ꜱᴀ ᴘᴀɴᴀɴᴀᴡ ɴɪ ᴀʀɪᴀ ꧁

     Natigilan kaming lahat dahil sa putok ng baril. Napuno ng katahimikan ang paligid. Walang nagtangkang gumalaw. Maski ang paghinga'y pinilit naming huwag makagawa ng ingay. Ilang segundo lang ay natumba na lang bigla si Mr. Shinohara.

     I overheard their scared whispers and excited outbursts. I was completely shocked by what I saw. I glanced at Mom, but she didn't comment, and then at Dad, who was just smirking and even had the nerve to smile. That grin, like he hadn't just taken down someone right in front of him.

     Are you out of your mind, Dad?!

     "Dad, you—!"

     My father was totally giving each of those scared guys a hardcore stare-down and speaking Japanese all serious and firm, "What a rebellious move by this fool! He went and made a deal with the hospital that's our competitor to sell the new medication we developed for neuropsychological disorders, which we were going to release next month."

     Inalis ko ang aking paningin kay Dad at tinitigan si Shinohara-san na nakahandusay sa sahig. Marami nang nawawalang dugo sa katawan niya. 'Di ko mapigilang magdalawang-isip.

     Hindi pa ako lisensyadong doktor kaya bawal akong mag-perform ng surgery. Pero kailangan ni Shinohara-san ng agarang tulong.

     Isa akong surgeon sa aking isip at kaluluwa. May dapat akong gawin kung may buhay na nakataya, maiiligtas ko man ito o hindi. Sumumpa ako sa aking paaralan na ang halaga ng ignatian values ng magis at ng cura personalis ay isasapuso ko sa pagtatapos namin sa pag-aaral.

     'Di ko alam kung paano pa tatratuhin ang aking ama sa ginawa niya kay Shinohara-san. Ayaw kong maniwala na ganito ang ugali ni Dad.

     Hindi ko na pinansin kung nagsasalita pa si Dad o kung akin nang nababastos ang mga bisita niya. Basta mabilis akong lumapit kay Shinohara-san  at tinignan ang lagay niya.

"How do you think he'll do?"

"Did he die? Should we try to help him?"

     "I can't believe you missed the Director's comments! He's such a backstabber! Why would you even consider saving him?"

     "Yep, you're spot on. And honestly, nobody knows how to deal with him. Let him just kick the bucket,"

     What they were saying really bothered me. I mean, why not just call a doctor instead of trash-talking him? Maybe we can still save him if we act quickly.

     "Everyone has had their say. So, since you decided to let him die, I will too—" my dad suddenly started speaking Japanese again. He looks super entertained by whatever he's hearing.

     I stopped my dad from completing and just yelled, "Alright, I got it! Just hold off on the chatter, Chichiue!"

     Tumingala ako at sinamaan ng tingin si Dad. Nagtama ang mga mata namin, doon nakita ko ang tuwang-tuwang ekspresyon nito. Sinuklian naman niya ng inosenteng ngiti ang sama ng aking tingin.

     "Hai, so shimasu. Kore wa anata ga kirainahitodesuga, watashi wa kare o sukuimasu," I confidently carried on without waiting for my dad's response. I carefully examined Mr. Shinohara's gunshot wound. (Yes, I will. This is the man you hate, but I will save him.)

     Checking out the wound, it seems to be right above his stomach, and blood is flowing out from there.

     "Totally absurd! His heart got shot. Trying to stop the bleeding is just not happening," my dad totally thought he knew better and said it all smugly. He just smirked a little and then took a seat.

     Sometimes my dad can be really mean...

     Back then, it was on purpose. But Dad's not exactly a sharpshooter. Good thing he didn't hit Mr. Shinohara's heart, even though he thinks he did.

     "There's a way. Just let me do my thing, I'll handle it," I told my father firmly and then casually unbuttoned Shinohara-san's suit jacket before tearing off his undershirt.

     Mali si Dad sa kanyang haka-haka. Ang bala ay tumama sa spleen ng lalaki. Ito 'yung organ malapit sa stomach na nagde-destroy ng mga red blood cells na nagamit na ng katawan ng tao na pinapalitan naman ng white blood cells.

