CLINGY si Kuya Migo.

Alam ni Maureen 'to. Napaka-clingy niya kay Ate Jiya, nagkaka-demonic episode siya kapag 'di sila nagkaka-alone time kasi busy sila pareho—si ate niya sa trabaho, si kuya niya sa med school.

Feeling ni Maureen malapit na rin siya magka-demonic episode.

Shared genetic trait ba 'to ng mga Salas? Curious lang siya.

Hindi kasi talaga active si Kuya Inggo sa social media. His IG is empty except for the occasional stories na pang-close friends lang kasi marami siyang followers. Wala siyang Twitter, and his Facebook has a bunch of flies from the way it's rotting. Alam niyang may GC siya with his college barkada, pero wala na siyang ibang kinakausap do'n unless kailangan raw sa school.

Sa text lang talaga and FaceTime, and Maureen is lucky he's giving her both as much as he can kahit ga'no siya ka-busy. Buti nga at hindi niya pinapansin yung message at friend requests niya na puno.

Kailangan lang ni Maureen i-remind ang sarili niya that he can't drive to Blue and back all the time. Mahal ang gasolina, ang tindi ng traffic, and the time it takes to get there and back to his condo are already three hours spent away from studying. Kaya nga pagdating niya sa Blue, he just lays beside Maureen or gathers her in his lap while he studies.

Nakakapagod ang setup para kay Kuya Inggo, but he's doing his best to make the effort without complaints because he wants to see her and she wants to see him.

Wala sa plano o schedule nila na magkita tonight kasi may study session daw siya for his finals. He can't afford the exhaustion and the trip, so si Maureen na lang ang bibisita sa kanya.

Alam niyang nakikitira minsan si Kuya Inggo kila Ate Jiya and Kuya Migo because it's lonely raw sa condo niya. When they went to Tagaytay for their anniversary, si Kuya Inggo ang nag-stay sa bahay nila at nag-welcome pa sa kanila pabalik.

'Tsaka Maureen hasn't been inside his condo yet.

'Di naman siya kinakabahan because she's pretty sure no one else has been in there, either. Sa mga calls nila, parang memorize na nga ni Maureen ang interior.

"Kuya!" Maureen screeches when he opens the door, hugging him. "I have dinner!"

"Mau!" He hugs her back. "Thank fuck. Pasok ka."

Ate Jiya runs to the front door, brushing past a frozen Kuya Inggo. "Hi, Mau!"

"Ate Ji—" Her breath catches when she steps inside their home.

Maureen will never get used to how Kuya Inggo manages to make all her organs shuffle and her knees crumble with just one look.

Para bang bumubukas-sara ang pinto ng puso niya, welcoming him home. Parang nagtatanggal na ng sapatos si Kuya Inggo sa labas.

Too long! reklamo ng puso niya. Too long without him.

A weekend ago pa sila nagkita, when he cooked French toast in nothing but his jeans and she hugged him around the waist from behind while they sang to Love Story and Back to December.

Two nights ago pa yung last FaceTime nila, tapos nakatulog pa si Kuya Inggo in the middle of Iron Man 2.

"You're so pretty," he mouths from behind Kuya Migo and Ate Jiya.

Bawal siyang mag-breakdown sa kilig dito. Maureen smiles again at her Ate Jiya. "Ate! I had time after class so naisip ko kayong dalawin. I have dinner. Hi, Kuya Inggo."

He clears his throat and waves. "Hi."

Ate Jiya hugs her tight and brings her to the kitchen. "How's school?"

"Wait!" Kuya Migo follows the girls. "Mau, paano ka nakarating dito? Nag-Grab ka ba mag-isa?"

Maureen rolls her eyes at her brother's question as she and Ate Jiya prepare the table. "Kuya, I'm not stupid. I asked a friend for a ride."

"O so paano ka babalik sa Katip?"

She's not. She shrugs. "I can call him—"

"Hatid ko," sabi ni Kuya Inggo, just as she expected, staring at her. "My motorcycle's here. Tapos uwi na rin ako sa condo."

