Third person’s pov.

Ryujin’s sitting on the bench outside the student council’s office. Head towards the floor, full of thoughts of why’s and how’s. If anyone asks her what’s with her, she sure will answer them in confusion. Like how she’s feeling right now. She has a lot of questions inside her head that make her confused about what’s happening around her.

She can’t keep up will all the information she’s having from unknown sources. And there’s only one person that can clear all her thoughts. That’s why she’s waiting for that person right now patiently. Although she’s still questioning herself why she’s waiting for her inside this campus? ‘She doesn’t belong here’. The sentence that keeps on repeating inside her head.

After a few more minutes of waiting, a pair of shoes stops in front of her. Ryujin immediately looks up, knowing who it belongs to. As soon as their eyes met, Karina gave her a warm smile. Karina notices what’s with the other girl’s eyes. It looks at her with so much anticipation, a lot of questions that need to be answered. Karina already knows what it will be with those eyes that feel so lost.

“Miss mo ‘ko?” Karina said to lighten up the mood.

She doesn’t have a clue to what Ryujin’s thinking but still, she wants to reduce the heavy atmosphere around them.

“I got a lot of questions.” Taimtim na sabi ni Ryujin.

“I know.”

They stayed looking into each other’s eyes. Reading each other’s soul. No one surrendered. As for Karina, as much as she wants to tell Ryujin all the things that is happening right now, there’s a feeling inside her stopping her from telling it to Ryujin. ‘Cause if she will sum it all up, Ryujin’s does not involve in the Klier’s business. She’s just a loyal and a good friend of Winter.

For Ryujin, the feeling of not keeping up in the situation scares her. She feels like there’s one wrong move and one of the important people around her will disappear. She just wants to keep all the people who she treasures safe. Just the thought of someone close to her will disappear ‘cause she didn’t do something hunts her. Although she doesn’t know the root of all of this, she’s sure of one thing. That the people who she’s protecting are the one ‘s who’s don’t want her gone.

Ryujin was taken aback when Karina suddenly hugged her and rested her head on her shoulder.

“Can we get inside? I’m feeling so tired.” Karina said softly.

Ryujin didn’t say a thing and just nodded her head. Karina feels it and opens the glass door with the key that Chaewon trusted to her.

“You can sit anywhere you feel comfortable” Karina said and sat down on the office chair.

Ryujin then sat down on the couch inside the office and looked around. The bulletin where the officer’s name was plastered caught her attention, as she saw Karina’s name on it.

“Totoo palang ikaw na ang president?”

“I can’t believe it also”

“So… how it happened?”

“You need to worry about it-“

“How can I not be worried?? I don’t know a thing and it’s worrying me more than you think!” Ryujin hissed.

“How about our agreement? What’s happening?!” Ryujin said looking Karina’s eyes with a mixture of confusion and worries.

Flashback to when Ryujin met Karina for the first time.

Ryujin Xavier Serrano’s pov.

Nasa bar kami ngayon kasi nag yaya ‘tong si Winter na uminom. Mag iisang buwan na pero broken pa rin siya dun sa girl na bigla nalang daw umalis at hindi nag paalam. Hindi pa rin niya ata matanggap na na-ghost siya. Ganito lang ang set up namin palagi after mag disband nung banda namin dahil sa nawala yung tatlo naming ugok na member.

Usually, lima kaming nag iinom pero dahil sa kalokohan ni Yena ay pinatapon siya ng tatay niya, yung dalawa naman sa ibang bansa na mag-aaral kaya naman heto ako ngayon, naiwan kay Winter. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko pero yung atay ko mukhang aayaw na. Pero kahit na mamatay ako kinabukasan dahil sa kalasingan okay lang, basta para kay Winter.

People might say that I’m stupid dahil sa kakabuntot ko kay Winter. Well, I don’t really mind, I’d do things for her just to protect her, bakit? Maybe because she’s the only person that recognizes that I’m alive, that I exist.

I was all alone before I met her.

Sabihin na nating taga pag mana? Or whatever you call it. Only child ng isang magulong pamilya. My father was a known businessman, and my mom is a well-known painter. They said they had fallen in love, that’s why they got married and then they had me. Sasabihin ng mga tao na ang swerte ko, nakalatag na lahat sa harapan ko at wala na ‘kong iintindihin pa. But that is just how they sugarcoat things.

Maswerte ba talaga ako? Swerte ba yung, living on your own at a young age because your parents are busy? Swerte ba yung, everytime they got home they fight in front of me? Na para bang wala ako, na hindi ako nag eexist? Swerte bang on their verge of falling apart they blame you? If you call it lucky then I guess, I am??

