"That's what I think." Arvin calmly nodded as he continued... "Last week, I saw her post on insta...and she was proudly wearing that jacket habang nasa restaurant."
Napakurap si Ken as he realized what Arvin meant.
"Don't tell me that restaurant was-"
"Yeah. Believe it or not, it was the restaurant kung saan kumain kayo kanina." Arvin coldly said as he was staring the figure on the screen.
Cody's eyes suddenly widened. His memories of mine being insulted by Mary Rose resurfaced. Napakunot ang noo niya. Talagang patay na patay siya sakin ah. Yaks!
"..." Hindi agad nakaimik si Ken as he slowly looked at the screen. The events already matched but ang hindi naman sumunod ay ang feeling niya na parang mali ang accusations nila. Something's wrong.
"But, we're not sure. We might be just looking at the top of an iceberg." Arvin continued saka siya nagcross arms.
"Ah. S-sir? W-what's her name again? Pwede po namin siyang masearch." Chief asked as he clasped his hand.
Napataas ang dalawang kilay ni Arvin saka napatingin kay Chief Jose.
"..."
Hindi umimik si Arvin. He was still analyzing the situation. Ibinalik niya ang tingin sa screen na para bang walang narinig.
"Mary Rose... Mary Rose Tan." Sabi ni Cody.
Arvin and Ken suddenly looked towards Cody. Arvin's eyes quivered while Ken's suddenly widened. Saka sila nagkatinginan.
"His mood suddenly changed." Ang nasa isip nilang dalawa.
Cody clenched his fist habang seriously looking towards the screen na parang mangangatay ng tao.
"Okay Team!" Chief Jose clapped several times as he paced towards sa lima na nagkokompyuter.
"Search for all the post of Mary Rose-" Napatigil bigla si Chief as he realized kung sino yung tao na tinutukoy ni Cody. Agad siyang napatingin sa tatlo. Lalung-lalo na kay Cody na nakatitig sa screen and halata ang tense niyang mukha.
Nanlamig agad ang kamay ni Chief nang makita ang mukha ng binata. He knew kung sino ang Mary Rose Tan. And he knew Tan family a lot.
Ibinaling ni Chief Jose ang tingin kay Ken.
"Hays." Napabuntong hininga si Ken as he pinched his forehead. Malumanay niyang tiningnan si Chief in a worried look sa nagsalita.
"Go ahead. Just don't tell anyone muna about this. We all know kung gaano ka close ang mga families namin di ba? This might cause a very big uproar."
"Okay po sir." Walang ibang sinabi si Chief. He really understand kung ano ang nakataya sa ginagawa nila. They might even lose jobs kung malalaman ng bawat pamilya na sinususpetyahan nila ang isa sa anak ng Tan Group.
"Team! Search all post of Mary Rose Tan. Save all those na mayroon kinalaman sa resort na 'to plus sa C-cheng feng?" He immediately gazed towards Ken na siya naman 'tong tumango. "Cheng feng's limited edition jacket. Okay! Let's work!" Saka ulit pumalakpak si Chief.
Ilang segundo pa'y...
"Chief. She had a post last week about the brand you said at diyan po sa restaurant sa labas niya kinuha."
Nagkatinginan sina Arvin and Ken.
Biglang nagbaga ang paligid. Tila malulusaw na ang sahig dahil init na lumalabas kay Cody. His eyes were fixed on the girl wearing a black jacket as he constantly clenched his fist kasabay ng kanyang mga ngipin.
Napalunok agad si Chief sa aura emitted by Cody. He didn't thought na ganyan siya magalit. A minute ago he was really jolly but now. He wondered why the heck that young man got so mad.
Tumingin si Arvin kay Cody na umuusok na ang ulo at umaapoy na ang mga mata. His lazy eyes and eyebrows furrowed.
"Chief. She also posted while walking along side the beach habang suot suot yung jacket."
Chief Jose's face suddenly looked glum. Nagmadali siyang pumunta sa nakahanap ng post ni Mary Rose and looked at the picture. Pumuti bigla ang mukha niya as he saw a fine girl na nakasunglass saka nakalipstick at nakablack jacket.
Idedeny sana ni Chief na baka hindi naman Cheg Feng yung jackret but her post said it so. "#ChengFeng"
He suddenly dripped sweat nang mafeel niya na parang init na ng bulkan ang nafefeel niya mula kay Cody. Nanginig ang katawan niya.
Napatingin nalang sa taas si Ken as he closed his eyelid hoping that they'll find an evidence na hindi si Mary Rose ang nasa camera.
"Chief. May kaaway po ba siya?" Ani ng isa.
All of them were shocked. Ken suddenly lifted his eyes up saka napatingin sa lalaki na nagsabi while Arvin furrowed his eyebrows saka tumingin.
