Time passed by rather quickly.

While Sir Lars and I were still recovering from the accident, the company's workload piled up due to the absence of the editor-in-chief. Miss Kyla took charge temporarily, but she couldn't make major decisions on behalf of our boss.

Due to the momentary halt of our operations, we were reprimanded by other teams who were also affected.

"Would you like some tea, Sir Lars?"

He pinched his nose in frustration. "Yes, please."

Habang nagtitimpla ako, hindi nakalagpas sa pandinig ko ang sunud-sunod na buntong hininga ni Sir Lars. Hindi ko siya masisisi. Talagang ginisa siya ng ibang departments.

I placed the cup of tea in front of him. "You did well, Sir Lars. Don't take their words to heart."

"I know you're just trying to comfort me, but it's really my fault this time." aniya at sumubsob sa mesa. "I should've done a better job in distributing the tasks. Look what happened while I was gone... The team couldn't function properly without me. I should've prepared Neil or Kyla for that kind of situation."

I reached out my hand in order to comfort him, but I hesitated. Would it be okay to touch him at a time like this? It's not like we're officially dating again. We haven't cleared our status yet.

Pinagmasdan ko si Sir Lars na noo'y nakasubsob parin sa mesa at nagmumukmok. No, I shouldn't be too touchy. It might not be a good time to cling on him.

I was just about to pull my hand away when Sir Lars suddenly grabbed it then looked at me through his arms. His appearance gave me butterflies in the stomach. Hindi ko kita ang buong mukha niya at tanging mga mata lamang niya ang tanaw ko. Nakakatunaw.

"Why are you hesitating? Do it, Moya." Sir Lars said barely above a whisper. His hand played gently with mine. "Hold me. This is the perfect time to seduce me, you know. I'm upset and emotionally vulnerable right now."

I bit my lower lip. Even if says that, I have no experience in taking the lead. Romance is not exactly my forte!

Nanatiling nakasubsob si Sir Lars sa mesa habang nakasilip ang kanyang mga mata sa akin. Patuloy parin siya sa paglalaro ng kamay ko.

"Moya," He whispered my name. "Comfort me."

My cheeks reddened. Who's seducing who?!

I was just about to say something when the door suddenly opened and Sir Neil entered the office. Out of reflex, I swatted the hand of Sir Lars away then raised my arms in panic. Oh, my god... He didn't catch us holding hands, but he just had to see me in a funny position! Imagine me standing stiff like a log with my arms raised in the air!

Napahinto naman si Sir Neil at napatingin sa akin, tila nagtataka sa mga braso kong nakataas. "Aria, there's somebody waiting for you in the lobby."

"Oh, who could it be?" I chuckled awkwardly then lowered my arms. "I'll be down right away."

Nilingon ko si Sir Lars at nadatnan ko siyang nakasubsob parin sa mesa at nagpipigil ng tawa. Grabe, tuwang tuwa naman 'to. Mukha siguro talaga akong tanga.

"I'll excuse myself for a moment, Sir Lars."

He waved his hand dismissively without looking up to me, still suppressing his laugh. "Go ahead."

I smiled to Sir Neil. "Thanks for telling me."

"Welcome. Nice pose, by the way." He laughed.

Pareho silang humagalpak ng tawa na siyang nagpainit sa aking mga pisngi. Pulang pula ang mukha ko nang magmartsa ako palabas ng opisina ni Sir Lars. They're obviously making fun of me!

Anyway, I comforted myself with the fact that it was Sir Neil who went into the office. Kung nagkataong si Tobi ang nakakita sa amin, baka nagkalat na naman ng tsismis ang Marites na 'yon!

On my way to the lobby, I wondered who might be looking for me. I mean, I rarely get any visitors. My friends are too busy with their own lives that I only see them on certain occasions.

"Hi."

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad.

"Althea?" Natameme ako. "Bakit ka nandito?"

I ran an eye over my sister. Her short and straight hair looked so clean. She had rosy cheeks, which emphasized her well-proportioned face. She also looks stunning in her yellow dress, which complemented her dark skin. Pareho kaming hindi kaputian ni Althea. Ang pinagkaiba lang ay maganda siya, ako hindi.

