Habang naglalakad ako papuntang bar, naririnig ko ang mga sigaw sa kalagitnaan ng disco party. Dahil pinanganak akong chismosa, nagmadali akong lumapit roon upang malaman kung sino ang nagpasimuno ng kaguluhan. Nakalusot ako at nagulat sa aking nakita.

"You damn, f*cker! You ruined my birthday party!" a guy said, then hit the other guy with his fist.

The man tumbled, swiftly regaining his footing. In a burst of anger, he charged at the individual who had struck him, seizing him by the collar and forcefully propelling him toward a table adorned with drinks. Chaos ensued as liquids spilled, and cries for assistance echoed through the air. The situation was alarming, as it teetered on the brink of turning fatal between them. With the strength I possessed, I contemplated intervening to prevent further escalation.

I got close to the two fighters and prevented the guy from throwing punches. As soon as I turned to him, I recognized his identity.

"Ko-Konnan?" bulong ko sa aking sarili.

What the heck!

"What are you doin-"

Time appeared to stand still as our gazes locked. He gazed at me intently, and I found myself unable to look away, secretly harboring feelings for him. Despite being aware of his unfavorable demeanor, I couldn't deny the attraction I felt towards him.

"Stop it, Konnan," I pleaded.

Bigla akong nagulat nang ibaba niya ang kanyang kamay at lumakad patungo sa banyo. Umigkas ang mga tao at nagulantang sa nangyari.

"Who's that? Why did he stop Mr. Beast?"

"Unbelievable. It's the first time I've seen him cool-headed!"

"True, maybe we should find out his name."

Before they could approach me, I hastily made my way to the restroom. I cared little about whether I had hurt someone; the priority was escaping the pretend paparazzi. Dealing with paparazzi was an inevitable part of being an artist since they always sought a loophole to tarnish reputations.

Matagumpay akong nakapasok sa banyo, at tumaas ang kaba ko nang mapagtanto kong narito si Konnan. The uncertainty of what would happen when we crossed paths again lingered. Hindi ko maunawaan kung bakit siya huminto; after all, I was just a simple half-Chinese.

Speaking of Chinese, my father, who is Chinese, abandoned us, believing false rumors about my mom's fidelity. Despite her innocence, he readily accepted the elders' accusations. If it weren't for their age, I might have confronted them long ago. Their gossip had disrupted our once-peaceful life. All I desired was a life without additional problems, save for the family issues. If only our neighbors weren't gossipmongers, perhaps our family would still be whole. Oh, life.

Dahil doon, lumaki akong palaban. Hindi agad ako nagpapatalo pagdating sa away. Kilala ako bilang malakas na tao. Ngunit ang katawan ko ay hindi gaano kalaki dahil hindi bagay sa akin ang malaki ang katawan. Hindi ko gusto magmukha akong makisig na lalaki! Never mind.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, nasaksihan kong lumabas si Konnan mula sa banyo. As I surveyed his entire form, something caught my eye, prompting a seductive curiosity. I wondered why it seemed unusually prominent.

"Are you fantasizing about me?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Nagngingitngit ako. "No way! What do you think I am, desperate for an aubergine? Well, that's edible, but not drinkable."

He laughed. "You got me there, huh? Let's see if you can handle this-"

"Sir Konnan, you need to go back right now."

Mabilis siyang lumapit, huminto sa harap ko, at hinawakan ang aking kamay, inabot sa akin ang isang calling card. Kumunot ang aking noo.

"For what?"

"Just call me when you're not busy. I want to treat you for what you did earlier. See you later," he said, then exited the restroom.

My knees felt weak, gripped by the fear of a potential slap or punch. Contrary to expectations, he wasn't as bad as I thought. Perhaps he was just being nice to me? The whole situation felt surreal.

My mind went blank. Ang bilis talaga ng pangyayari at hindi pa rin ma-sink in sa isipan ko ang nangyari kanina. Kasalukuyan akong naghihilamos ng mukha sa banyo. Kakauwi ko lang sa bahay pagkatapos kong makatakas sa mga paparazzi. Buti na lang at naisahan ko sila, kasi kung hindi, baka kanina pa ako nabalita. Mahirap na, marami nang nakakilala sa akin. Ayokong sumikat dahil lang doon.

Pagkatapos kong maghilamos, nagsilpilyo na ako. Sa kalagitnaan ng aking pagsisipilyo, biglang may tumawag sa aking phone. Lumabas ako kaagad sa banyo upang i-check kung sino ang tumawag. Nagulat ako sa aking nalaman.

"Konnan?"

Actually, agad kong na-save ang calling card na binigay niya. Tumawag nga siya!

Sinagot ko ang tawag. "Hello?"

[Good evening, Mr. Chang, right?]

"Yes, why?"

[I'm going to say sorry for what I did lately. I thought you're not straight. So, I hope you will accept my apology.]

Ano? Inakala niyang straight ako? Funny siya.

"Wait, you-"

Hindi pa ako tapos magsalita, binaba na niya ang tawag. Para akong sasabog sa inis. Wala talagang modo yun.

Bumuntong-hininga ako at malamyang humiga sa kama. Ang sarap ng feeling na makaharap mo ang iyong crush. Sobrang gwapo niya talaga, kaya siya ang pinakagusto kong model.

Pero nagtaka ako sa sinabi niya kanina. Bakit parang na-feel sorry siya sa ginawa niya? Inakala niya bang straight ako dahil sa katawan ko? Eh, di naman masyadong malaki ang mga braso ko. Sakto lang naman ang postura ng katawan ko. Ibig sabihin, hindi rin siya straight? Ako'y naguguluhan.

What if he's not straight? May chance ba na magustuhan rin niya ako?