Unwritten Strings

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Mikha's POV

Hindi ako naniniwala sa mga bawal noon. Para sa akin, kung gusto mo, kunin mo. Kung masarap, tikman mo. Kung mahalaga, ipaglaban mo. Pero ngayon, sa bawat pagdaan ng araw, unti-unti akong tinuturuan ng mundo na may mga bagay palang hindi mo basta pwedeng angkinin—kahit pa sabik na sabik ka.

At isa na roon si Aiah.

The First Glance

Noong una ko siyang nakita, hindi ako nagkaroon ng malalim na interes. She was just my brother’s girlfriend—sweet, soft-spoken, and honestly, a little too perfect for my liking. Pero habang tumatagal, napansin kong hindi lang siya simpleng babae na nagmamahal kay Miguel. May iba sa kanya. May misteryong hindi ko maintindihan.

It started with glances. Maliit lang. ‘Yung tipong hindi naman halata pero sapat para magtama ang mga mata namin. Minsan, ako ‘yung unang lumilingon. Minsan, siya.

Hanggang sa dumating ang gabi kung kailan hindi na lang kami nagkakasalubong ng tingin.

The First Touch

Nasa bahay kami noon. Miguel invited Aiah over for dinner, like he always did. Hindi ko naman pinapansin ‘yun dati—pakitang-tao, kaswal na usapan, hindi ko trip. Pero that night, I found myself watching her.

She was laughing at something Miguel said, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of her dress. Simple lang ang galaw niya, pero may kakaibang hatak. The way her lips curled into a smile, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear—it was effortless.

Napansin kong may nahulog siyang kutsara sa sahig. Bago pa siya makayuko para pulutin ‘yon, nauna na akong yumuko. Our hands brushed against each other.

It was nothing. It should have been nothing.

Pero bakit parang may dumaloy na kuryente sa pagitan namin?

She pulled away too quickly, her cheeks turning a shade darker. Tumayo siya agad, bumalik sa tabi ni Miguel na parang walang nangyari. Pero sa isang iglap, may nabago.

At alam kong hindi lang ako ang nakaramdam noon.

The First Step into Something Forbidden

Simula noon, hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko. I found myself testing the waters, pushing boundaries. Kung may pagkakataon, dumidikit ako sa kanya, hinahanap ang mga saglit na pwedeng mahuli ko siyang tumitingin sa akin.

At hindi ako nabigo.

Minsan, kapag si Miguel ay abala, nahuhuli ko siyang sumusulyap. Minsan, kapag dumadaan ako malapit sa kanya, ramdam ko ang bahagyang paghinga niya nang malalim. Alam kong pilit niyang nilalabanan, pero hindi niya kayang itago.

Kaya sinubukan kong lumapit pa.

The Night Everything Changed

It was one of those random nights when Miguel invited Aiah over to watch a movie. He fell asleep halfway through, as usual. Ako? Hindi. Paano ako matutulog kung nandiyan siya, isang upuan lang ang layo?

Napansin kong hindi na rin siya nakatutok sa pelikula. I could feel her glancing at me. Testing her limits.

"You're not really watching, are you?" I whispered, my voice low enough so Miguel wouldn’t hear.

She hesitated before shaking her head, her fingers playing with the edge of a pillow. “Hindi naman ako mahilig sa action movies.”

I smirked. “Then why do you always stay?”

Tahimik siya. Pero ramdam kong kinikilig siya kahit pa pilit niyang itinatago.

I leaned in just a little, testing the space between us. “You don’t have to pretend you don’t notice it, Aiah.”

She swallowed hard. “Notice what?”

I stared at her, letting the silence answer for me. Her breathing hitched. It was just a fraction of a second, a tiny moment in time, pero doon ko alam—she felt it too.

And just like that, I knew I had her.

I knew it was wrong. Pero sa gabing ‘yon, wala akong pakialam.