Sir Yance's unsolved case of his late friend who committed suicide.

Malakas ang kutob niyang hindi lang talaga pagpapakamatay ang nasa likod ng insidenteng iyon. Alam niyang hindi lang basta-basta ang pagpapakamatay ng kaibigan niya.

Mystery writer ang kaibigan nito.

If I were to ask, I could see the similarity of his late friend to the dead critic of Prisoned Imagination.

But the writer of the novel I copied was TinyDust while Alastair's pseudonym was AceStair Romance. Puwede niya rin namang ibahan pero ang hinala ko ay magkaiba rin sila ng nagngangalang TinyDust.

I cupped my face in my exhaustion after all those thoughts that've been running throughout my head. I already have a very possible evidence to help Sir Yance, but that's not completely helpful.

I wanted to help him.

And at the very least possibility, I needed to free myself from Alastair already. Taking that manuscript I've found from his room was the best help for me now.

Dumating na ang araw ng Book Appreciation at Book Advertisement event kung saan kailangan kong i-represent ang kailan lang na naimprintang nobelang ipinasa ni Alastair, gamit ang account ko.

He was beyond happy to know that the story about my life was put to physical copies and made a lot of people to read it.

Sa sobrang saya niya, sumama siya sa akin para harapin ang camera at ang publiko. Yes, right at this moment, a lot of eyes were looking at me with the unfamiliar guy, sitting beside me.

Katabi ko si Alastair ngayon para sa Book Appreciation event. Pero hindi 'yon ang inaalala ko. Every time I could think of the book about myself, the thought of Tita Rosalie and Tito Ernest, reading my works made me feel anxious.

Sigurado akong isinulat ni Alastair na totoong magulang ko sila at pinasama niya silang dalawa nang sobra doon. Pati na ang mga umampon sa akin, pinasama niya sila nang sobra kaya siguradong nagtatanim na naman ng matinding galit ang mga 'yon sa akin.

Wala na akong pakialam. Magalit sila kung magalit, hindi ko ikamamatay ang mararamdaman ng mga taong iyon sa akin.

"I offer you the sincerest gratitude I can ever give. Thank you for all your support to Jasryl." I flinched in my surprise when Alastair held my shoulder to lean me closer to him. Nagsasalita siya ngayon sa harapan ng mga tao at sa camera.

Just look at that very wonderful look in his eyes. Filled with success.

"Maraming salamat dahil minahal ninyo at inilaan ninyo ang suporta niyo sa pagsusulat niya ng mga nobela. Nahantong man ang mga ito sa mga isyu, nagpatuloy pa rin kayo. That's the reason why Jasryl didn't stop writing as well."

Oh, yeah? I thought I didn't stop writing because a very psychopathic writer pushed me to continue?

Just look at that happy and nice-looking face he's showing. He really was good in pretending, in manipulating, in solving cases and writing.

Solving cases?

"Ano pong masasabi ninyo, Mr. Alastair Roman? Na kayo ang tinutukoy ni Mis Jasryl sa nobela niyang nakilala niyang savior niya matapos ang lahat ng mabibigat na pasaning kinaharap niya sa buhay niya?"

Nagbigay ng malambot na halakhak si Alastair at ako itong nabigla sa tinanong ng interviewer. Sino ang savior ko sa kuwento? Siya?

Right, he was the boyfriend in the story but him, having a good figure in the novel made me me want to puke right now.

"I-It's not like I am the savior in the story. Nabigla nga rin ako noong isinulat niya ako sa ganoong paraan sa nobela niya," wika ni Alastair sa nahihiyang tono, saka niya hinawakan ang kamay ko.

Very disgusting! How could I tolerate this kind of plasticity and fake kindness?!

Napansin kong tumitig muna si Alastair sa akin pero nahalata kong ibang klaseng tingin iyon.

"But I was too happy that she wrote the story of her life. I knew how much she suffered from the hardships and I was there by her side. Kaya sobrang saya ko't nakarating dito si Jasryl," dagdag pa niya at inilapit niya ako sa kanya. Wala akong masabi, wala akong maigawad na reaksyon dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang gagawin ko sa mga narinig kong kalokohan niya.

