Surf Through The Waves

Chapter 5

Kaizen.

"What the hell is this, Kuya? Nakakainis ka naman eh!" Keziah, my little sister, burst into my room, holding the black shirt she asked me to design.

"What about it?" I said, trying not to laugh.

She looked so mad, and I knew exactly why. As a fashion student, she always had strong opinions about clothes. And me? Well, I was just trying to help out at the store.

"Kuya, ano 'to? Big letter Z at K lang? Yan na yun?" she said, waving the shirt in front of me like it was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen.

"Huh? I just followed your instructions, Miss Ma'am. You wanted it simple, right?" I replied, grinning. "Malinis tingnan, diba?"

"Malinis? Boring kaya! Tsaka hindi ganito ang ibig kong sabihin. Sino bang bibili nito?" she snapped, sounding like a volcano about to erupt.

"May bibili niyan, I swear," I said, trying to sound confident.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever! Ikaw na mag-display niyan bukas!" Then she threw the shirt at me.

I caught it and held it up. Big black shirt. Big white ZK at the back. Simple lang pero may dating naman ah.

"Relax, bro. Zk sounds cool."

She stopped at the door and gave me a death glare. "Cool? Neknek mo, Kuya, para makakuha lang ng baby girls eh!"

I laughed as she stormed out of my room. I looked at the shirt again. Kung walang bumili, at least may bago akong pantulog.

The sun hadn't risen yet when I went to the store the next day to display the shirt. When I got back to the house, Keziah was already awake, sitting on the terrace with a cup of coffee in hand, flipping through the pages of her sketchbook.

I convinced her to go with me to the store so I could show her that I actually displayed the shirt, but when we got there, it was already sold.

"Boom!" I said, grinning.

"Edi ikaw na magaling!" she rolled her eyes at me, so I couldn't help but tease her even more.

"Babae yung bumili, ma'am noh?" I asked one of the staff, and it nodded immediately, making Keziah shoot me a glare.

"Ano? That girl's lucky. Hulog siya ng langit!" I said, trying to get her even more annoyed.

"Tseh!" She stormed out of the store and went straight to the car. I couldn't help but think she was probably jealous. She doesn't want me having a girlfriend, and that's why she gets so upset when I mention other girls. I haven't been in a relationship my entire life because of her, but it's okay. My sister will always be my baby, anyway.

The next day felt so stressful. The school year was just around the corner, and my first year of college was about to start.

"Kasing sikip ko naman 'tong schedule ko! Bwiset," Drexine, my best friend, blurted out dramatically as we sat down.

I looked at her and shook my head. She was always complaining. Since she was already in her second year, her schedule was way busier than mine.