#LIT17

"Pwede pahinga muna tayo saglit?" tanong ni Fritzie

"Oo nga. Pagod nadin ako," sabi ni Jane

Nakita kong inabutan siya ni Patrick ng bottled water. "Tubig oh."

"Salamat," Jane said. Uminom siya doon at pagkatapos ay binigyan niya din si Fritzie

Hindi ko sila pinansin dahil nakatuon ang atensiyon ko sa mga paintings sa harap. It's been an hour and a half since we started roaming around the Museum. Halos nalibot nadin namin ang lahat ng parte nito. We also took a few pictures as well.

Nagsimula akong maglakad habang isa isang tinitignan ang mga paintings.

"Sadie. Saan ka?" tanong ni Benjie

Nilingon ko siya at halata sa itsura niya na pagod nadin siya.

"Uh sige guys, pahinga muna kayo diyan. Mag-iikot ikot pa ako."

"Ha? Hindi ka pa ba pagod?" sabi niya at pinaypayan ang sarili

I smiled and shook my head.

"Nalibot nadin natin lahat," dagdag niya at inikot ang ulo sa paligid

I chuckled. "Iikutin ko ulit, baka may namiss ako."

His jaw dropped.

"Balikan ko nalang kayo ah. See you!" paalam ko at naglakad na palayo

Huminto ako at tumingin sa kaliwa at kanan ko. I placed my hand below my chin. "Hmmm? Where should I start?"

I'm at the center of the museum and it is huge. It has a tall ceiling. Its structures are also painted in white. Almost everything is white, besides the paintings and sculptures. Maliwanag at malawak din ang kapaligiran. There's also a lot of windows and floors.

I closed my eyes. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe."

I opened my eyes and my finger pointed is pointed at the right. I pouted. I bit my lip and went to the opposite instead.

I looked up at the huge painting of a tarsier at the wall. Nadaanan ko na iyon nung una pero mangha padin ako.

I continued to walk, not knowing where my feet would take me. The next thing I knew, I'm already in front of one of the famous paintings ever known. Spoliarium by Juan Luna.

I smiled and slowly walked towards it. Nalagpasan ko din ang mga tao na nagpapapicture doon. Surprisingly, there are only a few of them.

I took out my phone and positioned it at the center, preparing to take a picture. There was a lady, sitting on the long chair, blocking the view. I thought she's also taking a picture so I waited a bit more. Napakamot nalang ako sa ulo ko dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa siya umaalis. I can adjust and change my position but this is the perfect angle that can capture the painting. Isa din itong painting na ito ang pinunta ko dito. I can't waste this chance.

"Ano bang trip ni ate?" I sighed and went closer

I can't really take a good photo because her head is blocking the view. Nakatalikod din siya sa'kin kaya hindi ko naman pwedeng sabihin na tumabi siya.

Unti-unti akong naglakad. Habang papalapit ay nakita ko ang mukha niya. My lips parted. I was startruck by her exceptional beauty. She looks like a work of art.

Napakurap-kurap ako at inobserbahan siya ng maigi. I tilted my head. Naka-poker face lang ang mukha niya. Walang emosyon pero ang mga mata niya ay tila malungkot.

Who is this angel?

Diretso lamang ang tingin niya sa painting sa harap. Hindi ako sigurado kung tinitignan niya ba iyon pero parang tulala lang siya.

I don't know why but I started to walk towards her. There's something about her that draws me in. I feel like I got hypnotized.

I stopped when I'm already in front of her.

"Hi!"

Now that I got to see her this close, mas lalo akong nagandahan sa kanya. My knees got weak when our eyes met. I gulped.

"Uhh...hi?"

Oh my God! She replied back!

Stay calm Sadie. Chill.

I giggled. "Hello."

Umawang ang labi niya.

While waiting for her reply, I stared at her face again. Large, expressive eyes, long lashes, high cheekbones, pointed nose, thick and luscious lips, perfect arched brows, fair skin, small and v shaped face with a sharp jawline. She looks mature yet young at the same time. Mukha siyang may lahing Spanish.

"Uh, mag-isa lang po kayo?" tanong ko dahil medyo matagal nadin kaming tahimik

Kumunot ang noo niya sa sinabi ko.

Oh no, wrong move.

