"Kinilig ka roon, 'no?" 

I gave Clyden the fakest smile ever before sipping on my mango shake. I asked him to meet me in Robinsons Manila so we could talk about the stupid house. I heard my parents talking about it last night. Mayroon na rin silang kausap na agent. I never thought it would be that fast. 

"Why would I be? Ano'ng nakakakilig sa will you marry me when it comes from an asshole like you?" I raised a brow. He shrugged before sipping on his watermelon shake. 

Nakaupo kami ngayon sa table at magkatapat. I chose this place because it was the nearest to his unit. I mean, vacation naman 'ata niya pero roon pa rin siya nakatira sa unit niya so I had to adjust... for now. Hindi ko vacation since I was taking my practicum this summer in a media company. The one Arkin was working for. Hindi ko lang alam kung si Clyden may summer din.

"Last year ko na sa Ateneo this August papahirapan pa 'ko mag-travel from that house to my school?" inis na sabi ko sa kanya. 

"Oh, bakit sa 'kin ka nagagalit?" inis na tanong niya rin sa 'kin. "Ako ba bibili ng bahay? Gusto ko bang kasama ka? Hindi, kaya sa iba mo ilabas galit mo. I suggest, sa dad mo na lang." 

"Can you be serious for a second?" 

He scoffed before leaning on the table to get closer to me. He stared at my eyes which made me feel awkward. 

"Seryoso ako. Akala mo ba nagbibiro ako?" He raised a brow. 

"Okay, so this is the plan. I heard before mag-start 'yong school year nating dalawa, ready na 'yong house. Pwede namang during weekends lang ang uwi roon. Of course, they will hire helpers to spy on us, so we need to go home when we have time-"

"Paano kapag wala akong time?" he cut me off. 

"Then make time," simpleng sabi ko. 

"Wow." He sarcastically laughed. "I can't just 'make' time. For some reason, nagkasundo na lahat ng tao na twenty-four hours lang ang mayroon sa isang araw." 

I groaned and massaged my head in frustration. He was so hard to deal with! I had already met a lot of people, but he was the most difficult one to communicate with! I just wanted a nice conversation, but it ended up with me getting pissed off again. 

"You know, I think there's something wrong with your attitude," I said bluntly. 

"You know what I think? I think there's something wrong with my fucking drink." He stood up and went to the counter, ignoring my words. 

"Good God, please guide me," I prayed silently. 

I watched how he talked to the lady in the counter. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nirereklamo niya sa inumin niya pero hindi naman siya mukhang galit. This guy, really. Kapag talaga may mali, sasabihin niya. He was a vocal person. He was the opposite of me. 

I had always preferred being silent. I was so afraid I would bother people. As much as possible, I wanted to understand the situation first. I always think, what if the person was having a bad day? What if her mom had just died? Or her sibling? Baka makadagdag ako sa problems nila. 

On the other hand, I also knew my silence could make the situation worse, so whenever I talked, I always chose my words carefully. The most important thing to consider when dealing with people was choosing the right words to say. 

Because you can't take them back anymore. 

"Why? What's wrong with your drink?" I asked when he came back with a new cup. 

"I asked for watermelon, and they gave me an avocado." Clyden sat in front of me again. "You were saying?" 

"Oh." I suddenly remembered what we were talking about. "About the house. Wala pa 'kong schedule so I'll update you na lang. Fifteen units lang ako next sem so maluwag siguro ang schedule."

"Tinanong ko ba?" He raised a brow. 

I put my tongue on the insides of my cheek before leaning on the table with an exaggerated fake smile on my face. He bit his lower lip to hide a smirk when I stared at him. 

"Is that what they teach in med school?" I smiled sweetly. 

"No. Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Gynecology, Medicine, Anatomy, Pharmacology, Neurosci-" 

"I get it! Stop it!" I cut him off. "You are the most annoying person I've ever met." 

"What an honor." He sipped on his shake to hide his smirk. 

Kinuha ko na ang bag ko pati ang cup bago tumayo para umalis na. Yes, I should have just texted him about this. Tama nga ang hinala ko. He wouldn't take it seriously. Wala siyang magandang input. I was afraid naman na he wouldn't reply to my texts kapag doon namin pinag-usapan. That guy was making my head hurt. 

I heard his footsteps, and I immediately felt his presence behind me. I stopped walking to look at him, wondering why he was following me. 

"Hatid na kita," he casually said.

"Well, I can go to the parking lot alone. I don't need you to accompany me," I told him. "I have legs. I have eyes. I can move." 

