Invisible Line in Between

Chapter 26

I creased my forehead a bit. "May dapat pa po ba tayong pag-usapan?"

I didn't want to sound rude, but we had been talking for almost an hour already. I believed I already said everything that I had to say. Madami na ring nasabi sa akin si Mr. Joel. Kahit ang mga bagay na hindi ko naman kailangang malaman ay naikuwento na niya sa akin.

"Well, uhm, may pag-uusapan lang kami ng management saglit," sabi niya sa akin. He looked so uneasy that his movements seemed suspicious to me. "I will tell you kung may importante kaming pag-uusapan about New Classic at sa upcoming events nila na kailangan namin kayo ni Dawn."

Though I was a bit skeptical, I still did what he told me to do. He would usually let me wait inside his office. Waiting in the visitor's lounge wasn't something I was used to.

The moment I opened the door to the visitor's lounge, it confirmed my suspicion. Though even if I was cautious, I let my guard down and got surprised by the sudden explosion of party poppers.

"Zendaya!"

I just found myself being attacked by Dawn with a very tight embrace. I let my eyes wander around the lounge and found the members of New Classic, looking at me with smile on their faces. There were also simple decorations on the wall, along with foods set up on top of the long table.

My eyes fixed on Isaiah standing beside the 'welcome back' sign. They used metallic balloon letters to create the phrase.

Isaiah's smile was brighter than the atmosphere. I remembered that I told him about my plan to come back to the fandom. He was the first one to know about it actually.

Feeling hot in my cheeks, I averted my gaze away from Isaiah as I recalled that night.

He was still surprised when he lowered his eyes back to the guitar pick I gave back. His face was screaming disbelief.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was hoarse. "You should've told me."

Nang mag-angat siya ng tingin sa aking ay halo-halo ang mga emosyon sa kanyang mga mata na hindi ko mapangalanan lahat. He wasn't even trying to hide all those emotions away.

"I just don't feel like there's a need to tell you about it," I told him my reasons. "And to be honest, I don't want to look like I'm desperate for your recognition. I don't want to look like a creepy fan."

Isaiah passionately shook his head. "I won't think that way," he said. "You don't know how much I wanted to thank you personally. You inspired me to write the song which led us to where we are right now. Through this song, we were recognized by our management. It was unfortunate that I didn't know your name and... well, you matured. You look different from before."

Like what my brother told me, puberty did hit me hard. He pointed out that I had undergone an unbelievable physical development. Maybe those who could see me regularly could still recognize me, but it wouldn't be the same case for Isaiah.

"The guitar pick!" He suddenly exclaimed like he was struck by something. "You gave me a guitar pick with a smiley face... You tried to tell me, right?"

My lips parted. I almost forgot about the guitar pick I gave them during their first fansigning.

"That time I had a feeling that you might really be the girl I met that night, but you didn't tell me anything, so I thought I was wrong." He shook his head again. "It's my fault. I should've asked you. I'm sorry if I didn't recognize you."

I smiled to assure him that I was already over it. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize."

Without a word, he just stared at me. Though his eyes looked gentle as it locked with mine, it still made me feel uneasy. I couldn't stare straight back at him.