"Change topic na tayo. Kawawa na si Kimimay eh." Angeline said to everyone. 

"Okay po, ma'am!" Enchong said and saluted Angeline. 

The group started to eat their meals while chatting. However, I noticed that Kim was unusually quiet. She was not like this even before because at every gathering we had attended, she talked a lot. She was very friendly and not like this type so I knew that something was bothering her. Her minimal eating of her meal added to my suspicion. I didn't know what gotten into me in asking Rayver to switch seats with me. Fortunately, he gladly obliged. Kim was too busy playing with her foods that she didn't notice I was already on her side. 

"Hey, bakit di ka kumakain? 'Di ba... masarap?" I asked her. Her presence still made me feel unsteady. 

"Uy. Andiyan ka na pala." Kim looked up and lightly touched my arm.

"Masarap naman. Nawalan lang ng gana siguro. Ewan ko." She bowed her head again and continued to what she was doing a while ago. 

"Konti pa lang nakakain mo kaya and I noticed na napagod ka kanina sa rehearsal so, eat." I put rice and ulam on my spoon and placed it right in front of her, waiting for her to eat it. 

"Ge. No, thanks. Tyaka baba mo na yan, ang daming tao oh baka kung ano pa isipin." Kim said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Okay." I said dejectedly and continued to eat. When I looked at her, I could see that there was still a sense of bitterness and hurt in her face. How foolish I was to assume that we could be civil at the least. I switched seats again with Rayver because I noticed that Kim was very uncomfortable. In our rehearsal awhile ago, everything seemed to be normal. We rehearsed just like before but now, I could feel that she was so far away. 

"Hey bro, nag-usap kami ng mga boys at sila Alex, we thought na hayaan muna namin kayo na mag-usap dalawa. Kami na didiskarte. Okay ba?" Rayver whispered. 

"Thanks bro. Pero mukhang ayaw pa ni Kim eh. Kita ko pa rin yung sakit sa mukha niya." I whispered back.

"Then that's the chance, Ge. You could talk and release all the unspoken feelings you both have. Kung closure, then closure pero kung swertihin, malay mo magkaayos kayo." what Rayver said made sense. I think it's already the time for Kim and I to talk.

"Sige bro. Thank you. Gawin niyo na." I was so grateful that I had the chance to have friends like these people. People who would support you no matter what happened and would always be there for you whenever you need help.

"May kapalit to, dapat mahal regalo mo sa kasal ko." Rayver joked and laughed. 

"Sus. Yun lang pala. Ako na bahala." I replied. Rayver then made a thumbs-up sign to Enchong and Enchong just nodded and smiled. 

"Guys! Since tapos na tayo kumain, why don't we go for a walk? There are only few people around naman." Enchong stood up and surveyed the street outside. 

"Ay! Sige! Busog na rin ako eh." Alex said while she hooks her arm with Enchong's arm. Alex then dragged Enchonh outside the restaurant. The rest of them followed. Kim was about to stand up, too when Kuya John spoke.

"Kim, di ka pa tapos kumain oh. Samahan mo na si Ge, di pa din siya tapos."

"Pero Kuya John, wala na kong gana kumain. Sama na ko sa inyo." Kim said, her voice sounded almost a whisper.

"'Di ka ba naaawa kay Ge?" Kim looked at me then at Kuya John.

"Pero Kuya John..."

"Okay lang ako. Kim, labas ka na. I'll finish this na lang, mabilis na 'to." I replied even though there were still a lot of food on my plate. 

"Yun naman pala eh." Kim said to Kuya John. I could really feel that Kim didn't want to be with me and it hurt so bad. 

"Kim, parang kuya mo na ako. Sige na, samahan mo na si Ge diyan. Bye!" Kuya John said and left. I saw Kim pouted and sulked. 

"I'm sorry. Bibilisan ko na talaga." I said and ate a spoonful of my food. Kim didn't bother to reply so I continued to eat fast while Kim just used her phone. Suddenly, I felt the food went to the wrong pipe.

"Ki....kim...." I said while holding my throat. I closed my eyes in pain. Kim heard it and her eyes widened when she looked at me.

"Hala! Eto eto, inom ka ng water, Ge." Kim stood up quickly and gave me a glass of water. I immediately drank the water while she rubs my back. I then coughed a number of times and  muttered a thank you to Kim. 

"Sorry ha. Dahan dahan lang kasi. Gusto mo pa ba kainin yan?" Kim asked worriedly. She put food on my spoon and did what I did to her awhile ago.

"No na. Thank you." Kim place the spoon down and she was about to go back to her seat but I held her hand for the second time this day. "Kim, can we uh...talk?"

"Talk about what?" 

"About us...about what happened between us."

"Ge, five years had passed already. Ang dami ng nangyari. You have your life na and I have my own."

"That's the thing, Kim. I want to be in your life again." There was a moment of silence after I said that.

I saw Kim's expression changed. It was very evident that she was so surprised to what I said. Even I did, too. Those words just came out of my mouth. "Stupid, Gerald! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You just scared her." I thought.

I saw Kim breathe in and out then replied to me in a casual tone, "Gerald, now is not the right time for this thing." 

"Then when, Kim? I can wait." I pressed on. 

"I don't know, Ge. Five years...five years." I noticed that there were tears about to fall from her eyes but she just turned her back on me and went to her seat and fixed her things.