Even After Everything (After #1) (COMPLETED)

12: Marco

There's a tweet I saw before and it never left my mind ever since: “I live in total acceptance of being misunderstood and I am totally at peace with that.”

No one understands me. No one dared. Not even my parents nor my current manager. My band members? It's half... We only bond if there's a camera around but when we're just alone with each other? One had to be impartial to stop the others from fighting with each other.

That's why I'm not expecting any of them to answer all the questions about me, nor perfect every question of it. Yet... yet that kid...

Throughout the shoot, I'm not feeling anything but only fun about what we're doing. Wala lang sa akin kung ang mga sagot nila ay kung ano-ano dahil hindi na ako nag-e-expect na kilala nila ako nang sobra. Besides, I know our fans already know na we're close enough na hindi kailangan ng ganoon. I understand it's for our new supporters but...

I've been staring at Seb's face as we're completely stuck in traffic. Hindi ko na talaga nakuha pabalik 'yung antok but this kid beside me got it. Pakiramdam ko ay kinuha niya sa akin dahil mahimbing siyang natutulog ngayon.

I wanted to move, to not give a damn if any small movements would wake him up but... Binalik ko sa kaniya 'yung coat at tinaklob sa kaniya iyon. He didn't flinch or what... just sat there looking like...

Napailing ako nang mariin. Just because the person who perfected and knew you damn well was beside you and still looking handsome even in sleep...

Tinuon ko na lang ang tingin sa labas. I'm not really expecting him to know that much... especially to answer confidently that I like museum dates more than going oustide and riding drag cars. Kahit na basic lang siguro iyon at ang ibang tao ay kagaya ko...

If we're to put Keith's answer na I like cooking or Bill's I like to drive around without any destination, his was...

Ginising ko siya nang makarating na kami sa building. We didn't have to say anything dahil pagod na ang lahat at nang iwan ang ilang gamit ay bumaba din para makauwi na.

"Hyung, drive safe, okay?" I heard him say beside his car.

I am still chastising myself for allowing him to take the seat beside me but I found myself wishing him the same before going inside my car. Bagsak ako kaagad sa kama pagka-uwi and maybe that's the worst idea as I dreamt of...

In my head, I can still picture the surprised face when he saw he scribbled something on his board. I saw how he was transfixed when I asked the question about my guitar... and the one where he wrote his correct answer without breaking his contact with my eyes?

No wonder I dreamt of us hugging each other... only the two of us, not giving any damn about the cameras around us. Damn it. This is fucking ridiculous.

***

The next day, we were given some instructions about how to maneuver and officiate a coffee shop. It's written all over on the papers—from how to brew, how to serve the customers, how to cook some dishes that some can order, and even how to accomodate everybody without having to ask any of the other staffs.

"We're doing a coffee shop content?" I asked Norwyn in front of us.

"Yes."

"This is nice." mumbled Keith while shuffling the papers over and over again, not reading any of it. "Norwyn, si Seb na kaagad sa kitchen!"

"Agree!" taas-kamay ni Bill. "Wait, do we have to follow their menu or we can add something to it?"

"Why would you add something?"

"Remember the carbonara he cooked after the last leg in Asia tour?" he chuckled from reminiscing. "Pagod na tayong lahat but he still managed to pull off a great dish!"