A Collision of Hearts and Heroes

Chapter 32

Warning: This chapter contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger readers. Read at your own risk. Thank you!

Clarissa's POV

Promise Ring

Mag-tatatlong buwan na kami rito sa Russia dahil sa M5 tournament. The reserve player for Obienna stepped in for me temporarily, which is Kuya Reed. Although he's not very active due to his family commitments and life in Australia, he still plays very well.

This is already a championship, and they're facing off against Astral. The final match has become a Philippines versus Philippines. Nagsimula kaagad ang match pagkatapos ng konting interview. Nagtuloy-tuloy ang takbo ng laro at masasabi kong mas may malaking chance na manalo ang Astral sa first game.

I was biting my lower lip as the intense clash happened. This moment felt really crucial. It seemed clear to me that the outcome of this clash could determine the winner. Low HP nalang ang Astral kaya akala ko Obienna ang magwagi ngunit gamit ang Harith ay biglaang pumasok si Gasper.

I expected him to keep running away since his hero was already low on HP, but his next move took us all by surprise. The way his hero darted around the battlefield—counterattacking the enemy precisely—was truly impressive.

Bakit kasi pinag-Harith ang boyfriend ko na 'yan, e, fast hand 'yan?

Just as I thought Jack could slay his hero, Gasper pulled out the buy-and-sell strategy. Wala pa siyang immortality noon, pero nabili niya kaagad. Jack had been anxiously counting the seconds for his immortality to disappear. Nang mawala na ito ay nagulat ang lahat dahil nagkaroon kaagad siya ng winter crown. Pero hindi iyon natapos doon, he launched a counterattack against Jack's hero and ruthlessly took him down.

"Fuckingshit!" I timidly clapped my hands, hardly believing what I had just witnessed.

I was about to react further and cheer when it suddenly hit me that the opponent Gasper had been taking down was actually my allies. Mabilis pa ako kay Flash umayos ng upo nang matauhan. Joke lang pala!

Gagi, na-carried away lang po! Sorry po!

Nagpatuloy ang match hanggang sa naging 3-2 na ang score. Astral scores three points, and Obienna following closely with two. Good thing Obienna is finally able to catch up when the next match wrapped up. Bumalik na ako sa waiting area dahil may pinapa-deliver akong bumalaklak para kay Gasper. Regardless of the outcome, I'll give him these flowers.

I got him a bouquet of roses with a matte finish and a slightly faded look. The arrangement features black roses that are wrapped in black paper and tied with a white satin ribbon.

After receiving the bouquet, I returned to the crowd area to watch the game, but it was nearly over. Nasa base na ng Obienna ang Astral at nagkakagulo na ang mga tao. I'm happy for my boyfriend's success in becoming a champion, but I'm also feeling a bit down about our own loss.

Ang hirap ng ganito. 'Yong tipong hindi ka makapag-focus sa isang emotion lang dahil nahahati ang pakiramdam mo. Kapag kami naman ang nanalo ay may guilt din akong nararamdaman dahil alam kong malungkot siya.

"Many of your fans are curious about your IGN, 'Yew and Reyv.' Can you share the story behind it? What inspired you to choose that in-game name?" The host asked Lyle and Gasper.

"Wala, nonsense akong tao, e," Lyle laughed.

Hindi iyon naintindihan ng host at ng ibang nanonood, pero ang mga Pinoy na narito ngayon ay tumawa. Hanggang M5 nangtatarantado pa rin itong si Lyle.

"Kidding aside," bawi niya at tumawa. "Reyv comes from my name, Lyle Raven. That's it," he then handed the microphone to Gasper.

"Yew comes from my name, Yvez, a variant of Yves. The Yves is derived from the Old Germanic name 'Ivo,' which means 'yew tree,'" Gasper explained.