Pinanood ko ang waiter na ilapag ang isang mangkok ng umuusok pang soba noodles sa aking harapan. Kumalam ang aking sikmura nang manuot sa aking ilong ang amoy nito.
I am still tipsy, but the commotion earlier sobered me a bit. Nilapag din ng waiter ang isang basong tubig bago tahimik na umalis. I took the chopsticks.
I stirred the soup, and that's when I realized that Casimir was in front of me right now, and he only ordered one bowl of soda noodles. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya.
He's leaning on the backrest of the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Nakababa na ang hood ng kaniyang jacket, pinapakita ang medyo mahaba at magulo niyang buhok. He's watching me with solemn eyes.
"Aren't you hungry?" Tanong ko at inikot na ang noodles.
"We're here because you're hungry," he pointed out.
He was right. Pero hindi ba siya kakain? Eating in front of him alone is a bit weird.
"Ikaw ang bahala." Sabi ko na lang at kumain na.
It's hot and delicious. I scooped the noodles and chewed them properly. Nang malunok, binaba ko ang chopsticks at inangat ang mangkok upang sumimsim ng sabaw.
Hinayaan ko ang panonood sa akin ng kasama ko. I am really hungry, and these noodles are a chef's kiss! I looked around as I put the bowl down.
It's a small Japanese restaurant near the club. Dahil madaling araw na, kaunti na lang ang customers. I turned to Casimir. My throat parched when I caught him still watching me with a grim expression.
Gusto kong itanong sa kaniya kung nakakain na ba siya rito. But his lethargic eyes and the issue under them caught my attention again.
"Hindi ka ba natutulog? Lagi kang mukhang puyat." Wika ko, hinahalo na ulit ang sabaw.
I smiled when his forehead creased. He looks so cold. Siguro kung hindi malakas ang loob ko, hindi ko ito kakausapin. He's handsome and hot, but he's too intimidating. Nakita ko naman na siyang ngumiti pero masiyado lang iyong madalang.
"O insomniac ka? I am an insomniac, too. Hindi ako nakakatulog pag hindi ako lasing o walang iniinom na gamot." Daldal ko pa at muling sumimsim ng sabaw.
"Is that why you've been partying this month? Don't your pills work anymore kaya naglalasing ka na lang?" the sarcasm in his voice was palpable.
Humalakhak ako sa konklusiyon niya. I saw how his expression hardened when I laughed at him. Umiling ako.
"Of course, not. It's just that... partying is fun. At paano mo nalamang puro party ako, ha? Stalker!" Ngisi ko.
"Who do you think you are?" halos umismid na siya. "Cohen told me."
Nakangisi pa rin ako nang tumango. This guy can't take a joke, huh? Paano nabibiro ni Cohen ito kung mukhang siniseryoso niya lahat nang bagay?
"Can't you smile when you're talking to me? You always look like you're on the verge of snapping out every time I talk to you, you know?" I muttered lightly and leaned closer to him.
He tilted his head, still looking at me seriously. Hindi natinag sa pang-aasar ko. Gumalaw ang kaniyang panga at bahagyang napunta ang makakapal na hibla ng buhok sa kaliwa niyang kilay.
"I want to be friends with you. But it seems like you're holding some grudges against me. Galit ka ba?" sambit ko, nakangisi pa rin.
"May dapat ba akong ikagalit? You're just loud and annoying," aniya, mukhang naiirita na naman.
I pouted. Umayos ako at pumangalumbaba. Sinundan ng kaniyang mga mata ang bawat galaw ko. Bahagyang pumungay ang mga ito, siguro sa antok. He raised his gaze to meet mine, and when they locked on my eyes, they went back to being icy and aloof.
YOU ARE READING
Zephyr Strings
General Fiction(SPHEROID CHAMBERS #3) Ongoing Moving on from a traumatic episode in the past is never a cakewalk. Each of us encountered a lot of crusades in the past and it's up to us how we'll deal with it to outweigh them. He was pressured. He was devastated...
