Chasing Happiness

Twelfth Chase

Twefth Chase

Present.

[ JOY ]

"Welcome back."

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked Kael with a smile. He opened the door to the passenger seat for me at pumasok ako. Pagkatapos, umikot siya at pumasok sa driver's seat.

"Surprise?" sabi niya.

I laughed at that.

"Kumain ka na ba?" Kael asked me as we entered the highway.

"No, I'm hungry actually. You?"

"Hindi pa. Kagagaling ko lang sa trabaho."

"Let's have dinner first?" Pag-aaya ko sa kanya.

"Sure."

Nung makapili kami ng restaurant, I excused myself for a quick phone call before I followed him inside the restaurant.

"How's Japan?" Tanong sa'kin ni Kael after naming sabihin yung orders namin sa waiter.

"Good. Sobrang ganda ng Universal Studios sa Osaka."

Tumango si Kael tapos sumandal siya sa upuan. "Hindi ka pa rin ba masaya sa trabaho mo? You get to travel to beautiful places."

I sighed. "I know. I like this part of my job. Pero hindi yung puro hosting lang na ginagawa ko sa morning show. I want something more than that."

Tumango tango si Kael and then, I suddenly remembered something.

"You know... I saw her. Nung nasa Japan ako."

Tumingin sa'kin si Kael na para bang nalilito siya. "Sino?"

"Si Cat," I said and I watched his reaction. Pero walang reaction si Kael. His face remained stoic. "We were taping at this ramen house that we're featuring and I heard two Filipinos talking. One of them called the other one Caitlyn. And I was sure na boses ni Cat yung isa sa kanila. I tried looking for them pero nakalabas na sila sa restaurant. Hindi ko siya naabutan nung hinabol ko siya kaya hindi ko siya nakausap man lang but I'm sure it was her. She's in Japan!"

Tumingin ng seryoso si Kael sa'kin, "Bakit mo pa hinabol?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Hindi ba siya naman yung umalis at hindi na bumalik? Bakit pa natin hahabulin yung taong umalis sa buhay natin? Bakit pa natin hahanapin yung taong nang-iwan?"

I sighed. I know he was hurt nung umalis si Cat noon. We all were. After all, the four of us were best friends and it will always hurt to lose a friend. Pero para kasi sa'kin, mas nangingibabaw yung kagustuhan kong makita ulit si Cat kaysa sa naramdaman ko nung umalis sya noon.