•••••Raven's POV•••••

Today is weekend and we are taking the day off. After what happened at the concert and at the hospital, our mentor filed a report to the headmaster stating that we should take a rest after what happened.

I did not slaughter Benedict. I only broke some of his bones and defeated him. The Blandon High authorities took care of him to stay him out of the public. Our mentor wanted us to interrogate the enemy, but only after he regains consciousness.

In addition to that, I have been in my room ever since. I was discharged from the hospital two days ago and I did not want to go out of this room ever.

"Fuck this!" Hindi ko rin maiwasang mainis dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin umuuwi si Ethan.

I have been calling him more than a hundred times now pero ang gago, hindi talaga sumasagot.

Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga at tumingin sa labas ng bintana. Even if I did not open the window for the wind to enter, I can still feel its freshness. The place is so calm and if it was not for Ethan's stupidity, I would have enjoyed it now.

In the amid of thinking about where could Ethan might be, my attention was stolen by a car parking near our house. Pamilyar ang kotse kaya hinintay ko ang paglabas ng kung sino man ang nasa loob. When the door opened and the person inside stepped out, I realized kung bakit pamilyar sa akin ang kotse.

My phone in hand, I quickly went out of my room and headed downstairs.

"Open the door."

"P-Po?"

"Quit playing deaf and obey me." Nataranta naman yung katulong namin kaya dali-dali niyang binuksan ang pinto.

Paglabas ko nang bahay ay nakita ko si Blade na nakatayo lang sa labas ng gate ng bahay namin.

"Raisin. I was gonna ring the doorbell." he said and waved at me.

"What are you doing here?" I raised a brow at him because I did not expect him to come here.

"I just figured the team should go out. Unfortunately, unavailable sina Maura, Hades, at Reo-sensei. Gusto ko sanang sulitin ang leave na binigay sa'tin ni sensei, e," Napakamot siya sa kanyang ulo. "I was really hoping na papayag ka. Besides, I texted and called you na pupuntahan kita dito. Hindi mo ba na-receive?"

Umiling ako sa tanong niya. Pero chineck ko ang phone ko para siguraduhing nagsasabi siya ng totoo. Then I saw Blade's two missed calls and four messagesーall saying that he is coming here in my house.

"Sorry," I sighed as I put my phone in my pocket. "I just got busy with something. Prolly the reason why I did not notice your message." I looked at Blade who went silent and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Totoo ba yung narinig ko? Nag-so-sorry ka sa akin?" Tinuturo-turo pa niya ang sarili niya habang nagtatanong.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You are such a bothersome. Can you please stop being so surprised everytime I get respectful?" Geez. This jerk is so hard to deal with.

I was even more irritated when he burst into laughter, which makes him more annoying.

"Sorry, you're just so cute when you do that," He paused and smiled at me kaya nakadama na naman ako ng something weird sa tiyan ko. Seriously? What is with this feeling? I would literally puke if these are butterflies. Lumapit pa si Blade sa gate at tinuro ito. "Uh, could you let me in, please?"

Without any other choice, I just opened the gate and let the idiot in. Besides, my guardian is not here. So, obviously I can let someone in whenever I want to.

After closing back the gate, I beckoned to Blade. Baka makita na naman kami nung matandang kaibigan ni Ethan at mapagkamalan na talagang mag-jowa kami ni Blade. Having that kind of thought is so disgusting.

"Ikaw lang mag-isa dito? Nasaan ang kapatid mo?"

Pumunta kami sa dining area at nagpahanda ako ng pagkain sa mga katulong namin. Our dining table is long as if we have a lot of visitors everyday. Kaya kapag kumakain kami ni Ethan ay pinapasali niya ang mga katulong namin para ma-occupy lahat ng mga seats.

I sat in my usual chair and Blade just sat right across me.

"I am not aware where Ethan is," The maids served us the foods I told them to prepare and arranged it properly on the table. "In fact, not anyone in this house knows."

Blade gave me a confused look. "Tinawagan mo na ba siya?" I nodded. "He must be working on with something, right? Isang CEO naman siya, 'di ba? Siguro may mga last-minute business meetings lang o ano." I could not completely agree with him.

I was staring at my favorite hot steak with cheddar sauce in front of me. It was steaming hot and it was making my appetite shake. However, I could not seem to take a bite.

"He promised me," Napahigpit ang hawak ko sa aking knife and fork. "He promised me that he will go home. He promised me that he will tell me everything pero hindi siya umuwi. It is been almost a month since I last saw him and he never even called me once."