     Issues arise when the spleen has too many blood vessels, making it a real challenge to stop the bleeding in each one.

     I was asked by one of his guests in a challenging manner, "In what way, then?"

     "Can you bring over the medical supplies here, Hahaue?" I turned to my mom and asked her to do something. She passed on my request to a nearby jochu with a subtle nod.

     Later on, I straight up told the person who asked, and then I just decided to totally ignore them, "I can cut the spleen out."

     Ang pagdurugo ay hindi kailangang ihinto sa mismong spleen. Posibleng matigil ang pagdurugo kung puputulin ang spleen at itali ang mga konektadong arteries nito.

     Simple lang kung iisipin ang prosesong ito. Ngunit ang paggawa at i-aplika sa totoong senaryo ay kumplikado.

     Ang spleen ay matatagpuan malalim sa loob ng lukab ng tiyan. Bago ko maabot ang spleen, ang ilang mga organs tulad ng pancreas, bituka at greater omentum ay kakailanganing lagpasan nang hindi nada-damage.

     Mayroong isang paraan, kung ang ligament na sumusuporta sa spleen ay maaaring putulin, maaari rin itong paikutin.

     Lumakas lalo ang tibok ng puso ko nang mawalan na ng malay si Shinohara-san. Kung hindi agad maagapan, kamatayan ang katutuluyan nito.

     It's going to be my first time doing surgery on a real person. I'm pretty nervous but I'm not backing down. My professor mentioned that the chances of survival for this kind of injury are really low. Judging by how he's doing now, it seems like his spleen injury is pretty serious, probably a grade five.

     Kailangan ko na mag-focus. Bawal kabahan kapag nasa loob ng Operating Room. Hindi pwedeng manginig ang kamay kapag may on-going operation.

     Namalayan ko na lang na nakalatag na sa lapag ang mga scalpel, scissors and forceps. Ang totoo niyan, sa tuwalya nakalagay ang mga kagamitan. Alcohol at disinfectants ay napakahalaga at hindi dapat ito maaaring makalimutan.

     I was just checking out the guy's wound and asking if anyone could lend a hand.

     Ilang segundo na ang lumipas pero wala akong natatanggap na tugon, kaya naman naiinis akong tumingin sa kanila.

     I bellowed, "Hurry up!"

     Isang lalaki ang naglakas-loob na lumapit sa akin at nagpresintang tumulong. Siya 'yung mukhang naaawa kay Shinohara-san kanina.

     Pinaghugas ko muna siya ng kamay gamit ang alcohol bago pinagsuot ng gloves. Ganito rin ang aking ginawa bago simulan ang surgery.

     His bleeding got really bad, but I was too wrapped up to check it out. There was so much blood coming out that I couldn't even see what was going on inside him.

     "We need to stop this bleeding. Grab some gauze and press down on this spot really hard. Use as much gauze as you need to soak up the blood," I asked the guy who came to help me to do something before I can go ahead with the surgery on the patient.

     Since he didn't understand English, I had to say it all over again in Japanese.

     Maingat kong ginalaw ang intestine at stomach ng lalaki. Nang bahagyang humupa ang pagdurugo ay ipinag-utos ko naman sa umaalalay sa akin na ipagpatuloy ang paghawak sa tiyan. Itinuro ko ang tamang kagamitan upang i-angat ng bahagya ang lower rib cage ni Shinohara-san.

     Sa wakas ay naaaninag ko na ang spleen matapos naming i-angat ang kanyang tadyang. Sunod kong gagawin ay putulin ang spleen. Maaari itong tanggalin sa pamamagitan ng paghihiwalay nito sa mga nakapaligid na organs at mula sa dulo ng pancreas.

     Napahinto ako nang mapansing nanginginig ang kamay ng lalaking tumutulong sa akin. Tinignan ko sandali ang pareho naming mga kamay. Napupuno na ito ng pulang likido na kahit parehas kaming nakasuot ng mask, paminsan-minsan ay umaabot pa rin sa ilong ko ang malansang amoy ng dugo.

