UNEDITED. TAMAD. ENJOY READING!
PRIUS
Mahina akong nagmura dahil sa malakas na suntok ni Denise sa mukha ko. Ramdam ko ang pagdugo ng gilid ng labi ko. Shit! She's violent inside and outside the game! Naiinis na hinawakan ko ang maliit na hiwa sa labi ko at umiling. Hindi ko na siya mahahabol pa dahil nakapasok na siya sa kwarto niya. Pagbibigyan ko muna siya ngayong gabi. But when our paths crossed again, I'll make her pay. I'll surely punished her.
Agad akong nagtungo sa silid ko. I have to do something. My cellphone rang. Sumimangot ako nang mabasa na si Darren ang tumatawag. Tiyak na nakita niya ang ginawa ni Denise sa cctv. Naiisip ko na kung paano niya ako tinatawanan dahil sa nangyari. Mas lalo akong nakaramdam ng inis.
Sinagot ko ang tawag niya. Agad na bumungad ang malutong na tawa ni Darren sa tainga ko. Malakas ang pagtawa niya na tila masayang-masaya. He probably couldn't contain his happiness and amusement. Inilagay ko sa tainga ang wireless earplugs ko. At inilapag ang cellphone ko sa maliit na table. Binuksan ko agad ang laptop ko. Tumatawa pa rin Darren at nahihirapang magsalita. Tiyak na mapulang-mapula na ang mukha niya dahil sa pagtawa.
"Dude! I can't believe it! My sister just punched you hard and you let her! HAHAHAHA! Damn! That was quite a show! I was a bit sleepy a while ago but now I'm fully awake! Thanks to her!" sabi niya at muling tumawa nang malakas. Tiyak na hawak pa niya ang tiyan ni sa pagtawa.
"So you can sleep too? Akala ko palagi kang gising," naiiling na sabi ko sa kanya.
"I was sleeping in the morning. But less than eight hours," he answered and laughed again. "How was her punch? Does it hurt?" he asked taunting me.
"What do you think? I just got a cut on my lips. I guess, it doesn't hurt. I'm perfectly fine," sarkastikong sagot ko sa kanya.
"Wow! My dear little sister is strong!" he said, amazed.
"She's not strong. She's violent. She even put a bullet in my heart without remorse inside the game. You should have see that too. It will surely entertain you more," nakasimangot na sabi ko. Ipinasok ko na ang disc sa laptop ko. I infiltrated inside the Game Crest Organization's main building again. Everyone was busy on monitoring the game's progress that's why I succeeded in stealing the data I needed. They're too busy in keeping the servers up and enhancing the game.
Tumawa si Darren. "I could imagine that. But kidding aside, how's the work? Ano'ng nakuha mong data?"
"The original game's data. All of it. Hindi pa enhanced ang system nito. Maraming bugs. I'm not sure if this is working already. It's like the blueprint of the whole system. Hindi pa sila nakakapaglabas ng bagong copy ng upgraded version kaya ito lang ang nakuha ko. Do you think this is enough for you?"
"You shouldn't underestimate me," he said and laughed. I smiled. "It's enough. But I need a month or less to analyze the data. Send it to me now so that I can start. Dahil nakuha mo na ang kailangan ko, pwede ka ng magpahinga at mag-enjoy sa paglalaro. I'll call you again if ever I need something. Dumating na rin ang headgears and computers na inorder ko mula sa manufacturer ng Game Crest Organization. Same models. I'll use these to further analyze the game. Kapag nagkaproblema o may napansin kang kakaiba, tawagan mo agad ako. I'll back you up," seryosong saad niya. Naririnig ko ang mabilis na pagtipa niya sa keyboards. He's a genius. He just need a month or less to analyze the whole game system. If ever I'll do it, it will take me months.
"I'm sending the data now," sagot ko sa kanya. Maliwanag ang ilaw na nagmumula sa laptop ko. I was now sending the files to him.
"Thanks!" he said. "By the way, is my little sister fine? I noticed that she's frustrated these past three days. And you're not keeping her company. At base sa pagsuntok niya sa 'yo, mukhang may pinag-awayan kayo," he commented.
"We just had a little misunderstanding," bored na sagot ko. "She said, she doesn't like me. That's why I'm keeping my distance from her," sagot ko.
"You gave up that easily?" nang-aasar na tanong niya sa 'kin. I frowned.
"You know, I didn't. You know her. She's always meddling with someone else's business. Mahihirapan akong makakuha ng data sa organization kung palagi siyang makikialam. I need time to be away from her so that I can perform my task without delay," sagot ko sa kanya. He laughed because he know I was right. Hindi ako makakagalaw nang maayos kung palagi akong susundan ni Denise. Tiyak na madadamay pa siya at mapapahamak. I don't want that to happen that's why I easily let her go for the meantime. At dahil nagawa ko na ang dapat kong gawin, pwede ko na ulit siyang lapitan. I can tease her again. I grinned with the thought. Hindi na nagtanong pa si Darren. Bigla akong may naalala. "But I'm worried about her. She's playing almost nonstop," nag-aalalang sabi ko.
