authorʼs note:
kaaaay, as iʼve said b4, this story wasnʼt originally a fanfiction & b4 more pipol gets confused. karina from 'd last episode ( ep6 ) was an original character & not anyoneʼs karina. sp, not aespaʼs hawt~ mOmMy~

disclaimer:
the songs that are used/will be used in this story are own composition made solely for the story unless stated otherwise.

07 | Mikaelʼs Point of View

♫ Kumusta na?
Matagal na nang huli tayong magkita
Patawad kung iniwan ka
Di ninais ngunit kinailangan, pasensya na ♫

“That'll be three hundred, maʼam.”

♫ Ak-ing sinta, kumusta na?
Ma-hal kita, higit pa saʼking sarili, yeah ♫

“I received five hundred.”

♫ Ak-ing sinta, kumusta na?
Ma-hal kita, higit pa sa maiisip nila ♫

“And your change is two hundred.” Smiling with my eyes almost disappearing, I handed the woman her change and the bag of her items at the same time, confusing her what to accept first as she was too busy getting mesmerized by probably my handsome and lethal beauty face.

She even made that glitch effect before realizing she could use both of her hands to accept both. Embarrassed, she gave me a low “thank you” with her head hung low before rushing to the exit, leaving me chuckling at the back of my head.

How cute.

Shaking my head as though doing so would help with erasing the little smirk I had on my face, my eyes got caught by the clouds up in the sky; they are becoming less visible now that the skies are gradually getting dark. Just a little bit more time before my shift finally ends.

Suddenly, I remembered the newly arrived items stored at the back which needed to be sorted so we could stock up. I fished my cellphone inside the pocket of my pants to turn off the music so I could hear if there would be customers while Iʼm at the storage room. But even before I could even touch the doorknob, I already heard the ringing of the glass door.

And there was a guy about 5’11 feet tall who marched straight through the back of the aisles and in no minutes came in front of the checkout counter with a cup of ice in his hand.

“Is that all?” was my question while piercingly eyeing every bruise and wound all over his face. My whole face scrunched because even his knuckles are bleeding, his usually styled in a slick back hair is now in a total mess, and unlike his always neat and clean outfits; his pink polo is crumpled and even missing a few buttons.

“I fought with my bandmates,” he explained in a surprisingly hoarse voice, his eyes looking everywhere but at me. “Donʼt worry, Iʼm leaving their band right after our gig this coming weekend.”

Rolling my eyes at him, I stepped out of the checkout counter but immediately went back once I got some band-aid and disinfectant. I gave him one last annoyed look before speaking, “these will be used on you so youʼre paying for them.”

Despite looking all roughed up, he gave me a small yet soft smile fishing his wallet out of his backpack. I would not deny, that smile lightened my mood up even just a little bit because despite the irritation Iʼm feeling right now, I know to myself that itʼs not him Iʼm mad at.

But when he placed his guitar down on the floor for a moment so he could rummage through his backpack, my brows were furrowing once again and I feel even more aggravated now because I realized why the upper part of his guitar bag was sagging.

“Iʼve always told you, they hate having you around but you chose to stay fucking adamant. How would you play now?” I snarled, voice low and too soft than I wanted to sound and to express just how disappointed I feel right now.

Fucking Lucas broke his fucking guitar.

♫ ♫ ♫

“I was wondering where your spare guitar went and why you never let me borrow it again. So, Jake borrowed it?” I asked, repeating his words earlier while I took my sweet precious time to unwrap the burger that I have been oh so craving for a long time.

I donʼt get to taste something this savory and satisfactory everyday even if I have my own money saved from my part-time job. Luckily, I met Lucas today who offered to get me anything I want as a compensation for boiling my blood.

“Hey, Mika,” Lucas called without turning his head at me, keeping his eyes on the road as he drives for the two of us towards where Jake lives. “When we arrived there, would you please be the one to take my guitar? Itʼs in Jakeʼs room. Iʼll buy you more food.”

I heard him. But I didn't respond right away, taking my time to chew and enjoy the food inside my mouth.

Itʼs not like I am planning to decline. In fact, I had already anticipated he would chicken out once we get there even after pleading with me to come with him to get his guitar back—the guitar he let Jake borrow but the latter never returned. Because Jake hasn't returned as well. And it's been two years but heʼs still beauty sleeping.

But that is what I thought.

“I thought we would enter the house nornally! Knock on the door, introduce ourselves, and ask if we could take your guitar back?!” The moment we stepped out of the car and Lucas told me to climb up Jakeʼs balcony to get the guitar, my flabber was utterly gasted.

No joke because he even gave me the key to Jakeʼs balcony door saying Jake used to let him and Troye come over. But instead of coming over normally, they would climb the guyʼs balcony in the middle of the night, trying to go unnoticed. A bonding between the three I never learned about.

“Donʼt get hurt now, we never really came over to have fun. Besides, Jake hated it when Troye would come over without so much of notifying him first. If only you knew that he took back the key he gave to Troye then entrusted it to me.” 

I wanted to laugh at his last sentence as I had pictured how hurt Troye might have been, how he would pout his lips, and how he would look at Jake pleadingly with his big and round bambi eyes.

“Alright, the room at the left corner is Jakeʼs. Only you will climb the fence, Iʼll look out for you.”

And that is how I ended up getting scared by a figure laying flat on the bed after flickering the lights inside the room open. Later, realizing it was only Jake. It was Jake who was as grumpy as I remembered. Jake, who I was close to forgetting how he actually looks for the whole two years that I didn't get to see him, even just a glimpse.

“Sorry for switching the lights on, I didn't think youʼd be back. I know you told me not to come to your house and enter from the balcony without informing you first but Lucas needs his guitar back, you see? We've decided it's time to bring the band back again.”

Ah, I must've missed him too much than I am aware. Iʼm spitting complete nonsense right now.

“Tomorrow. Come back tomorrow then let's talk. I just got discharged today, I'm. . .tired.” That is what Jake told me that had my knees trembling in anticipation. Even, bumping Lucasʼ guitar at the wall and almost breaking my bones when I jumped out of his balcony, my excitement made me lose my mind and forget weʼre at the second floor.

“What happaned?” Lucas asked out of concern after witnessing how I fell down, face first as I made sure that the guitar was safe on my back.

“I-I saw Hariki!” I lied.

Scared that weʼre gonna get caught, Lucas stirred his wheels at high speed, and we left the place in a hurry. It almost felt like we were flying and fighting with gravity. All of it to purposely make Lucas forget about the key so I could come back to Jake.

Which I did right the next night.

“Jake, what do you mean your own body?” I asked in confusion.

“Whatʼs your name?” Jakeʼs question that made me feel like Iʼm gonna lose my mind.

I don't know whether Jake is amnesiac—or heʼs no longer the Jake I used to know. But I'll definitely get my answers. And thatʼs why I came back after four days of contemplating.

“Mikael.”

Heʼs been calling out my name over and over again even after responding to each of them.

I wonder whatʼs wrong.

“Mikael. . .did you know that Iʼm engaged?”

//

Park Lucas Henry (p.jj)