"Who are you?"

That simple question tore my heart asunder at that moment. I heard him clear enough, but my mind went blank. So many thoughts began swirling in my head that it started to make me dizzy.

The younger sister, Suna, placed her hand on my back. "Kuya, this is your secretary, Miss Aria."

"Really?" Sir Lars tilted his head in confusion. "When did I hire this girl? As far as I can remember, Miriam is my assistant."

This girl...

The tall guy in the corner approached Sir Lars on his bed. "Brother-in-law, it seems that you're suffering from selective amnesia. Do you have no recollection of what happened a few days ago?"

"What are you saying, Haru?" Sir Lars looked at everyone in the room one by one. "Are you serious? I almost lost my life in a car accident again?! So this is already my third life!"

Napatalon kaming lahat nang sipain ni Lucy ang kama ni Sir Lars. "Patayin na lang kaya kita? It seems that you're in a hurry to meet God."

Sir Lars shot her a horrified look. "Why are you getting mad at me, Lucy? Was it all my fault?"

"You were the driver." Lucy retorted in a frighteningly cold tone. "And you almost got your secretary killed with you. How can you be so reckless?"

Finally, Sir Lars shifted his gaze to me and guilt registered in his eyes. Sandali siyang napayuko at humugot ng malalim na hininga.

"I see. So that's what happened." His dander suddenly dropped. "Your name's Aria, isn't it? I'm sorry. Not only do I not recognize you, but it seems that I'd put your life in danger. I sincerely apologize and I'm relieved to see that you're safe."

Why are you being so formal? I don't like it.

"It's not your fault, Sir. Another car crashed into ours." Nagtubig ang mga mata ko kaya mabilis akong yumuko upang itago ito. "I'm also glad that you're finally awake."

"So it wasn't my fault! Why were you blaming it on me, Lucy?!" Sir Lars fumed,  tearing his attention away from me. "You made it sound like I was the cause of the accident!"

The man in glasses spoke before the twins' banter could even escalate. "Now, now. Don't fight when Lars has just woken up. We should be celebrating."

"Hana!" Sir Lars chirped. "You were here?"

Hana. So he was Hana. He was the last person that we were talking about before the accident.

For some reason, I felt out of place.

He's suffering from selective amnesia. That means this version of Sir Lars was from before I met him. Suddenly, he felt like a total stranger to me.

My throat hurts.

How could he forget everything so easily?

"Are you okay?" Suna whispered to me then clung onto my arm. "You look pale, Miss Aria."

Hindi naman ako nakasagot. Nanatili ang titig ko kay Sir Lars na noo'y nakikipagtawanan sa pamilya niya. Ni hindi man lang siya napapatingin sa akin.

A hand gently took hold of my arm.

"I'll escort Miss Aria back to her room."

Napalingon ako sa lalaking tumabi sa akin. Si Genesis. Kumunot ang noo niya nang magtama ang paningin namin. What does he want from me?

"Please do. She needs to rest." malumanay na sambit ni Suna at tumango kay Genesis.

"Heh. What's that psycho doing here?" matapobreng sabi ni Sir Lars na ikinabigla ko. Why is he speaking to Genesis in that way?

This treatment... Did he forget about him, too?

Humigpit ang pagkakahawak ni Genesis sa braso ko. When I lifted my gaze to him, he seemed pissed. Like, super pissed.

"Just came to check if you're still alive." malamig na sagot ni Genesis.

Sir Lars waved his hand dismissively. "Get out of my sight, Adriano. I don't like the idea of breathing the same air with you. Disgusting piece of shit."

It looked like Genesis was about to say something, but he held it in and just dragged me out of the room. Hinayaan ko naman siyang hilahin ako dahil hindi ko na rin kayang magtagal sa silid na iyon.

"Uhm," I decided to break the silence because we were going the wrong way. "My room is on the opposite side."

Genesis stopped. Napansin kong huminga siya nang malalim bago niya ako harapin. Hindi parin niya binitawan ang braso ko. He looks upset.

"Okay ka lang ba? Looks like Sir Lars partly forgot about you, too." I hesitantly remarked, afraid that I might hit a nerve.

"I guess so. He knows who I am, but I don't think he remembers the part when we were intimate." Genesis explained in a bored monotone. Tila hindi naman siya gaanong apektado. "As you can see, we used to hate each other."

"You must be upset." walang gana kong sagot.

"I don't mind. We're only sex buddies, anyway." He gave me a curious look. "More importantly, I should be the one asking that. You're the girlfriend."

