Chapter Five

"She's amazing!" Chelsea jumped to her bed, sounding enthusiastic and still not over the elegant and nice lady we had unexpectedly met at the road.

Nilapag ko sa bedside table ang supot ng mga binili ko bago ako nagtungo sa isang bahagi ng kuwarto. Kanina ko pa kasi napapansin iyong puting box na nakasabit sa dingding. It didn't look like an air-conditioning because the air-con was located at the other side of the wall, hindi rin mukhang cupboard but I had a hunch of what it was. Maybe a refrigerator.

"Did you see her appearance?! She's like a queen soul locked up in an ordinary lady's body!" Nagpatuloy lang si Chelsea sa pagsasalita, all admiring the lady we had met at the crossing.

Tinangka kong buksan ang hinihinala kong box at hindi nga ako nagkamali. It was a small freezer. Bumalik ako sa kama ko para kunin ang binili kong Yakult and I stuffed them all inside the empty box to keep them chill.

"Oh my gosh, I even remember her wearing a Pandora bracelet!" Chelsea exclaimed.

Nakita kong may suot ngang bracelet ang babae kanina. And I could understand Chelsea's exaggerated remarks, dahil iyon din naman ang iniisip ko hanggang ngayon.  The elegance hidden in simplicity. That defined the lady.

"Ah! I can't explain it! And she can even speak English!" muling sabi ni Chelsea. I heard a foiling sound. Nang nilingon ko siya ay nakita kong binubuksan na niya ang isa sa mga big chips niya. "Malamang nagmula iyon sa isang mayamang pamilya rito sa Korea. Sayang at hindi natin natanong ang pangalan niya." Na-uwi sa dismayadong tono ang boses ni Chelsea.

I agreed though. But then, hindi naman kami magtatagal dito. All things here were temporary and would come to its end. We couldn't really dive ourselves more into things here. It was hard to let things go…

Bumalik ako sa kama ko matapos kong isara ang freezer. Kagaya niya ay nagbukas din ako ng chips. Just as we were being engulfed with the peaceful silent, both of our phones rang. Nilingon ko ang bedside table kung nasaan ang phone ko. I reached for it and immediately swiped the green button as soon as I saw who the caller was.

It was my mother.

["Anak! Kamusta riyan? You should be having your afternoon snacks by now. Nag-take ka na ba ng vitamins? Don't forget to call me every hour, okay?"] Mang's soft voice soothed my ear. She could be so annoying sometimes but when she was being like this, I couldn't help but be moved over and over again. She was my mother after all, and I couldn't see a life without her.

"Mang, I'm fine…" I smiled. Alam ko namang iyon lang ang gusto niyang marinig e. Nilingon ko si Chelsea at nakitang may kausap din siya sa phone, tumatango-tango siya sa kausap niya. I heard my mother breathe a deep sigh from the other line, as if she just got free from a deepest sort of worry. Inilayo ko na ang tingin ko kay Chelsea at itinoon ang buong atensyon kay Mamang na nasa kabilang linya.

["Mabuti naman. Still, call me 'nak, okay? I love you."]

The call ended with our exchange of 'I love you's.

Ibinaba ko na ang phone ko. The screen was in a light mode, showing me the handsome pink haired Jimin on my wallpaper. I would find time to change my wallpaper one of these days. Masyadong obvious ang larawang iyon at nakakahiya kung may ibang tao pa ang makakakita noon bukod kay Chelsea.

"Hanselle, Miss Alecia just called. We need to go downstairs. Meeting daw," Chelsea informed me, she was fixing the foods on her bed.

Tumango ako at nag-ayos ng sarili. Hindi na ako nagpalit ng damit dahil kakaligo ko pa lang kanina. Bumaba kami ni Chelsea pagkatapos. Sa kuwarto ni Miss Alecia ang meeting place. Kaunti lang naman kaming personnel, hindi bababa sa bente katao. May naka-set up nang long table sa silid at mga upuan, isang projector sa mesa at standee ng white board for projection.

Ang security team ay may hiwalay na meeting.

The meeting led by Miss Alecia of course. Wala namang pagbabago sa plano. Pinag-usapan lang namin na bibisitahin ng iba ang events place at may bibisita rin sa airport.  Kasama kami ni Chelsea sa naatasang bibisita sa airport para i-check ang mga maaaring safe route ng love team na i-a-assist namin, that was why we need first to get a hold of the security team.

Nahirapan pa ang mga higher-ups na mag-decide kung sa ibang hotel ba patutuluyin ang loveteam o sa mismong hotel na tinutuluyan namin. The hotel was not so good though dahil hindi ito kabilang sa mga sikat na hotels dito sa Seoul pero well-furnished naman at nandito na lahat ng kailangan. The nearest hotel from the event's place. Well… if talking professionally, I thought of the famous hotels. Dahil hindi lang naman putso-putsong artista ang mga i-a-assist namin.

