IVAN

"Sorry," was the first word that came out of Yuki's mouth. Mabilis siyang napaupo mula sa pagkakasandal sa dibdib ko. May naramdaman akong basa sa bahagi ng damit kong inunanan niya na agad niyang pinunasan. "Shit! Sorry, Ivan. Sorry."

He was rubbing my tank top so hard na parang batang may ginawang mali. Nabasa niya kasi ng laway.

I grabbed his wrist.

"Ayos lang," saad ko. Mabilis akong napatayo sa kama at sinimulang ligpitin ang extra matress sa baba.

Yuki circled around the bed and ran towards me. "Ako na ang magliligpit nito. Naabala na kita masyado."

Masyado pang maaga. The coffee has not yet touched my throat. Arguing with him as early as now is pointless.

"Are you sure, hindi ka pa ba nilalagnat?"

Mabilis siyang umiling.

Looking at Yuki now, ibang-iba ang itsura niya sa kadalasang maangas na heartthrob ng school. Medyo kulot pala ang buhok niya kapag bagong gising. And they are not totally black. The ray of early morning sun from my window makes his hair glow, it has this brownish look. Kahit mas matangkad siya sa akin, he looks more... I'm not sure what word to use... fragile.

The swelling in his eyes seems to have lessen. Nakangiti na siya habang nakatitig sa akin at mukhang hindi na sumasakit ang mata niya whenever he smiles.

He smiled and said something weird, "Your amber eyes looks like the water reflecting the sun."

I smiled, which made him smile more. That's when his eye started hurting again.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, ililigpit ko lang ito and maybe I could go."

"Dito ka na mag-agahan. Pahinga ka muna at wala naman tayong pasok."

Nakayuko na siya this time. Sinimulan niyang tupiin ang kumot niya.

"I'll just take a shower," dagdag ko. "May 3-in-1 sa drawer katabi ng lababo at magtimpla la na lang ng kape mo."

"Okay, Ivan," sagot niya habang nakayuko. He sounded shy again.

"Also, pasensya ka na at pancit canton lang ang meron ako tsaka itlog. Do you mind making them for us?"

"Okay." Nakayuko lang siya. He's sounding hesitant while uttering my name. "Ivan."

I suddenly touched his forehead. "Hindi ka naman na nilalagnat, bakit ang tamlay mo pa rin?"

"Sorry, Ivan."

Baka gutom lang siya. May bigla akong naalala! Rich kid nga siguro 'to at hindi marunong magluto.

"You do know how to use a stove, right?"

Tinanguan niya lang ako.

I tapped his shoulder sabay nagtungo ako sa banyo. While I was sitting in the toilet, I ordered some food delivery para kay Yuki. I'm thinking na baka hindi siya sanay kumain ng mga junk foods so I decided to buy him some pancakes and salad.

When I was done with the bathroom, I don my green Keroppi shirt at yellow jersey shorts na binili ko sa ukay. I can't even phantom my tatay's reaction when he sees me wearing this. Masinop at mapili sa damit si tatay. Nagagalit 'yon tuwing nagsusuot ako ng mga segunda mano kesa sa mga damit na binili niya.

Living away from home since high school has been a life changer. Siya naman ang may gusto noon. Sabi niya, I can only come back kung kaya ko na ang sarili ko. Akala niya siguro, takot akong mag-isa. Living on my own is like one of the best things that happened to me. Except when I met Em, ang pinsan ni Andi, in one of our outings. Sobrang ganda niya. Noon lang ako nagka-crush sa isang tao. And that feeling was so amazing, iyong tipong tiklop talaga ako whenever she's near me. Iyong pakiramdam na kasalanan ang lapitan siya.

"Oh, hi, Andi. Nasa banyo siya at naliligo pa," rinig kong may kausap si Yuki sa pinto.

"What the hell heppened to your eye? Inaway ka ba ni Ivan?"

And by the sound of the nagtitiling baliw sa kabilang dulo ng room ko, my best friend is here.

"May lahi ka bang aswang?" puna ko agad habang pinapatuyo pa ang buhok ko. I was walking towards them in the kitchen. Maka kitchen naman ako kala mo napakalayo sa kama. "Kakakausap ko lang sa telepono, paanong nandito ka agad?"

"It's a Fujoshi superpower. Tawag doon Fujoshi-speed."

"Baliw!"

"Anong ginawa mo rito sa mahal mo?"

Tanginang 'to. Napahampas na lang ako sa mukha ko. Lakas talaga niya maka ship ampota.

"Ikaw ang aga-aga, wala akong oras makipagbungangaan sa'yo."

"It's a long story, Andi," said Yuki. "Napa-trouble ako sa bar kagabi and it was actually your best friend who helped me."

Dinilaan na lang ako ni Andi.

"Hala, kawawa ka naman. Here, o. I brought you breakfast."

"Naku, salamat, pero nagluto na ako ng para sa amin ni Iva..." Yuki paused. I could see in his face that nag-aalangan pa rin siyang tawagain ako by my first name sa harap ng ibang tao.

"So may iba na kayong tawagan? Hindi na last name basis? So ano na? Baby? Jowa? Ark and Apple?" sunud-sunod na tili ng gagang si Andi.

Sinenyasan ko si Andi ng kotong. Dinilaan niya ulit ako.

"I made some instant noodles for me and Ivan."

