Immortal City

Chapter 16

"Nakakainis ka! Bakit mo ko ginulat?!" sigaw ko sa kanya. Bigla namang dumating si kuya guard at mukhang tumakbo siya papunta rito.

"Anong nangyari? Bakit may sumigaw?" tanong ni kuya guard.

"Ah, wala po. May ginawa lang kasi ako sa kanya na lubha niyang ikinasaya. Sino ba naman kasing hindi mapapasigaw sa ligaya dahil sa galing kong—ah!" binatukan ko ng malakas si Kaoru dahil sa sinabi niya. "Aray naman, C. Dahan-dahan lang."

Talaga namang—

Binatukan ko ulit. Gagong 'to.

"Mabuti pa umuwi na kayo. May pasok pa bukas at gabi na," sabi ni kuya guard. "At sa susunod sa ibang lugar niyo gawin 'yang ginagawa niyo. Mga batang 'to, aba."

•—⊶◈⊷—•

Nasa bus stop kami ngayon ni Kaoru at mukhang malalim na nga ang gabi. Ilang beses ko na siyang pinagpapalo sa braso dahil sa sinabi niya kay kuya guard kanina. Baka tuloy kung ano nang inisip ni kuya guard. Bwisit kasi 'tong si Kaoru.

Pero teka. Ngayon lang ako nagtaka kung bakit nasa library rin si Kaoru. Ibig sabihin, siya 'yung nauna sa aking estudyante na dumating? Siguro nga dahil mukhang hindi naman nagtaka si kuya guard na makita kaming dalawa.

"Bakit ka nga pala nasa library ng ganitong oras, Kaoru?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"At talagang ikaw pa ang nagtanong niyan? How about you, princess? Bakit ka nasa library ng ganitong oras? Naturingan ka pa namang babae pero kung saan-saan ka naroon. Pasalamat ka maganda ka at bagay tayo kung hindi—ah! Pangatlo na 'yan, ha!" Binatukan ko lang naman siya dahil kung ano-ano na namang sinasabi niya. "But seriously, I was just looking for answers that's why I was there. And you? Why are you out so late at night? Where's your big brother who seem to like you a lot?"

I look at him a little bit puzzled.

"I was there to find answers, too. And just to rephrase what you've said, my brother who seems to like me a lot—you say," I sigh as I saw someone approaching my direction, "is here."

Kaoru looks at his back just as my brother runs past him to hug me.

Silence.

Then,

"You made me so worried," is the only thing my brother says as he hugs me tightly.

I feel ashamed of what I've done. Dapat nagpaalam man lang ako sa kanila. Sigurado nag-aalala na rin si Mama ngayon.

"Sorry," is the only word I managed to say.

"Yes," Kaoru coughs an obviously fake cough. "You two realize that I'm still here, right? And we're in the middle of the night and the bus is beside us and people are watching your little hugging-reunion-whatever-scene."

I can see him rolling his eyes right now. He even makes a face like he's going to puke.

Ako na ang unang kumawala sa yakap at hinigit na ako ni Kuya papasok sa bus.

"'Wag niyong pasasakayin 'yung lalake sa labas. Wala siyang pamasahe," my brother says a little too loud, just enough for Kaoru and the people inside the bus to hear. I laugh a little when I see Kaoru's reaction.

"H-Hoy! May pamasahe ako, ano ka? 'Wag niyong isasara 'yung pinto manong driver! May pamasahe ako, eto, oh." Winagayway pa niya 'yung 100 pesos niya. Then he's inside the bus. Nagkatinginan sila ni Kuya at mukhang inis sila sa isa't isa.

I'll never understand boys.

Naghanap kami ng mauupuan and I regret to be next to them. They're fighting which seat I'm going to sit. Si Kuya ay nakaupo na sa pandalawahan at si Kaoru naman ay nasa pantatluhang tao. They're practically pulling my arm. One on the left, one on the right.

"My sister is sitting with me," sabi ni Kuya Zairus.

"No. Your sister is sitting with me," hila naman sa'kin ni Kaoru.

"This seat is perfect for the two of us," sabi naman ni Kuya habang hinihigit ako.

"Well then I can lend you this third seat beside us since you look so desperate," Kaoru gestures to the seat closer by the window. "I'll be in the middle so you can't sit beside C."

Then they look at each other and I can almost see lightning flashing between their eyes.

"That's enough!" sabi ko nalang at tinanggal ang pagkakakapit nila sa'kin. At hiniling ko na sana hindi ko nalang ginawa 'yon. Dahil nang bitawan na nila ako ay biglang tumigil sa pag-andar ang bus at natumba ako. "Ugh! I've got too much trouble for one day!"

I no longer care if people are watching. I'm just too tired and I want to get this over soon! It doesn't help that I didn't find any answer to my questions!

I decide to sit at the back, leaving both of them. Napapikit nalang ako sa sobrang pagod. Bahala na. Ayoko na munang isipin ang mga nangyari ngayon. Basta ang alam ko, kailangan kong magpahinga.

"Incoming message from Number Nine," Rina suddenly announces I received a message from Kaoru.

Hey C, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I promise not to force you to sit beside me ever again. I swear on your stupid brother's name I'll never do it again. So yeah, I just want to ask if you saw anyone aside from me back in the library. I've been thinking about it for hours now.

Aside from him? But it was just the two of us.

I reply.

Anong sinasabi mo? Tayong dalawa lang naman ang nandoon. Ang sabi sa akin ni kuya guard, pangalawa na raw ako sa dumating. So basically you're the first one.

One

two

three minutes have passed before I received Kaoru's message.

I don't know what you're talking about. I'm absolutely sure I wasn't the first one in there because the guard told me I was the third person to come.

I feel shivers run down my spine.

If I was the second person to come, and Kaoru was third,

then who's the first?