"Long time ago, in a faraway palace, lived a beautiful princess who lived in solitude. No one was allowed to go inside her room aside from the King and Queen themselves and a few servants. She... The girl..."
"Too cliche."
Keil put down his pen and crippled the paper where he was writing on. Itinapon niya ito sa basurahan at bumalik sa pagkakaupo. "Why can't I think of a great story to write? Naturingan pa naman akong genius, and yet all I can do is write cliched introductions? Heh, guess this is what you call lack of experience, huh..."
Keil is an unmasked novice writer who already made several stories before. Lahat ng mga isinulat niyang istorya ay nakapalibot sa romance, at sa sobrang galing niyang gumawa ng mga ito ay naturingan siyang "Genius". Meron pa ngang mga tao na inisip na eksperto si Keil sa romansa kaya naman naisusulat nya ang mga ganoon kagagandang mga istorya.
But that was a mere, empty speculation.
In real life, Keil is a 19-years old college student who hasn't even found his first love yet. He is an arrogant, impatient man who only has his true friends; mga kaibigan na kayang tiisin ang kanyang ugali. He was a genius, but as a writer, no one knew who he really was. As "K", the author, he is known to be charismatic and popular. Kaya naman napapaligiran din siya ng mga taong ang tingin lamang sa kanya ay pagkakataon upang kumita. People who planted expectations into the name "K", and put pressure over the young man behind the mask. Especially after releasing his last story, "To the Last Station", he has received great praises, and even greater expectations.
Kaya naman ng inatake siya ng writer's block, napakalaki ng disappoinment niya sa kaniyang sarili.
"Genius? I'm no genius, ni hindi ko nga kaya sumulat ng isang chapter... Anong genius?? ", sinabi ni Keil sa sarili niya habang nakasandal sa upuan at nakahawak sa noo. Huminga siya ng malalim at kinuha ang kanyang cellphone.
"From: Drei
Keil, bro! We're going on a three - day vacation trip to Baguio, wanna come? Wag ka na tumanggi, alam ko namang kailangan mo rin to. Especially since we'll be searching for girls there LOL. "
It was a message from one of his friends. Tinawanan ito ni Keil, pagkatapos ay sumagot ng oo. Napag-isip-isip niya na baka ito na nga ang chance para makahanap ng inspirasyon sa kanyang mga isusulat na kuwento. The vacation was three days later, at wala din naman siyang gagawin ng araw na yon maliban sa magsulat ng mga prologue na ibabasura niya rin lang naman.
The next day, at school, Keil sat down on his seat with a blank look on his face. The more he tries to think, the lesser the thoughts become. Naaagaw na ng pag-iisip niya ng maisusulat ang kanyang pag-iisip sa eskuwela, at isa din ito sa mga napansin dahilan ng kanyang mga kaibigan kaya nila ito niyayang sumama sa kanilang vacation trip.
Sa araw ng vacation trip nila sa Baguio, nag-tipon ang limang magkakaibigan: Si Drei, Uno, Sebb, Otep at si Keil. The K.U.D.O.S. gang.
Bago sila lumakad ay tumingin muna silang lahat kay Keil na noon ay lutang nanaman at nakatingin sa bintana ng kanilang sasakyan. Ginulat nila ito ng sabay at tinawanan. "Keil, hang in there bro! We're here to have fun, so don't make that empty face!", ang sabi ni Uno.
Uno is a nice guy. He's the kuya in the group, bilang pinakamatanda sa kanilang lima ng buwan hanggang isang taon. He is a composed person, always calm and reasonable. He also makes sure that the gang is always okay, and if not, vacations like this one often happens.
Drei is the youngest, and the most carefree. His mind is full of thoughts like "Yay, games! Yay, vacations! And Nooo, examsss". He is a reckless young man who always causes trouble especially for Uno, but he's thoughtful and considerate, especially when it comes to the gang.
Otep is Keil's best friend. A quiet person na may pagkaboring. Nope, I take that back. Otep is a quiet and extremely boring person. If it wasn't for the K.U.D.O.S. gang, he won't even talk to anyone at school. On the other hand, he is just as thoughtful as Drei. Sabi nga nila, "there are more than one side to a person".
And last but not the least, Sebastian. The delinquent of the group. Bago siya naging miyembro ng gang, isa siyang bully. It seems, however, that he found home within the boys. He may be violent, but he's a gentleman when it comes to women. Kaya naman pinipilahan sya ng mga babae.
Everyone in the gang cheers each other up, for better or for worse. Sa kalokohan? Laging magkasama. Sa mga parusa? Damay-damay. Pero sa bandang huli, mananatiling magkakaibigan. Kaya naman bawat isa sa kanila, from the youngest to the oldest, thinks that they are lucky that they have each other.