     "Ojisan, trust me. Believe in yourself. We can totally do this," I just casually nodded and flashed him a quick smile. (Uncle.)

     First, we make a vertical cut along the breastbone because it's easier to access that way.

     Nasa kaliwa ang spleen pero importante na galawin ang pancreas na nasa gitna. Mas madali ring magagalaw ang iba pang organs upang malinaw na makita ang spleen. Ang sunod ay ang pagpigil sa pagdurugo dahil sa paggalaw ng mga organs gamit ang gauze. Pagkatapos bahagyang itataas ang lower rib cage at ang stomach. Mula rito ay makikita na ang spleen.

     To make things simpler, we just used the right metal tools to cut the end of the pancreas, and that made the spleen rotate easily.

     Finally got around to stitching up Mr. Shinohara's wound, but damn, I lost track of time. Checked his pulse and let out a big sigh of relief.

     Mula sa tahimik na kapaligiran ay namayani ang isang palakpak na nagmumula sa aking likuran.

     "Anata wa umaku yatta, Aria," pagbati sa akin ni Dad, na kahit 'di ko tignan ay nakasisiguro akong siya ang pumapalakpak. (You did well, Aria.)

     Hindi ako nakapagsalita dahil sa halu-halong emosyong dumadaloy sa akin. Napatitig na lang ako sa tahi ni Shinohara-san at sa aking kamay. Kapwa nababahiran ng dugo na kagagawan ng aking ama.

     'Di rin nagtagal ay nakabawi na ako. Unti-unti kong nilingon si Dad at nang magtama ang aming tingin, ngumiti siya at nilibot ang kanyang paningin sa mga taong nasa loob ng silid.

     "You can utilize this to assess her competence level. I presume she is just as capable as her brother, correct?" seeming all proud of himself for what he did to Shinohara-san, my dad made this announcement in Japanese. Even though he acts pleased with my achievements, I know better. He's quite slick with words.

     "If you keep disappointing me like this, you'll be in some serious trouble. There's no turning back from that, death will just be death," Father totally had this menacing and demeaning vibe going on when he said that.

     Father rose from his seat and came to rest beside me, showing no concern that his setta was now tinged crimson from the blood. In that moment, I perceived him as a fearsome creature, for the spilled blood on the ground seemed to reflect his image back at me.

     "Either Atsuya or Ariya will be taking over from me, and you've seen firsthand Atsuya's skills at the hospital, as well as how deserving Aria is currently. The decision will be made soon, so be prepared for it," my dad just said his piece, gave a look to my mom and me, and then casually left the room, leaving us all kind of in a mess.

     Sinundan siya ng kanyang mga panauhin. Subalit naiwan ang lalaki na tumulong sa akin kanina at ang walang malay na si Mr. Shinohara.

     May mga pumasok na shitsuji o butler at dahan-dahang inilagay sa stretcher si Shinohara-san. Dinala nila ito sa labas na sinundan naman ng lalaking tumulong sa akin.

     Kampante na ako na maliligtas si Shinohara-san pero hindi ko mapapatawad si Dad sa ginawa niya. Hangga't hindi ipinapaliwanag ni Dad sa akin ng maayos ang lahat, mananatili siyang walang puso para sa akin.

     Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala na nagawa ng aming ama 'yon. Sobra akong nadismaya sa kanya.

     "Mom, kakausapin ko lang si Dad," paalam ko kay Mom bago mabilis na hinabol ito sa labas ng receiving hall.

     Naabutan ko siya sa bridge ng west at east wing. Ang mga paa ko ay walang prenong humakbang palapit sa kanya. Hindi ko mapapalagpas ang nangyari.

     Pasalamat si Dad dahil nagawa kong agapan ang nangyari kay Shinohara-san. Dahil tatawag talaga ako ng pulis para sabihin ang ginawa niya kung may mangyaring masama sa pasyente.

     "Chichiue, care to explain what happened?! Shooting someone without a reason seems pretty wild, don't you think?" I gave him a dirty look, which made him pause and look back at me.

