setting sun (gAWongSt)

nd 5

kung napa dropped jaw si riz sa unang gabing nagkita sila uli, mas lalo na nang sinundo niya si jemalyn kinabukasan dahil sa suot na above the knee, golden skinny dress matched with white nike sneakers.

sobrang light lang ang make up at lip tint nya kaya mas evident yung real beauty which made her looked so attractive kaya napalunok ng laway si riz at napa praise sa dalagang pinagbuksan nya nang car door.

naalala ni riz nong nasa grade school pa sila during summer break, level 5 to be exact. nasa thailand sila with their family to grace the opening of the family's first branch of their baby care business. sabi nya kay jemalyn that time, "when we grow up, we'll manage this branch... together we'll make it boom and earn money so we can buy all what we want... and we can tour around the world."

"i will be the manager. " jemalyn replied.

nauwi pa sila sa tampuhan noon dahil sa pinag aagawan nila ang managerial post.
umiyak pa nga si jemalyn at tumakbo para magsumbong sa mga magulang nya pero napigilan sya ni riz sabay sabing, "stop crying... i'll give up. you are the manager of this branch when we grow up, okay?" habang pinapahiran ang mga luha na nasa pisngi ni jemalyn.

"you mean it?" sagot ni jemalyn while sobbing...

"yes, i mean it. pinky swear!"

nakipag pinky swear si jemalyn kay riz... maya maya, riz being naughty, kissed her smack on her lips para sealed with a kiss din daw kaya hinabol sya ni jemalyn para mapalo sa hawak hawak nito na manika.

"shall we, riz? while tapping his hand na nakahawak sa pinto ng kotse... " takang tanong ni jemalyn kay riz ng hindi nya naisara ang pinto a few minutes later...

"ah, yes! yes!" sagot ni riz habang kinabit ang seatbealt ni jemalyn at mabilis na umikot at umupo sa driver's seat.

"sorry jemalyn... i just remembered one of our moment in thailand he he he..." dagdag pa niya.

what was it? i can't recall any of it...

"really? that moment made me realized that i had a crush on you that turned into a puppy love when you answered i love you too when i said i love...

it's quiet hazy though...

twas when we argue the managerial post in thailand branch... you even hit me with a doll when i gave you a smack kiss on your lips. sabay peace sign ni riz...

natawa na lang si jemalyn sabay sabing those were the days... it's just part of our growing up period... as we grow, it faded too... we broke up... we even lost our communication then eventually we fall again to someone whom we also lost.

maybe we didn't find yet the person that will stick with us through thick and thin...

for me, i found that person already but sad to say, i still end up heart broken.

maybe we are the one who are meant to be?

or may be just like old times, we met, we fell then lost each other again because we are not really meant to be romantically... we're better off as family friend, and business partner only?

do you think, it's not possible for us to go beyond friendship 'cause i do believe in 'love is sweeter the second time around, jemalyn?'

for now, all i could say is that i am not ready to fall in love again... i really had a worst relationship in my last relationship. ahmm, why try? when we can just simply tell them that we're better off as friends...

to be honest, i realized last night that i still have a feeling for you after all these years, jemalyn... the romantic excitement is still there... you still have that aura that made my jaw dropped... i still felt it, the moment i saw you walking towards me... that is why i am more determine to win you back and i hope you won't close your door right away... let me court you again, jemalyn, please... this may be our right time i mean i believe this is our right time...

what if this will not work out because our time is already gone by?

if after all i've done the best effort to win your heart again, still i am just a family friend to you and you will tell me to stop, i'll stop but only in courting you... i will continue to love you but for now, let me date you and let me show you how precious you are... shall we?

okay then... always wear your guard and make it sure you can still move forward even if you can't have me at the end game.

i will... but you are worth it...

so ayun nga... niligawan ni riz si jemalyn and he really did his best each day na nasa date mode sila.

in a week, ramdam na ni jemalyn how sincere riz was... she's happy... and she's beginning to look forward sa next na lakad nila ni riz dahil he really made it sure na memorable ang bawat moment nila.

though nag enjoy sya, lagi syang nag ho hold back gawa nang me takot sya na baka riz is no different to jv... baka ginalingan lang nya dahil sa business and to please his parents...

for her, di naman mahirap mahalin si riz. minahal na nga nya ito and he was her first puppy love. seguro kung hindi sila nagkalayo baka sila pa hanggang ngayon. sa tingin nya sa ngayon, he's a jowa or a husband material... pero still takot pa rin syang sumubok uli...

pero kahit pa man ganon, hinayaan pa rin nya si riz na maligawan sya... sumasama sya kapag susunduin sya for lunch or dinner...

samantala, pagkarating nina deanna at mache sa tokyo haneda international airport, nag check in agad sila sa nearest hotel...

matapos maka freshen up, pinuntahan agad nila ang address ni jemalyn but unfortunately, naabutan nila na inalalayan ni riz ang dalaga pasakay sa kotse kaya di na sila bumaba sa taxi na sinakyan nila.

they just followed them... nasundan nila ito sa may isana sushi bar...

patago silang sumunod sa loob... pumwesto sila sa area kung saan malaya nilang makita si jemalyn...

lapitan na natin tol...

hwag! baka ma spoil natin ang araw ni jemalyn... she looks so happy with the guy. boyfriend na kaya nya yan?

para malaman natin, tara na magpakita na tayo kay jemalyn...

mamaya na, hanap tayo ng right time, tol.

okay ka lang ba, tol?

parang me dagger na nakabaon sa dibdib ko, tol pero okay pa ako...

napatingin si jemalyn kina deanna at mache kung kaya napayuko sila pareho at nagkunwari na mamili ng food na oorderin...

pagtingin uli ni deanna, si riz na lang ang nakita nya...

tol, you look around... check mo kung asan si jemalyn... yung lalaki na lang ang naiwan sa table pero andon ang bag nya.

try mo i check sa comfort room, tol baka andon. chance mo na syang makausap.

okay lang ba, tol? kinabahan ako baka di ako papansin...

loka to! bakit naman? the last time na kasama natin sya, mag bff tayong tatlo eh kaya papansinin ka nya for sure...

cge cge, sundan ko...

go, tol.. nasa bandng kanan mo ang way to comfort room...

off to cr agad si deanna nang sinipa ni mache ang paa nito at linakihan ng mata.

good luck, tol. galingan mo ah... pahabol ni mache...

so, this is it na ba?

amping kanunay guys...