When I learned that hyung was sleeping in the office, a part of me became a dormant place. Hindi man halata, but I am constantly worrying if he's okay with that, or what happened he ended up staying in the building.
I'm not saying we're all having deep pockets but those years of constant tours and music releases, it was enough for the four of us to support and provide what's needed to be supported or provided. My salary was enough to put me in a small stability when it comes to finances. The only reason why I'm working during the break was to kill time.
Imagine, we're always busy outdoors and doing events then all of the sudden... natigil sila. Hindi ba parang shock iyon sa amin?
Yet when I saw hyung's Facebook story of his window and the view he has out there, it's as if the dormant place has sprang back to life. And I'm alright again.
At least, hindi na niya kailangan matulog dito sa office, right? It's really forbidden by Norwyn but why would I tell him on our manager? Ayokong magkaroon siya ng malalim pa na dahilan para hindi lumambot sa amin.
While waiting for our earpieces to be done, nagsimula na kami sa shooting. The pre-production already started when Norwyn informed the JRE we're gonna come back. Now, it's just the shooting days! Bago kami umalis sa office ay may inabot na sa amin na tig-iisang camera.
A team for video content will be with us and told us about what we can do. "If anyone wants to start a video papunta sa shooting place, then good! Who wants to do it?"
Before I raise my hand, Bill already did. The three of us glanced at him and though I didn't get it, masaya pa rin kami. Nasa iisang van lang naman kami.
"Can we shoot some to ourselves?" tanong ko sa kanila habang papalabas. "I mean, if there's a chance, okay lang ba?"
"Sure!" She kindly smiled. "Sige, ikaw na lang pagdating natin. I'll let you know which one to record, it's a surprise!"
Hyung was listening to us. Nang mapansin ko siya ay ngumiti ako. He didn't reply anything, of course, but just the thought of him listening on us...
Marami kaming itinerary for today and it's gonna be a bloodbath. We have to shoot some intro scenes before we will go sa trailer na naghihintay sa amin for makeup and outfits. Then we'll shoot some together and some are individuals tapos wala pa roon ang individual and group photos na kailangan para sa teasers.
Thankfully, JRE was hands-on with Norwyn and our company at hindi namin kailangan mamroblema sa ibang mga gagawin. They just need us to pose and move around in the video then all good!
Although we didn't do this... vlogging something before, having a camera recording us didn't bring any awkwardness. Nasa van pa lang kami ay maingay na ang lahat. Walang takot tumingin at magsalita sa harap ng camera.
"How do you feel?" Bill asked when I went beside him. "In the scale of 1-10, how much do you miss playing for our fans?"
I smiled sweetly at the camera, thinking they are the fans we're talking about. "Of course, 10! Kung puwede sobra pa nga, eh! Hello! I know you guys miss us so much and we feel the same, too!"
"Huwag mong agawin sa akin iyong iba ha," aniya at iniwas kaunti ang camera. I rolled my eyes. "I talked to Keith earlier at nagbigay siya ng clues about our music! Or the music video! May ibibigay ka pa ba?"
"It's a spoiler but..." napailing ako. "Expect n'yo na... mabulaklak ang ibibigay namin sa inyo."
"Ganiyan din sinabi niya kanina, eh!"
"Really? E iyon naman ang clue talaga natin!" sabay finger-heart sa camera. Tinulak na lang niya ako paalis at sumunod ako. But before I leave, nasa likod pala niya si hyung kaya sumingit uli ako sa view.
"Ask Marco hyung! Nasa likod mo lang siya, oh!"
Thankfully, Bill obliged. Bumalik ako sa likod ng van at inayos na lamang ang sariling camera. It's a go-pro at hindi ko alam kung maayos pa itsura namin sa record pero bahala na...
Iisipin ko na sana kung anong ivi-video ko mamaya but I heard hyung talking to the camera and he just sounds... different. He's talkative than the usual and it warms my heart...
"The past year without seeing your faces and hearing you scream our songs on top of your lungs... God know how much I missed that. And it's not gonna be long before we see each other again!"
