CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

NATHAN'S POV

"Hey, hey, yow! Shut up! Ang iingay niyo!" I heard my phone ringing. Xei was calling, so I needed silence. But obviously, I can't have that because I'm with these guys.

"Bebe time na naman, Nathan!" Binato ko ng unan si JP.

"Nawa'y lahat may bebe!" Nag-praying position pa si Sean.

Sina Jairo at Bryle naman ay busy sa pag-aasikaso sa mga customer.

"Hello, Love?"

(Hi! Busy?)

"Medyo lang naman, madami daming customers eh."

(Game booth ang inyo, right?)

"Yes, Love. Ba't ka pala napatawag?"

(Are there any chances na makapunta kayo sa booth namin?—Please naman! Don't make them come!—No! Ituloy mo lang Xei!)

"Nagrereklamo na naman si Hya?"

(What's new? Ever since na nagkainitan sila ni Sean, galit na siya sa tropa niyo—Harhar, twin—Why? Did I say something wrong?—Uh-oh issue)

"So, anong plano mo?"

(These three girls want your group to come.)

"Sana nga ganon lang kadali 'yun."

"Yes! I won! I won! Now can I have a kiss?" Nakita ko namang lumapit si Cyril sa babaeng nanalo.

"Play again, sweetheart."

"Of course naman, Cy. Kung lagi bang may halik mula sayo kada panalo, I'll very much want to play again and again."

Wagas! Halik sa pisngi pa lang yun ha!

(Love? Hindi ka naman siguro nanghahalik ng ibang girls, right?)

"Of course not, Love! Si Cyril lang talaga. Taken na si JP, at ayaw nung tatlong humalik. And of course, I'm yours, Love. My kisses will only belong to you."

(That's good to hear. Speaking of which, naglaro rin ba dyan si Mari?)

As if on cue, it was Mari's turn to play. "I would only want Nathan's kiss, then I'll pay for ten people's games."

(That's Mari, right?)

"Yes, Love."

(Guys, kayo muna rito. Shemy, take my spot.)

"Hey, hey, hey... Don't worry, I can handle this. Trust me, okay?"

(I do trust you. It's her that I don't trust.)

"Nandito naman sina Jairo, I'm sure they won't let me do this."

I heard Xei sigh. (Fine, fine. And then, if you have time, come here, okay? Kahit ikaw lang. I miss you already.)

Natawa naman ako sa inasal niya. "And I miss you too. I'll try my best, okay?"

(Okay! Have fun! But not too much.)

"Roger that, Ma'am!"

(Love you.)

"I love you too." Then she hung up.

Naglakad naman ako papalapit kela Jairo at Bryle para magpaalam.

"Hello? I said I'm going to pay for Nathan's kiss?" Hindi pa rin pala naalis si Mari.

"My kisses aren't for sale, Mari." Humarap naman ako kela Jai. "Boss, punta muna ako sa girlfriend ko, miss ko na eh."

"Sure sure, pero dapat kasama ako." Natawa naman ako sa sinabi ni Jai.

"And what? You'll leave me here? No way," reklamo pa ni Bryle.

"Hey, Nate! Sayang din 'tong ipapabayad ko for ten games." Potek! 'Di pa rin pala siya umaalis‽

"Mari, you heard Nathan. No means no," narinig kong sabi ni Bryle.

"But I'll pay—"

"Kaya ko ring magbayad kahit triple pa ng ibabayad mo, para lang manahimik ka," sabat pa ni Jairo.

I told you, Love. My friends won't let me do this.

"Tara na! JP! Cyril! Sean! Kayo muna magbantay nitong booth," utos ni Jai sa iba.

"Andaya naman!" agad na reklamo ni JP.

"Don't worry, pagbalik namin, kayo naman ang mag-ikot."

Bryle always does that. Siya ang madalas bumabalanse sa sinasabi o inuutos ni Jairo. 'Di naman humihindi si Jairo. Mukhang alam na talaga nila ang takbo ng utak ng isa't isa.

"So, ano ulit booth nila Xei?"

"Food booth, Jai. Focused on desserts," sagot ko naman kay Jai.

"Paano natin malalaman kung alin 'yung booth nila?" tanong ni Bryle.

"Ano bang pangalan—"

"Leche! Lapit, mga leche! Punta lang kayo roon! Mas maraming leche!"

"Is that..."

"Hya, Bryle. That's my girlfriend's twin."

"Dangerous way of attracting customers." Natawa kaming lahat sa comment ni Bryle.

At tuluyan na nga kaming lumapit sa booth nila Xei.

