Palagi (The Art of Loving You) x JHOLET AU

Chapter 2: Pattern

Jhoanna's POV

"Hahaha! Are you serious, Jho? Why didn't you show her your dragon side?" Stacey said, while helping me clean my clothes. She arrived just as Miss Grumpy left, and I had just finished telling her what happened habang nakaupo kami dito sa labas ng 7/11.

"Kilala mo ako bestie, I try to be patient as much as I can... but she really got on my nerves when she handed me those tissues!" I was laughing, but deep inside, I was really annoyed with her earlier.

Paano ba naman inabutan nya ako ng apat na bundle ng tissue.

"That's what you get for being too nice, bestie. Now you have an award... lots of tissues... HAHAHAHA!" Stacey was still laughing hard, holding her stomach.

"Balak yata ako pagtindahin nun," I said, still annoyed while fixing my clothes.

"Wait, what does she look like... is she mean-looking or intimidating? Is she old or young?" Stacey asked, curious.

Napaisip naman ako at inalala ang hitsura nito kanina.

"She's about our age, I think... she looks rich, you know, that 'smells like money' vibe... and her skin is different, mukhang kagagaling lang nya ng ibang bansa. Hmmm...she's beautiful but kind of handsome too."

"Hold on... poganda sya?" She asked.

And I nodded hesitantly.

"Wait... kaya hindi ka nag-dragon masyado kasi crush mo agad nuh? And you actually smelled her pa talaga ha? Hahaha!" she teased.

"Hey, hindi ko naman kasalanan na maamoy ko sya nuh. And I don't have a crush on her, okay? She's so grumpy... and she seemed so cold, like she didn’t care at all that she bumped into me," I said, trying to convince myself. Pero bakit parang naalala ko pa yung maganda nyang mukha kanina.

Actually, I didn't know why, but there was something about her aura. She reminded me of characters in the stories I read, those with cold stares. She even smirked sarcastically earlier. It turns out people like that really do exist in real life.

And her eyes... they were cold, but there was something inside them, something I couldn't quite figure out. It was as if there was a hidden depth behind that icy exterior.

"Wala na... tinamaan na ito, hindi na ako pinansin... Tsk... you're thinking about her ngayon palang, yieeeh," Stacey teased.

"Oh, come on, bestie, stop it... let’s just go home, wala akong time sa mga masusungit na cold, kahit na poganda pa sya," I urged her, while starting to fix my things.

But to be honest, I couldn’t get Miss Grumpy's face out of my mind. She was really beautiful, lalo na yung side profile nya.

"Hmmm, I hear both irritation and infatuation, yieeeh crush alert," she continued to tease. I just shook my head and laughed at her antics.

Para gumanti, pinahawak ko sa kanya mga malalaking tissue na binigay sa akin ni Ms. Grumpy.

"Ayyy! Grabe ka naman Jho, pinagtitinginan na ako ng mga tao oh..." she said, struggling to hold all the tissues.

"Hahaha ang daldal mo kasi! Akin na nga yung iba," I said, laughing as I took some of the tissues from her.

"Pero seryoso bestie, taga dito kaya sya?" she asked as we started walking.

"Baka turista lang or napadaan lang talaga...baka ganun lang, bakit mo naman natanong?" I said, pretending not to care. Pero naiisip ko rin kung magkikita pa ba ulit kami.

"Syempre aabangan ko nuh, alam mo kilala kita eh, hindi ka pala describe or pala compliment na tao. Kaya naniniwala akong poganda yung nakabungguan mo kanina," she said, laughing.