Lifetime

Ikalawang Kabanata

"Raki," someone called while she was busy stupidly staring into nothing.

"Ellaine," she called too.

"Raki."

She rolled her eyes, "Ellaine."

"Tangina mo. 'Wag mo akong pilosopohin. Seryoso 'to." Raki turned her gaze to Ellaine who was catching her breath. "Ano?"

"Anong nangyayari sa manliligaw mo?"

Raki looked at her with a questioning look. "Sinong manliligaw?"

Ellaine unbelievably rolled her eyes, "ay, sorry. Marami ka nga palang manliligaw."

"Tapos?"

"Si Niko," Ellaine said.

"Oh? Anong meron do'n? Wala akong ginagawa sa kaniya," she quickly defended herself.

"Wala nga. Pero umiba na ata ng landas manliligaw mo," she chuckled as if she was very proud of Niko.

"Can you just go straight to the point?"

Ellaine took her phone and showed Raki a picture of Niko and Eraya. She probably took it without the two knowing because it was blurry. Halatang stolen.

Kumunot ang noo ni Raki, "is that Eraya?"

Kita sa litrato ang malawak na ngiti ni Niko habang nakatingin kay Eraya. Hindi naman kita ang mukha ni Eraya dahil nakatalikod ito sa camera. Niko was holding a mc flurry in his hand while the other was touching Eraya's shoulder.

"Yeah. I saw them kanina sa mall bago ako dumeretso dito sa university. It's weird nga, 'di ba?" Ellaine asked.

"Weird?"

"Alam ko naman na nag-uusap sila. Halos lahat naman ata kinakausap ni Niko. Kahit ako. But, ganoon na ba sila kadikit sa isa't isa para magmall na sila lang dalawa?"

Raki shrugged, "don't know."

"Wait. Nagseselos ka ba?" Ellaine laughed after seeing the weird face Raki's making.

"Me? Why? I don't care. Kahit araw-araw pa silang lumabas. Gusto mo lumabas pa kayo na kayong dalawa lang. I wouldn't care."

"Sige. Sabi mo, e."

Well, the reason why Niko and Eraya were inside the mall was because he wanted to treat her. Bilang kapalit na lang ng pagta-tiyaga nito sa kaniya kahit pa nakailang ulit na ito sa pilit na pagpapaintindi sa kaniya ng isang topic tungkol sa artificial intelligence.

"Post ko 'to, ah." Paghingi niya ng permiso kay Eraya.

"Alin?"

"Ito," Niko showed a picture of Eraya he took. Eraya was smiling widely as she held the stick of corndog in the picture. A drop of ketchup was on her cheeks that made her look like a cute child.

How squeezable.

"'Ge lang."

"Nice. Thank you, idol!"

His phone beeped kaya pareho silang napatigil sa paglalakad.

From Raki Moao:
No yakult today?