She wanted to throw a fit. Gusto niyang sugurin ito at sampal-sampalin. How dare he? Pinaghirapan niyang lutuin yung pagkain tapos sa basurahan lang nito iyon ilalagay? But she kept her cool kahit parang sasabog na siya sa sobrang galit.

That's what he was hoping for. He was waiting for her to break down and cry or to get angry. Neither will happen.

She took the trash out saka niya isa-isang kinuha mula roon ang shanghai rolls na tinapon nito.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked blandly. Good thing matibay ang sikmura niya. Mabuti na rin na puro pinagbalatan lang ng gulay at ilang plastic ang laman ng basurahan. Nilagay niya sa isang maruming pinggan ang mga shanghai rolls.

"Are you going to eat those?" he asked in amusement.

"Do you want me to eat them? Will that make you happy?"

He simply shrugged. "If you want to, then feel free."

Pagkasabi ay umalis na si Ken para kumain sa labas. She wanted to taste the food just to see if he's lying o kung wala talagang lasa ang niluto niya, but she eventually shook her head. It doesn't matter anyway.

Ibinigay na lang niya iyon sa aso ng kapitbahay.

--

He woke up feeling guilty and that guilt is still eating him up. Walang gana si Ken na kumain kaya tumigil na lang siya sa isang kapehan. He ordered a cup of coffee and pondered at what he did to her earlier. He knew it was wrong, pero sa tuwing kaharap niya si Ahn, inuunahan ang logic niya ng galit.

When he took a bite of that roll, he was brought back to high school. Noong panahon ipinagluto siya nito kapalit ng niluto niyang spaghetti. Yun yung panahon na hindi pa nya sinasabi ritong gusto nya ito. The memory was too much for him to bear. When his eye caught the trash bin in one corner, he automatically got up and threw everything there without thinking twice.

Alam niyang nasaktan ito. He was expecting her to cry or lash out, but she calmly took the trash and started taking the rolls out of it, which took him by surprise. He was torn between feeling pity and disgust.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Are you going to eat those?" he asked in amusement.

"Do you want me to eat them? Will that make you happy?"

He was caught off guard by her answer. He was very tempted to say yes, just to see if she will do it. But he will never forgive himself if he subjected her to that kind of torture.

Nagkibit-balikat na lamang siya. "If you want to, then feel free."

Napasapo siya. Did he really say that? And what about last night? It was suppposed to be their honeymoon, but he pushed her away. It's not that he doesn't want her. On the contrary, he wants her so badly. He aches for her. All those years, si Ahn lang ang ginusto niya. She's the only woman he wants to be with, the only one he wants to protect and to love, pero ngayong malaya na syang gawin ang lahat ng iyon, saka naman niya sinasayang ang pagkakataon.

Instead of making her feel loved, he made her sleep inside the room where he put all his useless junks away. Walang bumbilya, walang electric fan at ni walang bintana. Maalikabok pa roon dahil hindi naman niya iyon nilinis.

He could see the red patches on her skin the next morning. But he didn't hear any complaint from her.

He drank the coffee slowly. Ayaw muna niyang umuwi. Pagbalik niya, nandoon pa rin si Ahn. And her presence will just make him go crazy. After finishing the cup, he ordered another one. He also bought cake dahil baka samaan siya kung puro kape lang.

Bandang alas dyes nang mapag-desisyunan niyang bumalik sa bahay. When he entered the house, sinalubong siya ng katahimikan. Mukhang naglampaso si Ahn ng sahig. It looked so polished, he could almost see the frown on his reflection's face.

"Ahn?" he called out softly.

Wala ito sa kusina, wala rin sa likod-bahay. Wala rin ito sa banyo. He went upstairs to check if she's in her room—the junk room. Naka-lock ang pintuan. Kinuha niya ang susi sa kwarto niya saka dahan-dahang binuksan ang pintuan ng tambakan.

Ahn's inside. Natutulog ito. He noticed that she removed the plastic from the foam on the bed. Nakatali ang buhok nito. She's wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts. Medyo kita ang tiyan nito dahil sa nakataas na sando. Pawis na pawis ito.

Napalunok siya. This is not the view he's expecting to see.

Agad siyang lumabas ng kwarto. Hinayaan nyang nakabukas ng kaunti ang pintuan para mahanginan naman ito. Then he went downstairs to take a cold shower.

--

Ahn woke up at around 12. Hilong-hilo siya dahil sa init. Naliligo na pala siya sa pawis. Agad syang bumangon at nagpalit ng t-shirt. Basang-basa ang damit niya. She frowned when she noticed the door. Sa pagkakatanda niya ay ini-lock niya iyon bago sya matulog.

O baka naman hindi? Hindi niya sigurado. Gutom na gutom na kasi sya at hilong-hilo.

She went downstairs. Nagpunta siya kaagad sa kusina para uminom ng tubig. Mukhang wala pa rin si Ken. Did he plan on staying outside the whole day? Ayos lang naman sa kanya. Mas nakakahinga siya ng maluwag kapag wala ito sa bahay.

She took a quick bath after saka siya nagluto ng kakainin. Hindi na siya nag-abalang ipagluto ito. Baka itapon na naman nito ang pagkain, sayang lang.

Ipinagpatuloy niya ang paglilinis ng buong bahay dahil wala naman siyang ibang gagawin. She unpacked her things. Inayos niya ang kwarto niya para maging mas kumportable ang pagtulog mamayang gabi. Sa paglilinis ay natuklasan niyang may bintana naman pala ang kwarto. It was just boarded up dahil wala pang pangharang.

