𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤! 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘰 ⛁ ʸᵒᶜᵃᵗ

⛁ 004 ⛁

Napalingon si Yohan at naabutan si Wooseok sa pinto na kasalukuyang karga si Xster. There are smudges of colors in the cat's fur, some sort of paint, Yohan guesses.

Napalunok si Yohan. His mind doesn't have the energy to generate words right now, lalo na't nang makita ang isang Wooseok na may suot na itim na beret, light brown sweater and loose checkered trousers. Ibang-iba sa pormal na office look nito kanina.

Wooseok looks so domestic.

And it's enough to make Yohan's heart warm.

"Anong ginagawa mo sa bakuran ko, Yohan? At pusa mo ba 'to? Ginulo niya ang paints at brushes ko!" Wooseok whines.

Pumikit si Yohan. Gusto niya nang magpalamon sa lupa. Ngayon na. As in.

"Oo, alaga ko 'yan, sorry..." Yohan takes a tentative step forward. Ipinasa ni Wooseok sa kaniya si Xster. "Babayaran ko na lang 'yung paints at brushes. Sorry talaga..." he voices out meekly.

Wooseok looks taken aback. Ngayon ay siya naman ang natigilan. Hindi niya inaasahan na ganito ang magiging sagot ng binata. He realizes at that point that maybe he's being so mean to the boy.

Wooseok sighs, waving his hand in dismissal. "H'wag na. College ka pa lang diba? Paniguradong may mas importante ka pang mga bagay na binabayaran sa university. Been there, done that."

Yohan pouts. "Kahit na."

Wooseok looks delirious. Bakit siya nginungusuan ng lalaking 'to? Iniba niya na lang ang usapan. "I see that you're already close with Jjallang," he motions his dog at the ground.

"Ah, oo. Ang cute nga niya e." Yohan's eyes are soft.

"And it's impressive." Humalukipkip si Wooseok. "Piling tao lang ang hindi niya tinatahulan. And you're one of them already."

"Sanay na kasi ako sa kanila mula bata..." Yohan glances fondly to Jjallang na kinarga na ngayon ng amo nito. Suddenly, his face lightens up. "Curious lang ako..."

"Tungkol saan?"

"Anong work mo? Sobrang magkaiba kasi ng suot mo kanina sa ngayon. Painting ba ang trabaho mo?" sunod-sunod na tanong ni Yohan. His words have literally no filter right now.

Tila ba natigilan si Wooseok. "So... you've been keeping an eye on me all this time?"

And now it's Yohan's turn to freeze. "Ah—palatanong kasi ako... Tapos kinikilala ko 'yung mga kapitbahay ko... Ganun..."

"I see," Wooseok muses, but his expression still looks pretty unconvinced. "I work with the law. I'm a lawyer."

Natawa si Yohan, suddenly having the courage to tease his hyung. "Talaga? Hindi halata."

Wooseok looks offended, kamukha ni Xster kapag inaasar ng kaniyang amo. "Akala ko ba nagtatanong ka lang? Bakit parang nang-iinsulto ka?"

"Hala, hindi ah!" natatawa pa ring sambit ng katapat. "Nagsasabi lang ako ng totoo."

Pinakawalan ni Wooseok si Jjallang at agad na itong tumakbo sa loob ng bahay. Tila ba alam na alam na nito na nay babanatan na naman ang kaniyang amo. "Hindi ba talaga halata?"

Tumango si Yohan.

Xster makes an expression while walking away at the two neighbors currently bantering, scoffing at them. A sassy cat, indeed.

Lumapit si Wooseok kay Yohan; they should be face-to-face but he's significantly shorter than the younger. Even so, hindi siya nagpatinag. "Eh kung kasuhan kaya kita ng trespassing, bata?"

"Bata?" Yohan chuckles, leaning in, their noses aligned. "Pa'no 'yun, hyung... mas matangkad ako sa'yo?"

Wrong move.