Dumiretso siya sa cabinet at may kinuha mula roon.

Iniabot niya iyon sa akin kaya kahit nagtataka ay kinuha ko ito. Laking gulat ko ng makita ko iyon saka naman unti unting nagsisink in sa utak ko lahat ng mga pangyayari ng mga sandaling iyon. Hindi man makapaniwala ay niyakap ko siya ng mahigpit. 

"We've already met 17 years ago," sambit niya habang naiiyak at yakap yakap pa rin ako. This was a dream come true for me so I hugged him back. Tightly. So he could never leave in my arms. I've waited this for so long.

"Paano mo nalaman?" tanong ko kay Sir Ren.

"Memories came back when I saw the same picture on your house nung hinatid kita. Tita Nel told me everything about on this picture. That was when I remembered Dominic told me about what happened 17 years ago. It was not a coincidence,"

Flashback

I was ten years old back then when we visited Jeju Island together with my mom and Dominic. There are so many tourists that I managed to walked on freely. The second thing happened, I was lost. I cried on the sea side and asked help from people around me but no one cares. Until, may isang pamilya na nakakita sa akin. The first thing they asked me was, "Are you okay?" 

Instead of answering them I just cried. I cried because finally there is someone who asked if I'm okay. I never thought I could hear that to someone who's a stranger to me.

"Sshhh... Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright," ahjussi said. Then there was you also crying that time. Nung tumigil ako sa pag iyak, natawa kaming lahat kasi tumigil ka rin sa pag iyak. 

They said, "Did you know where can we take you?" Luckily, I was starting learning English so I can able to speak to some foreigners. 

I said to myself, "This family is the best. I wish I have a family like yours. I adore your family more than ever. I was jealous on how they can spend time to their child. This was never happened to me. Always busy si daddy sa company and I can neither talk to him or see him as his son," pagkukwento niya.

"I may sound pathetic but I like you ever since the second time I saw you. Your presence and your smile on that day in a broad daylight made me fallen for you. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you this," he said and smiled at me.

"W-what about Ms. Quintana? I knew something happened that day," tugon ko sa kanya habang nagtatampong tumalikod ako.

"T-that day?" tanong niya.

"Sa tapat ng Kyoto Cafe," mahinang sambit ko na halos ibulong ko na.

"Ah, that was a principal's call. We were gathered all together including Sir Alex, Mam Ruby and all the teachers of St. Martha," pagpapaliwanag niya habang hindi pa rin maalis ang tingin sa akin.

"About naman kay Roy, it's my fault. I thought Bea's going to chase after you. All this time pareho kami ng nararamdaman para sayo but after namin makapag usap ng masinsinan it looks like she was already emotionally attached to Roy. Roy felt the same ever since nagpalitan ng upuan that day nung nag take kayo ng exam. That's when I make a way for them to be together," dagdag nito.

Napapailing na lang ako dahil sa pagpapaliwanag ni Sir Ren ng mga oras na iyon.

"And how about you? Don't you have something to tell me? " tanong niya sa akin habang nagmumukhang maamong tuta ito sa harapan ko.

"W-well, t-to be honest," nauutal kong pagsasalita habang hindi ako makatingin ng diretso sa kanya.

"I- I feel the same way but I was confused at the same time. I was confused if our feelings are mutual or you just treat me as a student and I was the one who's being delusional over that," pagpapaliwanag ko sa kanya.

"Don't be, because I don't like you anymore," 

"S-sir..." 

"From now on, stop calling me Sir," he said that made me froze to where I am standing a few centimetres away from him. He walked slowly towards me habang dahan dahan naman akong umaatras sa kada hakbang na ginagawa niya papalapit sa akin. Napasandal ako sa may lamesa na nasa likuran ko ngunit patuloy pa rin siya sa paglapit.

"I used to like you but now... I love you. I really do," he said and touched my face gently as he's acting like he's going to kiss me. Pinigilan ko siya sa plano niyang gawin at nagsalita, "D-don't you remember what you've said before?" tanong ko sa kanya. Tumigil naman siya sa ginagawa niya at napaisip, "About what?"

