Dedicated to: vabsstar

Chapter 10: Regret or Forget

Ohira Friendly Park
Kani-Shi Gifu
August 22, 2022

"I have a tea for you, Rhoe Anne. Mainit-init pa." Hinila na ni Nore ang kanyang upuan para mas ilapit iyon sa akin.

Agad niyang binuksan ang foldable niyang pamaypay at ilang beses niya iyong ipinaypay sa kanyang sarili. Her shoulder length hair swayed as she dramatically fanned herself.

She took a glance behind us and on our sides to check if we were already safe from any marites in town.

Napabuntonghininga na ako nang ibaba ko ang hawak kong libro. Nore and her endless teas. But at least right now she's quite careful. Dahil hindi lang paghila sa kanyang upuan ang ginawa niya dahil mas lumapit pa siya sa akin at halos bulong na lang ang kanyang pagsasalita.

"It's about your bruhang pinsan."

Dapat pa ba akong magulat na siya na naman ang balita nitong si Nore? Lagi naman kasing si Sarah ang madalas ng usapan ng klaseng ito.

Minsan napapaisip na ako kung bakit parang mas galit pa si Nore kay Sarah kaysa sa akin, lalo na siguro kung malalaman niya ang ginagawa sa akin nina Sarah at Tita Kiana sa bahay.

"What is it now, Nore?"

"Are you familiar with the young substitute teacher?"

"Yes. Why?"

Kung hindi ako nagkakamali ay ilang buwan na rin simula nang pumasok dito iyong substitute na teacher sa math.

"I think lang, ha? I mean. . . I am sure. May something 'ata sa kanila ni Sarah."

May I think na siya, tapos I am sure na ang sunod. Hindi ko talaga ako kung maniniwala ako sa sinasabi niya.

"Nore, g-grabe na yata iyang nasasagap mong balita. I don't think I can hear more about this—" umiiling na ako sa kanya.

"Ano ka ba? Lumalabas sila with our other classmates, and one of them saw that Sarah received money from our teacher. And she reasoned out na baka daw kasi magusot yung pera niya kaya ipinahabilin niya sa math teacher natin," natatawang sabi ni Nore.

"Like, duh? Who would believe on that reason?"

"Y-You sure?"

Tumango si Nore. "Our substitute teacher is already married, right? Ang rinig ko pa may mga anak na siyang babae. This is wrong. . ." muli akong napailing.

I am starting to accept that Sarah's really an insecure bitch and an attention seeker, but someone who. . .

Napasandal na ako sa aking upuan. Eksaktong pumasok sa classroom namin ang grupo ni Sarah. Nagtama ang aming mga mata kaya agad niyang inangat ang mukha niya, feeling proud to herself.

"Gandang-ganda sa sarili. Mukha namang kabayo. . ." bulong ni Nore na nakita rin ang ginawa ni Sarah.

Sarah might be that evil cousin, but should I save her? Or talk to her about this rumors? Sarah and Tita Kiana might be the worst, but Tito is a different thing, dahil nakikita ko ang matinding sipag nito para maitaguyod ang kanyang pamilya. Ano na lang ang mangyayari kay Tito Ando kapag nalaman niyang nakikipagrelasyon ang dalaga niyang anak sa may asawa?

Sarah might start ruining her life while trying to fit in with her rich friends.

"I will talk to her later, Nore."

Nore rolled her eyes. "Sa tingin mo makikinig siya sa 'yo? Sobrang taas ng tingin niya sa sarili niya and she believes that everything she thinks is right. Feeling magaling, hindi naman."

Bumuntonghininga ako at sinalubong ang mga mata ni Nore. "Stop antagonizing her. We're not like her."

Umirap lang sa akin si Nore. "Whatever."

***

I took my medicine before I left my room. Naroon na agad si Kousuke at ang pula niyang kotse nang pumunta na ako sa parking lot.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked with his usual smile.

Tumango ako sa kanya. He was starting the engine of his car when I glanced back at the White Kamono Hotel. Ipinilig ko ang ulo ko nang maalala ang nangyari sa akin kagabi.

"What is Kaerou? Is it a Japanese word?"

