I was dumbfounded by what Jennie said. Mga ilang segundo din ako napa-tulala sa kanya. Hangga't hinigit ako nito at nag-salita na siya ulit.
"Manoban? Anong gusto mo kainin?" Jennie asked me.
"Ha? Ah eh, sorry. Ikaw ano ba gusto mo kainin?" I said to her.
"Kahit ano, ikaw ililibre ko eh." She said.
"I know na, I know this little restaurant off campus, mga isang bloke ang layo dito." I said to her.
"Cool, we could walk." She said.
Nag-simula na kaming mag-lakad ulit ni Jennie. Nang tatawid na kami sa tawiran, para magpunta sa kabilang street she reached for my hand bago kami tumawid.
"Sorry, I have a phobia of crossing a small street." She said eventually sabay bitaw sa kamay ko nang makatawid na kami.
Her face was flustered at what she just did.
"Bakit ka may Phobia?" I asked her as we walked.
"When I was 9 years old, I could cross a small street no problem, pero isang araw, I witnessed a hit and run accident. Nahuli naman yung kotse na bumangga kay manang, but I grew afraid of crossing a small street. Pero sa wider streets na may stop light, I could cross it with out having a mini anxiety attack." She said to me.
I understand what it feels like to experience that. I go through the same ordeal just hearing people mock me. Nung grade school ako, I was often bullied along with Rabbit, it was the worst kind of bullying that I had to learn muay thai, I had to fight back somehow so I took muay thai lessons during weekends. After a few weeks of graduating from the muay thai class, another bully shoved Rabbit's shoulder, dito na ako lumaban para kay Rabbit. From that time on, I became bullied to scaring the bullies off. Although may times na nag-lalakas pa din sila ng loob na i-bully si Rabbit, I would never let anyone get to the extent na sobra na sila. Katulad na lang kanina, I had a mini anxiety attack because Jennie kept on mocking me.
"I see, kaya pala. I'm sure it must have been horrible for you. I get you." I said to her.
"Ikaw, bakit ka umiyak kanina?" She asked me.
"I remembered my bullies back when I was younger, pero wala na yun. I fought back eventually." I said smiling to her.
"Hmmm. Must be scary for you ano?" Jennie said.
"It could be, lalo na yung approach mo kasi kanina you sounded like a former bully I had." I confessed.
"Biro lang yun, I'm sorry pala for scaring you kanina. For making you cry, I really didn't mean to." Jennie said to me as we approached the restaurant.
"It's okay, you didn't know. Andito na tayo." I said to her.
She looks up the quaint little Samgyupsal place just a block away from school.
"Mmmm, you love meat?" She asked me as I pulled the door open for her.
"Yes, pati chicken. After you." I said smiling.
"Thanks. Nagulat ka pa kanina na nakakakain ako ng sampung piraso ng chicken. Pero favorite mo din pala." Jennie said rolling her eyes.
I laughed at how cute she was being, she suddenly hits my arm.
"Tawa pa Manoban!" Her eyes turned into slits.
She was cute but scary at this point, I sighed and shook my head at her and said.
"Nasurpresa lang ako kasi nga ang liit ng katawan mo pero yung appetite mo for chicken sobra, also hindi ka naman ba nahahighblood sa chicken skin?" I said to her rather worried.
"No, my blood pressure falls below actually, even if I had 10 pieces of chicken." She said beaming at me.
"You're a monster." I said shaking my head as I pulled a chair out for her and she sat.
"Thank you and no I'm not a monster." She said laughing at my reaction.
"Okay, itutuloy ko na yung 20 questions. Next question ko ay Have you ever had your heart broken?"
"Yes, childhood friend ko to. Si Somi, she left for Canada with her family, she was my one best friend next to Irene. Her dad was CEO of an International Music Production Company, Somi was born here in Korea when her parents had to stay here. Dahil sa lola ni Somi, when she died, her father decided they should move back to Canada. Natandaan ko nung araw na aalis na siya, puro yakap at iyakan kami. We still talk up until now, pero that day really broke my heart."
