The Playing Coach's Manager (Redo)

Chapter Twenty Four

[Marie]

"You like that playing coach, don't you?"

Nagsalubong ang kilay ko nang marinig ko iyon mula kay Brighton. Natigilan din ako dahil sa matinding confusion na naramdaman ko.

Gusto? Sino? Si Kenji? 

What?

"The fuck you talking about?" Kunot noo kong sabi.

"You like that Kenji-guy! I can see it! The way you look at him is very different!"

HA?

"I ADMIRE HIM! ARE YOU NUTS?!" Sabi ko.

Lalo ding kumunot ang noo niya. "You're enjoying your time in that team because of that guy, right?! Even though you're just a manager!"

??? Gago ba 'to?

"Hey, fucker. Listen to me!" Tumaas na ang boses ko. "I agreed to be the manager because I want to! And for the record, I am very much enjoying my time here because I am raising real basketball players with manners, unlike you!" 

Natigilan ito.

Huminga ako ng malalim.

"I maybe just a manager now and maybe it's not even what I was before in middle school, but I genuinely love the team I am in. I have never felt this way before towards a basketball team. I feel like I belong to a family and it is my duty to guide them! It feels fulfilling! Almost the same as being an MVP of a match!" 

His face softened but still confused.

And I am also surprised of myself how I put those bag of emotions into words. I am not very good at expressing how I feel via words by the way.

"I want to stay here," sabi ko pa.

Yumuko siya.

"I love what I have right now."

"Understood," he said and left. As in legit left. I heard his motorbike leaving the house. Hindi siya nagpaalam kahit kanino.

Malakas pa rin ang tibok ng puso ko matapos noon. That was one of the badass moments I finally put my emotions into words kasi. Hindi kasi ako maexpress na tao. 

It feels different... parang namamanhid dibdib ko pero ang gaan. Ang weird.

But one thing though I am confused, though. Why did he think that I like Kenji? It came from nowhere. Very random.

That guy... really.

--

[Kenji]

Naglakad ako papasok ulit ng sala matapos kong aksidenteng mapakinggan ang usapan ni Marie at Brighton. Hindi ko pa maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ko.

Ang totoo kasi niyan, dapat magsasabi ako sa kambal na baka mamayang gabi lang ay marestore na ang kuryente ayon sa balita, pero nagulat ako nang marinig kong naguusap si Marie at Brighton. Hindi ko ginustong makinig sa usapan ng iba, pero narinig ko ang pangalan ko.

Tinanong ni Brighton kung gusto ako ni Marie.

Nasa likod lang ako kaya 'di ko sila nakikita, pero naririnig ko sila. Huminto ang mundo ko nang sinabi ni Marie na ina-admire niya ako. Ang ibig kong sabihin, hinahangaan ko rin siya, pero may halong romantic feelings na 'yung sa akin dahil mahal ko siya. 'Yung sa kanya kasi... wala. Alam kong hinahangaan lang talaga niya ako.