"Weh? Kung hindi mo sinabi, hindi ko pa malalaman," he sarcastically answered. 

Inirapan ko siya at naglakad na ulit papuntang parking lot. Good thing he left and didn't follow me anymore. Mabilis naman pala siyang kausap. Kunwari pang gentleman with his hatid-hatid stuff. He was probably just faking it. 

"How are you, love?" I asked Kierra when she went outside the cubicle while I was washing my hands. 

"Okay lang ako, Sam." She gave me a smile through the mirror. "Kinakaya ko pa." 

"Did you visit Doctor Bautista? The one I referred to you?" 

"Oo. I just had a session last week. Thank you, Sam." 

"Always, Ke." 

Sabay kaming bumalik sa table namin. I asked them to have lunch with me while Yanna was still here. I wanted us to be complete again lalo na't marami silang problema ngayon. We needed to see each other for comfort. 

"Oh, I thought darating si Arkin?" I asked Sevi. 

"Wala, may shoot daw siya, eh. Kayod na kayod si gago." He laughed but also stopped when he glanced at Via. "Mukhang galit ka naman kaagad, Madam Via!" 

"Hindi ako galit," Via told Sevi without looking at him. She was busy eating her pasta. 

"Luna," Kierra called when she saw her cousin staring at the plate for so long. 

"Huh?" Luna looked around, obviously preoccupied by something else. She looked so devastated, and it hurt my heart. "Sino'ng tumawag sa 'kin? Ikaw, Yanna?" 

"Nature. Nature ang tumawag sa 'yo," sagot naman ni Yanna bago tumawa. 

"Inom na lang natin 'yan, Luna! Ano ka ba! Lalaki lang 'yan, si Luna ka! Ang dami-daming isda sa dagat kaya huwag ka na riyan sa pating." Sevi tried to cheer her up. 

"Ikaw, Sevi, puro ka inom. Wala ka nang naisip na solusyon kung hindi inom." Tinapatan siya ni Yanna ng tinidor. 

"Grabe ka naman. Na-hurt ako roon." Sevi playfully held his chest. "Nagbago ka na talaga, Yanna. Hindi na ikaw ang Yannang nakilala ko." 

"Napakaarte mo." Umirap si Yanna. 

Umiling ako at umupo na lang sa may kabisera ng table. I was just watching them argue while eating. I actually missed their loud voices kahit nag-aaway lang silang lahat palagi. Luna was quiet, though. Kierra was trying so hard to cheer her up. 

"Sorry, late!" 

A smile was plastered on my face when I saw Arkin walking towards us. I knew he would come! He texted me earlier that he will, so I trusted him. I gave him a friendly hug before gesturing for him to take his seat. 

"Naka-shades pa si gago," Sevi teased. "Patay ka ngayon! Shades-shades ka pa, ha! Hindi 'yan tatalab, boy!" 

I laughed when Arkin raised his middle finger at him before taking his seat beside Via. 'Yon na lang 'yong bakanteng space, eh. 

"May shoot kasi ako kanina..." I heard him whispering softly. 

Napailing na lang ako at pinagpatuloy ang pagkain habang nakangiti. My heart felt so light whenever I was with them. They always kept my problems away from me. Okay na 'kong pinapanood ko silang masaya. That was enough for me. 

"How's your relationship with Clyden? I hope you're doing well." My mom opened up the topic while we were eating. 

"We are on good terms, Mom," I lied. "I'm doing my best." 

"As you should," she replied. 

"Naomi's already enrolled in Ateneo," Dad said before sipping on his glass. I glanced at Naomi, who was silently looking down at her plate. "Political Science." 

"Is that what you want?" I asked Naomi with my brows furrowed. 

"Of course, that's what she wants. 'Yon ang nilagay niya before she took the test," Dad answered for her. 

"Yes," Naomi answered in a soft voice. 

I just thought she would like something related to art since I noticed that she was an art person. She liked filming stuff and photography. I was actually thinking of buying her a new camera, or maybe I could just give her mine. 

"Where will she stay?" I asked Dad. 

"Here in the house, of course. I hired a driver for her. Hatid-sundo." 

"Maybe she wants to stay in a condo unit or a dorm. The house is a little far from the school." I looked at Naomi with concern. She was quiet the whole time. Hindi man lang siya nagsasalita tungkol sa gusto niya. 

"She can't live independently," my mom answered. "She's still a child." 