Elementary nung nag simulang tuluyang hindi na umuwi yung tatay ko, then my mom stayed at home waiting for him and every single day, she blames me. Sakin lahat ang sisi. Hanggang sa nasanay nalang ako and just swallow everything. Put my feelings aside. I love my mom, I love the both of them but do they love me? Palagi sumasagi sa isip ko.

I finished elementary at umakyat sa stage without parents, people question me, and I just ignore it. Mas lalong lumala na si mom at this point, she also become alcoholic. Everytime I got home to a big house I felt like I’m entering a coffin, just waiting for me to deteriorate.

When I got in high school I met people at dun ko natutunan ang mag bisyo, wala akong interest sa kahit ano pero napasok ako sa isang banda, tinuruan nila ako at sinasama sa gig nila basta sagot ko ang lahat. Since marami naman akong pera, hindi ko iniisip gumastos thinking I got friend to be happy.

Nagsimula na rin akong hindi umuwi sa bahay dahil ayaw ko naman don. I started buying vehicles and other stuff not just for me but also sa mga kabanda ko. Ang pakiramdam ko ay sobrang saya ko hanggat kasama ko yung mga tinuturi kong kaibigan not until something happened.

We were riding my car drunk, without license, happy happy lang until na may nabangga kaming matanda. We all got panic lalo na’t were all minors. They point finger to each other kung sino ang may kasalan I was silent, still shock now when they all start to point fingers at me. Kotse ko, pera ko yung pinang inom, ako nag plano ng ride since sagot ko. They all teamed up to blame it on me.

At that point, akala ko tapos na ako sa blaming season. Hindi pa pala. I just stayed silent at hinayaan lang sila sa mga pinagsasabi nila when one of them called the police. The police arrived and luckily the granda is still alive, nagsabi silang lahat ng kwento nila and they all blame me. Their story is all matching, akin lang ang hindi.

The interview with police passes by pero nagtaka ako nung ako lang yung dinampot, they all said na ako yung driver pero hindi naman. I look at them with pleading eyes to tell the truth, but they ignore me. I remember one of them telling na “you got a lot of money, makaka-alis ka naman agad jan.” money isn’t the problem here, sasagutin ko naman lahat pati yung sa pag papagamot nung grandma.

I just want them to tell the truth, because they’re my friends, right?

I was in juvenile for a month bago ako tubusin ni mom. When I got home, bote ng alak ang sumalubong sakin. Mas lalo siyang naging alcoholic and her family side blame it to me. Nag home school ako dahil ayoko na muna makipag salamuha sa iba. I don’t want anyone to know that I still exist. Hanggang sa isang gabi, my mom reaches her limit. Nag panic ako kung anong gagawin ko, I try calling my father pero wala. Sa sobrang panic ko binuhat ko si mom papunta sa car niya. At that time hindi ako marunong mag maneho ng kotse but I still turn on the engine and just pray to whoever it is.

I cause traffic and stuff. I look at my mom at the back and just doesn’t care whatever happens, gusto ko lang makarating sa hospital. I was struggling so much at huminto yung kotse sa gitna ng kalsada, panic took over my body until a motorbike stopped beside me.

That’s when I met Winter. She offered to drive the car and took us to the hospital. Pagka-tapos niya kaming ihatid she didn’t go immediately and waited for the result of my mom. She stayed there by my side, without saying a thing.

At dun na nag simula. We bumped into each other a couple of times until she introduced herself. Nung una I was hesitant, thinking that here I go I again to this bull but for a damn reason. Winter made me feel to be alive again. She often calls me to hang out and when something happens, she just laughs it off and she never blames me once. Nung nalaman niyang tumutugtog ako she encourages me to play again because she likes playing.

She always invites me to play when she has a gig until I transferred to her school. She never invalidated me or my thoughts, she supports me sa kahit na saan. Halos magkasama na kami sa araw araw and I never felt alive. Winter stays when I’m at my lows and I promise that I will do the same whatever happens. I will not allow anyone to take her from me. Not romantically but… just try thinking to have someone to make you feel that you’re alive? That you exist. It’s the best thing I could give my life for.

Kaya naman kahit na susuko na yung atay ko, go lang. Gusto ko rin naman. There’s this one girl na palagi ring andito pag nandito rin kami. Nahuhuli ko siyang tumitingin dito pero never naman siya nag approach. Nung una ko siyang Nakita talaga namang she caught my attention, she’s so damn beautiful. I want to approach her pero hindi ko alam kung paano.

