√ | shake, bend and break

e i g h t y - t w o

pre-epilogue

THE SIX OF THEM found theirselves running to their treehouse. Where it all began. And where they will fix their friendship. Isa-isa nilang naabutan ang isa't-isa sa treehouse. It's like destiny na magkasabay silang nakarating doon. Hingal na hingal silang nagkatinginan. Silence overpowered them until Lisse laughed. Para siyang tawa na nakakawala ng problema, napaka-refreshing pakinggan.

Sinundan naman ito ng pagtawa ni Phi at ang kahantungan, silang lahat na ang tumatawa.

"Alam niyo, namiss kong tumawa tayo ng magkakasama kahit nagmumukha na tayong baliw." ani ni Aki saka nginitian ang lima. "Let's not fight again please. I don't want to loose all of you." sabi naman ni Minhyuk. "So ano na? Tutunganga nalang ba tayo dito?" tanong ni Tami. Nakatanggap naman siya ng isang tapik kay Kenji. "Ikaw ang taya."

And then they played all day. Kinakalimutan na nila ang problema at away nilang magkakaibigan. They started recalling all the memories they shared while roasting marshmallows. Kasabay doon ang pagtawa nila, at ang mga ngiting hindi mapapantayan ng sino man.

"Sa kabila ng lahat ng nangyari, you all are still here." hindi-makapaniwalang sabi ni Kenji na ngayong nakasandal kay Minhyuk. Lisse smiled genuinely at the two. She learned to accept the fact na hindi talaga napipilit ang pag-ibig. Ngayon, masaya na siya para kina Minhyuk at Kenji.

"Syempre naman. Diba nga matatag tayo?" sabi ni Aki. He started holding Lisse's hand, and Lisse held Phi's, Phi held Tami's and so goes with Minhyuk and Kenji.

"Hindi ko inaakalang kayo parin ang babalikan ko. Akala ko wala na talaga." sabi ni Phi.

"We are soulmates, hindi tayo magkakahiwalay Phi."

After all that had happened, they found theirselves smiling at each other. Love didn't break them, it just made them stronger. Well, their hearts broke but with the help of one another, alam nilang maaayos pa nila ang lahat. They will start a new story of their friendship, and it will be stronger than before.