Cody gazed the guy na siya naman tong nakatingin sa kanya. The guy felt suffocated nang mameet niya ang mata ng binata. Napaso agad ang mga mata niya dahil sa nagbabagang aura ni Cody.
Bigla niyang ibinaling ang mata kay Chief na papalapit sa kanya.
"B-bakit?" Sabi ni Chief habang ang kamay niya'y walang tigil na sa panginginig.
"She actually tweeted yesterday..." the guy paused as he cleared his throat. "...'That freaking owl girl who stole Mr. Aldens. She will meet her doom. #CrushHer'... that's what she tweeted."
Hindi pa nga nakakareact sila, agad naman sumabat ang katabi niya.
"Ito pa po Chief, just this morning. 10:29. Sje tweeted... 'The Owl Girl just give me creeps. #CrushHer'..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
All of them got silenced. They didn't know what to think. Chief just scrolled over her tweets and it was really from Mary Rose Tan. He furrowed his eyebrows. Kita sa mukha niya ang pag-aalinlangan kung maniniwala ba sa accusations nila.
"May kaaway ba talaga siya?" Chief muttered but loud enough para marinig nina Ken.
BANG!
In a split second, ubod lakas na isinipa ni Cody ang upuan sa gilid niya at tumilapon palabas ng room. All of those five na nasa harap ng kompyuter plus si Chief was flabbergasted as they left their jaw hanging.
Nalusaw na ang sahig na kinatayuan ni Cody as he paced palabas ng room but...
CLUTCH!!!
Arvin caught his right arm bago pa man siya makalabas ng room. The whole room immediately frozen cold as Arvin's gaze fell on to the young man. His eyes lazily looked at Cody's crumpled face saka mahigpit na hinawakan ang braso ng binata.
Mapitik na tumingin si Cody kay Arvin habang nagbabaga na ang buo niyang katawan sa galit. Creased all over Cody's face appeared.
His face was far the scariest among the three. Yan ang narealize ni Chief bigla nang makita ang mukha ni Cody. His eyes were really mad na parang makakapatay na.
"What do you think you doing?" Cracked voice ni Cody melted everyone inside the room. He tried to shove off Arvin's hand but Arvin grabbed his arms tightly. Mas lalong napakunot ang mukha Cody.
Ken just stared both of them.
"Don't do anything stupid." Cold voice of Arvin resounded on the whole room. Their whole body suddenly shivered because of the cold killing aura na nakay Arvin. His face was blankly staring on the young man but his aura was the real deal. They felt a snowstorm slapping their faces because of the coldness.
Napatingin sila kay Cody na puno na ng lava ang kinatatayuan. Saka sila napailing. "What a scary pair." They thought. The Hot and Cold.
This time Cody clenched his fists even more.
"LET GO... VINVIN." At a second, his eyes suddenly turned demonic as he looked down on Arvin.
Napakunot agad ang noo ni Arvin. Ken, who was just blankly staring, turned his face really mad towards Cody. He furrowed his forehead just as how Arvin furrowed his.
Nanigas ang buong katawan ni Chief Jose as he saw, in a split second, that look Cody wore. The scariest face he had ever seen in his life.
Arvin clenched his teeth at parang naghesitant na alisin ang kamay sa braso ni Cody. But walang siyang nagawa kundi slowly loosened his grip.
SWOOSH!!
Ubod lakas na ishinove-off ni Cody ang kamay ni Arvin as he continued to pace palabas ng room.
"YOU!" Biglang sigaw ni Ken as his eyes went really freaky.
Nanlaki ang mata ni Chief nang sumunod namang nagalit si Ken. This time hindi na init, hindi lamig ang nafeel niya, kundi kamatayan na. He felt a very dark aura from the young man na hindi bumagay sa suot pink na jacket.
"Stop."
Susundan sana ni Ken si Cody but Arvin stopped him. Ken's eyes went surprised saka siya napatingin kay Arvin.
"This will be my problem na. Ayusin mo muna problema dito." Arvin calmly said.
Napahinga ng malalim si Chief nang kumalma si Ken.
"B-but Arvin-"
"Please. This is a favor. Let me be a big bro this time."
WOOOSHH!!!!
Lumagapak sa mukha nila ang napakawarm na sensation mula sa nagliwanag na mukha ni Arvin.
In just a second, Arvin wore heartful smile as he looked towards Ken and the rest. It was not a full smile, but his eyes and lips just curved up to the point that they really matched each other and made his mapanga na face really manly.
Halos mapulbos sila sa lakas ng pagsabog ng ngiti ni Arvin. That's the very first time they saw that guy smiled like that. And they would never thought that he could do that.
Ken felt a really warm feeling inside his heart saka siya napayuko at napasmile. He lifted his head while his eyes were smiling.
As he thought...
"How could I ever forget... that you have already changed."
He let out a huge sigh. It sound more like a sigh of content.
"If that's what you want." Ken tilted his head while the tip of his lips and the corners of his eyes curved.