34: that's for you to find out
#DWTDWP

RYU

"What are you doing here?" salubong ko sa kanya.

She grin widely at nilagpasan ako upang makapasok sa loob ng bahay. "I suppose that means 'welcome to my home'," sagot niya.

Tumakbo siya sa sulok kung saan may nakahilirang mesa na may mga iba't-ibang uri ng baril. Old man Rionessi loves to collect guns so that explains the table full of weapons. Isa pa ay siya ang in charge sa guns and ammunition ng Vander Mafia. "Oh my gosh you have so many guns!"

Isinara ko ang pinto at lumapit sa kanya. Kinuha ko ang mga baril na sinisipat niya at muli iyong ibinalik sa ayos. Bawat bawi ko ay kukuha na naman siya ng bago.

"Oh, I especially like this one. This is the gun I used for the first time."

Kinuha ko ulit ang baril na hawak niya at inilapag iyon. Ngumisi lamang siya at hinawakan ang braso ko.

"Let's go to your room."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "I'm not in the mood for sex titless."

She pouted. "Duh, there's a lot of things to do in your room other than sex."

It was a long staring contest. I know she's up to something. If sex is eliminated, I wonder what she's up to.

"Like?" I asked.

She thought for a couple of seconds. "Like playing rock paper or scissors."

Huh lame.

"Really?"

Tumango siya. "Or count sheeps. Or whatever. C'mon rocket!" Hinila niya ako papunta sa hagdan at halos kaladkarin na ako.

"No," matigas kong tanggi. Her force cannot even equal mine. "Go home titless."

Here she goes again with that annoying pouting.

"Stop that."

Damn it, she just pouted even more.

"To your room rocket, I want to be in your room," she whined like a kid. I could really use a choke right now just so I could stop that annoying pout. Sinabayan pa niya iyon ng pag-puppy eyes kaya natampal ko na lamang ang noo ko.

Damn it.

Alright she won.

"Fine, then you have to leave in an hour."

"Yaaaay!" she squealed like a kid and leaped towards me for a tight hug.

***

Pi

Pauwi na sana ako kanina nang may sinabi sa akin si Cooler na dahilan kung bakit nandito ako ngayon sa bahay nina Ryu sa halip na umuwi.

"You sure you don't want me to take you home?" tanong niya sa akin.

Sinagot ko siya ng matamis na ngiti at tumango. "Yup,  I don't want to be a hassle to you. Alam kong busy ka, thanks for sparing time today Cooler."

He answered with a sweet smile too at sa bawat ngiti niya ay mas lalo lamang akong nahuhulog sa kanya. "Or Ryu can take you home."

I made a face. "I don't need him."

He laughed and he doesn't look like he's convinced. "Okay, sabi mo 'yan eh. Anyway, wanna know a secret?"

"What secret?" tanong ko.

"Go to Ryu's home at malalaman mo."

Uh, parang gusto ko siyang sapakin ngayon din. Ano namang sikreto ang malalaman ko kapag pumunta ako sa bahay nina Ryu?

Haller, I am so NOT interested in it!

"... So what's there?"

He laughed at ginulo ang buhok. "You know what, you are really cute when you act like you're not interested but then become very insistent in asking."

Napalabi na lamang ako habang inaayos ang nagulong buhok. If I didn't love him, malamang nabalian na siya ng braso dahil sa paggulo niya sa buhok ko.

My golden rule?
Touch anything but my hair!

But of course he's an exception. Pwede niyang guluhin ang buhok ko anytime he wants.

"Ano nga ang nandoon?"

He gave me a mysterious smile. "It's for you to find out!"

"Cooler!"

I raised my head as high as I could just to show how uninterested I am. "Wala akong pakialam!"

Yet, here I am.

In Rocket's room. Naglandas ang tingin ko mula sa velvet na kama na may kulay abo na bedsheet. The room isn't something that I expected to be. It's different from the previous rooms he brought me in before. This is just...plain.

Except for the ridiculously tons of monitors around, a red warning light and footage of almost every part of the house.

Don't tell me they lack rooms here kaya ginawang monitoring room ang kanyang kwarto? That is something I don't want to believe!

Nang nilingon ko siya ay nakatayo siya sa may pintuan, watching me stood with disappointment washing all over my face. What secret am I supposed to know here?

Na naghihirap na ang mga Vander at wala na silang extrang silid?

Huh Cooler scammed me.

"T-this is your room?" tanong ko sa kanya na sinagot niya ng tango. I tried to hide my disappointment but failed big time. So I forced a smile and wander around.

