PART 2: FROM STRANGERS TO FRIENDS,

 

[now playing: best friend by rex orange county]

 

“Ano? Ayaw mo ng kape? Bakit?” natatawa niyang tanong sa’yo habang unti-unti mong iniinom ang juice na ibinili niya sa’yo in one of these dates that she had arranged for both of you to get to know each other, this time being in a coffee shop, the same coffee shop na pinagtrabahuan mo at the time that you first saw her drenched in the rain; and now you’re both getting to know each other for real, no booze involved.

 

 

 

“It’s just… it’s bitter, Seul. I’m a milk type of girl.” Natatawa mong sabi habang napangiti siya sinabi mo, then pointing at her head, and you raise your brow as you question what she’s trying to tell you at this moment.

 

 

 

“Noted and done.” Nakangiti niyang sabi, her wide eyed grin making you laugh as you take another sip of the juice, finding it just right for your taste habang dumating na yung inorder niyong donuts and pastries for a perfect mid day snack—dahil alam mong pagkatapos nitong little date niyo ay babalik ka na uli sa lungga mo, for you think you’re starting to find a piece of write, and you know from her na may dance schedules siya ngayon.

 

 

 

“I’m actually happy you gave me this opportunity, Rene.” She said, chuckling as she took a sip of the coffee that she had ordered, and you smile as you take a bite of the food that is in front of you.

 

 

 

“Ah, so you’re living with that close friend of Joy? Si Wendy ba, tama?” tanong ni Seulgi habang kumuha siya nung donut na kinakain mo, and you nod in answer to her question, for you know that she had already met Wendy nang ihatid ka niya pauwi that night, since nauna na palang umuwi si Wendy at si Joy—and you hoped that night that you and Seulgi did not interrupt anything.

 

 

 

“So… are you and Wendy you know…” Seulgi trailed off, and you raise your brow habang napatikhim siya at parang naawkward sa bigla niyang tanong sa’yo—

 

 

 

“In all brutalness and honesty, did you and that Wendy have a thing before?” tanong nito, at muntik ka pang masamid dahil sa narinig mong mga salita galing sa kanya, at natawa ka nang magpanic na abutan at bigyan ka ni Seulgi ng tissue dahil natapon mo ng konti ang juice na hawak mo dahil sa pagkaaligaga mo galing sa mga biglaan niyang tanong sa’yo.

 

 

 

“Sorry! Hindi ko naman expect na masasamid ka bigla…” she said, dabbing the tissue upon your collarbone and your chin at lumapit siya sa’yo, at agad ka namang napatingin sa mga mata niya habang busy siyang punasan yung juice na natapon sa’yo, and you smile as her ears and her cheeks turn red immediately when she notices that you’ve been staring at her these past few minutes.

 

 

 

“You’re so cute.” You said, openly blurting out your thoughts in front of her as those words made her cheeks even more red, and you see her smile settling upon her lips permanently na parang hindi mo na ito maaalis sa kanya; na parang dahil nandito ka sa harapan niya ngayon ay parang permanente nang nakaukit ang ngiti sa mga labi niya.

 

 

 

“But to answer your question, no. Wendy is just my best friend, and I know that she had always liked that Joy, and I’ve been pushing them to be together.” Natatawang sabi mo habang pinagpatuloy mo na ang pagkain nung mga inorder niyo for this date, and you can’t even help but notice how Seulgi’s eyes seem to be on you each time you take a peek at her.

 

 

 

“Seul, stop staring.” Natatawa mong sabi habang nagpakawala siya ng malakas na tawa sa pamumula ng pisngi mo, and now it’s as if you two are competing for who could make the other blush first, at alam mong hindi ka magpapatalo.

 

 

 

“Yeesh, tumititig ka rin eh.” Natatawa niyang sabi while she brought the cup close upon her lips and took a sip from it, and you smile as she leans in closer to you, as if whispering something to you that she probably doesn’t want others to hear.

