Destined To You

CHAPTER 11

Isang hapon, pauwi na kami ni Haruki galing sa library nang mamataan namin sina Sweet at Xavier na magkausap sa gilid ng SSG office. Madadaanan kasi ang room kapag galing sa library at papuntang main gate.

Kinalabit ko si Haruki.  “Uy, sina Sweet at Xavier ba ’yon?”  tanong ko.

“Oo,”  maikling sagot ni Haruki.

Tatawagin ko sana si Sweet para ayaing sumabay na sa amin pauwi kaso ay hindi natuloy dahil kaagad na tinakpan ni Haruki ang aking bibig at hinila ako sa gilid ng room para magtago. Nakasandal ako sa pader samantalang nasa harap ko siya at ilang dangkal lang ang layo ng mukha namin sa isa’t isa. Natuod ako sa aking kinatatayuan.

Haruki was busy checking Sweet and Xavier so we remained in our position for about two minutes. It was one of longest and breathtaking moment of my entire life. He was close enough that his scent is making my heart raced like crazy. He smells really good. His hair was almost touching my nose. That’s how close our faces are! Even his hands which covering my mouth smells good. Everything about this man is perfect!

“Sshhh. Huwag kang maingay,”  saway ni Haruki sabay kuha ng kaliwang kamay niyang nakatakip sa aking bibig.

Tumango-tango ako kahit na nalilito sa pinaggagagawa naming dalawa. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan naming magtago rito gayong sina Sweet at Xavier lang naman ’yong nag-uusap. It’s not as if they’re doing something we shouldn’t know!

Nang sumilip si Haruki ay dahan-dahan din akong sumilip para tingnan ang dalawang kaibigan na nag-uusap.

“Don’t touch me!”

Natutop ko ang bibig nang makitang iwinaksi ni Sweet ang kamay ni Xavier na humawak sa kaliwang kamay niya. We were hiding just close enough to hear their conversation.

“Please, Sweet, listen to me first. It’s not what you think. Let me explain, please.”  Xavier sounds so desperate while begging Sweet.

It was the first time I heard him talking in that tone. It was soft and almost pleading. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung tama ba na nandito kami dahil parang private ang pinag-uusapan nilang dalawa.

“No, Xavier. It is what I think it is! You don’t have to explain because I understand what I saw! It was crystal clear kag indi ko mango para indi mainchindihan ang nakita ko! You kissed Eunice!”  Sweet’s voice cracked and tears started flowing from her eyes.

Xavier tried to touch her shoulders but she moved away, taking steps away from him.  “Why, Xav? Why did you do that? Why . . . why did you hurt me? You promised, right!? Hambal mo indi mo ko pag-intuon! Hambal mo ako lang! Ngaa nahimo mo ni sa ’kon, Xav? Ano pa gid ang kulang ko haw? Gin himo ko naman ang tanan para sa relasyon ta. Am I still not enough?”  Sweet cried. She sounds helpless and hurt. And it breaks me. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to hug her, to comfort her, and to tell her she don’t deserve the pain she’s getting. Pero mahigpit akong hinawakan ni Haruki at inilingan.

“Haru, she’s my friend! I just can’t watch her cry and do nothing! Let go of me!”  matigas kong utos.

Hinila niya ako palayo sa dalawa.  “I understand what you feel but you can’t go. We can’t let them know that we heard them. I’ll explain everything later. For now, I want you to control your emotions. Let’s talk later, hmm?”  he said in his calmest voice while holding my hand.

Pinilit kong kalmahin ang sarili at tumango ako.  “O-okay.”

“Babe, I know. I made that promise so please, believe me. I didn’t kiss her. I won’t do something that would hurt your feelings. Please, babe, you are more than enough. Ikaw lang ya palangga ko. Babe, you know that I love you, right? Please, just like what you always do, trust me,”  Xavier desperately begged. His voice sounds faint too, indicating that he’s trying his best to control his tears.

