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Chapter Text

binilisan mo na takbo mo papunta sa sakayan ng mga jeep. at doon, hinintay mo na tumila ang ulan. hindi ka pwedeng mabasa lalo na’t dala mo ang laptop.

ang dami-dami mong dala tapos wala kang payong? at hindi pa tumitingin sa weather forecast.

ayan tuloy, naabutan ng ulan. nag-aabang ng jeep na maluwag-luwag para may kaunting space pa para makahinga ang laptop mo.

sa susunod, sasabihin mo sa sarili mo na magdadala ka na ng payong pero alam na alam mo naman na hinding-hindi mo ‘to matatandaan muli.

ilang minuto na nakalipas, nangangalay na paa mo. kailan ba dadating yung jeep? ba’t parang wala kang nakikita ni isa?

at doon, sa kabilang dulo ng pedestrian lane ay isang lalaking hawak-hawak ang kaniyang payong. paano mo naman hindi mapapansin? matangkad at pogi.

‘may jowa na ‘to,’ naisip mo. hindi na dapat patulan. move on na, kahit na walang pang isang minuto mula nung makita mo siya.

nang nag-red light, palihim mong sinilip kung tatawid ba siya.

‘baka naman inaantay niya girlfriend niya,’

naharangan ang paningin mo ng mga estudyanteng nagmamadali at pauwi na rin. tingin sa kaliwa, sa kanan, sa pagitan ng mag-jowa na humaharang sa pwesto ng lalaki kanina–hindi mo pa rin makita.

bakit ba hindi ka biniyayaan ng tangkad? you take a mental note to wear platform shoes or heels sa susunod.

nang hindi mo na maramdaman ang patak ng ulan sa iyong balat, tumingala ka.

sa gulat mo, dahil may payong, napasigaw ka.

“HA?” tiningnan mo naman ang may hawak.

“hello,” bati niya.

hindi mo namalayan na yung lalaki kanina ay nasa tabi mo na. ‘nakatawid siguro ‘to nung may hinahalungkat ako sa bag,’ your inner voice says.

“ay, hello po,”

“same school,” reply niya agad.

“huh?”

“you say that a lot,”

ano ba naman kasi ang masasabi mo? the man of your dreams is beside you, at pinapayungan ka pa!

“sabi ko, ‘same school’,”

you squinted your eyes and noticed the familiar logo on his blouse.

fuck, same school pala. bakit ‘di mo siya nakikita? lowkey ba siya? ‘di lumalabas ng room or something?

“oh! let me guess, humss?”

“nadali mo,” napatawa siya. hala, natuwa siya sa’yo. nararamdaman mong nahuhulog ka na.

“woman in stem here!” you smile at him.

gusto mo sana pahabain ang usapan niyo, kaso narinig mo na yung sigaw ng tsuper. that’s your cue to go home.

“sorry, i have to go, ito na sasakyan ko,”

“teka lang, your name?”

“sikreto muna ‘yan,” tugon mo at saka sumakay sa jeep.

bago ka nagbayad ay ipinagdasal mo na ligtas kang makakauwi.

at sana’y ipagtagpo kayo sa ibang araw.

Chapter Text

kinabukasan, nakita mo siyang napaliligiran ng mga babae't lalaki. the sun is highlighting his features and he looks like an ethereal being. it’s as if he was a protagonist of a story, one that you’d read over and over again.

'campus crush pala 'to, shit,' napagtanto mo.

ano naman laban mo? ikaw lang 'to, babae na nakausap niya sa sakayan ng mga jeep. hanggang doon na lang kayo, 'di ba?

hindi niyo makikilala ang isa't isa in a romantic way. sikat siya, ikaw hindi. siguradong marami siyang ibang pwedeng makausap bukod sa'yo. hanggang "admiring from afar" ka na lang.

again.

pero hindi naman masama na umasa ng kahit kaunti, 'di ba? magkukunwari ka na lang na may pag-asa ka sa kanya, despite the chances. happy crush lang naman. hindi naman seseryosohin.

so, imagine your surprise when you see him standing outside your classroom.

"hey, we meet again," tungo niya.

"anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"galit ka ba?" he put a frown on his face and you can't deny that he looks cute.

'damn him and his pretty privilege,' you thought.

"no, i'm not. nagtataka lang ba't ka nandito, may hinihintay ka?" you pause and he opens his mouth but you cut him off, "i can call them if you want."

"ikaw."

"ha?"

"hinihintay kita."

at this, you blush furiously. 'tangina, seryoso ba 'to?' your inside voice screams. paano ka hindi mapupuno ng pag-asa kung lahat ng nagugustuhan mo masyadong pa-fall?

"ano, cat got your tongue?" he chuckles. pati tawa niya ang pogi pakinggan. paano ba 'yan? hindi pa nga kayo magkakilala, nahuhulog ka na.

"gago, hindi," you deny. only because no one's been as smooth as he is. no one’s made your heart race faster than he has. this is a once in a lifetime experience, susulitin mo na bago pa mawala.

“so, um, bakit mo ‘ko hinihintay? and how did you know na ito room ko?!” you raised your voice. sinabi mo lang naman sa kanya kahapon na isa kang ‘woman in stem’ at marami ang babae na nasa strand ng stem. so, how?

“i think you’re forgetting na marami akong kaibigan.”

“ay, hindi. mukha kang loner. malamang, marami kang kilala!”

natawa siya and it dawns on you. napatawa mo siya and you’ve never been more proud of yourself. you made the campus crush laugh.

he sighs, “ang cute mo talaga.”

you pretend you don’t hear him despite his words being as clear as the weather, “ano?”

“nothing. it’s just, hindi mo ba ‘ko tanda?”

“um, you’re the guy i met habang naghihintay ako ng jeep last time?”

“ouch, you really don’t remember?”

“i’m going to be honest, i’d recognize you from everywhere. i have ever since i met you. pero, i have no idea what you’re talking about right now.”

he gasps, as if in disbelief, “hey! ako yung best friend mo nung bata!” he yells and your face contorts into one of disbelief this time.

but memories suddenly flood into your brain, ones with a child who has bright eyes and bright hair, a prodigy who does magic tricks, and then you come back to reality.

“gago! ikaw ‘yon?” tanong mo and he nods enthusiastically.

“grabe! it’s been so long, isang dekada pa nga,” biglaan mo siyang niyakap but he returns it.

‘i wouldn’t have approached you had i not known you,” he thinks.

“andito ka lang pala, inisip-isip ko dati-rati kung saan ka na napadpad,” you beam at him and he can’t help but pat your head.

“lagi naman akong nandito.”