Tanglawan, a new land that emerged from the ruins of what was once the Philippines, continues to flourish, as facilitated by the Exorbit, a government-owned microchip introduced to a person's body. Everyone feels safe and well taken care of, with th...
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"You know, it's not our fault that he's insecure," I heard Agui's voice say through his exoMail.
"Yeah, but weren't you flirting with me back then? I really feel bad," I replied via exoMail, then I heard my robotic voice play it back on my head. I clutched on my half-empty Taiyou spout pouch as I walked towards an empty seat in the Keeper Hulmusayan, my eyes fixed on the seats or, occasionally, on the white walls of the dome hall, not daring to look away and meet the disconcerting gazes of my fellow salos.
"Was I?" I heard Agui's voice again. It was just a monotonous playback of his voice, but I did not need to hear the sarcasm in his voice to know that he said that sarcastically. "I was just teasing you. That's different."
I sighed in exasperation. Agui has always been a mischievous one, and I have always fallen for his pranks.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear you confess to me then," Agui messaged again. This time, there was a "Ha-ha-ha," but the robotic voice just made the supposed laugh unnerving. I looked down for a bit, feeling my face turn hot from embarrassment.
"Kidlat helped me get along with the other salos who weren't very kind to me when Kidlat and I weren't together," I messaged back to Agui, still looking at my toes as I walked.
"And now that Kidlat and I are no longer together, I just know they're madder at me than usual," I added as I sat in an empty space on the highest and farthest end of the Keeper Hulmusayan. But just as I sat on my chosen seat, I caught a salo sitting nearby, head turned in my direction, and her droopy brown eyes glaring at me. I glowered back as I tried to make my eyes bore into hers, but she just sneered in retaliation when she realized I caught her. She immediately rolled her eyes and looked away, so I was unable to return the favor.
"It's okay, you have me by your side," Agui's robotic voice dictated in my head. "I'll never get mad at you."
I felt the corner of my lips twitch, then I snorted, unable to suppress my kilig over his remark. But just then, some other salos entered the Hulmusayan and occupied the other seat, and with them was Kidlat, his tousled hair looking messier than usual, and dark circles surrounding his sleepy eyes that looked gloomier than I remembered when I looked at them. I pursed my lips, trying not to catch any attention as I rock my feet back and forth under my desk, guilt now overshadowing the kilig I was feeling just a few moments prior.
I held back on replying to Agui's new message and caught myself looking at Kidlat and how he was happily interacting with the salos he was with. He was smiling when he looked back, but his smile disappeared when he caught me looking at him, but he chose to continue his banters with the others as if nothing happened. I cannot blame him, but I felt a sharp pang in my guts in the way he was acting, like I no longer exist.
Thankfully, Bathala came, our eccentric Hulo whom the others always make fun of because of his brightly colored outfits with tropical prints and his puka shell necklace, which they said was unbecoming of a man of his position. Not that I really cared, though, for he was good at his stuff and that was all that matters to me, not until I got to hang out with the other salos more. But I guess I am back to square one of not fitting in again after my breakup with Kidlat.