I realized that Miss Jennie Kim was a true friend to her friends, she was loyal and knows how to value her friends.
"Sorry to hear that. Pero thank you for sharing that with me, I realized just now that you are not so bad after all." I said smiling at her as a waiter approached us.
"Uy, don't be sorry, hindi mo din naman alam." She said .
"Good morning po ma'am, I'll be taking your order na po."
"Yes, I would like to get Set Meal A for two." I told the waiter.
"Drinks po ma'am?" The waiter asked us.
"I'll have a lemonade please." Jennie said.
"Bottled Water please." I said to the waiter.
"Okay po ma'am, we'll be serving your drinks in 5 minutes."
"Thanks." I said smiling at the waiter.
When the waiter had left for the kitchen, pinag-patuloy ko na ang pag-tatanong ng questions.
"What do you aspire to be after college?" I asked her.
"A great music video director." Jennie answered.
"Nice, Miss Director Kim, tiwala akong matutupad mo yan." I said to her.
"Next question na Manoban, tigil-tigilan mo pambobola mo ha? Nakakarami ka na." Jennie said.
"Okay, any hidden talents?" I asked her.
"Rapping, pero alam mo na yan." she said laughing.
"Okay, okay. Next question is If you could meet a celebrity living or dead, who would it be and why?"
"Hmmmm... I would like to meet Tupac and exchange some rap verses with him, wala naman akong reason as to why, but I discovered his music at an early age, I was fascinated with his rap skills." Jennie answered.
"Woah! Okay." I said in awe of her.
"Next." Jennie said as the waiter served our drinks first.
"What's your greatest fear?" I asked her.
"Snakes." Jennie said.
"Natural naman ata na takot ang tao sa ahas, aside from that any other fears?"
"Disappointing my parents with the path I choose to take. Takot akong sumama ang loob nila sakin." Jennie said.
"Same. If you're not a Mass Comm. Student what course would you have taken?" I said to her.
"Law." Jennie answered.
"Wow! Ganun ka-talino?" I said laughing.
"Hindi ako matalino, I just love to read. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer." Jennie replied.
"Ahhh pressured lang pala." I said to her.
"You can say that. Pero I think I'd still take up Mass Comm, para relaxed lang ang school work." Jennie said laughing.
"Ayun pala yun, hahahahaha! Wais ka talaga Miss Kim." I said laughing.
"Aminin mo, relaxed lang naman talaga tayo sa mga subjects natin."
"Oo nga, tama ka naman. Alright, next question, if you were a guy who would you date among your friends?"
"Si Irene or si Somi." Jennie said with out hesitation.
"Whoa! Wala man lang hesitation ha? Oh bakit naman si Irene or si Somi?" I said to her chuckling.
"Irene is a caring girl, sa aming magkaka-barkada siya ang tiga luto, alaga at asikaso sa amin, she loves doing that which will make her a good wife, si Somi naman out of our friends, she is a protective pillar, I feel safe when she's around." Jennie said smiling.
"Favorite color?" I asked Jennie.
"Black." Jennie replied.
"What's something you secretly wanted to learn?" I asked her.
"Hmmm... Dancing siguro. Kasi I could sing and rap but not really dance." She said.
"Gusto mong matuto? Just focus on the music, allow your nerves to go with the song's flow." I said to her.
"Visual learner ako eh." She said trying to tease me.
"Panoorin mo akong mag-sayaw." I replied to her sabay kindat.
"Puro ka pa-cute dyan, next question na." Jennie said.
"Okay, next question, if you have a chance to make a do over in your life what is the one thing you would change?" I asked her.
"I won't change anything, kahit pa yung time na nag-migrate na si Somi sa Canada for good, naniniwala kasi ako na lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay natin, it develops us as a person, think of yourself as a game character, lumelevel up ka and you acquire skills diba? So I don't want to change anything." Jennie said smiling.
"May lalim ka talaga eh no? Okay next question na dog or cat?"
