GAMES & GAMBLES

Chapter XV: A Setting in One's Heart

*Alarm rings. Tuesday morning at 7:00 AM, Jin was getting ready for school. He seem to have a good start and feels excited about going to school. He's decided and determined to make Jael close to him. He decided to bring his guitar for he plan on doing something at school later. 7:30 in the morning, he's walking near the school and he spotted Jael walking a bit forward that him. "Jael!" he shouted. Jael seem to have heard nothing and thread faster. Jin walked faster so he can catch up on Jael "Jael!" he shouted loud enough for Jael to hear but Jael did not even look at him and walked faster instead. Jin then decided to just run so he can catch up. "Hoy" said Jin to Jael as he put his arm on Jael's shoulder. "Are you ignoring me?" Jin said. "It's annoying." "We're you calling me? I didn't hear." Jael replied. "Well at least, you know it's annoying to be ignored" he said in his mind as both continued walking. "What did you guys did yesterday?" Jin asked Jael who seem to be walking faster than normal. "I'll answer your question if you'll remove your hand on my shoulder." He replied as if he's annoyed. "Nevermind, I like my hands here" Jin replied that shocked Jael a bit but he shook his head in sign of detest. Both heard giggles in their back as they walk. It was their girl classmates who's following them and eavesdropping at their conversation. "Yiee ang aga nyo naman mag harutan." The girls said. Jin smiled at the girls but Jael walked even faster leaving the girls behind. "Bakit ka nagmamadali hindi pa naman tayo late?" Jin said to Jael. "Nakalimutan ko may assignment pala hindi ko pa nagagawa." He excused. "Pfft. Pakopya ako" Jin replied. They were near at their classroom and Jael removed Jin's hand on his shoulder as they go inside that made Jin smile. As both walked pass through the door, the classroom's attention was altered to the both of them, especially the girls. Both heard murmurs probably because Jin is carrying a guitar in his back that made him look more appealing to the girls. "Marunong ka pala mag gitara?" Michael who is Jael's friend and seated beside Carlos asked immediately as both take their seats. "Ahh, hindi haha" Jin replied to Michael. "Pero tinuturuan ako ni Jael." He added. Jael looked to Jin then to Michael. Jael probably forgot about that that's why he looked at them. "Ay oo nga pala!" said Carlos looking at them from behind their seat. "Nung Sabado diba Jael nandun tayo kina Jin?" Carlos added. For whatever reasons, Carlos was speaking too loud that stopped some conversing classmates of them and turned their attention to what he was saying. "Ahh haha, Oo" Jael's awkward respond. "Bakit ka nga pala biglang kailangang umalis?" Carlos asked Jin. Jael was looking at Jin and was listening carefully for he still doesn't know why Jin acted strange that day. "Ahh yun ba... kase that morning may tumawag sakin na kaibigan kahapon. He said he needed some serious help and I forgot so I rushed over. But don't mind, everything's sorted" Jin excuses. However, Carlos did not buy it. Carlos knows that Jin that time came into a realization that he somehow or somewhat likes Jael. "Eh bakit ka absent kahapon?" Jael asked Jin. "Oo nga, may nag aaalala pa naman sayo dito kahapon." Carlos vexingly added as he refer to Jael. "Ahh haha tinamad kase ako umuwi, I stayed there instead." Another excuse. "Anyway, I brought my guitar here so we can continue our lessons later at lunch break." He added while looking at Jael and smiling. "Yun may kasabay ako mamaya mag lunch." Michael intruded that stopped Jael from saying no to what Jin said. "By the way, Carlos, nagawa mo na ba yung assignment mo?" Jin asked Carlos. "Huh?" confused reply of Carlos. "May assignment diba?" Jin added. "Huh? HAHA Wala naman akong naaalala." Carlos replied. "Walang assignment baliw. Kinabahan ako dun akala ko meron." Michael replied. That moment, Jin knew that Jael lied about the assignment for whatever reason. He then realized that Jael heard his call a while ago but Jael ignored him and walked faster. He thinks that Jael ignored him because he doesn't like being teased with him so he got ignored. "Haha it's cute when he panics" Jin's thought. "May assignment na pinasa kahapon. Eh absent ka." Jael made another excuse but it's somehow right because they indeed passed an assignment yesterday. *Lunch break bell's rung. Jin, Jael, Carlos and Michael were packing their things. "Ano gusto mo kainin?" Jin asked Jael. "Libre ko." He added. "Wowers nanlilibre hahahaha" Carlos teasing Jin and Jael. "You don't have to. May binalot ako." Jael replied. (Binalot – Tagalog term that some local Filipinos use to refer to lunchbox. 'Bento box' as Japanese people call it.) "Huh? Anong binalot?" asked Jin who's in confusion. "Hindi mo alam yon?" -Carlos. "Lunchbox yon haha. Baon ganon. Kanin, ulam." Michael explained. "Ahh oo gets ko na." Jin replied. "Tara na sa canteen baka marami nang tao." Jin brought his guitar with him, people are looking at them as they walk inside the school. "Damn, new good-looking guys surely gets a lot of attention." Carlos' thought as they walk inside the cafeteria. Carlos rushed in the table and Michael sat by his side immediately leaving Jin and Jael the long chair for themselves. "Where did we left off?" Jael asked Jin. "Oh ikaw pala yung umalis HAHAHA" Jael added. "What was that song again?" Jin asked. "Yung kinanta mo last time?" he added. "Ahh- Make it with you yon. Ben & Ben kumanta." Jael responded. "Wait kinanta mo yan sa kanila?" asked Michael who's in shock. "Yes" Jin responded. "Ganda nga boses e ni Jael e." Jael haven't heard that compliment for a while so he was flustered by what Jin said to him. Michael was in shock because he knows that don't just sing in front of anyone. Most of his friends know that does play guitar but only few knows that he's good at singing. "Can you play that for me again?" Jin said with a pleasing tone. "Ahh haha isang beses lang yon." Jael replied. Carlos and Michael figured that he'll refuse because they're at a public area. "Let's just start with the basic chords." Let's start with C major. They spent the rest of the break time in the cafeteria... They went back to their room and continued studying... Dismissal time. "Can I bring my guitar again tomorrow?" Jin asked. "No, don't bother, I told you that I'll be teaching you only on weekends if we have nothing else to do." Jael replied. "Then Saturday it is." Jin replied. "Punta ka nalang samin" he added.