Paano magsabi ng “I love you” ang mga taong hindi mahilig magpuyat?

“Oo na.” Chaewon sighed, a very deep one. Closing the Jane Austen book she’s holding on her hand and nudging her mint eyeglasses up a little higher on her nose, she added. “Tutulungan na kitang mag-review para r’yan sa ‘childish competition’ n’yo n’ong lalaking ‘yon.” She then used the book to bump the forehead of the older girl who’s currently using her lap as her personal pillow.

“Aw!” Yena massaged the part that was hit by the book. “Hindi ‘yon childish!” She pouted, her eyebrows forming a straight line.

Chaewon chuckled in return. She finds it cute whenever the older girl is showing her annoyed face, throwing tantrums like a baby. She then placed her hands on the corners of Yena’s mouth, trying to stretch it into a smile. “It is! It’s not a big deal and I don’t even plan on accepting his proposal in the first place. Kaya ‘wag ka na malungkot d’yan.”

“NO.” Yena pulled herself up into a sitting position. “Big deal ‘yon for me!” She crossed her arms and pouted even more. “He made you feel uncomfortable! He still insisted kahit na you already rejected him!”

“So that’s why you dumbly challenged him into a competition knowing full well that he’s always at the top of the academic rankings in your year level?”

“It wasn’t a dumb move!”

“It is!”

“It’s not!”

“It—” Chaewon would like to argue more, but she stopped herself from doing so after hearing her alarm ringing signalling that it’s already time for them to go back to their respective classes.

Yena heard that as well, and so she also started fixing her things.

After neatly placing everything back in her bag, Chaewon then uttered. “For the record, I still think that it’s dumb,” she then stood up, fixed her pleated skirt and offered her hand to the older girl. “But let’s do our best reviewing for that quiz of yours later.” She then smiled.

Yena looked up. The rooftop was one of their safe spaces in school. Well, they just happen to have the “Eunbi benefit” aka having the keys to the restricted areas of the school.

The rich rays of the afternoon’s sun were able to illuminate Chaewon’s beauty even better. Chaewon’s smile is the most comforting thing ever. ‘Yong tipong nagagawang posible lahat ng imposible. It bears resemblance to that very calming breeze that puts one’s mind at ease during morning jogs.

“Okay lang kahit mapuyat ka?” Yena reached out her hand to hold Chaewon’s as the younger girl pulled her up. “Ika-cram ko ‘yong lesson 1 hanggang 5 mamaya.”

“Oo na nga. ‘Di mo rin naman ako titigilan. Pagtimpla mo na lang ako ng specialty mong hot choco.” She then pulled the older by the hand as they both exited the place.

“‘Di ba ayaw mong napupuyat?” Yena asked while she’s letting herself get pulled by the younger.

“Ah, so ayaw mo na ng tulong ko?” Chaewon stopped on her tracks just to face her. This time, it was Chaewon who had her arms crossed on her chest, her left eyebrow arched up.

“Joke lang.” Yena said, biting her tongue while scratching her nape. “Aye, aye! Yes Ma’am!” Pagsaludo pa ni Yena at matapos n’on ay siya namang paghawak sa kamay ni Chaewon at paghila nito papunta sa kanilang classroom.

Matamang tinitingnan ni Chaewon ang kamay nilang magkahawak at kasabay nito, may namutawing ngiti sa kanyang mga labi. Naroon na naman. The loud beating of her heart caused by the warmth brought by their intertwined hands.

She didn’t know when it started. It just so happens that one day, she suddenly found herself questioning whether she’s still looking at Yena with the eyes of platonic love.

Kasi would you have felt giddy just by being able to pat someone’s head if you don’t harbor romantic feelings for that person? Would your heart skip a beat when you’re locking them in an embrace?

And most importantly, someone like Chaewon—someone exactly like her who values healthy lifestyle so much that she never really slept late even on exam week (well she’s smart and is quite studious so there’s that too) will turn back on her life principle just to accompany Yena on her quote, unquote “dumb shenanigans”,

if that isn’t love for you,

then it definitely is, for someone like Chaewon.

‘Para kasing tanga ‘to. Balak ko na ngang dedmahin ‘yong jologs na ‘yon, pinatulan pa naman talaga. Kung ‘di lang kita—’

“Mahal.” Yena muttered and then Chaewon realized they were already in front of her classroom.

Chaewon then panicked, her brain was currently undergoing a short circuit. ‘Am I thinking out loud? ‘Di pa ako prepared umamin .’

“Huh? Anong mahal? Sinong mahal? ‘Di kita mahal ‘no, gago ‘to!” Chaewon said, withdrawing her hand, a form of her defense mechanism.

“Luh.” Yena frowned at her, surprised at her sudden outburst. “Ano sinasabi mo r’yan? Sabi ko kako mahal ‘tong tinitindang graham balls ni Chaeyeon.”

And that’s when Chaewon realized that she’s doomed. Totally. She looked at Chaeyeon’s eyes and it was clearly telling her, “got yah!” as she was some kind of a criminal in hiding that’s finally caught for the felony she had committed.

Chaeyeon’s already been suspecting that she has something for her bestfriend and now she just conveniently exposed herself. God damn.

“Pautang naman muna, Chaeyeon. Bakit kasi naging 7 pesos na? Parang kahapon lang 5 pesos lang ‘yan ah.”

“Hoy ‘wag ka ngang mamburaot d’yan! Gan’on talaga ang mga bagay—” Chaeyeon then gave Chaewon a meaningful look before she continued her sentence. “—minsan nagbabago. Ngayon akala mo friends friends lang tapos bukas makalawa, may feelings ka na pala.” She then winked at her classmate who’s now thinking of ways on how she can bury herself alive in her position.

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