When my head touched his chest as the crowd clapped their hands for us, I heard him whisper.

"Your boyfriend was not so bad like you, at all."

I simply pulled myself away from him and pretended to smile. Muntik kong nakalimutang nasa public place kami.

Katatapos lang ng naganap na event, naisipan kong lumabas sa venue para hanapin si Yance. Kung naririto man siya ngayon o hindi. At sana ay magpakita siya ngayon at nabigyan na ako ng oportunidad para ibigay sa kanya ang dapat kong ibigay.

I was busy strolling across the park of the place as I kept on avoiding Alastair away. Sinigurado kong natakasan ko pa siya, makita ko lang si Sir Yance.

Luckily, I finally saw him leaning on a car and he's about to pull out some cigarette from his pocket when he saw me. Napahinto siya at nilapitan ako.

"Miss Jasryl, congratulations. I've watched all of it," masigla nitong panimula at nang makita ko ang kasiglahan sa mukha niya, napaiwas ako ng tingin.

"S-Sir Yance, thank you so much po. Thank you at pasensiya na."

I even bowed, my conscience was killing me. "Sorry talaga kasi lumabas pa ako nang kasama ka noon kahit may boyfriend na ako. Ayaw ko lang naman po kasing tanggihan ang alok mo. Napakabuti mo pa namang tao sa akin."

If only I could tell you that Alastair's not a true boyfriend at all. Then I shouldn't be apologizing right now. You should not be minding about Alstair's sudden appearance.

O baka naman iniisip mo si Alastair pero sa ibang rason.

Hinawakan lang ni Sir Yance ang balikat ko. "It's fine with me. I feel so sorry for inviting you for a date without even asking if you have someone with you already. Napakalaking pagkakamali ko 'yon."

This guy didn't fail from being a positive person at all.

"Right, that was your mistake. But mistake forgiven, Officer." Pareho kaming napalingon ni Yance sa kaliwang banda nang nakapamulsang lumakad palapit sa amin si Alastair.

Good timing, psychopath.

Tahimik kong pinanood ang nakangiting lalaking tumabi sa akin. At nang bumaling ako kay Sir Yance, natulala lang siyang tumitig kay Alastair.

Like something in Alastair made him look surprised. And he was just deeply staring back at the Officer. Inakbayan ako ni Alastair nang may ngiti sa labi.

"Hindi mo man lang ako ginustong ipakilala sa kaibigan mo, Jasryl," wika ni Alastair na ikinasinghap ko.

Was he suspecting already? Paano ko na maibibigay ang manuskrito kay Yance ngayon?

"Oh, my bad! Apologies for not introducing myself to you, Mr. Roman." Inilahad ni Sir Yance ang kamay nito kay Alastair. "I am Officer Yance Serrano. Isa nga pala akong mambabasa ng mga nobelang isinulat ni Mis Jasryl Estela."

"You're her reader? Okay, nice to know. I've heard you invited my girlfriend for a date." At kalmadong tinanggap ni Alastair ang kamay niya.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Really bad.

"Opo. I know you find it disrespectful, the way how I invited her for a date even if you're already his boyfriend." Diretso ang paningin ni Sir Yance kay Alastair.

Alastair just smirked calmly. "Not a problem at all. You're good in analyzing, I'm impressed."

"I'm impressed about how you stayed by Miss Jasryl's side when she's sufferring too."

"Thank you, that's my role anyway," Alastair said. He's correct, it's his role to stay by my side so he could make me suffer.

Sobrang lugod ko noong umalis na si Alastair at naiwan ulit kami ni Sir Yance. Now's my chance to lend him the copy of that novel I saw in Alastair's room.

"S-Sir Yance," bulong ko pero nanatili sumiyang nakatitig sa kung saan dumiretso si Alastair.

His expression, he's very bothered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Anong maitutulong ko, Miss Jasryl?"

I immediately pulled out the papers and my letter before gaving it to him.

"No more questions, basahin mo 'yan."

"Ito?"

I smiled at him, giving up my secrets. And giving up Alastair to guilt, that's my decision.

"By reading that, you can be able to solve your case. The death of your friend."