A Pure Heart: Missing Piece

Kabanata 11

I woke up early and found my roommates still sound asleep. I couldn't help but shake my head at their deep slumber. I eventually got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. After getting ready, I returned to find them still blissfully asleep. I sighed and decided to leave the suite and head to the restaurant for a cup of coffee instead of waiting for them to wake up.

"Yshi, here!" I heard Kalil call me.

I glanced over to him and saw that he and Bryan were sitting together at the same table. I nodded and walked over to join them. I took a seat beside Kalil, especially when he pulled a chair for me.

"Thanks," I told him, and he smiled at me.

"Morning," he said to me, and I nodded in response.

"Coffee?" Bryan asked me. I nodded as my answer. "I'll just order."

He got up from his seat and excused himself to go to the counter. I couldn't stop him, as he was quite fast. Kalil and I exchanged glances there, and he chuckled while whispering to me that he should have been the one to ask me that question, he was just a bit too slow. Sakto naman ding nahagip ng mga mata ko ang isang partikular na taong kilala ko na nasa labas ulit at nakatingin sa akin... sa aming dalawa.

"Why are you here? I thought you were in the States?" I asked her, my brows are furrowed.

"Oh, well, I missed the local cuisine too much. Can't resist a good adobo."

"Adobo? Seriously? You've been gone for ages, and you come back for adobo?"

"Well, I heard the adobo here is to die for. Figured it was worth the trip."

"So, how's life been treating you over there?" I asked her, and she immediately laughed at me. She seems surprised a bit that I just asked her that.

"I don't know that you're curious about my life there, huh. Oh, you know, the usual. Bright lights, big city, and all that jazz. How about you? Still pursuing your... dreams?"

Tumawa ako na may halong sarkasmo. Napairap naman siya at ngumisi sa akin, intensyon nito na iritahin ako.

"Dreams, huh?" I replied, smirking. "Well, some dreams are better off forgotten, aren't they?"

"But some dreams are unforgettable. They linger in the corners of your mind, even when you try to push them away."

"Don't tell me you're here to relive old memories. That's a cliche, even for you."

"Oh, no, not at all. Just thought I'd swing by and see what's new. No ulterior motives as of now."

"As of now..." I said in a small voice, shaking my head as I repeated her last three words. "Thanks, huh. That's a relief. I'm not sure I could handle a blast from the past right now," I said in a sarcastic tone.

"You and your sensitive soul. I'm just trying to be a considerate visitor."

"Considerate? That's a word I never thought I'd hear you say."

"People change, you know. Sometimes they grow up and realize the errors of their ways."

"Well, that would be a first for you, wouldn't it?"

"Touche, Yshi. Touche."

Ngumisi ako lalo sa kanya at napailing. Talk about dreams... I don't anymore. We're good, and I'm happy in the relationship we have. Siya pa rin naman ang gusto kong lalaki na maging nobyo kung sakali.

"Stop following us then," I told her, ready to leave.

"Oh, well, you know, I needed a change of scenery. Nagpapakita kasi kayo sa lugar na ito kaya... nakakatuwang panoorin," aniya at ngumisi.