Kinabukasan ng umaga ay nagising si Luna sa sunud-sunod na katok sa labas ng apartment niya. Bumangon siya at sinulyapan ang oras sa side table.
7:30 AM. At mamayang alas nueve pa ang pasok niya.
Inaantok na tumayo siya at saglit lang na sinulyapan ang sarili sa salamin bago humakbang palabas ng silid at pagbuksan ang kung sino mang naroon sa labas. She peeked at the peephole and frowned.
Binuksan niya ang pinto. "Mrs. Santa Cruz?"
Ngumiti ang landlady niya saka inabot ang isang maliit na box. "Nagwawalis ako dito sa labas ng apartment nang makita ko iyan sa harap ng pinto mo. Akala ko ay paalis ka na kaya kinatok na kita. Wala ka bang pasok?"
"Mamayang alas nueve pa po," aniya saka sinulyapang muli ang box na inabot nito sa kaniya. "Para po sa akin ito?"
"Oo, may card sa ibabaw at nakapangalan sa iyo. Eh, baka madampot pa ng iba, kaya minabuti ko nang katukin ka."
Ngumiti siya rito. "Thank you."
"Walang anuman," muli itong ngumiti sa kaniya at tumalikod na.
Muli niyang isinara ang pinto saka bumalik sa kaniyang silid. Naupo siya sa kama at sandaling tinitigan ang box bago iyon dahan-dahang buksan.
Sa loob niyon ay mayroong isang makapal na journal at origami rose.
Marahan siyang napasinghap. Ryu...
Kinuha niya ang origami at masuyong dinama iyon. It certainly came from Ryu. Ganoong-ganoon ang origami na ginagawa nito.
Hope rose within her heart. Are you back, Ryu?
Kinuha niya ang journal sa loob at binuksan iyon. Sa unang pahina ay may nakita siyang naka-tuping papel. She opened and read it.
I found this journal last week when we were cleaning Ryu's room. I decided to send it to you to hold on it until such time when everything comes back to normal.
Thank you for being part of Ryu-kun's life, Luna.
Mrs. Daria.
Bumagsak ang balikat niya. So, it wasn't Ryu who sent her the box...
Huminga siya ng malalim bago inumpisahang buklatin ang pahina.
Page 1
~ First day of school this year and I already felt like it's going to be boring as hell. I couldn't wait for it to end —I must go back to the States and take over my father's business.
Sandali siyang natigilan. The journal started on the first day of school! The day when they first met at the front gate of the university!
Bumilis ang pag-kabog ng dibdib niya nang itinuloy ang pagbabasa.
~ I decided not to attend the first day of class, so I went out of the building right after I reached the room. It was raining and I thought I'd rather sleep the whole day than spend time in a boring class.
And I'm glad I did— because I was able to meet her.
I fell in love instantly...
Sandali siyang tumigil at wala sa sariling napahawak sa dibdib. Biglang tila kay-sakit niyon.
Huminga siya ng malalim bago nagpatuloy.
~ Not because she's cute and has a really nice pair of legs, but because my heart pounded so hard when I looked into her eyes. She was so enchanting I couldn't help myself but think of her the whole day. Hence, I decided to write this journal.
~Someday, my children will read this and learn how I met their mother.
Muli siyang tumigil at dinala sa dibdib ang journal. She silently cried when sadness filled her heart.
She realized that Ryu was truly inlove with her from the very beginning and was eager to have her and be part of his life. But she was so stupid to shoo him again.
Bago magpatuloy sa pagbabasa ay muli siyang huminga ng malalim.
Page 2
~Took me a couple of days to learn her identity. Luna Isabella Mayo. A top honour student in middle school, volleyball captain, a champion swimmer, an orator and a two-time teenage beauty queen. She's a lady every man would dream of— and that includes me.
~ I haven't told the guys about her. But I know I must, otherwise, Marco and Grand would start noticing her.
Napangiti siya roon. Stupid, Ryu Donovan...
Page 3
~ Tuwing umaga ay naroon ako sa hindi kalayuan at inaantabayanan ang pagdating niya. At lunch time, I'd sit at the corner near the window and watch her eat with her friends. In the afternoon when she goes home, I'd watch her from the rooftop of the engineering building to see her go.
All I wanted everyday was to see her. I don't know why I have this intense need of seeing her face everyday. Am I crazy?
No. Just in love...
Page 4
I was so nervous when I saw her at the back of the Literature building. She was standing there at my kissing distance. If Luna only knew how my knees were trembling when I heard her voice...
Napangiti siya nang maalala ang araw na iyon.
"Are you stalking me, Luna Isabella?"
"How did you know my name?!"
She was so pissed learning about my cat's name. Hindi niya alam na kaya ko ipinangalan sa alaga ko ang pangalan niya ay dahil gusto kong kahit papaano ay mayroon kaming koneksyon sa isa't isa.
And I just want to be connected with My Luna...
Pait siyang ngumiti. You are, Ryu. I was just a fool to realize it too late...
Page 5
~ I decided to pursue her. Yes— I guess it's time. I have wasted weeks of stalking her around the campus and I can't take it anymore. I need to let her know of my feelings, otherwise, she'll start liking someone else.
~ I hope Luna likes Shakespeare and Woodsworth...
Muli siyang napangiti nang maaalala ang unang dalawang sulat nito sa kaniya. She despised the idea and thrown away all his notes.
Page 6
~ I finally exposed myself to her today. And she crampled the origami I made right in front of my face! Haha! She must have hated me that much! But I ain't stopping.
