Shadow Protector

11

-11-

IT'S been two weeks since nung aksidenteng nagkahalikan sila ni Aikros, she was still mad about that. It was her first kiss kaya galit na galit siya. Blinock niya ang number ng lalaki at iniiwasan siya sa trabaho niya.

She is focusing her attention to her other job which is pamahalin ang ex ng bestfriend niya, her routine changed. Every morning to noon nasa bahay siya ni Adler and every night nagtatrabaho siya.

"Puro nalang grapes itong pinapakain mo sa akin, nakakasawa na ung grapes." Reklamo niya sa lalaki, tumawa naman ito at nagbigay ng ibang prutas.

She looked at him with disbelief at kinuha ang panibagong prutas na bigay sa kanya sabay ipinakita niya kay Adler ang prutas. "Really an orange?"

"Ayaw mo na ng grapes eh kaya orange naman." He teased, itatapon na sana niya ang orange papunta kay Adler pero bago pa niya maibato ang orange sa lalaki, may nilagay itong plato sa harap niya.

Natakam siya sa nakita niya ang nasa plato at fried rice, bacon at itlog. Ngumiti siya sa lalaki at kumuha ng kutsara at tinidor.

She ate peacefully, masarap ang luto ng lalaki she can't deny it. Dahil nakarami siya ng kain. "Wow, hindi ka naman niyan gutom ano?" Tanong nito na para bang nang-aasar.

"Pasalamat ka nga kinakain ko yung niluto mo." She returned the teasing to him, sumimangot ito sa kanya at kinuha ang plato. She grabbed the plate out of his hand kasi di pa siya tapos kumain.

"Huwag mo sabihin na ma third round ka pa?" Gulat nitong tanong, she grinned at him and slowly nod. Disbelief was seen on the guy's face, "Unti lang naman eh." Sabi nito at kumuha ulit ng pagkain.

Umupo ito sa may harap niya habang pinapanuod siya nito na kumain, she was feeling embarrassed kasi naman pinapanood siyang kumain. Kumuha ng tissue si Adler, he extend his arm and hand para punasan ang dumi sa may labi ni Khayeen.

Khayeen dodge his hand na may tissue at kinuha ito sa kanya, tumaas ang kamay ni Adler na parang sumusuko ito.

Pinunasan niya ang dumi sa labi niya at inubos na ang luto ng lalaki, tumayo si Adler at kinuha ang pitsel sa ref para bigyan rin ng maiinom.

"Andami mong kinain pero di ka uminom." Natatawa nitong sabi at binigay sa kanya ang baso na puno ng tubig. She grabbed the cup at uminom ng tubig.

"Any news sa nangyari dun sa lalaki?" She was pertaining to the criminal who Aikros killed. "No, ang alam lang namin he was killed with a sniper."

Tumango tango siya, she felt some kind of relief dahil wala pa silang news and information about who killed the criminal. "Fully healed na ba yung sugat mo?" Tanong nito

"Yeah, it's fully healed kaso nag-iwan ng peklat." Ngumuso siya kay Adler, she heard him chuckled and then ruffled her hair.

"You're cute." He complimented her, which made her heart felt like something na hindi pa niya nararamdaman. She frowned, "You're weird."

He again chuckled, "it's your fault that you came to my life." He mumbled but Khayeen didn't understand him. "Ano kamo?" Tanong nito sa lalaki

Ngumiti ang pulis, "wala, maganda nga pero bingi." Inambahan niya itong sasampalin ng umiwas ang lalaki, the apartment was engulfed with laughter.

AFTER being at Adler's place, hinatid siya nito sa bahay niya. Just like her everyday routine for the past couple of weeks. She said goodbye to Adler before going inside her house.

She never once invited him over to her house, ayaw niya ito papasukin sa bahay niya. Nirerespeto naman ni Adler ang desisyon ni Khayeen na bawal siya pumasok sa bahay niya.

She was getting ready para sa work niya, simula nung iniinvolve na niya sarili niya kay Adler ay hindi na siya binibigyan ng early mission. Puro gabi na ang mission niya which she enjoys.

She hated the darkness in her childhood, pero sa nangyari sa kanya. She now loves the darkness. She wore the usual outfit of hers.

She hopped on her motorcycle and drove off, she just need to avoid him. Galit pa rin siya sa ginawa ni Aikros, kissing her like that without her permission. For her dapat may permiso niya na halikan siya.

Pero what the guy did was unacceptable, hindi niya mapapatawad ang paghahalik sa kanya.

She parked her motorcycle sa parking lot, sa parking lot na niya pinapark ang motor niya. Hindi na sa malayo kasi napapagod na siya kakalakad sa malayo para lang makapunta sa workplace niya.

She wore her mask and went in, just like every night nasa may lobby si Aikros. Tumayo ang lalaki nung nakita siya, lumapit ito sa kanya. "Look, I'm sorry sa nangyari." He apologize.

She stayed silence and tried to avoid him, ayaw niya makipag-usap sa kanya. "I like you, okay?"

Her glares at him was intense, "pero that doesn't mean na kailangan mo ko halikan." She hissed at him. "I know that's my fault." Pag-aako niya sa kasalanan niya.

"Lumayas ka sa harap ko, I don't want to talk to you."

He sighed at nagbigay daan sa kanya, hinayaan niyang makaalis si Khayeen. He was really devastated na hindi na siya kinakausap nito. Her attention was his happiness, hindi niya alam kung kelan nangyari ang pagkagusto niya sa babae.

He went back to what he was doing while thinking about his mistake.

She was fuming mad because of Aikros, he like her it's okay to her. Pero yung halikan siya just because gusto siya niya ito ay hindi okay sa kanya yun.

He stole her first kiss kaya hindi talaga okay sa kanya yun, gusto niya sa kasal niya ang first kiss niya. It might sound weird pero yun ang gusto niya.

She just shrugged it off and put her arrows inside her quiver at sinuot ito. She put her bow sa balikat niya at sinuot rin ang lalagyan niya ng katana sa may bewang niya.

She left the building like usual and positioned herself on another building's rooftop. Two criminals that she will kill using a bow and arrow. Then three criminals with her katana. She just has to wait patiently.

-T.M.B-