𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 // 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚜

xi. wish you were sober

“Anong pila? May sale ba para pilahan?” Kiera joked, and Justin chuckled beside her.

“Corny, Kie ha,” Stell said. “Nahahawa ka na kay Jah.”

Kiera's nose scrunched up while her gaze went to Justin, who was laughing and stroking the back of his head as he listened to their friends' comments. He may be corny at times, but at least she is there to laugh at him, and vice versa. They understand each other's humor, even though none of their friends found it amusing. Well, sometimes it is funny, but they want to tease each other more.

“Tawa ka naman d'yan, Jah?” Stell chuckled.

Justin shrugged. “Kami lang kasi ni Kiera nagkakaintindihan.”

“Ganyan ata talaga, dre, 'pag laging magkasama…” Carl also commented and came up to stand next to Kiera, looking at the dark sky now that the sun had officially set. “Pero sayang yung sunset ha 'di natin naabutan. Ang bagal niyo kasi.” He laughed. “Joke! Akala mo ang bilis ko magbihis e 'no… Picture na lang muna tayo dito sa boardwalk.”

“Oo nga! Wala pa tayo matinong group photo!” Xi-Anne complained.

While everyone was busy photographing the scenery and fixing the camera for their group photo, Chord went to join Kiera, who had relocated to the corner while Justin was assisting Xi-Anne with the camera. She was still preoccupied with whether she and Justin had a sunset moment earlier because she felt him staring at her but pretended not to notice, 'cause that's a really dangerous path if she continued reading into his actions too much and might cause her a heartbreak again.

“So, Kie... Tell me, he dressed up quickly just to follow you and join you in watching the sunset…” Chord trailed off thoughtfully. “Doesn't that tell you something?”

“Sure! It tells me that… he just wants to watch the sunset because you guys are too slow to catch up with us.”

“Huh? Is that it?”

But, as much as she tries not to read into Justin's actions over the last few days, she has one best friend who will do the opposite for her, Chord. He reads everything he sees, especially when it comes to Kiera and Justin.

He feigned coughing. “I smell a moment between my ship that happened while the sun was setting. How sweet. I wished you both the best, Kie...” he said, pretending to cry. “I'm so happy for you, Kiera.”

“What the hell are you sobbing for? You sound like your friend is getting married, and you're going to walk her down the aisle or something,” Kiera remarked, rolling her eyes, not realizing what she had said to her best friend.

“You're getting married?” Chord practically almost shouted, forcing Kiera to look towards their friends, particularly Justin's way, who's fortunately still busy with fixing the camera. “I never said anything about getting married, Kie, but now that you mention it…"

The entire conversation began to take in, and that made her slapped Chord's arm while he just laughed loudly, but his lips were immediately shut close when he saw Justin looking at them.

“Oh no! He's staring at us,” he said to Kiera. “But Kie, I think I'd like to be the one to—”

She whacked Chord's arm again. “Stop! Don't go there, Chord. I'm just saying because you were—you know what, nevermind.”