Mikha Lim.
It was you.
It is you.
It will always be you, Aiah.
The fresh, cold breeze grazes my skin, sending shivers down my spine. The sunset painted the sky with a cascade of golden orange, illuminating its essence through the clouds, contrasted by complementary deep shades of red. I sat down on the grass under the tree, watching almost ant-sized cars pass by from my view afar, each with its own purpose as they drove around the bustling city.
The cigarette hung loosely between my fingers, a trail of smoke slowly curling into the thin air around me. I put the cigarette on my lips, inhaling it briefly. I felt the cool, deliberate flavor savoring my lungs as I inhaled it, letting the smoke out of my mouth freely, the breeze making it flow away. It was a momentary escape. I closed my eyes, letting the wind brush through my hair as it flew away. The grass danced with warmth from the sun, smiling with its captivating sun-kissed green. I was lost in tranquility until I felt a familiar presence beside me. I opened my eyes, the familiar perfume of sweet vanilla and lavender infiltrating my nose.
"Hey." Her voice was calming as she broke the comfortable silence. I turned my head to her and smiled. She tucked her knees in front of her, her arms wrapping around them soundly. I then threw my cigarette far from us, watching it lose its burning end, flickering with a little bit of orange before completely turning gray.
"You really know I hate smoking, huh?" she softly said. I only nodded at her in response.
"Hey, you." I greeted back, a smile forming on my lips.
There it was again, the silence that once surrounded us. The leaves could be heard grasping the volumes in the air. The birds were chirping from a distance, a call for a relaxing and peaceful space in the scene. We watched the sun sink just above the horizon, enough for its gleam to reach us and call for a warm, melodic golden hour.
"I'm sorry, Mikha," she spoke. She tried to mask her trembling voice with her smile, but it was enough for me to know. I could feel her eyes piercing through me.
"For what?" My eyes were still on the view in front of us.
"For what you went through," she answered. "I didn't know."
"Hey," this time, I turned to her. It was such a heartbreaking sight to see her eyes get teary with each tick passing by. "It's okay, don't worry about it."
"No, it's my fault," she replied. "I should've been there for you."
"Si Colet ba nagsabi sa 'yo?"
"No," she shook her head. "I asked her."
"And anong sinabi n'ya sa 'yo?"
"Everything," she whispered. Our eyes couldn't seem to pull away from each other, as if there was something we wanted to say out loud but didn't have the courage to. I let my eyes linger on her for a moment, searching—hoping for an answer despite no questions asked. It was hard to read her eyes, which were full of deception, having their own unanswered and unspoken emotions that didn't want to be haunted, yet felt like I had known them for ages. The weight of the tension hung in the air, a strange familiarity with what I was conflicted about.
"Forget about it."
"No."
"Aiah, you're just as stubborn."
"I wanted to make it up to you, eh. Do you not want me to?" She pouted, showing her puppy dog eyes to me. I felt myself blush, feeling my body heat up from the sight.
"How are you going to make it up to me, then?" I asked, a challenging tone in my voice as I raised my eyebrows at her. She then gave me her victory smirk, a thing she does whenever she knows it's a challenge she's going to win.
"I'll buy you your favorite ice cream."
"I don't feel like eating sweets right now."
"Then, I'll treat you sa Jollibee."
"I ate it for breakfast."
"Nood tayo ng movie sa cinema."
"Ayokong bumyahe."
"I'll cook your favorite fish, adobong pusit."
"Not really hungry."
I heard her sigh, rocking on her seat with her legs. I felt myself smile internally from victory until she again suggested another way.
"Kiss?"
One word, four letters, and my world stopped. It was as if time froze, the moment when I felt my heart beat faster, wanting to escape my ribcage. The sound was silent, yet it was deafening enough for both of us to hear. I felt shivers run down my spine. It was as if it was the first time I had heard it from her—and it was. I felt the palms of my hands sweat, the nervousness slowly crawling up my skin.
"Joke lang!" she said, playfully slapping my arm. I let out a nervous laugh, caressing the spot. "Kabado 'yan. What were you thinking ba?" Her voice had a hint of teasing, along with her smirk.
"Ewan ko sa 'yo." Her smirk turned into a grin, her full crystal-white teeth showing up and lighting up the scene.
"But hey, I'm serious, Mikha," she spoke, her tone changing. "Hayaan mo akong bumawi sa 'yo."
"You already did by staying with me here."
"And I'd like to do more than just that."
