Hardest to Lose (Villaraza Series #4)

04 | Playgirl

04 | Playgirl

He was really testing me.

“Kasi, ‘di ba? What’s so sweet with guys who are nice only to you? Who are jerks to everyone? Nakaka-in love ba ‘yon?”

He was up to something, I was sure. There was no other explanation.

“What if that kind of guy suddenly falls out of love? Eh di gago na rin siya sa’yo. Bakit ba karamihan sa girls ngayon gusto ‘yong lalaking sa kanila lang matino? Ayaw ba nila ng matino sa lahat?”

I wouldn’t let him win. He was waging a war and it was never my nature to back down.

“Those kind of guys are the ones to avoid. They’re pretentious and mean!”

Huling suntok at hinayaan ko nang iduyan ng naiwang puwersa ang punching bag. Humihingal na nahiga ako sa sahig at ipinatong ang braso sa aking noo.

Whatever you’re up to, you don’t stand a chance against me, Markus Lancelot.

“God, I don’t understand your species sometimes.” I felt Kuya Iñovyz occupied the space next to me. Bahagyang natakpan ng kanyang katawan ang sinag ng araw na tumatama sa mukha ko. “‘Maginoo pero medyo bastos’? You’re all weird!”

It was a weekend and I finally had the time to do boxing. Studying civil engineering had been hectic and I barely had time to do this so I was enjoying every chance I got to the fullest.

“Why don’t you sign up for boxing, Kuya? Tumataba ka,” I said to cut him off.

Kuya Iñovyz made a face then rolled his eyes at me. “Pagod ako sa buhay tapos magpapapagod pa ‘ko diyan? ‘Tsaka ano bang problema mo kung tumataba ako? Body-shamer ka ba?”

Oh, my God. How did it escalate to that?

Unlike I was, Kuya Iñovyz wasn’t athletic but he tagged along today because he was bored. All he did was comment on other people or ‘assisting’ my punching bag. He was even eating junk food and wearing that headband. And he was always talking. He was probably the most madaldal person I knew. I wondered how his future girlfriend would handle him. He was chaotic and a mess. That, if may pumatol nga.

“Akala ko ba may lakad ka? Ba’t nandito ka pa?” I asked again as I was stripping the gloves off of my hands.

“Mamaya pa naman . . .” Naramdaman ko ang pagpihit ng kanyang bewang sa direksyon ko. Even without looking at him, I could see the judgment in his eyes. “Ayaw mo ba talagang sumama?”

Here we go again. “I told you. Binenta ko na ticket ko.”

“Ewan ko sa’yo.” Gusto kong matawa sa nahimigang hinampo sa tinig niya. My brother could be disgustingly cute sometimes. “Huwag ka nang babalik sa fandom, ha.”

I snorted and chuckled.

Among my siblings, I was closest to Kuya Iñovyz. Apart from the fact that he was only a year older, he was the coolest of all my kuyas. He was the nicest, too. Marami kaming pinagkakasunduan. We were both into K-pop and K-dramas. Parehas din kaming sumasayaw at recently, parehas kaming naeengganyo sa pagba-vlog. Kahit madalas din ay nag-aaway kami, he always got my back and so was I to him. We were basically siblings and best friends. At least that was what I thought we were. But I was sure he’d be torn between me and Ate Alex. He loved that girl so much, too.

“‘Yong mga merch na binili mo, akin na,” patuloy niya.

“Hell no,” mabilis kong tugon at inangat na ang sarili mula sa sahig. “I’m not leaving the fandom, okay?”