"Dad saan dadalhin ng mga tao mo si Seulgi?!" Panic ko. Sino ba naman kasing hindi magpapanic diba?

"Hija, ginagawa lang ng mga police yung mga kailangan nila gawin." Sabi niya ng pumasok sa loob. Don’t tell papatulugin nila yung girlfriend ko sa kulungan!?

"Walang kidnapping na nagaganap dito!? Dad alam mo yan, pupuntahan ko siya." Then nagstop si dad sa paglalakad with sharp eyes trying to scare me.

"Hon, make her stay. I'll go inside na." Then umalis na si Dad.

"Relax sissy. Seulgi will be fine." Nasa tabi ko si Ate na ngayon lang nagsalita. I feel betrayed kasi hindi niya ako tinutulunga.

"Ate naman. We both know na may gagawin sila kay Seulgi. How can I relax!?"

"Let's go inside so you can think properly. Trust your dad. Remember, hindi padin kami okay sa desisyon mong makipagrelasyon sa kapwa mo babae." Mom and Ate both went back sa house. They don’t mind. Well, I don’t care too before, whenever dad will talk na one on one sa mga suitors ni Ate. Never pa naman nagkamali ng judgement si daddy kaso this is Seulgi we are talking about. It’s my god damn girlfriend. Usap lang naman ginagawa ni Daddy, I think? somewhere lumalabas lang sila ng manliligaw ni Ate then di na ulit babalik yung lalaki pero bakit yung girlfriend may police involvement pa!

"Ate! Help me naman. Napagdaanan mo din to." Habol ko sakanya.

"I know. Just relax okay? Dad knows what he's doing. If Seulgi really loves you, she'll do good."

“Pero bakit may police?! Hindi naman niya ginagawa yun.”

“Bakit kasi jinowa mo agad?” Tawa niya. “You know how dad when it comes sa mga suitors and I kind of expect na din na he’ll do worse sa girlfriend mo. You broke dad’s rule.”

“Iba naman kasi yung situation namin. Why can’t you be by my side ba?” Pagtatampo ko. Naiiyak ako kasi bakit si Seulgi yung dapat magbayad kung ako yung nagkasala?

“Ayaw mo nun? Mas makikilala mo yung girlfriend mo. Her patience, and kung hanggang saan ka niya kaya ipaglaban?”

"Paano kung bigla niya akong iwan dahil kay daddy? Dahil sa ginawa ni Daddy?" Napaupo ako sa couch expressing how mad I am. This is too much na kasi. Wala naman sa usapan na ititreat ni Dad si Seulgi same sa treatment ng mga manliligaw ng Ate ko. Kaming dalawa nalang ni ate dito sa salas.

"Will you be mad sa Daddy natin if ganun nga? Hindi ba mas lacking sa part yun ni Seulgi kasi it shows na hindi ka pala niya kaya ipaglaban?" I sigh. Ate ako yung lacking. Ako lagi not Seulgi.

"Apat na manliligaw yung sinukuan ako and it turns out na Daddy was right. Two of them are players, the other two has no balls lang." Add niya para mapanatag ang loob ko.

"Seulgi is not a player nor has no balls."

"Technically, she has no balls."

"Ate!!!" Tawa lang siya ng tawa.

It’s passed 11pm na when I heard a car. It was daddy's. I received a message. Sino naman yung magtetext ng ganitong oras? It was from Krystal this time. Sinend niya yung pic ng baby niya. Although premature, thankfully masigla yung sanggol. I replied saying my congratulations. She'll get me daw as ninang and iniinvite kami ni Seul sa binyag kahit wala pa namang date. For a second, nadistract yung mind ko kakaisip sa girlfirend ko. How is she na kaya? Another vibration. This time, it's a call from an unknown number.

"Hi baby."

"Seul! Okay ka lang ba? Anong ginawa nila sayo? I swear I'll make my dad pay for this!"

"Shhh. He's with me." Napatahimik tuloy ako. Lago ako kay Daddy for talking about him sa likod niya.

"Oh. Sorry po dad."

"Pay for what hija?"

"Ah wala po dad."

"So, I called lang to say I'll come back, no matter what okay?"

"Seul..." Then the call ended. I was not able to answer back na kasi I was, how to say it ba? Emotional? Nope, its beyond that word. How can you fall for someone with only six words? How can you fall again and again and an infinite again.

I'll come back, no matter what

Ulit ulit kong naririnig yun. Seulgi needs to know. Seulgi deserves the truth. Will she ever come back to me even if malaman niyang I am lying to her?

..........

I woke up na may mabigat sa tummy ko. Mabigat sa gilid ko. Sinilip ko kagad kasi mamaya nasa ibang kwarto ako, mukhang kwarto ko padin naman to.

"Seul?" She's sleeping soundly. I hug her back, mas mahigpit. Gosh, I missed her. Hindi ako nakatulog ng maayos kagabi.

"Hmmm..."

"Anong oras kana nakauwi?"

"3 hours ago. Let me sleep baby, I am so tired talaga it's 5am palang naman." Sagot niya habang nakapikit padin. Hinagod ko nalang yung likod niya para mas makatulog siya and bumalik din ako sa pagtulog. After few more hours, narinig kong nag-alarm na yung phone ko. 8am na pero tulog padin yung katabi ko. I wonder what happened sa kanila ni Dad. Hindi na siya nakapahinga after driving kahapon, ginawa pa siyang servant ni Dad then she ended up being jailed. What an experience for her diba?

"How can I sleep more when you're looking at me like that." Sita niya sa akin.

"Tulog mantika ka kaya. You can sleep in any position or kahit malakas yung tugtog."

"I am pero whenever my girlfriend is looking at me like that, I feel the need to open my eyes. I missed you." Nakamulat na siya looking at me nakatagilid sa direksyon ko.

"I missed you more Seul. What happened kagabi?"

"It's secret between me and your dad."

"How can I make you say it?" Habang hinahaplos ng index finger ko yung collarbone niya.

"I also promised your dad…. Na….” She’s saying that while obviously apektado sa ginagawa ko. “I won’t make any ual activities while andito tayo." Namula ako sa sinabi niya. Tinanggal ko kagad yung daliri ko. Ang KJ ni dad.

"Okay fine. Gutom ka na ba? People here are busy. Mamayang lunch magdadatingan na din yung iba naming relatives."

"Baby, you sure na okay sayong ipakilala ako? I mean, girl yung girlfriend mo."

"Oo nga, may boy ba na girlfriend?"

"You know what I am talking about! Hmp."

"Cute."

"Be serious please? Meeting your family is what I am thankful for. Your dad was a little bit challenging I must admit but the whole clan will be another story. Not everyone will understand about sa atin."

"But everyone must accept it. Baby this is what I can offer you." Confuse niyang tingin.

"A family. Extended family. It's something that I want you to experience. I want this, I want to be honest sa sarili ko. Ayoko ng magtago. Then after this, we can tell everyone na. Hinihintay ko lang malaman ng family ko." Mas nagl