[Separate Story]

EROS looked at Psyche as she walked inside the coffee shop. In his eyes, everything was in slow motion. Nang makitang bumaling ang tingin nito sa direksyon niya ay muli nanamang lumakas ng tibok ng puso niya.

Psyche's mouth formed a smile and waved. "Hi!"

'Hel---'

"Psyche!" the guy sitting next to him yelled cheerfully.

Agad siyang natauhan. Iyong katawan niyang parang lumilipad sa alapaap ay bumagsak. People can't see, touch and hear him, including Psyche. He was cursed by the God of Love and to undo it, he must complete a mission given to him.

His mission was to match the guy right next to him and Psyche.

'Y... you're breathtaking,' kumento ni Eros.

"You're breathtaking, Psyche," pag-uulit naman ng lalaki.

Bawat usapan ng dalawa ay si Eros ang sumasagot at inuulit lang nung lalaki dahil hindi ito marunong makipag-usap. Ang lalaki lang ang tanging nakakakita at nakakarinig sa kanya at tinutulungan niya itong mapaibig si Psyche.

Sa kasalukuyan ay 94% matched na sila at pag- umabot ito ng 100% ay tagumpay na ang misyon niya.

He didn't notice it at first but every minute he was thirdwheeling with them, he enjoyed every second of it. Whether it was listening to her silly and sometimes nosebleeding stories or just basically staring at her.

Sa kalagitnaan ng pag-uusapan nila ay pansin niyang panay ang buntong-hininga ni Psyche. "You know, I'm not sure about all of this. M..maybe I should just leave." She took her bag ang started leaving.

"What do I do now?" nagpapanic na bulong sa kanya ng lalaki. "Screw it. Hindi ko kaya to. Take my body. You do it."

"You're killing me." Napagulo ng buhok si Eros pero pumayag parin siya sa huli. He possessed his body.

Hinabol niya si Psyche.

As soon as he held her hands, he felt a tingling sensation that went directly to his heart. "Psyche."

Liningon naman siya nito.

"Before you leave, I just want to tell you...The first time I saw you, I felt like drowning in your eyes and until now, I still am..."  napahilamos siya ng mukha, hindi niya napagplanuhan ang lumabas sa bibig niya, kusa lang itong lumabas.

May parte sa kanyang nagsasabi na wag magpatuloy dahil alam niyang sa huli ay siya lamang ang maiiwang nasasaktan.

Psyche deserves to be happy. Alam niyang ang nakatadhana lang niya ang makakapagpasaya dito at hindi siya iyon.

"Everytime you walk towards me, I see you in slow motion, pag ngumingiti ka sa gawi ko pakiramdam ko nanalo ako sa lotto. I love the way your eyes light up explaining quantum physics even though I have no idea what that means. I like the way you chew your straw when sipping a drink, when you puff your cheeks when you're irritated, every little thing about you crept inside my heart that I didn't realize I was falling for you, until I fell...hard...I...like you, Psyche."

Hindi niya napigilan ang sarili at inilapit ang labi dito. Napansin niya namang napapikit si Psyche. Bago pa man magdampi ang labi nila ay natauhan si Eros. Hindi sa kanya ang katawang kaharap ni Psyche at kahit siya pa ang hahalik ay labi parin ng lalaki ang dadampi sa malambot nitong labi. A pang of jealousy hit him.

Match 100% complete. Congratulations!
You have completed your mission.

Nakita niya ang mga letrang biglang sumulpot sa pagitan ng dalawa. Mapait siyang napangiti. Nakompleto na niya ang misyon niya pero hindi niya kayang maging masaya.

He went out of the guy's body. "I'm leaving. You're already matched. I don't want to make myself more miserable than I already am," lugmok niyang sabi sa lalaki.

He took one last peek towards Psyche at nagulat siya nang nakatingin ito sa gawi niya. It's as if she can see him.

Agad siyang napa-iling. Napaka-imposible iyon, hindi siya nito nakikita.

....

Naglakad si Eros palabas ng coffee shop.

Hindi niya alam na tumutulo na pala ang luha niya nang malasahan ang mga luhang tumulo mula sa mata niya.

"Fuck."

He could feel his heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

'Wait!'

Tila naririnig niya pa ang boses ni Psyche. Napamura siya muli. Sinakop na nga nito ang puso niya ay pati ba naman ang utak niya ay pinasok na rin nito? He could hear her voice as if it was real.

"Hey!"

"Lumingon ka!"

Hindi siya lumingon kahit gaano pa katotoo ang boses. Imposibleng tinatawag siya nito. She must still be in the coffee shop with the man she was destined with.

"Pag di ka lumingon, akin ka!" muling rinig niya.

Nagpatuloy siyang naglakad pero nagulat nalang nang may sapatos na tumagos mula sa katawan niya at bumagsak ilang metro ang layo sa harap. Napalingon nalang siya.

"Psyche?"

"Bingi ka ba?" hinihingal nitong bulalas.

Inilibot niya ang tingin sa paligid pero sila lamang dalawa ang tao sa paligid.

"Nakikita mo ako?" muli niyang tanong.

"Yes!"

"H...how?" hindi parin siya makapaniwala.

"It doesn't matter  'cause you're a jerk! You can't just make a woman fall for you and then just leave!" inis nitong saad.

"P..paano nangyari yon?"

The love meter was 100% complete. She should've fallen for that guy already!

"Why do you have so many questions!? All this time, I can see and hear you. Nagpapanggap lang akong di ka nakikita dahil natatakot akong pagnalaman mo ay lalayo ka na."

He was speechless.

"I like you, Eros." Tumindig ang balahibo niya nang binanggit nito ang kanyang pangalan. "Please tell me you meant what you said back there. That I'm not some silly fool confessing to you when the feeling isn't mutual."

Nanikip iyong dibdib niya. He refused to believe it. It was too good to be true. "B...but that guy back there was your destiny," rason niya.

"Screw destiny---"

"That's just rude, lass. You're insulting my whole existence here. " A guy appeared out of nowhere. It was the God of Love who gave him the mission in the first place.

"V..valentine," banggit niya.

"Congratulations, Eros. Your punishment's over."

"Huh?"

"You've redeemed yourself.  You've broken many hearts in you life and I thought it was time to get your heart broken. Your curse is lifted."

Valentine snapped his fingers.

Biglang napatingin siya sa katawan niya. He doesn't look transparent anymore. Hindi na lumulusot iyong kamay niya sa kanyang katawan. Nabalik na siya sa normal!

Natuon naman ang atensiyon niya sa pulang sinulid na ngayo'y kumukonekta sa palasingsingan ni Psyche at sa kanya.

"That guy isn't Psyche's soulmate. You are. That guy is just one of my love clones. I played a trick on you to make you learn your lesson. The reason why Psyche can also see you is because I gave her the ability to," he proudly explained. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another bastard heartbreaker I need to teach a lesson, " he grinned mischievously and just like that, he vanished into thin air.

Nakatuon pa ang pansin ni Psyche sa pwesto kung saan naglaho si Valentine at napahiyaw nalang siya nang bigla siyang buhatin ni Eros sa bewang at inikot. Abot langit ang saya nito.

"I'm hopelessly in love with you, Psyche."

-END-