HaeSoo Playbook

Strawberries and Cigarettes

Strawberries and Cigarettes (HaeSoo)
Ice cream and Fries - One Sided Love
Special thanks to the user who uploaded the photo of Haein with Haejoon at Hawaii Jollibee <3

"Kuya, ano'ng order mo?"
Namulsa si Haein saka tumitig sa menu sa taas ng counter, hindi muna sinagot ang tanong ni Haejoon. Maya-maya, nang hindi nakatiis, lumingon siya rito.
"Dito mo ba talaga gustong kumain?"
"Oo, bakit?"
"We're on a vacation here in Hawaii, why are we eating on a fast food chain?"
Lumarawan ang pagtataka sa mukha ng kapatid niya. "'Di ba favorite mo ang Jollibee? Suki ka nga sa Jollibee na malapit sa atin."
Tumikhim siya. "Nanawa na ako."
Haejoon smirked at him. "Maniwala sa 'yo. May naaalala ka lang, eh." Inakbayan siya nito. "Sige na, Kuya. Ako naman ang ilibre mo ngayon dito."
"Gago," sabi niya at kinuha ang wallet sa bulsa. He took out of his card and looked at the menu again.
The chocolate sundae and large fries combo is tempting him, the same way she flirted with him through her kisses and hugs.
***

"Ano'ng ginagawa mo?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Haein habang pinagmamasdan si Jisoo na i-dip ang fries nito sa sundae ice cream na in-order niya.
Nginisian siya ni Jisoo bago isinubo ang fries na may chocolate dip pa. She moaned and gave him a teasing look when he covered her mouth with his hand.
"Loosen up, Jung," Jisoo said.
"People are looking!" he hissed. But he smiled and did not dare to look around when she laughed.
"Ang stoic mo. Eh, maano naman?"
Ipinagpatuloy ni Jisoo ang pagkain. She dip the fries again. Tapos inialok nito sa kanya.
"Say, ahhh, Jung."
"That is a weird food, Jisoo. Stop that. Sasakit ang tiyan mo mamaya."
"I promise you, this is good."
Napangiwi siya. Hindi niya alam kung mandidiri ba siya sa klase ng taste nito. Jisoo Kim has always been a strange girl. Her strangeness confuses him sometimes but it also made her endearing to him.
Gaya ngayon. It's a strange food. But her smile made him open his mouth and let her feed him. The sweet taste of chocolate, cold feeling of ice cream, and the fries saltiness onslaughted his taste buds.
"See? Sarap, 'di ba?"
It's weird but not bad. Hinayaan niyang subuan pa siya nito ng ilang piraso. Hanggang sa masanay ang panlasa niya at hinanap-hanap na ng dila niya ang kakaibang lasa ng ice cream at fries.
***
"Bakit iba ang lasa?" tanong ni Haein kay Haejoon nang maisubo niya ang fries.
Nagtaka si Haejoon. Kinuha ang sundae at inamoy. Tapos ang fries naman niya ang chineck nito.
"Okay naman, ah. Paanong ibang lasa?"
"Hindi masarap." Ibinaba niya ang hawak na fries. Tuluyan nang nawalan ng gana. "Kulang sa tamis."
Napanganga si Haejoon. "It is still the same taste and crispiness like what we had in our country. Pareho rin ng tamis."
"May kulang sa lasa." Napabuntong-hininga siya.
"Ah..." Haejoon leaned back on his seat. "Iba ang lasa kapag hindi siya ang kasama mo, ganoon?"
Napakamot siya sa sintido. "Hindi sa ganoon."
"Here, Jung, here here..." Pinaliit ng kapatid niya ang boses nito.
Agad siyang naasar sa pang-aasar nito. Tumayo siya at nilayasan ito na naiwang tumatawa.
He went out and stood just outside the door. He looked ahead, his eyes dimming and he can see his vision changing to one of the rare nights he had with her.
Lumingon siya sa katabing malaking statue ng bubuyog. This guy witnessed all of his moments with her. The 'was' gave his heart another squeezed. The story was futile. It serves no purpose to even recall. Kasi wala naman naging simula. Wala ring naging wakas.

***
Jisoo pushed him further at the back seat of his car as she straddled him and her lips not leaving his mouth for a moment.
His fingers dugged at the skin showing just above her jeans and below her tanktop. He did not move his hand and just let her to what she wants with him.
She kissed him, pulled his hair to have more access on his mouth, and even clawed his back in trying to take off his shirt.
Haein made a huge effort on stopping her hands.
"Jisoo..." his voice hoarsed and his words urgent, he needed to make it clear. "What are we?"
She groaned again and dragged her fingers through his hair.
"We're two humans meant to be one," she said.
He stopped. His mind rearing and his heart sinking at the meaning behind her words.
He's been in love with her the moment he saw her. She's a wild flower in a beautiful vast of field. And he's a bee, wanting to taste her. But she's the one who is the hardest to grasp. To please.
She's with him now but not exactly.
"Jung?"
"Will you be mine even tomorrow?"
Jisoo stopped whatever she's doing at his hair. She looked down at him. The lights coming from the fast food chain not far from where they parked the car gave her that mysterious glow on her eyes.
"I'm not good for a long haul, Jung."
She smiled at him. But her smile did not reached her eyes. It gave her that daunting feeling.
"I'm a broken thing, Jung. And you're too good for me. I'm a bad news for you."
He sheepishly smile. "You introduced me to that ice cream and fries combo, I say you're the best thing for me."
Ang naging sagot niya ang nagbigay ng kakaibang kislap muli sa mga mata ni Jisoo. Hinawakan nito ang magkabilang pisngi niya saka siya hinalikan ng dahan-dahan sa mga labi.
Her kisses turned to agressive again. He's loosing his sanity again and he can't stop his hands from caressing her entire back this time, under her shirt.
"I'm not for you, for now. But maybe tomorrow."
And that's good enough for him.

***
Sinipa ni Haein ang bato na nakita niya sa parking lot ng Jollibee na tinigilan nila ni Haejoon sa Hawaii.
It's been three months since he last saw her. This trip was supposedly his first step to move on from all of his 'almost' with Jisoo.
Almost girlfriend. Almost relationship. Almost forever.
But she went missing after that night at the back seat of his car.
He said he loved her that night. She did not said it back. He wanted to wait for her, but how long when she did not promise him anything?
This one sided love sucks.
Another kick on the stone, before he felt his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He pulled it out and answered the call without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?"
The raspy voice that greeted back, teased his ear. "Hello, Jung..."
-THE END-