Favorite Crime // Kobe Paras

11

Times like this that he wants to go to practice late, make the time run faster or just get eaten by the ground. He can't explain the atmosphere inside the epsilon that makes him uncomfortable. Was it the heat coming from the sun, the heat and sweat from their body or the tension between them. Whatever the reason is, he feels awkward when in fact, he should not feel this feeling.

He looks at his teammate/friend that maybe he considered as a brother too with a confused face. He can't see any emotion on his face, he can't even see if the guy was uncomfortable or not, considering the tension that he's feeling.

He didn't know how the tension between them started, basta alam lang nya after they talked last week about arisu, kusa na lang na hindi na sila nag usap. Hinayaan nila because they thought na normal na lang sa kanila ang hindi mag usap but they didnt know na the next time they will talk, gantong ka awkward na ang mag usap.

He knows that he didn't do anything wrong to him, but the awkward atmosphere between them says otherwise so he took a deep breath and started a conversation to lessen the awkwardness..that he can only feel.

"so...what's up?" He started. They never talked like this, they know each other even before they even knew their teammates.

Their frienship is as hard as a stone, but stone can have a crack right? If you try to knock sharply on the cracked stone..it will turned into million pieces. Maybe this is what's happening to their friendship, it has a crack on it and a little knock on the stone, it will get destroyed.

Kobe stopped what he was doing and turned to ricci "no ricci, what's up?" kobe smiled, a fake one that ricci failed to notice.

It's been an hour since they got inside epsilon and started practicing by themselves. Ever since then, no one talked, except for now.

Kobe doesn't understand what's wrong with him now a days. Ricci is a long time friend of his and he shouldn't treat ricci like he did him wrong, it's just that there's a feeling inside him that urge him to treat him like this and he feels like a jerk.

"You've been busy" ricci replied as he continue dribbling the ball.

Kobe scoffed "me? baka ikaw" that made ricci confused. Bakit nga naman hindi macconfused si ricci, kobe was the one who's always busy. Busy with ana, his girlfriend. He doesn't have time for the barkada's gala, makakasama nga sya, he was always with ana, kay ana ang atensyon.

But on kobe's point of view, busy talaga si ricci. Busy with...arisu.And kobe doesn't know kung bakit nakakaramdam sya ng inis. Hindi ba dapat masaya sya dahil hindi na sya masyadong ginugulo ni arisu? but nope, taliwas ito sa dapat nyang maramdaman.

"i am not the one who's always with my girlfriend 24/7 right?" ricci stated smiling...more like smirking. This made kobe more frustrated.

Kobe calm himself first before answering "so what is it to you? i didn't confront you when you were always with arisu" napatigil si ricci sa narinig.

Ricci got it. Kobe is jealous of him because arisu spends more time with him now. Hindi naman kasalanan ni ricci na mas tinututukan na sya ni arisu, nakalimutan ata ni kobe na he has a girlfriend kaya medyo lumalayo na si arisu sa kanya, but ricci knew na arisu's heart will always belong to kobe, don sya walang laban, nakukuha man nya ang atensyon nito pero ang puso nito na kay kobe na.

Why would kobe feel jealous in the first place? di ba nga sinabi nya na sya lang ang gusto ni arisu at substitute lang sya? Ricci don't get it and ricci doesn't want to get it.

"all im i saying is that, your busy with your girl kaya syempre I would hang out with arisu and the others" ricci made it sound like na nagseselos si kobe kay arisu dahil inaagawan ng kaibigan ni arisu si kobe.

Kobe rolled his eyes at ricci "whatever you say...substitute" and ricci lost it. Kahit ayaw nyang intindihin ang nangyayari, nakuha na nya. This talk is always about arisu, not about their friendship that is slowly falling apart.

They were silent for a few minutes, only the sound of the ball dribbling and their shoes screeching on the floor.

"you know, you don't have to be jealous of arisu and I's relationship, were just friends" ricci gave him an assuring smile which made of course kobe confuse.

Ricci saw the look of confusion on his face kaya natawa ito ng mahina 'he's still in denial stage'

"wait, wait, wait, me? jealous? sa relasyon nyo?" kobe's frustration skyrocketed to the sky, he will explode.

"why would I? sa pagkakaalam ko arisu was the one who's jealous. Oh I get it, you're the one who's jealous here ricci, baka nadali ka na talaga ni arisu and you're jealous because you can't have the same effort and attention that she gives me. She may give you attention now ricci, pero let's face it, hindi magtatagal yan once I gave her a little attention" Kobe smile and walk out of the epsilon together with his things and a triumphant smile.

Maybe, he is a jerk after all.

Ricci just stands there still processing what the hell happened. He's...speechless. Wala nga talaga syang laban kay kobe when it comes to arisu. He will always be second choice, o baka nga wala pa sya sa choice ni arisu. Thinking this hurt him, he smile until his smile turn into laugh, a laugh without humor in it. His laugh echoing in the four walls of epsilon. Nababaliw na nga ata sya, sino bang hindi? He lost his close friend and he is having a crisis about his feelings towards arisu.

He sat down on one of the benches staring at nothing. Until another realization hit him. Masyado na syang maraming narerealize ngayong araw, pero last na to.

Guess who's the one knocking sharply on the stoned friendship until it turn into million pieces?

Arisu.

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