O 'di ba.

Iuuwi niya tayo, kilig na sabi ng demonyo niya.

Ate Jiya raises her eyebrow. "Wow, mag-e-evacuate ka na?"

Kuya Inggo gives her a lopsided grin that makes Maureen's toes curl. "Hindi. Babalik rin ako bukas."

Her kuya claps his back. "Salamat. May extra helmet ka 'di ba?"

"Siyempre."

Tetsuo is an Atenean favorite kaya alam ni Maureen na hindi siya nagkamali sa orders niya. Two sets each kay Kuya Migo and Kuya Inggo, tig-isa kay Ate Jiya 'tsaka sa kanya.

The lovebirds go to sit next each other, busying themselves with the food. Before Kuya Inggo sits down next to Maureen, his hand quickly brushes her shoulder, fingers on her bra strap to fix it back in place under her top.

That simple gesture, like it's so natural for him to do it, has her wanting to make out with him violently.

"De Paz, may meeting tayo mamaya," sabi ni Kuya Migo, tinuturo kay Kuya Inggo ang chopsticks. "Meeting tungkol sa ambag mo dito sa bahay na 'to bukod sa pagiging isang gulo. Dinalhan ka pa talaga ng kapatid ko ng pagkain, ah."

Kuya Inggo winks at him. "This is our family home, Migo."

"Family mo mukha mo, maghanap ka muna ng girlfriend."

Maureen bites her lip when Kuya Inggo curls his foot around her calf under the table.

Maureen de Paz. Maureen Salas de Paz.

Oh my God, mhie, ang gandaaaaaaaaa.

"Single by choice ako," sabi ni Kuya Inggo. His free hand slides up her knee.

"Anong single by choice? Tangina mo, panget. Marami ka pang kailangan patunayan."

"Cute mo, Miguel. 'Pag nasa kanal."

"Bobo!"

"Bobo ka ren!"

"Boys," sabi ni Ate Jiya with a sigh. To Maureen, she says, "See what I have to deal with every day, Mau?"

She grins. "I think you're doing a great job of keeping both in check."

"I need a helping hand with this one," turo niya kay Kuya Inggo. "Pati ako ginugulo ng batchmates nila para makalapit sa kanya, bwisit."

"Natutulog lang kasi si gago tuwing breaks," sabi ni Kuya Migo, natatawa. "'Di na nag-pi-ping pong. Umaayaw na nga sa mga yaya sa labas o clubs o bars 'pag Friday nights kaya siguro hinahanap-hanap siya."

"Well, tell Kaye na hindi niya mahahanap si Inggo from me," inis na sabi ni Ate Jiya. "Dami-daming messages ni gaga sa IG ko. Pwede raw kaming maging besties kasi besties kayo ni Migo."

Ang lakas ng tawa ni Kuya Migo. "Ampota!"

Tumatawa rin si Kuya Inggo, tapos sabay pa talaga silang nag-fist bump at nagsabi na, "Besties!"

"Gusto ka n'on?" tanong ni Maureen sa special friend niya in a polite tone.

Tiningnan siya ni Kuya Inggo. "Rinn, maraming may gusto sa 'kin." At talagang he winks at her pa.

She stomps her foot down on Kuya Inggo's.

"Aaa—!"

Tiningnan siya nina Ate Jiya at Kuya Migo.

"Aaaaaaaansarap ng chicken, putangina." Tapos nilamon niya yung isang buong piece na may matching moan.

"Oy, study session at eleven!" reminder ni Kuya Migo kay Kuya Inggo habang palabas ng bahay. "'Wag kang mag-absent, kailangan natin ng tulong. May reviewer do'n na i-sha-share sina Hailey at Kaye."

"'Ge!"

"Ingatan mo kapatid ko, potangina ka! Mau, text me!"

When they finally go inside and Maureen gets on his bike, kinurot niya si Kuya Inggo sa tiyan.

His jaw drops as he clutches his stomach. "Rinn!"

"Maraming may gusto sa 'yo?!" sigaw ni Maureen. "E 'di do'n ka sa kanila! Stop the car!"

