Siguro saying those words to her wasn’t bad after all. Walang nagbago naman, she’s still her usual makulit self but now, mas madalas na siya bumanat which always catch me off-guard. Wala naman akong reklamo dun, I mean--who am I to complain naman? Kahit yata napaka-corny ng banat niya, kinikilig ako. Leche.

Pero syempre, hindi ko naman ipinapahalata ‘yun. I’m good at this--maintaining my calm facade kahit ano pang nangyayari sa paligid ko. But the mere fact na hindi ako agad makapagsalita pagkatapos niyang bumanat, magce-celebrate na siya dun.

Should I give her the reaction she wants at least once in a while? Or should I mask it like I always do?

“Tulala ka diyan? Kulang ka ba sa landi?” Biglang tanong ni Ryujin. Sabay kaming naglalakad pauwi ngayon dahil wala lang, gusto lang namin. We need a break from harot din ‘no?! Hindi naman pwedeng lagi na lang namin sila kasama, all day everyday. Walang ganun!

“Bastos ka, araw-araw may lumalandi sa’kin… hindi ako kulang dun.” Feeling ko, tunog bragging ‘yung litanya ko. Well, I guess it grew on me. Mas confident na ako sa bagay na ‘yun or, mas naa-acknowledge ko na siya. I’m letting it, ang hirap pigilan kapag nandiyan na… sabi nga ni Ryujin, ‘Kapag pinigilan mo ‘yung pagkagusto mo sa isang tao, para mo na rin pinigil ‘yung future kasal mo.’

Ang advanced masyado oh, kasal agad. Pero speaking of, I’ve learned a thing or two sa usapan namin ni Papa nung nakaraan when he called me to help him fix our family car. Sabi niya, kung magjojowa raw ako, isipin ko na I’m dating to marry. It should always be dating to marry, not the other way. Kasi you date to find someone you can share your everything with, hindi mo naman gugustuhin na i-let go ‘yung taong pinaghatian mo ng lahat ‘di ba?

And he said, playing with hearts  is like breaking a fragile glass then handing it to someone else. Hindi lang isa ang masasaktan mo, kundi lahat ng taong nasa paligid nila maaapektuhan.

It was a sudden talk but it was informative for me. I got the chance to know his perception about dating. Tapos he asked me about ate na naka-white scrubs. Kung ano na raw ba status namin, kung kami na raw ba, or kung nililigawan ko na raw ba.

My reply shocked him I guess, mukhang hindi niya inexpect.

“Bakit ako ang manliligaw?”

Sabi niya, matagal na raw talaga siyang may hunch na hindi nga ako straight. Pero he still waited for me to say it to him, to them. Wala naman daw talagang kaso sa kaniya, basta masaya raw ako at huwag na huwag daw ako papaiyakin ni ate na naka-white scrubs kasi ipapa-ban niya raw siya sa village namin.

Natawa pa ako dun at sinabi na hindi naman ak