KAYZER'S POV
"Good job Kai. Everyone." The program's PD said before leaving the audition hall along with the staffs.
I saw the three judges shaking hands again with Kiten. They were so happy that I brought her to the auditions, it will be the best season of KSS (KPop Star Search) they added knowing lots of talented hopefuls came this season.
"Kiten!" I tried calling her attention as soon as everyone left.
She raised her left hand, I guess she's gesturing me to wait for a sec beacuse she's now on the phone with.....
"Hello? Yam?" Medyo nakakunot pa ang noo nya, confusion all over her face. "Yoboseyo?"
Hindi ko na napigilan, napangiti na naman ako. Kahit pa hindi sya nakangiti, di pa din ito nakabawas sa ganda nya. I can't believe I can look at her again like this, nang ganito kalapit, nang ganito katagal.
"That was weird." She commented as she puts her phone back to her bag.
"Was that Zac?" I asked.
"What?"
"The one with you on the phone."
She smiled. "Yeah." Like it was the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. "Si Yam."
And it was also the most painful one, kasi ang mga ngiting yun ay hindi na para sakin.
"B..ba..bakit Yam?" I managed to ask kahit na tila may nakadagan na malaking bato sa dibdib ko.
"Secret!" sagot nya and then playfully wink.
I felt my cheeks heated with what she did.
"Oh crap!" She checked her watch. "It's getting late. I gotta go."
She immediately walked to the exit of the hall but I grabbed her wrist. Tumingin sya sa kamay ko, binitawan ko naman kaagad sya.
"Ihahatid na kita."
"No, thanks. My driver's waiting for me."
"Kahit hanggang parking area lang."
i can see in her eyes na nagdadalwang isip sya.
"Okay." She eventually said.
We're walking side by side pero para akong nag-iisa. Hindi kasi kami nag-uusap.
"Kiten.... Ummm... How are you?"
She chuckled. "Everyday mo na akong tinatanong nyan eh."
"i mean.... how have you been... since...."
"Since I left Korea or since you left me?" balik-tanong nya.
Tumigil sya sa paglalakad at umupo sa bench na nadaanan namin. I just followed her.
She heaved a sigh.
"When I left Korea I guess I've been okay. Medyo naging mahirap ang adjustment period, syempre from a trainee all my life to being a normal teen what would you expect di ba? Yung nasanay ako na co-trainees madalas ang nakakasama ko and my daily routine is home-school-practice room-home, then all of a sudden it became home-school-home and I had to be with kids my age, the normal ones may I add. I've been wrapped up to my dream of becoming an idol, nakalimutan kong hindi lahat ng trainee nagtatagumpay. Eh kasi naman eh, I am just one step close, less that two weeks na lang I'll be presented to my dream world. And then with a snap of a finger, I'm thrown back to MVH."
I look at her, she was starring at the ground. I was about to pat her on her back when she speaks again.
"No. Wag kang maawa sakin kasi naging masaya naman ako eh pagkatapos ng lahat. I've been closer to people around me, to those who really matters, my family and friends. I did things I thought I'll never do. Can you imagine, I was able to stay under the sun without worrying that my skin's gonna get burnt?"
"No way! Thought you're allergic to the sun. Haha,"
Noong mga pa bata pa kasi kami, umiiyak sya kapag more than 5 minutes na nabilad sa sikat ng araw.
"Nah! You're crazy." she slapped me on my shoulder.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed. "Namimisikal ka na ngayon ha." piningot ba naman ang tainga ko.
"Talaga! Haha." She said as she's playfully continuing slapping my arm.
Tawa nang tawa kami pareho habang sinasalag ko ang mga kamay nya.
"You know what?" I began opening a convo again as soon as napagod syang paghahampasin ako.
"Wait lang. Hinihingal ako. Haha." She said while panting. "What?"
"I knew you'll be okay. I'm sure you'll be."
"You're so sure. " Humalumbaba sya at tumingin sakin, she still has a smile on her lips pero ang sinabi nya ang nagpawala sa ngiti ko. "Kaya mo ako iniwan?"
Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig, ni hindi ko na magawang tumingin sa mga mata nya.
"Hindi mo nga lang ako basta iniwan eh, itinapon mo pa lahat ng alaala natin. Sabi mo nga di ba, she's your first."
Napatungo na lang ako. I know she was talking about the interview where I admitted that i'm dating Anja.
"Kung hindi ba naman fan na fan mo ang buong MVH, ipinalabas ba naman ang interview na yun sa cafeteria." Natatawa pa nyang kwento. "In front of the whole world, idineny mo ako, not directly pero ganun na din yun. Nasaktan ako, SOBRA. Muntik pa nga akong mamatay sa pagpipilit kong takasan ang sakit, pero may isang taong dumating at niligtas ako. Unti unti tinulungan nya akong hilumin ang sugat na iniwan mo. Binuksan nya ang puso kong akala ko nakakandado para sayo at pinalaya nya ako sa mga alaala mo."
I was dumbfounded, lost for words when she hold my hands.
