“Irene.”

“Uy, hi.” Bati ko dun sa tumawag sakin. Ngumiti sya and gives me a nod.

“Ahm, ano..kamusta na?”

“Okay naman, ikaw ba?”

“Okay lang din naman, ahm..class mo?” Okay? I feel like this whole conversation is turning into an awkward one though.

“I’m waiting for Solar and Joy mamaya pa class namin. Ikaw ba?”

“Ahm actually ngayon na, I saw you so I just thought why not have a little talk to you, right?” Ngumiti sya sakin, a shy smile to be exact.

Tinignan ko yung oras sa phone ko and it’s almost time na I think para sa next class nya.

“Hindi ka pa ba late?” Kako nalang, so I can end this conversation na.

Hindi naman sa ayaw ko syang kausap, it’s just that it’s almost time naman na talaga para sa mga class ngayong oras.

Tumingin sya sa wristwatch nya and nanlaki naman yung mga mata.

Ngumiti ako sakanya nung tumingin na ulit sya sakin.

“So?”

“I gotta go now I think, it’s nice to see and talk to you again. Bye Irene.” Sabi nya and lightly taps my shoulder bago pa sya patakbong umalis.

“Oyst.” Napatalon ako sa kinatatayuan ko nung bigla bigla ka nalang sumusulpot kung saan saan.

Tumingin ako sa likod ko and there I saw you.

“Oh?”

“Sino yun?” Kamo bago kapa tumango dun sa direction sa likod ko.

“Sino?”

“Yung kausap mo?”

“Ah, si Bogum.” Tumingin ka sakin at kumunot yung nuo mo.

You tilted your head at the side and looks at me with a confused face.

“Bo…ano?”

“Bogum.” You snort before you shook your head from side to side.

“Sagwa, parang bubble gum.” Di ko nalang pinansin yung comment mo about sakanya and I just nod my head to you.

“Whatever. Oh bat andito ka?”

“Dito class ko e.” Tinaasan kita ng kilay and looks around us before I return my gaze to you.

“Dito? Sa open ground?”

“Oo, hinihintay ko nga si Sir e. Tagal nga e.” Sagot mo na obvious namang sarcastic.

Minsan napapaisip ako kung kelan ka ba makakausap ng maayos.

Pag umamin kaya ako sayo, seseryosohin o ganto parin?

Yung, you will take it as a joke.

“Okay.” Walang gana kong sagot sayo.

Di ko alam pero I feel like you were so close yet so far.

Char meganon.

Pero totoo nga, pakiramdam ko nga ganon.

May times kasi na feeling ko you’re distancing yourself tapos maya maya you’re being your usual self nanaman.

Mangaasar ka to the point na gusto na kitang konyatan.

Sabi ko naman diba pepektusan kita pag ako na fall sayo, so I have a question.

Pwede na ba kitang pektusan ng very very hard ngayon?

Since I feel like I already fell for you.

Meron pa pala, will you be there to catch me or what?

And to my final question.

Will you reciprocate my feelings or not? Charot.

Pero seriously you’re making me confused to your actions nowadays.

“Crush mo?”

“Huh?” Ngumuso ka sa likod ko before you look at me once again.

“Yung si bubble gum.” Kamo and saw you frown a little.

Di ko mapigiling hindi mapangiti, so in the end I teased you taking a step closer to you.

“Bakit mo tinatanong.” Kusa namang tumaas yung isang kilay mo and you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Bakit? Masamang mag tanong?” I shook my head and giggles at you.

“Selos ka lang e.” Kako before I poked you at the side.

You glared at me bago ka pa nag step back to avoid my hands that was supposed to poke your sides again.

“Asa.”

“You sound like one though, Seul.” I giggle when you huffs and jutted your lower lip out.

I want to pinch those cheeks now.

You look so cute, alam mo ba yun?

You should be on jail right now, that’s illegal!

“So crush mo nga. Huh! I knew it.” You pointed your index finger in front of my face before you squint those small eyes of yours.

Mas lalo ka lang tuloy nawalan ng mata.

I shook my head bago ko inalis yung kamay mo sa harap ng mukha ko.

“Nope.”

“Ah, boyfriend mo?” Bakit parang andami mo atang tanong ngayon.

Anong meron?

Interrogation ba to?

“Nope, hindi rin.”

“E ano mo—“

“He’s my ex.”

Silence.

Yan yung namagitan sating dalawa after ng mga ilang segundo.

Nakatingin ka lang sakin and once again I can’t read you.

Your expression is unreadable it’s hard to know what you’re thinking right now.

You just simply nod your head once before you look somewhere else but me.

“Ah, okay. Tsk, wala ka palang taste.” Pati tono ng pananalita mo di ko narin matukoy.

The atmosphere between us suddenly drop, ramdam mo rin ba?

“Well.” Kibit balikat ko na lang na sagot sayo.

Tumingin ka saglit sakin bago ka tumingin ulit sa paligid natin na para bang may hinahanap ka.

Tinignan mo yung phone mo saglit bago mo ulit ito binulsa.

“Sige, alis na ko. Andun na daw sila Byul e nag message sakin. Bye.”

“Okay.” Yan nalang yung nasabi ko since umalis kana agad bago pa man ako makapag babye sayo ng ayos.

Ang weird mo, alam mo yun? Tuloy tuloy ka lang nag lakad palayo sakin, you didn’t even look back.

Sinundan lang kita ng tingin hanggang sa tuluyang hindi na nga kita matanaw.

Pag lingon ko sa likod ko nakita ko sila Byul at Wendy making their way to my direction.

Naguluhan ako bigla, sabi mo Byul message