     "Are you seriously considering risking someone's life just to give me an opportunity to prove myself to them?" I kept talking, but it didn't seem to make a difference to him.

     "Whatever you think, I'll still end up getting what I want in the end, no matter what," all my dad did was say that and then he just walked away. And there I was, all covered in blood and just fuming with anger.

    Nagkulong ako sa kuwarto hanggang sa katukin ang aking pintuan para sa tanghalian. Hindi ako bumaba at nanatiling nakahiga sa kama't nakapikit kahit na hindi ako dinadalaw ng antok.

     Hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang aking ginawa kanina. Kahit na umayon pa ito sa kung ano'ng plano ni Dad. Bagamat ito ang unang pagkakataon ng aking pagtistis sa isang tao, hindi ko magawa na tuluyang masiyahan kahit naging matagumpay ang lahat.

     Ilang araw pa lang kaming naririto, subalit wala pa 'kong naiisip na pagkakataon na tunay akong sumaya. Paano pa kaya sa pagdating ng araw na maninirahan na kami rito sa Japan?

     Ilang oras ang lumipas hanggang sa may kumatok at nagbukas sa pinto ng kuwarto ko.

     A worried voice called my nickname, "Aria."

     Agad akong napabangon at tumingin sa may pintuan. Si Kuya Levy ang sumilip na may bahid ng pag-aalala sa kanyang mukha.

     Ngumiti ako sa kanya at niyakag siyang pumasok.

     Once I sat down on my bed, my brother got worried and said, "I heard you missed lunch. What happened? I was told that the board of directors was around this morning—did that have something to do with you skipping lunch?"

     Ayokong nag-aalala sa akin si kuya. Lalo na ngayong kailangan niyang magpahinga at saka ayokong nakikitang nahihirapan si kuya nang dahil sa akin. Kaya kahit nais kong magkuwento, minarapat ko na lang na umiling at yumakap sa kanya.

     "Where have you been the last few days? You've had me pretty worried, Aniue," I kind of went off track from what he wanted to talk about, but honestly, I'm really worried about my brother's situation. It hit me hard when he gave me a tight hug just then.

      My brother gave me a pat on the head and whispered quietly, "I miss you, Aria."

     Ilang araw pa lang pero bakit parang ang dami nang nangyari? Pakiramdam ko kasi pagod na ako. Pagod na ang aking utak at katawan sa 'di ko malamang dahilan.

     Boses lang ni Yuan ang nagbibigay-lakas sa akin. Nasasabik na akong makausap muli siya mamaya.

     Lumuwag ang pagkakayakap ni kuya kaya kumalas na ako sa pagkakayapos sa kanya.

     "Are you still thinking about someone else even though I'm right here? Even in this place, Aria?" I don't know if my brother was being real or just seeking attention, but he seemed genuinely upset when he mentioned those things. This family drama is really getting to both of us. It's been tough.

     Sa bagay, kahit noong nasa Pilipinas ay hindi na kami madalas nakakapag-bonding. Abala si kuya sa pag-aasikaso sa KUH samantalang palagi naman kaming magkasama ni Yuan.

     "I miss you too, Aniue. But me missing Yuan is a whole other story," I made sure to explain better before I hugged him again, "See? I can tease you like this, but I can't give him a hug because Yuan isn't around. So I'll just have to keep thinking about him."

     "Aniue?" then he looked a bit lost for a second, but ended up laughing and saying,, "Yep, I'm your brother. I'm way closer to you than he is."

     Kuya Levy getting jealous of Yuan is just adorable and hilarious. I used to be the same way in the past. Even though my attachment to my brother has lessened over time, he still can't seem to shake off his overprotective nature towards me.

     He really took it hard on himself for what happened to me in the past. He felt so guilty for not being able to protect me. Even now, my brother still puts a lot of pressure on himself to ensure my safety because he feels like he failed to do so before.

     "Kuya Levy, may problema ba?" tanong ko habang inilalagay ang aking kamay sa noo niya.

     Tila natauhan naman siya sa hawak ko kaya agad niyang inalis ang aking kamay sa kanyang noo at ngumiti.

