Chapter 2

The Blind

The Bet of Life. That's what Lan called the betting game that involved using specific dares that could affect our lives. Examples include living in a mountain for a month, using a bicycle everywhere for 3 weeks, or making a woman fall in love in 9 days. The bet depends on each player. If it's a positive promise, it'll be given to the winner and if's a negative one, it'll be for the loser. It's a game made for pairs, that way there are numerous winners and losers. Lan said it's more exciting that way. He even provided contracts. What a mindful lawyer. I couldn't even imagine how he came up with such an odd game.

"Now, now. Let's pick our partners. For fairness, let's draw lots," Lan said in utter seriousness. I felt skeptical with his rarely used tone. Should I join or not? I am not entitled to join such a silly game. "All of us should join. If you won't join, we'll all strip you naked. If you fail to help strip someone naked, we'll also strip you naked. If you won't follow me, I'll send my men in and strip you all naked."

Ha. I groaned inwardly. I should've known. This guy can be diabolic at times.

"Haha! Exciting," a sleazy and lazy voice said. It's one of our best friends, Avicii.

"Count me in," a deep serious voice uttered with resolve. It's Hack, still one of our best friends.

"Ah. I can't believe I'm doing this!" a grouchy masculine voice exclaimed with a grunt. That's Spaise, the irritable one in our five-man best friend circle.

Some acquaintances of ours were hesitant at first but after a few words from the "lawyer" of the group, they said they're joining as well. There's a contract of course and breaking it would need a hundred million dollars. It's certainly unbelievable. I'm quite sure it's something illegal for forcing people to join such a game but who would dare anger Lan? He has the power and the money to back everything up. If the government of the country can be converted to shares, Lan's family owns 20% of it. It's a terrifying fact.

"How about you, Q?" Lan asked and I could already imagine his grinning face.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I asked with a sigh.

"Nope! Hahahaha! Now, let's draw lots for the partners! We have 10 men and 8 women but it won't matter. We'll just have pairs of nine. We'll use an app that can choose the pairs."

Lan sounded really prepared. Why is he doing this exactly?

After a few minutes, we already heard the app speak. The voice was feminine yet robotic.

"Good day, master. I will now be randomly pairing the names provided. Erlan and Vince. Josh and Pam. Lan and Reve. Spaise and Hack. Avicii and Ren. Wary and Juris. Froile and Eren. Purah and Nelli. Quentin and Wynfrost."

After hearing the name paired up with mine, a click sounded in my brain. I knew it. Lan wanted to play as a matchmaker between that painter woman and I. What a stubborn guy.

I shook my head in amusement. He'll never have his way. Even the woman she brought with him was already taken.

"Oh wow!" I heard the others exclaim with chuckles and fits of laughter.

"What now?" Spaise said after a while. He's clearly pissed to be partnered with Hack. The latter always win in games. That's why we call Hack the lucky gamer, though he insists that he had the skills to win anything.

"Put a promise at stake before playing," Lan said happily.

We all thought for a while. I even heard some curses since they didn't know what to pick. Some even consulted Lan as if it was the greatest burden in their lives.

I just shrugged it off after picking something common.

"Are you all ready?" I heard hesitant affirmations as well as joyous remarks. "Okay ladies and gentlemen. Write your stakes on the contract."

"I'll write your stake," an enthusiastic voice sounded from beside me so I was surprised. It's Wynfrost. I really couldn't familiarize myself with her name. It sounded like something from a fantasy movie. I turned my head and then faced her. "You know, when I first looked at you, you really look like you could see me. Your bright brown eyes look cold yet I still feel their stare. Damn. When you blink like that, it really looks like you're looking at me." I was speechless by her words. Is it because she's an artist that she talks a lot? She even tells me what she noticed about me. Is that...normal? For a woman I just met? "Are you feeling uncomfortable with what I said?"

She's too straightforward yet I couldn't really tell her that. We aren't close to begin with.

"It's a free country," I muttered.

"Sorry," she mumbled under her breath so my brows met. Does she always apologize to others even though she means what she says? "I tend to ramble on when I want to say something. I can't hold my horses sometimes. I say something then regret and then just take it back."

It is weird that she's even explaining these kind of things to me. We could barely pass as acquaintances and here she is talking about herself, yet she isn't praising her characteristics and personality but just speaking what comes out of her mind. Blunt. Honest. Straightforward and a little self-centered.

An eccentric, I suppose. Numerous artists are.

"Are you all writing your promises?" Lan's expecting voice boomed in the air so I flinched. He even got himself a microphone for this event. Why is he taking this so seriously?

"So what's your stake, pretty boy?" Wynfrost asked me again. She wasn't looming over her apology in a blink of an eye. Her voice changed from being one of seriousness to playfulness. Ah. Why am I even surprised?

"I stake 3 wishes," simple kong sabi at hindi na nagpaliwanag pa.

"How common yet exciting. If I win, I'll deeply think about what to wish for," she said. Her voice hinted something I couldn't figure out. "You won't break your words, will you?"

I tilted my head and asked, "What are you staking?"

"Since you chose a positive promise, it'll be more exciting if I pick a negative one so there's really going to be a certain loser!" Tumaas ang kilay ko dahil sa kyuryosidad. Is she that confident that she'll win? Lan didn't cook this event, did he? "I'll be staking 3 dares."

Three dares? If she really wins, she'll have additional three wishes. How smart.

I only gave her a smile after that.

"Okay now, guys, place a bet on today's winning lotto numbers Nearest ones in pairs to win wins."