Umiling-iling si Sweet.  “No. I think, t-this is how it ends, Xavier. Two years was enough. I genuinely had the best day of my life while being together with you. I just want you to know, Xavier, t-that . . . that everything was true. My love . . . my care . . . my words . . . even my tears. T-they were all true. And for the last time, I love you, my first and l-last. . . I hope that karma haunts you after hurting me when my intentions were honest and pure. L-let’s break-up, Xav,”  Sweet said before turning her back and running away from Xavier who is now looking at the ground, with tears falling from his eyes.

After witnessing the death of my lolo last year, that was the most painful thing I witnessed. I transferred at this school with a vision for excellence and I didn’t expect to be friends with these people. The connection we had for the past months made me attached to them and making me feel the emotions they were feeling as well. It was painful seeing Sweet and Xavier fighting. It is not the scene that I always wish to see. Ang gusto ko, palagi lang kaming masaya at kung nagkukulitan man ay hindi nauuwi sa away. I never know they had something going on. They were too good at hiding it from us that I didn’t even see a glimpse of it.

Nang makaalis na si Xavier ay umuwi na rin kami ni Haruki. Nanatili akong tahimik at tulala habang naglalakad. Nakikinig lang ako nang magsimulang magkwento si Haruki.

“They were together for two years now. Actually, almost three kasi third anniversary na nila bukas,”  panimulang kwento ni Haruki.

“They started dating when we were in grade nine. Pero grade seven pa lang, crush na ni insan si Sweet.”

Natigil ako sa paglalakad at nanlaki ang mga mata.  “What!? Magpinsan kayo ni Xavier?”

Haruki nodded.  “Yeah. Hindi halata, right?”  Tumawa siya.

Umiling ako at muling sumunod sa kaniyang paglakad.

“Niligawan niya si Sweet no’ng grade eight kami tapos sinagot siya no’ng grade nine na kami. Pero strict ang parents ni Sweet kaya nilihim nilang dalawa ang relasyon nila. Kapag nasa school, hindi sila masyadong nagdidikit, nag-uusap, o nagsasama para walang may makahalata,”  pagpapatuloy ni Haruki.

“Eh paano mo nalaman na sila?”  tanong ko.

“Xavier told me. Sanggang-dikit kasi kami ni insan kaya wala kaming nililihim sa isa’t isa. Alam ko kung sino ang crush niya tapos alam niya rin kung sino ang crush ko.”  Tumigil siya saglit para tumingin sa akin.

“What?”  takang tanong ko.

He smirked.  “Wala. Itutuloy ko na. Palihim din sila kung magdate at madalas ay sinasama nila ako para kahit na makita silang magkasama, walang maiisip na malisya dahil kasama ako. Third wheel kumbaga. Nagtagal ang relasyon nila at naging okay naman ang lahat hanggang nitong grade twelve, madalas na nag-aaway silang dalawa dahil nagseselos si Sweet kay Eunice.”

“Yeah. Si Pres. Narinig kong binanggit siya ni Sweet kanina. Pero totoo ba talagang hinalikan ni Xavier si Eunice!? Ang kapal niya namang manghalik ng ibang babae eh may girlfriend siya!”

“No. My cousin is not a cheater. He won’t do that,”  tanggi ni Haruki.

“Weh? Pinagtatanggol mo lang siya kasi nga magpinsan kayo,”  pagkontra ko.

“Hindi rin. I know my cousin too well. He is loyal and so much in-love to Sweet. He won’t kiss another girl other than her. Because more than anyone else, it’s him who knows how painful it is to be cheated on. Her father did it to her mom,”  Haruki explained, washing away all of my negative thoughts about Xavier.

“Kung gano’n paano na ’yan? Misunderstanding lang pala ang lahat,”  nag-aalalang bigkas ko.

Sunod-sunod na umiling si Haruki.  “I don’t think it’s a misunderstanding, Amara. I feel like there is more heavy reason to it. I just can’t fathom if what is it now. Basta. Alam ko ang storya ng dalawa. Hindi sila basta-bastang maghihiwalay nang dahil lang sa misunderstanding. I’m sure of it.”

Haruki sounds too serious and just like other times when he looked like this, I wanted to know if what’s going on inside his head because I feel like he knew something. Something big that might blow up everyone if it gets revealed.