The Engineer (Batchelor Series #2)

35

Drakon Da Vinci
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I had planned to spend the afternoon helping mom at the kakanin stall after the gym, finally doing something normal and away from all the Renz chaos. She always needed an extra hand, especially on Sundays, and I could use the break from all the distractions. Or so I thought.

After my quick shower and change, I headed straight to her small spot by the market. The familiar smell of sticky rice, coconut, and caramel greeted me as I arrived. I smiled, spotting my mom behind the counter, chatting with some of her regular customers.

The scent alone was enough to ground me, bringing me back to reality—my life outside the madness that Renz had brought into it.

“Drakon, anak! Napadalaw ka!” my mom called out, waving at me. “Tamang-tama, dami ng tao kanina, kailangan ko talaga ng tulong mo.”

I grabbed the apron hanging by the door and put it on. “Sabi ko naman sa’yo, mom, I’ll help you out. Ayoko rin naman na pinapabayaan mo sarili mo dito.” I started organizing the trays of kakanin, making sure everything was presentable and ready for the next wave of customers.

I felt a small sense of peace start to settle in. But, of course, it didn’t last long.

As I was arranging the puto trays, I heard that familiar voice. Tangina, here we go again.

“Hoy, Drakon!” Renz’s voice rang out over the crowd. I turned around slowly, my heart sinking. There he was, strutting towards us with that stupid grin on his face. Ano bang ginagawa nito rito?

“Ano na naman, Renz?” I grumbled, trying not to let my irritation show too much. But it was impossible—he had this knack for getting under my skin no matter what.

Solid customer pa man din to ni Mama.

“Uy, grabe ka. I just thought I’d come by and check out your mom’s business. I heard masarap daw dito,” he said, leaning on the counter, making himself comfortable like he owned the place. “Tita! How are you?”

Mom beamed, clearly thrilled by the attention. “Renz! Mabuti naman, ikaw talaga ang bait-bait mo sa anak ko ah,” she said, grinning as she wiped her hands on her apron. “You boys must be hungry after the gym. Gusto nyo bang kumain muna?”

“No, Ma, okay lang,” I said quickly, but Renz cut me off.

“Sige po, Tita, but I’ll only eat if Drakon feeds me,” Renz teased, flashing that irritating smirk.

I rolled my eyes, but my mom just laughed, clearly enjoying the banter. “Naku, pay-pay, bakit hindi mo siya pakainin? Bagay nga kayong dalawa—best friends pa lang pero para na kayong mag-asawa sa asaran,” she said, nudging me with her elbow.

“Ma, please,” I muttered, feeling my face heat up. The last thing I needed was my mom joining in on Renz’s antics.

Renz, of course, was loving it. “Tita, you’re too kind. Pero totoo naman, cute ng anak niyo kapag tinutulungan ka niya dito. Parang baby na tumutulong kay mama niya.”

“Renz, tumigil ka nga,” I snapped, but he just kept going, grabbing a piece of puto from the tray and holding it up to my face.

“Ayan, oh. Ikaw nalang magsubo, Drakon. I know you want to.” He winked, his voice full of mock sweetness.

My mom chuckled from behind the counter, shaking her head in amusement. “Naku, Drakon, magpakasaya ka nalang, ang saya kaya kasama nitong si pay-pay ko, tampuhin nga lang,” she said, clearly enjoying watching me squirm.

Putangina, pati nanay ko na kumampi na sa kanya.

I snatched the puto from Renz’s hand and shoved it in my own mouth, just to get him to shut up. “There. Masaya ka na?” I mumbled through a mouthful of rice cake.

Renz burst out laughing. “Ayan! Masaya na ako. Pero alam mo, Drakon, ang cute talaga kapag nagagalit ka. Parang bata na inaasar ng kalaro.”

I glared at him, swallowing the puto. “Renz, kung wala kang gagawin dito, pwede ka nang umalis. We’re busy.”

But Renz didn’t budge. “Hindi ako aalis. Tita, what do you need help with? I’m all yours for the day.”

My mom grinned, clearly charmed by him. “Ay, thank you, Renz! Sige, samahan mo si Drakon sa pag-ayos ng mga orders. Mukhang kailangan niya ng kasama para mas mabilis.”

I groaned internally. Great. More time with Renz. Just what I needed. He shot me a triumphant look before grabbing an apron and tying it around his waist.

“You heard your mom, Drakon. Let’s get to work,” he said, winking at me.

As we worked side by side, taking orders and packing kakanin, Renz didn’t stop teasing. Every little thing I did, he had some comment ready. If I handed him a tray, he’d joke about how “alaga ako masyado ni Drakon.” If I moved too close to him, he’d make a remark about how I couldn’t resist his charm.

Mom, of course, found the whole thing hilarious, which only encouraged Renz even more.

By the time we finished, I was exhausted—not from the work, but from the constant teasing and Renz’s ridiculous flirting. Nakakapagod maging bantay ng tarantadong burgis.

As the day wound down and we started cleaning up, Renz leaned close to me, his voice low so only I could hear. “Alam mo, Drakon,” he said softly, “I like this. Helping you out, spending time with you… kinda feels like we’re already a couple, don’t you think?”

I froze, caught off guard by the sudden seriousness in his tone. I glanced at him, but his usual grin was gone, replaced by something more genuine.

Before I could respond, my mom walked over, beaming at the two of us. “Salamat talaga, Renz. Alam ko na mas masaya ang anak ko kapag nandiyan ka. Kayo talagang dalawa… bagay na bagay.”

I sighed, not sure how to respond. Renz, on the other hand, just smiled, looking way too pleased with himself. “Thank you, Tita. I’ll always be here for Drakon. Promise.”

And with that, I realized—there was no escaping Renz. Not at the gym, not at home, not even at my mom’s kakanin stall. He was everywhere. Holy Christ.

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