The Courtship of A Dragon (Encantadia Modern AU)

Prologue

He was ten minutes late to MAPEH class. They were, actually. Pero hindi kaya ng konsensya ni Hitano na pabayaan na lamang siya, lalo na sa mga napakinggan niya. On what she might have heard. Nasaan ka na? Hitano found himself asking for the umpteenth time, breathing uneasily.

Everything was too fast for him. Tumakbo siya palayo bago pa man makapagsalita si Hitano. She ran before he could even open his mouth to announce what he and two other band members had come into terms. So, maybe she had overheard everything from the band's (his jerk bandmates had insisted for them to be called in a collective noun) emergency meeting at the back of the school cafeteria. Hindi lahat, naisip niya, not everything no. If she stayed a little longer, maybe this wouldn't even happen in the first place. Napatingin sa kanyang relo at napailing na lamang.

It took him another ten minutes bago niya natagpuan ang kani-kanina pang hinahanap. Nakaupo siya sa ilalim ng nag-iisang puno ng mangga sa eskwelahan. Alone, just like what he had initially thought. But then, tapos na ang lunch break and everybody was inside their respective classrooms, pretending to be interested on finding x and looking for meaning of random words. He sighed, ang tanga ko. He should have thought of the only place where no one was bothering to guard it this time of the day. If only he had thought of the grassy field behind the school library in the first place, then maybe he - they wouldn't be cutting classes right now. Talagang allergic na allergic siya sa mga libro na kahit likod ng library ay binabaon niya sa limot.

He tiptoed on his way to her, to prevent another running situation. Nakatalikod siya so she couldn't see him approaching. He could imagine her crying and suddenly he tensed up, and froze for a second. After a beat, his heart started to pound hard that he felt like a ticking time-bomb. He was not ready for this.

Hindi siya prepared sa mga sitwasyong tulad nito. He was never good with girls and their crying, especially girls he was not fully acquainted with. Alira, his stepsister, never shed a single tear. It was the other way around with Hitano and Alira. To be fair, the Thai massage had hurt like hell. Kung legit Thai massage nga yung ginawa sa akin or she's just messing with me. That Alira.

"Hey," he spoke and stopped his track to give her space. A bit space, mga tatlong ruler, just to make sure.

She did not respond, her front still hidden from him. Even they've been classmates for almost five months, he knew she recognized his voice. Kahit mabibilang lang sa iisang kamay kung ilang beses sila nakapagpalitan ng mga salita. Three out of five involved repeating a teacher's requirements and re-checking of test paper.

He took another step and another until he was standing on her right. The first thing he did was to look at her face. No single tear. Nakahinga siya nang maluwag, an invisible hand wiping his sweating forehead.

"Bakit ka nandito? You don't have to comfort me." She said, turning her face to the other side. She was holding the electric guitar too tight and for a moment Hitano feared she might smash his skull with it. He gulped an invisible lump on his throat when he realized that his paranoia might be possible. The guitar was on ground minutes ago, few minutes before he decided to stand beside her. Damuhan, malayo sa RA building, just perfect.

"Bakit ko naman gagawin 'yun?" He asked. Nagtatalo ang isip niya kung uupo ba siya sa tabi nito o hindi. After wasting time, he sat down on the grass, a few inches close to her. It was kind of hot - the temperature - it was almost 12:30 in the afternoon.

He didn't utter a word, coming up with a decision not to talk until his companion speaks again. It only lasted for another ten minutes.

"Hindi dahil sa babae ako..." She started and looked at him with vicious eyes and gritted teeth. "I don't want to join your stupid band!" She finished with a huff.

"Well, sayang naman. " He replied, watching her expression changed from angry to confused on his peripheral. "Ikaw pa naman ang pinili ko."

"Ano?" Mabilis na tanong ng babaeng kasama niya. She sat straight out of instinct. "No way."

"Yes way." Sinuklian lang ang attempt on humor niya nang pagtaas ng kilay. Girls and their eyebrows. "I choose you."

Another uncomfortable minutes of silence.

"I heard right." She shook her head. Hindi malaman ni Hitano kung ano ba talaga ang gusto ng babae na gawin niya. "Gusto nila si Halen e kasi naniniwala sila na he's better than me," She stopped, hugging her knees. "when all he ever is...he's just a boy."

"They wanted Halen." Hitano nodded in agreement, looking back at the band's short discussion. It felt like years had passed. "Kasi lalaki siya tulad namin? Yes.

"Kasi naiisip nila na choosing you would make us less cool? Yes." Hindi niya maiwasang matawa. Just because they're already Sophomore students hindi ibig sabihin na cool na silang banda, di tulad ng first try nila last year sa competition. "They think less but I always choose to be right. Now, sabihin mo nga sa akin kung bakit pa ako nag-expect na we're not as stupid as we were before."

She chose to remain silent. He could tell that she's got lot of things to say. He would gladly help her enumerate the absurdity of the band.

"Halen was good but you did best and my uncle used to tell me to be always on the right side even no one's willing to jump with you." Hitano sighed, wishing the girl would speak with him again. "You didn't stay long enough to figure out that I've won that fight."

Still, no reply. The sounds of chirping and sniffing only made it real. The sun was finally irritating his exposed arms. He wondered how she could stand this kind of heat. He was no longer comfortable in his tight uniform and he was craving for a cold shower. Apat na oras pa ang nalalabi bago ang uwian and that was cruel.

"Sabihin mo nga uli," a voice pulled him out of trance. She was smiling at him. Her eyes looked watery in a blink and it made him slightly nervous.

"Ang haba nun," he gave humor another try and this time she returned it with an eyeroll. Girls and their eyerolls. "Okay." He wore a resigned smile.

When he gave her shoulder a squeeze, she returned it with a bear hug. She almost knocked them to the ground with such force exerted. He never imagined her to act like that. To everybody, she was always the shy girl. He wondered what everybody would say if they saw them in a compromising position. He blushed a little, remembering they were enrolled in a metaphorical hell.

They stayed like that until a bell ringing was heard. Hitano was not sure what's​ their next subject: TLE or Aralin Panlipunan. Somehow he forgot what day of the week it was. He wanted to ask his companion but she had her eyes closed. He didn't have the heart to disturb her calmness so he ended up counting until three before he made an action.

When he started to move, strands of her short dark hair tickled Hitano's nose and coincidentally, in that moment, he seemed to finally understand what she had meant earlier. He gave their situation one last glance, having a slight idea that it was something they wouldn't dare speak of months and years later. He pushed her shoulders slightly away from him so he could look into her eyes. A pair of brown eyes, a shade darker than his, stared back.

"Ikaw ang pinipili ko, Pirena. I choose you."