Napahawak ka nalang sa pader at pilit na kinakalma ang sarili. 

"G-grabe yung takot ko!" half shouting sa kausap.

"pinangatawanan ko lang yung pagiging takas"

You lift your head and scan her appearance. 

Why would she do that? 

"B-bakit ka naman ka-si t-tumakas?" 

She held your hand again para muling tumakbo pero naisabit mo ang isa mong kamay sa isang poste kaya nagmakaawa kang tumigil muna.

"Deulgi!" 

"wala pa tayo sa pupuntahan natin" she excitedly informed you.

"Diba naka confine ka pa? Malapit na surgery mo. Bakit ka-"

"Kidnapping you, basically"

"Deulgi you know this is serious matter to-"

"If this will be my last birthday syempre ayokong maging boring to Irene"

"b-birth? day?"

Inosente siyang tumango at muli kang hinila ng mahina. 

"and I'm running away with you" 

Ayan nanaman ang lukso ng puso mo. 

Sa kaba ba yan?

Sa takot?

Dahil ba sa sinabi niya?

O dahil ang nakikita mo sa kanya ay ang kambal niyang buong gabi mong inisip?

"Deul... Delikado to sa-"

Sa muli niyang pagharap... May kasalo ng hinanakit ang kanina'y masaya niyang ngiti.

"mamamatay din naman ako... Bakit ko sasayangin ang pagkakataong gawin ang gusto ko?"

Gusto mo siyang pagalitan at sawayin. Gusto mo siyang kaladkarin at ibalik. Gusto mo siyang yakapin at ilayo.

Kahit ilang beses mong pag-isipan, kapag nasa sitwasyon ka na, natatanga ka lang ulit.

"Birthday mo today?" you hesitate to ask her.

"Bukas pa birthday namin..." 

Wala ka manlang ideya. 

"Wait! L-let me buy you a gift!" siya naman ng tinangka mong hilain. 

"No!" a sweet smile creeps from her dry and pale lips.

"Irene, Just let me be with you for the day... Sobra sobra na yun" 

"paano pag... Hinanap ka nila?"

"Itatanan kita pag ganun" 

Nothing really happen na kagaya ng sinasabi ni Deulgi. She craved for Ice cream just like you kaya hanggang sa pagsawaan niyo ay sinulit niyo na. 

Nag commute kayo papunta sa isang park. Kahit masaya ka sa mga oras na yun, hindi mo maiwasang mag-alala... She's wearing a mask at halata mo ang pananamlay sa kanyang mukha. 

You can feel this urge na protektahan siya as if ikaw yung pinagtitinginan ng tao because of her weak frame. Maya't maya mo nalang itong hinahaplos at maagap na nagtatanong kung kamusta siya. Papalitan naman niya agad ang iyong pag-aalala ng ngiti at tawa.

Hands are intertwined

Lips are grinning wide

Hearts swollen from joy. 

Sabay niyong pinanuod ang sunset habang nakahilig siya sa iyong balikat at saka ka niya niyaya mag dinner. 

"Gusto mo tikman yung tuna ko?"

Nangiti ka. "Later... How about my vegies?" 

"Anong meron?"

"Talong?"

She scrunch her nose with fake disgust before saying "eww talong"

"wala ka bang kinakaing gulay? Seriously?"

"Pringles?"

Oh G- "Hindi yun gulay come on" and you roll your eyes.

"It is... Potatoes remember?"

It's like arguing with a 5 year old baby so you stop there. "You should start eating healthy" 

"You can make Seul eat stuff like that. Itago mo lang yung vegies sa meat. Without her knowing... Pero me? No never"

Her name is enough to make your lips slightly apart. 

"You share alot of things. Kahit sa looks"

Umiling lang siya bago lumagok ng tubig sa kanyang glass. 

"Mas cute ako" she called the waiter's attention for some wine.

"pwede ba yan sayo?"

"Hindi sa lahat ng bagay we'll share the same"

Subconsciously, napalunok ka... With her hard face after her first taste of he wine. 

"y-yeah... Sa talents and- and looks r-right?"

"You want some?" kinuha mo ang glass na inalok niya and take a sip from it. 

"Is it too selfish if I want all of you just for myself?"

Nasamid ka sa alkohol na bumabalot sa iyong lalamunan. What was that supposed to mean? Did she noticed? Did she know? Teka? Ang alin? Ano ang dapat niya mapansin? Ano ang dapat niya malaman?

"w-what do you..."

"ewan ko. Maybe its my turn to give" 

"Give what?"

"Give Seulgi what she want..."

"w-want?"

She showed you her phone at mabilis itong inalis. 

For the nth time... you roll your eyes at her.

