It was afternoon when I went home. On my way, muntikan ko ng mabangga yung cousin ni Tzu na hindi nya syado ka close.

"Oppss..sorry!! Was Looking at my phone.." sabi ko while inaangat yung phone kong hawak, pero tumingin lang sya saken ng bahagya at nagtuloy-tuloy na sa paglalakad.

Naglalaro kase ako while walking, I rarely use my phone since Tzu doesn't have one and when I told her I was gonna give her one, she disagreed that her parents and most especifically her mother might be suspicious as to where did she get it.

And what surprised me the most is the girl behind her, na nakatuon lang yung tingin sa hinahakbang na kalsada. I noticed as I looked around, she has a black shiny long hair, petite body and nasa may tenga ko lang banda yung taas nya. But even I only saw a glimpse of her face na nakayuko..I felt sudden "sugar rush" a familiar kind of feeling that I only felt for only one person I have known since childhood.

"Baechu...Joohyun...." I said as I put back my atensyon sa dinadaanan ko.

"Baechu...was it you???" and the beating of my heart was racing too fast.

"Ang cute-cute mo na ahh...mas lalo kang naging cute..I can't believe it!"  kausap sarili ko.

This time, if you have to paint my smile, you can not do so because I have the sweetest smile all my life that I have not worn since the last time I saw her years ago. 5 or  almost 6 years ago to be specific.

Her family went to Malaysia when her mother died, to visit her relatives sa mother side but I found out that they stayed there longer than planned. We lost contact, Johhyun who has been a shy-kid seems to have not changed a bit her normal shyness, na parang magbibilang yan ng bato sa dinadaanan and will not look around people she is passing by with.

Maybe it was another person, namamalikmataa lang ako. Kase if sya yun I would have known she came back or she would have atleast said Hi Kumusta, Bear?! Di ko din alam if nakita ba nya ako. Nakakapagtaka sa totoo lang. Ang buhay nga naman, madaming sorpresa. Nakaka-heart attack na noh pag si Joohyun na ang topic! (San ka na ba now Baechu..? Naaalala mo pa din ba ako?)

Si Irene na lagi kong sinasabi sa lahat, front/back/side view ang ganda-ganda pa din tignan. Kahit isang tingin lang sa kanya you will totally be captivated. Iba kase ang dating..ang lakas ng appeal ni Baechu ko. Ano-ano na ba mga pinagkaka-abalahan nya? (Bae...nasaan ka ng kailangan kita? hehe..parang title ng movie lang. Nasaan ako sa isip at puso mo sa mga panahong namimiss kita at inaalala?)

Even when we were young I was so head over heels inlove with her. She's my "Dream Girl" that  I told myself if I have to give my heart and whole self and devotion away..sa kanya yun..sa kanya lang.

Si Joohyun na napaka-mahiyain pero ang baet-baet. Never mo madidinig na magmura. Never mo nakikitang messy. A very loving responsible daughter and sister to her family. She was always so attractive in all her ways. She's all beauty in and out. But she never knew how much I feel for her, we were still young..12 or 13 ata sya nun and I was about to be 16.

Too much of her for now. I am not even sure if she was the girl earlier. Maybe she is already taken. Maybe happily married to a Malaysian guy whom her relatives know, posibleng mangyari since dinig ko eh most Malaysian men find Pinays so attractive and marry them right away na as if mauubusan para bang Concert Tickets ng sikat na Artist na pag di ka nagpa-book o bumili agad eh in a day or two wala na, ubos na. Ganun.

I reached home already putting her at the back of my mind as I always did.

I was having dinner with kuya tonight, and not surprisingly he told me about what happened between them ni Tzu, what she has decided upon early tonight. Nakaka-guilty na you have to act as if you didn't know about it when in fact you were in that moment when the other person asked for an opinion, worst ikaw pa talaga nagbigay ng idea what better be done.

