Unrequited Love

t w e l v e

Zora

I've never seen this place before. It is indeed a secret place. Walang msyadong tao sa lugar na pinuntahan namin ni Noah.

"This is where we usually go to practice nung nasa college pa kami. It's been the band's secret place. Walang tao ang gustong pumunta dito kasi hindi sila interesadong pumasok. But, we made it look really magical lalo na pag sa gabi." sabi niya sakin. I examined the whole space. May mga tables, fairy lights, puno sa mga gilid and a small stage in the center. It almost looks like a small bar. In order for us to get in here, we have to actually go through a bush from the outside. Hindi siya masyadong halata from the outside kaya siguro walang pumapasok dito. Sino ba namang gustong pumasok sa isang bush?

"It really looks nice. Kayo lang din nagdecorate nito?" i asked.

"Everest did. She found this first because we were playing hide and seek during college days. She somehow managed to enter the bush. Nung nanalo siya dahil di namin siya mahanap, she called us while she was peeking out from the bush. And that's how everything started. We called it the secret place kasi nobody knows about it." He explained. 

"Why did she leave the band? If you don't mind me asking." sabi ko sakanya.

"I don't really mind. May sakit kasi siya sa puso. Ilang beses din siyang hinimatay during practices. Kelan lang namin nalaman nung umalis na siya. She told us na may heart condition siya and that she wants to leave the band. Kenji tried to let her stay pero she has to do some therapy para gumaling siya. Kenji visits her once in a while kaya laging late sa band practice yun. Hindi nalang namin pinapansin." sabi niya sakin. Napatigil ako sa pagiisip. Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko. 

"Kaya nga ganun nalang kami magalala sayo kasi natatakot kami na baka pati ikaw matulad sakanya." dagdag pa niya. Tiningnan ko siya.

"I have no heart condition. I've never been sick too. Feeling ko sa sobrang stress na inipon ko from before kaya ako nagkakasakit." sabi ko naman sakanya.

"I'm glad to hear that." sabi niya sakin. Nilibot ko ulit ang buong place. It's really peaceful in here. May isang acoustic guitar sa isang gilid ng stage.

"Whose guitar is that?" tanong ko kay Noah. 

"I think it's Kenji's. Hindi ko alam kung bakit nandito yan." sabi niya sakin. Kinuha ko yung gitara para magplay.

"You can play guitar?" he asked. I nodded. Nagsimula akong magstrum pagkatapos nun ay kumanta na ako. Kinanta ko ng acoustic version yung kantang kakantahin namin once we debut. 

"Wow... That's actually amazing. How did you know the chords for it?" he asked.

"Baka nakakalimutan mong music major ako? I can also play instruments by just listening." sabi ko naman sakanya. Hindi parin siya makapaniwala.

"Tara na. Natunaw na ice cream natin." dagdag ko. Umalis na kami sa lugar na yon. 

"Can i go there again when i feel like it? Or para sainyong apat lang talaga yung place na yun?" i asked. 

"You are more than welcome to come back. Hindi mo na kelangan magpaalam." He said. I smiled at him. 

Pagbalik namin ng band house ay nakita namin si Kenji. Tumingin siya samin saglit pero agad din siyang umiwas. 

"What's with him?" tanong ni Noah. Nagkibitbalikat ako.

"Akala ko ba sanay na kayong ganyan sakanya?" i asked.

"Hindi lang ako sanay na hindi ka niya iniinis." Noah said. I appeared behind him with my right fist up.

"So, gusto mong iniinis niya ako?" i said. He gulped.

"N-not really." kabado niyang sinabi. My mood changed. 

"That's what i thought." Sabi ko sakanya. I giggled. He looked so scared. 

"Saan kayo pumunta?" Elijah asked as soon as he got out of the kitchen.

"We went out to get ice cream." sabi ko sakanya.

"Wow? Without me?" paawa niyang sabi. I rolled my eyes at him. Noah did too.

"By the way, Zora about the hu-" agad kong tinakpan yung bibig ni Elijah.

"D-don't talk about it. It's fine. Kahit di mo maalala, it's okay." agad agad kog sabi. 

"What was that about?" Tanong ni Noah. Umiling kami ni Elijah. Nagkibitbalikat si Noah.

"Oh well. I'll rest first before we practice later. Thank you nga pala, Zora." Noah said. 

"No problem." Sabi ko naman sakanya before he headed back to his room. Kami nalang ni Elijah ang natira kaya medyo awkward ang paligid.

"I- I might as well go back to my room. U-uhm see you later." Sabi ko sakanya. Hinila niya naman ako and because it was unexpected, natumba kaming pareho. I opened my eyes and realized i was on top of him. Namula kaming parehas. 

"Omygod i'm so sorry!" sabi ko sakanya bago ako nakatayo. Tiningnan ko naman siya agad ng masama.

"Bakit ka kasi nanghihila." Medyo inis na sabi ko. 

"It was not my fault that your balance is not that great." sabi niya nang makatayo naman siya. "Because i was about to tell you something." dagdag niya.

"If it's about the hug please forget it." sabi ko sakanya.

"How can i forget it or even remember it when it was not me who did it?" sabi niya. I looked at him. What did he just say?

"W-what do you mean? Sabi ni Noah ikaw lang yung ngbantay sakin kagabi..." i said. 

"For the first 3 hours, yes. But after that Kenji took my place so i could sleep. He stayed there for a bit." sabi niya sakin. Namula nanaman ako ng di oras. 

No... It can't be. I can't assume na si Kenji yung yumakap sakin. I'm his mortal enemy. He hates me. Naalala ko nanaman yung nangyari nung isang araw.

Flashback...

I was about to walk inside my room when Kenji appeared out of nowhere. Hinila niya ako papunta sa kwarto niya. 

"Wtf?! Are you crazy? Bat ba lagi mo nalang ako hinihila kung saan saan?!" I shouted. He closed his door and locked it. Napalunok ako. What the fuck am I supposed to do?

"Leave this house, never come back." sabi niya sakin. I mustered up my courage to speak. 

"I'm never going to do that. This is my dream. You can't take it away from me." Sabi ko sakanya.

"Even if i do this?" Agad siyang lumapit sakin at hinalikan ang mga labi ko. Nanlaki ang mata ko sa ginawa niya. Hindi ako makagalaw. Agad niyang nilayo ang labi niya nang maramdaman niyang may luha na dumapo sakanya. 

Mga luha ko. 

"A-are you-" bago niya matanong kung okay lang ba ako ay agad akong lumabas ng kwarto niya para pumunta sa kwarto ko.

Why is he doing this to me? Is that his way of making me leave this house? For some reason hindi ako nasaktan dahil ginawa niya sakin yun.

Nasaktan ako dahil determinado siyang paalisin ako sa bahay na toh. 

End of flashback...