Lumingon sa akin si Kousuke. "Someone told you that?"

"What's the meaning of it?"

"Did someone tell you that? When?" nakakunot na ang noo niya.

"Answer me first, Kousuke. What's the meaning of it?"

"Go home."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niyang iyon. Go home? Was that another episode of my hallucinations?

"So, someone told you that?" ulit ni Kousuke.

Umiling ako sa kanya. I looked at the side mirror of his car to glance at the White Kamono Hotel again. Huminga ako nang malalim at muli kong minasahe ang noo ko.

Maybe I was tired or sleepy that time.

"Rhoe Anne," mas madiing tawag niya sa pangalan ko.

"Ah, I just watched it from an anime." I lied.

Siguro ay nasanay na rin si Kousuke sa akin kapag alam niyang hindi ko gustong sagutin ang tanong niya. Instead of insisting to have an answer, he'd just accept what I gave him. Alam na rin niyang wala na rin siyang magagawa.

At first glance White Kamono Hotel looked old. It might aesthetically beautiful as it was surrounded by the countryside's beauty, but that didn't leave the fact that the place witnessed different years from different people.

That gave me an idea that the hotel catered a lot of lost people like me. . . looking for an escape. Pero ang mga taong iyon kaya ay natagpuan ang gusto nilang marating?

Bumuntonghininga na lang ako.

"Do you know how to swim?" tanong ni Kousuke.

We decided to go to the river, but this time we're not going to catch a fish, but enjoy it by swimming. I gave him another location that I got from my mom's souvenir collections.

Kousuke had a quick conversation on the phone when he asked about the information of the location I've told him. Sinabi raw sa kanya na kaunti lang ang nagpupuntang tao roon, which was a good news me. 

"Of course. So, don't expect that I'd be that damsel in distress in your arms, trying to ask for your help," I smirked at him.

"Oh, that's bad. I was imagining a lot of things. . ." natatawang sabi niya.

It took us a few hours before we arrived at the Ohira Friendly Park. At ang tangi ko lang nagawa ay tumingala sa nagtatayugang puno na nakapaligid sa namin.

The cluster of tall pine trees around us, the wooden bridges with flowing river underneath it, the sound of the chirping birds, a wooden garden mill with a water wheel on it, small wooden steps as we try to descend on the connected rivers, different sizes and formation of rocks and the scattered huge trees where we could set our tent.

Kapag tumanaw kami sa malayo ay may makikitang mahabang kulay puting tulay. 

"It's so beautiful, right?"

Nang umihip ang malamig na hangin kusa kong ibinuka ang mga braso ko at ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata. I turned around slowly on my position as if I was the only one in that peaceful place.

"You are really meant to stay in countryside, Rhoe Anne."

Natigil lang ako sa pag-ikot at napamulat na ako nang maalala ko si Kousuke. When I looked back at him, he was there, leaning on his red car with his sunglasses on, hiding his chinito eyes and a black bucket hat. Both of his hands were inside his khaki shorts while he has a huge camping bag and a rattan basket on the roof of his car.

Ibinaba ko na ang dalawa kong kamay at pinagsalikop ko ang mga iyon sa likuran ko.

"Let's go." I smiled at him.

He chuckled. Sinakbat niya na iyong malaking bag na naglalaman ng camping equipment namin at basket na may lamang pagkain.

I tried to help him by getting the basket but he moved it away from me. "It's okay. I can manage."

Ngumuso ako at hindi ko na siya pinilit. Pinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad habang nasa likuran ko siya.

"Is it your first time in this place?"

"Yes."

Marahas akong napalingon sa kanya. "I am starting to doubt that you're really a citizen here. Most of the time it's your first time."

Muli siyang natawa. "I told you. I don't travel much."

Pinili naming mag set-up ng tent sa ilalim ng isang puno. I thought it would take a lot of time to make a tent, but Kousuke Matsumoto confidently assembled the tent with my little help.

Ipinasok na namin ni Kousuke ang mga gamit namin at ang inilagay lang namin sa labas ay iyong puting panlatag at ang mga pagkain namin.

I was trying to fix the white picnic blanket and the foods we brought, but the lace of my summer dress kept on sliding down my shoulders. Kung aayusin ko iyong nasa kanan ay bigla namang malalaglag ang lace sa kaliwa.

