CHAPTER III: HONEST

"You're 25? You're young, too." I told him as we continue to talk to each other while still at the party.

Ngumiti lang naman siya sa akin.

"Don't take it the wrong way... But you don't look like you belong here..." He said to me.

Bumaling ako sa kaniya at umawang naman ang labi ko sa sinabi niya.

Pero umiling din naman agad siya sa akin. "What I only meant to say is that, you don't look like you're enjoying the party, or this type of thing... Am I right?" He asked me.

At hindi ko alam kung itatanggi ko ba, pero sa huli ay namalayan ko na lang din ang sarili ko na unti-unti na pala akong tumango sa kaniya.

Umiling ako at nagbaba ng tingin sandali bago muli akong nag-angat ng tingin sa kaniya. "You're right. I don't enjoy parties like this..." I told him truthfully.

At ewan ko ba kung bakit mukha pa akong nagiging masyado din honest sa kaniya ngayon...

He smiled at me again. "Really? Then why are you here?"

Nakaramdam naman ako ng kaba sa tanong niya sa akin. And I thought that he have seen through me. Pero mukhang hindi naman kasi kung alam na nga niya ang balak ko sa kaniya ay dapat hindi na niya ako kausapin pa...

And he just looked so innocent that he doesn't look like he knows of any of my plans. And he also looked like he just doesn't have a care in the world...

Bahagya akong umiling. "Wala lang..."

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa sa mga mata ng isa't isa. Then I shook my head. "I think I just want to experience a party like this..." I just said.

At tumango naman na siya sa sinabi ko. "And how's it?" He asked me.

"Uh, I guess it's fine..."

Ngumiti lang muli si Damian sa sagot ko.

I sipped on my juice after I saw him taking sips on his glass of alcoholic drink as well. At naisip ko na hindi siya mahirap na kausap... And in truth he's actually easy to talk to and to be with...

Iyon ang naramdaman ko kay Damian sa unang beses naming mag-usap.

"What are your hobbies, then?" He asked me after a while.

Tumingin naman muli ako sa kaniya at sumagot. "Uh, I like reading... books." I answered.

Nakangiti muli siya sa akin. "What books do you read?"

Napangiti na rin ako. Sa loob ng isang maingay na lugar kagaya nitong club ay pakiramdam ko may katahimikan pa rin sa aming dalawa ni Damian as we just simply talked about my hobby. And I was even a bit overwhelmed that he seemed interested with my liking to books.

"Any..." sagot ko naman sa tanong niya.

"What's your favorite, then." Binaling pa niya lalo sa akin ang katawan niya para makapag-usap pa kami nang maayos. Kanina kasi ay bahagya pa siyang nakatagilid sa akin at nakaharap sa nagpaparty na mga tao rito sa club.

We were at the bar counter just standing there and talking to each other.

Then I told him about my favorite book. At nakangiti lang siya habang nakikinig siya sa aking magsalita...

Pagkatapos ay tumikhim na ako when I realized that I was already talking too far about myself or with my like with books. So I asked him about him this time, too.

"How about you?" I asked him as well.

"Hmm? Me?"

I nodded.

"Do you like partying so much?" I asked him.

"Hmm, is that how you see it?" Ngumiti lang naman siya sa'kin.

"Uh, well..." I awkwardly smiled at him a little.

And he just smiled at me again. Hindi yata siya napapagod na ngumiti sa akin. And then I heard him sighing a bit. "Not really... but , let's just say it's like a distraction to my boring life."

"Oh. Are you bored?" I didn't expect that. I thought he just enjoyed this kind of lifestyle...

Mula sa party ay bumaling siya muli sa akin at tiningnan niya ako na bahagya pa akong napalunok dahil nakatitig na siya sa'kin. Pagkatapos ay nakangiti siyang umiling sa akin. "Not anymore..." He said as he watched me.

Napainom naman muli ako sa juice ko. Pagkatapos ay medyo awkward na lang din muli ako na tumango-tango pa sa kaniya...

Pero napaisip na rin ako sa sagot niya sa akin kanina. He said that partying is like a distraction for him because he finds his life boring...

And then I thought to myself that, what kind of life does Damian Axel Delgado really was living?

Aside from being the criminal who caused my sister's death...

Parang sandali lang akong nakalimot. Pero malinaw pa rin sa akin ang rason ko kung bakit ako nandito ngayon. Natahimik din ako. I was just quietly sipping on my juice now.

"Kali?"

"Uh, huh?" Parang nabalik ako sa riyalidad pagkatapos kong parang mabingi rin kanina panandalian dahil sa lumalim ko nang pag-iisip...

Nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Damian. "What is it?" I asked him.

Bahagya naman siyang umiling sa akin. "I think you're the one who's bored now." Ngumiti siya sa akin.

Umiling naman ako sa kaniya. "No, I'm..."

He shook his head. "It's all right. Do you want to get out of here now?" He asked me.

And my eyes widened a fraction at that. But then after that I also find myself nodding at him slowly...

Dahil sa totoo lang din ay parang nahihilo na rin ako sa lugar na ito. The music was really loud na halos nakakabingi na nga. And it already felt suffocating for me that going out of this place would make me breathe again.

Ngumiti sa akin si Damian. "Alright, let's get us out of this crazy place."

Tumango ako sa kaniya at napangiti rin.

Pero kikilos pa lang sana kami para umalis na ng bar ay saka naman may sunudsunod na lumapit sa aming mga babae.

"Damian," they called him.

Tumingin pa sila sa akin bago nila kinausap si Damian at hindi na ako tinapunan muli ng pansin like I was already invisible to them. At hindi nakatakas sa akin ang mapanghusga nilang mga mata sa akin.

Kaya naman naging abala din muna si Damian sa pagkausap o pagsagot din muna sa mga babae na mukhang mga kaibigan din niya...

Ininom at inubos ko na lang din muna ang juice ko habang naghihintay na matapos kausapin si Damian noong mga babae.

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