Seven and Nine (FIN)

Sixty

Seven's (Hangul)

"Where's Nine, Rica?"

"Meeting with the advertisers" she replied without looking at me.

"I've been very busy the whole week with the rehearsals and final recording and yet she's not bothering to check on me?? Kulang isang linggo na lang ang concert!"

Binaba ni Rica ang hawak nyang planner saka tumingin sakin. Mejo matagal kaya naman I asked her why pero parang nang-aasar lang si Rica na ngumiti pa.

"Ano namang ibig sabihin ng ngiti mong yan?"

"Wala naman"

"Oh come on. I know you long enough"

"I'm gonna return that to you as well, Seven. I've known you long enough"

"Which means?"

Nilapag nya ang planner sa table saka tumayo at tinitigan na naman ako sa mata. Alam kong busy sya sa schedules ni Ju-hee pero nagagawa nya pang mang-asar for whatever reason.

"Wala ka namang pakelam dati kung hindi ka bisitahin ng sponsors at producer natin sa mga past concerts mo. Kahit nung American debut mo hindi ka nagkaganyan"

"So what are you trying to say?"

"Do you like President's daughter?" direkta nyang tanong.

"Hell no! Not at all! San mo naman napulot ang idea na yan??"

"Haha if you say so"

"I said no, Rica!"

"Okay"

"Yah! I'm serious! She's not that person" napahinto sya sa paglabas sana ng studio at bumalik sa harap ko.

"What do you mean that person?"

"She's not Shan"

"And who is this Shan?"

"The one. She's tsk--nevermind. I'll go back to practice"

Hindi ko na pinansin ang tingin ni Rica. After a while lumabas na din sya. Nakakabadtrip si Rica ngayong araw at naiinis din ako kay Nine. Buong linggo na syang hindi nagpapakita sakin since that night na pumunta ko sa bahay nila. Hindi rin daw sya umuuwi sa bahay. If she's not Shan, bakit kailangan nyang magtago sakin? I don't get it.

Last week nung huli kaming mag-usap, tinanong ko sya kung sya si Shan Torres.

And you know what she said?

"That's hilarious, Seven. I'm Nine Carter. How am I suppose to end up being a Torres? My mom is a Carter too. Voice is not enough proof. Ang daming taong magkakaboses. Do I look exactly like her for you to say that? Does she have green eyes like me?"

The way she said that parang naka weird na idea nga ng tanong ko. Naguguluhan na tuloy ako.

What made me sure it's her in the first place?

Ah.

That instant I got to be so near her. Holding her in my arms nung ma-off balance sya. I felt that same heartbeat I felt with Shan before I left her in Cuba. Nung niyakap ko sya sa bewang when she's about to leave after I said na babalik na ko dito sa Korea. Pakiramdam ko that moment, sya talaga si Shan.

But if she kept on insisting she's not, how can I even justify a thing based on unexplainable emotion?

"Seven! From the top!" sigaw ng choreographer ko. I totally forgot na nagppractice nga pala ko.

"Mianhe"

I'm distracted. Kasalanan ni Nine to. Ginugulo nya ang isip ko tapos hindi ko pa sya mahagilap para tanungin pa.