"Dog but I sometimes like cats too. Pero personally a dog." She said.
"I love cats, their majestic. Pero cute din ang mga dogs for me."
"Dogs are emotional beings, nararamdaman nila kung malungkot ka, kaya they try to cheer you up when you're feeling down."
"Alright, next question na. Would you fall in love with the same sex?" I asked her.
"I'm not yet sure, pero I believe that love is something we can't control, it's something that we can't choose for ourselves so kung darating ang love at nagkataong babae din siya, go lang ako." She said.
"Naks! Showbiz ang sagot. Hahahaha! Next question, what is the most beautiful part of your body?" I said to her.
"Uhm, my butt?" Jennie said sounding unsure of what to answer.
"Wow, is it really how you feel about your butt? Oh baka naman sinasabi lang ng mga lalake yan? Don't give me a misogynistic answer. I want the truth." I said to her.
"Sa totoo lang, tama ka. I think the most beautiful part of my body is my mind, mas lamang sakin yung inner qualities ko kesa sa pang-labas kong anyo." Jennie said to me.
Not long after she answered the question, i-sinerve na ang mga food namin.
"Can I just tell you that your eyes are the most beautiful part of your body, kasi pag nakikita ko yung mata mo lalo na pag galit ka kasi isang oras kang nag-hintay, it just pierces into my soul. Nakakatakot ka." I said to her smiling.
Jennie's face turned a little red at the comment I made agad itong nag-iwas ng tingin. Thankfully dumating na ang food namin. We started to put meat on the grill, hindi pa din ito maka-tingin ng direcho sa akin. I think I may have offended her with the comment I made about her eyes.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mock you ha?" I said to her as I waited for the meat to finish grilling.
"Wala yun. It's the first time someone actually complimented me about my eyes, I mean I don't like my eyes really, I think they're normal. Sorry din kung natakot kita nung isang araw." She said to me as she lays some more meat on the grill.
"Okay, next question na. What's the most vulnerable moment you ever felt?" I said to her.
"Telling my parents that I didn't want to take up law, I was afraid they would get mad at me. So, what I did was I became sort of a rebel. I didn't study hard on purpose for about a year, I went out frequently with friends. Until my parents noticed na lumalayo na ang loob ko sa kanila." Jennie briefly explained as she eats a bite of Kimchi.
"So you felt vulnerable when you realized na ayaw mong mag-law? Oh goodness poor you." I said to her as I ate a bite of dried squid.
"Yeah. I felt alone during that time. I couldn't tell my friends for the fear of invalidating that particular thing I was going through. It's not that ganun sila Irene, pero I think they'd judge me preemptively." Jennie said.
"Naku grabe naman sila if ever ginawa nila yun. Okay, last question. Tell me something you like about me." I said to her smiling.
"You proved me wrong so far, I like that about you." Jennie said as she got a piece of meat from the grill and placed some on my plate.
"Kumain ka na gutom ka lang." Jennie followed up and smiled.
I smiled back at her as I picked up some of the meat she placed on my plate.
A/N:
Wopxz! Naku Manoban, anong ginagawa mo? Eto na nga tayo dear readers, nadidiscover na ng ating bida kung sino ba si Miss Jennie Kim na Tutor nya. Beri safe si Miss Kim sumagot pero ano kaya ang totoong nararamdaman neto ni Jennie? Abangan!
Maraming salamat sa inyo at sa suporta ninyo sa mga naka-lipas kong story dito sa wattpad. Sana eh suportahan nyo pa din ako kahit na wala nang RaStro stories sa bucket ko. I miss RaStro, pero kung toxic naman na para sa kanila ang magkaroon ng interactions, then I think we should just support them individually. The last two years had been a great experience as I wrote RaStro fics here, pero sa ngayon hindi na ako inspired sa dalawa. Salamat po sa pag-babasa.
P.S. Salamat kay Lead Authornim tsong_J, she was the person who influenced me to try my hand at writing AUs. Salamat Tsong Lead Authornim. ♥️😍
Spread light and love!
-Sky