Hello, Co-Captain (Hello, #2)

Epilogue

Ianne had been clutching her chest since she left the campus. Her heart was beating fast and loud that she was having a hard time breathing properly.

Pag-uwi niya sa bahay ay napahiga na lang siya sa kama habang nakatingin sa kisame. Rico Blanco's Your Universe was replaying in her head for several times already, but instead of his face, all she could see was Benjamin's.

"Oh my god," she squealed as she rolled on her bed. Everything felt so surreal, she wasn't sure if they were even real.

Napahawak siya sa magkabilang-pisngi niya. They were still warm and tingling. It had been a while since she felt this happy, but she couldn't shake off the doubts lingering in her head.

Benjamin said he did not need an answer. He just wanted to tell her how he felt for her. But the truth was, she also did not know what to feel that moment. In fact, she remembered her emotions going haywire. It was euphoria, confusion, fear, and wavering all at the same time.

Muli niyang tiningnan ang phone niya at napatitig sa huling message ni Benjamin: see you next year.

Dahil start na ng Christmas break ay hindi niya ito makikita ngayong taon. It was also a good thing because she needed to sort out her feelings for him, too. Medyo naguguluhan pa rin kasi siya.

Benjamin was attractive. Besides his physical features, she liked his personality, especially his humor. Madali rin itong makagaanan ng loob kaya komportableng makipag-usap. However, after what happened with her previous relationships, she wasn't sure if she'd be ready to risk her heart again. Nandoon na 'yong takot na baka lokohin o iwanan na naman siya lalo na't gano'n naman ang laging nangyayari sa kanya.

What if he's just the same? That question dawdled in her mind for days.

They continued messaging each other, and she was thankful that Benjamin did not open any topic about his confession. Madalas ay puro asaran lang at kung ano ang ginagawa ng isa't isa.

Days passed by quickly and she spent her vacation binge-watching several kdramas and TV series. Halos umaga na rin siya natutulog kaya hindi siya agad nakakasagot ng chat nito at halos oras ang pagitan ng replies.

Her family also celebrated Christmas with the standard food on the table. Pagdating ng hatinggabi ay nagbatian sila ng mga kaibigan niya at nauwi sa group call.

"Wala bang magreregalo sa akin d'yan?" tanong ni Gray habang kumakain ng lumpia.

"Sige, shuta ka, reregaluhan din kita ng Katinko!" she retorted after remembering his gift for her birthday.

Natawa naman si Gray sa sinabi niya. "Essential kasi 'yon! Kunwari ka pa, ginagamit mo rin naman!"

"Galawang tita," Elle chimed in.

There were just laughs and banters for a good thirty minutes. Pagkatapos no'n ay nagkulong na siyang muli sa kwarto niya para manood ng movies, pero bago pa siya makapag-ready ay nakita niyang binati siya ni Benjamin sa chat.

Her lips automatically curved upward, much to her surprise when she realized it. Kahit wala namang tao ay na-conscious siya at agad na itinikom ang labi niya.

For the next few days ay magka-chat lang sila at nag-uusap ng kung anu-ano. Deep inside, she already knew that she liked him, too, and she wanted to tell him that, but her skeptical side was holding her back.

She knew confessing took a lot of courage, but the burden would always be on the receiver, because they would either accept or break someone's heart. But what made him different from the others was that he said telling someone you like her wasn't a question she needed to respond to. That his intent was just to sincerely express how he felt for her, and not for her to reciprocate it.