#ILWTG17 Chapter 17
It was our first official day-ish, but we're both so spent from the whole finals debacle that we both didn't want to go out. Kaya naman naka-upo ako sa couch habang naka-higa si Yago sa lap ko. Sinusulit niya talaga iyong nangyaring aminan kagabi! Namamanhid na iyong binti ko pero ayaw pa rin niyang umalis!
"Tinatamad akong magluto. Order na lang tayo," I said.
"Okay."
"What do you want?"
"Chinese food?"
I groaned. "Yes. I'm craving for xiao long bao din," I said and then immediately searched for a resto that delivers here. Sobrang dami kong gustong kainin! Now that it's finally vacation, mapupuntahan ko na lahat! I also wanted to go around the museums here in Manila, but I didn't really have time because of school.
Biglang napaupo si Yago. His head's a bit messy, but I'd be lying if I say that he didn't look good. I was still yet to find an angle na pangit ang lalaki na 'to.
"Let's just go to China Town," he said.
"Are you sure? 'Di ba pagod ka pa?"
"It's okay," he said, standing up. "I'll just take a quick shower. You do your makeup thing. We'll leave when you're done."
Napa-tigil ako nang maramdaman ko iyong labi ni Yago sa noo ko. He was serious pala nung sinabi niya na okay na siya sa holding hands... but he's always kissing my forehead kahit aalis lang siya para kumuha ng tubig. I was worried for my lips once na payagan ko siyang halikan ako! I had a feeling that Yago will abuse my lips!
I took a quick bath and exerted extra effort in putting makeup! Hiyang-hiya naman kasi ako kay Ysmael Agosto na ako e gwapong-gwapo sa kanya pero siya, ang tingin sa akin ay sakto lang. Nakaka-irita din talaga 'yung tao na 'yun minsan!
I was perfecting my Korean makeup look when I heard the door. Ngayon na may something na kami, mas lalong hindi na kakatok si gago. Might as well sirain niya na iyong pader dahil nandito din naman siya palagi.
After half an hour, I went out, looking and feeling good. I was wearing a yellow sundress and white strappy sandals. Hindi agad ako nakita ni Yago dahil nasa harap na naman siya ng TV at nanonood ng cartoons.
I cleared my throat. He turned around. He smiled.
"Aurora Marie... bringing her A-game," he said as he stared at me. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng consciousness kasi tinignan niya talaga ako from head to toe. Dati naman, hindi ganito ka-obvious siya! Ngayon, wala na talagang hiya-hiya!
I rolled my eyes. "Tara na."
I was about to walk, but I halted when Yago offered me his hand. Tinaas ko ang kilay ko.
"You said we could hold hands."
"You're making this awkward."
Instead of replying, he grabbed my hand and held it. He was grinning like an idiot. He raised our hands and showed it to me.
"It's just awkward for you now, but I promise you'll get used to this," he said. Inirapan ko siya, but the asshole just planted a kiss on my knuckles. Ugh! Sumu-sobra na siya!
Yago was grinning like a fool while we waited for the elevator. Napa-tingin ako sa reflection naming dalawa. Damn, we look good together. Feeling ko naman maganda ako. Gago lang talaga si Yago.
"Rory," he said.
"Hmm?"
"What if..." he trailed. "What if we destroyed the wall? Make our units just one big unit?"
Agad akong napa-tingin sa kanya. "Alam ko matanda na iyong tatay ko, pero sinisigurado ko sa 'yo bubugbugin ka nun kapag narinig 'yang sinabi mo," I told him, to which he only laughed. I wasn't kidding though! Hindi man si Papa ang mambugbog sa kanya, my dad has bodyguards that would do his bidding for him.
"Just an idea, Rory. I mean, I practically live in yours."
The elevator opened. Sabay kaming pumasok. Kaming dalawa lang. Hindi ko alam kung bakit tuwing nasa enclosed space kaming dalawa ni Yago. Feeling ko kasi may gagawin siya sa akin na hindi maganda na ma-e-enjoy ko.
Tahimik lang ako buong elevator ride habang si Yago naman ay nag-enjoy sa paghawak sa kamay ko dahil kung anu-anong pattern ang tine-trace niya.
"Saan tayo doon pupunta?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know. Hindi pa ako nakaka-punta doon."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "Baka maligaw tayo!"