My lips parted. "Ah! Huwag po kayong mag-alala. Hindi po ako mambubudol o ano," I chucked awkwardly

Great. I'm so awkward. This is so embarassing. If I was a guy and I'm trying to hit on someone, I'd fail, one hundred percent because I'm bad at flirting...not that I'm trying to flirt with her or anything. I cringed at myself.

What am I even doing? Tell me why did I suddenly approached her?

I was about to retreat when our eyes met again. Kababae kong tao pero naiilang ako sa pagtitig niya. Her eyes are just full emotions. It's like she's hiding a thousand secrets behind it that she has never told anyone before. I swear, she's hypnotizing me! And I fell for it.

"Is it okay if I join you?"

Her lips parted. "Uh...sure."

I swallowed hard and sat as far away from her. Hindi ko inalis ang paningin sa kanya. Everytime I look at her, she gets more and more beautiful. Another one of God's favorites. She's like a piece of art. She can be a painting. She can even be displayed in this museum.

I didn't even understand what she said because I was busy admiring her face. Tuwing tumitingin siya sa'kin at umiiwas ako ng tingin. You know that feeling when you see a handsome or a pretty stranger in public places such as jeep, bus, mall, cinema, waiting shed and you suddenly want to ask for their number. I've seen a lot of gorgeous women in my life but she's on another level. She looks very sophisticated, an elegant and classy woman.

I can't believe I'm fangirling over a stranger. Maybe she's a celebrity? Hindi ko nga lang kilala.

The next thing I knew, I'm already comforting her.

She really is broken on the inside.

She smiled weakly, nagtama ang mga mata namin. I saw her eyed glistened with tears. "Thank you for being a good listener."

I smiled back. "You're welcome Attorney."

I stayed with her for few more minutes. Walang nagsasalita sa'min. It feels odd because the silence around us didn't feel uncomfortable. It felt...peaceful.

"Sadie!"

Lumingon ako sa tumawag sa'kin. I saw my friends calling me from a distance.

Binalik ko ang tingin kay Attorney. "Uh sige po, una na ako. Andiyan na yung friends ko," I awkwardly said

She smiled and nodded.

Unti-unti na akong humakbang palayo. I turned around and greeted my friends.

"Saan ka ba galing?" salubong ni Benjie

"Ahh, nag-ikot ikot nga."

"Kanina ka pa namin hinahanap," sabi ni Jane

I placed my hand over my neck. "Sorry. May nakilala kasi ako na-"

Tumingin ako sa likod ko kung saan ko natagpuan si Attorney pero nagtaka ako dahil wala na siya.

"Ha? Ano'ng sinasabi mo diyan?"

I swallowed hard. "She's just there. I met someone," umawang ang labi ko at sinubukan siyang hanapin

"Sino?" tanong ng mga kasama ko

"The pretty lady. Andito lang siya kanina eh. Ang bilis naman niya nawala," napakamot nalang ako sa ulo ko

Benjie groaned. "Alam mo sis? Gutom lang 'yan. Tara na at kumain muna tayo," hinila niya na ako

I pouted. "Wait, hinahanap ko pa siya..."

It's too late 'cause he's already dragging me. "Tara na."

"No!" I dramatically said. My friends laughed and helped Benjie drag me

Sinubukan ko ulit siyang hanapin pero padami na ng padami ang mga tao. I sighed and let my friends drag me away.

***

"What was your childhood dream?" I asked Haru

Andito kami ngayon sa isang record shop. He's busy looking at the vinyls and albums on the shelves.

Nakabuntot lang ako sa kanya na parang aso. Isa-isa ko ding tinitignan ang mga albums. There's both old and new ones. They are all organized by genre. There's pop, jazz, country, opm, R&B, Hip hop, everything. Kompleto silang lahat. I've never been to a record shop before. It's my first time and it's so cool. The whole shop is giving me vintage vibes. It's like I time traveled back to the 80's.

"Here, listen to this," he said and put
headphones on my ear

I smiled and listened to the song. "I don't...I don't know what song is this," I chuckled awkwardly

He arched his brow and tilted his head a little. "Really? It's Queen. Freddie Mercury? They're a British rock band formed in London. Bohemian Rhapsody."

My lips parted. "Oh...right! I know them. May movie pa nga nun eh."

His lips curved. He removed the headphones and placed it back on the wall.