Groans and curses filled the air.

Luto na nga ang laro.

~

All of my visitors helped clean up the house after the party. They didn't let me move though, saying I'm the celebrant and all and that they didn't give me anything other than the food. As usual, nobody gave me presents because I told them to never give me some.

I just sat there immobile while listening to the sounds of their cleaning spree. It took them an hour before they began saying goodbye.

"Pre, nandiyan lang naman si Wynfrost sa kabilang bahay," Lan said while whispering. "You can just drop off anytime."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Huwag mong itulad sa'yo si Q, gago!" Spaise interjected while cursing Lan nonstop. "Q could perfectly take care of his lovelife you moron."

"But don't you think we should just drug him and leave him in the tigers' den?" Avicii said and chuckled hoarsely. "It'll be exciting."

"Mabuting tao si Q kaya huwag kayong mandamay," Hack said gravely. "The likes of you can't destroy men like us."

"Says the single loser," Avicii teased.

"As if you're not single yourself," Hack said nonchalantly.

"Hey, guys. Just shup. We know Lan's the only taken idiot in the group," Spaise hissed in bitterness. He still couldn't get over my sister.

"Heh. Kaya nga tinutulungan ko si Q para hindi siya matulad sa inyo, losers," Lan said while chortling in laughter. Inakbayan ako nito at nagsalita ulit. "You know man, Wynfrost's relationship with her current boyfriend is a little rocky. May chance ka pa!"

I sighed for the nth time today.

"I don't want a lover," muli kong sabi. "You all know I still love Floell."

Silence filled the room until I heard some light footsteps going towards our direction. A familiar voice then said, "Excuse me, I gotta say goodbye to the celebrant!"

Wynfrost. Still, her name sounds weird. Does she have a second name or a normal nickname?

"Goodbye-goodbye ka diyan!" Lan slapped my shoulder and then said, "You can go to Q's place anytime! You're neighbors now and Q feels so lonely."

"Well, yeah." I heard hesitance in her voice yet she just laughed lightheartedly. Oddly contradicting. "He owes me 3 wishes and 3 dares so I guess I can drop off anytime. You won't mind, do you Q? Or can I use a wish and say that I can drop off anytime?"

"Suit yourself." I am curious about what she'll do about the wishes and the dares but I'm still uncomfortable when a person I just met drops off my house for an unknown reason. I can't really tell her that, can I? I still need to fulfill the promise or the consequences may be unimaginable. Knowing Lan, he'll find a way to cause trouble if I won't honor my words. It's just a game but Lan is serious in the weirdest of things.

"This will be my second house then. My 1st wish is now used." Wynfrost laughed again. This time, she sounded joyous while the others joined as well. They found it funny but I'm still bothered by having a woman go inside my house anytime. As if sensing my thoughts, the woman added, "Don't worry, Q. I won't do anything to you. Hahaha! Huwag assuming!"

I awkwardly laughed. I am still thinking about Lan's initial plan of making this woman my nurse. He wanted me to have a lover. Did he pay her? Is she just acting?

Considering her behavior, she's obviously trying her best to get close to me. Who wants to get inside somebody else's home just because a certain acquaintance suggested it?

What a loss, though. We could've been friends.

"Oh, it's getting late. Gotta go!" sabi ni Lan at nagpaalam na sila isa-isa. The woman also bade me farewell but I didn't respond.

I was then left alone in the living room while staring at the familiar darkness, listening to the familiar silence.

I picked up my cane and stood up. I then went towards the door in the living room and closed it. I didn't forget to lock it.

~

"Quentin, happy monthsary!"

Floell smiled as she poured some chocolate syrup on the waffles in front of us. I felt warm just by seeing her like that, so happy in front of me.

"Happy monthsary," I said and smiled. "Where do you want to go today?"

She pouted like a kid and I found it cute. My hand went to pinch her cheek then she giggled. I swear I felt some butterflies in my stomach just by listening to her.

"I wanna stay at home with you!" she exclaimed happily, her eyes twinkling beautifully.

"Alright then," I said in satisfaction. "Do you want to watch movie?"

"Nope."

"What do you want to do then?"

She blinked a few times then her cheeks reddened. I was dumbfounded at the alluring sight.

"U-Uhm," she stuttered and bit her lips. Napalunok ako dahil sa unti-unting init na bumabalot sa loob ko. Ibang klaseng init ito kumpara sa pagmamahal ko kay Floell. Nakakapaso. Nakakadarang. "C-Can we make love all day?"

My eyes bulged out by her unbelievable proposal. Floell and I didn't get pass making out but now, she's telling me this! Why is she saying it now?

"W-Why?" I almost choked with my own saliva after swallowing loudly. "I-It's not like I d-don't want it but i-it's just odd that you're p-proposing doing t-that n-now."

Mas namula pa siya kaya napakuyom ang kamay ko sa pagpipigil. She looks so delectable with that shy look on her pretty face.

"S-Sorry, I-I," she said while looking down. Tears began streaming from her eyes so I immediately panicked.

"W-Why are you crying?!"

"P-Please make love to me," she begged while still horribly stuttering. I froze on the spot. She then looked up at me, her eyes now sure and confident. "I want to feel you inside me, Quentin."

Nabalikwas ako ng bangon at napahilamos ng mukha. Hindi ako makapaniwalang napanaginapan ko pa ang unang araw ng pagniniig namin ni Floell. I could feel the blush on my cheeks as I sensed my hard-on.

I sank down on the bed, feeling utterly shameful.

"I am pathetic."