Namamanghang inikot ni Luna ang tingin sa buong restaurant nang makapasok sila roon.
It was a big restaurant in the middle of the city, a pretty normal-looking from the outside but homey and immaculately clean in the inside.
It was a typical Japanese restaurant. Sa paligid ay may mga mabababang parisukat na mesa na pinapalibutan ng mga malalambot na matres, ang sahig ay parang salamin sa linis at tingkad at sa kisame ay may mga nakasabit na traditional lanterns. Para silang nasa loob ng lifestyle magazine sa ganda ng paligid.
Ayon kay Marco ay pag-aari ng ina ni Ryu ang restaurant na iyon at itinayo noong umuwi ang ginang sa Pilipinas tatlong taon na ang nakakaraan.
"Irrashaimase!" nakangiting bati ng cute na waitress nang lumapit ito sa kanila, naka-traditional Geisha costume ito na ikinatuwa niya sa kabila ng kabang naramdaman sa pagparoon.
"Hi. Do you have any news about Ryu?" diretsong tanong ni Grand dito.
"Oh, I remember! Kayo po ang mga kaibigan ni Ryu-kun na pumunta rito noong nakaraan," anito. "Hindi pa rin siya napapadpad dito, tatlong linggo na."
"Alam mo ba kung saan namin siya maaaring tawagan?" ani Marco.
Akma nang sasagot ang waitress nang mula sa likuran nito ay may magsalita.
"Who are they, Mika?"
"Mrs. Daria, sila po ang mga kaibigan ni Ryu-kun na sinabi ko sa inyong pumunta rito noong nakaraan."
Tumaas ang kilay nito at tinitigan isa-isa ang mga lalaki. "Oh, you must be Ryu-kun's friends?" anito bago dumapo ang mga mata kay Luna. She raised an eyebrow. "And who are you, young miss?"
Tumikhim siya, "Good afternoon. My name is Luna Isabella Mayo and I wish to speak to Ryu Donovan."
Nakita ni Luna kung papaanong nawala ang kunot sa noo ni Mrs. Daria at ang biglang pag-aliwalas ng mukha nito, "So you are the girl Ryu-kun was talking about..."
Naramdaman niya ang pag-init ng magkabilang pisngi.
"I am Rebecca Daria, the manager of this place and Mrs. Donovan's best friend. Please come in and follow me," anito saka sinulyapan ang grupo. "That includes you, boys."
Ngumiti siya sa may edad na babae at sumunod dito. Dinala sila nito sa private room ng restaurant katabi ng pintong may sign na "office".
Pagpasok sa silid ay kaagad niyang napansin ang malaking couch at coffee table na nakaharap sa isa pang single sofa. Sinenyasan siya ni Mrs. Daria na maupo sa malaking couch bago ito naupo sa single sofa.
She sat on the couch silently whilst the guys just stood behind her. They looked like a gangster, protecting their Boss Queen.
Boss Queen... Lihim siyang napangiti nang maisip iyon.
Bago mag-umpisa ang pag-uusap ay isa-isang nagpakilala ang mga lalaki.
Ilang sandali pa'y nag-umpisa nang magsalita ang may edad na babae. "Tulad ng sinabi sa inyo kanina ni Mika ay wala rito si Ryu. The last time he was here was almost three weeks ago."
Si Marco na nakatayo sa likuran niya ay nagsalita na rin.
"We were trying to call him these past few days but he's not picking up his phone, Ma'am. We also tried to visit his house and nobody's there, either. Do you know how we can get in touch with him? We have found a way to cancel his suspension. Sooner or later ay maaari na siyang bumalik sa university."
Huminga ng malalim si Mrs. Daria. "Ryu-kun left. He went back to the States, kasama ang kaniyang ina."
Napasinghap si Luna at nanlulumong napa-yuko.
Hindi niya maintindihan ang sarili kung bakit ganoon na lang ang pagnanais niyang makausap at makita si Ryu Donovan. Noong una'y nais lamang niyang personal na humingi ng paumanhin sa masasakit na salitang sinabi niya noong huli sila nitong magharap. Ngayong naiintindihan na niya ang lahat ay nais niyang humingi ng dispensa rito.
Subalit alam din niya sa kaniyang sarili na hindi lamang iyon ang nais niyang ipakipag-usap dito. She wanted to thank him for everything. For existing. And to also apologize for her bitchiness. Sa loob ng ilang linggong hindi sila nagkita, at bago pa niya nalaman ang totoong dahilan kung bakit bigla nalang na nakipag-lapit sa kaniya si Stefan, ay parati na niyang naiisip si Ryu. She wondered where he's at, what he was doing, and why she felt so lonely and bored.
