Rewind (Erityian Tribes Novella, #2)

08 - Memories

No'ng nagising si Akemi ay napatingin agad siya sa akin at ngumiti kami sa isa't isa. Both of us didn't want to stay in the hospital so we ended up resting in our dorm. All the girls are here and I'm sure that they're worried about us.

'Your mind is really hard to read,' sabi ko agad kay Akemi. I managed to read Mitsuo's but not her. It's like she was trained to close her mind no matter what happens.

'Bakit mo kasi binabasa ang isip ko?'

'Hindi ko rin alam. Siguro kasi dahil mahirap? It's in our nature to try things that are challenging, dangerous and forbidden. Alam kong ganun ka rin.'

I looked at her expression but it remained unchanged. I want to know something about her, things that she didn't tell us yet, but I guess it's not that easy.

'By the way, alam mo bang si Mitsuo ang nagbantay sa'yo?' bigla naman niyang sabi.

'Really?' I know that but if she knew that, she might tease me.

Bigla namang nakisali sina Akira hanggang sa napunta na sa akin ang usapan. Kapag talaga magkakasama sila ay laging ako ang nakikita nila. Dumagdag pa 'tong si Akemi at sinabi sa kanila ang ginawang pagbabantay ni Mitsuo kaya pinagtulungan na nila akong lahat.

"May gusto ka ba sa kanya?" biglang tanong ni Akemi at nagulat kaming lahat.

Gusto? Is there a difference between being curious about someone and being attracted to him? But if one is curious about a person, somehow, he or she will end up being attracted, right? Though, I don't really understand the logic behind that.

After some time ay nadivert naman kay Akemi ang usapan at no'ng napagod na sila sa kakaasar ay tumigil na sila. Buti na lang at may class kaya umalis sila samantalang naiwan naman kami ni Akemi sa kwarto.

Bigla naman akong napaisip sa mga nangyari noong nakaraan kaya tumingin ako sa kanya.

"I was just thinking . . . Hindi kaya kilala tayo ng mga Shinigami na sumugod sa atin? And I think may nangyari sa kanila nung Custos agent. Siguro sumugod siya sa base nila and hinabol naman siya ng Shinigamis. But they didn't expect na nandoon din tayo sa vicinity kaya napilitan silang kalabanin tayo. Napansin kong hindi nila kami sineryoso at parang alam nila ang sixth sense namin tapos mas focused sila doon sa paghabol sa Custos agent. Sa tingin mo may kinuha o ginawa siya sa base nila," I said and Akemi just stared at me.

I really found it weird, I mean those Shinigamis. It was like they knew us and the Custos agent was too strong but they still divided their forces and chose to fight us. Why? Do they have a hidden motive? What is it?

Hindi na namin natuloy ang usapan namin dahil bigla na lang pumasok sa kwarto sina Hideo at Mitsuo. Mitsuo approached me and he held my wrist.

"Anong ginagawa—"

"Let's go."

Ah. It might be a case.

***

Pagkatapos ng case ay ipinahinga ko kaagad ang paa ko dahil sa pagtakbo at paglalakad na ginawa namin. Bigla ko tuloy naalala ang pagiging show-off ng dalawang lalaking 'yon during the investigation.

Just like what I've said to Akemi when we were watching them, Hideo is so good in analyzing things and events just by looking and observing the scene and the behavior of people around him, but sometimes, he's thinking of too many scenarios to the point that he can't sort out what can and cannot happen anymore. However, when Mitsuo joined us, everything has changed. Besides having a dependable sixth sense, he can sort out those kinds of situations and he's good in putting the pieces altogether. That way, they can solve the cases efficiently.