Naudlot kilig ko kasi naaalala ko ang red flags niya.
Dapat hindi tayo nagpapauto sa mga salita.
heyitsmel
Hello?
Kio_H
Hi?
heyitsmel
umm, I'm sorry. It might appear that I'm assuming but don't you have a girlfriend?
Kio_H
If I have a girl, hindi ako nagd-dm ngayon.
heyitsmel
Mira? I think I heard that name sa food stall nun.
Kio_H
That's my dog. How did you know my dog's name?
Ah.. so ang pinapaalagaan pala nun ay dog niya. Weh? Trust issues go sponks!
Kio_H
Ikaw ah. You eavesdropped when I was on a call with my dad.
Ay, straightforward ang kuya mo Kio oh.
And with that, we chatted with each other. There were no more red flags, I think? He didn't have a girlfriend and he said he quit vaping. The hope of feeling love came back. The hope that I was enough came back too.
Napagtanto kong mag-classmate pala ang mga papa namin dati. I thought cold siya pero patagal nang patagal mas naging comfortable ako sakanya.
Nakabalik na kami sa Manila and magka-chat pa rin kami.
Kio_H
Wait. Tinatawag na nila akong mag-sub.
heyitsmel
Wait, what? You're in a basketball game right now?
Kio_H
Yeah. May laban kami ngayon sa liga.
heyitsmel
And kanina ka pa nagcha-chat?
Kio_H
Yeah. What's wrong with that? I had time to chat with you so I did.
enebe.
We've been chatting for a month. Niloko ko siyang baka may girlfriend talaga siya kaya sa Instagram kami magkausap kaya sabi niya lumipat daw kami ng Messenger. Inasar ko lang siya pero he said it was for me to not overthink.
"Sino kachat mo?", pang-aasar ni mama.
Natawa ako kaunti at sumagot. "Someone from our province."
"Aba, sineryoso mo pala 'yong sinabi ng papa mo.", sabi naman niya.
"Hindi po. I really met someone interesting.", sabi ko naman and smiled sweetly.
She looked at me and smiled too. She urged me na magkwento so I did. In-add din siya ni Kio sa Facebook and minsan inaasar pa nga nila ako. One time, pipicture-an sana ako ni mama habang tulog, buti nalang nagising ako sa tunog ng camera.
Me and Kio also thought na gumawa ng nicknames for each other. Of course, hindi 'yong mga endearments like baby, asawa ko, honeybunchsugarplum.
Mel Dela Cruz
How about Kiki?
Akio Hernandez
No way. It's cute pero it would seem like I'm your dog.
Mel Dela Cruz
Okay. How about Aki?
Akio Hernandez
Not bad. My fam and friends always called me Kio. I didn't know na pwede pa palang magawan ng ibang nickname 'yong name ko.
Mel Dela Cruz
Magaling talaga ako sa nicknames, dzuh.
Akio Hernandez
HAHAHAHAH alright. Should I call you Melinda? Rose?
Mel Dela Cruz
Parang lola naman ako. Tsaka marami nang may tawag sa'kin nyan eh.
Akio Hernandez
How about Lili?
Mel Dela Cruz
That's cute.
Akio Hernandez
Then, it suits you.
Akio Hernandez
Lili, do you want to grab food sometime?
Everything was going so well. Hindi rin ako naging strict sa pagba-basketball niya, as long as magsasabi siya. There were times na nagseselos ako and he always made me feel that I was valued.
Aki
Do you have a friend here na alam na magkausap tayo?
Lili
Nope. Why?
Aki
Oh. A friend of mine asked kung sino raw kausap ko ngayon and she showed me your Twitter.
Lili
Wala eh. Sinong friend ba?
Aki
Um, si Mira.
Mira was his last ex. Yes, same name sa dog kasi he thought daw na mahal niya nun si Mira. Yun daw pala, puppy love lang. Kinwento niyang they ended on good terms and they were still friends. Obviously, nagselos ako.
Aki
Lili?
Aki
Are you overthinking? Do you want suyo? She just joined the dc bigla eh tapos ayun nga, nagtanong siya.
Lili
Kailan ba kayo nag-break?
Aki
3 months ago.
Lili
So, medyo fresh ka pa from the heartbreak?
Aki
No. Okay na kami. I've moved on. If you think na panakip butas ka or what, mali 'yong iniisip mo.
Lili
Okay.
Aki
Ok, cold. I'm really sorry. I know ex pa rin siya.
Aki
Wait. Play lang kami ng basketball.
Yeah, he explained and tried to make me feel okay pero just like that, sarili ko nalang kinausap ko. Imbis na pinagtatanggol niya sarili niya from my doubts, ako ang nagtatanggol.
Mel, nag-explain na siya. Ano 'tong inaarte mo? Hindi naman niya maayawan 'yong friends niya.
Pero palagi naman silang magkasama. Personal pa. All I'm asking for is time kahit through chat lang.
Bakit, Mel? Ano ka ba niya?
Inalis ko nalang lahat ng iniisip ko. I wore a smile and went on my day.
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