Well, hindi pa naman siya eighteen so may sense naman 'yong sinabi ni Mommy. I was just a little worried about her freedom. The freedom my parents took away from me. I didn't want them to do the same to her. 

After dinner, I went upstairs to knock on her door, holding my camera. She opened the door with no emotion at all. 

"Hey," I greeted, smiling. 

"What now? You want to lecture me and act like you really care for me like what you did earlier?" walang emosyong sabi niya.

"What?" My brows furrowed. 

"You're playing 'the good sister,' and it does not suit you, so stop it." Umiwas siya ng tingin. "I told you to stop pitying me. I don't like the look in your eyes." 

"I'm... I'm sorry." I bit my lower lip, hiding the camera behind my back. I felt a bit hurt by her words. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." 

"I am okay. Happy? Now, leave." She closed the door loudly, so I took a step back. 

I sighed heavily before going inside my room again to place the camera back on my desk. I just left it there, hoping that she would borrow it like how she borrowed my makeup. She should feel free to use my things. I actually wouldn't mind. 

For the next two weeks, I was just doing my practicum and earning hours until my dad texted me to check the house they bought in Manila. I tried so hard to calm myself while driving to the address. I just hoped that it would be a beautiful house so it wouldn't be too suffocating to be on the same roof with that asshole. 

I parked my car on the side and looked through the window. Was I in the right address? I took my seatbelt off before I went out of the car to look at the house.

"Wow," I said while looking at the small but modern house in front of me. The walls were painted white and brown. I could see the stairs through the glass wall. May trees din sa side and maganda 'yong garden. I opened the gate. May lights sa daanan papuntang main door. May garage din sa left side. 

"Do you want to go inside?" 

Napalingon kaagad ako nang marinig ang boses niya. Clyden was leaning against his white car with his hand placed inside his Adidas track pants while the other one was playing with some keys. He was just wearing a simple white shirt na may designer brand. 

"You have the key?" My brows furrowed. 

"Obvious ba?" sagot niya bago pumasok sa gate at nilagpasan ako. 

I watched him fumble with the keys before actually opening the main door. He left it open so I could go inside. He turned the lights so I could see the interiors of the house. It was modern. I didn't think my parents would like a modern house. 

"I picked this one." He shrugged. 

"They let you choose?!" gulat na tanong ko. "They didn't even ask me about it." 

"I just suggested. Of course, kung pepwersahin akong tumira sa iisang bahay kasama ang babaeng hindi ko naman kilala, dapat maganda 'yong bahay. Pampalubag-loob na rin. Baka sakaling ganahan akong tumira rito," seryosong sabi niya. 

"You have a good taste. Thanks." I smiled before walking around. The house already had pieces of furniture, but it still looked empty. Marami pang kulang. I went upstairs to look at the rooms. May apat na rooms sa taas and dalawa sa baba. I thought the house was small on the outside but spacious naman siya sa loob. 

I opened the rooms. May master's bedroom na may bathroom sa loob, and the other three rooms were empty. Guest rooms siguro or pwede ring study room. 

"You can have the master's bedroom. I can sleep in the guest room. I'll talk to my mom's designer for this one," I told Clyden when I felt his presence behind me. 

"You can have it. I barely sleep," walang pakialam na sabi niya. 

"You don't?" Lumingon ako sa kanya. "How? I can never survive a day without sleeping." 

"Welcome to med school." He scoffed, looking at the rooms. 

I decided to go downstairs and call my mom about the designer she hired for the house. I agreed to meet her tomorrow. Marami pa silang time para ayusin 'yong bahay. Actually, they can take their time. Ayokong tumira rito kaagad sa simula ng school year even though the house was really lovely. 

"Allergic ka ba sa aso?" Clyden also went downstairs. 

"No, why?" nagtatakang tanong ko. 

"Mas gusto ko nang tumira rito kaysa sa condo. Bawal aso roon, eh. Dadalhin ko mga aso ko rito." Umupo siya sa sofa at tiningnan kung gaano kalambot 'yon.

"Mga aso? How many dogs do you have?" I thought si Summer lang ang aso niya! 

"Tatlo. Baby pa 'yong dalawa," he said like he was pertaining to his children. 

"I like dogs!" excited na sabi ko. I really wanted to have a dog but I was afraid I couldn't take care of it. Since baby pa 'yong dogs niya, mas okay sa 'kin alagaan. Makikilala nila 'ko paglaki.

"Even if you don't like dogs, isasama ko pa rin sila rito. Dogs over you," deretsong sabi niya. 

"You really can't talk without being rude, 'no?" I raised a brow. 