Ang hirap naman nito! Pareho talaga kaming hindi familiar sa Manila. All my life nasa Pangasinan or Baguio lang ako. Siya naman, although hanggang high school niya siya nandito sa Philippines, I was pretty sure na bantay-sarado 'to. Sa International School nga nag-aral, e.
"We have the Internet. Or we'll just walk around and ask."
"Paano kapag na-holdap tayo?" I asked. I haven't been in China Town, but I'm just scared of Manila in general. With everything I'd seen in the news, I could never feel really at ease anywhere in public.
He laughed. "You really think of the worst, no?"
"I'm just being cautious."
"Fine. If ma-holdap tayo, I want you to run and never look back."
Bigla ko siyang hinampas. Mabuti na lang nasa stoplight na naman kami. "So, gusto mong hayaan kitang mamatay?!"
Tumawa na naman siya. "Patay agad, Rory? I know self-defense. I can handle myself. Besides, mas kakabahan lang ako with you around. I'll be able to defend myself better if I know you're safe."
Umiling ako. "Kapag na-holdap tayo, ibibigay natin lahat ng hinihingi nila, okay? 'Wag kang lumaban."
Ang gwapo naman kasi nito. Halatang rich kid. Attracted ang mga masasamang tao dito kay Yago.
"Okay po, Ma'am. May utos ka pa ba?"
I frowned at him. "Seryoso kasi."
"Why are we talking about us getting hold-up during our first date?" he asked, shaking his head.
Habang on the way kami, nagbilin ako kay Yago ng mga gagawin namin kapag may masamang nangyari. Napapa-iling na lang siya pero wala siyang magawa kasi ginusto niya akong makasama, e. Alam niya naman na ganito ako.
Pero naisip ko... sanay pala siya sa self-defense pero hinahayaan niya ako na hampas-hampasin siya when in fact, kayang-kaya niya pala akong ibalibag.
Medyo matagal bago kami nakahanap ng parking dahil gusto ko sa safe space kami. After that, naglakad na kaming dalawa. I was slowly starting to relax dahil judgment lang pala ako... This place looked okay...
"Hand," Yago said, looking at me with his forehead creased.
"Next time, just grab my hand," sabi ko dahil naiilang ako kapag nagpapaalam pa siya na kunin iyong kamay ko.
"Okay," he said, grinning.
We walked around. Yago kept on asking me kung saan ko ba gustong kumain. Ang daming mukhang authentic Chinese restaurant that I couldn't choose kung saan kakain!
"Let's just try all," he suggested. "You just want xiao long bao, right?"
I nodded. "Ikaw, ano'ng gusto mong kainin?" He wiggled his brow. Agad na namula ang mukha ko. "Pagkain kasi! Gago ka talaga!"
Tatawa-tawa na naman si gago! Ang taas-taas ng sikat ng araw naghahasik na naman ng lagim 'to!
We ended up in Cafe Mezzanine. Yago ordered xiao long bao and bean rice for us. I was so excited that I was grinning so badly while waiting for the food.
"What?" I asked when I saw him smiling.
"Nothing. Pagkain lang talaga nagpapasaya sa 'yo, no?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, feeling ko nga tumataba na ako kasi ang lakas kong kumain lalo na kapag stressed ako sa school," I said. Iyong ibang pants ko, medyo masikip na. Kailangan ko na yata talagang magdiet o mag-exercise.
"You look fine," he said.
"Tss. Tapos sasabihin mo na naman 'your body's okay'."
Yago laughed. "You're really gonna use that against me?"
I nodded. "Oo kaya. Nakaka-offend ka!"
"I just meant that you can literally look like shit right now and I'd still want to be around you."
"Tss. Sabihin mo na lang na 'di ka nagagandahan sa 'kin."
"Rory," he said, laughing. "I wouldn't be here if I don't find you attractive. Why do you think I kept on pestering you when I first met you?"
"Kasi magulong tao ka lang talaga."
"Because I thought you were cute."
"Tss. Cute lang? Hindi maganda?"
"Fine, maganda ka."
"Wow, ang convincing."
"Are we seriously arguing about this?"
"Bakit mo kasi sinabi na hindi ako maganda?"
"My god," he whispered. "You're frustrating."
"Ano? Suko ka na?"
"Hell, no. You can frustrate the shit out of me and I'll still stay."