"Let's talk, Ate." tipid niyang sambit.

Yes, she's younger than me. The favorite child and the more accomplished daughter, Althea Moya. She had the looks, the brains, the talent, even the luck. It always felt like God hated me and favored her instead.

I didn't talk much to her while I was recovering from the accident. What is she doing here?

Wala naman akong nagawa kundi sundan si Althea dahil naghanap na siya ng mauupuan. Mabuti na lang at may mga upuan sa lobby.

"You must be busy, so I'll make it fast." Althea eyed me indifferently. "Move back into the house. How long are you planning to live like this?"

My chest heaved. "Like what?"

"Like you don't need your family." dismayado niyang sagot at napailing. "Aminin na natin, Ate. Hindi mo pa kaya mag-isa. Mom and Dad are worried about you, too. Why don't you just go home?"

Napayuko naman ako sa sinabi niya.

"Go back home and continue your studies. I'll take care of your finances." Tila piniga ang puso ko sa mga sinabi niya. "That's the reason why you moved out, right? You were upset because they wanted you to drop out."

It's not only about that, my little sister.

She has no idea how much that house wounded my self-esteem. Everybody knew that Althea was a genius and I've always been the lesser sister despite being older.

My sister established her own clothing line and became a fashion icon. Her business boomed. She became rich on her own. That's why she had all the right to be proud, because she worked hard to be successful.

But I wish she wouldn't look down on me.

Even though Althea never said it to my face, I've always felt her disappointment towards me. Now, she's even offering to pay for her older sister's college expenses.

Wala na akong mukhang maiharap sa kapatid ko.

In the end, I couldn't say anything to her. When she realized that I have nothing to say, she simply left saying, "Think about it, Ate."

My dander was down the whole day. It seems that the everyone in the office noticed that I wasn't in the best mood, so they gave me some space. Even Sir Lars kept quiet on his office.

"You okay, Aria?" Tobi casually inquired when he passed by my cubicle. "They asked me to ask you so I'm asking you since I've been asked to ask you."

Ngumiti ako sa kanya. "I know you're just trying to cheer me up, so thank you. I appreciate it, Tobi."

He patted my head. "Cheer up, girlie."

When night came, I drove the company car as usual while Sir Lars stayed on the backseat since he was still nervous to sit in front.

"Where to, Sir?" walang gana kong tanong.

"To your home," he answered while putting his seatbelt on. "I'm staying at your house tonight."

Napakurap naman ako. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm staying at your house tonight." he reiterated.

"Why?"

"Because you're sad. And I don't want you to be sad alone, so I'm staying with you tonight."

I chuckled nervously. "I'm not sad, Sir."

"Not sad, my butt." He snorted. "Anyway, let's make a quick trip to the supermarket. We need to get some beer and food."

Beer? Does he want us to drink?

I was nervous by the thought of drinking with him alone, but I didn't show it on my face. It's not that I don't wanna drink with him... Actually, today was a bad day, so drinking doesn't sound so bad.

I looked at the rear mirror. Our eyes met.

Such expressive eyes...

Katulad ng sinabi ni Sir Lars, dumaan muna kami sa supermarket at bumili ng makakain at maiinom. Dahil gabi na rin, mabilis lang din kaming nakarating sa apartment unit ko.

"Come in, Sir Lars. Pasensya na kung magulo."

His eyes roamed around. "Not at all. Thanks for having me."

I was in the middle of tidying the living room when I felt Sir Lars coming to me from behind. The next thing I knew, his arms were already wrapped around my shoulders.

"Tell me about your day, Moya."

"I thought we were supposed to drink, Sir?"

"Yeah. But we're only drinking to set the mood." He didn't even filter his words. Does he want to sleep with me tonight?! "I want to comfort you while I'm still on the right mind, not when I'm drunk."

My face softened at his words. He's so kind.

I told him about my sister's sudden visit and the conversation we shared. Sir Lars listened attentively to me, and he seemed to be in deep thought. When I was done sharing the story, he held my hand.

"What do you want to do, Moya?"