I panicked. "We've only dated for days, though."

Hindi naman sumagot si Genesis at tinitigan lamang niya ako. Sa hindi malamang dahilan, muling namasa ang mga mata ko.

He immediately averted his gaze from me.

"Don't expect me to comfort you." Genesis clicked his tongue. "Technically, we're rivals. I'm only talking to you now because we're on the same boat. We're both forgotten and not needed."

"Yes." Napahikbi ako. "Thank you."

Nanatili kaming nakatayo sa labas ng silid ko at pinabayaan lang ako ni Genesis na umiyak. May mga napapadaan at napapatingin sa amin, pero mukhang wala namang pakialam ang kasama ko at tinitignan niya lang nang masama ang mga tao.

To be honest, he's the person I least expected to be with me while I'm bawling. It feels strange.

"Thank you, Genesis." I sniffed.

He eyed me. "Done crying?"

Tumango naman ako. Mamaya na ulit ako iiyak.

"I'm gonna get going, then." Tinalikuran na niya ako at nagsimulang maglakad paalis. "See you around. I hope things work out for you."

His words didn't even give me a shred of luck.

Days turned into weeks, and I only met Sir Lars a few times. Even though we were both recovering in the same hospital, we never really met unless he called for me. The thing is, he only talks to me for work purposes.

I got discharged earlier than him. Nang bumalik ako sa opisina upang tulungan ang mga kasamahan namin sa mga naiwang trabaho, tinanong nila ako kung totoo bang nawalan ng alaala si Sir Lars.

"I can't believe that happens in real life." tsismosong komento ni Tobi na noo'y nakatambay sa cubicle ko. "How could he forget about you completely? You two were just flirting during the christmas party!"

"Nonsense, Tobi." I nervously denied.

"Knowing Lars, he'd work twice as hard as he does to compensate for the lost time. He may be a difficult boss, but he's passionate about the company." Sir Neil stated, ignoring Tobi's gossip session.

"Let's do our best to assist him." Miss Kyla encouraged and we all nodded in agreement.

The weeks that passed gave me time to think about what I should do next. Sa ngayon, ang tanging nakakaalam na may namagitan sa amin ni Sir Lars ay si Genesis. It's not like Tobi confirmed that we were dating. Sadyang Marites lang talaga siya.

Now, the main question is... Should I tell Sir Lars about our relationship before the accident?

It could only be one of two things: First, he might not believe me. Second, Sir Lars might believe me and feel responsible about us, so he's gonna stick with me even if he doesn't exactly feel the same as before.

Do I want that? No. Absolutely not.

Even though my boss said that he liked me, it's not the same anymore. Hindi niya ako naaalala. Technically, Sir Lars doesn't have any romantic feelings for me now. To him, I'm basically a total stranger.

I don't want to force him to stay with me.

"So I'll keep it to myself." I whispered with a bitter smile on my face. "It was too good to be true, anyway. Iisipin ko na lang na panaginip lang ang lahat ng iyon."

I couldn't sleep a wink that night because Sir Lars will officially return to work the next day. Even though we're awkward around each other since he can't remember me, I still have to perform my duties as his secretary.

That's why I had to muster all my courage just to knock on his unit. I need to act normal.

"Good morning, Sir Lars." I politely greeted with a slight bow when he opened his door for me.

He gave me a cool smile. "Morning. Come in."

Pumasok na ako sa loob ng unit niya. Ilang beses na akong nakapunta dito ngunit iba ang nerbyos na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Masakit sa dibdib at hindi matigil sa panginginig ang mga kamay ko.

Gusto ko siyang yakapin.

"I bought your breakfast on my way here, Sir. Pancakes and black coffee." magalang kong sambit at inihanda sa mesa ang mga kakainin niya.

"Thanks." He casually remarked while blowing his hair. Looks like he was fresh from the shower. "What's my sched for today?"

"Since today is your official return, we refused all appointments for now. Please take your time to review all the existing plans that we've worked on the past." malumanay kong paliwanag nang hindi siya tinitignan.

"I see. Thank you." tipid niyang sagot.

It feels so strange.

In the past, I used to stutter as his secretary. It's because Sir Lars could see through me all the time that I never bothered to hide my emotions whenever I feel flustered around him.

Pero ngayon, ingat na ingat ako sa mga kilos ko. Ayokong makita niya kung gaano kalaki ang epekto niya sa akin. Ayokong malaman niya na may namagitan sa amin.