 

 

 

“Wanna go somewhere?” tanong niya, and even though you know that you should be going home at the moment to write something for the deadline you had set for yourself, pero parang mas gusto mo na sumama kay Seulgi ngayon, dahil wala namang mawawala, hindi ba? You’re just also getting to know her still, and it isn’t like you would venture into something dangerous when you’re with her, dahil yun ang isa sa mga limits na sinet mo dito sa ongoing thing niyong dalawa.

 

 

 

“And where do you think we should go?” tanong mo kay Seulgi habang ipinalagay niya sa takeout cups yung mga drinks niyo, not wanting to waste anything habang tumigil siya sandali para mag-isip kung saan kayo pupunta ngayon, since it’s too early for lunch, at malamang ay alam mong crowded na sa mga malls; you don’t really like crowds that much.

 

 

 

“Where do you want to go ba?” tanong niya sa’yo, and you smile at her and shake your head with the addition of shrugging, dahil hindi mo rin naman alam kung saan pupunta; with her, you think you can go anywhere, except for probably ziplines and scary rollercoasters.

 

 

 

“Hmm… gusto mo ba magswimming?” tanong ni Seulgi at nanlaki ang mga mata mo dahil sa suggestion niya, and partly because you think that this might be a very big step in your relationship, dahil alam mong nagsisimula pa lamang kayo, like the official get to know stage; you haven’t done this before with the men that had come and gone in your life.

 

 

 

“Swimming? In this busy day? Saan naman tayo pupunta?” natatawa mong sabi habang kinuha niya ang wallet niya at kinuha ang isang black card na mukhang bago pa, making you widen your eyes habang tinitigan mo ang black card na inabot niya sa’yo.

 

 

 

“Let’s hit the store to buy the things we both need, then I have a rest house sa Subic… we can stay overnight.” Seulgi says, and you widen your eyes as you push the card away from you and closer towards her, dahil hindi mo naman kayang tumanggap ng ganung halaga and worse, nagsisimula palang kayo pero ang laki na nitong step na ginagawa niyo.

 

 

 

“That’s…” you start, not really knowing what to do or what to say dahil honestly ay naooverwhelm ka na sa mga nangyayari, especially with the things that she had said and the step or the jump that she wants to take with you; pero bakit parang kaya mo talagang irisk ang lahat ng ito para sa babaeng ito na nasa harap mo ngayon.

 

 

 

“You can say no, of course; don’t worry, hindi naman kita pinipilit. Or if you want, a movie sounds nice right now—”

 

 

 

“Subic sounds nice.” Nakangiti mong sabi habang agad mo siyang napangiti at hindi mo maikaila na medyo kinilig ka habang nakita mo siyang tumawa while she’s scratching her nape awkwardly, and you get up as you move closer towards her and link your arm upon hers, snuggling closer.

 

 

 

“Tara?” napangiti ka at tumango siya sa’yo, the woman then taking the lead and letting you snuggle closer to her habang naglalakad kayo papunta sa parking lot, papunta sa kalapit na mall para bumili ng mga gamit na kailangan niyo para sa biglaang Subic trip niyo, and you still can’t believe that you’re going to do this.

 

 

 

“Y-You’re going to buy a bikini?” you stuttered habang tinitigan mo siyang pumipili ng mga set ng bikini at ilang mga rashguard na nakadisplay sa tabi niyo, and she chuckles as she thumbs over the material of the swimwear that she could be wearing later, and the thought of it makes you red, making her laugh when she notices how red you had become.

 

 

 

“I’m not someone who goes for a two piece swimsuit on the first date, don’t worry.” Natatawa niyang sabi sa’yo habang kinuha niya ang rashguard na nasa tabi nung two piece na kanina pa niya tinitignan, and you chuckle as you grab one of those loose rashguard shirts and the two piece na kanina pa niya tinitignan, and you see her widen her eyes momentarily in your peripheral vision.

