HANGGANG sa makalabas ng apartment building si Gonietta, hindi pa rin mawala sa utak niya ang mensahe ni Adamas. Ano ang ibig sabihin n'yon? Bakit naman malulungkot si Logan?

She just shrugged it off and got a taxi. Nagtungo siya sa Lili Café kung saan nila napag-usapang magkita ni Zaren.

Malapit na siyang dumating. Bago siya lumabas sa taxi, inayos niya muna ang kaniyang buhok at sinuot nang maayos ang hairclip na binigay ni Logan sa kaniya dati pa.

Pagkatapos niyang magbayad, lumabas na siya at pumasok sa café. Nandoon na si Zaren na nag-aabang sa kaniya. Nakasuot ito ng Black Hoodie at pants. Ang kulot na buhok ay medyo umaabot sa round eyeglasses nito.

Nang mapansin siya nitong papalapit. Kaagad itong ngumiti sa kaniya at kumaway. Nawala ang singkit nitong mga mata.

Ang cute.

"Sorry. Naghintay ka ba?" bati niya at umupo sa kaharap nitong upuan.

"Nope. I just got here." Tinawag nito ang waiter at saka um-order. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Ahm . . ." Tinignan niya ang menu. Ito ang unang beses niyang pumasok sa Lili Café. Kadalasan kasi sa café siya kung saan nagtratrabaho si Logan tumatambay.

Nahagip niya sa menu ang Grilled Cheese Sandwich kaya napangiti siya. It was Logan's favorite.

"I'll have Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a Hot Latte," she said while thinking of inviting Logan here some other time. Baka magustuhan din nito ang Lili Café dahil sa Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

"Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Hot Latte . . ." Sinulat ng waiter ang kaniyang order bago binaling ang tingin kay Zaren. "How about you, sir?"

"I'll get an Iced Coffee and a Bacon Sandwich."

Umalis na ang waiter.

"Iced coffee? Ang aga pa," she said, initiating the conversation.

"It's my routine." He smiled. "While others say they prefer to drink something hot in the morning, I want otherwise."

Napatango naman siya. Kakaiba pala taste ng lalaking ito.

"Bakit mo pala naisipang yayain akong lumabas?" She clasped her hands while slightly playing with her fingers. Ayaw niya namang mag-assume kaya mas maagang alamin na niya kung anong pakay nito at bakit siya inimbita.

Date ba 'to? Sabihin mo sanang oo. Gusto kong kiligin!

Muling ngumiti si Zaren. "I've heard from our co-worker that you like coffees. I'm a regular customer here and I used to do this every morning. Naalala lang kita bigla kaya I invited you."

"Ah, ganoon ba." Bahagya siyang napakamot sa kaniyang buhok bago tinuon ang tingin sa labas.

Dapat na ba siyang matuwa dahil naalala siya nito? Ibig bang sabihin n'yon remarkable siya? Ah! 'Di bale na sigurong hindi 'to date, basta naalala siya ng crush niya okay na 'yon sa kaniya.

May i-c-chismis na naman ako kay Logan mamaya.

"So how are you and Logan doing? You might also want to take him here since you two are very close." He put his chin on his palms.

"Iyon din plano ko, pero tikman ko muna Grilled Cheese Sandwich nila. Tingnan natin kung pasok sa lasa ko." Ngumisi siya. "Kung hindi, for sure, hindi rin ito magugustuhan ni Lolo."

Napatawa naman ito. "Mukhang kilalang-kilala mo siya, ah."

"S'yempre, ako pa!" She slammed her chest-- not too hard--to boast herself. "Tagal ko nang kasama 'yon, e."

"So when are you two getting married?"

"Huh?" Napatigil siya sa ginagawa at napatingin kay Zaren. "Anong kasal?"

"Hindi ba kayo?" Pinilig nito ang ulo. "Saka aren't you two living together?"

"What do you mean?!" hiyaw niya. "Walang kami! Magkaibigan lang kami ni Lolo."

"Oh, is that so?" Bakas sa mukha nito ang gulat pero ilang saglit pa ay natawa. "Akala ko kayo."

"Akala mo lang 'yon." Ikaw gusto ko. Gusto niya sanang idagdag pero baka ma-wrong move siya at mailang sa kaniya ang lalaki.

Dumating na ang kanilang order. Mahigit isang oras din silang nagtagal sa Lili Café. Habang kumakain, panay rin ang pag-uusap nila at umiikot lang ito sa kanilang trabaho. Nawala ang sigla niya kanina dahil feeling niya inimbita lang siya ni Zaren para makapag-usap ng gagawin nilang layout sa mga book na nakatuka sa kanila bukas.

"I've made a few sketches. Do you think it fits the demand?" Pinakita nito ang screen ng phone.

Zaren's sketch was a woman in the middle of the sea full of boats and flying lanterns.

Tumango naman siya. "I think okay lang naman siya, but I suggest na lakihan mo pa size ng girl. Na-o-overshadow kasi siya ng ibang objects."

"All right, I keep that in mind. I also think din na medyo hindi nga na-hi-highlight ang presence ng girl." Tiningnan din nito ang sariling sketch. "Anyway, thanks, Gonietta."

Tipid lang siyang ngumiti.

