Without Toppings

Chapter 28

Therapy (R-18)

"I have a leg injury, Yuno."

Cid said it in his most serious tone, staring directly at me. Parang natanga naman ako sa sinabi niya, kaya kinailangan kong kumurap-kurap. Leg injury? Tangina, kailan pa?

"Ano?" I asked, still processing.

"Leg injury," he repeated, brushing his hair upward. "My kanan paa has injury."

Napatingin ako sa paa niyang nakalublob sa tubig. That leg has an injury all this time? Kaya ba kailangan niya ako para sa swimming competitions niya?

"Seryoso ka ba? Baka prank lang 'yan, ah. Hindi naman sa ano, but it seems like your leg is okay."

Nakakayod niya nga ako ng mabilis, e. I mean — hindi pa naman namin nagagawa, but he did dry-hump me a lot of times. At mabilis siyang bumayo.

His brows furrowed, and he rolled his eyes. "It's not that serious. I just can't take my leg for longer durations in swimming."

"Since when?"

"Accident, 6 years ago."

Kumunot ang noo ko at bahagyang umawang ang labi ko sa narinig. Parang nagpaulit-ulit 'yong sinabi niya sa utak ko. Fuck, leg injury from accident?

Gusto ko pa sanang magtanong about sa aksidenteng iyon, pero tumawa siya nang mahina nang makita ang naging reaksyon ko.

"Hindi nga? Seryoso 'yong paa mong 'yan?" I managed to say, still processing his confession.

His laughter grew, light and teasing, like he found amusement in my confusion. "Yeah, seriously. Why, do I look too perfect to have flaws?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off the sudden tension I felt. "No, pero nakakagulat lang. You move so well. Parang... hindi halata."

He shrugged, a faint smirk still lingering on his lips. "That's the point, Yuno. You don't always see what someone's carrying."

Umahon siya mula sa pool at umupo sa tabi ko. Napansin niya ang pagkaka-indian sit ng paa ko. Bumalik din ang tingin niya sa akin, tilting his head as if trying to read me.

"You hate water, right?" he asked softly.

Napalunok ako, saka dahan-dahang tumango.

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then, he smiled faintly. "That's ironic, don't you think?"

"Sa paanong paraan?"

"Your hate for water and my injury are kind of the same," he said, looking away briefly before his gaze landed back on me. "You don't like water because it reminds you of something, doesn't it?"

Napakurap ako, his words hitting closer to home than I expected. Masyado bang halata na ayaw ko sa tubig?

"Hmm?"

"I mean, water brings back something bad for you, doesn't it? Just like how my leg reminds me of what I lost."

His tone was calm, almost reflective. May kung anong bigat akong naramdaman habang pinapakinggan siya.

He leaned back on his arms, looking at the calm surface of the pool. "I used to swim without any limitations, Yuno. The water was my second home. But after the accident... every stroke feels like a reminder that I'm not as good as I used to be. And I hate that feeling."

Tahimik lang ako, letting his words sink in.

Pero hindi ko maiwasang isiping paano niya nakayanan. After all these years since the injury, he managed to get back into swimming. At kung nangyari nga ang aksidente anim na taon na ang nakaraan, paniguradong malala ang nangyari noon.