Pagbaba namin sa kotse ay tiningnan ko siya at nakipagtitigan rin lang siya sa akin. Umuulan na naman kaya eto kami sa ilalim ng iisang payong.
After a while ay bigla niyang inilapit ang mukha niya sa mukha ko. His face is too close that his breathe is now touching my lips. Napasinghap ako at napangiti naman siya. Pakiramdam ko ay nag blush ako ng todo.
Ang totoo, pakiramdam ko ay para parin akong nananaginip. Sobrang saya nang pakiramdam at animoy napakaganda ng paligid sa aking mga mata. And I knew that the reason I felt this way is because he's by my side right now.
Napangiti na rin lang din ako habang nakatitig sa kanya. At pagkalipas ng ilang sandali ay hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. Para akong nakoryente sa ginawa niya. His hand is just so warm that I couldn't feel the cold anymore.
It's as if the falling rain turned into a sweet light dropping from the heaven.
We walked through the entrance and took the stairs up. We just wanted to be each other a bit longer I think.
Nang malapit na kami sa eight floor ay magkahawak kamay parin kami hanggang tumuntong ang mga paa namin sa huling step ng hangdan.
At pagbungad namin sa corridor ay may lalakeng nakatayo sa harap ng door ko. Napatigil kami at nagtinginan.
Pero ilang saglit lang ay nakilala ko agad kung sino siya at nanlaki na lang ang mga mata ko.
Hindi ko namalayang bumitaw ako sa paghahawak kamay namin ni Jin.
"Nash!?" sabi ko at mabilis akong lumapit sa kanya.
Matagal na ring hindi ko nakita ang kababata kong ito pero it's just impossible for me not to recognize him kahit pa masasabi kong napakalaki na nang pinagbago niya.
"Jade!" he cheerfully called my name as he playfully hug me. He squeezed me and lifted me as if I'm a little kid. This childhood friend of mine really never changed at all. He's still the usual cheerful boy I know back then.
"Let me down idiot!" protesta ko at tumatawa lang siya habang ibinababa ako. Then he suddenly stroked my head so hard that I felt like my hair is now beyond mess.
"Cut it out or I'll kick you." Matigas na sabi ko pero lalo lang siyang tumawa. He keeps chuckling like a happy little boy. This guy is acting like he's treating me just the same. Kung tratohin niya ako ay parang nasa elementary pa kami.
"Bakit ka nandito? Kailan ka pa bumalik sa Pinas? Kumusta ka na? Sobrang tangkad mo na ah." Sunod sunod na sabi ko habang nakatingala sa kanya.
Oo, looking at him now, napakalaki na nang pinagbago niya. The little cute Nash back then now turned into a tall and cool guy, though he still look like a kid to me. We're the same age and since kindergarten, he's been with me all the time. He is a very athletic kid back in elementary and he is a baseball freak. Kaya when we graduated in elementary, he went to Japan and studied there. I once went and watched him play at Koushien back in high school and now he's still playing baseball.
"Haha, bakit an dami mong tanong? Anyway, sino siya?" sabi niya sabay duro kay Jin. Napalingun ako bigla at napatingin kay Jin. He is standing right where I left him a while back habang pa simpleng nakasandal sa wall. Naka krus din ang mga braso niya at seryosong nakatingin sa amin. Huh? What's with him? Bakit parang ang sour nang mukha niya? Whoa, first time kong makita ang ganong expression niya, kyaaah! ang cuuutee.
Tatawagin ko sana siya nang bigla siyang lumakad palapit sa amin.
"Ahh. Nash, this is Jin---"
"I'm her boyfriend." Putol niya sa akin at nanlaki ang mga mata kong napatingin sa kanya. Medyo nag blush din ako sa sinabi niya.
But the guy isn't looking at me, he is actually glaring at Nash. And what? Nash? Whats wrong with you? Why are you glaring back at him too?
Nagpalipat lipat ang tingin ko sa dalawa dahil pakiramdam ko ay parang may kakaibang pagbabago sa atmospera.
"Ahh.. pasok tayo sa loob. We can't just stay here right? I'll cook for our dinner," sabi ko at napatingin silang dalawa sa akin.
"Saang hotel ka nga pala nag check in Nash?" tanong ko sa kanya.
"Hmmm? Balak ko kasing mag check in sa building na tinitirhan mo." Blankong sagot niya sabay ngiti nang pagkatamis tamis.
"Haah?? Are you an idiot? Hindi hotel to Nash!" bulalas ko sa kanya.
Hayy! Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako. After all these years, talagang walang pinagbago ang lalakeng ito.
"Fine, sa loob na nga tayo, matulog ka nalang sa sala." Tanging sabi ko at akma ko nang bubuksan ang unit ko nang… parang may nararamdaman akong kakaiba. Napalingun ako kay Jin. And Whoa!! He really looks so pissed.
"So you really are letting any guy into your room that easily huh?" he said while staring at me and all I did is opened my mouth in disbelief for what he said. And honestly, I don't know what to say either. At isa pa Nash is different, he is not just a childhood friend to me. Ang totoo mas kapatid na ang turing ko sa kanya at nakasanayan ko na siyang pinapatulog sa kwarto ko noon dahil sa magdamag kaming naglalaro ng video game minsan. Though alam kung iba na ngayong malaki na kami, pero sa sala ko naman siya patutulugin not in my room.
"Jin, he's my friend---"
"Yeah, I know. Then, Let me stay as well. I can't possibly let him stay with you alone." Putol niya sa akin at kay Nash na naman siya nakatitig.
May kung anong tension sa pagitan nila and I'm not really used to something like this. I don't really know how to even react.