"May cassette tape din pala dito," I said and pointed at the cassette tape displayed

"Yeah. You can listen to it actually. There's a bunch of songs in it," he said and chose one of them.

"How are we gonna-"

I watch him as he put the cassette tape inside a cassette player. Kinuha niya din ang earphones at pinasok sa tainga ko ang isa habang ang isa ay kanya. We waited for the song to play.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad.
Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better.

"Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better," he sang

Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kanya, pinapanood siyang kumanta. I can hear his voice clearly than the music itself. He has an amazing voice. It's much more raw and natural.

"And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, don't carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder..."

I smiled at him. He's so in the moment that he didn't even notice me staring at him. I can listen to him all day.

He's so underrated. Wish a lot of people know him, but for now, I like to keep him my little secret.

The song ended eventually. I removed the earphone. He did the same and put back the cassette tape on it's original place.

"Let's go?"

I nodded. "Sige."

I looked at the record shop one last time before we head out.

"Where are we going now?" I asked

"Home. I mean, I'll walk you to your place."

"Uuwi na tayo?" malungkot kong sabi

He chuckled. "Why? You want to go somewhere else?"

"Wala kasi akong magawa sa dorm eh. Ang boring," sabi ko at tumingin sa nilalakaran namin

"So you live alone. You don't have any roommate?"

Umiling ako. "Wala. Ako lang mag-isa."

"I see..."

"How about your place?" sabi ko at tumingin sa kanya

He stopped and looked at me in shock. "My...my place?" he asked while pointing at himself

I nodded and smiled. "Where do you live? With your mom?"

He blinked twice. "Uh...sort of."

I licked my lips. Was I too bold? I just want to know where he lives. Wala naman akong masamang intensiyon. I don't have a hidden agenda.

Tumingin ulit siya sa'kin. "Do you really have to-" he groaned. "Fine."

I smiled. "Really? Cool! I mean, kung ayaw mo naman e 'di wag. Uwi nalang ako," sabi ko at humakbang

He held my arm. "Wait."

Tumingin ako sa kanya at tinaasan siya ng kilay. "What?"

"We're going alright? Geez," nakita ko siyang palihim na ngumiti

"Dali mo naman pala kausap eh," sabi ko

Nauna na siyang naglakad. Hinabol ko naman siya. His legs are long. Ang isang hakbang niya ay dalawang hakbang ko. He may be skinny but he has good body proportions.

"Ang bilis mo maglakad," reklamo ko

"Shorty," he teased and placed his arm over my shoulder. Mas lalo kong nakita ng malapitan ang tattoos niya.

"What did you just call me? Shorty? I'm not short! You're just...tall!" I yelled

He laughed and messed with my hair.

"Hey, stop it!" sabi ko at kinurot ang braso niya

Tumawa lang ulit siya. Hindi ako makawala sa bisig niya dahil mabigat ang braso niya. I just let him mess with me.

This guy is really a bully.

When we finally arrived at his 'place.' I was shookt. Literally.

"Well, this is it."

I gulped. "You live in a uhm," I paused and observed it. "In a...uhm. I'm sorry, but what is this called?"

He chuckled. "It's called an RV."

I snapped my fingers. "Right. I forgot what it is called. It's already on the tip of my tongue."

He put his hands on his pockets and walked towards it.

"So, dito ka talaga nakatira. As in dito?"

He nodded. "Why? Don't judge me, geez," he said, a bit embarrassed

I raised my hands in the air. "I'm not judging," I defended

I looked at his RV. It's hella huge. It looks old by the way. Old model ng RV but it's still looks nice. May konting gasgas nadin ang ilang parte no'n. It's the perfect vehicle for traveling.

"Wanna check inside?" he asked

Tumango ako at mabilis na sumunod sa kanya. We stopped at the front of his doorstep. There's sign on the door that says 'Do Not Disturb.'

"Exactly," he said and opened the door

Siya ang naunang pumasok. He lend his hand and helped me get inside.

My eyes widened upon the interior of the van. "Woah. This looks cool."

"Sick right?"

The place looks simple yet classy. There's a double bunk bed with a desk on the side. There's also a mini couch. The floor is carpeted. There are vinyls and records hanging on the walls. I also ser his guitar and beside it is an electric guitar. He also has a keyboard placed on the desk. I was also surprised to see an aquarium inside. May mga fake plants din siya na nakadisplay.

