Luh Akin 'Yan || Badjao De Castro

chapter 8

Magnum showed up at the mall, and the specific restaurant that she had agreed on with this person named NikKOI. She knew that she mustn't meet up with strangers, but this was different, and this was in a public place. Magnum could just scream, though she wasn't so sure if anyone was to help her.

But there she was, anyways. At the entrance of the restaurant.

"Hi ma'am, table for how many?" 

Magnum had a small smile on her face, shaking her head. "Ah, hindi po." she replied, thick with an American accent that made her Filipino sound weird af. "I'm with..." NikKOI, she would have said, but that wasn't the name used to reserve the table. Rather, another name, "Badjao."

"That way po, ma'am." 

Magnum was pointed to a direction. And she found herself standing in front of a table with 4 guys, weird looking ones, with outfits from their grandfathers, maybe. The only guy who seemed fine enough for Magnum was the one who stared deepest into her soul, with the round face and yellow-tinted glasses, he looked like he was the eldest. 

But hey, there were the other three; Curly, Bangs and Rings.

"Siya yung mangnanakaw?" the curly one whispered to his friends, with a rather skeptical, and even disappointed tone. Zild wasn't buying it, maybe it was a mistake, it was a girl in front of them after all. And a foreigner, she didn't look like the person who bumped into Badjao the other night.

From that short question, Magnum was able to deduct that Curly may be Zild Aralan. Maybe. But before she could ask, she frowned at him, clearing her throat. She wanted to be nice, but this guy hadn't hesitated to call her a thief at a single glance.

"Excuse me, I bought the phone." she could have rolled her eyes too, but Magnum hadn't. "I didn't know it was stolen, even if I was aware of its 'secondhand' status." She glances at the other three, "I'm Magnum, by the way."

"Nakakaintindi ka ng Tagalog?" Zild asks, a WTF look on his face. And all that effort he put in talking in Tagalog, was all for nothing.

"How else would I be able to reply to your text messages?" Magnum asks them, although not needing a reply. She brings out the phone to show them, and Badjao perks his head up as he was about to be reunited with his beloved. Magnum indeed does bring out the phone that used to belong to Badjao. "Who owned this?" Magnum waved it at their faced, "Keyword; owned." she adds.

"Ako..." Badjao spoke up, "Patingin" he reaches out for the phone, maybe to hold it in his hands for the last time.

"Ah, so you're the one giving your three other friends some pretty funny nicknames." Magnum nods to his direction, handing the phone to Badjao, who happened to be the round faced guy with the yellow-tinted glasses, that she liked.

"Funny nicknames?" Zild had squinted his eyes, tilting his head and looking up suspiciously to their kuya Badjao.

"One was Ter?" Magnum looked over to the other three, waiting for 'Ter' to reveal himself.

"Ako yun," Blaster admitted, not even with shame. Although he had realized his mistake of  asking a girl to fight with him.

"Ter the Dog," Magnum completed the contact name. She grabs a chair and casually sits among the four men, who were rather surprised at how coolly she was acting, "And who's Zild?" she asks.

Zild shot Badjao a look before facing Magnum, "Huwag mong sabihin na 'Zild Ara—"

"Zild Aralan nga," Badjao confirmed, wicked grin on his face. "Tas si Unique si 'NikKOI'"

"Huh? Ba't matino yung kanya?" Zild complained.

"Matino ba 'yan?" Badjao had shoved the phone to Zild's face.

"Can I have it back now?" Magnum only sighs at their behavior, opening her hand to take it back.

"Akin ka nalang kasi," Badjao sighed.

"Huh?" "Kuya Badjao, okay ka lang?" "Anong sinasabi mo?"