Unrequited Love

n i n e

Noah

Something's definitely wrong with her. I can see her as this type of girl who won't show her feelings. What can i do for her to trust me?

I really wanna know what happened to her. As soon as i saw her cry, i saw pain, guilt, sadness all in one time.

"Anong meron dun?" Kenji snickered.

"Hindi ko alam." Sabi naman ni Elijah.

"I'll go check on her." Sabi ko. I took the duck out of the band room para pumunta sa kwarto ni Zora. I knocked once. Twice. I'm getting worried. As soon as i realized that the door's unlocked agad ko itong binuksan. I sighed in relief when i saw her fast asleep. Nilapag ko yung pato sa gaming chair niya. Agad kong nilapitan si Zora. I sat on one of her desk chairs.

"Babantayan mo siya?" Singit ni Elijah nang makita niya akong nakaupo sa gilid ng kama ni Zora. I nodded.

"Iba ka rin pre. May gusto ka ba dyan?" Tanong niya sakin. I shook my head.

"The sense of protection. Yun ang gusto kong ibigay sakanya." I said.

"She hasn't been here for a week yet." Sabi naman niya.

"Pre, hindi mo naman kasi alam yung feeling na pag may nakita kang tao may masesense ka kaagad towards sakanya. Malandi ka eh." Pangaasar ko sakanya.

"Whatever. I'll see you around." Sabi ni Elijah.

Zora, what is it that you have to tell? Whenever i first met her i felt something in her. She seems vulnerable and fragile. But she's building up walls to protect herself.

"Mm.." tumingin ako kay Zora. Pinagpapawisan siya. I looked for her bath towel para punasan siya.

"Please. I don't wanna be alone." Bulong nito enough for me to hear it. I tucked her hair behind her ear.

"You're not alone anymore. Nandito kami para sayo." Bulong ko sakanya pabalik. Her sadness faded away instantly at nakatulog narin siya ng maayos.

She's building up walls not to protect her. But to make people stay away from her dahil ayaw niyang may pumapasok sa buhay niya para iwanan lang din siyang magisa.

This poor lass.

—

Zora

I woke up early in the morning with my bath towel beside me. Tumingin ako sa paligid ko.

"Shit where's the duck." Sabi ko as i realized na naiwan ko siya kagabi sa band room. Hinanap ko ito pero wala siya don sa room na yon. Inikot ko yung bahay.

"Bat ba kasi ang laki ng bahay na toh. Feeling ko mawawala ako dito ng di oras eh." Sabi ko habang nagkakamot ng ulo out of frustration. I kept walking, until i saw a glass door leading into a garden. Lumabas ako dito. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko. This garden is mythical. Ang daming bulaklak na pumapaligid dito. There's a mini waterfalls going on in the middle too. Ang ganda.

"Goodmorning, Zora." Bati sakin ni Noah.

"Nandito ka pala." I said.

"Yeah. I took ducky outside para maka— uh tae siya dito sa labas ng garden. The little waterfall will be his lil home." Sabi ni Noah. Nakita ko yung pato na nagsiswimming sa pinagbabagsakan ng waterfalls.

"I never knew na may garden dito. It feels magical out here." I said.

"You haven't seen half of the mansion yet. May library dito and it's my favorite place." Sabi niya sakin.

"You love to read books don't you?" I asked. He adjusted his glasses.

"Hindi ba obvious?" He said as he scratched his nape.

"Wh— i was not saying you're a nerd. What i mean is—"

"Don't worry. I know what you mean. I love reading books because it taught me how to read people's expressions. And reading is calming to me other than playing games." Sabi niya sakin. He seems very educated. Ang swerte siguro ng parents niya sakanya.

"But then, instead of being a writer, why did you join the band?" I asked. Tumingin siya sa araw.

"I love making music. It helps me get away from something that i want to escape from. Tsaka, it's almost 4 years when we started our own little band." Sabi niya sakin.

"Wait, so you mean, magkakakilala na kayo nila Elijah since college years?"

"Yup. And kami yung kaisa-isahang band sa university na pinasukan namin."

"Does that include the former main vocalist?" I asked. Hindi siya umimik. I guess i asked the wrong question. Tumahimik ang paligid ng ilang minuto.

"Everest Maine." He said. Napatingin ako sakanya.

"The girl who i protected the most."

"Do you love her by any chance?" I asked again.

"Never that. But i was able to read within her. When she trusted me enough to tell me what's going on with her, i've decided to protect her at all cost." Sabi niya sakin.

"You protect and help girls alot don't you?" I said.

"Just like the sense of protecting my own mother." Sabi naman niya. Hindi na ako nagsalita pa. The conversation's starting to get deep. I don't think i have the right to know anything.

"Sadly, she left a week ago. I don't know where to pero most likely, Kenji knows." Sabi niya.

"Kenji?"

"Yes. Everest is Kenji's first love. Hanggang ngayon hindi parin matanggap ni Kenji na umalis si Everest sa grupo."

Is that why he doesn't want any female vocalist anymore?

"Kaya ba gustong gusto niya akong paalisin?" I asked.

"Possible. Pero Kenji was never rude to any other females." He said. "Except you." Dagdag niya. What does it have to do with me? Ah. Feeling ko kasi ako yung kaunaunahang babae na minura siya matapos naming magbanggaan.

"But, i'm actually curious on how you met the CEO. What did she make you do para makapasok ka sa band? Knowing her for years, she's picky with vocalists. Pero ang bilis naman niyang magapprove when it comes to you." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ms. Chang only accepted Everest as the main vocalist. Maraming nagaudition before you. Almost half of them sounded good pero wala siyang pinili ni isa sakanila." He said. That's weird. Tumingin ako sa ulap.

Everest Maine. Who exactly are you?