She came to realized that Ryu Donovan gave colours in to her life. Nasanay na siyang naroon ito palagi, para inisin siya, galitin siya, sirain ang araw niya...
At ngayon ay hindi na siya sanay na wala ito.
"Why did he leave?" tanong naman ni Grand. "And without telling us?"
Muling huminga ng malalim si Mrs. Daria. "They left just a week ago. At mariing ibinilin sa akin ni Iris, Ryu's mother, na h'wag ipagbigay alam sa iba ang dahilan ng pag-alis ng mga ito. So, I want to apologise if I can't give you any details."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but this is nonsense," sabi ni Luna na ikinataas ng kilay ng ginang. "These guys are Ryu's loyal friends. They treat each other like brothers. Bakit kailangang pati sa kanila ay itago ang dahilan ng pag-alis ni Ryu? At bakit niya hinayaang basta na lang umalis nang hindi nagsasabi sa mga kaibigan niya?"
Sandaling natahimik ang ginang bago muling nagsalita. "And how about you, Luna-chan? Why would you want to speak to him?" mahinahon subalit nananantiyang tanong nito.
Chan.. She believed it's a Japanese honorific title used to refer to children, female family members and or close friends.
She sighed. "Because I hurt him and I just wanted to apologize. And— and there are also a lot of things I wanted to say to him."
Tumango ito bago sumandal, pinag-krus ang mga daliri at ipinatong ang mga iyon sa naka-krus ding mga tuhod.
"I have been serving the Donovan's since Iris married Ryu's father more than two decades ago. Pinagkatiwalaan niya akong hindi magsasalita ng tungkol sa nangyari at hindi sabihin sa kahit kanino ang dahilan ng pag-alis nila, kaya ipagpaumanhin ninyo ang hindi ko pagbibigay ng detalye. But— I need you to know that Ryu-kun has never adored a woman the way he adored you."
Biglang sumakit ang lalamunan niya sa narinig. Pinigil niya ang sariling maluha.
Sinulyapan nito ang mga lalaking nakatayo at pinong ngumiti. "Growing up in the US, Ryu has never really had friends. He used to be a victim of bullying back when he was a child. He was bullied due to his Asian features. He was the only chinky-eyed boy in class and he would always come running home with tears in his eyes. Kaya nang malaman naming may nakilala siyang mga kaibigan sa unibersidad ay labis kaming natuwa. Thank you for being good friends with our Ryu-kun."
"Ryu is the toughest person I have ever met," ani Marco. "And I saw myself in him kaya kaagad kaming nagkasundo sa unang araw pa lang ng pagkakakilala namin."
Si Kane ay nagsalita rin, "People may not know it, but Ryu was the one who saved me. I was in a verge of killing myself due to depression when Ryu found me and convinced to keep living. I owe him my life."
Napasinghap si Luna sa narinig mula kay Kane. She had no idea at all. Napatingala siya rito at nakita niya ang seryosong anyo ng lalaki habang diretsong nakatitig sa ginang.
Nagpatuloy pa si Kane. "My father killed my mother due to infidelity. I witnessed how they fought everyday. One night, they started fighting again and I thought it was one of those petty fights where they would just sleep in different rooms and would not talk to each other for days. I was in my room but I was hearing the noise. I needed silence, so I went outside and let them fight to their hearts content. I was about to drive my car away when I heard multiple gunshots from my parents room. I rushed back and saw my mother lying on the floor full of blood and my father, holding a gun to his head. He killed himself in front of me."
Naitakip ni Luna ang kamay sa bibig to stop herself from sobbing.
Kane continued. "I stopped studying, lost my will to continue living. Until Ryu Donovan arrived. Long story short — he helped me get back to my senses. Made me believe in second chances, and how beautiful life is. His words made me think twice and before I knew it, we were already friends."
Malungkot na ngumiti si Mrs. Daria. "I heard that story from Ryu-kun a long time ago. He was proud of you, Kane. He shared all your stories to me and to his mother. He's proud of you all. Pakiramdam niya ay mga nakababatang kapatid niya kayo." Sinulyapan nito si Marco. "Well, maliban sa'yo, hijo. You are the eldest, I would assume?"
Tumango si Marco.
"Ryu-kun looks up to you." Muli nitong sinulyapan isa-isa ang mga lalaki. "And I also know that all of you have your own reasons why you befriended him. Thank you for accepting Ryu in your lives. For now... what I and his mother need— is for you to let him go."
*****
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