Complicated Love

Special Chapter

3rd Person's POV

2 years later . . .

Nakatapos na ng Senior High sa South Korea si Zia at nakapag part-time job na rin sya para na rin may sarili syang kita para sa sarili nya.

Nagkaron na rin sya ng maraming kaibigan at isa dun,Pilipino. Sa buong barkada,sila ang pinaka close dahil na rin sa sila ang nagkakaintindihan. Well,nagkakaintindihan naman sila pero iba pa rin para kay Zia kapag Tagalog sya nagsasalita.

Kahit na dalawang taon na sya sa South Korea,she never forgot her roots for being a Filipina. Also,she's still in contact with Chris and Courtney.

Right,that couple is still going strong even though both of them are busy; Chris with his band then Courtney with her artworks. Zia never knew that this two can do those things for the past years.

Since they will leave that country in a week, Zia wanted to go around the streets. She said to her Mom, "Ma,I'll just watch the cherry blossom along the streets of Sangsu,okay?"

"Wow. That's a better place for Spring season." Mrs. Alexis stated. "Be back before 8pm."

"Syempre." Zia replied while putting on her long black coat and grabbed her white shoulder bag. "Gagala-gala lang naman ako dun kaya di na ko magtatagal."

Without hearing her mom's reply,she went out of their apartment and went to the train station which will lead her to Sangsu.

Zia herself doesn't why but she always texts Courtney whenever she's going outside. She texted her, "Bes sa Sangsu ako. Yung street dito na maraming cherry blossom. Ie-enjoy ko na since patapos na ang Spring season tsaka pauwi na rin kami dyan within a week. Miss ya!"

While waiting to go down the train, Courtney replied to her text and said, "Mabuti naman sinasabi mo pa rin sakin kung san ka tutungo. Para at least, kung may mangyari man sayong masama,alam ko kung nasan ka."

Habang naglalakad, tinext nya ulit si Courtney. "You're more paranoid than my parents ㅋㅋㅋ"

"Paalala ko lang sayo,di ako Korean at hindi ko naiintindihan yan."

"Ay,sorry naman. Tumawa lang naman ako e." Then she added, "Sige na." Di nya na hinintay kung magre-reply pa ba si Courtney. Ibinulsa nya sa coat nya ang phone nya at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.

Sinimulan nya nang maglakad-lakad dun, not minding every couple she saw and some happy family laughing. These past few days kasi, hindi sila masyadong okay ng magulang nya siguro dahil na rin sa sumali sya sa isang party ng kaibigan nya.

Well,okay naman sa magulang nyang nasa party sya. Pero yung mag-stay until 12am? Very wrong for her age.

Ilang araw na lang rin,birthday nya na kaya siguro regalo nya na rin for herself this time that she's alone.

After a few walks to the cherry blossom street, she pulled her yellow polaroid. It was late gift from her brother for her 18th birthday.

Simula nung 17th birthday nya,nung sinurprise sya nina Courtney, naging maganda na ang birthdays nya. Umaasa syang sa 19th birthday nya, maganda nanaman ang mangyayari. Pero naisip nyang isang 'Goodbye and Happy Birthday Zia' party nanaman to mula sa Korean friends nyang nakasama nya sa trabaho at pag-aaral.

Pagkatapos nyang kuhanan ang mga puno gamit ang kanyang polaroid, ipinasok nya ang pictures sa loob ng bulsa sa bag nya. Hindi nya muna nilagay sa bag nya yung camera dahil baka may iba pa syang makita na makakapagpa-antig sa mata nya.

That time came. Zia saw an alley filled with souvenir stores, stuff toy stores, cafès and such things. She took a picture of every beatiful things she saw including the coffee cup she bought. She walked through that alley while holding her camera and sipping her iced americano.