A friendship can either be too strong or too fragile, especially when one is so close to crossing the line.
Shine Alvarez had always been Lei Hidalgo's best friend. Ever since meeting her, Lei never had a day without her by his side or within his si...
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CHAPTER 25
LEI
"We're so close. Have you ever thought of being more than friends?"
I snorted. "Ano, magkapatid?"
Hinampas ako ni Shine kaya natawa ako.
"Seryoso kasi," sabi nito matapos bumalik sa pwesto niya.
I gazed at the starry sky above us. Sa pagitan namin ng nakahigang Shine ay ang camping bag namin. It was a cold and silent night—except for the cricket sounds and our hushed conversations.
"Hmm. I haven't really thought of it." Then I smirked. "Bakit, naiisip mo ba? Sabi ko na nga ba crush mo 'ko, e."
"Kung hindi ko lang kailangan bumangon dito para hampasin ka, hinampas na kita."
"E 'di, thank you." I chuckled.
A few seconds of silence passed before Shine spoke again. "I just think that our friendship might exceed its limits someday. You know, the probability of things."
Tumango ako kahit hindi niya ako nakikita. "Kino-consider ko naman ang probability na magkagustuhan tayo... but I hope it never comes."
"Right? Our friendship is so platonic that it feels so refreshing." Then she said in a soft whisper, "I don't want it to be ruined by romantic feelings and the heartbreak it brings."
"I don't want that, too," I said in a soft voice.
"Pero..." Shine cleared her throat. "Pero kung sakaling mangyari 'yun sa isa sa 'tin, what happens, then?"
Huminga ako nang malalim at nag-isip ng isasagot.
"Then we reached a point of no return."
"No return?" pag-uulit niya.
"Yeah," sagot ko. "Once one of us comes to have romantic feelings for the other, it would be hard to keep the friendship wholesome. Kasi 'di ba, once you love someone romantically, iba na ang nagiging agenda ng gestures of love mo para do'n sa tao. Nagkakaroon ka na rin ng expectations sa kanila kahit pa magkaibigan pa lang naman kayo at hindi aware 'yung isa sa nararamdaman mo."
Nanatiling tahimik si Shine at nakikinig sa mga sinasabi ko.
"I might be wrong, but for me, friendship is one of the purest forms of love..." I closed my eyes for a bit. "Kapag hinaluan mo na ng romantic love 'yun, mahirap na."
"I don't know, Lei... Siguro kaya ganyan ang naiisip mo kasi sobrang rare lang ng talagang magkaibigan lang sila sa umpisa pero nagkaroon ng feelings later on. I mean... I believe you could have a pure love even when it's romantic if it's stemmed from a strong friendship. Not all relationships are doomed to fail, after all."