     My brother ran his fingers through my hair and told me, "No need to worry, I'll be fine."

     Hindi na nagtagal si kuya, matapos niyang guluhin ang aking buhok, nagpaalam na siya sa akin na kakain. Tumayo siya at naglakad na palabas hanggang sa sumara ang pinto.

     Mukhang naii-stress na rin si kuya rito. Kailangan ko na talagang gumawa ng aksyon. Hindi naman ganito si Kuya Levy doon sa Pilipinas.

     Napilitan akong kumain ng hapunan dahil naandito si kuya. Agad din siyang bumalik sa Kansai University Hospital dahil kailangan daw siya roon. Buti na lang at wala si Dad kung hindi mawawalan na naman ako ng ganang kumain.

     I was just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling because I had nothing better to do. I attempted to drift off by closing my eyes, but my brain just wasn't having it. Suddenly, it hit me that it was already two in the morning and I was still wide awake.

     I decided to go downstairs to the kitchen and whip up some chamomile tea because I really wanted to hit the hay.

     Tatlong araw pa lang mula nang makarating kami sa Kyoto. Tuwing naglilibot ako sa iba't ibang parte ng Kijin Manor, may kasama akong jochu. Kaya naman naligaw-ligaw pa ako ng kaunti ngayong walang tagahatid. Hanggang sa mapadpad ako sa pasilyo kung saan naroon 'yung kuwartong curious akong makita.

     I figured since it was dawn and no one was up yet, I could totally sneak into that room without any issues. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked this time, so I could just waltz right in without a problem.

     Madalim. Sobrang dilim na animo'y isang kalangitang pinagkaitan ng mga bituin at ng kanyang buwan. May mga nabubunggo akong mga bagay. Nagkanda-sakit-sakit na rin ang tuhod at aking tagiliran. Hanggang sa marating ko iyong sliding paper door at buksan ito.

     Mula sa napagkaitang kadiliman ng silid, pagbukas ng pintuan, nakita ko agad ang maningning na buwan at ang mga bituing nagkikislapan sa kalangitan.

     Hinahawi nang malakas na hangin ang kurtina habang nasisinagan ng liwanag ng buwan ang dating madilim na silid.

     Once I noticed just how gorgeous this room is, I couldn't help but see that every piece inside seems to have a story to tell about its previous owner—from the furniture to the smallest trinkets, even the air here has a tale. It feels like time stands still in every corner of this room.

     I felt like something really strange was going on with everything.

     I squinted to try and see better in the dark, but then something caught my eye.

     There's this really roomy and classy futon right in the middle of the room. It's got a lavender background with gardenia flowers on it. And above the futon, there's a cool portrait of a sophisticated woman hanging on the wall.

     Ang tradisyonal na kuwadro nito ay mukhang bago kahit halatang pinaglumaan na ng panahon. Ang bawat kulay at disenyo ay nagniningning sa liwanag ng buwan.

     Ang babae sa kuwadro ay mukhang nasa kanyang kabataan. Napakaganda niya tulad ng mga nakikita ko sa anime na mga geisha.

     Tinitigan ko ang kanyang mga mata. Hindi ko siya kamukha at ni kuko ay wala kaming kasing tulad. Halatang halata sa kanya ang pagiging Haponesa habang magkahalong Espanyol at Filipino naman ang itsura ko.

     Hindi ko siya kilala subalit hindi matanggal ang aking mga mata sa kanya. Tila ba hinihipnotismo ako ng mga mata niya sa 'di ko malamang kadahilanan.

      "Anatahadaredesu ka?" I was whispering to myself for no reason. And here's the weird part—even though I'm pretty sure I don't know her, it's like I do somehow. So I'm digging deep into my thoughts, trying to figure out why I feel this way. (Who are you?)

     I was really into staring at the woman in the portrait for a while, but then I spotted something on the futon out of the corner of my eye. It was an old notebook with a tie lock. Looking at it, I started to feel like I might have seen it before.

