Love is Intricate (KimXi)

Chapter 4: What's Changed and What's the Same

Xian's Point of View

"Kim?!", I said in shock, still not believing who I was seeing in front of me. I blinked several times to check if this was really her. Kinurot ko pa nga ang sarili ko para maniwala akong nangyayari talaga to. Para maniwala akong si Kim nga ang nasa harap ko.

"It's me.", sagot niya sa akin with a smile and a small laugh. Napatingin ako sa mukha niya. She still had those cute dimples on her cheeks. She still had the flawless face. She still had the pearly white teeth. She still had that gorgeous killer smile. She still had those sparkling eyes. She was still the same. She was still Kim. She was still beautiful.

"Ikaw naman, para kang nakakita ng multo. Katakot-takot na ba ang mukha ko, Xi?", tuloy ni Kim sa pagbiro. Xi. Isa pa iyon na pangalan na ayaw ko pa namang maalala. But then again, siya kase ang nagsimula sa pagtawag sa akin noon. It was okay for me before, eh paano kase, ganoon daw pagka-inlove ka. Kahit anong gawin niya sayo, okay lang. Pero ngayon, marami ng nagbago.

FLASHBACK

We were on the way to her house. Hinahatid ko kase siya sa bahay nila tuwing kaya ko. That way, may time pa ako na makasama siya, and at the same time, makasama ang dad niya. I swear, yung dad niya, si Tito Derek, is so far the best dad I've ever met. I mean, no offense kay dad, pero when I met Tito Derek, he was just so different. Well, it's probably because my dad didn't really raise me right, kaya naghahanap din ako ng father-figure sa buhay ko. Kase my dad focused more on work and becoming rich, while Kim's dad focused on his one treasure- his daughter, not neglecting her and still giving her his best.

Tahimik lang kami on the way to her house. She was just doing her usual thinking on the way. Lagi siyang ganoon, nag-iisip. Lagi siyang preoccupied. She doesn't last without thinking. Kaya nga magaling siyang analyzer. At, nahawa ako sa kanya. Sabi nga nila diba, nagiging katulad mo ang mga taong kasama mo. And dahil nga ganoon si Kim, naging ganoon na din ako. I became a thinker- an analyzer. Kaso, minsan, she tends to over-think. Kaya nga ang gusto ko lang, wag na siyang mag-stress sa kakaisip. Ganoon kase siya minsan.

"Babe...", she called me.

"Hmmmm?", tugon ko naman while still holding her hand and my other hand on the steering wheel. My eyes are still on the road.

"Everybody calls you Alex.", sabi niya.

"Yup. Bakit? Anong masama doon?", balik ko sa kanya.

"Wala naman. I was just thinking, ako din ba, dapat Alex and tawag sayo?", she asked me back.

"You call me babe naman. Minsan mo lang akong tinatawag na Alex, pag kailangan natin maging medyo civil.", sagot ko with a smile while thinking about those moments when we have to be behaved.

"Eh, I don't want to call you Alex like everybody else.", she whined a little.

"So what will you call me? Eh iyon naman talaga ang pangalan ko ah.", tanong ko naman na medyo pilosopo na ngayon.

"Xian. Iyon ang tawag ko sayo.", she said.

"Eh diba nga yung barkada--", pinutol niya ako.

"I don't care kung ayaw nila sa pangalan na iyon. I like it. It's different, unique. It's... It's special, babe. Kaya para special lagi, I will call you Xian or Xi.", tugon niya.

Usually, hahampasin ko yung tao na tatawag sa akin ng Xian. Paano kase, naging laughing stock ang pangalan ko sa barkada. Parang gay-ish daw pakinggan. Pero parang iba nung yung girlfriend ko na ang nagsabi. Parang para sa kanya lang talaga yung Xian. Pero yung Xi, wala pang nakakatawag sa akin noon. Siya lang. And that felt better. Yung siya lang ang makakatawag sa akin noon.