CHAPTER TWELVE

Just Right

[ Author's Note: Again, a bit heavy on the backstories for the sake of the story. If you're triggered by kidnapping themes and trauma due to violence, please read with discretion. ]
 

[ Minjeong’s. ]

[ 5 Months, 1 Week, 5 Days. ]

“So… After ng six months, babalik ka na sa San Lazaro?” 

Grabe. 

Pati ba kami ni Jimin, may time constraints? 

“I have to take care of the business na naiwan ko sa San Lazaro, and Ate Irene wouldn’t take extensions. Sorry that I didn’t tell you this sooner, Minjeong.” 

Tumango na lang ako habang sinuportahan ko siya dun sa inuupuan namin na tree branch, since out of nowhere nagpatulong siya bigla na umakyat ng puno—siguro dahil sa antics ng tatay niya na manligaw noon. Kita namin yung buong farm mula dito sa puno na napili ko, at binilang ko na sa isip ko yung time na meron pa kami. 

“E ‘di five months ka na lang dito?” tanong ko, hoping na nabilang ko ng tama yung time na naispend niya dito minus yung time na meron pa siya. Tumango siya doon, at tumahimik na uli kaming dalawa. 

“…wala ka naman kahit anong sakit, ‘di ba?”

Natawa siya ng malakas dahil dun sa tanong ko, kaso rinig ko naman na medyo malungkot yung tono niya, probably dahil dun sa story kanina. 

“No, Minjeong,” she says, grasping the tree branch habang tumingin siya sa akin. “I don’t have any sickness at all, I’m healthy as a horse. You?” 

“Horse? Sige nga, demo nga ng tunog ng kabayo?” 

“Ewan ko sa’yo, Minjeong.” she says, rolling her eyes at me habang bumalik na yung tingin niya sa farm. 

“I know you won’t be able to go to San Lazaro because of your father,” she says, at nagpout naman ako since malayo pa yung sinasabi niya pero nag-iisip na agad siya ng worst case scenarios. “So maybe once a month, I can go here. Or better yet, I’m going to forfeit my position and just live here with you—”

“Kahit gusto ko iyon, hindi naman yun pwede. Iniwan sa’yo yung company ng lolo mo, since alam niyang deserve mo yun. Malayo pa naman yan, ienjoy muna natin yung time natin dito—”

“Five months is just too short,” Jimin reasons out, looking at me again and I could see the sadness in her eyes. “I can give up everything to spend a lifetime with you, Minjeong. I don’t want to be happy with you for just five months, I want it to be until my last breath.” 

Ay. Namula nanaman ako dahil sa sinabi niya, at ngumiti naman siya dahil sa reaction ko kahit na iniiwas ko yung mukha ko para hindi niya makita. 

“Pero ayoko na igive up mo yung life na deserve mo just because of me,” pageexplain ko, and I do hope she’s going to understand my side in this. “P-Parang nakakaoverwhelm yun for me. Wala akong kahit ano na pwedeng ibigay na kapalit, Jimin—”

“I don’t need you to do that,” she says, a content smile upon her lips. “You don’t need to give up anything just so you could love me.” 

“Ikaw din,” pagbabalik ko nung argument niya sa kanya. “Tsaka ‘pag pinakawalan mo yung company na binigay ng lolo mo sa’yo, paano na ako magiging non-showbiz na girlfriend ng mayamang CEO—ARAY!” 

Muntik na ako malaglag nang paluin niya ako sa braso, kaya nagpanic din siya at ipinalibot yung braso niya sa bewang ko, while her other arm practically hugged the thick tree trunk na nasa tabi niya. 

Ayan, ang harot harot mo kasi. 

“You’re such a joker,” Jimin says, at kita ko naman na natawa siya dahil sa punchline ko. 

“Sorry, coping mechanism ko yun ng slight. Pero seriously, ‘wag muna natin pag-usapan ‘to? Mga kapag two months nalang natitira sa time mo dito, saka tayo magplano. Gusto ko, mag-enjoy ka muna.” 

“Fine,” she says, at narinig kong bumuntong hininga pa siya. “Anything for you.” 