For what yung y girl na kung magbalandra ng cleavage wagas? 

Does that mean? Seul's into-AAAAAAA ERASE. 

"She's her ex"

"Do you think we'll work?" 

She asks... Half dizzy and slurred.

"will we?"

"I love you..." napahinto ka sa iyong hakbang at dahil akay mo siya, she just stared at you. 

"What?" Hindi mo alam kung nahihilo ka ba or what since tinikman mo lang naman ang kanyang ininom. Nalalango ka sa kanyang mga mata... Sa kanyang mga tingin. Sa kanyang init. 

Seulgi...

So maybe it's the wine that kicking...

Maybe it's the alcohol that sinking...

Like when she kissed you bye after ka niyang ihatid and you can't control yourself at agad na gumanti.

You're mindful not to stole her breaths away... 

And when she's running out of her breath mahina mo siyang inilayo and all that's left for her to say is "wow"

Pero hindi ka na nagpatinag. 

There's something in this night that made you act this way. 

Siguro ang naipong lungkot these past few days...

Siguro dahil sa pagkasabik mong makita ang kamukha ng taong lagi mong naiisip.

Isn't that selfish? 

You are given love by someone and you love her just because she's a replicate of whom you truly love?

Masasaktan mo siya.

And at her state... Mas malala ka pa sa murderer.

You just can't think straight that moment kaya hindi mo alam kung saan galing ang lakas ng loob mong hilain siya papasok ng kwarto mo. 

You want to make sure na hindi ka nananaginip...

So you open your eyes for awhile in your kiss and you are more than surprise because someone... 

Inside you.

Something deep inside of you asked... 

Is this Seulgi?

Pero whoever she was... Wala ka ng paki. You're sure gusto niya rin naman. 

But then she pushes you this time to your bed and guilt flushed through her orbs, it hits you. 

She's not like that. Deulgi will never.

Kailanman...

"s-sorry" she said. Just before you can't see her anymore, threads of curses where thrown underneath her breath. 

She deserves better than this. But deserves doesn't have a lot to do with falling in love. 

A memorable birthday indeed.

Happy Birthday by the way...

Everything happened so fast na mula pag gising mo hindi mo nasundan ang mga kaganapan. 

Yeri barged into your room, waking you up in most annoying way she could. Shouting your name na dinaig pa wangwang sa pag-ulit ulit.  Pinagalitan ka nito bago ka pa makareact sa panggugulo niya sa tulog mo. 

Kesyo madaming dumalaw sayo kahapon at hinahanap ka, kesyo nag-aalala na mga friends mo- that also includes Wendy. Hinahanap ka daw nito at nag-aalala sayo.

Napa pout ka nalang habang nakikinig sa sermon ng kapatid.

Kesyo bakit hindi ka pumapasok at sinasayang ang araw for nothing. Napagsabigan ka pang baka maging pariwara ka. 

The only time na nakasagot ka ay nung tinanong ka niya kung papasok ka ba that day. 

Umiling ka lang and before you could use words as a response ay hinila ka na niya sa banyo para umattend sa party ng kaibigan niya. 

The memory of last night keeps replaying inside your sobered head. 

Joy arrived and you don't know why dahil tulala ka lang buong byahe... Still guilty and regretting what you have done.

Not until you saw these familiar corners of the subdivision, the same gate you bravely knocked for answers before... 

Binasa mo ulit to comprehend things better. 

"Kang Residence"

"Kang..."

"Kang?" 

"Yeri? You said kaibigan mo yun-" 

Sunod-sunod mong sabi. 

Too late...

Too late to run away again and hide.

Too late to ignore dahil siya na mismo ang nagbukas ng pinto ng kotse para sayo and welcomed you to her "birthday"

10...

You mentally slapped your face right and left dahil nahihirapan ka harapin ang isa after being with the other one. 

Kahapon yung isa.

Ngayon naman siya.

Lalo pang pinalala ng mga nagbabagang pangyayari kagabi.

Na you can't stop thinking of her while kissing her twin that you almost... 

Now she's infront of you.

Grabeng kahihiyan naman teh.

It's as if you are caught up in a spiral at kahit paulit-ulit lang ay pakumplikado ng pakumplikado ang mga bagay sa pagitan niyong tatlo. 

The vortex will always be the feelings you have for Seulgi. 

At ngayon nga... You have to deal with it sa ayaw o sa gusto mo. 

"Irene kain ka na" Wendy offers you a paper plate. 

"Thanks for coming ha" Seulgi whispered. 

Ano pa bang magagawa ko? Is the reply you want to voice out.  

They look good together.

You can't help but to whisper to yourself "I wish it's me, bet we might look better"

 <