Hindi naman ako nakakaramdam ng ganito kay Ethan but this seems different now. Somehow, my feelings have changed and I do not know if it is a good or a bad thing.

"Look... I don't know how to cheer up, Raisin, but," Tiningnan ni Blade yung pagkain sa kanyang plato tapos tumingin ulit sa akin. "Wanna go out? Magpalamig ka sa labas. Sasamahan kita."

My eyes slightly widened in surprise. Hindi ko inakalang sasabihin niya iyon sa akin. Napangiti na lang ako at tumayo sa pagkaka-upo.

"Then let us go. Your treat, Blade."

"Pero paano itong mga pagkain na pinahanda mo?"

Binalingan ko ng tingin yung isang katulong na nagbabantay sa amin kung sakaling may kailangan ako.

"Hey. You can have all of the foods on the table. Just... feel free to eat whatever you like from the fridge if you wanna have some dessert."

Nanlaki yung mga mata niya sa sinabi ko at medjo nataranta.

"T-Talaga po?" She can not seem to believe what I just said. "S-Sigurado ho b-ba kayo. E, m-mamahalin po k-kasi ang m-mgaー"

"For goodness' sake, do not make me change my mind. Just call your friends and have it all now, okay?" Dali-dali naman siyang napatango at nag-bow sa harapan ko.

"M-Maraming salamat po t-talaga, madam Raven!"

Hindi ko na lang iyon pinansin at sinenyasan si Blade na hintayin ako. Umakyat muna ako sa kwarto para magbihis lang ng casual clothes. I also brought my mask just in case. Matapos kong magbihis ay naghihintay na sa labas ng bahay si Blade, sa harap ng sasakyan niya.

"You know, gamitin mo kaya yang iba ninyong sasakyan. Madami naman, e." Ngumuso pa siya sa garage namin kung saan naka-parking ang aming mga sasakyan.

"Those are Ethan's. Besides, I do not usually use that cars. I have my own car, it is in the U.S. I prefer to drive it there than here." sabi ko.

He clapped his hands slowly. "Sana all mayaman."

"Mayaman ka rin naman, 'di ba?" I looked at him blankly. "Stop talking as if you are not."

Napatawa siya ng mahina. "Not as much as you. Pero ang importante, buhay tayo." He opened the front seat door for me.

"Whatever, Blade," Pumasok ako sa loob ng kotse. "And, please, do not open the door again for me. I can open it."

-----

"What the hell is this place?"

What the hell? I can not believe this! Why did Blade bring me here?

I roamed my eyes around the crowded place where lots of people are chattering, children running around playing, street vendors busy cooking foods at the side of the street and it is so weird that there are so many people buying it. Morover, at the center of the place, there is a mini playground. There are swings and slides. It is not that much, but there are a lot of kids playing.

I annoyingly turned to face Blade who is standing behind me.

"Blade, what is this place? It is so crowded and hot!"

"Raisin, this is what you call a plaza. There are a lot of street foods here na gusto kong matikman mo." He smiled at me and I want to wipe it off of his face.

"Akala ko ba sinabi mo na magpalamig tayo? But it turns out to be quite the opposite, Blade!" I turned around before I could punch his face. Goodnes! He tricked me into going to this kind of place. "I thought we were going to the mall."

"Come on, Raisin. 'Wag kang arte. Gusto ko rin namang masanay ka sa mga ganitong lugar." He reached out for my hand and pulled me towards a vacant bench near the mini playground.

Knowing he would take me here, I would have stayed at home to eat my favorite steak with cheddar sauce.

I sat on the bench. "But I do not like it in here. Hindi naman sa nangdidiri ako or what but this kind of place does not suit my taste."

Kumuha nang isang handkerchief si Blade sa kanyang bulsa at binigay ito sa akin.

"Pinagpawisan ka na," At first I was hesitant to accept it, but I accepted it anyway. It is so hot in here. "Ayaw mo bang makitang masaya ang mga bata, Raisin? Their smiles are so heartwarming and it melts my heart so much." He pointed at the children playing at the mini playground.

Indeed, it is nice being a child and I am envious to the fact that at a very young age, they are able to be free. I was not a free child when I was a kid. I was just staying in my room all day and night. Studying. Training.

Nevertheless, children are innocent and supposedly has nothing to do with the atrocious acts of man in the world.

I did not realize that I have been silent for a couple of minutes until I heard Blade sighed.

"Stay here, Raisin," Tumayo siya at pinuntahan ang isang street vendor para kausapin ito.

Blade is innocent, too. He just wanted to share some positive vibes with me and wants me to get used to public places. And yet, it seems like I ruined it.

