[Twitter]

Mithi 🔒 @mihikatahlia
Ang sarap ng nilagang baka with corn 🤩
| replying to @mihikatahlia:
Or bulalo na ba tawag don? Pero sabi nilaga daw

Jalil @jaliltuazon
Luh anong oras na walang balak tumigil yung ulan oh mayor naririnig mo ba yan?
| Vina @vinanathalie replied:
Magsuspend sana :(
| Jalil @jaliltuazon replied:
Onga eh

🔒 @liljadenkae
Vina crush mo ba ko ha reply ka nang reply sa tweets ko

[iMessage]

Mama

November 9, 10:44 p.m.

Jiro
Umuwi na ba si Mithi?

Hindi pa ma
Nagpapatila pa ng ulan
Nanonood sila ni Jalil ng movie sa sala

Okay
Kapag nag 11 na tapos hindi pa tumila
dito na siya matulog kamo sa bahay. Kahit pahiramin
ko na lang ng damit. Di na rin kita papayagan lumabas
para ihatid siya, malakas yung ulan saka late na

Sige ma

Nag ready na ako ng damit dito sa upuan para sa kanya
Pasok ka na lang sa kwarto ko. Mauna na akong matulog
sa inyo at inaantok na ako

Okay
Good night daw sabi ni Mihika

Sige
Good night din

[Twitter]

Jalil @jaliltuazon
E BAKIT ELEMENTARY LANG WALANG PASOK BUKAS?

Jalil @jaliltuazon
ANO KAMI ISDA?

Jalil @jaliltuazon
MUKHA BA KAMING SI NEMO?
| Vina @vinanathalie replied:
Jalil! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

~

Mithi fell asleep on the couch. Hindi na rin niya namalayang nakatulog na siya kung hindi pa siya kakalibitin ni Jiro para gisingin.

"Mihika, lipat ka na lang sa kuwarto para makatulog ka nang maayos," sabi ni Jiro.

Mithi squinted her eyes. Napalinga rin siya sa paligid at napansin niyang nasa bahay pa pala siya nila Jiro. "Anong oras na?"

"Past eleven na. Malakas pa rin 'yong ulan sa labas. Sabi pala ni Mama dito ka na raw muna matulog, pahihiramin ka rin niya ng damit."

She nodded. "Pero saan pala ako matutulog?"

"Kahit sa kuwarto ko na lang. Marami kasing gamit na inimbak sa Mama sa guest room kaya madumi doon saka walang space. Tatabi na lang muna ako kay Jalil."

"Okay . . . " she said. Even if she doesn't mind if he'll sleep in his room, too. At all.

But somehow, she figured that it's his parents' house. Nahihiya rin naman siya sa mama ni Jiro. She doesn't want her to think about anything even if they're just going to sleep and nothing else.

Jiro walked her to his room. He's thankful he just vacuumed and changed his sheets yesterday. Kaya hindi rin gaano marumi sa kuwarto niya.

"Dito ka muna, kuhain ko lang 'yong damit na ipapahiram ni Mama," paalam niya.

Hindi naman na nakaimik si Mithi dahil abala na siyang igala ang paningin sa kabuuan ng kuwarto ni Jiro.

His room is clean. The walls were painted in ivory and his furniture were either in white, brown, or both. Only a pot of succulent placed at the corner of his study table gave his room a different vibrant color.

Mithi's gaze traveled from the koi painting on the wall down to the bed. His sheets were straightened up, and it looks so inviting to sleep on due to his comforter.

To her tired and sleepy mind, it looks so soft and fluffy like a cloud. Idagdag pang mabango sa loob ng kuwarto ni Jiro dahil sa air humidifier at malamig na rin gawa ng air con na nakabukas. Gusto na niyang ibagsak ang katawan niya sa kama para matulog nang marinig niya ang katok sa pinto.

Mithi opened the door only to see him with a couple of clothes in his hand. "Ito na 'yong damit ni Mama. May CR din pala d'yan sa kuwarto. Kung kailangan mo ng extra towel at toothbrush, may cabinet doon. Kuha ka lang."

She nodded. "Okay, thank you."

Jiro smiled. "Sige. Kung may kailangan ka pala mamaya, nandoon lang din ako sa kuwarto ni Jalil.

"Puwede pala ako makahiram ng laptop? Gagawa lang sana ako ng lecture for tomorrow. Gagawin ko kasi sana siya pagkauwi ko kaso hindi naman tumila 'yong ulan."

"Oo naman. Nandyan 'yong laptop sa loob ng drawer sa study table ko. Gusto mo ba i-set up ko na para sa 'yo?"

"Kahit later na lang. Balak ko gumising ng 2 a.m. para gumawa."

Tumango si Jiro. "Sige. Ano pala 'yong password ko . . . " His words trailed off.

