Wild Beat [BxB] |ON-GOING|

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15

We headed to the cafeteria to eat. I had been urging Vin to go to the infirmary, but he kept brushing me off.

Ang palagi niya lang sagot sa akin ay, malayo naman sa bituka.

“Libre mo nalang ako ng pagkain.” I decided not to argue, and we made our way to the cafeteria.

I had a small cut on my lip and pain around my stomach from their kicks and on my back from the chair they hit me with.

I couldn't help but think how unfortunate it was that the fork I held earlier didn't find its way into their leader's neck.

Sayang naman, hindi ko man lang naibaon ang tinidor sa kanyang leeg kanina.

As we walked in, we placed our orders, and I noticed almost every student was staring at us.

We were used to getting looks, but today was different. Vin's clothes were soaked with blood, while mine had only a few splatters from when I punched the guys from the other department.

We picked up our trays and found a table in the corner. As we sat down, I saw Vin wince slightly, clearly in more pain than he let on.

“Are you sure you don't want to get checked out?” I asked again.

Vin shook his head and gave me a weak smile.

“Ayos lang ako, kailangan ko lang ng pagkain, galit-galit muna tayo, nagugutom na ako” he said and I just nodded, still worried but knowing there was no convincing him otherwise.

We started eating, and the food helped to take our minds off the fight.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity, with the clatter of trays and the hum of conversations filling the air.

Despite the noise, it felt like we were in our own little bubble, trying to make sense of the day's events.

“So, what happened back there?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Vin took a deep breath.

“Nagsimula 'yon dahil nakita ko silang may pinagti-tripan na freshmen, ayoko man sitahin, kaso mukha namang kawawa” he explained.

“Always standing up for the underdog.” I said and he smirked.

“Yeah, pero ngayon nailagay ko sa maayos, pero hindi ko inaasahan ang nangyari kanina at umabot pa sa gano'n” he said and I shook my head.

“Cowards. They couldn't take you one-on-one, so they had to gang up.” I respond. Vin chuckled, then winced again.

“Sa susunod hindi lang gano'n aabutin nila, salamat kanina” he said and we continued eating, the tension slowly easing as we talked.

The cafeteria staff gave us wary looks, probably debating whether to intervene or not.

Eventually, one of the workers approached our table.

“Ayos lang ba kayong dalawa? kailangan niyo ba ng tulong?” she asked, her voice a mix of concern and suspicion.

I smiled politely.

“We're fine, thank you. Just a bit of a scuffle, nothing serious.” I said and she nodded hesitantly and walked away, still glancing back at us occasionally, mukha naman yata kaming okay? o ako lang?

As we finished our meals, Vin leaned back in his chair, looking more relaxed.

“Thanks for having my back today, pa'no kung nag absent ka?” he said quietly.

I shook my head. “Kailan ba ako nag absent?” I asked and we got up to leave, still feeling the weight of the stares from around the cafeteria.

I couldn't help but think about what Vin had said. He was right. We needed to be more prepared for next time, because in our world, there was always a next time.

Pagkatapos namin kumain ay akmang aalis na sana ako nang biglang tinawag ako ni Vin.

“Jix! Akala ko ba ililibre moko?” Vin asked, a puzzled look crossing my face. What did he think he just ate? I paid for our lunch earlier.

Isn't that what “libre” means? I was about to respond when Vin suddenly handed me plastic bags filled with food.

My eyebrows furrowed as I walked closer.

“Ano yan?” I asked, even though it was obvious the bags were full of food.

“Sabi mo ililibre mo'ko? Ito bayaran mo na rin, mayaman ka naman, wala na rin akong allowance e,” he said, sounding almost sheepish.

I raised an eyebrow at his behavior.

“Isumbat mo nalang 'to sa susunod,” he added, taking the bags back.

I sighed and pulled out my card to pay for the food he had grabbed.

I couldn't tell if he was planning to stock up for the week or what, parang pang isang linggo na niya ang pagkain na kinuha niya.

With a shake of my head, I followed him out of the cafeteria.

As we walked, I couldn't help but notice the weight of the plastic bags he carried.

“Ano ba lahat 'yan? Puro junk food?” I asked, half-joking.

Vin chuckled. “Mostly. Alam mo naman na stress eating ang trip ko. Plus, I got some sandwiches, drinks, and a few snacks for later.” I furrowed my brows but smiled.

“You really think ahead, huh?”

He shrugged, wincing slightly again.

“Yeah, well, after a day like this, we deserve a treat. Plus, baka magutom na naman ako mamaya.” he answered, napakamot nalang ako ng ulo sa sinabi niya.

We walked in silence for a few moments, the bustling campus alive around us. Students were going to and from classes, chatting in groups, completely oblivious to the drama we had just endured.

“Do you ever wonder if we'll get caught in something bigger?” I asked suddenly, my mind still on the fight earlier.

Vin looked at me, thoughtful for a moment. “Oo, minsan. Pero alam ko namang sasaluhin mo'ko, kaya kampanti pa rin ako, we'll be fine. Besides, we've made it this far, haven't we?” he said.

I nodded. “True. Still, we should probably be a bit more careful.” He laughed.

“Mag-ingat? That's not really our style, hindi ba?” I laughed too.

“No, I guess it's not.” I respond.

As we approached the rooms, I glanced at the bags again.

“Are you sure you're okay? We can still go to the infirmary.” Vin shook his head.

“I'm good. Malayo 'to sa bituka, kailangan ko lang ng pahinga and maybe a few of these snacks.” he answered and we climbed the stairs to our floor, the weight of the day starting to settle in.

He dumped the bags on his table and started sorting through them. I leaned against the doorframe, watching him.

“You know, you're a real pain sometimes,” I said, smirking.

He looked up and grinned. “Yeah, but you wouldn't have it any other way.”

I chuckled, knowing he was right.

“Just try not to get into any more fights sometimes” I said.

“No promises,” he said, pulling out a bag of chips and tossing it to me.

“Pero susubukan ko na ma-knockout agad sila, para hindi na sila makaganti” I caught the chips and sat down, feeling the tension of the day finally start to ease.

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