Blackmail / jicheol

✨ • 4

Katahimikan ang bukod tanging naghari sa buong sala sa nakaraang isang oras. Nobody was talking, or even making the slightest noise, save for Wonwoo's tuneless strumming. They were just there, side by side, not really sure what to do.

It was just out of habit, to gather in this clubhouse after every classes, checking up on each other especially on him every single day. Pero ngayon, ni hindi man lang nila magawang mag-usap o magsalita man lang ngayong wala na silang kailangang i-cheer up, ngayong wala na silang kailangang alagaan. They were just there, staring into each of their distances. Maging sina Seungkwan at Seokmin na siyang maaasahan para pagaanin ang mood ng grupo, hindi magawang magjoke sa oras na 'to.

Hindi sanay si Junhui na makitang natatamlay ang kanyang mga kaibigan, lalong-lalo na ang dalawang mood maker.

He absolutely didn't like the way Seungkwan was staring at Jihoon's keyboard at one end of the room. He didn't like the way Seokmin was hugging the Jigglypuff pillow Jihoon adored so much. Hindi rin niya gusto ang maya't-mayang pagsstrum ni Wonwoo sa guitar ni Jihoon kahit hindi naman siya marunong tumugtog. He didn't like the way Chan was pretending to be asleep on the couch, when he's just silently weeping, not wanting to get caught. (His sniffs were loud enough to be heard all over the place).

Bigla siyang tumayo kaya napatingin sa kanya si Wonwoo habang ang iba naman ay pinagpapatuloy ang kanilang mga ginagawa.

"Tara, gala!" masiglang saad niya sa kanila dahilan ng paglingon ng natitirang mga kaibigan niya. Maliban na lang kay Chan na hindi gumagalaw.

He was replied with silence.

"Gusto kong pumunta sa isang café sa Star Streets guys, tamang-tama kasi malamig. Painit tayo d'on!" And for the first time, those words meant well.

They ignored him.

"Guys sige na! Woo, Chan, Minnie! Kwan! Tara!"

No one wanted to move. Nobody did.

"Ayaw niyo?" tahimik na tanong ni Junhui sa kanila. "At ano, habangbuhay na lang kayong tutunganga rito at malulungkot?"

He earned the glassy eyes of his friends, a whole three pairs of broken, swollen eyes as gloom drifts across their orbs. And Junhui couldn't get any more heartbroken.

He wished he can anything to help them, to cheer them up. Pero hindi siya si Seokmin o kaya si Seungkwan. Hindi rin siya si Wonwoo na magaling sa ganitong mga bagay.

He's just good old Junhui who was just as heartbroken as anyone else yet chose to look at the bright side.

Ang masaklap lang ay hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin para maibsan ang lungkot na nararamdaman nilang lahat.

He didn't know except these few words that will surely break all of their hearts.

"Guys," naiiyak niyang tugon gamit ang mga salitang alam niya. "Pakawalan na natin si Jihoon."