Wild Beat [BxB] |ON-GOING|

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 22

Mukhang kailangan ko na rin sigurong masanay sa nangyayari ngayon. I couldn't just stop because I was confused. I tried to act normal every day, I secretly memorized their names every day, and I became closer to each of them.

Mukha ito nga talaga ang totoo kong buhay, and maybe those events that still feel fresh in my mind were just a nightmare.
 

“Jix, tara, nagluto si Kelly ng meryenda,” Ian called out.

 
“Wrong timing naman,” I commented, running towards the kitchen.

 
“P'wede bang mamaya na kayo kumain? Fasting pa ako,” I said as they rushed to grab the food. Their hands froze mid-air, and they looked at me.
 

“Bukas kana mag fasting. Come on, let's eat,” Ace said, pulling me towards the table. I had no choice but to take some food, making them laugh at my reaction. 
 

We ate happily, talking about what happened during our guest appearance yesterday. I learned that our band was quite famous, something I had only dreamed of. I always wanted to be known for singing in front of large crowds, pero hindi ko akalain na magkakatotoo ang gusto ko. 

 
As we ate, I tried to absorb as much information as possible.

“Hindi ka na naman siguro nakatulog kaya ka nagluto.” Wika ni Lucas kay Kelly na siyang kinatawa niya. Kelly was older than us and a little quite mysterious to me.
and Ian, who always had a story to tell, started recounting a funny incident from our last gig.
 

“So, we have a rehearsal tomorrow at three, right?” Kelly asked.
 

“Yeah, and we have that radio interview next week,” Ian added. 
 

I nodded, making a mental note of the schedule. The more I learned, the more confident I felt, pakiramdam ko ay unti-unti ko na rin silang nakikilala isa-isa.

As the day went on, I found myself slowly adjusting to this new reality. We spent the afternoon practicing some of our songs. The music flowed naturally, and for a while, I forgot about my confusion and just enjoyed playing. 

And as the sun began to set, nagpaalam na muna ako na mag-gi-gym, para tunawin ang mga kinain ko, mabuti nalang ay kompleto ang mga kailangan ko sa loob ng bahay. 
 

For the first time in a while, I felt a sense of peace. Kahit na wala pa akong makuhang sagot sa mga katanungan ko.

Sinuot ko na ang headphones ko at nag umpisa na mag buhat.

Hindi ko na namalayan ang oras, pakiramdam ko ay ang tagal kong hindi nakapag gym.

I was lost in my workout when I saw Kelly walk in.

“How are you?” she asked. Mahina lang ang volume ng headphones ko, kaya naman ay mabilis ko siyang narinig. I looked at her and stopped what I was doing, grabbed my water bottle, and placed my headphones aside before taking a drink.

I noticed she sat down nearby, watching me and waiting for me to finish.

“I guess I'm doing good?” I replied, and she smiled.

“That's good. You'll get used to it,” she said, making me furrow my brow in confusion. She left the gym while I was still looking at her, puzzled by her words.

Every response she gave seemed slightly off, not quite matching up with what I expected, tila palaging palaisipan sa akin ang bawat sagot niya sa mga katanungan ko.

I shrugged and continued my workout. As I resumed lifting weights, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Kelly's words echoed in my mind. “You'll get used to it.” Used to what? My mind kept circling back to the same questions.

I moved to the treadmill, setting a steady pace to clear my head. I glanced around the gym, taking in the familiar sights, the rows of dumbbells, the mirrors lining the walls.

After about thirty minutes of cardio, I moved to the stretching area. I tried to remember if Kelly and I had ever talked like this before, but my mind was still a blank slate.

I noticed Ace coming in, waving at me as he headed to the weights section. I waved back, glad for the distraction.

“I never tried to lift some weights before, gusto kong subukan. My arms are like a woman's— kailangan kong magpalaki ng muscle,” Ace said as he inspected the dumbbells, pero bumagay naman sa kanyang katawan ang kanyang hulma.

But looking at him, he looked eager and a bit unsure, his fingers brushing over the weights.

“I have more time. I'm your coach now,” I said to him, smiling warmly. Ace quickly turned to me, his eyes wide with surprise and excitement.

“Talaga?” he asked, barely believing it. Mabilis naman itong lumapit sa akin na parang bata.

“Yeah,” I replied, and his smile grew even bigger. His childlike excitement was evident, it was a habit of his whenever he got what he wanted.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. I reached out and pinched his cheek firmly. “‘Yan na naman ang mannerism mong may pagka isip bata sa tuwing napapagbigyan ang gusto mo,” I teased. Ace yelped, more in surprise than pain, and then burst into laughter.

His reaction made me laugh even more. We spent the next few minutes setting up his workout plan.

Ace was full of questions, his earlier nervousness replaced by pure excitement. Marami siyang tanong kung tama ba ang kanyang ginagawa o kung tama ba ang pustura niya habang binubuhat niya ang mabibigat na dumbbell, and I guided him through the proper form and techniques, showing him how to lift the weights safely.

As he lifted the dumbbells under my watchful eye. Makikita mo sa kanya na determinado siya sa kanyang ginagawa. He listened carefully, eager to learn. I felt proud watching him take his first steps towards building muscle.

“Anong oras na, hindi pa kayo kumakain,” Kelly said as she entered the room.

“Last set,” I replied to Ace, who was focused on his workout and counting his reps. Kelly raised an eyebrow while looking at Ace, then glanced at me and smiled.

“Okay, take your time. Nasa kusina ang pagkain,” she said before leaving.

Ace finally finished his last set and collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.

“I didn't know na ganito kahirap. Pakiramdam ko ay kakapusin ako ng hininga kanina at hindi ko na matatapos ang last set,” he said, making me laugh.

“But you're doing good. I didn't know na kakayanin mo,” I said. He looked at me with a smile.

“Syempre, magaling yata ang Coach ko,” he replied, and we both laughed.

He stood up and grabbed my water bottle, taking a long drink. Ace was usually very particular about his personal belongings, but he didn't mind sharing them with me. I handed him an extra towel and suggested we shower so we could eat.

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