His Unofficial Boyfriend

4. Spectrum

Lee was just staring at me like I'm a casualty in a slasher film, and when I asked him why, he pointed out the obvious. "Iyong cell phone mo, kanina pa nagri-ring! Can you answer that so that I can relax here bago ako mag-shower?" hiyaw niya ng napakalakas which made me want to giggle kasi what he said was ironic knowing na siya 'yong klase ng tao na mahilig mang-istorbo kapag natutulog ka.

I grabbed the phone after I put my cup of coffee on the table. "Oh, ano?" I coldly said on Mathias. He was very insistent na samahan ko siyang mag-bar kasama ang mga kaibigan niya since he's afraid daw to go home alone at midnight. His other reason to persuade me is that this will be my last night out daw bag ang pasukan which will be in two days na lang.

"Sumama ka na kasi. You'll meet the best people there," he persisted. I can hear the desperation through his voice, and as a good friend that I am, I said yes even though I'm not in the mood to party.

Narinig ko siyang may sinabi sa kabilang linya bago niya ibinaba ang kanyang tawag, at ako nama'y nagbihis to look presentable in front of his peers.

Natawa si Lee nang makita niya akong naka-porma.

"Ano ang nakakatawa, ha?" wika ko sa kanya habang nakasimangot. He just looked at me from my head to feet and continued to laugh. "Tto-rai," he said before he went to the bathroom with only a towel.

Nang sinara niya ang pinto ay kumatok ako to ask him kung ano ang ibig sabihin n'on, and as usual, being a nuisance as he is, wala siyang sinagot.

"Am I talking to the wall?!" I irritatingly asked him. Kumatok pa ako ng isang beses only for him to open the bathroom door. There he was, standing with just his towel on, laughing at me again. Maluha-luha na siya sa kakatawa.

"What's your problem? And what was that tto- something that you said awhile ago?" tanong ko sa kanya nang naka-kunot noo. Nakakapikon ang roommate na ganito, 'yong walang kwentang kausap. Buti na lang he had grown on me - like a fungi.

"Wala lang. It means you're cute. Good luck sa date mo," he answered, still refraining himself from laughing. The way I wanted to strangle him.

"No, it isn't," sabi ko sa kanya. If I were cute, he wouldn't be laughing at me like that.

"Eh, 'di bahala ka kung ayaw mong maniwala," he answered before he closed the bathroom door and locked it.

"Gago!" I shouted at him before I kicked the door.

"Babo!" rinig kong sigaw niya sa loob ng bathroom, then I heard someone knocking the front door. I checked out kung sino iyon through the peephole and I found out that it's Mathias with his flashy turquoise polo shirt. I smiled when I realized that even though the owner of this dormitory made an effort to place an elevator and peepholes in all the rooms, hindi siya nag-effort na maglagay ng air conditioner sa rooms dito. He's wickedly smart.

Bumalik ako sa hwisyo ko at binuksan ko ang pinto. Si Mathias, parang tatanggal na ang leeg sa kakahanap kay Lee mula nang pumasok siya sa kwarto namin. "Sa C.R.," I whispered to his ear and he giggled like a kid after that. I just shrugged as I was putting my shoes on.

"Do you know how to speak Korean?" I asked him reluctantly.

He looked at me while raising his eyebrows. "Slight lang. Bakit?"

"Can I ask you again?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're already asking."

"Ang suplado naman nito. Do you know what babo means?"

He laughed at me. "Oh, why? Did he call you by that?"

I clenched my wrist as I said that he should not answer my question with another one.