TRY . jinlia

022

[ CHOI LIA'S ]

Kinabukasan ay agad kumalat ang balitang mag-aaudition ako dahil sa mga maiingay kong kaibigan lalo na si Aecha. Students from my batch kept on sending me glances. I don't know if their looks are a good thing or a bad thing. Pati ang ibang kaklase ko ay hindi makapaniwala. Some of them even doubts that I have a talent. At dahil doon ay parang gusto ko na talagang sumali sa contest na 'yon. To show them all that they're wrong. That this timid, snob Choi Jisu they know has a talent to brag.

I was inside our classroom like the usual, solving some Calculus shit when Chaeryeong took the vacant chair beside me.

"Sooo, mag-aaudition ka raw for the contest next next month?" tanong niya.

I laughed awkwardly before hiding my pen in my pocket and put all of my attention on her. "Oo. Natalo ako sa deal namin e," sagot ko at nag-alanganin pang tumawa. It's the first time someone approached me to ask about this kaya hindi ko maiwasang mahiya.

"Deal? Ano namang deal 'yon?" nakakunot ang noong tanong niya.

"It's a deal Ryujin and I made. You know, games and kapag natalo ako, mag-aaudition ako," sagot ko at nahihiya ulit na ngumiti.

Tumango-tango siya. "How's Ryujin?" biglang tanong niya. Hanggang ngayon kasi ay hindi pa sila nag-uusap. I see Chaeryeong and Yeji together na but Chaeryeong Ryujin? Hindi pa. I can sense that Ryujin misses her friend but she's too shy to even make the first move. Plus yung mataas pa niyang pride.

"She's fine. Hindi niya sinasabi pero alam kong miss ka na niya," mahinahong sabi ko at ngumiti.

She sighed. "I miss her too. It's nice to know that she found a friend in you, lalo na sa panahong 'to. Your friendship was unexpected but thank you for being there for my friend."

Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa sinabi niya. There's something in her voice that I can't explain. "Y-Yeah, of course," sagot ko nalang at hindi pinansin ang nasa isip ko.

She smiled. "Well, goodluck sa auditions! I hope you and Yeji will pass!" sabi niya at tatayo na sana pero agad ko siyang pinigilan nang marinig ang huli niyang sinabi.

"Sasali si Yeji?" hindi ko mapigilang magtanong.

Tumawa siya. "Ah, oo. That girl likes attention so that explains why. But don't worry! Alam kong magaling si Yeji pero sana huwag kang magback-out!" sagot niya at agad nang umalis bago pa ako makasagot.

Umawang ang mga labi ko dahil doon. Dahil sa sinabi niya at dahil sa attitude niya nang sabihin 'yon. I scoffed.

Kinalma ko ang sarili ko pagkatapos no'n bago bumalik sa ginagawa ko. Why would I back out? Dahil meron si Yeji? What made her think of that? Pft! Only in their dreams. Now I want to prove myself more!

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

I spread my arms wide as Ryujin sat beside me. Nandito ako sa loob ng kotse niya, naghihintay.

I smiled at ease when I felt her warmth. Halos namula ako nang maramdaman ang mahigpit niyang yakap sa bewang ko. Hugging her after class became my hobby after the time she asked for one. She was exhausted that time, dahil sa acads. She's one of the top students along with me so I understand how much she needed a hug. Siyempre hindi na ako umayaw. Yakap na ni Ryujin 'yon!