Tinanong ko na rin si Aeri kung kilala niya pero sa mukha lang daw at wala naman kinakausap dito sa club yung girl. Palagi rin siyang mag isa. Ano kayang trip niya sa buhay?

She’s sitting at the other table in front of us and looks like she’s already drunk like Winter here na kinakawkaw na yung alak sa baso.

“Tama kana ha!” sabi ko at isinandal na si Winter sa upuan.

“Lasing nanaman?” tanong ni Aeri at naupo sa harap ni Winter.

“Kilala mo ba iniiyakan niyan?”

“Hindi nga eh, parang bobo ayaw sabihin wala naman na raw di na babalik”

“HAHAHAHA! Ghosted si tanga.”

Tumawa lang ako at tinignan si Winter na nag aattemp tumayo.

“Saan ka pupunta?” tanong ko at ready na para alalayan siya.

“S-s-suka, sama ka?” sabi niya habang nakapikit na ang mata.

“Kaya mo na pala ‘yan!”

“T-talaga!”

She said at dahan dahan na naglakad papunta sa cr habang hinahawi ang mga tao sa harapan niya.

“Sundan mo at baka i-flush pati ulo niya.” Sabi ni Aeri habang tumatawa

Tumango lang ako at tumayo na. Napatingin ako sa kung saan naka-pwesto si ateng pretty kanina pero wala na siya sa table niya. ‘Di talaga siya para sa’kin, ouch naman non. Ako na ‘to oh?? Kumarap ako ng ilang beses bago sundan si Winter. Hindi ako nagmadali dahil baka ‘di pa tapos sumuka ‘yon. Ayoko makita kadugyutan niya.

“Winter? Saan ka?” sabi ko at dahang dahang pumasok sa cr.

“Tell me who it is?!” rinig kong sigaw ng isang babae.

Huminto ako sa paglakad para mapa-kinggan siya ng maayos.

“WHO IS IT?! TELL ME WHO IS IT!” pagalit na sigaw ng isang babae.

Hindi ako gumalaw sa kinatatayuan ko when I heard her sobbing.

“You were there, it-it’s your birthday, Winter.”

Nung narinig ko ang pangalan ni Winter ay agad akong pumunta sa cubicle kung saan nanggagaling ang tunog. Pinilit kong itulak ang pintuan hanggang sa bumukas. There I saw Winter being grabbed by her collar unconscious.

Nag init ang pakiramdam ko at agad na hinawi yung babae papahrap sakin. She loosens her grip sa collar ni Winter at napaharap sa’kin. I was mad but when I fully saw her face, sobrang nagulat ako. It’s her. The pretty girl… but why?

She ran after our eyes met and I froze. Bakit siya nagagalit kay Winter?

Winter…

Right, si Winter nasa lapag still unconscious.

Chineck ko agad si Winter kung may nangyari ba sakanya or she got hurt pero wala naman. Binuhat ko si Winter sa likod ko para maiuwi na kahit na sobrang gulong gulo pa ‘ko. She’s fuming mad. What did you do my little fella?

Kinabukasan ay tinanong ko si Winter kung may naaalala ba siya pero wala raw. Ang huling memory niya raw ay sumusuka siya then she passed out. Bagsak na siguro siya nung inabutan ni pretty gir- shut up, Ryu. She tries to harm Winter. What is she up to?

Kaya ba siya lagi nasa club pag andun kami dahil humahanap lang siya ng tyempo? Now I regret admiring her. But… my is she so mad? Nakita ko yung mga mata niya, it was full of revenge. Anong ginawa ni Winter para magalit siya ng ganon?

Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko yung girl lalo na’t andito na naman kami sa club. Aeri invites us to celebrate. She’s now the official owner of this club, pinamana na ng father niya. Alam konng weird kasi mayaman yung pamilya nia sa Japan pero bakit club sa ibang bansa ipapaman sa kanya? I don’t know about any family matter, I don’t have one.

Sa pag lalim ng gabi ay pag lakas din lalo ng tugtug. Sabay sabay na tumayo ang mga tao para makisayaw sa gitna, isama mo na si Winter na alak na alak nanaman. Hinayaan ko lang siya at nanatiling nakaupo.

Ilang minute ang nakalipas habang nakatingin ako sa mga tao na nagsasayaw ay may biglang kumuha ng attensyon ko. It’s her. Sigurado ako sa mga matang Nakita ko!

Agad akong tumayo sa kinakaupuan ko at sinundan ang isang babae na naka black fitted dress. Sa awra palang ay alam ko na na tama