"It's small but it's perfect for me," he said

Naglakad siya at umupo sa maliit na sofa. He later stood up and went to the aquarium to feed the fishes.

Ako naman ay inobserbahan ang kabuuan ng kwarto niya. I walked to the desk where his laptop and keyboard are placed. I almost tripped when I saw his other equipments for making his music. There's a lot of wires on the floor. I pressed on of the keys of the piano. It caused a soft sound. I also saw some mini picture frames on his desk. There's a family picture, a picture of his mom and him, a baby picture of him, and a picture of an artist...but what caught my attention was a picture of him and a woman. It's a polaroid picture. He was hugging her while kissing her forehead. I assume it's probably his girlfriend.

"Haru," hindi ko inalis ang paningin sa picture nila. They look cute together.

"Yeah?"

I glanced at him and he's still busy feeding his fishes.

"Who's this girl? She's pretty."

Nagulat ako nung bigla nalang siyang tumambad sa harap ko. His expression turned cold. He took the frame and placed it inside the drawer.

"No one," he said in a low voice. Umalis na siya sa harapan ko.

I gulped. "Sorry."

Baka ex niya yung babae.

Nakita ko nalang ulit siya sa sofa habang tumutugtog ng gitara. Umupo naman ako sa kama niya. Halos magkatapat lang kaming dalawa.

"So, uhm. You live here alone?"

"Yeah."

"Where's your parents?"

"My dad is in Japan and my mom is right across the street," he casually replied

Tinuro ko ang labas. "Sa tapat lang nito?"

"Yeah. My house is just across the street."

"Okay...why did you decided to live here if she's just there?" I trailed off. Naisip ko na baka hindi sila okay ng mama niya

"Oh, my mom and I are cool if that's what you're thinking. She didn't kick me out of the house or anything."

I chuckled. "Sorry."

"I was the one who decided to not stay at our house because I want to have my own personal space. I can't concentrate on my music if I stay there. She would always barge into my room every ten minutes to check up on me."

"So in short, parang ginugulo ka niya kaya hindi ka makapag-focus?" I smiled, amused

"Yeah, kinda like that. I mean it's fine. Sometimes I'd let her listen to my songs. She'd always ask me a lot of questions about it, like an interviewer. I was always in the hot seat."

"I get it. You don't want someone to disturb your peace."

"Hmm." He nodded. "So I told my mom I'd move out but she said 'no.' Trust me, I convinced her so many times. She told me that I'm still a kid when in fact, I'm already an adult. she asked me a lot of questions. It's frustrating.."

Tumawa ako sa paraan niya ng pagkwento. I know he's frustrated and all but at the same time, he enjoys telling me the story.

"How did you manage to convince her then?" I asked

Tumingin siya sa sahig na parang nag-iisip. "Well, uhm. Before, I just told her I want to move out because I want my own space for my music. She thought I was moving out of the country. She thought I'd go back to Japan. I guess she got scared of me leaving and choosing dad over her."

"Only child ka lang ba?"

He nodded.

"Hala, parehas pala tayo."

He smiled. "Cool."

"Okay, sorry. Continue," sabi ko. Nag-Indian sit ako sa kama niya habang nakikinig sa kwento niya

"Then yeah, I told her I wasn't going anywhere, that I was planning to rent an apartment. She agreed but she told me that the apartment should be near her house and I was like, "I'm already an adult. Please let me live," kunot noo niyang sabi. "I got confused because I know...there's no fucking way I'll find an apartment near our house, especially that we live in a secluded area."

My jaw already hurts from smiling. I never thought he'd be a funny guy. He's a great story teller plus with humor.

"At that point, I was screwed. I thought I was gonna sleep in the streets," he chuckled. "Everything was planned actually. Before I ask for her permission, I already searched for an apartment that was near my job so it would be easy for me, to, you know? So anyways, thank God, I've found one for a cheap price but yeah, when I told my mom about it...my plan fucked up again," he sighed. "Long story short, I bought a cheap RV from a good friend of mine. Told my mom about it, got scolded, convinced her again. And here we are now."

