"DID you received our photos at the lake, Sui-kun?" tanong ni Nikka kay Suichirou.
"I miss you already, Nikka-chan," sa halip ay wika niya sa dalaga. Nangingiting umiling ito sa kanya. Maging siya ay napangiti na rin.
"Magkasama na tayo nang matagal sa lake noong isang araw, the next day in the afternoon magka-video call na tayo and after that I went to work. Hindi mo lang ako nakita nang matulog tayo at kaninang umaga, dahil heto at magka-video call na ulit tayo. For a Japanese you really are so sweet, Sui-kun," dire-diretsong anito sa kanya. She was animatedly speaking, pabago-bago ang ekspresyon nito. Which he found really amusing.
Hindi na naman mapatid ang sinasabi nitong tagalog, and he'll admit later that he didn't understand any of what she said. Akala niya ay magugustuhan lang niya ito dahil iba ito sa mga kasama nito, na tipo niya ang tulad nitong nagtataglay ng simpleng ganda, hard working tulad niya. But no, he likes how she talk to him and how she is with him. A natural. No pretension, no hidden intention. Kaya naman gustong-gusto niya ito, na makasama. Everything about her, he wouldn't expect that he fell more than that.
She's a Filipina, tulad ng nanloko sa ama niya. Pero ang mga katangian ng dalaga ang humuli rin sa puso niya. She colored his black and white life. With her he learned that he could feel something, and how to enjoy once in a while. How to care, love...
"Aishteru, Nikka-chan," he said like a love sick Japanese guy. Dahil yata sa pag-aaral niya sa ibang bansa ay masyado siyang naging sweet.
Lalo siyang naaliw sa dalaga nang mamula ang mga pisngi nito sa sinabi niya. He's guessing that she know what he mean with what he said. "If I was there with you, I could have kiss you. I swear to kiss you later," dagdag pa niya.
"Sui-kun! Ah, basta I've send all of our pictures to you. I'm going."
Akmang puputulin na nito ang tawag nang pigilan niya. "You forgot something, Nikka-chan."
"What?"
"How are you feeling?" He teasingly asked her.
"Nakakainis ka. Kinikilig ako! 'Bye!" Then she totally cut the call. Mag-isa man ay ikinatawa niya iyon ng malakas.
He scan the pictures Nikka was saying earlier. Kuha nila ang mga iyon nang maging kanya na ito. Panay ang kuha nito ng larawan nilang dalawa. They take turns capturing those. May ilan na magkasama sila dahil napakiusapan ng dalaga ang mga kakilala nito. His girlfriend is famous there, for being a very good daughter. Everyone loves her.
And of course, the lake was beautiful. Ilan ang larawan nila na iyon ang background. At halos lahat ng mga tao ay hindi maaaring hindi magpakuha na wala ang lawa sa likuran. Higit pang naging maganda ang lugar na iyon dahil doon sila nag-aminan ng dalaga, nagkaron ng relasyon.
"Suichirou..."
Napaangat siya ng tingin mula sa laptop niya. "Uncle? H-how long were you standing there?" gulat na tanong niya. Nakatayo ito sa nay pinto ng kuwarto niya.
"Long enough to confirm what I've observed since we arrived. She got your attention. Is she some kind of a fling, Chirou?" "Chirou" was his nickname to everyone who knows him. Maliban na lang sa nobya dahil espesyal ang dalaga.
Nagpanting ang tainga niya sa sinabi ng tiyuhin. "No," matigas na sagot niya.
He won't deny, he had flings when he was still studying in the US. He's a man, and he have needs. He never had a serious relationship. But Nikka is different, she's the only one whom he is serious with.
Matamang tiningnan siya nito, tila sinusuri. Pakiramdam niya ay ang ama niya ang nakatingin sa kanya dahil may pagkakahawig ang dalawa. Obviously, Yamato Nobuhara is his father's brother, older, one and only. Ngunit hindi siya nagpasindak rito.
