Lovesick: Book 2

19

Chapter 19
Less Than Friends

Cancel culture in this generation is like raising pitchforks and burning witches. It's scary how little information we have yet we're too full of ourselves in judging.

Admittedly, our generation cares a lot even for the smallest things, a reason why they call us sensitive. But we are also the less empathetic when we see flawed human characteristics to a person that we're so ready to burn them in shame.

Brix were put into the trial of this cancel culture. Dahil sa mga ibinugang apoy ni Whistlebird sa kaniya, maraming mga articles and sunod sunod na nagsilabasan. What's even worse than that is having different influencers he met before backstab him.

The brightest fire that is burning him right now is him using illegal substances. On top of that, the rumored intimate relationship with a trainee idol from Star Ent. that nobody still knows who.

Maraming nagsasabi na protektahan dapat ang trainee na iyon. Pero walang makapagsabi kung sino ba sa kanila.

That's the scary part of cancel culture as well, having one sided stories. Well, for Brix, I think he deserved it. This guy has to be humbled in the worst way possible. I don't think simple lecturing would cut his horns.

Pero alam ko na sa lakas ng impluwensya niya at nang kaniyang pamilya, it will be a dust in a few weeks. Especially knowing that he's a man.

If he's a woman, everyone will rage about this.

Ibinaba ko ang laptop ko matapos makapagbasa ng mga sunod-sunod na article sa social media tungkol sa issue niya. I'm already burnt out with my readings, pero hindi pa rin ako mahinto-hinto sa kakabasa. Parang lumalangoy na ang mga letra sa utak ko.

But I have to hold on because of our research readings this week. Lalo pa ngayon at natapos ko na Sunburn Summers.

Dalawang beses nang nag-send ng email and editor ko sa akin, kinakamusta ang progress ko sa aking libro. Wala akong maiwang reply kung 'di ang sabihing 'malapit na akong matapos, busy lang sa acads' kahit na ang rason ko ay takot akong pindutin ang send button.

Para kasing lalamunin ako sa segundong maipadala ko sa kanila ang unang draft ng libro. I've read this book more than three times, even Marvin already proofread this. I got nothing to worry about except the fact that it will suck.

There's this constant pressure that my readers and followers wouldn't like the book I wrote more than I what I published before. Springful Youth made a decent sale, and I'm so afraid that releasing Sunburn Summers would affect them both.

"Davi, pakigalaw ang baso kung kasama ka pa namin." Yam looks at me with so much judgement.

"Daydreaming na naman ang bading!" Joya, with her guitar, continued making noises.

Napabuntong hininga lang ako at saka muling binuksan ang notes na pinahiram sa akin ni Yam at Pearl. Last week, may isa akong class na hindi napasukan dahil sa meeting ko with Van. Kaya ngayon ay nangongopya ako ng notes sa kanila. Mabuti na lang talaga at hindi masipag mag-check ng attendance prof namin, kung 'di may dalawang absent na ako sa kaniya.

"Look, Japanese resto na pinuntahan namin ni Joya the other day," inilapat ni Pearl ang kaniyang phone sa kaniyang notes para kuhanin ang atensyon ko.

"Tara?" Aya na pag sang-ayon ni Yam.

"I can't..." I sighed again, then buried my head to their notes.

"Bakit?"

"Hmm... don't tell me may lakad na naman kayo ni Van sa short film niyo?" Yam sounded so jealous. "Kung wala ka lang talagang boyfriend, Davi, iisipin ko na magjowa kayo nun—"