"Oh wow. I'm...I'm speechless. May backstory pala talaga itong RV mo," I teased

"Yeah...I actually prefer this plan B. First, I don't have to pay any rent. Second, I get to travel with it in the future. Third, I realized that I prefer to live here than an apartment. And lastly, it's a win-win situation for me and my mom."

I smiled. "Ayun talaga yung importante."

"It's pretty convenient actually. I'd just go to back to our house to eat cause I'm not a great cook so I eat what she cooks. She's the best at the kitchen," he said proudly

"Every Filipino moms are."

"And yeah, I didn't want her to be sad. I didn't want her to think that I'm gonna leave her. I can't live without my mom. I guess it's better to live just right across her house than to live in an empty apartment away from her," he smiled weakly while thinking about his mom

My heart melted by softness of his voice and the way he talks about his mom.

"What's your favorite Filipino dish?" I asked

"Hmm at home. She always cook Filipino food and my favorite would probably be adobo and sisig."

I find it cute when he pronounced the name of the dishes.

"God, I'm actually craving it right now," he sighed. "We can hit at my mom's place if you want. Oh, wait. I'm not sure if she's at home. Let me text her first," he said and took out his phone

"Cool, cool," I mimicked his voice

He glanced at me and smiled a little.

"By the way, I asked a question to you earlier sa shop."

"Oh yeah, right. My childhood dream," he said and put his phone back on his pocket

He was about to speak when I stopped him. "Wait. Sagutin mo siya ng tagalog."

He laughed. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm serious. I want to hear you speak tagalog since last time, you spoke Japanese."

"Why? I'm not good at it. I'm not good at both."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on. Don't be shy. I'm actually helping you," biro ko

He squinted his eyes. "You're just making fun of me."

I pressed my lips to surpress my laughter. "No I'm not. Hindi ba tagalog kung mag-usap kayo ng mama mo?"

"She talks to me in tagalog and I reply to her in English. Sometimes, vice versa."

"Yun naman pala eh. You know the basics."

He sighed. "Yeah...but I'm not really that confident," humina ang boses niya

"That's why let's practice. Huwag ka mahiya sa'kin. Hindi naman kita pagtatawanan."

He bit his lip and looked away. "Fine. Whatever."

I smiled widely and clapped my hands. "Yay!"

"What was the question again?" he asked

I used my fist as a mic. "What was your childhood dream?" I asked and pointed my fake mic at him

He looked at it, amused. "God, you're just like my mom."

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you just said," I teased

"You're really enjoying this are you."

I waited for him to answer. He sighed and put down his guitar. "When I was little..."

"Nung bata pa ako," I began

He blinked twice. "Hindi ko alam kung ano yung gusto ko paglaki."

My lips parted. Nanatili kaming nakatingin sa isa't isa. "It's true. Hindi ko alam."

I slowly nodded and smiled. "Tapos?"

"Tapos...naisip ko na gusto ko maging nurse?" he paused

"Bakit nurse?"

"I want to save lives."

"Go on..."

He licked his lips. "Tapos nung highschool ako...gusto kong maging DJ? Or maybe a tattoo artist. Weird occupation right?"

Ngumiti lang ako sa kanya.

"Hindi ako sure doon. My mom...ayaw niya din para sa'kin non. Hindi daw magandang trabaho. I wasn't serious with it either. Hindi ko talaga alam ang gusto kong gawin." he said. "Then when I turned eighteen, I decided that I wanted to pursue music."

Unti-unti akong umupo sa sahig. Umupo nadin siya sa tapat ko.

"What made you choose that path? Why music?" I asked

"Because Music saved my life," he simply said. "I was such a shy kid back then. At a young age, I grew up in an unfamiliar environment since my parents got separated. It was a culture shock. I had a hard time making friends at first because of the language barrier, the culture, the people, everything. I adjusted a lot."

I hugged my knees while listening to him. "Are your parents supportive?"

His gaze lowered on the floor. "At first they didn't. They told me I have no future in music," he added, sadness was evident in his voice. "I actually dropped out of school."

My lips parted. "Why?"

He brought his eyes back to me. "Because of music."

"How did your parents react?"

"Well, my got mad. Really mad, because I chose music over my studies. She told me it was impractical, that I have no future with it. She was quite disappointed," he explained. "I only finished highschool then after that...nagtrabaho na ako. I work and make music at the same time. I still have to make a living afterall."

