Aurora Borealis

Chapter 3 - Silverskies

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"Don't worry, I got this. You don't have to worry."

"Like I said, kaya ko na ang sarili ko."

"West entrusted you to me. Baka mapaano ka pa kapag hinayaan lang kita ng mag-isa."

As a sign of forfeiture, I raised both of my arms in the air. In terms of freedom, it seems like I won't be able to stroll along the roadside by myself. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with having someone with me while I'm having leisure time, it's just that I don't want to inconvenience others especially when this stroll doesn't have any necessary purpose.

I want to have a breathe of fresh air, that's all. Staying inside my room facing piles of hardbound, new and old books with a lot of colorful highlighters and pens with smudging ink by my side on the ballpoint can also be exhausting.

And so, at the peak of the morning, there's Aero and me taking a walk. Although I don't walk.

He kept on insisting to come with me ever since I told him that I'm going to take a break. Kilala na rin naman siya sa amin dahil madalas silang magsleep over nina West sa bahay mula noong maka-graduate kami ng highschool.

Recently, I noticed that he's not with his underlings anymore. When I asked him about that, he just replied that he's not really the type to lead a pack.

Everything happened on a whim, the guys who loves to call themselves his subordinates were the ones who arranged the group, not him. They just followed him.

"How's your study?" I asked Aero who's currently pre-occupied with the view of the busy people and streets.

"I'm doing fine. I'm struggling for a bit, but I think I can figure it out..." his monotonous voice never changed. Almost everyone from the gang underwent changes in a span of two years, but he didn't bother to do so.

It's as if he's an immune anime character from the effects of time-skip.

My train of thought vanished halfway upon seeing a small bookshop. Napakaraming libro ang nakapaskil sa mga estante na nahaharangan ng glass wall. I immediately shooked my head. You're not here for them, East. You're here because you're trying to get a break from them.

"Are you hungry?" biglaang tanong niya. Nakatingin din siya sa bookshop nang lumingon ako sa kaniya.

"What makes you think I want to eat by staring at a bookshop?"

"It's just a random question. I've never really apprehended that you're staring at the bookshop. You want to stop by?"

Umiling ako, "I'll pass. I think my brain will explode just by having a glimpse of books for now."

Ini-usad na ni Aero ang wheelchair ngunit pinahinto ko ulit siya nang may makapukaw ng atensyon ko.

"You changed your mind?" tanong pa niya.

"No. I thought I saw something interesting." Ako na mismo ang pumihit sa wheelchair patungo sa harap ng bookshop.

On the third shelf, there's one shoujo manga. The cover wasn't really drawn superbly, and all I can say it's average compared to some of the shoujo mangas that I have read previously.

Where The Sun Rises. It is written by someone under the pseudonym of Silverskies.

"Are you sure you don't want to enter the bookshop?"

Natigilan naman ako sa tanong niya. "Maybe we should keep going. There's a lot of shops that I want to visit. How about you?"

Of course, hindi puwedeng puro ako lang ang may pupuntahan. I'm sure that there are also places where he wants to go.