     Madilim pa rin. Tanging liwanag lang ng buwan ang nagsisilbing ilaw ko sa silid na ito. Pero tila nagniningning ang kuwadernong nakalapag sa futon at ang estampang nakasabit sa dingding ng silid.

     Inihakbang ko ang aking kanang paa, sumunod naman ang kaliwa. Isa, dalawa, tatlong hakbang ang aking ginawa hanggang sa tumigil ako sa dulong bahagi ng futon.

     Kinuha ko ang libro. Magaspang dahil sa nababalutan na ito ng alikabok. Makapal at mukhang sa isang kumpas lang ay maghihiwalay na ang mga bawat pahina nito.

     Inalis ko ang alikabok gamit ang palad at nakaramdam akong may naka-deboss sa pabalat nito. Sa una'y hindi ko matanto kung anong isinasaad dahil wala itong tinta. Sa ikalawa at ikatatlong beses kong pagsuri ay bigo pa rin akong malaman kung anong pamagat o kung ano mang nakasulat sa pabalat ng libro.

     Since I couldn't figure out the title, I decided to just peek at what's inside the book. It might be owned by the woman in the portrait, and I feel a bit guilty about invading her privacy, but I can't shake the feeling that I should keep reading.

     Inalis ko ang pagkaka-lock sa tali ng libro at aking dahan-dahan na binuklat ang pabalat nito. Color beige na ang kulay ng mga papel at mahahalata na marami na itong pinagdaanan.

     Walang nakalagay sa unang pahina kaya binuklat ko ang sumunod. Bahagyang napataas ang aking mga kilay dahil sa nakita.

     There's this one sentence written in ink that got partially erased and now it looks all hazy in the center of the page.

     Hindi ko mabasa ang nakasulat dahil sa dilim. Lumapit ako sa may bintana upang masinagan ng liwanag ang hawak kong libro.

     I didn't expect to read that, especially because it was in Spanish. We don't have any Spanish relatives that I know of. But I'm still hoping it could be a historical artifact from ancient Japan.

     "Volveré al final de nuestro comienzo..." even though I wasn't the best at this language, I gave it a shot and tried to say the words out loud. But when I heard myself, my eyes practically popped out of my head.

     What?

     Hold on... How did I manage to understand what I read in Spanish without ever really studying the language?

     Sinubukan ko uling basahin ang nakasulat, subalit akin talagang naiintindihan ang ibig sabihin noon.

     "I will come back at the end of our beginning..." I said the meaning out loud slowly, really grasping the importance of what I had just read.

     Babalik ako sa pagtatapos ng ating simula...

     I don't really know Spanish, but I totally get what those words mean. I'm feeling super pumped up right now. I'm not exactly sure what's up, but something exciting is definitely happening.

     I'm curious, what's going on? I really need to keep going, I can't stop now but...

     I heard a rustle outside just as I was about to continue reading.

     Natigilan ako at pinakiramdaman ang paligid. No'ng una'y akala ko hangin lamang iyon. Nang may kumaluskos uli at mukhang papalapit ay nakatitiyak na akong may paparating.

     Natatakot ako na baka ang ama ko ang taong nasa labas. Ayoko siyang makaharap ngayon dahil 'di ko pa malimut-limutan ang nangyari no'ng huli naming pagkikita. Agad kong isinara ang libro, itinali ang lock at mabilis na ibinalik ito sa futon.

     Hindi ko na nagawang punasan ang mga namumuong pawis sa aking noo. Mas lalong lumalakas ang kaluskos na napagtanto kong yabag pala ng mga paa.

     Tahimik ngunit mabilis akong pumunta sa pintuan. Nang bubuksan ko na ito, nakaramdam ako nang malakas na hangin.

     Doon ko lang naalala na nakabukas nga pala ang sliding door. Bumalik ako upang isara ito bago tuluyang lumabas ng kuwarto.

     Dahan-dahan at maingat kong isinara ang pinto upang hindi makagawa ng ingay. Hahakbang na sana ako paalis nang may biglang nagsalita sa aking likuran.

     I heard this voice asking, and it sounded like he was both surprised and concerned, "Aria, what are you doing here?"