Nanahimik pa uli kami, at medyo kumalam na yung sikmura ko since 2 pm na din at late na kami for lunch. Natawa nanaman si Jimin nung narinig niya yung tunog na galing sa tiyan ko, but she didn’t tease me any further and instead climbed down the tree, even faster than I could. 

“Perks ng mahabang legs ba yan?” Inis kong sabi, since nakalimutan ko na mabilis nga pala matuto ang babaeng iyon. 

“Admit it, I’m just better than you.”  

“Never in a million years!”

Tawang tawa kaming dalawa habang naglalakad pabalik kela Chaewon, at bago ko buksan yung pinto may naalala naman ako na pinagkasunduan namin before. 

Kala mo, Jimin, ha. Hindi ko pa nakakalimutan iyon!

“Jimin,” pagtawag ko sa kanya nung nakapasok na kami at dumiretso siya sa kitchen para buksan yung apoy tapos iinit yung ulam na niluto ni Ate Seulgi kanina. 

“Hmm?” 

“Since nahanap na natin yung tatay mo… well, sort of,” pagsisimula ko, at inilagay na niya yung plato sa table habang nagsandok na ako ng kanin. “Baka naman pwede mo nang tuparin yung deal natin?” 

She almost dropped the plate she was holding kung hindi ko hinawakan, at mukhang nagpapanic na siya dahil sa sinabi ko. She regained her composure after a few seconds, and this is the first time na umupo siya sa harapan ko instead of sitting beside me like always. 

“W-What deal?” 

Hala siya, nagpanggap pa na di alam. What if magtampo ako sa’yo, Jimin? 

“You promised me na sasabihin mo sa akin kung bakit gusto ni Ate na layuan daw kita,” I said, at medyo napalakas ang paghiwa niya nung chicken thigh na nasa plato niya at the mention of those words. “Nagpinky promise pa tayo dun! Wala bang meaning sa’yo yun?” pajoke kong sabi habang naiiyak, and it seemed to work since nagfrown siya at binitawan yung spoon and fork niya. 

“Minjeong, don’t cry—”

“Chariz lang,” bigla kong bawi, and I heard her whine while picking up her utensils uli. “Pero hindi charot yung usapan natin. Kahit konting explanation lang? Hindi naman terorista yung Ate ko—”

“There was an article about you,” biglang sabi ni Jimin, at nagtilt pa yung ulo ko sa pagtataka kung anong meron. 

"Baka dahil anak ako ng Mayor—"

"The Tragedy of Winter and Summer is the name of the article."

Huh. Kaya pala ayaw niya sabihin nung una.

"Jimin, okay lang," pag-assure ko, since matagal na rin naman yun… sort of. "You can talk about that, stop nalang kita kapag uncomfortable na ako."

Jimin sighed, then brought her utensils down and held my hand, at medyo mahigpit ang hawak niya sa akin na parang ayaw na niya akong bitawan.

"I only read the first paragraph, and I couldn't bring myself to read the rest. Just… it felt wrong, you know? That's the reason why your ate told you to stay away from me, by the way."

Medyo nagulat naman ako doon.

"Alam ni Ate na binuksan mo yung article?" mabilis na tanong ko, since hindi ko rin expect na pati media ay kinontrol na rin ni Ate Taeyeon para hindi mapakalat yung insidente dati. 

“She made it seem like she knew, so maybe she did?” Medyo naguguluhan na sagot ni Jimin, at sumubo muna ako ng isang kutsarang kanin bago ako nagtanong ulit. 

“May iba pa ba siyang sinabi? Something about a business proposal?” 

Naghesitate si Jimin ng slight, at nakita ko iyon sa mga mata niya. Kaya ko lang naman naisip na tanungin yun kasi alam na rin siguro ni Ate Taeyeon na minana niya yung company, so baka isama niya ito sa balak niyang bilhin yung buong San Juan. 

“Yes,” Jimin says, and she must have decided to tell me everything kung pati yun ay sasabihin din niya. “She told me that she wanted to buy the entirety of San Juan’s land, kaso bago pa ako nakasagot Aeri had already ended the call.”