"So stay tuned!" both of them exclaimed.
I always knew about the difference of Marco hyung on stage and off the stage. He's a completely different person when there's people around him and without. Mas palangiti siya at easy-going siya kapag maraming nanonood at nagbabantay sa galaw niya. Even the fact he's easy to approach?
This past few weeks... he's not like that. I wish I knew why, though... Hindi ko naman siya matanong dahil baka sensitive issue iyon o kaya he'll just tell me to mind my own business. Hyung is always the person who you wanted to take a risk but he's a risk himself.
Pansin din 'yun ng dalawa. Hyung is nice with them every time we're on a group-mode. Taliwas sa hindi nila pagpapansinan o misundertanding nila lagi sa isa't-isa.
I was too busy wondering about the sudden change on his behavior I didn't notice we arrived already. Nasa isang resort and villa kami sa labas ng Metro at dito pa lang...
"Wow! Food trucks!" parang bata na sigaw ni Keith habang nakasulyap sa labas.
Tiningnan ko rin ang tinitingan niya at halos bumagsak ang mga panga ko. Kasabay noon ay pagpasok ng team leader na kausap ko kanina at tinawag ako. "Seb, kung gusto mo i-film iyong food trucks na binigay sa inyo, you can do it now."
Iniwan ko na ang ilang gamit sa loob dahil dadalhin din sa loob iyon. I have my camera and my handsome face when I left the bus and started recording.
Halos gibberish ang lumalabas sa bibig ko dahil hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakita. Five food trucks are parked together in front of the parking lot and all of them bearing our band name and our pictures.
The people in the trucks are so nice and congratulated us too. Especially the parts where... "Midnight Cullen wishes you all the best and safety when you're on the road to your success! Love, Midnight Cullen!" basa ko sa tarp na nasa pangalawang truck.
The famous Midnight Cullen band just sent us an ice cream truck. Binigyan ako ng isang cone at para akong bata na kinain iyon sa harap ng camera.
"They are really thoughtful..."
Napabaling ako sa likuran ko at nakita si hyung na tinitingan din ang lahat ng trucks sa harap namin. I went to his side and video us together. "Raj sent me a message last week! Ito pala 'yung sinasabi niya na surprise nila sa atin!"
"Bands support another band." namamangha nitong bitaw. "And look, GRYZ sent us one, too! They're so nice!"
"How do you feel about these, hyung?" Sulyap ko sa kaniya at mas napangiti dahil nakangiti rin siya. "It feels good to be back, right?"
"Sobra." then he went to the ice cream truck and asked for a cone. "Tingnan natin 'yung iba?"
Both with ice cream in our hands, tiningnan nga namin iyong iba at nag-thank you sa video para makita ng mga banda na nagbigay ang pasasalamat namin. "I'm gonna message you one by one later! After shoot!" tawa ko.
Suddenly, hyung hit my shoulders. "Sshh! Hindi ba secret lang 'yun?"
I don't know which one to be more glad: hyung interacting with me or he's trying to be playful around me? Whichever of it, I don't mind!
"Oh, secret lang ba?" I winked at the camera. "You didn't hear something earlier, okay?"
Bumulusok ang tawanan sa aming dalawa. We're busy talking about our experiences with the bands nang tawagin na kami. I bid a goodbye to the camera and ate the last piece of my cone. "Delicious?"
Hyung nods cutely. "Mukhang mapaparami ako ng kain mamaya."
Wala nang camera but he's still warm. "That's alright! They sent us these para pagsawaan natin!"
For the second time, hyung looks up hopefully and smiled. "Yeah. You're right."
***
Ine-expect ko na nakakapagod na ang unang araw but... guess what, I'm still energetic when night comes!
Dahil si Keith ang sumulat ng kanta, the storyboard is revolving around him and his partner. She's a rising celebrity and she's nice. Nabanggit niya kaninang nag-meet kami sa dinner room ng resort na she's a fan and she's a Marco bias. The two didn't like it, but in a joking way, and Marco and I was just fluttered. Mas fluttered pa ako e hindi naman ako ang bias.