"Hmmm. That will be a problem. I'll let you handle her stubbornness. Tiyak na hindi siya makikinig kapag pinagsabihan. She's hardheaded. She's not aware of the danger it may cause her. Keep an eye on her. I'm counting on you," he said. Narinig ko pa ang mahina niyang pagtawa. He's so carefree. Napailing ako. Kumunot ang noo ko nang may marinig akong boses ng babae sa kabilang linya.
"Honey, hindi pa rin ba tapos?" naiinip pero malambing na sabi niya ng babae sa kabilang linya.
"Who's that? Your girl?" kunot-noong tanong ko sa kanya.
"Uh-uh. Not sure," he said and laughed softly.
"So you're bringing girls in your bed too? I thought you just love to fuck with your beloved computer," nang-aasar na tanong ko sa kanya. Napailing ako.
"If you're a man, you cannot live with just your computer alone. Of course, I need girls too. I can't even kiss and fuck my computer, you know. I'm not a freak to do that," he laughed. I grinned. He's popular even when he's always stuck with his computer back in college. "I'll end this call. Make sure that you send all the files. I need to check it as soon as possible. May iba muna akong tatrabahuhin ngayon," he said and laughed again. Napailing ako.
"Yeah right! Go to your girl now!" I said.
"Shoot!" he said and then cut the call. Inalis ko ang earplugs ko. Kumuha ako ng towel at dumiretso sa shower. Tiningnan ko pa sa salamin ang maliit na hiwa sa labi ko. Napailing ako nang maalala ko si Denise. What should I do with that girl? She's always stubborn. Sumagi sa isipan ko ang itsura ni Denise kanina. With her black jacket and shorts, she looked sexy. Nakalugay ang buhok niya na kulot sa ibaba. Her bangs and angelic face added charm to her appearance too. And by the way she's eating her ice cream, she could seduce others to buy and try that ice cream too. She'll be a good endorser or commercial model.
Napailing ako. I got the urge of wanting to taste that too. Mabuti na lang nakontrol ko ang sarili. If I didn't, I had probably tasted the ice cream in her mouth. I sighed. I really need a cold shower right now. I took all my clothes off and opened the shower. Napailing ako sa sarili ko. Just by thinking about her, I'm already seduced. Mariin akong napapikit dahil sa biglang pagbigat ng paghinga ko. Damn! The cold water was running down my body. I wondered if she's playing right now. I want to see her but she'll probably avoid me. She's surely scared of me right now.
~~~~
DENISE
Eleventh Day of the Ranking Quest.
I was sitting in a tree. Nakita ko ang taong kanina ko pang inaabangan. Agad akong tumalon pababa nang makita ang pagdating niya. He's Death. A blue-haired guy and he's a Bard. Nabalitaan ko ang pagtatangka nilang pumunta sa Lost City. I wondered if they found it already.
"Death," seryosong tawag ko sa pangalan niya. He's a leader of another party. I guess the party name is White Knights. Agad siyang lumingon sa 'kin na may pagtataka.
"Is there something wrong?" takang tanong niya. Hindi ko pa siya nakakausap. Ngayon lang. Alam kong nabigla siya sa biglang pagtawag ko sa kanya. I sexily walked towards him. Napalunok siya.
"I want to ask something," malumanay na wika ko. I smiled at him. "You've been to the Lost City right?" I asked. Kumunot ang noo niya sa huli kong sinabi. He nodded.
"Yes. But we failed to find its whereabouts. As you can noticed, its location is not visible in the map. But some NPCs can provide you information. We got the map from them but we still failed," agad niyang sagot.
"Why did you fail?" maingat kong tanong. May nakuha na rin kaming mapa mula sa isang NPC. Ayon kay Fire, ito rin ang mapa na ibinibigay ng ibang NPC. Tiyak na tama ang impormasyon. Ang problema lang ay kung bakit hindi nila nakita.
He grinned at me. "You're trying to gather information, right? Do you think I will give it for free? I'm not that good to share information with an opponent," he said. I grinned too. I already saw this coming.
"I'm open for negotiations. Do you have something that you want?" I asked trying to convince him.
"If you're putting it that way, I'll consider. I want you to be my couple. What do you think?" he said. Muntik na akong mapasimangot pero pinigilan ko. Lumapit ako sa kanya at idinikit ang katawan sa kanya. I wrapped my arms in his neck. And my one hand started to play with his hair.