"Y-you said you won't kiss me not until I'm nineteen," sabi ko habang nahihiyang na iniwasan ko siya ng tingin. Unti unti kasing bumalik sa isipan ko lahat ng mga alaala ng mga kahihiyan na ginawa ko nung nalasing ako.

"My apologies, I didn't remember what I've said," sabi niya at ngumiti. Inilagay niya ang kanang kamay niya sa buhok ko at marahan itong ginulo. Lumayo siya sa pagkakalapit sa akin at akmang aalis dahilan ng pagpapakawala ko ng isang malalim na paghinga. I was so dumb. Really dumb. I just want to punch myself dahil sa mga sinabi ko. He walked slowly papalayo sa akin but suddenly he froze for a while and he pinched his right ear lightly.

"Are you okay?" pagtatakang tanong ko sa kanya.

"Anong buwan na nga tayo ngayon?" tanong niya at muling humarap sa akin.

"Uhm- November," tugon ko kahit hindi ko maipaliwanag ang mga kinikilos niya.

"You're going to be nineteen on the 3rd day of January," he said with a brightest smile on his face.

Seriously... Fuck that age. 

Sambit ko sa isipan ko at patakbo akong lumapit sa kanya. I tiptoed and crossed my arms around his neck. I'm starting to kiss him slowly. I initiated the kiss even this is my first time to do it. I honestly don't know what I'm doing but he realized it without making me feel embrass.

He follows my lead and gradually opens his mouth to invade mine. Endeavouring every corner of my lips feels like I'm going to drown on his kisses. My knees felt weak for a second so he's supporting me by putting his left hand on my waist and the other on my back.

 He voluntarily stops when he knows we're going overboard. He really is a gentleman. After that kiss, he hugged me tightly. I know that tears keep rushing on his eyes  because I can feel it on my shoulder so I patted his back gently. We stayed in that state for a long time. 

"Don't mind me. I'm just happy," sabi niya habang nakayakap pa rin sa akin. Marahan akong tumango kahit hindi niya nakikita ang mukha ko. Nakangiti siyang humarap sa akin habang patuloy ang pag agos ng luha sa mga mata niya. 

Nakapagdecide akong magstay na muna ng buong gabi sa bahay niya since ayaw na rin niya akong pauwiin dahil past 10 pm na rin naman. Tumawag ako kay Tita Nel para ipaalam na hindi ako makakauwi ngayong gabi.

"Hello Tita? Hindi po muna ako makakauwi kasi-"

"Naku Clyde, ang kalat mo sa gc natin ha!  Pero infairness kinikilig ako jusmiyo! Sana ganyan ka den honey bunch di ba," sambit ni Bea na siyang ikinagulat ko na siya ang sumagot ng tawag ko kay Tita Nel.

"Honey bunch? Anong pinagsasabi mo? Nasaan si Tita Nel?" tanong ko kay Bea.

"Nandito kami ni Roy ngayon sa bahay niyo bakit? Bawal ba? Nasaan ka na ba ha?"

"Uhm- bukas na ako makakauwi, may aasikasuhin lang ako. Pakisabi na lang kay Tita-"

"May inaasikaso ka or inaasikaso ka?" she really pinned the point.

"Well, just tell her okay? Sige na bye," tugon ko kay Bea sabay pag end call ko ng tawag.

"Dinner's ready," sambit niya ng lumabas siya galing sa kusina at lumakad papalapit sa akin. Napangiti ako ng makita ko siyang ngumiti sa akin although the tears was still visible in his eyes. I'm glad because it was a tears of joy.

"You have the prettiest smile I've ever seen," dagdag pa nito. Bigla naman akong nagblush dahil sa sinabi niya kaya nakatungo akong lumakad papunta sa kusina habang nakasunod siya sa likuran ko. We sat down on the dining table and started eating. After a few minutes he spoke,

"I haven't properly introduce myself to you. My name is Song Jeong Heon but my English name is Ren Alejandro,"

"So you really are a korean?" gulat na tanong ko sa kanya at tumango naman siya bilang tugon rito. No wonder he looks like a foreigner. Then I remembered about our Jeju Island story, "I was born in Seoul, but things get complicated with my father so I've decided to live here in the Philippines together with Dominic.