Ito din ang dahilan kung bakit pursigido silang dalhin sa bakasyon si Keil. Dumating na si Keil sa punto ng buhay niya kung saan maging ang gang ay hindi na siya kayang isaayos ng mag-isa. Lahat sila ay nag-aalalalang baka isang araw ay bigla na lamang umalis sa grupo si Keil, lalo na at may pagkamainitin ang ulo nito.
After 3 hrs of travel.....
Bumaba silang lahat sa sasakyan, with each one of them running to the top of a distant hill. There, they witnessed the sunset of a lifetime. A sunset they have only watched together once. Drei took photos of it, while Otep sat down and watched it quietly. They all looked secretly at Keil, only to see his empty face once again. His eyes were indeed looking at the sunset, but it seems as though it passes through the sun.
Sa loob ng isipan ni Keil, wala siyang maramdaman kung hindi kawalan ng pag-asa. Buong akala niya, kinailangan niya lang ng inspirasyon tulad ng tanawing iyon upang mapawi ang kanyang writer's block, ngunit wala man lamang siyang naramdaman matapos itong panoorin. Noong gabing iyon, lalong nag-alala ang mga kaibigan niya. Buong akala nila, iyon lang ang kailangan para bumalik sa dati si Keil.
"Pano na, Uno? Di gumana... Kelangan natin umisip ng bagong plano", bulong ni Drei kay Uno habang inaayos nila ang mga tents na gagamitin nilang magkakaibigan.
"We go with Plan B. Kapag di pa din gumana, then Plan C. Basta di tayo uuwing ganito si Keil. Pero mag-ingat pa din tayo, I know Keil. He's perceptive, alam kong alam na nya ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagvacation trip", sagot ni Uno. "He's always been like this. Pretending to be strong and high, even when he's at his lowest. Hay nako, what an arrogant guy."
Nagtawanan ang dalawa ng pabulong, at itinuloy ang kanilang mga ginagawa.
Meanwhile, near the campfire...
"Keil."
Tinawag ni Otep ang kaibigan. Keil looked at him with the same plain eyes. Uninterested. Otep let out a sigh, and asked his best friend a question.
"Keil, what happened? You don't seem like yourself lately."
Keil looked at him, then up the sky.
"Uhh... Honestly? Di ko din alam. I'm supposed to be a genius, but look at me, as trashy as can be."
Keil laughed at himself, but Otep found it annoying and insulting, kaya hinawakan ni Otep sa damit ang kaibigan at sinigawan.
"Keil! What the heck, bro!? Hindi kita maintindihan, pero don't you ever call yourself trashy! And don't you ever laugh at yourself for not being good enough. Alam mo na alam ko yung pinagdadaanan mo kaya don't talk bullshit with me!"
Hindi na napigilan ni Otep ang sarili niya, as he has already reached his limits. Ilang araw na din nang napansin niyang may mali may Keil, at ilang araw na niyang hinihintay na lumapit sa kanya si Keil para humingi ng tulong. Ilang araw na din niyang tinitiis na huwag komprontahin ang kaibigan, despite seeing that all this time, Keil has only been acting tough. Otep snapped.
But so did Keil.
"You know what, Ots? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SHOULDN'T TALK BULLSHIT! What do you understand? Do you see my pain? Have you ever even have problems like this?? I bet you don't, since napakakalmado mo ngang tao diba!? So don't pretend like you know what I'm going through, at isa pa..."
Itinikom ni Keil ang kanyang kamao at bumato ng isang suntok sa pisngi ni Otep.
"Don't you ever go physical with me!"
Keil knocked Otep into the ground, then left without saying anymore.
He ran to a nearby 7/11 store, which was a kilometer away from their location. He breathed heavily, with a trace of regret in his eyes. Halatang hindi ginusto ni Keil ang nangyari, pero alam niya sa sarili niya na nagawa na niya ito and he couldn't turn it back. His lips pouted as he sat down a bench in front of the convenience store.
"What the heck, Keil? Gaano ka kabobo? Si Otep yun! Kaibigan mo yun! And you punched him as if he was your archenemy!!! What the heck... WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH YOU! You're such a useless, ungrateful piece of trash... You failed you're readers, and now pati mga kaibigan binibigo mo!? Seriously, what's going on with you!?"
Keil ranted to himself, about himself, as tears started running down his cheeks. Pinunasan nya ang kaniyang mga mata, ngunit hindi mapigil ng kanyang mga kamay ang pag-agos ng luha.
Then someone handed over a handkerchief to him. His eyes were filled with tears kaya hindi niya makita ng maayos kung sino ang nag-abot ng panyo, kaya pinunasan niya itong muli. And when he did, what he witnessed made it too bright to even look.
A beautiful young woman, with the kindest eyes he has ever seen, wearing a dress and a jacket to cover it. She seemed like a princess... No, a queen... She smiled at Keil, and offered her handkerchief.
"You can use this if you like. Don't make it stop. Iiyak mo lang, hanggang maubos lahat ng dahilan ng pagluha mo".