KABILANG BUHAY | markhyuck

seven

Mark was late. Dumaan pa kasi siya sa flowershop na binibilhan niya ng paboritong bulaklak ni Donghyuck. He bought flowers and requested for it to be delivered on their house. It was an apology gift. Donghyuck basically begged him to make up last night but he played hard to get. Hindi niya pa rin ito pinansin after two nights of ignoring the younger. Kaya noong naisip niyang masyado na siyang nagiging makasarili, eto at siya naman ang manunuyo.

He understands Hyuck why he always reject his proposal. Renjun, one of their rational friend, told him that he should stop asking Donghyuck for marriage. Sabi niya, lalo niya lang pinapahirapan at sinasaktan si Donghyuk. He told Mark that if the situation was different, Donghyuck probaby said yes in a heartbeat already. He told Mark that the older’s only making Donghyuck feel less, that he’s not enough, kasi hindi niya kayang makasal kay Mark. Mark took it in his heart but it was hard for him to accept the truth. Kaya patuloy pa rin siya sa pakikiusap kay Donghyuck, umaasa  na baka magbabago ang isip nito. But seeing how difficult it was for Hyuckie to turn him down for the last time, pagbibigyan na lang siguro siya ni Mark. Making someone feel loved doesn’t require contracts of marriage anyway. Maybe he’ll just make happy for the rest of their lives.

Before he talked to one of the staffs, Hyuckie called him earlier and requested to facetime. He showed Mark that he received the flowers and told Mark that he has forgiven the older already. He wished Mark luck and reminded him to focus. Now, he’s here.

Dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pinto ng kwarto kung saan nagaganap ang audition na pinagpasahan ni Donghyuck ng application form niya. He thought he won’t make it there. But one of the staffs told him that he can still perform even though he was late for his que. Ang naging kondisyon na lang sa kaniya ay kailangan niyang intaying matapos lahat ng aplikanteng mag-audition bago siya sumalang.

It’s already 11PM and he’s finally able to enter the room. He turned his phone off after Hyuckie called when he was waiting to focus on rehearsing what he has to perform.

When he entered, he saw the judges that will evaluate his performance. He received a smile on one. The other one looked at him from head to toe. The other one greeted him.

He greeted them with a little enthusiasm like Donghyuck told him. He gave them a smile, which Donghyuck said will make them remember him. All the things he did while performing are the things Donghyuck reminded him to do.

Even the song he performed is the one he wrote for Donghyuck. It’s only that boy waiting for him on their house was on his mind. he’s his strength, his muse, his inspiration, his everything.

Kahit wala ito sa tabi niya, pakiramdam niya ay kasama niya ito. That’s how Donghyuck affects him. Kain na kain nito ang buong sistema ni Mark.

That’s why when the judges told him he’s a great performer, that he has a lot of potential in the industry, he thought immediately of informing Donghyuck.

After he left the room, he fished his phone out on his pocket and turned it on. Iniisip na niya agad kung paano sasabihin kay Hyuck. Na nakapasa siya sa audition. Na sabi sa kaniya ng mga judge, hindi na niya kailangang maghintay ng tawag na nakapasa siya dahil sinisigurado na nila ang kalalagyan nito sa industriya.

Maybe it’s true. Too much luck is impossible. Masyadong naging masaya si Mark. Masyadong naging madali ang lahat. It’s too good to be true, ika nga ng nakararami. Totoo ngang life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.

When his phone turned on and showed his lockscreen, texts and notification of the calls from his friends and family flooded. Isa lang ang pakiramdam na agad naghari sa kanya. Kaba. Kung hindi kaba ay takot.

There are texts mostly from Johnny but he still dialed his boyfriend’s number first. Agad naman nitong sinagot ang tawag.

“Hyuckie? Are you okay, mahal? Are you home?”