I feel so bad for him. He doesn't deserve this. But what can I do? She's inlove with me and I love her... I want her and she wants me too. Alangan namang pagtabuyan ko sya or pilitin syang kay kuya na lang sya? (Topakin nga ako pero di ako boplax oi..wais din to pag may time.) Di naman ko ganun kasama, I care about them both. I even insisted that Tzu should better think about it kase baka in the end pagsisihan din nya, kuya is a good catch. You can be sure he will treat you real good.

"Eh ano sabe mo skanya, kuya? Ok ka lang ba?" I asked him when he was done eating his mango.

He was silent for a moment, looked away and looked back at me "Di ko lang maintindihan ano ba nagawa ko. Naging maingat naman ako, ginagawa ko mga gusto nya. And now she is asking for space, di naman kami palagi nagkakasama. Di ko din sya nakakausap ng kami-kami lang pag sumasama ako kay Jimin. Bihira nga syang makipag-usap ng matagal. Pag sinusundo ko sya, sine-check namin muna if may nakakakilala ba before kami magsabay palakad although one night may inabot ako sa kanya before kami nagkahiwalay pauwi, saktong padaan yung isang kapitbahay nila na pinsan pala ng nanay nya. Yun lang naman yun.'

"Never mo syang naka-det sa labas, yung gabi na kayo-kayo lang? yung sa private place?" pag-uusisa ko. Not that it's a big deal pero I just wanna know.

"One night kasama sila Eunha at yung ka-date nya. Pero nilagyan pa nya ng paper bag yung pagitan namin so di ko sya nalapitan. At wala naman akong planong gumawa ng bagay na di nya gusto."

I believe him. He is a gentleman.

"Ano'ng plano mo?" tanong ko.

"Give her the space that she wants. Di natin mapipilit ang tao kung gusto nyang layuan muna sya, baka yun ang makakapagsaya skanya."

"Pano ka?" 

He just shrugged and said "Ok lang ako."

I know he is not. (I know Seul.. I know what you feel.. nagi-guilty ka, - myself saying.)

(Sorry kuya, all this is my fault. Tong kapatid mong nagmamagaling at pa-inosente lage eh naka-ilang points na kay Tzu. Blame it all to me..kung di ako nakipaglandian skanya, di hahantong sa ganito to.) Nagsisimula na akong mainis sa sarili ko.

Pinuntahan ko si Tzu tonight. Naabutan ko sya cooking for dinner and she urged me to eat with her afterwards. I was secretly glancing at her every chance I could get. She is indeed pretty, without trying hard to be, kahit nga nasa bahay lang sya't naka-simpleng pambahay she is still so charming. 

"Kanina ko pa napapansin panay ang sulyap mo. Tama na Seul..baka matunaw ako.." she jokingly said.

Tahimik pa din ako.

"Ayan ka na naman. Tahimik ka na naman. Is there something wrong? May dinaramdam ka ba?" tanong nyang nag-aalala.

"Di ba pwedeng mag-appreciate ng mga scenic beauty sa paligid ko? Obviously, you are one of the tourist spots na gusto kong balik-balikan."

She laughed at that. "Ang cheesy mo pa din Babe! Yung totoo??"

"Masaya ka ba?"

She looked puzzled. "Oo naman! Why do you ask?"

Nasa labas ng bahay nila na kame nakaupo this time kase sometimes when we joke around she can't stop herself, she becomes so loud, Maybe being at home makes her too comfortable.

"Tzu, there's something I --"

I was to tell her about kuya and what we spoke about when biglang may napadaan. Di naman ganun kadilim sa labas kase yung ilaw sa poste sa may tapat ng bahay ng neighbor nila would reflect up to where we are. There I see her..passing by the way she used to, her "Baechu" style of walking.

"Irene...Baechu..." mahina kong sabi while napatindig ako bigla when I spotted her passing by. Wearing a black shirt and printed black pants.. She didn't seem to notice us though.

Di naman ganun ka liwanang pero even by side view, you can never deny the "Baechu" charm she has with her all the time. 

This time, I can see the way Tzu looks at me. I can't describe it.