Tantei High (Erityian Tribes, #1) | Published under Pop Fiction

Chapter 63 - Her Duty

"Nee-chan!"

"Akemi!"

Akane and Riye hugged me and Reiji, Ken and Hiro were walking toward us. I was relieved to see them okay. We were still complete.

"I heard everything," bulong ni Akane at saka siya tumingin kay Hiro.

"Anong narinig mo?" tanong naman ni Ken.

"I guess hindi pa time para pag-usapan 'yon. It's better if those involved are the ones who tell us the story, that is, when they're finally ready."

Napatango naman ako sa sinabi ni Akane at thankful ako na naiintindihan niya ang sitwasyon namin.

"Atama family, kailangan namin ng tulong para sa mga injured sa campus," biglang sabi ni Sir Hayate kaya nagtinginan kaming anim. Tumango naman agad sina Riye, Akane, Reiji at Ken.

"See you later!" sigaw sa akin ni Akane kaya kumaway na lang ako sa kanya.

Naiwan kaming dalawa ni Hiro na nakatayo. We stared at each other as we tried to think of ways on how to approach that topic.

"I think—"

"Siguro—"

Nasira naman ang momentum ko dahil sabay kaming nagsalita.

"Sometimes I wish I could read your mind," sabi ko sa kanya. Mas maganda siguro 'yon para hindi ko na kailangang itanong o sabihin ang mga gusto kong sabihin. Samantalang siya, kaya niyang basahin ang isip ko, at alam kong alam na niya ngayon kung anong gusto kong sabihin.

"I wonder if you could handle them," sabay turo niya sa ulo niya.

Napaisip naman ako. His sixth sense allows him to remember everything. Makakaya ko nga kaya kung mababasa ko lahat ng nasa isip niya?

Bigla naman akong napatingin sa direksyon ni Mama, na nasa bandang likuran ni Hiro, at nakangiti siya sa amin. Napangiti rin ako sa kanya at tumingin ako kay Hiro.

"I think mas magandang sumama ka muna kay Mama—I mean, sa Mama mo . . . uhm, I mean . . . ugh. This is weird."

Napailing na lang ako. Ang awkward tawaging Mama si Mama sa harap ni Hiro, knowing na siya ang totoo niyang anak. Iniisip ko tuloy kung tinawag niyang Dad si Sir Hideo sa harap ko, awkward din ang kalalabasan.

"Okay," sabi niya tapos hinawakan niya ang magkabilang balikat ko at ngumiti. "Let's have a talk later."

I watched as he walked toward his mother's direction. It felt like it had been a long time since I last saw him smile. He always wears that cool and calm expression but I saw another side of him.

Napatingin naman ako sa side ni Sir Hideo at kausap niya si Darwin. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwalang ginawa 'yon ni Darwin kanina.

Nag-flash bigla sa isip ko yung mga panahong nasa St. Joseph pa kami. I suddenly felt nostalgic. When I saw him the first time after I learned that I was a Senshin, I got attached to him. He was my connection to the normal life I had lived for fifteen years. But whe I saw him as a Shinigami, I admit, it felt weird. Pero masaya ako ngayon na parte siya ng dalawang mundong kinabibilangan ko.

Lumapit ako sa kanila at tumingin naman sila sa akin. Ngumiti sa akin si Sir Hideo habang may karga siyang nakabalot nang cloth.

"Iwan ko muna kayo," tapos saka siya pumunta sa direksyon ni Ma'am Michiko, na inaayos yung bangkay ni Sarah.

Tumingin ako kay Darwin at nagpakawala siya ng isang buntong-hininga.

"I'm glad you're safe," saka siya ngumiti sa akin. Halos mabatukan ko siya dahil sa sinabi niya. Dapat ako ang nagsasabi no'n dahil sa ginawa niya kanina pero pinalampas ko na lang 'yon at ngumiti na lang din ako.

"I'm glad you're alive," pabiro kong sabi sa kanya.

"Well, I have nine lives," then he smirked at me.

"Ano ka, pusa—?"

Bigla namang kumirot ang puso ko nang maalala ko si Demi. Naiwan siya sa lugar kung nasaan si Rin. I was trying to hold back my tears but thinking about her hurt. Darwin suddenly pulled me toward him and it was getting harder to choke back my tears.

"Don't worry. She's already with your father."

Napatingala ako agad nang sabihin niya 'yon at tumingin ako sa direksyon ni Sir Hideo. Then, the cloth he was holding . . .Ibig sabihin, yung cloth na hawak niya...

"Go," he said. "I know she's important to you. Pwede naman tayong mag-usap mamaya."

Tumango ako sa kanya at tumakbo papunta kina Sir Hideo at Demi. Pabigat nang pabigat ang mga hakbang ko habang palapit ako sa kanila. I still couldn't believe that she was gone. It may seem weird to others that I was crying so hard for a cat but she wasn't just a normal cat. She was my guardian and friend.

Agad namang napatingin sa akin sina Sir Hideo at Ma'am Michiko at nagulat ako nang bigla akong niyakap ni Ma'am Michiko.

"Mabuti naman at nalaman mo na lahat. Noong una kitang nakita sa PE class natin, gustung-gusto ko nang sabihin sa'yo ang totoo pero hindi pwede dahil maraming consequences kapag nalaman mo."

Naalala ko ang pagngiti niya sa akin noon habang tinuturaan niya ako at ngayon ay alam ko na kung bakit.

"You really look like her," she said. "I actually thought she was haunting me when I saw you the first time. I guess I did well for suppressing my shock."

Pagkatapos no'n ay marahan niya akong itinulak kay Sir Hideo at napatingin ako sa cloth na hawak niya. I could see the pain in his eyes as he gave me Demi's body.

"I guess it's time for her to rest. She already did her duty," sabi ni Sir Hideo kaya napatingin ako sa kanya.

"Duty?"

"It's her duty to protect you. That was your mother's last wish to her."

I see. So my mother was her real owner.

"But I don't want her to die," bulong ko at nagtuluy-tuloy na ang luha ko. Niyakap ako ni Sir Hideo habang yakap ko naman si Demi.

"She'll be fine. She's with your mother now."

Pinigilan ko yung paghikbi ko pero sobrang sakit talaga. Kahit sandaling panahon ko lang nakasama si Demi, naging mahalaga siya para sa akin. Siya ang nakasama ko habang nagrer-esearch tungkol sa Shinigami War. Siya ang kasama ko noong kinuha ako ng mga Shinigami at nag-navigate kami sa Black Dimension. Siya ang kasama ko noong nakita ko ulit si Mama. Pero ngayon, hindi ko na siya makakasama. She was already gone.

"We love her as much as you do." Napatingin naman ako kay Sir Hideo dahil sa sinabi niya at tumingin siya sa cloth na bumabalot kay Demi. "Do you know why we named her Demi?"

Napaisip naman ako sa sinabi niya at na-realize ko kung anong ibig niyang sabihin. Hideo. Akemi. So that was why her name was Demi.

Kahit umiiyak ako ay napangiti ako dahil doon. I could see how important she was to them and I know it was also hard for him to see Demi like this because he was with her for a long time.

I opened the cloth that was covering her and saw her face. Her face looked peaceful and I was glad that her blood didn't cover her white face.

"It will be better if we place her beside her owner."

Napatingin ako sa kanya. "S-sa tabi ni Mama?"

He nodded. "Do you want to see her grave?"

"Mmm."

Nagsimula siyang maglakad kaya sumunod ako habang hawak ko nang mahigpit si Demi.

I would finally see her. I would finally see and meet my mother.

***