LSS: CLOSE

Chapter 6

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said. Ibinaba nito ang payong at tinignan ang dalaga. "Are you on a vacation?"

"I, too, didn't expect to see you here," she answered in a low voice. "Ah, yeah. Our next flight would be on the 15th, so we spent our vacation here in Seoul."

Hindi na nagsalita pa ang lalaki. Sa totoo lang ay hindi n'ya alam kung paano siya makikipag-usap sa kaharap. He then broke the silence. "Do you want to go out for a ride?"

She was hesitant to answer. First, hindi naman talaga niya kilala ang binata, kahit pa Kpop idol pa ang kaharap nito ay hindi naman siya ganun kadali ma-aya. Pangalawa, natatakot siya na baka may gawin itong masama.

"Hey, I don't mean anything. I just can't sleep and I just wanted to roam around."

"Ah. Okay, but we won't be using your car, right? "'Mahirap na, baka mamaya ay kung saan saan pa mapunta.'

"Sure. We can have a walk," sagot ni Jace. Nang tumigil ang ambon ay agad na silang nagsimula sa paglalakad. Sa una ay may ilang na nararamdaman ang dalawa. Ang babae ay kinakabahan na baka biglang may mag-abang sa kanilang mga chismosa, habang ang lalaki naman ay 'di alam kung paano simulan ang usapan.

"Aren't you afraid that someone might see us?" Tanong ng dalaga habang linilingon lingon ang paligid. Pakiramdam niya ay may nakasunod sa kanila.

"No," he chuckled. "Not this time. I really don't care about them now."

"Really? Then I wonder why you ran so fast when a person took a photo of us back at the hotel. "Natatawa Na sagot ni Regina.

"Well, that is a different story. "Natawa din naman ang binata. "Ah, why were you knocking on my door that time? Did you say you forgot something? "

She shook her head in response and chuckled a bit when she remembered what she left at his room. Hindi na pinilit pa ni Jace alamin kung ano ang naiwan nito at dito nakakuha siya ng t'yempo para humingi ng tawad sa dalaga. "I apologize if I scared you that time. I really don't mean any harm. I'm not that kind of person.

Napatingin ang dalaga sa sinabi ng lalaki. Sa totoo lang ay magaan naman ang loob niya sa binata. Ramdam nyang sincere naman ito sa paghingi ng tawad kaya agad niya itong nginitian at nagsalita.

"I also wanted to apologize for pushing your door and barging into your room. Let's just forget what happened. Instead, why don't we introduce ourselves? Let's say this is our first meeting together." She smiled widely at him at agad na nagpakilala. "I'm Elia Regina Alejandra Alterro."

Nagsukli din naman ng ngiti ang binata nag nagpakilala. "Well, I'm Jace Park."

Pagkatapos magpakilala sa isa't isa ay mas naging natural ang mga ito. They talked about their favorites, their dream place and their likes and dislikes, they even talked about their future. Both didn't notice that they were smiling at each other. Pakiramdam ng dalawa ay napakatagal na nilang magkakilala.

"Remember the time when you went to our fan event in Busan?" Jace gazed at her. Regina nodded in response. "Do you know why I was staring at you?" Dito ay mejo naging seryoso ang lalaki. Tinignan naman ito ng dalaga ng nakakunot ang noo. "Do you remember when you bumped into me while we were under water? Do you remember the guy who gave you his bandana for you to cover your wound?"

Agad na napatigil sa paglalakad ang dalaga. "I knew it! Kaya pala parang pamilyar ka nung mga oras na 'yun! Grabe!" Hindi n'ya namalayan na nagsasalita na pala ito sa lenggwaheng filipino.

"What?" He asked with his forehead creased.

"I mean, that is the reason you seem familiar. But didn't you know that I have seen you four years ago?" Dito nagsimulang magkwento ang dalaga. Sinabi din n'ya kung gaano kasupportive ang kanyang kapatid pagdating sa kanilang grupo.

"Of course I know. But not until you went to my dad's cafe," he paused, then breathed a sigh. "I recognized you back at the event, but I just realized that you were the same girl when I saw you shed a tear at the cafe. Memories started flashing back, and that's when I knew that you're that person. I'm sorry for what happened."

Regina fell silent for a few seconds. "That was four years ago. I'm still trying to cope up but I'm okay. And I didn't even have time to say thank you... so thank you for finding my sister." She smiled at him.

Nagpatuloy sila sa paglalakad at kwentuhan. Marami silang nalaman tungkol sa isa't isa lalo na sa cultural differences. Hindi nila napansin ang oras at malapit na palang mag alas-diyes ng gabi.

"I think it's getting late," she said. Naglakad sila pabalik ng villa at kinawayan nito ang binata. Nang makitang nakaalis na ang lalaki ay agad itong pumasok sa loob ng kanyang kwarto at diretsong humiga sa kama.

Kahit papaano ay gumaan ang loob ni Regina. Sa una ay parang malamig ang dating ng lalaki pero pag nagtagal ay masasabing masayahin itong tao.

Back at their own apartment, Jace couldn't help but to smile. Napakasaya ng kanyang pakiramdam dahil nakausap n'ya ang dalaga. Pakiramdam n'ya ay maiihi s'ya sa kilig.

"Where have you been?" tanong ni Ross habang ang dalawang kamay nito ay nakapemaywang. He looked like a mad dad. "Oh, wrong question. It should be, who were you with?" Ngayon ay nakangiti na ito ng may halong pang-aasar.

"What?" He couldn't answer straight away and tried to change the topic." Have you ate yet?"

"Yes," Ross answered back." Now, who were you with?" 'Annoying!'

Jace swept his hair and looked at him. "I was with no one. Now be quiet."

Dito ay mala demonyong ngiti at tingin ang ibinaling sa kanya ng kaibigan. Akala nya ay magsasalita pa ito ngunit dumiretso ang lalaki sa kanilang kwarto. Nakahinga siya ng maluwag ngunit pagkalipas sampung segundo ay muli itong lumabas.

"Caught in a lie!" Pakantang sabi ni Ross. He showed a photo of him and a girl who were walking and smiling at each other happily. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Jace sa kanyang nakita. "Someone left these outside just ten minutes before you came. So you went to see her,huh?" Seryosong tanong nito sa kanya.

"Were you stalking us?"

"Why would I? I told you, someone left it at the door."

Kinuha nito ang mga litrato at pumasok sa kanyang silid. This was the second time na kinuhanan silang dalawa. The first was at the hotel, naaalala nitong hinabol pa n'ya ang lalaki ngunit hindi n'ya ito naabutan maliban sa isang tali ng buhok na nalaglag mula sa taong 'yun. Sa hula n'ya ay lalaking may mahabang buhok ang sumusunod sa kanya.

Ilang araw na ang nakalipas ngunit wala namang napapabalita tungkol sa mga kuhang larawan kaya ipinagsawalang bahala nya nalang ito. He lay down on his bed and once again thought of her.

'If you bump into her. Please, date her.'

Naalala n'yang sabi sa kanya ng nakababatang kapatid ng dalaga. 'Isn't it too fast? But what if I ask her out for a date? Ah, no. It's too obvious. Would she say no? I don't think so. What if she really says no? I think that would hurt.'

Napakaraming katanungan nito sa kanyang isipan. He pursed his lips into a pout and stared at the ceiling. Napahawi na naman ito sa kanyang buhok ng mapansing kinakausap na nito ang sarili. Hindi lang yun, he's also smiling like an idiot.

'Damn, cupid. Did you shoot me with your stupid arrow?'