Hello, Yellow Fellow

Chapter 28

Hello, Yellow Fellow
Chapter 28: Fracture n' Guilt

"Can I talk to you? Just the two of us?"

The way Reign said it— it was soft, almost pleading. Hindi ko alam kung anong magiging usapan namin, but something told me this wasn't going to be easy. I nodded slowly, trying to keep my face neutral.

"Sure," sagot ko, kahit na may kabang bumabalot sa dibdib ko. "Saan?"

She glanced around the crowded venue, searching for a quieter, more private spot. Her eyes landed on one of the lounge chairs by the beach, malayo-layo sa ingay ng party. "Doon na lang tayo," she gestured, at tahimik kaming naglakad papunta roon.

Each step felt heavy, kahit 'yong hangin galing sa dagat parang hindi nakakatulong. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore was the only thing breaking the silence between us.

Pagdating namin sa lounge chair, we both sat down, pero halatang may bigat sa hangin na hindi pa rin natatanggal. Reign placed her plate of untouched cake beside her. Halos hindi niya man lang tinignan 'yon.

I waited for her to speak, pero nanatili siyang tahimik, her gaze fixed on the dark horizon. Parang may hinahanap siya sa alon, o baka naman iniipon lang niya 'yong lakas ng loob niya to say whatever it is na nagpapabigat sa kanya.

"Reign…" I said softly, breaking the silence. "Anong problema? Sabihin mo sa akin, I'll listen."

She let out a shaky breath, finally turning her head to face me. Her eyes glistened, as if she was holding back tears. Parang may pumiga sa dibdib ko. I didn't want to see her like this, lalo na't halatang hirap na hirap siyang mag-open up.

"It's about Matthew..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper. I leaned in, catching every word.

"Simula no'ng bumalik siya, everything... it's not the same anymore," she continued, looking down at her hands as they trembled slightly. "I thought... I thought na pag-uwi niya, things would just go back to how they used to be. Pero iba na. Hindi ko na siya maramdaman katulad ng dati."

Her words confused me. Hindi ko alam na ganito ka-complicated 'yong history nila ni Maki. He never mentioned anything like this. Maybe this was something I needed to hear, something that could explain why things are heavy between them.

"We've been through everything together, Elio," she said, her voice trembling with the weight of her memories. "Since we were kids... siya lang ang meron ako. My parents—" She swallowed, her voice cracking slightly. "They were never there for me. They always pushed me to be someone I didn't want to be. Ang taas ng expectations nila, to the point na wala akong choice. They suffocated me."

She paused, and her shoulders slumped like she was carrying the world. "But Maki… Maki saved me. He was the only one who saw me for who I was. He shielded me from all the pressure, all the pain. Kung wala siya… hindi ko alam kung nasaan na ako ngayon."

Her words felt like they were cutting through me, piece by piece. Every time she spoke, it felt like she was laying bare the depths of her soul, and I was just sitting there, helpless, feeling the weight of her past crush down on me.

I stayed silent, letting her unload the weight she's been carrying for who knows how long.

"Wala akong ibang masasandalan noon, Elio. I was alone. An only child with no real friends. Pero si Maki, he was everything to me. He gave me the strength to keep going." Her voice cracked again, and she let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "And now, I'm losing him. The one person who kept me alive… is slipping away from me."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my own emotions in check. The more she talked, the heavier the air between us became. Every word, every pause, every shaky breath— it all made my heart sink deeper. I never knew this side of their story. Hindi ko alam na ganito kalaki ang papel na ginampanan ni Maki sa buhay ni Reign.