But it's fine. If I needed someone to be liking me and making me its bias, it's gonna be hyung himself. I want to be his favorite; I've been trying to win his heart for a long time now. Mas lalo lang lumala ngayong taon...
The storyboard is written by the Keith also and pinolish lang ng production. It will revolve around the two habang kaming tatlo ay may sariling cherry blossom tree at ina-admire iyon.
Ang shinoot ngayong araw ay silang dalawa. As the main characters ko, given na iyon. But may parts din kami na pinu-push umamin ang character ni Keith na umamim but he's unwilling to confess his feelings. It's a good storyline, kahit na cliché para sa iba, but we had fun.
"For tomorrow's shoot, we have to film the breaking apart between the two characters. She won't stay long so we need to finish it immediately."
Bill and I made a sad set of sounds na kinainis ni Norwyn. Keith just laughed and Hyung is eating silently. "Then after that, we're focusing on the band performance and the jacket photos. Maayos naman na ang lahat. You just have to be present until it ends."
Tumango kaming lahat at nagsimula na kumain. "Where are the others?" Tanong ko dahil lima lang kami sa hapag. "You should've invited them with us."
"Don't worry about that. They wouldn't want it, anyway."
Bumusangot ako. Those people are the ones that are bringing this story and the music to life tapos... I'll just treat them once this is done.
"And also," Norwyn announced. "Keith, magkasama kayo ni Seb sa kuwarto. The rest, you're together, okay?"
Agad akong inakbayan ng kaibigan. Tumawa ako at hinanap ang dalawa. Malisosyo ang ngisi ni Bil habang akbay niya rin si hyung. Despite being the oldest, maliit pa rin siya unlike sa height ni Bill. A surge of jealousy coursed in my veins I had to clench my jaw and look away.
"Can't I just have a solo room?"
"No. And that's final decision already."
Hopeless kong pinanood na bumagsak ang balikat ni hyung. I knew why and what he's feeling but Bill seems to be unperturbed. As much as I want the possibility of them together in a room so they can improve their skills in being with each other, I just can't ignore hyung sudden despondent mood.
When we grabbed our things to our room, pinanood ko na humiwalay silang dalawa dahil sa right hallway ang kanila at left kami. I tugged at Keith's elbow, "Bigay natin 'yung kuwarto at doon na tayong dalawa sa kuwarto nila."
"Why?"
"Just." simple kong sagot.
"Hayaan mo na si Marco. Masasanay rin 'yon." and he opened the door for us. Hindi ko pinansin ang cozy na kuwarto sa amin at sumulyap uli sa likuran. "If I will be with him and he said he wants to be alone, I will take it differently."
"Why?"
"Ang sakit kaya masabihan na ayaw kang makasama sa isang space." aniya at natawa. "Buti nga hindi nag-alburuto iyong isa kundi magkaka-problema tayo."
Although I don't agree about what he would do if he's the one being paired with hyung... Damn. Guess wala na akong magagawa? Sinarado ko na lamang ang pinto sa likuran at tiningnan ang tutulugan namin.
For a week, this is where we'll stay in. Two separate king beds can be seen and one TV is situated on the wall between the beds. Sa tabi ko ay ang cabinet at malapit sa isang kama 'yung banyo.
We didn't have to fight who will get the closer one to the bathroom or sa bintana dahil nauna na siyang nahiga roon. Laughing, I went to mine at sinimulan nang alisin sa maleta ang mga gamit.
Ilang oras din akong nag-ayos bago maglinis ng sarili. Knock out na si Keith sa kama kahit hindi pa natatapos ang kalahati ng mga gamit. I let him be dahil grabe ang ginawa niya ngayon.
I went out to take a picture of the view and post it on my Facebook and Instagram. Hindi talaga ako pala-gamit but we were advised to be active para na rin marami ang ma-reach na fans at new fans.
