Until August

Chapter 2

Days had passed, and now I just spent a couple of hours catching up with some friends at a nearby café. It was good to see them, hear about their lives, and distract myself from everything that had been happening. But the truth was, I couldn't fully engage. 

My mind kept drifting back to the past few months—the move, everything that happened, the feeling of starting over but not knowing where to begin.

"So, how are you coping, man? Tagal na rin namin nawalan ng contact sa'yo. Kumusta ang paglipat?" Noon lang ako nabalik sa ulirat nang magtanong si Marcus, isa sa mga kaibigan ko.

"I feel less lonely now," I replied, forcing a smile. "Still getting used to the area, but it's nice."

"Mabuti naman," Javier said, clapping me on the shoulder. "Basta huwag ka na mag-DND, p're, ah? Tagal na nating hindi nag-iinuman, eh. Wala rin tuloy kaming libreng pulutan."

I laughed it off, but there was a part of me that understood the appeal of that solitude. Alam ko rin namang nag-aalala la'ng sila para sa akin.

Hindi na rin kami tumagal at nagpaalam na sa isa't-isa. Hindi tulad no'ng college, madalas pang natutuloy ang plano namin na magkita nang ganito, at mag-inuman. Pero dahil may kaniya-kaniya na kaming buhay, suwerte na la'ng naming matatawag kung magkikita kami nang ganito.

After we said our goodbyes, I made my way back to the condo. Paglabas ko ng sasakyan ay tinahak ko ang convenience store. It was one of those late-night cravings—the kind that I can't miss.

As I pushed the door open, the cool air inside greeted me, along with the low hum of fluorescent lights. I was about to head for the snack aisle when I spotted a familiar figure near the fridge.

Augustine.

Naroon siya sa fridge ng mga tubig. Pansin kong medyo basa ang buhok niyang nakapusod; iilang buhok na rin ang tumakas sa gilid ng kaniyang mukha, mukhang galing siya sa pagtakbo. Nakumpirma ko rin iyon dahil sa suot niya.

"Hey, you again," I said, stepping into the aisle beside her. She looked up, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

"Oh, Lucas," she replied, "Gabi na, ah?" Pinigilan kong matawa dahil sa tanong niya. Sa tono no'n ay para akong bata na nakitang naglalaro sa gabi.

"Yeah, just grabbing some late-night snacks," I said, holding up a bag of chips and a couple of energy bars. "How about you? Hydrating after a run?" I gestured to the bottle in her hand.

"Mm, gano'n na nga," aniya nang may kaunting ngiti. "Hassle kasing magdala ng tubig habang tumatakbo."

"Yeah," I agreed, trying to think of something else to say. "Do you run here often?"

"Yup, sa gabi madalas," she said, her tone relaxed. "Naging routine ko na rin dahil wala na gaanong tao sa field kapag ganitong oras." Napatangu-tango ako nang silipin ang suot na relo. It's 9 pm already.

We continued to chat as we made our way to the counter to pay. The conversation was easy, flowing naturally like we were picking up from where we'd left off before.

"So, uh, Augustine," I began, a little awkwardly. 

Mabilis naman siyang bumaling sa akin, "Hmm?"

"Are you busy for the night?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how they sounded. Not just casually, but like I was asking her out, and that wasn't what I'd meant at all—at least not yet.