PLAY DATE. n, jaemin

043

— ERISA's

       agad akong napatayo ng marinig ang katok mula sa pintuan, jaemin wasn't kidding when he said he was outside.

dali dali kong' binuksan ang pintuan and when I did, tumambad agad sa akin ang nagiisang na jaemin.

I look at him in utter confusion and I was taken back ng bigla niyang tinapon ang sarili sa akin. I froze, he just held me, hug me tightly na para bang walang bukas.

I didn't utter a word as I feel him snuggling closer, resting his head at the crook of my neck. I was never the magaling mag comfort type of person and I don't know what to do! I can feel na may problema siya, I can feel his tears slowly dripping in my skin.

slowly, I rub his back. ito lagi ang ginagawa ni haeun sa akin if I feel down and it works all the time. I can only hope na gumagana.

few minutes later jaemin suddenly chuckle as he let go, tumayo siya ng maayos sa harapan ko at pinunasan ang mga luha niya.

"hey..." he greeted, voice low and hoarse.

I let out a small smile, "pasok ka." aya ko sa kanya.

and so he did, I immediately close the door behind me at naglakad kami papuntang living room ng condo ko. he just sat silently at the couch, nasa kabilang dulo naman ako.

"I'm sorry for suddenly barging in." he uttered, breaking the silence.

agad din akong umiling, "it was nothing." I responded before looking at him, "... so, what's up?"

I saw how a bitter smile creep unto his face, he shake his head as if he's trying to shake out unwanted thoughts, "feels kinda down and I.... and I just find myself running to you."

I was stunned. I was taken back and was left speechless. I don't know how to react.

why would he even run to me when he feels down?

sa pagkakaalam ko kung may problema ka pamilya o yung barkada mo ang agad mong' tatakbuhan yet this guys decided to run to the girl he's been flirting with for month.

"... so uhm, what happen?" tanong ko, tutal sa akin naman siya tumakbo, I'll just make the best out of it and I don't know, help him feel better?

maybe.

"sort of fought with my dad, plus I'm drowning in school and with the football team." simple niyang sagot.

natahimik lang ako, hindi talaga alam kung ano ang sasabihin. "just talk, I'll listen." wala naman talaga akong ibang magagawa kung hindi ang makinig and keep everything to myself kung ano man ang maririnig ko ngayon. "ano problema sa team?" tanong ko.

"my dad wants me to quit playing." agad akong napalingon sa kanya.

jaemin once mention how much he loves playing. it's like he's escape, a getaway. naglalaro siya cause it's one of the things he actually wanted to do and his dad always oppose it despite studying law in exchange of staying in the team.

"and?"

"and that leads us to our arguement." he sigh. "ayaw niya talagang makinig, I'm still a DL, my grades are maintained, I'm fulfilling his conditions but this...." halos sabunutan na niya ang sarili.

agad akong lumapit sa kanya at hinawakan ang kamay, stopping him from hurting himself. he really looks stressed, he's currently a mess right now, I have a feeling na kung ano ang sinasabi niya ngayon, hindi yun nangangalahati sa kung ano talaga ang nangyari. maybe they really had a big fight.

slowly, I guided his head to rest on my shoulder, I played with his hand, rubbing circles using my thumb while my left hand played with his pink locks.

later on, he actually calmed down. our breathing is the only thing that can be heard inside the dim lit living room.

"I'm sorry erisa." he uttered, snuggling closer to me.

"why are you saying sorry?" I chuckle a little.

he whine making me shook my head, he sounds like a damn baby right now. well, he is one afterall.

"for suddenly crashing in. I even disturbed your sleep." I let out a light laugh.

"come on jaemin, stop acting like a stranger." I pause, before glancing at him and letting out a smile, "I appreciate you running to me at times like this.

makes me feel I'm someone special." I let out a chuckle.

I feel him squeezing my hand before he speak up, "because you are."

and I stayed silent.

a comfortable silence cover us and no one even dared to speak, I can feel an unfamiliar feeling tugging the edge of my heart. it was so foreign that I decided to shrug it off.

and morning that day, I woke up in my bed. feeling a heavy weight on my body as a comfortable warmth surround me.

it was unusual, I never woke up feeling like this before.

ng tuluyan ng magising, agad akong napatingin sa paligid. then there I realize, na jaemin was sleeping beside me.

I feel my breathing hitch as his angelic morning face greeted me first thing in the morning.

I might play around with boys a lot but I never slept with one. so seeing jaemin and waking up beside him is something new.

yet seems familiar.

I didn't find myself freaking out, I feel comfortable, pinalala lang nito ang kagustuhan kong manatili sa kama.

I carefully shifted beside him at hinarap siya, I caress his cheeks and started caressing his pink locks.

I mentally chuckle at the sight, jaemin doesn't look like he could hurt a single fly. he looks so harmless right now, you wouldn't even thought na kaya niyang makasakit ng tao.

he stirred in his sleep and when he completely open his eyes, agad nag tama ang paningin namin. ngumiti naman ito ng malawak at hinawakan ang kamay kong' nasa pisngi niya.

"good morning." he greeted in a deep morning voice.

napalunok ako ng marinig ang boses niya, he sounded so attractive, ngumiti ako pabalik sa kanya at bahagyang tumango, "good morning."

he just smiled and continue staring at me, naiilang na ako kasi wala ata siyang planong bumangon o iiwas man lang ang tingin sa akin.

"why are you staring at me? geez." I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

I heard him chuckle making me pout, namamahangha pa ata siya sa kalagayan namin, "I never thought a time will come I'll feel happy waking up next to a woman."

a simple sentence I didn't know what really meant but it is enough to make me feel a warm foreign feeling.

—— erisa & jaemin soft hours