CROWN.

• 6

armi

it was yet another usual day. rome went out to spend time with his friends while i went out to take a stroll in the subdivision.

the morning breeze was quite nice. as it blew gently, the subtility and tranquility made me feel a sense of security. it was as if telling me that i was not out alone, that the breeze is here as my company.

last night's twitter encounter with martel still lingered at the back of my head. i might've pieced a part of the puzzle, but questions remained rampant in my head. i don't understand why i'm feeling the pull to peek into his life. maybe the feeling that someone's carrying a similar burden with mine and i want to help? it's odd but the pull to know the details inside the life of a christiane martel is strong.

the tranquil stroll was going quite well. i've seen no one else so far. the litter created by the falling leaves lay on the ground damp from the morning dew. makulimlim ang langit, the gray clouds hovered above my head.

natigilan ako sa paglalakad ng maaninag ko ang isang pamilyar na likod na nakaupo sa damuhan ng vacant lot na kalahating kilometro ang layo mula sa amin.

the ground is obviously damp and he chose to sit on it.

a second later and he was laying flat on the grassy plain.

this martel is severely dumb.

curiously, my feet led me to where he was laying. though his eyes were closed and his breathing was serene enough as if he was asleep, he was obviously wide awake.

"sorry to interrupt your slumber but do you mind if i stay here too?" my sudden interruption woke him up - his eyes fluttered open as his orbs stared right at me.

"kuusela,"

"martel. what a nice way to start your morning, getting a nice damp on your back by laying on this ground? how clever."

"bakit? baka naiinggit ka lang. darling, you can lay here beside me. i wouldn't mind. in fact, i'd gladly grant you my strong arms to rest your head on,"

"tch, i'm fine."

"sus, nahiya ka pa," martel pulled me down, causung me to fall on top of him - kinda like those cliché scenes in dramas.

"b-bitaw nga! tatayo ako!"

"stay," he whispered in my ear, "stay this way for a while, kuusela,"

w-what--

thus, i remained on top of him. my head was in his chest and my body positioned in the most uncomfortable manner.

"can you at least-- let me lay comfortably you dumbass," i blurted out. he chuckled and i repositioned myself, shrugging my annoyance from him away.

"kuusela,"

"hmm?"

"h-how do you see me?" he asked.

"gamit ang mga mata ko, of course." i responded in which he responded with a hopeless sigh.

"how do i see a christiane martel choi? popular, great, adored by many but is a total flirt," i paused, "but honestly, i have no enough grounds to say for sure. there's obviously something nice in you that i can't see,"

"what do you do when you feel pressured?" he asked.

"i do nothing. everyone already grew tired of my stubbornness. i don't feel the pressure because i know my existence disappointed them already,"

"mabuti ka pa. i wish i were as apathetic as you seem to be. life would've been easier to deal with,"

"you're mistaken, christiane martel. i was never apathetic. i only taught myself to be numb from people's expectations and i still get hurt. an easier way to life never existed. you only have to teach yourself to be immune,"

"does it not bother you?"

"what could bother me?"

"you being named after a crown. a prized one, at that"

"both of our names are buried deep into the people's memories. it's unsignificant now. but, the burden of carrying the legacy left by my mother is bothersome. in it comes expectations from the people who love her. getting away from those expectations made it even worse but i'm fed up with their disappointing stares. what's your story to tell, christiane martel?"

"growing up in a well-known family raised me into the person i am today. i have to comply with the way they want me to act in front of other's eyes. sure, i love the satisfaction that praises and adoration gives me. however, deep inside i always want to pursue something different from the path they laid in front of me. kaya simula no'ng narealize ko 'yan i started to slowly rebel out of that path, in secret. still, kailangan kong umakto sa paraang gusto nila."

"flirting, what a peculiar way of rebelling, martel. kaya pala hanggang lote lang ang mga kalandian mo,"

"oh? so you were secretly observing me, kuusela? baka totoo ngang gusto mo ako, babe-- a-aray!" he earned a free pinch from me.

"shut your mouth, choi. being a keen observer is my peculiarity, if you haven't known. tandaan mo, hindi tayo close," i reminded him.

"the way we are right now tells me we're beyond 'hindi tayo close'. nakahiga ka pa nga sa dibdib ko, kuusela. baka nag-eenjoy ka na nang sobra-- a-araaay!" and he earned yet another pinch from me. tumayo na ako at pinagpagan ang sarili ko. my pants were already damp from laying in the ground.

"sadista ka ba kuusela? masakit yun ah" reklamo niya habang hinihimas ang braso niyang kinurot ko nang dalawang ulit.

i returned the bored look in my face which i used to face him. i started walking away. three steps later, i heard him say:

"thank you, kuusela." i looked back at him and saw a genuine smile.

genuine, but obviously broken.

i nodded in response as i continued to walk back home.

i guess you're really not that awful after all, christiane martel.

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it has only been a day at nasa chapter 6 na ang crown woohoo!

i hope you enjoy your night, lovelies ♡