     I first thought of my father, but once I heard his voice, I instantly felt relieved.

     "Aniue..." tawag ko sa aking kapatid matapos humarap sa kanya. Naka-stripe black and white na button down polo, gray necktie at black slocks si kuya. Nasa kaliwang braso naman niya nakasabit ang isang black coat.

     "Hey, it's past midnight. You should probably head to bed. Chichiue might give you a hard time if he sees you up this late again," my brother was all serious and tired when he told me.

     I just flashed him a smile, gave a little bow, then wrapped my arms around him. I tried to cheer him up without showing that I noticed how tired he was.

     "Ikaw din naman, Aniue. I know na kakauwi mo lang galing internship sa KUH pero hindi ka rin dapat nagpapabaya sa health mo," hinigpitan ko pa ang pagkakayakap sa kanyang braso bago magpatuloy, "As medical professionals, we should make sure to take care of ourselves just like we do for our patients."

     Ngumiti rin siya sa akin at marahang ginulo ang aking buhok.

     "Aria, just wanted to say how grateful I am to have you with me. You're my one true source of happiness. I can't really defend what Father did, but I'm proud of what you've accomplished," once Kuya Levy complimented me, he stopped messing with my hair.

     Seeing our dad mentioned just killed my mood. But I didn't want to worry my brother, so I tried to hide how I was feeling.

     "I overheard the board talking about you being chosen by Chichiue as his potential successor just like me. Why did you agree to that? You don't have to be part of this family. I want you to have your own freedom," once he finished talking, my brother pulled his arm out of my hug.

     Nalungkot ako sa ginawa niya. Pakiramdam ko hindi naging sapat 'yung aking pagpapasaya sa kanya. Pero nawala iyon nang hawakan niya ang kamay ko't marahan akong hinila palakad.

     "I caught wind of a bit of gossip. But I'm more curious about your side of the story than theirs. Can you fill me in?" he turned to me with a grin and asked teasingly before we walked together, hand in hand, laughing gently.

     I told Kuya Levy about what happened, except for the talk I had with Dad. We just walked and talked all the way to Kijin Manor's zen garden.

     We just sat down on the big rock around the koi pond. The pond is like a mirror for the stars, and the moonlight is making the water all sparkly.

     "Gomennasai..." I heard him whisper something as we sat down, and his voice totally sounded guilty. I gave him a look of concern. (I'm sorry...)

     Hinawakan ko ang mahigpit na nakakuyom na kaliwang kamay ng aking kapatid at nagtanong sa kanya sa galit na tono, "Bakit ka nag-a-apologize sa akin? Samantalang si Dad ang may ginawang kasalanan?"

     Kung tutuusin nga ay isang krimen ang ginawa ni Dad! Binaril niya ng walang pagdadawalang-isip ang isang tao. Sa akto pa lang na 'yon, maaari na siyang makulong. Paano pa kung hindi ko nagawang iligtas si Shinohara-san?

     Kaya ako inis na inis kay Dad ngayon dahil sa ginawa niya.

     Hindi ko nga namalayan na aking kamay na pala ang nakayukom, kung hindi lang ito pinisil-pisil ni kuya. Siya lang talaga ang may paki-alam sa akin. Hindi si Mom at lalong hindi si Dad. Si Kuya Levy lang ang nararamdaman kong nagmamahal sa akin ng lubos sa pamilyang 'to.

     "Hey, after everything with Mom and Dad, I made a promise to God when you woke up from the coma. I swore that I'd always have your back, no matter what. I promised myself that I'd be there for you when you need someone to rely on. I'll go above and beyond to make sure you're happy, but—!" Kuya Levy stopped talking like he was about to spill some tea, but he didn't. He seemed a bit stressed and let go of my hand to hold his forehead.

     Lumamlam ang aking mga mata. Alam ko kung gaano ako pinahahalagahan ni Kuya Levy. Ramdam ko ang pagmamahal niya sa akin. Mali yata ang desisyon naming umuwi rito nang maaga. Sana ipinilit ko kay kuya na manatili muna ng ilang buwan sa Pilipinas upang makapagbakasyon.