Sinulyapan ko lang 'yung pool sa baba at bumalik na sa loob. It's nice to be outside, malamig din, but I want to sleep already. Pero habang kinukuha ko lahat ng ginagamit sa mukha, naisip ko na mag-record. I don't know if they'll like it but I stood it before me and started talking in a hushed voice and did my skincare at the same time.
I was so excited to tell the others about it para extra content that I didn't notice Norwyn's exhausted face kahit umagang-umaga pa lang. Sabay kami na bumaba ni Keith pero lumabas siya para sagutin ang tawag. It's breakfast time already pero... dalawang tao pa lang ang nasa dinner room.
"Hello?" Taka kong sabi dahil naka-kibit balikat si Norwyn sa harap ni Bill sa kabisera. I can't see his face but...
"Nandiyan ka na pala..."
"Yeah. May sinagot lang si Keith sa labas. Babalik din 'yon." nilaro ko sa kamay ang camera. "Morning, Bil—"
"Palit tayo ng kuwarto, Seb." galit na pauna ni Bill. "I don't wanna be with that fucking man."
Siguro naman... hindi mura ang almusal namin ngayon?
Takang-taka ko binalingan si Norwyn pero pagod na siya kaagad sa pagsinghal. "Bill, kaya ko nga kayo hinati para bumalik 'yung bond ninyo dahil sigurado ako medyo taliwas na siya kaysa noong dere—"
"Kahit noong una pa lang, he's acting like a bitch already!" Sigaw nito pabalik. "Walang pagbabago sa kaniya! And I don't wanna be with someone like that!"
He's literally shaking and red from anger. Kung hindi lang gawa sa salamin ang lamesa, he would've turned it upside down. "Still, try to be... a little more patient. Kung hahayaan mo lang na ganoon siya, hindi talaga siya magbabago."
"Norwyn," I began but he cut me off. Damn.
"Transfer me to another room or I'll leave." Aniya at napatayo na. "Gustuhin ko man enjoy-in ang ginagawa natin pero fuck! Pangalawang araw pa lang pero—"
"Bill, kalma." pero hindi na niya naabutan ito dahil nag-walk out na. Iginiya ni Norwyn na siya na lang ang hahabol.
Bagsak pa rin ang panga at balikat ko habang pinapanood sila na lumabas hanggang hindi ko ka sila makita pa. That's... Wait, what happened?
Anong ginawa ni hyung at ganoon na lang ang...
I dropped the idea I have at naupo na lang sa isa sa mga upuan. They'll return, for sure. What could've possibly he's done na galit na galit na naman si Bill? It's always an issue between them, that different personalities they have.
Kaya nga buong pasasalamat namin na magkalayo sila lagi kapag nasa harap dahil kundi...
"Where's everyone?" hyung's dreamy voice reverberated inside.
Paglingon ko, kasama na niya si Keith at gulong-gulo din ang mukha nito. He gestured hyung at me pero hindi ko rin na-gets iyon. Did he know already what happened? Nang balingan ko si hyung, may ngiti sa labi niya at mukhang nakatulog siya nang maayos kagabi.
It's a good sign but... after hearing the breakdown of his roommate?
"Good mood ata?" bulong ng katabi ko.
Napalunok lang ako. "Hyung," tawag ko at tiningnan naman niya ako kaagad. "W-where's Bill?"
"Oh, akala ko nandito na siya? Nauna pa siya lumabas sa akin." he replied, unfazed.
Napaawang na lang ako ng labi. Damn it... His roommate is swearing him off and he has no any single idea about it? Hindi ko rin makausap si Keith dahil...
"Nandito na pala kayo," Norwyn came in. "Naka-served na ang mga breakfast sa labas. Tara na."
"Where's Bill?" asked hyung.
Nagkatinginan kami nang malalim ni Norwyn. He nudged at Keith and I shook my head. Mukhang relieved naman siya sa sagot ko. "May pinuntahan saglit. Mauna na raw kayong tatlo kumain. Let's go."
Keith was tugging my shoulder and I grew tired of it I hissed at him. Seriously, what the hell just happened?