"I actually wanted to thank you for that, for making me realize that..... we are not meant to be. Thank you. So please don't be so hard on yourself cause you did me a favor."
She smiled to me. I can see sincerity in her eyes. Wala ni konting bahid ng galit. Mas masakit pala na hindi nya ako sinumbatan matapos ng lahat ng sama ng loob na binigay ko. Mas gugustuhin ko pang sampalin nya ako, sigawan, murahin kaysa makita ko syang nakangiti sa akin at nagpapasalamat. A bitter laugh rose on me. Emotional torture, Ito na siguro ang parusa ko.
"Wow. So ito pala ang pinagkakaabalahan mo dito sa MVH."
Napalingon si Tin pinaggalingan ng boses, binitawan na din nya ang kamay ko. Hindi ko na kailangan pang tumingin para malaman kung sino ang dumating na yun.
"What are you doing here?" I ask as I face her. It was her Thalia Anjelene Song a.k.a. AMETHYST Anja / Tanya.
"Well honey, kanina pa akong tinatanong ng manager mo kung nasaan ka na." punung puno na naman ng sarcasm ang tono nya nang banggitin ang salitang 'honey'. Ganyang ganyan ang tono nya sa tuwing makikita nya akong may kausap na ibang babae. "You're here lang naman pala and you're with this...."
Natigilan sya as soon as makilala nya kung sino ang kasama ko. I bet hindi nya inaasahan na sa ganitong pagkakataon silang dalawa magkikita ulit.
Bakas na bakas din sa muka ni Kiten ang pagkagulat. Hindi ba sinabi sa kanya ni Zac na dumating din si Anja dito sa Pilipinas? Ang alam ko kasi base sa mga kwento ni Anja, ilang beses na silang nagkikita ni Zac at ng pamilya nito.
"Look who's here." Nilapitan nya si Kiten at naglakad paikot dito na parang tinatantya ang hitsura nito. Si Kiten naman nananatili lamang sa kinatatayuan nya and all you can read on her face was confusion. "We meet again, how sublime."
"Stop it Anja." I warned her. I know how much she doesn't like Kiten.
"What now Kai? I just want to say that it's nice to see her AGAIN."
"Y.. yeah. It's nice to see you too again Anja." Kiten finally spoke, medyo ngumiti pa sya na lalong dumagdag sa inis ni Anja. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, REALLY. How about you?"
"Never been better."
Pabalik balik lang ang tingin ko sa kanilang dalawa. Anja is pissed off alright but I can see amusement in Kiten's eyes. Until now, alam pa din nya kung paano ihandle ang sarcasm na pananalita ni Anja.
I heard Kiten's phone ringing, she immediately picked up the call.
"Yoboseyo?"
****Other line speaking
"I'm still here sa MVH, malapit sa parking lot."
****Other line speaking
"No need. Pauwi na din ako."
****Other line speaking
"Okay. Bye. Same here."
****End of Call
She was smiling all through out their convo. Parang alam ko na kung sino ang kausap nyang yun..
"Zac! What brought you here?" Anja exclaimed. Dali dali pa syang lumapit dito at yumakap.
Tuluyan nang nawala ang ngiti sa labi ni Kiten.
Si Zac naman nakarecover kaagad sa pagkagulat sa naging pagsalubong sa kanya ni Anja. Kumalas sya kaagad sa yakap nito.
"Yam." he called for Kiten but I can see her somehow hesitant na lumapit kay Zac, para pa nga syang na-estatwa sa kinatatayuan nya.
"Tinatawag ka ng boyfriend mo oh." I hissed to her. Noon lamang sya nakabawi sa pagkabigla at ngumiti ulit. Si Zac na mismo ang lumapit sa kanya at inabot ang kanang kamay nito.
"Yam, sya si Tanya, you already know her right-" tumango si Tin sa kanya. "Tanya (Anja), she's my girlfriend, si Kristen Yang."
Hindi na maipinta ang mukha ang mukha ni Anja upon hearing the word 'girlfriend', para syang natuklaw ng ahas.
Inakbayan naman ni Zac si Tin and kissed her on her forehead.
"Let's go?" Zac said while looking at her.
"Okay." Tin answered him shortly pero mahihimigan mo ang sweetness on the way she talks, na hindi ko narinig allthroughout the time na magkausap kami.
"Mauna na kami Pare, Tanya."
Nagpaalam na sila samin and left.
Pareho kami ni Anja na hindi na nakapagsalita pagkaalis nila. Tila nalunok namin ang mga dila namin. Sya kasi siguro ay dahil hindi nya inaasahan na may girlfriend na si Zac at yun pa ang isa sa pinakaayawan nyang tao.
Ako naman ay dahil sa panghihinayang, sana nagawa ko nang sabihin sa kanya ang lahat ng dahilan ko sa pagiwan sa kanya. Handa na sana ako eh kung hindi lamang dumating si Anja. I could have win her back.
Or if I had the courage to tell her the truth months ago, maybe she's still on my side now. I'm still HER Kayzer Hwang and she's not my one who got away.