~She obviously didn't believe when I told her what I feel for her. But I am committed to prove to her that my intentions are sincere. And I hope Luna will take me in.
Isa-isa niyang binasa ang bawat pahina ng journal kung saan naroon parati ang pangalan niya. Sa journal na iyon ay naroon ang lahat ng mga nangyari sa araw-araw nito— isinulat nito roon kung papaano itong nagpaturo kay Mrs. Daria na gumawa ng origami, at kung papaano itong nagpatulong sa ina na gumawa ng bento. Bigla niyang naalala ang araw na nagtungo ito sa classroom nila upang ihatid ang sushi at sashimi na gawa nito.
She would smile and laugh and tear up as she continued to read the journal. Base sa mga isinulat ni Ryu sa journal nito, ay hindi ito ni minsan nagdamdam, nainis, o nagalit sa mga ugaling ipinakita niya rito. Bagkus, ay mukhang kina-aliwan pa nito iyon.
Sa sumunod na pahina ay doon siya muling kinunutan ng noo.
Page 17
~ I've had a fight with my Dad over the phone. It was a nasty exchange of words. How I hated it whenever he orders me around. Everything that's happened to him is all his fault. We left him because of his actions! Why would he blame me and Mom for his loneliness?
I hate it when we talk. It ruins my day.
But then, something good happened.
Due to the big storm, I got stuck in the library with Luna.
Sandali niyang inalis ang tingin sa journal at inaalala ang araw na naiwan silang dalawa sa library dahil sa sama ng panahon. Inalala niya ang sinabi nito noong inihatid siya nito sa harap ng apartment niya—
"Thank you for making me laugh, I've had a rough day today but I was really grateful to the storm. I was able to spend time with you"
Muli niyang ibinalik ang tingin sa journal.
Iyon ba ang nangyari noong araw na iyon? He had a fight with his father?
Itinuloy niya ang pagbabasa ng journal.
I get so nervous everytime she's near —but I have to act cool. I couldn't tell her that I was also scared of the lighting and thunder. That I had a traumatic experience about the storm when I was a child. I hope I could tell her that... pero sa tingin ko ay ayaw niya akong kausap.
Nonetheless, that experience with her in the library is something I would cherish forever. She changed my mood— she gives colour into my boring, messed up life.
Malungkot siyang ngumiti.
You had a traumatic experience about the storm pero sa naaalala ko ay ako pa ang tinutulungan mo noon na huminahon sa pamamagitan ng pagkanta. You are so selfless, Ryu...
Inilipat niya ang pahina at itinuloy pa ang pagbabasa. Lahat ng naroon sa journal ay puro tungkol sa kaniya. Kaya naman habang nagbabasa siya'y hindi niya napigilan ang sariling maluha.
She just couldn't believe how Ryu would spend time writing a journal about her almost everyday.
Page 24
~We were invited to Dani's farm house for a weekend adventure. Luna was there, too. It would have been great... kung hindi ko lang nalaman na may mahal siyang iba.
Kung hindi tumawag sa akin si Mommy tungkol sa pagdating ni Dad ay baka nanatili pa ako roon kasama ang iba pa. And I would have spoken to that Stefan Burgos—I don't like him. There is something about that guy that creeps me out, and I need to know what. I can't rest my mind in piece— hindi ako papayag na saktan niya si Luna.
I will not allow anybody hurt My Luna.
Muli ay humugot siya ng malalim na paghinga at sinapo ang ulo. She had been a fool.
Sa mga sumunod na sandali ay nanatili ang siya roon at tahimik na humihikbi. She needed to see Ryu... marami siyang kailangang ihingi ng tawad.
Nang pumayapa na ang pakiramdam niya'y nagpahid siya ng mga luha at ipinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa. Hindi niya alam kung hanggang saan kakayanin ng puso niya, pero magpapatuloy siya. Sa ganoong paraan man lang ay nagkakaroon siya ng koneksyon kay Ryu.
Page 27
~Saying goodbye to the person who was never yours...wasn't easy.
She asked me to stay out of her life. And if that would make her happy, I will concede. Because her happiness is my happiness.
Maiksi lang ang nakasulat sa page na iyon pero iyon pa ang pinaka-masakit. She pushed back her tears and turned on to the next. But there was no writing anymore. Kunot-noong binuklat niya ang mga susunod pang pahina at doon niya nakitang pawang blangko pa ang mga iyon.
Bumuntong hininga siya at akmang ibaba na ang journal nang may nahuli ang tingin niya. Sa pinakahuling pahina ay may nakasulat.
I love her, still. Just one last time...I need to see her one, last time.
Napahawak siyang muli sa dibdib at muling napa-luha. Humiga siya at niyakap sa dibdib ang journal.
Sa mahabang sandali ay nanatili siyang ganoon hanggang sa marinig niya ang pagtunog ng cellphone niyang nakapatong sa ibabaw ng sidetable.
Wala sa sariling kinuha niya iyon at sinagot nang hindi sinusulyapan ang screen.
"Hey, Luna."
"Who is this?"
"It's Grand Falcon."
Napabalikwas siya ng bangon. "Have you heard from your private investigator?"
"Yes. And I have a question for you."
She cleared the lump in her throat. "W—What is it?"
"Three more weeks before Christmas vacation and the whole group has made plans."
"Plans?"
Matagal bago sumagot si Grand. "Do you have a passport?"
"Y—Yes."
"Okay, I'll arrange to get you a VISA as soon as possible. We're flying to the US."
*****
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