Language of Love: Te Amo

Chapter 1

College life years

Max Marquez, he came from a wealthy family with a hotel business. One of the main reasons why he was best friends with Kiel Solomon the heir of the Solomon Aviation and hotels. He was the First-born and the only guy from his siblings. As the firstborn he's expected to be the one to handle their Businesses but the problem is that he doesn't want to take up business management but he wants to take up Architecture.

"Papa, hindi ko naman papabayaan ang Businesses natin eh. Por favor, papá." He pleaded. "Promise me one thing, mijo." His father said and his face lit up waiting for his papa's answer. "Sige, papayagan kita. Pero huwag na huwag mong papabayaan ang Businesses natin." His papa said and his face lit up and hugged his father.

"Gracias, papá! Muchas gracias!" He said and let go.

He went to Enderun Colleges because his papa said so. Kiel was into flight school so they hardly saw each other, he wasn't friends with the boys because he's not the type who befriends someone because he doesn't have a friend. He mostly stayed in cafés studying and making plates, one time he was seated at the couch all by himself when a lady wearing the same blue coat like him, he assumed he was his block mate but then he minded his business. He was reading his book when he could see the girl waving to him, her other arm held books so he looked up. "Max, right? Can I sit with you?" She said, "Sure." He answered.

Habang abala ito mag-ayos ay pasimple niya itong tiningnan, balingkinitan ang katawan nito, mahaba ang mga binti, at maganda ang hugis ng mukha nito. Hindi ito maputing maputing-maputi pero sa tingin niya ay bagay na bagay ito sa dalaga. Gusto niya man ito kausapin, kaso di niya maalala ang pangalan nito! Ayesha! Nicole? Chloe? Marga?

"By the way, you can call me Vielle." She said that when he was relieved, he looked up to her. "Wala ka bang friends na kasama?" He asked. "Wala, medyo di ko ka vibes block mates natin." She answered. "How bout' you?" She asked back.

"My best friend is in flight school, and I haven't found anyone." Sagot niya. "Edi tayo nalang maging friends!" Masayang turan ni Vielle. "Fine." Pag sang-ayon niya, umormatapos yon nagsimula na sila maging malapit ni Vielle, halos araw-araw sabay sila pumasok dahil nga magkakalase sila.

"Max, ayoko naaa." Saad ni Vielle matapos bitawan ang lapis nito kasalukuyan kasing gumagawa sila ng plates sa condo ni Max, "Pagod na din ako, Vi." Pag sang-ayon nito. "Labas muna tayo? Dinner lang tsaka coffee tas tuloy natin." Sabad naman ni Vielle. "Anong oras ka ba, uuwi? Baka naman hinahanap ka na ng mga magulang mo?" Tanong ni Max sabay halukipkip. "Wala yun, siguro kahit ilang buwan ako hindi umuwi, ayos lang. Tutal wala naman akong ginawang tama sa kanila." Mapait na saad ni Vielle.

They went to a small Korean restaurant nearby. They ordered various Korean foods like kimbap, tteokbokki, mandu, jajangmyeon, and korean fried chicken. "Wala ka bang girlfriend, Max?" She asked before pouring him a cup of cold water. "Vi, I have four baby sisters. I have enough women to have in my life." He answered briefly. "You? How about you?" He asked back, before drinking his water. "After na siguro ng college, atsaka there's something about men that I don't like." She said he was taken aback because they've been classmates for about three months now but Vielle hasn't found any friends who are girls, instead she was stuck with him always. "Ay wow? Then why are you hanging out with me? If you don't like men." He told her and looked directly in her eyes.

"Eh iba ka eh, don't get me wrong ah. Siguro dahil kuya ka sa mga babae, hindi ka uhaw na uhaw sa babae, unlike our other classmates and schoolmates. You look like someone who would stay, even with imperfection and such." She explained. Suddenly, he saw Vielle as a woman, not just his friend but someone whom he can be in a relationship with.

"Oh baka lumaki ang ulo mo ah." Biro nito sabay kurot sa ilong niya. "Pag nag boyfriend ka ipakilala mo sa akin, kundi isusumpa ko na maging kamukha ni Mr. Tamondong anak mo." Pag-iiba niya sa usapan. "Aba ikaw din, huwag na huwag mo ko paandaran na may girlfriend ka na kaya bawal na tayo magkita, sinasabi ko sa iyo puputulin ko ulo mo sa baba." Biro ni Vielle pero sa totoo lang sana wala munang ibang manliligaw kay Vielle, handa naman siya maghintay.

