayed on the shelves and then there are make-ups, most are lipsticks placed over the counter. The staff started talking to me like a local citizen dahil ini-straight Korean ako nito kaya naman lumapit si BJH to translate it for me.

Inilahad naman ng staff sa akin ang ilang shades ng lipstick at pinapapili niya ako ro'n. I tried swatching every shade as she suggests and I still don't know why am I doing this.

"What do you think looks good on you?" BJH asked.

"Para sa akin?" tanong ko sa kanya saka niya ako tinanguan. I looked at the shades I've swatched on my wrist and found them all appealing and pretty in their own way pero the Killian le rouge parfum scented matte lipstick nude in bed shade what I've chosen. "I think I'll get this one if you mean of buying it?"

He shook his head. "No... I don't think that looks good on you. You'll be much paler if you used that. You know what, get all the shades." Hinarap naman niya 'yong staff at kinausap niya ito at mabilis namang sumunod ang staff sa sinabi nito at agad na inasikaso ang bibilhin na lipstick. "Don't worry about paying it, I'll shoulder it."

Napakunot noo naman ako dahil wala akong ideya kung bakit niya ako binilhan ng lipstick out of nowhere, it's as if I needed it? Gaya nga ng sabi ko, I'm always at the back of everything that's happening. Taong behind the scene.

"Why did you buy me some lipsticks... it's not that I don't want it, but I'm sure you don't have to do that. I'm fine without using one." Ngiwi ko para bawiin niya 'yong binili niya para sa akin, but I think he already sets in mind on that one.

"No, I've noticed you look so pale, and just like what you said, you're not fond of wearing make-ups, but I guess putting some color on your face would change your aura a little bit... I'm not saying it's bad. You'll look beautiful, trust me."

Gusto kong mag-blush. Parang tanga 'to si BJH, walang ka-effort-effort magpakilig pero para akong maghahalumpasay sa sobrang kilig. But I keep my composure at ngiti na lang din ang itinugon ko sa kanya.

When the staff caught his attention to pay for the items, he walked to the counter and I was just standing beside him and I just found out that he paid almost 620 thousand won for ten shades of lipsticks. Halos bumagsak ang panga ko dahil napakali no'ng ibinayad niya sa akin at hindi ko afford na mabayarn siya because of it.

I hesitated when he's handing the paper bag to me. Tiningnan ko lang iyon na para bang ayokong tanggapin dahil parang hindi ko naman deserve at masyadong marami iyong binili niya. Sa tingin ko ten year supply ko na ang lipsticks na binili niya para sa akin.

"Take it. Raijine," he said. "If you're not gonna take it, I'll make you pay for it... that's 27 thousand in peso, but I'm not gonna let you do that. This is for you and you should use it even if it's not an occasion or whatever, alright?"

Napahugot na lamang ako ng hininga dahil nahihiya talaga akong tanggapin 'yong binili niya para sa akin. Lumabas kami ng store na parang wala lang ba iyong binayarang niyang lipsticks. That's already ¼ of my salary and he's just spending it like nothing. Mapapa-sana all na lang talaga ako.

Looking at the time, we still have some time bago tumungo sa location na pupuntahan namin. Good thing, Chini hasn't called yet or ako ang malalagot kapag nalamang niyang hinayaang kong maggala ang alaga niya. When then continued walking around, we're just looking around and him buying some stuff that I would carry after he paid for it. After all those things we had done, he decided we should go to the food court because he's hungry and that we should eat before we to go his interview.

We entered the Gourmet 494 where most of the food and entertainment can be found. This place is consists of the restaurant and a grocery that's why they called it grocerant. We just headed to the food area and BJH chooses what we should eat. Hindi naman ako choosy kung anong kakainin which he holds the decision for us. Taga-oo na lang din naman ako at saka kami naghanap ng mauupuan upang masimulang kumain.

He bought us some gourmet burgers with fries, pizza, and soft drinks. I thought he'll be spending so much more, but I guess he's just maintaining his physique and all.

While we're silently eating our meal, BJH spoke. "Have you noticed that no one came asking for pictures with me?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that... they must be being respectful of privacy, right?"

He shrugged off. "I don't know about that... it feels like when I got into the military, I really don't want to because that's the life I live for, and during training, I got depressed there, but I still made it through. It's hard being away from the life I got used to and then when I came back, everything went black... like my dreams and the life I live washed away before my eyes."

"You don't have to think like that..."

He sighed and then munched on his burger. Para akong nawalan ng ganang kumain sa sinabi niya. Naapektuhan ako ro'n kasi iniisip niyang wala nang sumusuporta sa kanya. Na para bang nawala lahat iyong mga naiambag niya no'n sa entertainment industry and now that he's back, it's seems like no cared about it.

But a moment, a lady found her way to our table and asked for a picture with BJH, but then something bad happens when someone just walked in with a tray in her hand and everything threw at BJH. Everyone's attention is on him and he's covered with sauce. He's wearing a white shirt that's why it's very visible. The lady apologizes to BJH and left without even taking a picture. The person who had made the mess apologizes quickly at him. My boss didn't do anything but forgive and understand them. A cleaner immediately cleans the mess while BJH still looks like a mess and he has an interview after lunch and he doesn't look very pleasant now.

"What do we do now?" I asked him.

"Let's go," he said. "Let's just go home."

I didn't make a mistake, but I really felt bad about what happened to BJH. What should I do? Does he even need my help or he'll just ignore it? I'm not sure... but maybe, I can make it happen.

***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts! I would appreciate it so much!

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