That night, lumabas na naman ang team para kumain sa isang barbecue restaurant which I preferred than the first team meal together. We all got laid that night kaya good luck sa amin bukas.

Sinalubong ako ng hangover kinabukasan. Nahihirapan pa akong dumilat dahil sa direct sunlight na tumatama sa mukha ko. Ugh. Who opened the window this early? Kinusot ko ang mga mata ko at bumangon. Saglit pa akong na-hang as I was met by an unfamiliar surrounding. Just then, I remembered that I was outside the Philippines and here in Korea.

I smiled despite of my throbbing head. "Second day in his mother land," I uttered, yawning.

Napansin kong wala si Chelsea sa kama niya at nakabukas ang telebisyong nasa dingding kaharap ng mga kama namin. A nonstop play of BTS' music video was on air. Nagpe-play ang isa sa mga kanta nila. Oh, so much of them in this early morning. Way to nicely start my busy day. Naririnig ko ang daloy ng shower sa loob ng banyo kaya malamang nasa loob si Chelsea. I prepared myself to follow after Chelsea. Bibisitahin nga pala namin ngayon ang airport na pagla-landing-an ng eroplanong sasakyan ng RoLexis.

Hinintay kong matapos si Chelsea. Naupo ako sa dulo ng kama, nakasabit sa balikat ko ang mint green kong body towel habang hawak ko sa kamay ko ang mga gamit panligo ko. I watched the television as I waited. Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko gaya ng laging nangyayari sa tuwing si Jimin na ang ipinapakita at kinakanta na niya ang part niya.

I just so liked everything about him. His voice, the way he hit every note perfectly. His body, the way he moved so cool out of the rhythm. His face, the way he gave expression to the every feels of the song. Siya lang ang may kakayahang pabilisin ng ganito ang puso ko, that his mere presence wasn't needed, only him behind those screens.

Nagbago ang kanta. One of their songs still but this one was a recent. The colour of Jimin's hair in the music video was his current hair color. Fluffy pink.

Minsan, kapag nawawalan ako ng updates sa BTS, I would only look at Jimin's hair and I would know if it was recent because I paid full attention to his hair color.

Napakagat-labi ako nang makita ko kung paano niya marahas na hinawi ang pink niyang buhok gamit ang isang kamay niya habang marahas ding sumasayaw. So disrespectful. He was just too illegal. Too rude for his own good. Too dangerous for me.

We used one of the staff's vans on the way to Incheon Airport. Mas maagang umalis ang mga higher-ups para pumunta sa event's place. It wasn't actually an arena, para lang itong theater with grandstand for the audiences. Madalas kasi, nagkakaroon lang naman ng concert sa ibang bansa ang mga Filipino artists upon the number of requests. May mga Filipino rito sa Korea and were fans of the love team. They were quite a few so we couldn't really ignore them.

Kasama namin si Miss Belinda sa pagpunta sa airport as our higher staff at ilang staffs ng security team dahil kasama nina Miss Alecia ang iba pa. Siya rin ang kumausap sa ilang staffs ng airport. We needed additional guards for the artists. Sa tingin ko ay magpo-provide ng ilang tao ang airport para roon.

Kami ni Chelsea ang nag-check ng ilang routes. We looked for a safest and perfect route. Luckily, tinulungan din naman kami ng ilang staff ng airport.

"We'll make sure to secure them." The female staff formally told us as we finished checking the routes.

"I just hope we have an interpreter here," bulong ni Chelsea na umabot sa pandinig ko.

Napa-iling ako sa sinabi niya bago ko hinarap ang babaeng staff. I smiled at her giving the same warm smile she was giving us. "We can't really understand Korean. I'm sorry," I formally answered.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng babae. "Oh, I am sorry a-about that," she answered me with a Korean accent. She laughed afterwards.

"Hala, may nakakatawa ba?!" Chelsea inquired with a roll eyes. Humalukipkip siya at inilibot nang muli ang tingin sa paligid.

"So you did not understand what I have been saying?" the female staff asked. Despite of her worst tone, I still admired her for having to construct an English sentence when most of Koreans couldn't speak English.

"Yes. All of it," Chelsea answered rolling her eyes again. Bahagya ko siyang siniko para sawayin siya saka muli kong nakangiting binalingan ang airport staff.

"I am sorry! Please, accept my apology." Then she bowed at us. I really could attest that Koreans had the most polite way of apologizing. They would say sorry and bow before you, showing respect. Ah no, they bow at every chance theyget.