"Ilang years ka na gumagawa ng music?"

"Almost four years."

"Matagal na rin pala."

"Yeah, and nothing is happening. I tried to reach out to record labels. I sent them my music but they rejected it...many times. I've received a lot of criticisms which motivted me to improve and work harder."

"Baka...baka hindi mo pa time sa ngayon. I'm sure makikilala ka din ng lahat balang araw. You're an amazing singer and person Haru." I comforted him

"Thanks. I have waited my whole life. I can wait a little longer. Time is really testing my patience. Mas lalo din humahaba ang pasensiya ko. The more I wait, the more eager I get, more passionate, more driven to reach my dream," he said. "Yes, there are times when I want to give up. My self-esteem was so low. I often question myself like what the fuck am I even doing? Why the fuck am I still doing this? Where will this take me? Is it still worth it? Or am I just wasting my time? But deep inside, I don't want to quit because this is my passion. Not to sound vain but I feel like I was born to do this. I was born to make music. It's in my blood. Music is my life. I breathe music. Music is everywhere. I don't fucking care how long it takes. I'll never stop making music," he said passionately. "I want to prove to my parents that I made the right decision to pursue music."

I can't help but to feel inspired by the way he talks and share his passion in music. As an artist myself, I can relate to it. The more he answers confidently, the more curious I get about his craft.

"And given your almost four years of being a musician, what have you learned so far?"

He inhaled deeply. "Being an artist, I always want to experiment a new sound and reinvent myself. Music allowed me to be vulnerable. Music allowed me to explore different emotions inside of me that I never knew existed. I feel like im in my own space. One thing I've learned is that when you love something too much, there will be moments where you have to give it up. I realized how much I value music, my craft and I want to protect it. I have to keep a certain distance from music so I won't get consumed by it because that's the only way that I can pursue it for a long time. I must leave a space in my heart for some other things."

Maswerte nga din siya kasi nahanap niya na yung passion niya, samantalang yung iba nangangapa pa hanggang ngayon.

"How 'bout you? What was your childhood dream? May interes ka talaga sa arts?" he asked curiously, excited to hear my answer

I'm glad that he's finally comfortable speaking our language.

"Ako? Nung bata ako gusto kong naging pediatrician kasi mahilig ako sa bata...pangalawa ay veterinarian kasi mahilig din ako sa hayop."

He chuckled. "It's kind of obvious...naman."

"Tapos nung nag-highschool ako nahiligan ko ang anime kaya gusto kong maging manga artist! Meron akong notebook tapos doon ako nagdadrawing ng mga paborito kong anime characters tapos gumagawa din ako ng sarili kong characters."

"Very artistic of you..."

"Dun ko nadiscover passion ko sa art. At first, I started with a pencil, sketch sketch lang muna. The funny thing is that some people will tell me that I'm gifted in Art but honestly, at first, I suck at drawing. Kumbaga nung una ay pangit mga drawings ko. Promise! I still have my old sketchpad with me filled with my old works. Ayoko na ipakita sa'yo kasi hindi ako confident."

"Ang daya naman," giit niya

I laughed. "Pangit nga kasi...so, anyway, back to my story. I taught myself how to paint and draw. I watch youtube videos and I practice a lot. Lahat naman tayo nagsimula sa wala eh."

He nodded in agreement.

"I kept on practicing and practicing hanggang sa unti-unti akong gumagaling. I want to get better and better. It's fulfilling because my hard work paid off. Hindi lang yung Art ko ang nag-improve kundi yung sarili ko din. I'm still not a professional. I'm still learning pa. There's still room for improvements. Alam kong mas mag-iimprove pa ako."

Tumango-tango siya habang nakikinig sa'kin.

"Are you also athletic?" he asked

"Hmm, medyo? I used to to gymnast and track and field nung highschool din ako pero ngayon? Wala na. I can't even do a perfect split anymore."

"Wow, you sure do have loads of talents," he complimented

"Di naman," nahihiya kong sabi

We spent the rest of the day talking random things. We talked about life, college, dreams, passion, music, art and many more. We got even closer than before. I think the reason why we got this close is that we share a lot in common. Ang dami naming similarities sa isa't isa. We instantly clicked. I also enjoyed his company. The age gap was never a hindrance. He's like my brother from another mother. We think alike. It's so weird.

He's special.