~•~

BRYLE'S POV

"Ms. Matapang!" Everyone looked in my direction except for her, but I saw her roll her eyes and sigh in irritation, meaning she heard me.

Nathan already went inside the booth to hug his girlfriend from behind, clearly disturbing Xei.

Now both Jai and I went around the booth. Ayaw na naming manggulo sa loob ng booth nila Ms. Matapang. Kaya sa labas na lang ako manggugulo. "Ms. Matapang, since when did you learn to cook?"

"Since when did you care, Mr. Trying?" See? She's not even looking at me, but she can definitely hear me.

"Ever since you came into my life, Ms. Matapang." Sinamaan naman ako ng tingin ni Tine.

I know I made myself promise to never meddle with their romantic lives. Kaya naman pareho ko na lang silang iniirita.

This way, I can just tell myself that everything I say is a joke.

"Cough Cough. Cough Cough," rinig kong eksena ni Jairo. And this is what I was talking about.

"Really? Hindi talaga ehem? Cough talaga?" Kristine sarcastically asked Jairo.

"Mas maganda pakinggan yung cough." Nginisihan niya naman si Ms. Matapang, and then they started rambling.

Sa part na 'to ko na-realize that I should no longer be part of their lives or at least be between what's going on between them. Aminin man nilang dalawa o hindi, but they're obviously into each other. They can talk with each other without minding the people around them.

Hay, Bryle! Bakit ka ba kasi lagi na lang nai-in love sa mga babaeng gusto din ng bestfriend mo‽

I bitterly smiled and walked towards a nearby bench. I sat there as I watched them argue with each other.

~•~

JAIRO'S POV

"Umamin ka nga, Tine. Na-miss mo 'ko 'no?"

"Napaka-asyumero mong porkchop ka."

Bigla kong naramdamang nag-vibrate yung phone ko.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: 0909XXXXXXX

Is she really important to you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wrong send?

No, it doesn't look like it kasi nasundan pa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: 0909XXXXXXX

Damn! I wanna harm her feisty little mouth, don't you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Napatingin naman agad ako kay Tine.

"Oh! Anong tinitingin-tingin mo ha?"

And then I received another text.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: 0909XXXXXXX

If the first trial failed, this time... I'll make sure that it won't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First trial?

"Yow! You okay?" Medyo nagulat ako sa pagsasalita ni Bryle. Nasa tabi ko na pala siya.

~•~

BRYLE'S POV

Nang makita kong hawak ni Jairo ang phone niya, with confusion visible on his face, I knew that's something was going on.

"Yow! You okay?" I caught a glimpse of his phone screen.

An unknown number. Why am I feeling worried about Kristine's safety? I looked at Kristine.

"Oh? Pati ikaw tumitingin! Ano bang problema niyo ha? If you have no business here, you are free to leave this area, please. I wanna work peacefully."

Kahit papaano ay napangiti ako sa katarayan niya. Ang weird ko na talaga. Sinusungitan at lahat na ako ng babaeng 'to, but I still find it amusing. Napailing na lang ako.

"Opo na, Ms. Matapang, aalis na." Natawa na lang ako.

Bumalik ang tingin ko kay Jai na halatang malalim ang iniisip.

"Bro, come on. Istorbong-istorbo na si Ms. Matapang sa presensya natin." Tumawa na naman ako.

"Buti aware ka," rinig ko pang pahabol ni Kristine. Nagpaalam lang din nang tuluyan si Jairo kay Tine bago kami tuluyang umalis.

Pareho kaming tahimik ni Jairo pabalik sa booth. Parehong malalim ang iniisip.

Sana talaga hindi si Tine ang dahilan kung bakit ganito ang best friend ko. Sana hindi na naman madamay si Tine.

~•~

KRISTINE'S POV

Second day is done! Nandito na kanina si Bryle pero nakalimutan ko pa ring ibalik sa kanya yung hiniram kong libro ni Dan Brown.

Oh well! May bukas pa naman. Ang mahalaga, maibabalik ko na.

As usual, naglalakad na naman ako pauwi, but before I can even cross the pedestrian lane, a black van stopped in front of me.

Reflexes kicked in, bigla akong tumalikod para sana tumakbo pero nakita ko si Chad sa likod ko.

"Chad! Thank God you're here."

"Oh... you're welcome?" Bigla siyang ngumiti sa akin, saka ko naramdamang may nagtakip ng ilong at bibig ko.

Chad! Chad! Tulong, please!

I wanted to shout at them but they ended up as muffled screams.

Bago tuluyang mawala ang malay ko, nakita ko pang sumakay si Chad sa van at inalalayan ang ulo ko, pahiga sa lap niya.

What the actual f—