Naghanap siya ng pwedeng pangtanggal doon. Halos manakit ang kamay niya dahil sa hirap tanggalin ng kahoy, but she endured. Walang ibang gagawa nito kundi siya. Asa pa naman siya kay Ken. She figured he'd rather let her suffocate than do this small thing for her.

Nang matanggal niya ang harang na iyon ay medyo nabawasan ang init. She knew she'll be able to sleep well later.

Pagkatapos niyang maglinis ay nagpahinga ulit siya. She took the opportunity to read some books. She avoided reading Lang Leav's Love and Misadventures. It was a painful reminder kasi. They had a conversation about the book from way back.

Nang mag-alas syete na at wala pa rin si Ken, nagluto na siya ng hapunan para sa sarili niya. She assumed na kumain na ito sa labas, since he hates her cooking so much. Kasalukuyan siyang naggigisa nang dumating ito.

He looked flushed, mukhang nakainom. Hindi niya ito pinansin nang pumunta itong kusina. If he wanted coffee, he'd ask, she figured. Nagulat siya nang bigla na lamang itong yumakap mula sa likuran. Ibinaon nito ang mukha sa nakalugay niyang buhok. Agad siyang pinangilabutan.

"K-Ken—"

"Don't move," bulong nito.

How can she move when she's locked in his embrace? Masusunog ang niluluto niya! Ano na naman kaya ang trip nito? What's this, another guilt trip? May kasunod na naman bang panunuya ang yakap nito?

He let out a sigh, which sent shivers down her spine. What's up with you, Ken?

Bumitaw ito sa kanya nang walang pasabi at saka ito umakyat. She quickly turned off the stove. Sunog na ang ginisang gulay na niluluto niya. Pumunta siya sa kabilang side ng counter para kumuha ng pinggan. She took two steps and wobbled. That's when she realized na nanghihina na pala ang mga tuhod niya.

Dahil sa ginawa ni Ken kanina, parang nawalan na siya ng ganang kumain. But she did eat anyway, dahil lang sa nagugutom siya. She cleaned up after, glancing every now and then at the stairs. Pero hindi na bumaba si Ken hanggang sa mapagdesisyunan nyang matulog.

--

Ahn didn't know what woke her up. She was feeling uneasy. Sobrang init pa rin kahit bukas na ang bintana sa kwarto niya. She tried to roll to her side pero mabigat ang pakiramdam niya. When she felt something stir between her legs, her eyes flew open.

May nakadagan sa kanya. He was slowly, carefully removing her underwear. She let out a scream. Sinampal siya nito at tinakpan ang bibig niya.

"Shhhhh."

She began kicking and thrashing. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang mararamdaman sa oras na iyon. Did Ken really stoop this low? Naiiyak na siya. She couldn't see well in the dark. Hindi siya makagalaw dahil iniipit nito ang mga binti niya.

She managed to free her one hand. She yanked his hand off of her mouth.

"KEN. STOP. PLEASE!"

At that moment, the door flew open. With the light from outside, nakita niya kung sino ang nasa ibabaw niya. It was a man, but not Ken. May takip ang mukha nito.

Ken took him off of her. Sinuntok nito ang lalaki sa tiyan. The man whimpered. Nang bumagsak ito sa sahig ay pinagsisipa ito ni Ken. He looked like a mad man, ready to kill. Hindi nito tinigilan ang lalaki hanggang sa bumulwak ito ng dugo.

Sya naman ay binalot ng kumot ang sarili. She felt so disgusted. Nalingat si Ken nang ilang segundo and the man took the opportunity to run.

--

Hinabol ni Ken ang lalaki. Shit shit shit! When he heard her scream, agad siyang naalarma. Akala niya ay binabangungot ito.

"KEN. STOP. PLEASE!"

She was even crying. He was starting to get frustrated dahil hindi niya maipasok ng maayos ang susi sa lock. To heck with it, he said to himself. He kicked the door open. Pinanlamigan siya nang makita ang walanghiyang lalaki sa ibabaw ni Ahn.

And then, he just lost it. He was ready to kill the guy. Kung may hawak-hawak lang siyang kutsilyo ay baka napatay na niya iyon. Pero nakatakas ito. Halos talunin nito ang hagdanan. Nasa labas na ito ng bahay in a matter of seconds.

Pabalabag niyang isinarado ang pintuan at saka niya binalikan si Ahn.

Iyak ito nang iyak.

"Hey..."

She flinched when he touched her.

"Ahn, I'm sorry."

She tightened the blanket around her. Sumubsob ito sa unan at saka humagulhol. Napamura siya. He saw the open window. Pinagsisipa niya ang mga nakapaligid na kahon sa sobrang inis. He wanted to shout at her for being so careless. But he knew this one's on him.

If he's considerate enough to even give her a decent room, then this never would have happened.

"Shit, Ahn, I'm sorry!" sabi niya.

Patuloy pa rin ito sa pag-iyak. He yanked her up, ignoring her thrashing. Dinala niya ito sa kwarto niya. He sat her down on the edge of the bed.

"Sleep here," he told her.

Pagkasabi'y lumabas siya sa kwarto. He locked the door behind him. Then he went down, kumuha sya ng martilyo at pako at saka ibinalik ang harang sa bintana. Halos lumubog ang pader sa lakas ng pagmamartilyo niya.

He was so angry with himself, ngali-ngali na niyang ipukpok ang martilyo sa ulo niya.