Descending Stars (Fallen Heroes Series #1)

Kabanata 13

Kabanata 13  |  Really pretty

Since that day, I never felt comfortable or friendly towards Kenji. I just hate that feeling. And I don't ever want to experience that again.

So for weeks, I was nothing but distant to him.

“I sent you the PowerPoint last night. Did you check it?" he asked me. Two weeks from now, the contest will finally take place so we're really busy.

From majority votes, kaming dalawa ni Kenji ang napiling presenters.

I nodded. “I did," I answered without even looking at him. I just rummage my notes.

Nawala ang atensyon ko nang maramdamang hindi pa rin nawawala ang kanyang presensya sa likod ko.

Fuck. Halos magsitaasan ang mga balahibo ko. And my heartbeat felt like a Spartan warrior was drumming it.

Dahan-dahan kong tinaas ang ulo sa direksyon niya. “Anything more?"

Bago nagsalita, nilingon niya sina Tano na kausap si Ma'am Salvador sa gilid. On the table, it was just the two of us.

“May problema ba tayo?"

Napakurap-kurap ako sa kanyang tanong kasabang nang dalundong sa dibdib ko.

“What do you mean? Wala naman akong problema sa PowerPoint. It's good," sagot ko.

“You…" he trailed off.

Magsasalita pa sana siya nang tawagin ako ni Angeline at pinalapit sa kanila. Before going, I tried to look at Kenji and met his curious eyes.

I just need to finish this. After the contest, there'll be no connections between us anymore. Kaya wala nang puwang kung ano mang kababalaghan ang nangyayari sa akin.

This will end soon.

Nang makarating sa bahay ay pagod kong binagsak ang katawan sa kama. I feel so stressed out. Tapos na ang exams kaya dapat ay pinapahinga ko na ang utak ko pero…

I groaned when my phone received a notification.

bartolomekenj sent you a message.

I almost throw my phone away from me when I felt like my heart stopped beating for a second. Biglang namawis rin ang mga kamay ko.

What the fuck? Am I excited?

Inuntog ko ang ulo sa unan. I'm so fucking doomed.

bartolomekenj:

Are you okay? You need rest for the contest. Don't stress out yourself.

I sighed deeply.

Yeah. That’s really funny coming from you when you're the one stressing me out.

Ako:

I made a list of questions that the panel might ask us. I'll send you the file.

And I turned off my phone. 

I really don't understand. Kenji's presence is absolutely not new to me. Kung tutuusin, he's someone I wish to vanish when we first met, out of iritacy.

Then we became friends. And that was just it.

Tumayo ako at dumiretso sa banyo ng kwarto kung saan may sink. Nag-hugas ng kamay at muling nalunod sa pag-iisip.

But I feel like there's something new again. I can still clearly remember that time. It was so unusual that I thought there's something wrong with me.