His query caught me off guard.

"The thing that matters the most is your feelings. How would you feel about going home? Can you live with your parents? Do you want to go back to college? Think of what you want to do. The decision that would make you happy is the right one."

Iyon ang matagal ko nang gustong marinig.

I spent my life being compared to my younger sister. No one asked about my feelings. It always felt like I'm not allowed to speak and I should never talk back, because everything my parents say is true.

The truth is, I just want them to listen.

Niyakap ko siya. "Thank you, Sir Lars."

After that meaningful conversation, the two of us began drinking. I was afraid that I might do something stupid if I get drunk, so I took my time with my shots. Sir Lars, on the other hand, went all out.

"Uhm," I cleared my throat. "Sir?"

I can't tell if he's already tipsy... but Sir Lars kept staring at me. Take note, openly. And it was making me nervous because I couldn't tell what he's thinking. Still, this might be an opportunity to get answers from him.

"What exactly is our relationship, Sir Lars?"

He played with the shot glass on his hand.

"You tell me, Moya. I don't remember."

I swallowed hard. "We're lovers."

"I know." He smiled. "I've known from the start."

My eyes widened in shock. He does?

"When I saw you in the hospital room for the first time since the accident, do you know what was on my mind?" Sir Lars chuckled heartily before continuing. "I thought to myself, she's my damn type."

His words made my cheeks burn up.

"But then my phone was full of your pictures when I opened it, so I kinda freaked out." He burst into laughter then downed another shot. "I mean, imagine seeing so many pictures of a stranger in your gallery! I was such a stalker!"

Hindi ko alam na may mga picture ako sa phone niya... Ang panget ko siguro sa mga 'yon! More importantly, I didn't know that they still recovered his phone!

"You get the picture, right? I was pretty obsessed with your face. My gallery was full of you, my calendar was full of my plans with you, and my logs were full of my calls with you. Of course I'd know that we're lovers. It was obvious."

I bit my nails nervously. "That's... We've only started dating for a few days, though? How could you like me that much?"

He simply smiled in response.

A few minutes later and Sir Lars was already drunk. I'm convinced that he's drunk because he kept on dancing around me for no reason. This is so awkward!

He giggled. "Dance with me, Moya!"

I shrieked when Sir Lars began spinning me like a beyblade. Tawa siya nang tawa habang hilong hilo naman ako dahil napakalikot niya at panay ang pag-ikot niya sa akin.

"Sir Lars!" I screamed. "Calm down!"

My eyes widened in horror when he took off his shirt then began flailing it around while singing, "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?!"

I could only gape at him. God, save me!

Before he could even continue his song, Sir Lars slipped on the floor. Napatili naman ako dahil hinila niya rin ako sa braso kaya pareho kaming natumba. I'm literally above him while he's shirtless! This is so embarrassing!

Sir Lars blinked a few times, as if he didn't understand what just happened. After a few seconds of staring at each other, he spoke once again. Ano na naman?!

"Mirror, mirror on the wall... Who's the prettiest among them all?" He whispered softly with a small smile on his face. Sir Lars cupped my cheeks with so much affection. "It's Moya."

The next thing I knew, his lips already claimed mine. I could taste the same beer from his mouth, but that didn't make the kiss any less good. Oh, Sheila. You're right. He has the best lips...

Both of us were out of breath when we pulled away from the kiss. Sir Lars has finally calmed down and his eyes were focused solely on my face.

"I may have forgotten about you, but I remember this feeling of happiness." Sir Lars intertwined our fingers as he spoke. "Do you want to do it with me tonight, Moya?"

My lips parted. He really knows what he wants!

"Sorry, but no." I replied, a bit regretful.

His brows lifted in surprise. "Why not?"

"Because you're drunk, Sir. I'm afraid you might forget the next day. I don't want that."

"I see. That makes sense." Napaisip naman siya. "You'll do it with me when I'm sober, then?"

I blushed. "Yes, when you're sober."

The side of his mouth lifted. "I'm never drinking with you again, Moya. You better keep your word."

---

I only have two words: Sana all.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Yours Truly,
Aomine-san