Sir Lars is a good man. I'm sure he'd feel too guilty and needlessly responsible. Kahit siguro wala na ang pagkagusto niya sa akin, hindi parin niya ako iiwan kapag nalaman niya ang totoo. He'd probably treat me nicely as his girlfriend.

But I don't want that. It doesn't feel right.

That's why I'll do my best to act like nothing happened until he remembers everything himself. Even if he doesn't recover his memories, it's alright. I won't take it against him.

I can love him long enough by myself.

"I decided to wear something formal today since it's my official return to the office." Sir Lars told me while fixing his undershirt. He seemed a bit nervous. "I'm not expecting a warm welcome, though. I caused trouble to everyone, after all."

Ngumiti naman ako. "Hinihintay ka po nila."

"Is that so?"

Sir Lars was having trouble fixing his tie, so I took the initiative to help him. "Allow me, Sir."

Hindi naman siya umapela at hinayaan niya lamang akong tulungan siya. Humakbang ako palapit sa kanya at nagpigil ako ng hininga.

I hope he doesn't notice how nervous I am.

I kept my gaze on his chest. I'm afraid I might break down into tears if I meet his eyes, so I stopped myself. Sir Lars, on the other, was staring at me with an innocent look on his face.

"You're wearing light makeup today, Sir." I commented to lighten the atmosphere.

He grinned. "Nude looks best on me, after all."

"I agree. It makes you even more beautiful."

After helping Sir Lars with his tie, I remained standing in front of him awkwardly as I waited for his next orders. Mas lalo naman akong nailang dahil hindi niya inaalis ang titig niya sa akin. There was also a hint of amusement in his eyes, something that I used to see when we were just starting to work together.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Napakurap ako. "Sorry?"

"Are you single or taken?" Sir Lars queried.

"Uhm," This time, I panicked. "I do."

We still haven't broken up, you know.

"Oh. That's a shame." Sir Lars remarked with mild interest then smiled.  "You're quite my type."

This guy and his smooth words...

My cheeks flushed. I said I'd act normal around him, but I was never good at receiving compliments in the first place. Kaya naman hindi ko na nagawang itago ang aking hiya at nerbyos. Sobrang pula ko siguro ngayon.

"Hmm?" Sir Lars blinked twice. He seemed a bit surprised by my reaction. "It seems you're not used to compliments, huh?"

I bit my lower lip. "That's..."

"You're so cute, Moya." Sir Lars flashed a knowing smile. "I have a feeling that we got along pretty well in the past."

My eyes watered with tears. He called me Moya.

How I missed being called that way.

It took a lot of effort not to cry the whole time I was with him. Nang sumakay kami sa kotse, nakiusap sa akin si Sir Lars na kung pwede ay sa backseat muna siya dahil hindi pa niya kayang umupo sa harap.

"Sorry, but I really can't sit in front yet." aniya at hindi siya mapakali. "I've already been in an accident twice in my life. It's starting to scare me."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Sir Lars. Driving you is part of my job. It doesn't matter where you sit."

Kagaya ng sinabi niya, sa backseat siya umupo. Mas pabor naman din sa akin iyon dahil kakabahan ako masyado kung katabi ko si Sir Lars habang nagmamaneho. Baka mamatay na talaga kami nito.

Pareho naman kaming walang imik sa biyahe.

Sir Lars was humming on his seat from time to time, but we didn't talk at all. It took us an hour to arrive at work. After parking the car, my boss told me to wait since he wanted to retouch his makeup.

"By the way," He broke the silence while applying some lip matte. "How should I address you?"

It seems that Sir Lars called me Moya earlier without even realizing it. How adorable.

"You used to call me Moya, Sir."

"Moya," He reiterated while plumping his mouth together to spread the matte. "Come here. Your pale lips are too distracting. That won't do."

Before I could even resist, Sir Lars moved from the backseat and leaned closer to me. He was too close to my face and I couldn't stand the distance, so I opted to close my eyes. My heart hurts.

This is too much. I miss him too much. I love him too much. He's so close yet so far as well.

My lips quivered when Sir Lars gently pressed his thumb on my lips. I dared not to open my eyes.

"I have a feeling that I've kissed these lips before."

My eyes widened in shock. When I lifted my gaze to him, Sir Lars cleared his throat then looked away for a moment. He seemed embarrassed.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but we've kissed before, haven't we?" Sir Lars looked at me in the corner of his eye. He smiled. "Because there's no way I could have resisted those thin lips, Moya."

---

Lars is such a smooth talker. I love him.

Happy reading, everyone!

Yours Truly,
Aomine-san