Nag-order muna siya ng isang Grilled Cheese Sandwich for takeout bago lumabas ng café pagkatapos nilang kumain. Pinagbuksan siya ng pinto ni Zaren. Handa na sana siyang lumabas nang may dalawang tao ang biglang dumaan. Natamaan ang kaniyang braso at muntik na siyang matumba.

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin pero kaagad na napalitan ng gulat nang makikila kung sino ito.

Anica Laurien and her husband, Asensio Laurien.

"Sorry, dear. Haharang-harang ka kasi." Anica Laurien looked at her from head to toe before walking out of the café.

Natigilan siya sa kinatatayuan. Saka lang siya nagising nang magsalita si Zaren.

"Okay ka lang?" Kaagad itong lumapit sa kaniya.

She just nodded.

May idadagdag na naman siya sa ichichika kay Logan mamaya.

"NOW, regrets are creeping in. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Adamas shook his head as he looked at Logan who couldn't focus on what he was doing.

Lumabas siya kanina para hindi maisturbo ang lalaki pero dahil naboryo siya sa salas, bumalik na lang siya sa kuwarto nito. Ang akala niya'y may naisulat na ang lalaki pero kahit isang letra man lang, wala pa.

He stared at the color of his emotion and it was filled with the color of regrets and worries. Panay siguro ang pag-iisip nito kung ano na ang ginagawa ni Gonietta at ang lalaking kasama nito.

"You're disturbing me."

Humalakhak naman siya. "Why are you putting the blame on me? You are the one who can't focus. Mag-isip ka na ng plot."

"I will but shut up first. I can't think."

"No one dares to shut me up. But since you are a human who showed compassion to me, I'll let that slide." Kinuha niya ang unan sa kaniyang tabi at pinatong sa isa pang unan na hinihigaan niya. Sumandal siya.

He wanted to take a nap, but the hologram in front of him prevented him from doing it. Kita niya ang progress bar na umaangat. It was still nine percent. It may be slower now but who knows, it might suddenly fasten the moment he closed his eyes, so he might as well keep watch.

And he also needed to find the remaining people he needed to seek revenge.

Biglang sumagi sa isipan niya ang babaeng nakita niya kagabi.

There were figures of smoke coming out from the woman. A smoke of emotion. And it fitted one of the people Noa thought of before she died. He found another one, and that was the woman he met last night.

But the emotion Noa felt towards the woman . . . was different.

It wasn't hatred or anger. It wasn't pain or curses. He saw instead a warm and grateful emotion.

Nangangahulugan din iyon na hindi niya puwedeng saktan ang babae dahil hindi ito isa sa mga taong nanakit kay Noa.

But one thing he was confused about, why did she know him?

The woman called her by his name. And when he heard it, his heart suddenly crumbled. Hindi niya kilala ang babae pero may ibang pakiramdam ang pilit na kumakawala sa kaniya. Kaya no'ng humakbang ito papalapit sa kaniya, kaagad niyang sinira ang bintana sa kuwarto ni Noa para makalayo.

"Damn Adamas, why did you do that?" He hissed when he remembered what stupidity it was. Instead of confronting the woman, he chose to run away.

Bakit niya nga ba iyon ginawa?

Maybe because he felt a sudden fear.

Natatakot siya na baka kapag nagtagal siya roon, hindi niya na pa makikilala ang sarili. Natatakot siya na baka may malaman siyang ikababasag niya. It was quite funny to think that he yearned to find out something but in the moment of an almost truth, he chose to back down in order not to lose himself. He didn't know how he ended up to that conclusion, but he was that scared.

It was scarier than Noa's death.

He couldn't fathom seeing that woman again. At least not yet. Not until he would clear all the confusion in his head.

Nilingon niya si Logan na nagsimula nang magsulat sa notebook. Mukhang may naisip na itong ideya.

Napunta ang tingin niya sa katabi nitong kabinet na nakabukas. At some point, he wanted to know what was inside so he stood up and checked it.

Isang box ang nandoon kaya kinuha niya iyon. Napansin naman ni Logan ang kaniyang ginawa pero pinabayaan lang siya nito at bumalik na sa pagsusulat.

Nilagay niya ang box sa kama at binuksan ito. His head tilted when he found a bunch of photos of Logan and Gonietta from childhood up until they were adults.

He smiled. The two were indeed very close.

How does it feel to grow up with someone?

He never experienced childhood for he was created without it. When he woke up in Fictosa, he was already an adult with childhood memories based on how the book his Noa wrote him.

He knew how he looked when he was a kid. He knew the people who were there, but he never really get to experience it himself because the Odds of Tribes revolved when the characters were already grownups.

Nawili siyang tingnan ito isa-isa hanggang sa mapunta ang tingin niya sa isang imahe na bakas na bakas ang katandaan dahil sira na ang mga gilid nito at naninilaw na rin. Pero kahit na ganoon, kitang-kita niya pa rin ang mga mukha ng dalawang bata.

Biglang nanginig ang kaniyang kamay dahilan para mabitawan niya ang litrato. Nalaglag ito sa kama ngunit hindi pa rin niya inaalis ang tingin doon. Bumalik ang kakaibang pakiramdam niya kagabi.

One kid seemed to look like Logan. And the other one was . . .

"T-this is me."