"I can, actually." He put his pointing finger up like he was telling me a fact. "I just like seeing your reaction." 

"What reaction?" 

"That reaction." He pointed at my face and furrowed his brows to copy my reaction. He also parted his lips and glared at me. "That one. You look like Hail." 

"Who's Hail?" What? His ex-girlfriend or what? 

"My Siberian Husky." 

I felt the blood going up to my head. I clenched my fist and inhaled a large amount of air to calm myself down. Did he just compare my face to a... dog? 

"I do not usually say bad words to people, so I will say this in the kindest way possible... Fuck you." I still gave him a smile after saying it. 

His brow shot up as the side of his lips rose in amusement. Mukhang hindi siya makapaniwalang sinabi ko 'yon. He scoffed and shook his head, chuckling. 

"Gladly," he replied, licking his lower lip a little before smirking. 

"What?" My brows furrowed. I didn't get that one. 

"Wala. I'm going now." He stood up and threw the keys in my direction, so I panicked. Mabuti na lang at nasalo ko. "You can have them. I have a spare." 

I became busy once more with designing the house. I met with Sasha, my mom's interior designer, and she helped me get the result that I wanted in my room. I heard she was also meeting with Clyden to discuss his opinions, too. Hindi lang nagkakatugma ang schedule namin. Buti naman. 

I checked the final look of the house before the school year started, and it actually looked so much better than last time. I didn't know if I should be glad that it was already finished or not because I would be forced to move in. 

"Just try staying there for the whole month. Wala ka pa namang masyadong school work since magsisimula pa lang ang sem, right, Maureen?" my mom asked while we were seated in the living room. Two women were doing our nails. 

"I'll try, Mom." I sighed. 

"I don't like hearing 'I'll try,' Sam. The right answer is 'I will.' Never be uncertain." 

I bit my lower lip and slowly nodded. "I will."

I was so stressed out. I wasn't planning to live there during my first week in school, so I had to pack my things quickly in the middle of the night. I made sure I brought all my essentials before I drove to the house. Our house. Ugh, the thought bothered me.

I actually wouldn't mind living a little far from my school, but having to deal with traffic every day will be the cause of my death. 

I parked my car beside Clyden's car before going inside the house, pulling my luggage with me. The door was already opened, a sign that Clyden was already there. I was actually shocked to see three helpers running to help me with my things. Mom already hired pala. 

"Oh my gosh!" I jumped a little when I heard a bark. 

I looked at the puppy, who was on the floor, looking at me. It was a cute Chow Chow. I bent down to give it a pat on the head. 

"Hello!" 

"Maple, come here," I heard Clyden's voice in the kitchen. 

"Can you bring my things to my room, please?" I asked the three ladies, and they nodded. "Thank you!" 

I carried the puppy and walked my way toward the kitchen. Good thing the dog didn't bite me or anything. I think gusto niya 'ko. I hoped so! 

"Oh, akala ko next next week ka pa?" Kumunot ang noo ni Cy nang makita ako. 

"I was forced by my mom. Are you cooking dinner?" nagtatakang tanong ko. I saw him leaning on the countertop, holding a pack of ramen noodles. "It's already nine in the evening. It's way past dinner time."

He looked at the clock and rolled his eyes. "Eh, ano naman? Inggit ka lang 'ata, eh. Gusto mo ba?" 

"No, that's bad for my health. Oh, wait, you should know that, right?" I smiled at him. 

"Let me enjoy my ramen peacefully, please." He raised his brows. 

I shrugged before going upstairs to fix my things. They delivered my things inside the master's bedroom! Nilipat ko tuloy sa kwarto ko. My room was smaller, but the space was enough for me. I put my clothes inside the closet. Walang bathroom sa loob ng kwarto so kailangan ko pang lumabas at ilagay ang essentials ko sa bathroom. 

"Akala ko sa master's bedroom ka?" Clyden asked in the hallway. 

"No, I have my own room." Nilagpasan ko siya. Nakita kong pumasok siya sa room niya, just in front of mine. A cute little Husky followed him inside before he closed the door. So walang magii-stay sa master's bedroom, huh. 

After fixing my things, I went outside my room again to shower. Hindi ko na naabutan ulit na lumabas si Cy sa room niya hanggang sa makatulog ako. The next day, I woke up around five in the morning to take a shower. Kailangan maaga since malayo 'yong school. My first class was at nine. I just needed to be safe. 

Tote bag lang ang dala ko nang bumaba ako sa kitchen. I was actually surprised to see Clyden pouring water on the glass. He was up early. 

