Pagod kaming umupo nila Byul dun sa bakanteng table sa canteen.

First day ng intramurals and kakatapos lang din ng parade kahit sobrang init.

“Ate Seulgi.” Napatingin ako dun sa tumawag sakin.

She’s a junior, one of my teammates for this intramurals.

“Hmm?” I hum as I nod my head and smile a bit.

Then she tells me that our first game is mamayang hapon versus Byulyi’s team.

I sigh, knowing what’s going to happen.

Then nakarinig ako ng tawa and I glared dun sa dalawa kong kaibigan.

“Ewan ko sainyo.”

“Oh, wala pa nga kaming sinasabi e.”

“Ulol, wag ako.” And they both laugh once again which soon I join din naman.

“Kalma lang Seul, it’s just a game.”

“Yeh, pero ugh.” I ruffle my hair in frustration.

Because sa totoo lang ayoko yung natatalo, it hurts my pride.

“May the best team win.” Byulyi mockingly said bago pa sila nag high five ni Krystal.

I scoff and give her a finger.

Sa dinami dami naman kasing makaka team ng section namin, e yung wala pang mga varsity player ng school namin.

At dinami daming section e yung section pa na kung nasaan ka, nakakainis diba.

Para bang fate is mocking me, ganon kasi yung dating sakin e.

“Friendly game lang Seul, nukaba.” I look at Krystal and Byulyi in disbelief bago pa kami tumawang tatlo just by looking at each other.

It will never be a friendly game samin, lalo na at parepareho kaming tatlo na ayaw ng natatalo.

Alam naming tatlo kung gaano kami ka competitive when it comes sa sports namin.

So yung friendly game na sinasabi nila e malayong mangyayare yun once we step inside that oval.

Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang, but maybe dahil na rin sa ayaw naming natatalo at sa competitiveness namin yung school parin namin yung defending champion for four years.

I’m not saying na dahil samin yun, what I’m saying is friendly game would never ever happens when the three of us set our minds sa game.

Just then I saw you and your friend passing by.

Himala ata di kayo buo ng tropa mo ngayon.

Nung padaan na kayo sa harap namin I called your attention nung saktong mapatingin ka naman sakin.

Pinalapit kita and sumunod ka naman.

“May game tayo mamaya, paki sabihan nalang din yung iba na wag ma late ha?”

You nod your head once and you awkwardly stood sa harap ko bago ka pa nag glance dun sa kaibigan mo na nasa hindi kalayuan.

“Sige po.” You softly said habang di ka parin mapakali sa kinatatayuan mo.

“Sige, salamat.” I said and nod at you once bago ka umalis while I’m still recalling your name.

“Ka team mo?”

“Oo.”

“Kilala mo?” Krystal gives me that teasing look, knowing na wala akong pakialam alamin yung mga pangalan ng kateam ko.

“Hmm, I think it’s Joohyun?”

“Himala naalala mo.”

“Well.”

“Trip mo no?” Kamuntikan na akong mahulog sa upuan ko.

“Patawa kayo?”

“E bakit mo tanda name nya?” I rolled my eyes at them.

Ito talagang dalawa na to, kahit kailan.

“Pinakilala ni Kai sakin.”

And with that they have this teasing smirk bago pa sila lumapit sakin.

“At bakit pinakilala sayo?” I push Krystal’s face away from me bago ko kinonyatan sa ulo si Byul.

“Kaibigan nya sa lower year. Mga utak nyo nga.”

“Ah kala ko bago mo nanaman e.”

I look at them, acting as if I’m offended.

I put my both hands sa chest area ko bago ako nag drama sakanila.

“Maka nanaman kayo? Parang ang landi ko ah.”

“Bakit hindi ba?”

“HOY!” I pointed a finger at them then I look away before I clear my throat.

“Kayo rin naman ah.” Then the three of us burst out in laughing once again.

Last day of intramurals and we kinda improve.

I mean I think ngayon hinid na ako badtrip sayo.

Natatawa lang ako kasi everytime na nasa game tayo, sayo lang ako nakasalalay and dun sa isa mong kaibigan na marunong din maglaro.

Halos lahat ata ng pwesto na ikot ko na, well except sa pitcher since hindi naman ako marunong mag pitch ng bola.

And there’s this line na di ko makalimutan na sinabi ko sayo during game.

Nakipagpalitan ako ng pwesto, and I took the first base kung saan kita in-assign.

That time kasi yung team nila Krystal yung kalaban natin, so I did my best para naman kahit papaano e pahirapan sila and it worked.

Nakita ko kung gaano kairita si Krystal during the game, it seems that they kinda underestimated us, pero syempre at the end sila parin yung nanalo.

And to be honest, and dami kong gasgas non.

Ikaw ba naman mag slide sa home base para lang magka score.

Ikaw ba naman bunggo bungguin ng kalaban tuwing papunta sila sa base.

Well, itong laro naman to e hindi maiiwasan ang magka pisikalan e.

Napatingin ako sa oval then I laugh at myself nung maalala ko yung exact words na sinabi ko sayo.

“Ako na dito, but stay close to me pag kinailangan kita. I need you here.”

And thinking about what I said that day, natawa ako lalo.

Isn’t it a bit cheesy?

I shook my head and saw you approaching.

I smiled at you nung napansin kong nakatingin ka sakin and you return the smile bago ka pa kumaway sakin na para bang nagdadalawang isip ka pa.

I felt a nudge sa gilid ko and saw Kai with that annoying smile of him.

“Ano?”

“Maka ngiti wagas ah.”

“Masama?”

“Trip mo si Joohyun no?” I look at him as if na he told me the most absurd thing.

“Ano?” Sabi ko habang natatawa tawa pa.

“Woosus wag ako Seul.”

“Di ko trip yang tropa mo. Bakit? Selos ka?” With that tinusok tusok ko pa sya sa tagiliran nya.

“Uy, ano ba.” Then I stop when he grabbed my hand para tumigil.

We’re both laughing hanggang sa tumigil si Kai but he still have that smile on his face.

“Nakatingin si Joohyun oh.” Ngumuso si Kai dun sa likod ko and I saw you looking at us, agad ka namang umiwas ng tingin.

I shrugged bago ulit ako humarap kay Kai.

“Libre mo nalang ako natuwa pa ako.”

“Bakit kita ililibre? E hindi naman kayo champion.” I narrowed my eyes at him bago ko sya sinuntok sa tyan nya.

Tama ba naman kasing ipaalala sakin yung sa game, well out of 4 na laban namin isa lang napanalo namin.

And for me, it’s kinda disappointing and frustrating.

Katulad nga ng sabi k, ayoko yung natatalo.

“As if naman ang galing nyo.” I retorted and he laughs bago nya pa ako kinoyatan ng mahina.

“Well, tara na. libre na kita. Celebrate natin pagkatalo natin.” We both make our way na dun sa canteen.

Nung mapapadaan na kami sainyo ng mga kaibigan nyo na nasa gilid na nakaupo