otornim • jicheol

052

"LEE Jihoon, tinatanggap mo ba ang gwapo pero mukhang camel na si Choi Seungcheol?"

Natatawang napatingin ako kay Seungcheol. Magkasalubong ang mga kilay niya habang tinitingnan nang masama ang nagkakasal kuno sa amin.

"Kailangan bang laitin mo ako?," naiinis na tanong niya.

"Dinescribe lang kita, Mr. Choi," the other answered.

Natatawang hinawakan ko ang kamay niya. Napatingin naman siya sa akin. I winked at him and smiled.
"Hayaan mo na, gwapo ka naman. Jinojoke ka lang niya," I said, softly.

His face calmed. Napangiti na rin siya kaya tumingin ulit ako sa pari. Ngumiti ako nang matamis at saka tumango.
"I do," I answered.

He smiled back at me. Kinindatan niya ako bago siya bumaling kay Seungcheol. Na naiinis na naman. Siya naman ang humawak sa kamay ko mang mahigpit.

"Stop flirting with My Ji. He's my groom, maghanap ka nang sayo," he possessively said.

My heart thumped hard. Napahigpit din tuloy ang kapit ko sa kanya. My insides are swelling and my  veins became cables of electricity. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang tuwa sa inaakto at sinasabi niya. Sweet.

Hopeful actions, world-shaking sweet words and pretty darn feelings. I want to dive in and embrace those things for real. I wanted to give my heart a chance to enjoy everything. Sana totoo na lang ang pinapakita niya. BUT. There is big but.

These things are just happening because we agreed to something. Because he's just playing with me.

"Sorry. Sige, itutuloy ko na," the priest cleared his throat and smiled. "Ikaw, Choi Seungcheol, tinatanggap mo ba ang napakacute at amoy bubblegum na si Lee Jihoon?," he asked.

Mas sumama ang tingin ni Seungcheol. "You smelled him?," tanong niya.

The fake priest shook his head and laughed. "Hindi, ah. Hanggang dito kasi nangangamoy ang matamis niyang pabango. Ang kyut kasi nang amoy at talagang bagay pala ni Pres and pabang—"

"I do. Ituloy mo na," putol niya sa pagpuri nang lalaki sa akin.

Our audiences laughed and yieee-d again. Napatingin ako sa paligid, madami na palang nanonood sa amin at nagvivideo, kumukuha nang pics at dinodraw kami. Napangiti tuloy ako nang maluwang. Ang daming JiCheol fans. May banner pa kasi nang JiCheol.

"Ahem! Sorry again. So couples, you may give your vows to each other now. Dapat sweet kahit impromptu. At saka bigyan niyo ang isa't isa nang isang bagay na magkokonekta sa inyo. Wala tayong singsing, eh."

Mabilis akong humarap kay Cheol nang matapos siyang magsalita. Hinawakan ko ang bagay na nakakabit sa leeg ko at saka napangiti.
"Tumalikod ka muna, My Cheol," utos ko sa kanya.

Kahit nag-aalangan ay tumalikod pa rin siya. I breathed hard at unti-unting tinanggal ang kwintas ko. Dahan dahan ko iyong nilagay uyon sa leeg niya. Napangisi ako nang mapakislot siya sa malamig na bagay na dumikit sa balat niya. Then, I was the one to pull him to face me. Agad na dumapo ang kamay ko sa kamay niyang nakahawak na sa may bandang dibdib niya kung nasaan ang pendant nang kwintas. I stared at him.

"Hey, My Cheol," I whispered.

"W-What?," he asked.

"Please, take everything I'll say a joke, " I said.

He frowned. But I didn't elaborate it. Nagpatuloy na lang ako sa pagsabi ko nang vow ko sa kanya.
"Choi Seungcheol, I choose to give this to you dahil sa may deep meaning yan. We both know that I love music and writing and making them. That's why I want to make this relationship be music. We'll be a duet. You'll be the beat and I'll be the melody. You'll be the lyrics and I'll be the passion. I'll put love in it and you'll be the one to...fuel it. We will be the strength of each other and we'll sound bad without each other. Our life wouldn't be beautiful and soundly, if we're not together," I paused. I stared at his eyes and whispered something that only the two of us can hear, "It's okay for me if this will be a one-sided love, basta ba patulan mo ang mga kabaliwan ko. Kahit na hindi mo na ako seryosohin, seryoso naman ako sayo. Just tell me, kung di mo na ako kayang tiisin, para hindi naman ako magulat kapag bigla ka na lang lumayo. I don't like pain. So, please, don't let me feel it. Kaya kung gusto mong layuan na ako ngayon, pagkatapos nito, pwede na. Lumayo ka na. Unti-unti na kasi akong umaasa." Lumiliit nang lumiit ang boses ko. Parang bigla kasi akong nahiya sa kanya. And I added that word na minsan ko lang babanggitin. "Joke."

My heart clenched. I quickly avoided his gaze and released a silent sigh.

Takte, ano bang sinabi ko? Lol, ang honest ko talaga. Syet lang.

Naramdaman kong hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. Then, a cold thing touched my palms. Ring. He closed my hands with his. Hindi ko maiwasang titigan siya pabalik dahil ramdam ko ang sobrang lalim niyang paninitig. My heart continued filling my chest with loud thump thumps and it's making me...

"Lee Jihoon. I don't have any accesories that I can give to you except for this ring. Sorry. But I want to say that this thing is also important to me. I had this ring the first time I won in a rap contest. My name is engraved on it. I'm giving it to you for you to remember that this day happened and I willingly participated in this thing," he paused. Hinigpitan niya ang hawak niya sa kamay ko. Then, he whispered an answer to what I said. "Sorry  for the one-sided love, Jihoonie. Hindi ko naman pwedeng pilitin ang sarili kong magkagusto sayo. Pero papatulan ko pa rin ang kabaliwan mo, don't worry. I'll tell when I get tired which I think wouldn't happen. I'm enjoying my times with you Lee Jihoon. And pain, I can't control pain, baby. At hindi ko maipapangakong hindi mo mararamdaman iyon dahil sabi mo nga...umaasa ka na. Because everything that falls and hopes, gets broken and hurt." Pumiyok ang boses niya sa huling sinabi.

I bit my lips and nodded. Isinuot ko ang singsing. And it was something to be happy of when it actually fitted exactly on my ring finger. And Seungcheol was wearing it on his little finger before. Which means...

If his little finger has the same size as my ring finger, it means,..we are meant to be.

Hopia na naman. Letse.
.

"Tapos na ba ang vows niyo? Ahm, kung ganoon, couples, you may now, go to your date and make out," the priest said.

Tiningnan ko siya nang masama. Hindi ba dapat kiss the bride? Groom?

"Ah, sorry. Hehe. You may kiss the each other pala," he apologized.

I rolled my eyes. Humarap ako kay Seungcheol, but I didn't even had the chance to see his face. Dahil naramdaman ko na lang na dumampi ang labi niya sa tungki nang ilong ko. Followed by a kiss on my forehead.

"I shouldn't feel things like these towards you, My Ji. But I can't control them. And I'm having troubles with these. I can't help it."
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