I swear, nagtatalon si Andi na parang tumatalsik na mantika—nakakapaso, nakakainis, ang sarap itapon sa lababo.

"Kumakain ka pala niyan Yuki?" puna ng best friend ko. "Baka magalit Mom and Dad mo kapag kumain ka ng junk food. Ito na lang."

Right then, my phone beeped. Dumating na sa baba ng dorm ang food order ko.

I left them alone. Kita ko ang nag-aalalang mukha ni Yukihero Azukawa, as if begging me not to leave him alone with a crazy woman. Nginitian ko lang siya.

When I came back, naghain na sila sa lamesa. Inilapag ko ang mga pinamili ko sa harapan ni Yuki katabi ng lugaw na binili ng kaibigan ko.

"Grabe, ang dami naman nito," Yuki sighed.

Andi and I were just staring at him sa kabilang side ng table. We smiled when Yuki raised his head, blessing us with another smile. His right eye is still swelling, making him look cuter—

"O, diba, cute siya?" Andi whispered in my ear.

The hell? Is she reading my mind?

"Oo, another Fujoshi power. Fujoshi-telepathy." She's giggling as if saying O, Ivan. If you can only see your face right now.

"I wasn't thinking that," giit ko. "Tsaka wala kang super powers. Aswang ka lang talaga."

"Whatever. You are just so easy to read, Ivan." She turned back to Yuki. "So anong sa dalawa ang kakainin mo? 'Yong dala ko, 'yong dala ni Ivan, or si Ivan mismo?"

Tinadyakan ko si Andi.

"Aray!"

"'Yang bibig mo kasi!"

Yuki reached for the pancit canton that he made before Andi came in. "Ito na lang ang kakainin ko. Sayang ang niluto ko."

Andi and I both looked at each other. Alam kong pareho kami ng iniisip. Ibang-iba ang ugali ng taong ito compared sa ugali niya sa school.

Has he always been like this?

"Pasaway." Inagaw ko ang kinakain ni Yuki. Binuksan ko ang dala kong pancake at salad at inihain sa harapan niya. Inurong ko ang lugaw pabalik kay Andi. "You start with this, then pwede mong isunod ang lugaw mamaya. You're still hurt, bawal muna ang junk food."

"Pero—"

"Walang pero-pero. Kumain ka riyan or magagalit ako?"

He started looking for the plastic fork and knife from the plastic na dala. Wala syang nakita kaua kinamay niya. Andi started raving my drawers for utensils.

Tumayo akong saglit at nagtimpla ng kape.

I came back with a mug of coffee. "Ito, kape. Nakalimutan mo atang magtimpla."

Bumalik si Andi na may dalang kutsarat at tinidor.

Natigilan si Yuki. He swallowed the mesh of food in his throat. "Do you have any plastic or styro cup?"

Napataas ako ng kilay. Rich kid nga siguro 'to. Hindi siya sanay sharing metal utensils.

"Maselan ka pala masyado?" sarkastikong puna. Pero nagtungo pa rin ako sa aparador at naghanap ng party cups at plastic spoon. I handed him those.

"Hindi sa ganoon, Ivan. Medyo concious lang ako sa mga ginagamit 'ko."

Hindi na ko nakipagtalo. Make sense; hindi pa kasi ako nagkakape.

"It's okay," I said politely this time. Kung ano mang issue niya sa mga payak na pamumuhay gaya nito, wala na akong pakialam.

I just grabbed a remote and turned on the TV na malapit sa bintana. It was the news channel. At ipinapalabas na naman nila ang balitang I always find it weird every month. I always find it funny when the new reporters mention this issue on nationwide TV.

"Billionaire Dante So has yet to announce the successor to his entire business across the globe. Two of his bachelor children, who have yet to be identified, have been living in the city of Manila. The elder brother has been speculated to be traveling to different countries, building more and more connections for the entire So Group of Companies. While the younger brother was reported to be just laying off in bars doing parties and raves."

Nag-buzz ang phone ko. I received a text from Andi na katabi ko lang.

Andi: "Ayos lang ba si Yuki? Hindi ba siya hinahanap ng parents niya?"

Napatingin ako sa kaibigan ko. Nginunguso niya si Yuki na nakayuko lang at abala sa pagkain. I stared at Yukihero Azukawa. Mukha nga siyang mayaman. Mukha rin siyang party goer. I texted Andi back.

Me: "I guess not."

Itinago ko ang cell phone ko at baka makahalata pa si Yuki na pinag-uusapan namin siya.

"Are you going to eat that?" tanong sakin ni Yuki. He pointed his spoon at my pancit canton.

"Gusto mo?" alok ko.

Yuki happily nodded.

"Ayaw mo ng lugaw ko?" singit ng katabi ko.

"Hindi kasi ako mahilig sa lugaw."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Andi. It's as if we both can read each other's minds, saying, Rich kid nga 'to.

I moved my plate of noodles to Yuki. He gladly dove into it.

Inagaw ko naman ang lugaw ng kaibigan ko.

"Hoy, para kay Yuki 'yan!"

"Akin na lang 'to. Wala pa akong agahan."

Hinayaan na lang ako ni Andi. She was just staring at me and Yuki.

I'm glad someone took the pancit canton away from me. Paborito ko pa naman 'yon. But my tatay would kill me when he found out that I ate those things.

Buti na lang nandito si Yukihero Azukawa.