"Stop the car, ampota," tatawa-tawang sabi ni Kuya Inggo, squishing her cheeks together. "'Di pa nga gumagana! Ang cute cute naman ng girlfriend—ay, special friend—ko."

Inis pa rin si Maureen sa kanya pagpasok niya ng condo tapos kinakanta-kantahan siya ni Kuya Inggo na parang okay ang lahat kasi maganda boses niya 'tsaka cute siya.

"You're all I'm thinking of," kanta niya very, very loudly sa Justin Bieber song, forcibly turning her around in his arms. "Girl, you ain't my runner-up! And no matter what, you're always number one!"

Maliit lang ang condo ni Kuya Inggo, parang ang unit niya sa Blue. May kitchen, a dining table for two people, a couch, and a TV. Across the single bed is the desk that stretches across one wall.

Nag-shower muna si Kuya Inggo (may kasama pa talagang invitation for her) bago siya ihatid pabalik sa Katip.

She wishes she can stay, pero may pasok sila pareho bukas.

Maureen runs her fingers over his desk. Puro books, notes, test papers. When she opens one drawer, laking gulat na lang niya when she sees her face staring back at her.

Isang pile ng pictures. Puro sa kanya. The twenty-five na s-in-end niya kay Kuya Inggo in exchange for his grad pics.

Masaya na sana siya, e. Her heart is bursting.

Masaya dapat siya when she launches himself in his arms. Napa-"oof" lang si Kuya Inggo sa lakas ng talon niya pero he catches her with ease as she wraps her legs around his waist. He's laughing and kissing her head and hair. "Nasa banyo lang ako, Rinn, miss mo na 'ko agad? Sabi ko sa 'yo dapat sumama ka, e."

"I love this condo," she whispers. "I love your bed."

Alam na ni Kuya Inggo kung bakit.

"My bed loves you, too," he whispers back, kissing her temple. "Tara, test natin."

Masaya dapat siya when napatagal nang slight ang nap nila kasi gusto pa niya makasama si Kuya Inggo at hindi naman siya umayaw.

Pero sa car, habang natutulog si Maureen when Kuya Inggo tells her kailangan na talaga niyang ihatid pabalik sa Katip, narinig niya si Kuya Inggo sa phone.

"Migo, pwede pa-record na lang ng study session, ma-la-late ako. Mga dalawang oras. Basta, may ginagawa. Nakakapagod at hassle. Oo, alam ko, 'di na lang ako matutulog, nag-nap naman ako kanina. Okay. Salamat."

Kaya nga hindi siya pinuntahan ni Kuya Inggo kasi wala siyang oras. Oo nga pala at may study session siya that he just missed, that he's missing...because he's taking her back to Katip.

Nag-offer naman si Maureen mag-Grab na lang pero hindi siya pumayag especially since late na.

Is she changing him? Sabi ni Kuya Migo kanina na hindi na siya pumupunta sa bars or clubs after school, madalas nagpa-pass kapag in-i-invite ng friends niya lumabas. Natutulog during breaks kasi pagod siya, pumupunta pa kasi ng Blue at pabalik 'tsaka kausap pa si Maureen nang gabi at tinutulungan pa minsan sa statistics. Minsan, nagmo-movie pa sila sa request niya.

Is she being too much? Is this thing between them too much for him?

Hinatid pa siya sa taas sa unit niya even though Maureen said he doesn't have to.

"Night." Kuya Inggo kisses her cheek. "Sige na, panaginipan mo na 'ko."

It makes her smile. "Goodnight, Kuya Inggo. Drive safe, text me when you're home."

He looks so tired, but he smiles back and winks. "Will do, baby."

Ngayon lang napansin ni Maureen ang pagod niya because she's been too busy floating in dreamland dahil in-e-effort-an siya ni Kuya Inggo.

Hindi niya napansin kung ga'no ka-effort pala.

Pagod si Kuya Inggo.

Sa kanya o sa kanila o sa bihaye, hindi na alam ni Maureen.