"It depends on your answer," I whispered seductively on his ears. Napansin ko ang mabigat na paghinga niya at sunud-sunod na paglunok. He wrapped his arms around my waist. Pinigilan ko ang mapasimangot. I continued to seduce him. I traced his jawline and touched his lips with my index finger.
"There are four gate keepers. Four dungeons. There are too many roads. Sometimes we are going back to the same dungeon we passed through because we answered questions incorrectly. You need to beat the four dungeon master before you can find the right path. Actually, we hadn't beat the four so I doubt if you will really find the right path after beating the four gate keepers," he answered. Kumunot ang noo ko. Sa tingin ko ito lang ang makukuha kong impormasyon sa kanya.
"What questions?" takang tanong ko.
"Some tricky questions. Like mind games," he answered. I nodded.
"How's the dungeon masters?" I asked.
"We only faced the North Gate Keeper and East Gate Keeper. The North Gate Keeper was strong but we managed to pass through him. He's just a typical dungeon master. Most likely, he looked like a demon with one horn. He has this huge sword that could damage the ground. His every strikes were powerful. The East Gate Keeper was stronger and smarter, with one strike we're all done. It's a demon with two horns with a huge axe. I didn't understand his tricks because we decided to went back to the town after our defeat," he answered. So that's it. Unti-unti akong kumalas sa pagyakap sa kanya. He protested but I removed his hands on my waist.
"Thanks," I answered. Nagsimula na akong maglakad palayo.
"Wait! How about our deal? I gave you the information you needed!" naiinis na tanong niya. Tumigil ako at tumingin sa kanya. Tumaas ang isang kilay ko.
"What deal? I don't remember having a deal with you," nakangising sabi ko sa kanya.
"What? You bitch! You said you'll be my couple depending on my answer," he said. Pagkalipas ng ilang segundo, bigla siyang natauhan sa sinabi niya. Depending on his answer. Sa totoo lang, kung deal ngang matatawag ang pinag-usapan namin, talong-talo siya. Naningkit ang mga mata niya sa 'kin.
"Well, you know, I don't like your answer," I grinned.
"You tricked me!" naiinis na sabi niya.
I smiled. "I didn't. You answered me on your own without establishing a specific rule for our deal. It's not my fault but again thanks!" sabi ko. Tinalikuran ko na siya at naglakad. I waved the back of my hands to bid him goodbye. Hindi na siya nakapagprotesta pa.
I was walking downtown. As usual, busy ang mga NPC. Maraming tao sa mga stalls. I even bought a special item to capture a pet. Baka sakaling may makita ako habang patungo kami sa Lost City. We will be facing the North, East, West and South Gate Keepers. We will raid dungeons and we will not be able to return in Alkia Town for the time being. Hindi namin alam kung ilang araw ang aabutin para sa misyong ito. Marami akong biniling health at mana replenishers at ibang items. Maraming mga players na nagkakasiyahan sa paligid. Nasanay na sila sa pang-araw-araw na nangyayari sa loob ng laro. Naging magkakaibigan na rin sila. Natuto na rin si Ice at Fire ng ilang special skills like cooking and forging weapons. We will need it for the raid.
"Hey, little tease," someone called me from behind. I froze in my position. Napatigil ako sa paglalakad. It's Sky. I'm sure, it's Sky. Damn! Pero ako nga ba ang tinatawag niya? Siguro hindi. Ipinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad. Naalala ko na may atraso pa ako sa kanya. Tiyak na galit siya sa 'kin. Siguro binabalak na niyang maghiganti.
I heard him laugh. "You're a snob now, Zeus?" he asked with amusement. Naiinis na tumigil ako sa paglalakad. Hindi ko siya maiiwasan habang buhay. Mabuti pa, harapin ko na siya. Hindi ko rin naman kaya na pagtaguan siya.
Marahas na lumingon ako sa likod ko. Naglalakad na siya patungo sa 'kin. "What do you want?" tanong ko agad. I crossed my arms. Hindi ko ipinahalata na natatakot ako. Umangat ang sulok ng labi niya.
"I want you to be my couple. What do you think?" he playfully asked. Nanliit at naningkit ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. It's the same exact words Death told me.
"Don't tell me, you're eavesdropping?" inis na tanong ko. Mahina siyang tumawa pero bigla ring sumeryoso.
"Actually, I need information about the Lost City too. And since, you asked him first, it saved me the trouble," seryosong sabi niya. "But I don't want you seducing other guys like that. Pushing yourself against them. I just controlled myself and tried not to pull you away from him. Next time I won't allow it," he directly said.
Namula ang mukha ko. Bakit naman niya gagawin 'yon? I don't get him! He said he liked me but I thought he already gave up. Naguguluhan ako sa kanya. "And why do you care about the things I wanted to do? It's none of your business even if I do that with other guys! Just take care of your own business," naiinis na sabi ko.
