When The Night Sky Becomes Lively

XXI

Program? I see. She's like an AI, but far more natural. It's like I was talking with someone all along.

"Those...clothes..." I scanned her from top to bottom. Using a suspender while wearing a shirt and shorts was somehow unusual, but it suits her nonetheless.

"Bakit? Mas gusto mong wala akong suot? Bastos!" He hugged herself, probably covering herself.

"Tang— Agh. Sheesh."

Anyway, ano nga ba ang suot ko ngayon. I was wearing the same outfit after we bought our clothes from the mall. From my vest, shirt and pants, all of them were black. Except a few linings from my shirt.

"Perhaps, you're thinking about the Yin-Yang thing that you mentioned that time. It's kinda creepy, ya know."

"Yeah, I admit that it's one of those cringy moments in my entire life. Saying that you're the Yang and I am the Yin. Probably it's a mere coincidence that we wore the colors I expected for us to wear if we dated." I sighed.

"Dating you will be boring. I mean, siguradong hindi ako makakasabay sa mga pinagsasabi mo."

Wow, she's blunt. Parang kinakausap ko ang mga brutal kong mag-comment na kaibigan.

Pakiramdam ko ay parang sinuntok ako sa tagiliran dahil sa sinabi niya. But instead of writhing in agony, I grinned.

"Kaya nga sinubukan kong makipag-connect sayo through K-Pop. Alam ko naman na d'on ka interesado."

"I mean, kung ang ikukwento mo sa'kin ay puro pangmatalino, kanina pa wasak ang utak ko."

Yeah, I am aware. I am aware that we're not in the same wavelength. She may be some sort of ambivert, but I felt like we're miles apart. If I would give something an example, she likes playing as a protagonist while I like playing as a villain. The only thing that connects us was our alma mater and academics.

"You seem different now. Parang hindi na ikaw ang nakilala kong Steven. How should I say this...you became depressed and gloomy," she uttered.

"And who's the reason?" I asked.

"But that doesn't mean that I'm the perpetrator. Your actions were the reason why you became depressed."

Yeah. I am aware. It's all my fault why it happened. It's all my fault why I became what I am today. A bastard, a jerk, a cynical bastard who only thinks like a freaking villain. I couldn't help, but clench my fists. If her words could kill, I would be shredded into pieces already. And I will be delighted to it.

"'Di ka pa rin maka-move on?" she asked, but there's something on her voice that made me come back to my senses. She's... worried?  I wish I could hear that tone from the real her.

"Parang gan'on na nga. It's more of nababawasan na ang pag-iisip ko sa kaniya, pero nag-trigger yun lahat nang nagkasalubong kami sa mall."

"At ano ang pakiramdam mo? Parang gusto mo bang umiyak? Nagi-guilty ka ba? Or gusto mo siyang yakapin or something.

I shook my head. "How should I say this? She's some sort of a main heroine...and after what I did, she became my final boss."

"Siguro parang inappropriate ng sinabi mo. Sa imaginations or daydreams mo nag-a-apply ang bagay na 'yan. Pero kung magsa-site ako ng reference, you're like Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry."

I shuddered. "Please don't use that reference again. It's horrifying." 

This intuitive and brainy version of her was mortifying enough. But using an anime reference to point out something made it worse. The real her wasn't fond of anime to begin with.