After a few minutes, Blade came back carrying two plastic cups in both hands with some orange circles in it.

"Here," Inabot niya sa akin ang isang cup. I felt reluctant kaya napatawa siya sa akin. "Don't worry. Masarap ito."

Kinuha ko iyon at tinitigan ito. It is like a giant orange floating in a deliciously good-looking sauce inside a plastic cup.

Blade sat beside me and I saw how he ate the giant orange with sauce.

"Hinay-hinay lang sa pagkain niyan, Raisin, ha? Unlike me, hindi ka pa sanay sa mga ganyang pagkain," Kumain ulit siya, pagkatapos ay nagsalita ulit. "Tinatawag namin itong kwek-kwek. Pambansang street food ito kaya confident ako na magugustohan mo ito."

"Kwek-kwek?" I raised the cup and looked at it again. "Never heard and seen this before."

May plastic fork sa loob ng plastic cup kaya yun na lang ginamit ko para kainin itong tinatawag ni Blade na kwek-kwek.

"Nilagyan ko na 'yan ng disposable fork para mas lalo kang hindi mahirapan," Blade smiled like an innocent child. "Kinausap ko talaga ang street vendor na kaibigan ko na pasarapin iyan. Gusto ko kasing maging masaya ka."

I suddenly felt my cheeks burning. I could not let him see that so I just ate the kwek-kwek. Ethan never let me eat these kinds of foods kaya first time ko talaga ito. I have also never been in a plaza.

Nang kainin ko ang kwek-kwek, hindi ako nakapaniwala na nasasarapan ako. This food is nothing like I have ever tasted before. I felt a tiny egg inside of it. Parang isang vessel lang yung kulay orange para sa tiny egg na nasa loob.

"Quail egg?" He nodded.

"Do you like it?"

I swallowed the food first before answering him. "Y-Yeah."

Inubos ko yung kwek-kwek and honestly, I wanted some more. But I am a bit embarassed because I am literally not used to this.

"Let me guess," Blade leaned closer to me. "You're still craving for more kwek-kwek?"

-----

"Seriously, Raisin?" Blade burst into laughter again inside the car. "Ilang kwek-kwek na ang nakain mo tapos gusto mo pa talagang kumain ng cake sa mall?"

"What is so wrong with that?" I am still craving for kwek-kwek inside his car. Ilang kwek-kwek na rin ang nakain ko but I am still craving for more. Kaya pinadalhan na lang kami ng maraming kwek-kwek ng kaibigan na street vendor ni Blade. For free.

I love it, actually. If Ethan was here, I wonder what his reaction would be like. Knowing that I just broke some of his rules.

"Tataba ka talaga niyan."

"Blade, it is red velvet cake we are talking about," I paused for a minute to take another bite of this delicious orange-like food. "Of course, I can not afford to lose it."

Blade laughed again. He stopped the car when the traffic light turned to red. I did not take it seriously, though, since I am so busy eating my favorite street food now.

"Geez. I think it's going to rain," Bigla akong napahinto sa sinabi niya. "Mukhang maaabutan tayo ng ulan, Raisin."

Suddenly, I lost my appetite. As much as I wanted to eat kwek-kwek, I just could not bring myself to do it. My hands are shaking a little and it felt even colder here inside the car.

"Raisin, ayos ka lang?" I could hear the sound of worry in Blade's voice.

"A-Are we t-there yet?"

"H-Huh? Malapit na. Bakit?"

"Just... Drive faster. Please."

I felt Blade's quick gaze on me, but I never met his eyes. Without saying anything, the car started running so fast.

I hugged myself too tight because my body is shaking.

When we reached the mall's parking lot underground, I quickly stepped out of the car and headed for the elevator to enter the mall. Blade did not say anything. But he managed to keep up with my pace and just followed me.

When we entered the mall, I took a deep breath and sat on a bench just near us.

"Raven," Blade came closer to me and sat beside me. "Are you okay?"

Tinatakpan ko ang mga taenga ko. Even if I am covering it, I can still hear the sound of the rain very clearly. Ayokong marinig iyon. However, seeing other people coming from the entrance with their coats and umbrella soaking wet, I just can not seem to unsee it.

Ngayon ko lang na-realize na malapit pala kami sa entrance at kitang-kita ko ang pagpatak ng ulan. Gustohin ko mang umalis malayo sa entrance, my feet will not listen. Nawalan na ako ng lakas na tumayo at lumakad palayo.

I felt Blade looking at where I was looking at. I am pretty sure he is waiting for my answer as well.

"The rain... It looks like blood."