"You're my business," makahulugang sabi niya. Namula ang mukha ko. My heart started to race. Again, my stupid heart is uncontrollable. Magsasalita na sana ako pero pinigilan niya ako. He spoke again. "But aside from that, I remembered you owe me something. You punched my face and you have to pay for it," he grinned.
Napaurong ako sa nakakalokong ngisi niya sa labi. Tiningnan ko siya nang masama at puno ng pagdududa. "What are you planning to do?" nag-aalalangang tanong ko sa kanya. Bago pa siya makasagot, may matinis na boses na tumawag kay Sky. Queen ran towards him and gave him a fast kiss that was intended for his cheeks. Dahil lumingon si Sky sa kanya, aksidenteng nahalikan ni Queen ang labi niya. Natigilan kaming tatlo. Queen just smiled at him seductively which was irritating in my eyes. Bigla kong naramdaman na tila gusto ko ng umalis. My eyes hurts. As well as my heart.
"Queen," he said. "What is it?" he asked. Bakit pakiramdam ko iba ang pakikitungo ni Sky sa 'kin at kay Queen? May discrimination bang nagaganap? He was always talking to Queen softly. He was caring too. Pakiramdam ko sa 'kin lang hindi maayos ang pakikipag-usap ni Sky. He's always playing with me. Sometimes harsh.
"Let's have lunch together later. And oh! We'll be going to the Lost City too. I heard your party is going as well," she said sweetly. Sumimangot ako. I sighed. I don't have to witness them flirting with each other. Mukhang hindi rin naman ako papansinin ni Queen. Tinalikuran ko sila at naglakad palayo. Hindi ako pinigilan ni Sky. And I'm pissed. Ganu'n na lang?
Dinaanan ko si Ice sa isang stall. She upgraded her weapon. She was now using a dual blade. She even bought some assassin's weapon. Hindi ko pa ma-upgrade ang armas ko dahil hindi pa kumpleto ang mga kailangan ko.
"Ang aga-aga, nakasimangot ka. Wala ka bang nakuhang impormasyon kay Death?" takang tanong niya sa 'kin.
"May nakuha ako. I'm just pissed," I answered.
"With Death?" takang tanong niya. Umiling ako. Biglang nagliwanag ang mukha ni Ice.
"Is it because of Sky? Hindi ka pa rin pinapansin?" she teased. Tiningnan ko siya nang masama. Tumawa lang siya dahil nakumpirma na niya ang hinala niya.
"Kung ganu'n siya nga ang dahilan? Bakit hindi mo na lang siya kausapin? Just eat your pride and tell him you like him," she teased again.
"I don't like him," I pointed out. Pero alam niyang nagsisinungaling ako.
"I don't get you. Why are you denying something that is already obvious? Why can't you just admit it so you can be happy? I'm sure that he like you too," seryosong sabi ni Ice.
"Ice, I just know this guy for just ten days! Or eleven? How could I fall for just eleven days? Basta! Hindi ko talaga siya kilala. Marami akong hindi alam sa kanya. Hindi ko nga alam kung mapagkakatiwalaan siya. He's doing something suspicious," I said.
"What suspicious? Like what? Wait! You fall? That means you're in love with him? Am I right?" she asked. Nakita ko ang pagkislap ng mga mata niya. As if she found something interesting and worth hearing.
"No!" Agad kong pagdi-deny. Hindi ko na sinagot ang una niyang tanong. It's a secret between me and Sky.
She laughed heartily. "The fish is caught through its mouth. And you're already caught. Just a piece of advice. This is just in my point of view. We're all different. Some people find love in just a short period of time. Some take years or maybe not. You're actually lucky to find and experience one. Don't be scared to try. It's a good experience. Loving, hurting and then learning," she said and winked. She's talking like a pro in love. Napailing ako.
"Na-inlove ka na ba?" takang tanong ko sa kanya.
She giggled playfully. "Not yet. But I wanted to!" she said. Inirapan ko siya. Naglakad na kami patungo sa ibang kasama namin. Sa tingin ko, handa na kaming lahat.
"You should tell me that advice again when you already experienced it," nang-aasar na sabi ko sa kanya. She frowned and pouted.
"You're so mean!" reklamo niya. "Bahala ka! Ikaw na nga ang tinutulungan! Kung hindi mo gagawin ang advice ko, baka mawalan ka ng happy ending!" she warned me. Mahina lang akong tumawa at hindi na pinansin ang sinabi niya. It doesn't matter. Siguro kapag natapos ang ranking quest na ito, hindi na rin kami magkikita ni Prius. Wala talagang happy ending na dapat asahan.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
Thanks for reading! Hahaha. Comments?