I sighed in annoyance when I glanced at my shoulder again. Itataas ko na sana ang lace nang mapansin ko na nakatitig na pala sa akin si Kousuke. He immediately looked down and pretended that he was busy fixing our picnic blanket.

"Come on," bulong ko kasabay nang pagtayo ko.

Dahil magkaharapan kami ni Kousuke ay umikot pa ako sa nakalatag naming puting blanket. And when I reached Kousuke's position, I sat beside him as I pushed my right shoulder near him.

"Can you tie it properly, please?"

Nagkatitigan kami ni Kousuke nang saglit hanggang siya ang naunang natawa dahil sa sinabi ko. But he took the opportunity without a second thought, agad nag-angat ang dalawa niyang kamay at hinila ang pagkakatali ng puting bestida ko.

"What's with you and your white dresses, Rhoe Anne?" he asked almost in a whisper.

I could feel gentle his fingertips as he delicately ties the lace of my white dress into a ribbon. And when I answered him with silence, he brushed the dangling hair on my shoulders to my back, exposing my defined shoulder blade and collarbone as I breathe heavily with his feathery touch.

"Hmm?" he asked, waiting for me to answer.

When I noticed how his breathing come closer to my neck, one of my hands reached his face to pull it closer to my face. And I whispered, "The other side, Mr. Matsumoto."

Itinuro ko ang kabila kong balikat na laglag na rin ang pagkakatali ng dress. Ngumisi siya at naiiling na tumayo para umikot sa kaliwang balikat ko. Akala niya siguro ay makakaisa na agad siya sa akin.

Unlike the first one, Kousuke tied the ribbon of my dress quickly. Agad na siyang humiwalay sa akin at dumistansya. Hinabol ko siya ng tingin habang naglalakad siya papalayo sa akin.

"Don't worry, Kousuke Matsumoto. I will not wear a white bikini this time. Would you like pink?" biro ko.

Nakasampa na ang dalawa niyang braso doon sa bakal na harang pababa ng ilog.

"Nah, any color will do."

Hindi rin nagtagal ay nagyaya na ako sa kanyang maglangoy.

"Is it deep?"

Lumapit na ako sa kinatatayuan ni Kousuke na nakadungaw lang doon sa ilog.

"I asked Kyohei about the location of the deeper part. He told me that we should go there," Itinuro niya iyong mas mapuno sa kaliwang parte ng Ohira Park.

"Alright. Let's go! But wait! I have to change."

Parang may sasabihin pa sana sa akin si Kousuke pero hindi ko na siya pinansin. Pumunta na ako sa tent at mabilis akong nagpalit ng suot ko.

Nakangisi lang ako kay Kousuke nang lumabas ako nang nakabikini. It's not too revealing, but a simple pink bikini.

Nagbi-bikini baa ng mga hapon sa ilog? Kung sabagay kami lang naman ang tao rito ni Kousuke. I am starting to think that he rented this place, but when I searched this Ohira Park in google it is a place open for public.

Talaga nga sigurong suwerte kami ni Kousuke ng araw na ito. Umikot ako sa harapan niya at ngumiti ako sa kanya na may halong pang-aasar.

"How do I look?"

Ngumisi lang siya at umiling sa akin. Natawa ako sa ginawa niyang iyon. Kousuke's always confident to compliment me. Nasaan na ang hapon na pa-cool at hindi nahihiya?

Kung kanina ay ako ang nauunang maglakad sa kanya ngayon naman ay siya naman ang nasa unahan ko. And I just noticed how fast he walks.

"Kousuke, wait! Aren't you going to guide me here? These rocks might hurt—" tumigil siya sa paglalakad at bumalik siya para harapin ako. He offered his hand without having eye contact with me.

"Seriously? Are you shy, Kousuke? I thought you're a liberated countryboy—"

"I am. I just want to remind you that we're alone. A little more teasing and you will—" this time I cut him off.

"Will I regret it?"

His small eyes narrowed as one of his hands tilted my chin for my eyes to answer his gaze. "You will never forget it. I mean, we will never forget it."