"Marquez!" Singhal ni Vielle dahil nakatulala ito sa kaniya, "A-ano? Bakit?" Tanong ni Max na parang wala sa sarili at malalim ang iniisip. "Babae nanaman yan?" Tanong ni Vielle. Kamakailang lang kasi may isang babae sa klase nila ang umamin na nagkakagusto ito kay Max. Sa totoo lang sa tagal nilang magkaibigan ni Max, may parte sa kaniya na may selos siyang nadarama. "Panget mo, wag ka mag-feeling. Ang ganda ganda ni Tomi swerte ka sa kaniya." Dagdag niya pa.

"Bakit ba? Basher ka talaga ano?" Sagot ni Max sabay kurot sa tagiliran niya. "Iyayabang mo lang naman kay Kiel yang si Maritomi eh." Sagot niya.

"Whatever." Max said nonchalantly, as they were conversing, Maritomi entered the room. She was a beautiful Japanese Girl she was fair with cute eyes with long brown hair and full bangs. She sat beside him, that's when Vielle felt off, she stood up and went to the bathroom to collect her thoughts.

"Max, I hope you won't feel bothered by what I said. Don't feel pressured to reciprocate what I feel, okay lang sa akin kahit parang Ken doll ka lang na tinitingnan ko." Saad ni Tomi. Sa lahat ng mga babaeng nagkakagusto sa kaniya si Tomi lang ang tanging babae na ganoon ang thinking at hindi ito pabebe at pacute katulad ng iba na kinaiinisan niya.

"Can I ask what you liked about me?" He asked." Vielle was about to return when she heard those words. Rather than staying, it was too painful for her to hear, so she left and went around the campus. Walking around made her collect her thoughts, is she really falling for Max? But she's still not allowed to date. So many thoughts ran through her mind, but then when she was about to go back, it started raining.

"Shit!" She covered her head with her hands, she was a step away from the roof but she was taken aback when she wasn't wet of any sort. "Monteverde, mababasa ka." The manly voice said and when she was about to look at the man, he pulled her closer to his side. It was Max.

"Pag-aalagain mo pa ako at hahawaan mo pa ako? Ano ka Gold?" Tanong nito at kinurot ang bewang niya. "Gutom na ako, dahil binasa mo payong ko. Libre mo ko." Saad ni Max. Pasimple siyang napangiti dahil sa sinabi nito, ibig sabihin ay may oras nanaman silang dalawa para magkasama.

They went like that for the rest of the 1st semester, they were practically together everyday through their ups and downs. No matter what was going through each other, they'd be together. After a year of being friends together, Max knew that the course they were taking was not Vielle's dream or want. She was forced to do so, he knew how much she loved drawing but not plates, it was clothes that she loved to draw and design whenever they have free time. He was falling for her, but then she didn't want to break their friendship because of that, he kept it all along. He wanted to confess his feeling on their 1st year together, the last day of their second semester. He arranged to meet her in the same place that they first bonded, the cafe near their school.

"May sasabihin ako." Sabay nilang turan. Nabigla sila pareho pero iba ang pakiramdam ni Max sa sasabihin ni Vielle,parang hindi maganda ang sasabihin nito sa kaniya pero may nakikita siyang saya sa mga mata nito, kaya hinayaan niya na muna itong magsalita. "Sige, ikaw muna. Di naman importante ang sasabihin ko." Aniya.

"Alam mo naman na sobrang gusto ko talaga maging fashion designer, diba?" Saad nito at napatango nalang siya. "Aalis na kasi ako, as soon as possible. I can finally achieve my dreams. I'm leaving to study in Central Saint Martins." Turan ni Vielle. Gusto niya man pigilan ang dalaga pero alam niyang mas magiging masaya siya kung makikita niyang maabot ni Vielle ang pangarap niya, kahit wala siya sa tabi nito.

"Ano nga pala ang sasabihin mo?" Balik nito sa kaniya. "Wala, mag-iingat ka don. Kung yun lang naman pala ang sasabihin mo, mauuna na ako. Gagawa pa ako ng plates." Aniya at kapagkuwan ay iniwan na si Vielle. Binuksan niya ang bag niya at tinapon na ang regalo niya sanang bulaklak sa dalaga. Mas mabuti na din na bago pa man makaalis ito ay putulin na nila ang komunikasyon sa isa't isa dahil alam niyang wala na rin pala siyang pag-asa makatuluyan ang dalaga.

"Paalam, Vielle. Sa susunod na habang buhay."