Buhos na Ulan, Aking Mundo'y Lunuring Tuluyan

CHAPTER 3 - Please lang, Lamunin na ko ng Lupa

—AIAH—

I finished my work and went straight to class. Good thing, classes were suspended by 3 PM, so Staku's treat came earlier than expected.

"Aiah!" I heard a shout behind me.

"Mars!" I shouted back, recognizing Jhoanna's voice.

"Kamusta yung bagong boss, ano pogi ba?!" Jhoanna retorted with excitement.

"Anong pogi, maganda kamo!" I answered back.

"Ha, ano, babae?" Jhoanna said with a hint of disappointment. We were walking towards the gate of the school to meet with the rest of the tropa: me, Jhoanna, Staku, and Sheena.

"Oo, pero medyo maangas. Hindi mo magustuhan aura, parang ang sama ng tingin sa'kin. Parang bawal ako pumalpak, ganun," I muttered.

"Awww, akala ko pa naman may magiging jowa ka na! Oh well, let's wait for Staku na lang. Kakain daw, iinom dito sa may Taft," she responded, still disappointed.

"Anong iinom? Hanggang kainan lang ako sasama, may gagawin pa ako no!" I clapped back. I didn't have time to party. I still had to work for that red-haired boss tomorrow.

"Good luck sa'yo, beh, kung papayag si Staku na hindi ka sumama!" Jho retorted. Meanwhile, Staku and Sheena appeared from the distance and called our names. Jhoanna started singing a happy birthday song to Staku.

"Staku, hindi daw sasama si ate mong girl sa inuman mamaya!" Jhoanna said, glaring and pointing her lips at me.

"Ay beh, nakapagpareserve na ko, kailangan apat tayong nandun! Saglit lang naman, wag kang KJ!" Staku snapped back at me. Ano pa bang choice ko? Kahit ano namang sabihin ko, hindi naman ako papakawalan ng mga 'to.

"Sige na, sige na, basta maaga akong uuwi," I replied, annoyance clear in my voice.

"Yehey!" Staku hugged me, and we walked towards Dixie's, a sizzling plate restaurant in Taft Avenue.

...

We arrived at Ellipsis, a cocktail lounge here in Taft. Maaga pa, like 6 PM, kaya wala pang masyadong tao. Agad-agad naman kaming umupo sa pinareserve ni Staku na table.

Ellipsis had a cozy yet modern ambiance, with dim lighting that created a relaxed atmosphere. The walls were adorned with abstract art, and soft jazz music played in the background. The bar was well-stocked, displaying an array of colorful bottles that reflected the warm lights, and the plush seating invited guests to sink in and unwind.

"Staku, paano mo naman nadiscover tong lugar? In fairness, okay siya. Dapat may mahanap tayong prospect for Staku!" Sheena remarked while we were busy looking through the menu.

"Hoy, hindi, okay na ko! Si Jhoanna na lang hanapan natin dito tutal panay ang pang-iinis niya satin sa mga jowa-jowa na yan," Staku reiterated.

"Anong ako?! Baka si Aiah kamo ang kating-kati," Jhoanna clapped back. At nadamay na naman nga po ako.

"No comment na lang, ako lagi nakikita niyo e," I replied, trying to stay out of their banter.

"Dadaan pala dito yung classmate ko mamaya sa isang subject ko, si Gwen, papakilala ko kayo mamaya. Hindi ko rin alam kung mag-hangout sila pero gusto lang ako batiin," Staku said.

"Ayan pala e, available ba yang Gwen?" Sheena teased.

"Sige, maya pakilala ko kayo," Staku initiated.

As we were enjoying each other's company, we kept on drinking and listening to the music. Three girls entered the lounge and approached our table. The girls did not notice them at first because they were busy singing and dancing while I was the only one being attentive, as I wasn't drinking that much dahil nga may pasok pa ako bukas.

At eto na nga, muntik ko pa mabuga yung iniinom ko kasi familiar sa'kin yung isang girl na nag-a-approach. Before I could react, Staku shouted, "Gwen!!!" and stood up to greet the girl.

"Guys, ito si Gwen, yung classmate ko sa Ethics," Staku introduced her friend to the group.

"Hi, Gwen, ang ganda mo!" Sheena, who was already a little tipsy, blurted out, making the new girl blush.

"Hello," Gwen responded.

"Staku, happy birthday! Here's my gift!" She proceeded to give the birthday girl her present.

"Uy, thank you! Umupo muna kayo!" Staku offered the three girls.

While all this was happening, I was hiding behind the menu. I think my boss hasn't noticed it's me. "Oh my god, out of all the places and the people, talagang may common pa kami?" I was starting to get tense, thinking about how to escape this place.

"Gwen, pakilala mo naman mga kasama mo," Staku said.

"Ay, yes. These are my childhood best friends, Colet and Mikha. Mikha came from the States recently, and she's here for good," Gwen introduced.

The girls exchanged glances and pleasantries.

"Ay, ito naman tropa ko, si Sheena, Jhoanna, and Aiah," Staku replied.

"Aiah? Bakit ka nagtatago diyan?" Staku questioned.

Out of embarrassment, wala na akong choice kundi magpakilala. Feeling ashamed, I went ahead and smiled.

"Hello po," I said, biting my lip.

Then Mikha looked at me and started to notice my presence.

"Ms. Arceta?" she said, quite puzzled.

"Ha, magkakilala kayo?" Staku asked. Now everyone was looking at me.

"Ah, yes. She works in my company," Mikha interrupted.

Then Jhoanna suddenly had a flicker of realization on her face. "Are you her new boss?" she asked, pertaining to Mikha.

"Is that what she said?" Mikha smirked, smiling at the thought that I had talked about her to my friends.

Grabe, please lang lamunin na lang talaga ako ng lupa.

I glared at Jhoanna, signaling for her to stop whatever she was thinking.

---

"Hi, boss..." I said in a very awkward tone.

And then Mikha laughed in the most endearing way. Yung tawa ata niya yung kaya kong pakinggan buong magdamag.

"Please, we are outside of work. Just call me Mikha. Nice to meet you outside of work, Aiah," she said in the most disarming way. Like, kind of flirting pero hindi. Parang nangaakit pero hindi. Ewan ko, baka nag-iilusyon lang ako. Boss ko siya at empleyado niya ako, 'yun pa rin kami kahit hindi to trabaho.

My cheeks burned as I forced a smile. This night was definitely taking an unexpected turn. I glanced at my friends, who were all trying to hide their smirks and knowing looks. The tension in my chest tightened as I struggled to maintain my composure.

"So, you guys frequent this place?" Mikha asked, looking around the lounge.

"First time namin dito, actually. Si Staku kasi nag-book," I replied, trying to keep the conversation light.

Mikha nodded, her gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary before she turned back to her friends. The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, drinks, and awkward glances. Mikha and her friends eventually left to find their own table, but the encounter left me feeling more unsettled than ever.