I glared at him. "Tss. Puro salita si Yago."
He rested his back against the chair and looked at me as if I was the most amusing person in the world. He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at me.
"Gusto mo dagdagan ko ng gawa, Rory?"
Agad kong naramdaman ang pag-akyat ng dugo sa mukha ko. Sa sobrang pagpapanic ko, nabato ko siya nung chopsticks.
"Tumigil ka nga!" I hissed dahil feeling ko ikakamatay ko kapag may naka-rinig sa mga sinasabi niya.
The asshole just laughed at my embarrassment. Mabuti na lang at dumating na iyong pagkain namin kaya nabawasan iyong inis ko sa kanya.
I was happily and carefully picking my xiao long bao when I noticed that Yago was, again, taking photos of me.
"Kain ka na. Bakit ba kuha ka ng kuha ng pictures?" I asked before I ate my xiao long bao. Ugh, heaven!
"I just wanna post photos of you, okay? You said I can only hold your hand. Let me take my photos, Rory."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Suit yourself."
Bigla akong na-conscious dahil bawat movement ko yata ay kinukuhanan ng picture ni Yago. Naka-tatlong XLB na ako bago siya nagdecide na samahan akong kumain.
After that, we roamed around China Town pa. I thought we'd eat pa, but I overestimated myself. Sobrang busog na ako sa kinain namin. We ate egg tart and got milk tea tapos naglakad kami habang magka-holding hands.
This was such a good day kahit kumain lang naman kaming dalawa.
"You still wanna eat?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No. I'm already full," I said. "Uuwi na ba tayo?"
Umiling siya. "No. We're still going somewhere."
"Saan?"
"Secret."
I frowned. "Saan nga?"
We were walking side-by-side habang pabalik sa sasakyan niya. Medyo mataas na iyong sikat ng araw kaya naman hawak-hawak ni Yago iyong payong na kanina niya lang binili sa gilid. And because he couldn't hold my hand, he told me to anchor my arm with his. Daming alam talaga.
"You told me before that you want to go to museums, right?"
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. I remember telling that in passing! As in sobrang nabanggit ko lang randomly sa kanya! Hindi ko akalain na matatandaan niya!
"What? You don't want?"
"I want."
He laughed. "Why do you look defeated?"
"Ang dami mong alam sa akin, e."
"I told you. I liked you the first time I met you. I'd been observing since then."
Ah, shit. He's too good. This was too bad. I had to step up my game. Nagmumukha akong masamang babae kapag katabi ko si Yago.
Yago quietly drove hanggang sa makarating kami sa National Museum. We fell in line, pero wala namang masyadong tao ngayon. I thought maraming tao since one of the reasons why hindi ako pumupunta ay dahil ayokong pumila. I'd rather study than be stuck in a line.
Pagpasok namin sa loob, Yago let me wander around. I kept on grinning because I had long wanted to go here! And Intramuros! Sobrang dami kong gustong puntahan!
I felt at ease while being surrounded by paintings. Hindi naman ako artsy, but there's something relaxing about being around art.
"You like painting?" he asked.
"Yeah... but hindi ako magaling magpaint. Sakto lang."
He nodded. "Hmm... Free your Friday. I'm gonna take you somewhere."
"Saan na naman?"
He smiled. "Secret."
Inirapan ko siya. "Siguraduhin mo na magugustuhan ko 'yan."
He laughed. "So bossy."
"Ginusto mo 'to, e."
"Sabi ko nga."
Isang oras pa akong paikut-ikot doon bago ako napagod. Yago asked me if gusto ko pa bang pumunta sa isa pang museum, but I figured that that's for another day na. I was still feeling high from the art euphoria.
Pagbalik namin sa condo, we're standing in front of our respective units again.
"Can I stay over?"
"No."
He frowned. "But why?"
"Because."
"Because?"
"Gotta keep the spice alive, Yago," I said.
He laughed. "I haven't even kissed you yet, Rory! There's still a lot of spice alive, trust me."
I shrugged. "Sorry, no sleepover for you."
"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, then," sabi niya. I nodded at him bago ako pumasok sa loob. I quickly did my skincare routine and put on my facemask when I decided to check my sns account.
I was scrolling through Instagram nang mapahinto ako. It was a picture of me standing in front of the Spoliarium with the caption, 'Masterpiece.'