They suggested a certain route na madalas daw gamitin ng mga international artists. Inabot kami ng lunch sa pakikipagtransaksiyon sa mga staffs ng Incheon Airport. Ilang araw na lang ay darating na rito ang RoLexis, we couldn't afford to have a single mistake. Magkakaroon muna ng general rehearsal ang love team sa mismong event's place at sa ikalawang araw ay magaganap na ang concert. It would be a week from now.

Hindi na namin kasama ni Chelsea ang iba nang sumapit ang mismong alas-dose ng tanghali. Nagpaalam kami ni Chelsea kay Miss Belinda through text na hindi na kami sasabay sa kanilang kumain at magkikita na lang kami sa hotel, because Chelsea was sonce again planning an escapade.

Nakakita kami ng isang chicken restaurant, nagse-serve rin sila ng iba't ibang klase ng lomi, dumplings at rice cakes. Meron rin silang red bean desserts and beers. Not so glamorous but enough to fill our crying stomach.

We were met by a peaceful ambiance and welcoming staffs inside. And we happily ate to our hearts content. Slowly and slightly, I was becoming aware of how I was blooming in front of Chelsea. Nagiging komportable na kasi akong kasama siya. Gumagaan na ang loob ko sa kaniya at sa tingin ko mapagkakatiwalaan naman siya.

We even had the same denominator and that was both being a Korean stans. Magkakasundo kami dahil doon.

Habang kumakain kami ay pinagkikwentuhan namin ang ilang K-Drama'ng napanood na namin. Kagaya ko, binge watcher din siya. We both liked the finished series before watching.

"I like Legend of the Blue Sea because of the characters, pero masasabi kong napaka-common lang ng plots niya," ani Chelsea saka dampot sa kutsara ng dessert niya.

"I agree. I enjoyed Goblin more," sagot kong tumatango And then next, we were talking about Goblin.

"It broke my heart when Eun Tak tried to keep the memories of Kim Shin till the end but she still failed," malungkot na sabi ni Chelsea habang inaalala ang eksenang iyon.

"Oo nga! I remember her cries! It hurt me!" sabi ko.

That was just one of the painful K-Drama I had watched.

"Pero walang tatalo sa sakit ng ending ng Scarlet Heart! Who said endings should always be a happy ending?!" Sumimangot siya at pinaglaruan ang strawberry Bingsu niya.

"The series that ripped my heart the most was Uncontrollably Fond of Suzy and Woobin," I pouted, remembering how the series had seriously made me cry every episode.

She widened her eyes. "Di ko pa napapanood!" dabog niya.

I chuckled. "You must watch it." At marami pa kaming napag-usapang K-Drama na umabot na sa usapang K-Pop. Nalaman kong K-Pop din siya. Gusto niya ang mga grupong LUX, BTS, Hunters at ang pinakagusto niyang grupo ay BGB.

Not like me though, may mga girl groups din siyang gusto, Triangle and Girls Power. She liked Queens the most. Queens and BGB were in the same entertainment company.

I liked LUX and BGB but not as much as I liked BTS. Maybe, if Jimin didn't catch my interest, I would go to BGB. That was if Jimin didn't exist. But he did! And he held a special space in my heart, the biggest at that.

Well, I was an ARMY by heart.

"Hindi naman tayo makakapasok diyan e!" Hinila ko ang braso ni Chelsea para pigilan siya sa binabalak niya.

"Syempre gagawa tayo ng paraan. Didiskarte tayo!" aniya habang nakatingin sa bilog niyang salamin at nagpapahid ng liptint sa mga labi niya, hindi man lang nagpapahila.

"Baka mapahamak tayo rito! Let's just go! Panigurado hinahanap na rin tayo nina Miss Alecia." Pagpupumilit ko pa rin habang saka sinubukang hilahin muli ang braso niya.

"You know, Miss Alecia will call if she needs us. Tapos naman na natin ang trabaho natin. Mamayang gabi na tayo mag-report sa kaniya." And maybe, she really had an eye for this dahil mukhang wala ng makakapigil pa sa kaniya.

Binitawan ko ang braso niya at nakangusong tumuwid ng pagkakatayo habang hinahaplos ko ang Polaroid camera ko na nakasabit sa leeg ko. Actually, her plan was a bit tempting, ah no, was very tempting pero baka ikapamahak namin pareho kung itutuloy namin ang gusto niya.

Sinulyapan ko pa ang matayog na building na nasa harap namin. Just… just inside that building, was the only man my heart longed for. Inside that building was where he was. At kahit na gustong-gusto ko siyang makita, natatakot akong mapatunayan sa sarili ko na masyado siyang mataas para maabot ako. That he wasn't just a dream, he was a living phantasm, that I could never reach… that he was beyond my reach.

Not even close…