She's the Real Challenge

55: Life Goes On

After breaking almost half of the items in his home, Sage was out of breath and curled up in a fetal position beside the infinity pool on his terrace. He stared at the edge of the pool overlooking the city skyline, his eyes devoid of emotion. Having all that angst, rage, and frustration was physically and emotionally exhausting.

A faint ringing sound came from his jeans pocket. His phone was vibrating. Sage ignored it. Whatever it was, it can wait. Wala siyang ibang kagustuhan kung 'di mapag-isa. 'Yon naman ang gusto ni Kendra eh, kaya siya iniwan.

The ringing didn't stop. Sampung minuto na ang nakalipas pero hindi pa rin sumusuko ang tumatawag sa kanya. Annoyed, Sage took out his top-of-the-line smartphone and tossed it to the pool without even checking who was calling him.

* * *

Ken's rejection threw away all the maturity he gained during the last four years. It had been three weeks but he never left his unit. Bihira siyang maligo at cereals lang ang kinakain niya. Five hours lang ang tulog niya gabi-gabi at 'di man lang niya nilinis ang mga binasag niyang kagamitan.

Aerist Tower's strict rules for visitors prevented anyone from bothering him. This was a new level of low for him.

It was seven in the evening and Sage was lying on his couch and staring at the ceiling when he heard his front door burst open. 'Di pa nakakarating sa living room ang bisitang naka-high heels pero nakilala na ito ni Sage dahil sa boses nito.

* * *

"You inconsiderate little shit!" Teri  began screaming at her younger brother as soon as she entered his penthouse. She kicked away broken pieces of the various smashed objects as she approached him in the living room. Sage ignored her and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"How dare you leave the hotel unattended for over three weeks and not answer any calls! Nag-aalala si Mom, si Dad, si Lolo at lahat ng assistant mo!" She grabbed the front of his shirt. This made him look up to her with a bored expression. Still, no sound came out of him.

"Umayos ka nga. I even had to intimidate some staff and hire a locksmith to get to you," Teri said.

Sage clicked his tongue and sighed. "Ayoko na, okay? Find someone else to run that hotel for you, I quit."

"You can't just quit like that!" Teri said, shocked. "Ano bang problema mo?"

"Ano bang paki mo, Ate? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No, everyone is worried about you. I can't believe that you've been sulking here for three weeks." She took a moment to carefully observe Sage's appearance. His hair was obviously oily and his odor made her cringe. An uneven patchy beard was growing on the area around his mouth and his eye bags were more prominent than ever.

"Well, buhay pa ako. Just tweet the good news and leave me alone," Sage replied coldly.

Teri took a deep breath. The only time he'd been this depressed was when Yumi died. Naglaho ang pagkairita niya sa kanyang nakababatang kapatid at napalitan ito ng awa. "I remember the last time you were this somber. Sorry kung wala ako no'n. But whatever you're going through right now, I'm here for you, okay? We can work it out. It can't be worse than Yumi's death, right?"

Nagsimulang tumawa si Sage, a hollow laugh filled with bitterness and sarcasm. "Guess what, Yumi isn't dead."

Nagtagpo ang mga kilay ni Teri. Shouldn't that be the best news ever for him?

"And apparently, Yumi is Lights Girl," pagpapatuloy ni Sage. "I've loved her for so long, pero wala siyang pakialam sa 'kin. Sige nga, Teri, how do we work that one out?"