 

 

 

“And you… you’re just daring, aren’t you?” natatawa niyang sabi habang kinindatan mo siya at inilagay iyon sa basket na hawak hawak niya, making you laugh while you notice the redness upon her ear that she tries to hide with her hair, and you move closer and snuggle closer to her, and half of the time you bicker with her while pointing into different things.

 

 

 

“Daring? More like I’m just confident with myself, that’s all.” Nakangiti mong sabi habang tinitigan mo uli yung two piece na susuotin mo with a spare oversized rashguard shirt na susuotin mo over your bikini just in case you get too cold in the beach na pupuntahan niyo.

 

 

 

“And confident you is a nice thing to see, so… may kailangan ka pa ba, or we can check out na? we could grab lunch along the way.” Seulgi says, smiling wide as she moves closer to you and you smile as you nod at her suggestion that you already check out since alam mong medyo malayo ang pupuntahan niyo.

 

 

 

“If you want, you can still back out, Irene.” Nakangiting sabi ni Seulgi habang ibinaba niya muna ang basket sa tabi niya at pinaupo ka niya sa isang bench dito sa department store na pinuntahan niyo na malapit sa café kanina, and you chuckle as you shake your head, holding her hand tight.

 

 

 

“It’s an adventure, Seul. And it’s an adventure that I want to partake with you.” Nakangiting sabi mo habang tinext mo na agad si Wendy, saying that you won’t be home for tonight until possibly tomorrow morning, and she smiles as she picks up the basket again and moves towards the checkout counter.

 

 

 

Tinignan mo lamang siya with her hair tied up and its green streaks decorating her otherwise jet black hair and she’s wearing that familiar leather jacket that you had worn that night outside the club; she looks so good in those clothes, you admit, and you chuckle as you stare at her back as she makes that habit of scratching her nape every time she feels awkward.

 

 

 

“Tara?” she says as she carries your clothes on her right hand, both the swimwear and some spare clothes and underwear for the night, and she holds your hand tight, interlocking it with yours and it fit so naturally that you think she is specifically made for you, because you effortlessly click with her; and you don’t know half of her yet.

 

 

 

“I’m excited.” Nakangiti niyang sabi sayo habang pumunta na kayo sa sasakyan at inilagay na niya ang mga napamili niya sa trunk ng kotse niya, and you smile as you put on your seatbelt and move closer towards her, holding her hand while she’s driving forward towards the expressway—

 

 

 

“Look out!” you shout, and you widen your eyes as she immediately puts her hand between you and the possible crash you could experience upon the dashboard, at nakapagbrake naman siya bago pa man bumangga pa lalo kayong dalawa sa harap ng kotse na mukhang nagcrash din sa harapan nito; her fast reflex luckily avoided any injury that you both could have.

 

 

 

“, you okay? This really isn’t what I could imagine for a first date… but are you okay with helping me?” sagot ni Seulgi habang inalis niya ang seatbelt niya at lumabas ng kotse, and you raise your brow as you do the same thing, following her as she moves towards the cars and you widen your eyes as you see a lot of cars upon the expressway.

 

 

 

But your attention shifts as you see Seulgi bent over upon the ground, performing what you could recognize as CPR, and you widen your eyes as the man she’s performing CPR on suddenly shifts and breathes heavily, and she removes her leather jacket and tosses it to the side, removing her belt and ties it upon the man’s leg, making him yelp and shout out in pain.

 

 

 

Nanlaki ang mga mata mo dahil hindi man lang siya natatakot sa dugo na galing sa lalake, and she sighs as she gets up from the ground, and you sigh as some paramedics rush into the scene, and you grab her leather jacket off the ground making sure na hindi ito naduguan, and you sigh as you see her sit upon the concrete, leaning upon the side of her car, breathing heavily.

 

 

 

“You alright?” you ask, sitting down while the paramedics ask if you two are alright and you say you are, but you widen your eyes as you see Seulgi suddenly breathe so heavily than earlier, at pinahiga siya ng paramedics pero bigla naman siyang umupo, grabbing one of the oxygen masks and putting it on her face, making her breathe easier than earlier.

