Artificial Love | SB19 Justin ✓

15

For the next few days before classes resumed, Ayi continued to receive food from Justin. Naging routine na ito. The food would be there by the time she'd normally wake up.

But after her talk with Sejun and Stell, the food started to come with an letter envelop everyday.

Ayi never opened Justin's letters. She wasn't ready yet. So, instead, she just kept them on the kitchen counter.

Noong umagang iyon, the food delivered was quadrupled. Nagtaka si Ayi. It wasn't her birthday. Nor was it Sejun's or Stell's.

Could it be Justin's birthday?

After taking the food inside, she decided to open the letter that came with today's delivery.

The letter read:

Ayi,

I'm not sure of you've read my past letters. I can't blame you if you've thrown them away. Pero I'm hoping na makita mo ito.

I'm very sorry. Alam kong hindi magiging sapat ang kahit ilang sorry para sa ginawa ko, pero hinihiling ko talaga na sana hindi ko nalang yun ginawa. Sana hindi kita niloko.

Thank you, though, for everything I've learned from you in the past month.

Hindi ako robot, pero ang dami kong natutunan sayo tungkol sa pagiging tao. I sincerely think you're such a strong human for handling the things life throws at you the way you do.

But I guess it is goodbye now. I'm going back to Seoul this evening. I'm going to tell my mentor that I failed and face the consequences of my actions.

Handa rin akong harapin yung consequences na ipapataw mo, Ayi. Even if it means you'll never talk to me again.

It seems like your food delivery service from me has to come to an end. Dinamihan ko na. I hope it'll last for more than a week.

Take care of yourself, Ayi.

-Jah

Ayi's mouth gaped. He's leaving?

She immediately went looking for her car keys. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped.

Why are her feet leading her to him?

Ayi ignored her thoughts. She dialled Sejun's number on her phone, the first time she reached out to them first in a long time.

"Ayi? Is everything alri-"

"Is Justin still there?" Tanong agad ni Ayi.

"Uh, you mean at home? No," Sejun answered.

Ayi's heart began to beat faster.

"We're on our way to a hotel near the airport. Doon na namin hihintayin ang flight niya," sabi ni Sejun.

"Okay. Text me the details. Wait for me at the hotel. Please," Ayi said before ending the call and running out of her condo unit.

-

Ayi quickly handed her car keys to the valet the soonest she got to Justin's hotel. Dali-dali siyang pumasok, unakyat sa elevator, at hinahap agad ang kwarto ni Justin.

When she arrived in front of the door, she pressed doorbell as she tried to catch her breath. Hindi siya nakapaghanda ng sasabihin, pero bahala na.

Si Justin ang nagbukas ng pinto. "Ayi."

"Can I come in?" Ayi asked, out of breath.

Pinapasok siya ni Justin. He also got her a bottle of water from the mini fridge. Binuksan niya ito at iniabot kay Ayi.

She looked at it momentarily pero kinuha rin mula sa kanya at ininom.

"Sorry, Ayi," sabi agad ni Justin noong inilapag na ni Ayi sa kitchen counter ang boteng walang laman. "I-"

Ayi cut him off. "Narinig ko na yung kwento galing kila Sejun."

"Wala ka namang idadagdag diba?" She asked, looking into Justin's eyes.

"Meron," sagot ni Justin. "I want you to know na in the middle of all of it, nahulog ako sayo."

[Play Masyado Pang Maaga by Ben&Ben]

Justin stared right into Ayi's eyes.

"I don't know how. I watch K-Dramas. The number one rule for a fake robot is never to fall in love," sabi niya. "Akala ko madali lang yun if I kept that in mind."

"But seeing you, not even at your best, but at your weakest," sabi ni Justin, "I fell hard."

"Perhaps you liked robot Justin, but I know that neither robot Justin nor human Justin deserve your forgiveness," dagdag pa niya.

"Gago ka ba?" Tanong ni Ayi. She, too, kept her gaze at Justin.

Akala ni Justin, papaulanan na siya ng mura ni Ayi, pero hindi.

"I am disappointed at the betrayal my friends did," sabi ni Ayi. "And I hate you for fooling me."

A tear fell from Ayi's eye. "But part of me is also undeniably relieved that you are not a robot."

"It's stupid. Ang tanga kasi this feeling overshadows the negatives," Ayi said. "I fell for you too, Jah. And I'm glad you're very human."

Pero agad din niyang dinagdag, "But I can't forgive you just yet."

Justin nodded in understanding. He wanted to believe this meant Ayi can forgive him even in the far future. Pero kung hindi talaga, handa rin siyang tanggapin ito.

"So, I guess this is goodbye?" Tanong ni Justin.

Tumango si Ayi.

"Goodbye, Ayi," Justin said as tears began to rim in his eyes.

Ayi gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Goodbye, robot."