     Even the fish in the pond could hear his first words because they were so loud. Then he started whispering, but I could still make out what he was saying, "Dad is being really strict and not letting us have the freedom to do what we want. I just want us to be happy. It's so frustrating that we can't live our lives the way we want to. Bringing you here, Aria, might have been a bad idea. I feel like everything important to me is going to fall apart..."

     Dios mio… Ganito ako kamahal ng aking kapatid. Na kahit stress na stress na siya sa ospital ay nagagawa pa rin akong alalahanin. Masuwerte ako na si Kuya Levy ang naging kapatid ko. At hindi siya naging iba kahit na 'di ko maalala ang aming pagkabata.

     "If you're worried about being happy, don't be! I always feel happy when I'm with you, Aniue! You were the first one who really cared about me and loved me the most—you can't deny that!" I was saying some sweet things, but then I just couldn't help but burst out laughing, "That's why I love you too, my one and only brother for life."

     His eyes were staring at me, and in that moment, I could sense a bit of sadness in them. But then, he shot me a smile and wrapped me in a quick hug, which instantly wiped the laughter off my face.

     "Then I guess I'll just have to be your brother... as you said, for life," Kuya Levy was just joking around, acting like he was speaking for himself and not for me. We stayed like that for a minute before he finally let go.

     "Okay ka na ba?" tanong kong pabiro. Ngumiti siya at tumingala sa langit.

     "Having my little sister here makes everything all good again," my brother just chuckled.

     Ngumiti ako at ginaya siya upang tignan din ang langit. Sa pagtingin ko sa kalangitan ay aking nakita ang maliwanag na buwan at naalala ko ang nangyari kanina. Nagwawari ako kung may alam ang kapatid ko tungkol sa silid na iyon.

     "Aniue, pamilyar ka ba sa'ting ninuno na dugong maharlika? Pwede mo bang sabihin sa akin ang tungkol sa kanya?" pag-uusisa ko sa aking kapatid. Nilingon niya ako nang may pagtataka sa kanyang mga mata.

     Kuya Levy started sharing his knowledge with me after thinking about it for a while, "Back in the day, obasama used to share her story with us. We've come across auntie before... Oh well, you might not recall it due to what you went through. But she was Jaeha, a member of the Serizawa Clan."

     "Obasama mentioned some rumors floating around that she might be connected to the Bakumatsu Period Japanese royal family in some way. Besides her own stories, we don't have much, if any, information about her in our family records."

     "She said that Jaeha-sama did something wrong or messed up big time. We just know that it was because of her that our royal lineage got messed up."

     Kung gayon ay nagsimula sa kanya ang pagkawala ng dugong-bughaw sa aming pamilya. Dahil wala nga siyang ibang datos bukod sa nasabi raw sa amin ni auntie, 'di ako sigurado kung ang nakita kong kuwadro ng isang babae ay si Serizawa Jaeha. At kung pagmamay-ari niya 'yung libro na naroroon.

     Ang angkan ng Serizawa ay napakahigpit tungkol sa kanilang lahi. Iniisip nilang siya ang dahilan kung bakit hindi na-inherit ng mga sumunod na salinlahi ang orihinal nilang apelyido hanggang sa tuluyan na itong magbago.

     At ang pamilya namin—o mas tamang sabihin na si Dad ang current at natitirang direct descendant ng aming angkan.

∙∙·▫▫ ≍ ⋟⋟۵ ⋟⋟۵⋞⋞ ▫≼≽▫ ⋟⋟۵⋞⋞ ۵⋞⋞ ≍ ▫▫·∙∙

Updates will be on every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

Ang kuwentong ito ay hindi pulido at maaaring makakita ng wrong spelling of words, wrong grammar in a sentence at typographical errors. Maaari akong itama sa bawat pagkakamaling makikita ninyo. Salamat sa pag-unawa.

Paalala na ang iba ay maaaring taliwas sa katotohanan. Sinasadya iyon ng manunulat dahil sa ilang partikular na rason.

彡Exrineance

𝘈𝘊𝘛 𝘐╹𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬╻𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘦