Hansel & Ingrid [JULNIEL]

Nineteen: Ingrid

       Hansel continued stuffing his mouth with lasagna.

        I don't know if I should tell you this but I think I'm starting to like you.

       Umulit sa utak ni Ingrid ang boses ni Hansel.

       I don't know if I should tell you this but I think I'm starting to like you.

       At umulit.

       I don't know if I should tell you this but I think I'm starting to like you.

       At umulit.

       At umulit pa ng ilang beses na hindi na mabilang ni Ingrid. Humigpit ang paghawak niya sa kanyang spoon and fork, unable to look away from Hansel in disbelief.

       Damang-dama ni Hansel ang pag-init ng kaniyang pisngi hanggang sa kanyang tenga. Nararandaman niya ang pagtitig ni Ingrid pero hindi niya magawang tumingin sa babae sa harapan niya.

       "Ano?" Dahan-dahan na itinanong ni Ingrid, "Seryoso ka?"

       After ilang segundo ng pag-iwas sa tingin ni Ingrid, nagawa na sawakas ni Hansel na tumingin pabalik. "Do I look like I'm not?"

       Nag hanap si Ingrid ng bahid ng kasinungalingan sa mga mata ni Hansel. She tried really really hard to find any lie and deception pero kahit ilang titig ang gawin niya ay hindi natinag si Hansel. Walang binawing salita si Hansel, he just sat there, waiting for an answer.

       Ingrid's heart dropped.

       "Hansel..." Sinimulan niya, her breath shaking from nervousness. Ingrid craved for words to say but nothing was coming out of her mouth.

       For Hansel, Ingrid's silence was enough sign. It was enough sign na he was gonna get rejected. Ano nga naman inaasahan niya? He knew naman na wala siyang panalo kahit anong anggulo niya tignan. He thought, probably, the best way to recover na lang was to accept his fated doom. He gave Ingrid enough time to respond, pero after a few minutes of silence sa pagitan nila he decided na wag nang pahirapan ang isa't-isa.

       "Just say it." Nanginig ang boses ni Hansel, "Para matapos na."

       Kumunot ang noo ni Ingrid, "Ang?" Tinanong niya.

       "Na hindi mo ko gusto, na we're better off as friends." Tumigil si Hansel to consider his next few words. "Na we're better off as flatmates."

       As if Ingrid's heart couldn't go lower, she felt it drop again. "Hansel naman, hindi, kasi," Hindi talaga mapaliwanag ni Ingrid ang nararandaman niya. "Ayoko. Ayokong sabihin. Hindi ko sasabihin yan."