 

 

 

“I’m… I’m fine, just… can you leave this here? There’s a man near here, brought him back by compressions and I applied a tourniquet on his right leg dahil sa bubog na nakatusok sa legs niya.” Seulgi says, and the paramedic nods at that, leaving the oxygen mask and the oxygen tank with her habang inalalayan mo siyang tumayo papunta sa malapit na ambulansya.

 

 

 

“I… I just… ugh, I’m a little scared of blood, Irene.” Natatawang sabi niya habang kinuha mo ang oxygen tank at tinulungan siyang umupo sa ambulansyang rumesponde, and you notice her hands—bloodied hands—shaking without fail, and you do the first thing that comes inside your mind; you hold her hand tight, not minding the blood that also got smeared upon yours, and hopefully the shaking stopped.

 

 

 

“You were supposed to be something else than a dancer, noh?” tanong mo sa kanya habang nakatitig at pinapanuod niyo ang ilang mga first responders upon the scene doing their job; and you feel Seulgi lean close upon your shoulder, laying her head upon it as you let her.

 

 

 

“Supposed to be medicinal course like a doctor, cause I wanted to help people… pero nagfail ako, over and over, just because I was afraid of seeing this… this blood… hanggang sa sinukuan na nila ako and just told me to live my life as I want, and that I would have the choice of inheriting the company, or I could continue med school… if that isn’t too late for me.” Sagot ni Seulgi sa’yo, and you sigh as you move closer towards her, and she sighs as she removes the oxygen mask off of her face, settling it down upon the ambulance.

 

 

 

“Sorry talaga, Irene… this isn’t what I had envisioned for a first date.” Sagot niya habang kumuha siya ng ilang gauze at alcohol, wiping away the blood from both of your hands and rinsing it using the alcohol, and she made sure that both of your hands are clean.

 

 

 

“Tara, I want you to get checked.” Sagot mo, sighing as you move closer towards her and ask some of the paramedics to strap you into the beds, and you board the ambulance as you hold her hand that is still slightly shaking, at nanlaki ang mga mata mo nang biglang magdugo ang noo niya, and one of the paramedic springs into action and puts gauze over the wound upon her forehead.

 

 

 

“, ! Seulgi, please—”

 

 

 

“It’s okay. Irene, it’s okay. There are a lot of veins upon the scalp, na maliit lang na cut ay magdudugo. Don’t worry.” She said, the paramedic nodding at that as she pressed the gauze upon Seulgi’s scalp, another attaching her into these IVs and another putting an oxygen mask back upon Seulgi.

 

 

 

“This really… this really isn’t what I imagined for our first date, Irene.” Natatawang sabi niya, and you chuckle as you hold her hand tight, putting it close upon your cheek.

 

 

 

“We’ll have a lot of time redoing our first date, Seulgi, so just hang on and be alright, okay?” nakangiti mong sabi habang ngumiti lamang siya sa’yo, and you feel relieved as you hear her chuckle, her grip upon your hand tightening as you made your way to the hospital.

 

 

 

Even if it’s just a little, you feel na parang mas naging close kayong dalawa, even if your first date resulted in the two of you getting caught in an accident and now you’re on the way to the hospital, and you smile as you feel like you’ve taken a big step with her.

 

 

 

“Friends?” tanong mo habang napatingin siya sa’yo, her brow raising as she probably is confused about what you meant by those words.

 

 

 

“Before this date, we were still strangers… so I feel as if we’ve taken it up a notch, don’t you think?” tanong mo, at napangiti ka naman habang nakita mong tumango siya, all the medications being pumped into her blood probably making her feel woozy at the moment.

 

 

 

“Yes… that’s nice. Friends.” Nakangiti niyang sabi through the oxygen mask, and you chuckle as you move closer towards her, putting a kiss upon the not bloodied part of her forehead.

 

 

 

“Yes.” You say, smiling wide, the biggest smile you’ve had in years.