Embarrassed. That's what Kairo felt throughout their so-called-shopping. Kairo bought some groceries. It was before they finally decided to head back home and save the last piece of his dignity. Along the way, he received a message from Jasper asking if he'll be able to come with them at a club. But he refused, telling Jasper that he's too busy and has a lot of things to do.
It was quite. But not a deafening nor an awkward silence. He's busy unpacking their groceries and Seraphina's clothes. She is currently in the bathroom taking a bath. 'why is she taking so long there?' he thought.
His attention was interrupted when he heard a loud knock on his door. Assuming that the person might knock into the wrong door--- he ignored it. But he was forced to see whoever is knocking because he or she won't just stop banging the door.
Moments later he found his friends comfortably sitting on his sofa bed and enjoying the bottles of beer. He saw David walked out from his kitchen while holding a platter of 'sisig' and placed it on the table. Puzzled to see them, Kairo is still standing at his door--- confused.
His friends look at him and asked. "Why are you standing there?"
He didn't know what to say. His system is still in a state of shock and confusion. Should he kick them out?... but he doesn't want to be rude.
"W-what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Change of plans. Instead of going to a club we just decided to hang out here." Charli snorted then opened his television and set it into the karaoke mode. Kairo's dull and lifeless room apartment is now filled with loud, jovial, and chaotic people's voices.
Kairo followed Jasper's footsteps through his eyes as he stood up and walk towards him. It is not impossible that this is Jasper's doing but he doubts that. No one knows where he lives, even his friends. Kairo kept a low profile after his family's death and cut ties with his other relatives. He regrets nothing.
Jasper puts an arm over his shoulder and tugs him closer. Kairo felt the cold bottle of beer, its moist and wet surface caressed against his face. He tried to pull himself away from Jasper. But Jasper wouldn't let him. Kairo was dragged on the couch and forcefully join his friends. His friends' laughter was cut off when they heard the bathroom door creak open.
Seraphina steps out from it. Wearing nothing but only a piece of a white towel wrapped around her body. They all stop and froze from what they are doing. The joyful laughter of his friends was now changed into flabbergasted silence. Their mouths are agape and their eyes were dilated while Seraphina is just innocently looking at them through her eyes are wide open.
It was the loud sound of a glass bottle that falls into the cemented floor, shattered into pieces, that makes him go back to reality. Kairo immediately grab a piece of clothes and undergarment for Seraphina and pushed her back into the bathroom. His chest is pounding, tiny beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. He gazes back to his friends who are still frozen in their seats. Their faces are all asking the same question 'who the hell is that girl?'.
After gathering back their senses, Kairo's friends immediately stopped the karaoke, cleaned the table, and formed a circle like they are having a meeting. But without Kairo. Once their so-called-meeting is done, they lined up, sat across the table, and silently wait for Kairo to talk.
Later on, Kairo found himself sitting on his sofa bed, unsettle, he kept on shaking his legs and fidgeting his fingers. Seraphina is casually sitting beside him not minding the curious stare that was given to her. His whole place is now filled with silence. No more loud and noisy karaoke playing on the television nor his friends' silly laughter. They were all silent. Waiting for his words. Explanation to be exact.
"S-so… Uhm… w-what d-do you want to k-know?" asked Kairo. He is now biting his fingernails which he only does whenever he is nervous.
'Why am I nervous by the way?' he asked on himself. 'It's just your friends. There is no reason for you to be nervous'.
"Everything." They answered in chorus.
Kairo was hesitant at first but he can't do anything about it since his friends are waiting for an explanation. He also knew that they are not going to stop bugging him until he told them the whole story. Also, there is no point in denying that Seraphina is not living with him or he doesn't know her.
Throughout his story, Kairo's friends are listening to him attentively. Kairo tells them everything except for the reason why he is on the rooftop. They were all quiet as if he was telling a Beautiful-Disney kind of story. Aside from Jasper whose brows are furrowed, he's kind of suspicious of how Kairo met Seraphina. It's like Kairo is not telling them the entire story.
"Woah… Woah… hold up. So you're saying that this beautiful and angelic lady over here followed you?" Charli, who still couldn't believe what his friend told, snorted.
Kairo nods as an answer.
"How on earth?" Charli added in the most doubtful voice. He even brushed his finger through his hair.
He shrugs. "I don't either. She just followed me out of the blue."
"Did you try to look for her family?" David seriously asked.
"Yes, we did go to some precincts this morning trying to look for some information about her or if someone is looking for her. But there is none."
"Did try to ask her then?" it was Jasper who spoke. His face is dark.
"Yes, but just like what I've said. She can't remember anything."
"Well, it looks like you don't want her to be here. So can I keep her?" Kairo immediately throws a pillow on Charli's face while Jasper and David pinned down Charli and jestingly punch him.
One by one they asked Seraphina questions about herself. But to their dismay, none of their questions are answered just like Kairo's, especially Charli who likes asking silly questions to her.
It's already late when Jasper and the others decided to go home. Kairo walked them out of the apartment.
"I am thinking. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?" Kairo looked at Jasper. He's smiling at him. "For Seraphina?"
Kairo sighed. Usually when they ask him about hanging out without any specific reasons or if he just doesn't feel like coming, he would refuse. But the situation right now is somehow different. He was invited because of Seraphina and he doesn't want to be unfair to Seraphina if he will reject his friend's invitation. Plus, he doesn't want to isolate Seraphina with him.
So he accepted it.
On the next day, they visited the Mall of Asia Grounds. Since Kairo and Seraphina didn't have time to stroll around yesterday. And the fact that they didn't want to travel too far, they just decided to hang out here instead.
He and Jasper are both sitting on a yellow colored cemented bench holding burgers. Turn out that Seraphina likes eating burgers. He took a bite and slowly chews it with the laughing Seraphina in his view. She is playing bubbles with Charli and David.
Her white hair was blown away with a humid breeze of air. Dancing freely on the midair. She can't stop laughing whenever the bubbles pop in front of her face.
"Kai, is she not your girlfriend?" Jasper asked out of the blue.
He was caught off guard by his question.
"No," he simply answered. "why did you ask?"
"I know it's kind of odd but…" Kairo didn't know why he doesn't like where their conversation is going.
"I think I like her," Jasper added that made his heartfelt kind of heavy.
Kairo didn't reply after that and he didn't know what to reply too. There goes again the unexplained feeling. But this time, it is different from what he had felt yesterday. Annoyed. That's what he felt right now. So he just decided to do what he usually does whenever he's with them. 'fake a smile'.