"You have school?" I asked while looking for a sandwich inside the fridge. 

"Do I look like I have school?" He looked at his clothes. He was wearing a black sando and a pair of black athletic shorts. He was a bit sweaty, so I assumed that maybe he exercised. 

"Wala ka pang class?" I curiously asked. 

"Bukas pa," he answered before drinking water. 

I took a bite on the bread before placing my white hydroflask on the breakfast table. Kumuha ako ng water at sinalin 'yon doon. Tumaas ang kilay niya habang pinapanood akong magsalin ng tubig. 

"Lahat ba talaga kayo may ganyan?" nagtatakang tanong niya.

"What?" I closed my flask and put it inside my tote bag. Inubos ko na rin ang bread na hawak ko.

"Wala," he whispered, shaking his head. 

I rolled my eyes before going inside the bathroom again to brush my teeth. Pagkalabas ko, Clyden was already putting water on three dog bowls. He placed them on the floor. Kinuha ko na ang bag ko at ang car keys ko para umalis na. 

"I'm going now," I still told him. 

"Should I act rude or act nice today?" he asked me. 

"What will you say if I choose the latter?" I raised a brow. 

"Ingat ka," he simply said. 

"The other option?" 

"Ingat ka." He shrugged. 

I bit my lower lip to hide a smirk before leaving the house. Sumakay ako sa kotse at nag-drive na paalis. I traveled for an hour since hindi pa masyadong traffic. I arrived early for my class so I went to Gonz first to meet my friends. 

"Oh, you drove to school?" Rylee asked when she saw my car keys. 

"Yeah. I just have this... situation." I smiled before sitting down. "Anyway, I hope the prof is nice 'no?" 

"Heard she doesn't curve." Alex shook her head. 

"We're seniors. Come on. We should be used to that already." I laughed. "Good thing the sched is not that tight, right?" 

"This year, I'll get a boyfriend. How about you, Sam?" Delly asked. "You're close with Adonis. Are you sure nothing's going on between the two of you? Hmm?" 

"Come on! We're just friends!" I laughed. "Speaking of. He's actually on his way here na." 

"Yo, what's up?! First day na first day mukha kayong may pinagmemeeting-an, ah! What is it? Spill the tea!" Adi sat beside me, greeting my friends. 

"Adi, can you shut the hell up for a second?" Kalix sat beside him too. Hindi nila kasama si Leo and Amethyst, huh. Maybe hindi pa rin sila okay. 

"Aga-aga, ang KJ ni KJ! Ganyan talaga kapag broken." Adonis laughed. "Sam, long time, no see! Namiss kita, ah." 

"Missed you, Adi." I laughed.

We went to our class before nine, so we had to leave Adonis and his friends. Wala akong masyadong subjects so tumambay muna kami ng friends ko sa mall. I was thinking if I should take out some chicken wings for Clyden or not. 

He would probably give a meaning to it so huwag na lang. Hindi ko pa naman nababasa 'yong utak niya. He was so unpredictable. 

"You're going home already?" Rylee asked after a bucket of beer. After sa mall, uminom muna kami around Katipunan. I only had one beer since magda-drive pa 'ko. 

"Yes, babe." I kissed their cheeks before waving my hand. "Take care of her, guys!" And then I left. 

It was such a bad idea to go home late since the traffic was so terrible on my way back. I gathered all the patience I had. Nakinig na lang ako sa music para hindi ako mainis pag-uwi. 

"Hello!" I greeted Summer when I saw her at the door. She was wagging her tail, so I gave her a pat on the head before entering the house. Sumunod siya sa likod ko. "Oh, hey," I greeted Clyden, who was reading a book.

"Ginabi ka 'ata," he said without looking at me. 

He was about to go upstairs but stopped beside me. His brows furrowed when he looked at me, closing the book he was holding. He was reading, so he was wearing glasses. 

"Did you drink?" nagtatakang tanong niya. 

"A bit," I answered honestly. 

He scratched his nose a little, not pleased with the smell. What? Nangamoy ba 'ko kahit beer lang naman ang ininom ko? Isa lang 'yon. Wala namang effect sa 'kin.

"You shouldn't drink and drive," seryosong sabi niya. 

"Hey, you don't like the smell of beer?" I asked. He was still holding his nose. 

He sighed heavily before going upstairs. I thought he wouldn't give me an answer, but he suddenly stopped on the steps to look at me. 

"I don't drink," he said before walking away. 

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:)