Relentlessly Yours [Completed]

Chapter 3 - Kai's POV

Kai, Age Thirteen
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I stared at the distance as my friends and I take a break from playing basketball.

"Tapos na 'ba tayo?" Tanong ni Calum na nagbibihis na ng bagong tshirt.

"May lakad ka, Cal?" Ganting tanong ni Reid sa kanya na nanatiling nakaupo sa harap ko, hawak ang itim na tumbler sa kanang kamay.

Nasa bench kami sa gilid ng puno para takasan ang araw. It was a saturday and we always spent saturdays together. Except when I need to train, which has been taking the majority of my time these days, honestly.

I've been winning Karting championships since I started when I was five years old. The next step is F4.

Sa karting ko rin nakilala sila Leyton, Reid at Calum 'nong four years old palang kami. They only played for the first two years and then stopped, moving onto different sports. Ako lang ang nanatili ang interes sa racing.

Kaming tatlo nalang ang laging magkasama because Leyton is thousands and thousands of miles away, in a boarding school somewhere in New Zealand. After engaging in fights multiple times and even making teachers' lives a living hell, his parents decided it was best to ship him off.

I punched him once, too. After snatching Calliope's drawing and causing her the tiny scar on her knee. He was bewildered and of course, punched me back like the asshole he was. And that's that. We didn't speak of it again. We were back to playing like nothing happened. Only, I would never forget.

We still stay in contact and jump in a video call from time to time.

"I'm going to watch Nicola's recital."

I perk up when I heard her name. The familiar pounding of my chest whenever I hear her name assaulted me.

Sinulyapan niya kami ni Reid sa gilid ng mata niya. "Gusto niyo 'bang sumama?"

Reid snorted and my mouth opened before I could stop myself. "Where is it?"

Hindi makapaniwalang tiningnan ako ni Reid. "You really want to watch that shit?"

May disgusto sa tono niya at pinigilan ko ang sariling sapakin siya. Why am I suddenly angry?

At talagang tinanong niya pa ako 'non? Didn't he know I never missed any of Calliope's recitals? The Idiot.

"Fuck you. My sister is very talented," pagdedepensa ni Calum sa kambal niya.

"Hindi ko sinabing hindi siya talented. It just seems like a waste of time, that's all," kibit-balikat niya.

"Whatever," sabi ni Calum bago tumingin sa akin. "You coming?"

I ignored Reid's eyes and nodded, also started to take my sweaty shirt off and changed.

Napagkasunduan namin na magkita sa venue dahil kelangan ko pang umuwi sandali para magbihis at magakaiba ang route ng bahay namin kaya mas mabilis kung magpapamaneho nalang ako sa isa sa mga drivers namin.

Matapos ang isa't kalahating oras ay bumaba ako ng sasakyan at agad na lumapit kay Calum na naghihintay sa labas ng auditorium.

"Hurry the fuck up. Malapit ng magsimula," sabi niya at agad na pumasok kami at umupo sa front row seats.

I am pleased to know I will have a clear view of Calliope.

Wala pang ilang minuto ay nagpalakpakan ang mga tawo nang lumabas siya. She looked beautiful in her white dress and red doll shoes. She always, always made sure to wear something red. Her long black and shiny hair was pulled in bun, exposing slightly freckled cheeks.

Calliope hates and considers them an imperfection but her freckles are actually my favorite part of her face. My lips always itched to kiss them and recently, I felt the urge to lick them, too. All one hundred and thirty-six of them. I was so facinated that I even counted them while she sketched, with her eyebrows drawn together in concentration. She was concentrating on her drawing while my entire attention was on her.