“I don’t really understand kung bakit giyang na giyang si Ate na bilhin yung buong San Juan.” I complained, kaso mukha siyang confused dahil sa sinabi ko. 

“Giyang na giyang? What’s that?” 

Muntik na ako matawa. City girl nga pala ‘tong si Jimin, nakalimutan ko lang since nakikita ko siyang gumugulong sa putikan last time dahil kay Whitey. 

“It means na she’s eager to buy San Juan, Jimin.” 

“Oh… Okay, continue.” 

I smile at her once before continuing kung ano yung sinasabi ko. 

“Ate Seulgi told me bago siya umalis na baka retaliation ni Ate Taeyeon yung gagawin niya na pagbili ng San Juan since si Papa ang kakalabanin niya doon if ever, pero sinabi sa akin ni Ate sa text na kabutihan naman daw ng buong San Juan yung iniisip niya doon.”

“And hindi ka pa kinakausap ni Ate Seulgi, so maybe she failed in persuading your Ate Taeyeon not to do that?” 

I nodded at that, since isang linggo na rin ang lumipas nung bumalik si Ate Seulgi dito pero wala siyang binalita na kahit ano, except yung mga times daw na nagdate sila ni Ate Joohyun pero hindi pa rin niya alam kung anong present label nilang dalawa. 

Yun ata yung rason kung paano nakumbinsi ni Jimin si Ate Seulgi na makikitira muna siya sa bahay for six months? Tutulungan ata ni Jimin si Ate Seulgi na makumbinsi si Ate Joohyun na bigyan silang dalawa ng label. 

“What if Ate Seulgi is just waiting for you to talk to her?” 

Umiling ako doon, at uminom nung iced tea na mukhang tinimpla ni Chaewon kanina dahil saksakan ng tamis, muntik pa ako maubo. 

“Hindi ganun si Ate Seulgi,” I said, convincing myself since kilala ko siya ng sobrang tagal na. “She’s going to talk to me agad if may concerns na related sa akin. She’s not going to hide it from me—”

“Ayun pala eh,” Jimin says, interrupting me from rambling on. “Concerns na related sa’yo. What if the thing they talked about in San Lazaro isn’t related to you, so she isn’t going to talk to you about it unless you approach her first?” 

Oh. “H-Hindi ko naisip iyon.” 

“Where is she right now?” Jimin asks, and I run through the mental notes in my head to see if I remember what she’s doing on this particular Monday. 

“Nasa Mayor’s house ata siya, tumutulong kay Papa… I think.” 

“Oh,” she says, scratching her neck as she finishes eating before me. “Then maybe we should go talk to her after that, when she’s at home.” 

We daw, imbis na ako lang kumausap. Medyo kinilig naman ako doon. 

Ikaw Jimin, ha…

“Go lang,” sagot ko, at natapos na din ako kumain. “Hindi naman ako nagmamadali.” 

As usual, ako na uli yung naghugas habang kinuha na ni Jimin automatically yung pamunas na pantuyo ng mga pinggan para mabilis kami matapos. Medyo chill lang today since natapos na rin namin diligan yung mga halaman na itinanim namin, tapos wala na rin masyadong gagawin sila Ryujin kaya nadisband na ang reinforcements ng farm. 

Pero siguro, time na para malaman ni Jimin kung sino ba talaga ako? 

Well, since nakita niya yung article at nakausap niya si Ate Seulgi bago siya umalis ng San Lazaro, mukhang may alam na siya sa tunay kong name bago iniba ni Mama iyon noon. 

I trust her naman, since she’s been such a nice person to me since day one—at kahit naman ideny ko, parang magkadikit din yung buhay namin ever since pagkabata. 

Though hindi ko maalala kung nakipaglaro ba ako sa kanya nung bata ako…?

“Jimin, may ikukwento lang ako.” kabado kong sabi pagkatapos namin maghugas, at pumasok kaming dalawa ng kwarto since ayokong may makarinig sa sasabihin ko. Umupo kami side by side like that afternoon nung sinapak ako ni Jeno, and I fig