"Aha! Siguro naman sa kwartong 'to may porn magazine ka na?" sabi ko. I rammed through his drawers but found none but USB gadgets, chips and whatever. Some were familiar but I'm not paying much attention.

Pinulot ko ang isa at itinaas iyon. "Seriously you keep this thing instead of a porn magazine? Porn magz are useful and comes in handy!"

He smirked and gently close the door. Lumapit siya sa akin at binawi ang hawak ko. Damn it, I don't even know what it is called or what was it used for.

"This is a raspberry pi model," sagot niya at maayos na inilapag iyon.

Ah, speaking of pie.

"Oh, I like blueberry pies and cheesecake!" magiliw na sagot ko.

"Pi, not P-i-e Pie," sagot niya.

"Just like my name!"

Napatingin siya sa akin na may halong gulat sa mukha. "Your name is Pi, not Pie?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yup, Pi not P-i-e Pie," I replied, imitating his tone. "And Lennon, not L-e-m-o-n Lemon. Lennon Pi, not Lemon Pie, duh!"

“What? All these time I thought it it’s Lemon Pie!" bulalas niya. His face was dawning with surprise and disbelief.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Huh what an idiot.”

Mababakas ang pagkainis sa kanyang mukha but still he tried to redeem himself. “Who’s more idiot than someone who thinks porn magazine is more useful  than a raspeberry pi?”

I ignored him and opened another drawer ngunit gaya  ng nauna, mga computer components lamang iyon at kung anu-ano pa na hindi ko alam kung saan at paano ginagamit.

Some were a bit familiar though, I think I’ve seen it somewhere at home.

Ah, right.

John’s stuff.

Ano ba kasi ang sinasabi ni Cooler na sikreto?

“What are these?” tanong ko at tinuro ang kung anu-anong gadget na naron.

“None of your business,” sagot niya at sinarado ang drawer. Napasimangot na lamang ako habang pinapanuod siyang. If he won’t tell me, then fine. Time to pull the ace I have in my sleeves. The one I am so damn good at.

Pi’s specialty!

Analysis!

“You’re keeping something, aren’t you?” tanong ko at bahagyang pinaningkitan siya ng mga mata.

He looked away. Aha! I knew it!

Nagtatakang napatingin siya sa akin samantalang mas nanaig ang pagnanais ko na alamin kung anuman ang sikreto niya-- that if he really keeps something at hindi lang ako pinagtitripan ni Cooler.

Pero ano?

Naiinis na ibinagsak ko paupo ang sarili sa kanyang kama. Frustrated ako dahil hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nandito! Bakit kasi uto-uto ako minsan?!

"Your room sucks!"

He scowled again. "This is the best room."

Napatingin ako sa kanya at muling nag-analisa. He's busy rummaging through his things as if he's more focused to it than to me.

Tumayo ako at lumapit sa mga monitors at tiningnan ang kabuoan ng bahay kung saan nakakalat ang mga CCTV cameras.

"Rocket, alam mo para kang si Juan."

He answered without looking at me. "Who's that?"

"My hacker bro, remember-- oh shit!" bulalas ko at napatakip sa bibig ko. Realization just hit me hard!

Sa pagkakataong ito ay napatingin siya sa akin. "What?"

"Oh my gosh rocket!"

"What?!"

Ha! Ha! The devil has thin thread  of patience!

"Don't tell me gaya ka rin ng kapatid ko na isang frustrated hacker?" natatawang tanong ko at tinuro ang mga computer parts at components na nasa paligid. "This room is exactly the setup of his room. Puno ng monitor, he tapped on the CCTV cameras of the house, andaming kaek-ekan na ginagawa.”

Hindi nakaligtas sa paningin ko ang pagsilay ng ngisi sa labi niya. “Really?”

“Yup. Minsan nga nakakainis eh, whenever I watched something he would hack my computer and sends me photos of my ugly uncle!” which is true. Magaling si John pagdating sa pagpapainit ng ulo ko. Just one pic of Flavio and voila! Sira na ang araw ko.

But wait, I’m good at analyzing things and somethings bothering me at the back of my head.
I just can’t figure out what it is.

Besides, the theory I have in mind is a bit lame.

“John highly look up to the famous Trojan and Apollo-- shit!” muli kong bulalas at napatakip sa bibig ko. Now it does makes sense kahit ayaw kong oaniwalaan iyon. I recalled there was a time Zero said Vander Mafia got the famous Apollo the hacker.

Rocket is Apollo, in their ridiculous and pathetic codies.

This room says it all.

This is the secret that Cooler wants me to discover!

#

ShinichiLaaaabs✒️

A/N: Uwu Pi and Ryu's ship is Ticket! Hahaha Titless and Rocket lol