His mom is a Filipina and she teaches me a lot of Filipino culture. I managed to finished my high school and college here and also dito na rin ako nakakuha ng teaching license," pagkukwento niya kaya marahan akong tumatango bilang tanda ng pakikinig ko sa sinasabi niya.

"But for these past few years, I was teaching in Seoul National University High School and this is the first time I've teached on one of the schools here in the Philippines and luckily I landed on St. Martha. Thanks to Dominic," dagdag niya at napangiti.

"P-pero did you really need to step down? Di ba gusto mo pang magturo?" mahinahon kong tanong sa kanya. He respond with a bittersweet smile on his face.

"I do love teaching. It's my dream after all and 2 months spending here is already enough for me because I already spent years way back in my hometown. To tell you the truth, I need to fly back in South Korea to fulfill my duties as I'm going to be appointed on my dad's company. He's old already so he really needs me right now," tugon niya habang pilit ang pagngiting ipinapakita niya sa akin ng mga sandaling iyon. I get it. So he really does need to go back.

"W-what about you? Any plans on what school do you want for college?" tanong niya pero nakakahalata akong iniiwasan niya lang yung topic namin kanina.

"Hindi ko pa alam. I'm still thinking," tugon ko sa kanya habang pilit kong itinatago sa mga ngiti ko ang pag aalala kung ano na ang mangyayari pagkatapos ng gabing iyon. 

"Do you want to consider studying abroad?" he suddenly asked kaya bakas sa mukha ko ang pagkabigla sa tanong niya.

"W-well, I'm not saying that you should. It's up to you after all. It's your decision that matters but I just want to tell you na kung ano man ang gusto mo nandito lang ako para sumuporta," he said while he's brushing my hair with his fingers. It's too hard for me to decide right now kaya tumango lang ako bilang pagtugon sa kaniya. 

We went to bed at past 12 midnight. I used a pair of clothes that belongs to him eventhough it doesn't fit me well because his body is obviously have more built than me. When it's come to height, I'm only 5'1 while he is 5'8 so, too much difference.

"We should travel to Jeju Island together. It is so beautiful lalo na kapag gabi. Yung mga ilaw na makikita mo sa tabi ng dagat looks like a bunch of lights floating above the sea," sambit ni Ren.

"I'm curious about Seoul too," 

"Seoul is beautiful too, every part of it was amazing. But I'm more inlove with Jeju Island because that's where I first met you and your parents," dagdag niya at ngumiti.

 We keep on talking and talking that time until I didn't notice the time. Yet, we are just two people inlove dreaming about the future.

"Good night," the last word I heard from him before he fell asleep.

Habang ako, ito nakatitig sa maamo niyang mukha habang ipinapanalangin ko na sana wag ng matapos ang gabing iyon. I didn't know what will the future holds for us. It's impossible to build a relationship kung malayo kami sa isa't isa.

Especially, he's going to handle his dad's business habang ako naman makikipagsapalaran sa bagong kabanata ng buhay ko, the college life. While I know, Tita Nel will understand us but not everyone can.  Lalo na pag nalaman ng daddy niya ang tungkol sa amin baka ako pa ang makasira ng future niya at ng kumpanya.  Habang iniisip ko ang mga maaaring mangyari ay isa isang pumatak ang mga luhang kanina pa namumuo sa gilid ng mga mata ko.

Pinunasan ko ang mga luhang iyon at gumanti ako ng pagyakap sa taong nasa tabi ko na halos ayaw  akong pakawalan. Mariin kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata hanggang sa makatulog akong nasa mga bisig niya.

The next day I woke up early and prepare a breakfast for him before leaving. He's still sleeping deeply that I didn't wake him up. I left a letter on his bedside table along with the picture of us with mom and dad and the clothes I wore that night. I, once again looked at his face before I walked out of the door.