Si Mithi naman ay tahimik lang na naghihintay sa karugtong ng sasabihin ni Jiro.

"Olives."

"Olives?"

He nodded. "Yup. Olives."

***

The time on her phone read 12:32 p.m.; she was supposed to fall asleep easily. Pero nawala rin siguro ang antok niya matapos mag-shower kanina.

She carefully switched positions, lying on her side. Ingat na ingat siya dahil puti pa naman ang bed sheet at comforter ni Jiro. Sana lang hindi niya matagusan.

Mithi closed her eyes again when a knock came on her door. Tumayo naman siya para buksan ang pinto.

"Akala ko tulog ka na," sabi ni Jiro.

Mithi's shoulders fell when she shook her head. "Hindi pa. Nawala bigla antok ko no'ng nag-shower ako kanina."

"Namamahay ka ba?"

"I think so. Pero bakit pala? May kailangan ka ba?" Mithi widened the door for him. "Pasok ka na if may kailangan ka dito sa room mo. "

A warm smile etched on his lips when he took a hold of her wrist, guiding her to his bed.

Mithi was a bit puzzled when Jiro lied down knowing that he'll sleep in his brother's room.

Jiro plumped the pillow next to him for Mithi. "Halika dito. I want to hug you kahit five minutes lang," sabi ni Jiro.

Hindi naman naiwasang ngumiti ni Mithi. She carefully lied down beside him, Jiro even extended his arm so Mithi could use it as a pillow, and so he could snuggle her closer.

He was warm. She felt like she instantly melted the moment he enclosed his arms around her.

Yumakap rin siya pabalik kay Jiro saka umunan sa braso nito.

"Hindi ka ba makatulog kasi namamahay ka o dahil masakit pa rin katawan mo?" he asked.

Mithi sighed, resting her face on his chest. "Both."

"Okay," he said, holding her closer as if they weren't already close enough.

"I want to sleep na pero hindi talaga ako makatulog kanina pa."

"Hmm . . . " Jiro's hand carefully traveled down to her lower back.

He gently applied some pressure using his knuckle inches beside her waist. "Is this okay?" he asked.

Marahan namang tumango sa Mithi. "Yes," sagot niya.

Somehow, she was relieved too. Mithi closed her eyes, she also inched closer to him, almost burying his face in the crook of his neck. Jiro continued massaging her back, but he wouldn't deny the sudden rush he just felt. Parang gusto niya pa tuloy higpitan ang pagkakayakap niya kay Mithi. But he's afraid he'd squeeze her. Masakit pa naman ang katawan ni Mithi ngayon.

Jiro took a deep breath to calm the rush in his veins. But the waft of the lingering olives on her hair makes it a little bit difficult for him.

"Jiro," Mithi called.

"Ano 'yon?"

"Gisingin mo ako ng 2 a.m. if ever gising pa ka that time, please?" sabi ni Mithi

"Okay," sagot niya sa magaan na boses.

A smile appeared on her lips when she said, "Good night."

Jiro closed his eyes, too. He kept massaging her back while humming a song that was stuck in his mind for days because it was usually playing in their faculty room.

His warmth, his soft lullaby, and the way he was trying to relieve her body ache was slowly making her fall asleep.

I could stay like this forever, a thought suddenly appeared on his mind. But it didn't surprise him, it didn't scare him too.

It wasn't the first time he was able to think like that when she's close or whenever they're together. At times he could picture them going to school together coming from the same house, then going home after a long day. He could see a bright kitchen, with the window overlooking a garden. The cupboards made of mahogany wood and the plates were made of porcelain with blue and gold accents on its rim. Then there's a cellar just beside the kitchen counter with a small board specifying their special drink of the day.

That kitchen neither exists in their house or in her unit. It was a kitchen painted by his mind. It was so vivid, he could see both of them making breakfasts together. But mostly, he knows it's just her who'll do the cooking and he'll be the one having the first taste of every experimental dish she'll make, and after that, he'll handle all the pans and dirty dishes right after.

He sighed. Deep, deep down, he wanted it to be real.

And all of those sudden thoughts and images playing on his mind never made him feel cold in his stomach. It wasn't frightening, it wasn't scary.

It was just right.

"Mihika . . . " He called, his voice almost sounding like a whisper. Just as gentle as his lullaby.

But there was no answer. Jiro smiled when he saw her peacefully sleeping in his arms with her breathing calm and steady and the scent of olives filled his nose again.

He inched closer, planting a soft kiss on her hair.

"I love you," he said for the first time, and an invisible weight he never knew existed suddenly vanished.

He gave her a kiss once more, on her forehead this time.

It wasn't a slip, it wasn't brought by a spur of the moment either.

It wasn't scary no matter how sudden and surprising the words softly came out of his mouth.

But it seems like something fell into its right place.

With her, everything just feels right.