"O-okay." Tanging nasabi ko at pumasok na kaming tatlo sa unit ko. It felt a bit awkward. Why did they end up like this? For some reason, bakit parang hindi sila mag kasundo? Alam kong baka wala lang tiwala si Jin kay Nash kaya ganyan siya pero there's no need to act that cold towards him right? He's acting weird right now.
…
Habang kumakain, the usual cheerful Nash is talking to me nonstop while Jin is just eating quietly.
"Haha. Hindi ako makapaniwalang may boyfriend na pala ang tigasin pero lampang kababata ko." Sabi niya pero kay Jin na naman nakatingin.
"Anong tigasin na pinagsasabi mo, at anong lampa?" bulalas ko.
"Haha. Alam mo bang ang babaeng ito'y parang gangster dati? Noong elementary ay nakipag-away siya sa mga lalake sa ibang section. Akalain mo, one on three at nanalo siya. Hahaha, hay naku sana may video ako noon." Kwento niya habang tumatawa. Napanganga na lang din ako sabay tingin kay Jin na parang hindi rin makapaniwala.
"Ahhh… kumain ka na nga diyan Nash. Pag hindi ka tumigil itataboy kita palabas." Banta ko sa kanya habang namumula ang mukha ko. Napatingin ulit ako kay Jin. Nag-aalala ako kung ano ang magiging reaction niya.
"Pffftt. Haha, seriously?" sabi niya at nanlaki ang mata ko sa reaction niya. Huh? Pinagtatawanan niya ako. Now I felt really embarrassed, kasalanan mo to Nash. Tinitigan ko nang matalim si Nash at kinidatan lang niya ako. Ugh! Nakakainis parin talaga siya as usual.
"How did she beat them? Is she really that strong back then?" tanong niya kay Nash. Huh? What's going on here? Kanina lang ay parang hindi sila magkasundo ah.
Napanganga nalang ako at lumayo sa kanila. Imposibleng mapigilan ko si Nash kaya nagligpit na lang ako ng pinagkainan habang patuloy silang nag-uusap. Hindi ko na rin marinig ang ibang pinag-uusapan nila.
Mayamaya lang ay inaayus ko na ang higaan nila. Nag-uusap parin ang dalawa at napapatawa pa sila ng malakas paminsan minsan. I don't get them at all. It seems like boys are different after all. They can get along just like that?
"Hoi… Inaantok na ako. Kagagaling kaya tayong lahat sa biahe." Tamlay na sabi ko habang nakalabas ang kalahati nang katawan ko sa pinto ng kwarto ko.
"See?? Hindi siya ganyan dati..hahaha." ani Nash sabay tawa ng malakas. Napakunot noo nalang ako, he is exactly one of those noisy being I couldn't handle at all.
"Gotta go to bath first." Sabi niya matapus siyang tumawa at tumayo na siya paalis habang sinundan siya ng mga tingin namin. And then napatingin ako kay Jin. He's now staring at me.
Tumayo siya at lumapit sa akin. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at napatitig naman ako sa kanya.
Then, he suddenly pulled me towards my room. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa ginawa niya. He closed the door and then he took a step towards me as he took my chin in his hand. I gasped and I don't know what to even think at all. And then, he… he kissed me.
Napaungol ako dahil ito ang kauna unahang pagkakataon na hinalikan niya ako ng ganito. And it's my first time to experience this kind of kiss. And before I knew it his tongue suddenly slipped into my mouth. Biglang uminit ang buong katawan ko. I can't explain what I'm feeling. My mind is turning blank. All I can feel is his fiery tongue inside my mouth. What kind of feeling is this? My heart is beating so loud that I thought it wasn't mine.
And then he stopped. Pareho kaming naghahabol ng hininga habang kami'y nagtitigan. His lips is still barely touching mine as we chase our breaths. The truth is, I never felt this way before. What is this? What kind of feeling is this?
As we slowly calmed down, he softly touched my cheeks, and landed a soft kiss on my forehead. Pakiramdam ko ay lalong nag blush ang mukha ko.
And then he suddenly hugged me. Oh my god. Pakiramdam ko ay nawalan na ako ng lakas. What's with him attacking me like this all of a sudden? I'm not ready for this yet.
Pakiramdam ko ay mawawalan ako ng malay. Kunti nalang ay mag o-over heat na ang brain cells ko. Tingin ko ay hindi ko kakayanin ang sunod sunod na mga pag atake niya.
"Damn! I'm so jealous." He softly uttered. Sobrang nagulat ako sa sinabi niya at hindi ko alam kung paano mag react. Huh? Nagseselos siya? Really? Nagseselos saan? Napanganga ako bigla.
"Huh?!"
"That guy, he really knows everything about you. Damn! I'm so pissed." He added as he squeezed me.
"I want to know everything about you Jade---" dagdag niya.
"Ako rin, I'm also really really frustrated. I want to know more about you, too… I want to know everything about Jin, about the things you like, the things you don't like, your embarrassing stories when you're still a kid, everything… everything." Nangingiyak namang tugin ko sa kanya. Hindi ko alam pero bigla akong naging emosyonal. Siguro dahil na rin sa alam kong wala rin akong alam tungkol sa kanya.
Then he let go of me and stared at me really hard again. And then, a sexy smile carved into his lips.
"Haha." He softly chuckled. And then he took a deep breath.
"Sorry, I think I am being a bit childish. I haven't even told you anything yet and here I am acting like…" he sighed and then softly patted my head.
"Yeah. Let's do that. We'll get to know everything about each other from now on." He said and then we both smiled as we touched each other's cheeks while chuckling.