Sunod-sunod ang mga tanong niya hangga’t hindi nagsasalita ang sumagot sa kabilang linya. Pikit-matang naghintay si Mark sa boses ni Donghyuck. Nanalangin na sana, sana okay lang ‘yung taong iniwan niya sa bahay. Na baka manunumbat lang si Johnny at ang mga kaibigan nila dahil hindi niya ipinaalam na sinubukan niyang mag-audition sa isang sikat na entertainment agency. He was praying so hard but he still didn’t get the thing he was praying for.

Jeno was the one who answered the phone, telling him that they are on the hospital. Jeno doesn’t even have to tell Mark which hospital should he go. Saulong-saulo na ni Mark ang daan papunta sa ospital na ‘yon. He had been there to take Donghyuck on check-ups multiple times already.

Kung kaya mang paliparin ni Mark ang sasakyan ay ginawa na niya. He’s so damn tired of this. He’s so fed up of their situation. Hindi na niya kinakaya na lagi na lang ganito.  Na bawat araw, bawat oras maaring kunin na ng itaas ang taong pinakamamahal niya. Sawang-sawa na siyang maawa at masaktan para kay Hyuckie. Kung maari lang niyang kunin lahat ng sakit at pinagdadaanan nito ay matagal na niyang kinuha.

When he reached the hospital, almost everyone is already there. Sobrang naiinis si Mark. Naiinis siya na hindi niya man lang alam na ganito na pala ang kalagayan ni Donghyuck habang kumakanta siya sa mga putanginang wala namang ibang ginawa kundi magsulat sa papel sa harap niya. Kung alam niya lang na magkakaganito sana hindi na lang siya umalis kanina. Sana sa harap na lang ni Donghyuck siya kumanta. Kasi si Donghyuck lang naman ang gusto niyang manood sa kaniya. He’s the only one he wants to impress.

“Mark, anak, nakapasa ka ba sa audition?” salubong sa kaniya ng mama ni Donghyuck.

Mark showed Donghyuck’s mom the paper the staffs gave him earlier. It’s a paper that says he passed. He handed it to her with a teary smile.

“Surprise ba ‘to? Katulad ng mga nasa pelikula? ‘yung kunyari isinugod sa ospital si Donghyuck tapos ‘yun pala gusto niyo lang akong i-congratulate?”

Nangingginig ang boses niya habang naghihintay sa isa sa mga kabigan niyang kantiyawin siya at sabihan na sinira na niya ang plano nila. Naghihintay siya na lumabas si Donghyuck sa isa sa mga kwarto sa ospital na may hawak na cake at lobo. Iniintay niya ang sigawan at tawanan pero ang tanging natanggap niya ay hagulhol ni Renjun.

Ibinaling ni Mark ang tingin sa Mama ni Donghyuck at nakita ang pagtungo nito habang tahimik na umiiyak.

“Ma, acting lang ‘tong lahat ‘di ba? Si Hyuckie talaga idinamay pa kayo eh hindi naman ‘to ganoong kalaki,” he still continued.

It was Johnny who knocked some senses on him. He dragged Mark infront of the door of Donghyuck’s old room on that hospital. He made Mark look at the transparent glass served for peeking on the door. There Mark saw his boyfriend asleep, a lot of apparatus attached on him.

“Alam kong mahirap pero nandito na tayo, Mark.”

Mark looked up, he looked away from his boyfriend. Hindi niya kaya at hindi niya kailanman matatanggap kung ano man ang nasa loob ng kwartong nasa harapan niya.

“He told me one thing,” Johnny said with shaking voice.

The tall man swallowed the lump on his throat and continued, “He wants you to go on with pursuing your dreams. Bilib na bilib sa’yo ang kapatid ko. He was so sure you’ll pass the audition.”

The things is, when Donghyuck ended the facetime, he called his older brother to inform them his plan of surprising Mark. He was really planning on giving Mark a congratulatory gift. It’s a good thing actually. Because that same time, he had Johnny heard through the phone that his brother fainted. He immediately went Hyuckie and Mark’s house to check. Only to find his brother chasing death.