SEVEN

"Wala ka bang bibilhin sa convenience store, Pito?"

I ignored Ira and focused on adjusting my knee support. They had been teasing me for weeks and still hadn't stopped. Since then, I had avoided the convenience store. I didn't want Alia to suspect that I might have been feeling... something unusual.

Yes, it was probably that. A crush. It was my first time, so I didn't know how to deal with it. 

I would never let Lai and Nat find out about this! I'd rather lose the damn competition than let the word 'crush' slip out of my mouth in front of those two.

"Balita ko, Pito, gusto mo ng sandwich? Tara, bili tayo during break!" pang-aasar din ni King. Hindi ko rin siya pinansin at naglakad na lang pabalik sa court. They all laughed at me, clearly enjoying this. Fuck... there's nothing I can do now. I just admitted it in front of the whole team. 
They won't even listen to my explanation. 

Out of everyone, Sean was the only one who didn't tease me. He didn't even look happy with all the teasing. 

I was pissed, so I played more aggressive than usual. Usually, they would remain quiet but ever since they found out about my crush, her name would always come up during training. 

"Ang lakas pumalo, ah! Badtrip siya kasi hindi pa niya nakikita si Alia ngayong araw." They laughed at what my teammate said. Kailan ba babalik si Coach nang mapagalitan na 'tong mga 'to? Hindi nagseseryoso ng training. 

After training, Ira and King forcibly dragged me to the convenience store again! Pinigil ko ang mga paa ko nang nasa tapat na kami ng pintuan. They were pulling me to go inside, and I was using all my strength to stop my body from being pulled. I even held onto the post while they were pulling me! 

"Damn it, I don't want to go," inis na sabi ko. 

"Sige na, Pito! Hindi ka namin aasarin, promise! Kausapin mo na siya!" pagpipilit pa ni King. 

"Huwag mo ako idamay, p're. Ako, aasarin ko talaga siya." Ira laughed so hard. "Ilang linggo na, Seven, wala ka pa ring progress! Hindi mo nga siya kinakausap! Hindi ka nagsasalita man lang kapag nasa cashier ka na!"

"What the hell do you even want me to say?!" I tried to tighten my grip on the post. Pinalupot ko na ang braso ko roon habang ang isa kong braso ay hinahatak nila. "Wala akong sasabihin sa kanya." 

"Tanungin mo na kung single siya tapos pormahan mo na!" King talked like it was the easiest thing in the world. How could a random stranger just walk up to a woman at her workplace and ask her something like that? Nagtatrabaho lang 'yong tao. She might feel uncomfortable.

"I'm not planning to flirt with her if that's what you're thinking," I said, shaking my head. It was just a crush, nothing more. It wasn't like I wanted a whole relationship with her. We barely even knew each other. Hindi nga niya alam ang pangalan ko. 

"Malay mo may chance! Tangina, si Seven Camero ka na, oh! Kaya mo 'yan!" Ira said, succeeding in dragging me inside the convenience store. 

"Welcome po!" I heard Alia's voice. Hindi ako lumingon at agad akong pumunta sa pinakalikod kung saan hindi ko siya makikita. Sinundan naman ako ni Ira at King para hatakin papunta sa harapan. 

"Stop it," I hissed, trying to keep my voice down. "This is embarrassing." 

"Kahit isang word lang, Pito, para may progress! Ang hina mo naman, eh," King provoked me.

Fine... I just had to do this for them to shut the hell up. I got a random piece of bread and walked toward the cashier to pay for it. I had already mustered up the courage to talk to her, but when our eyes met, I immediately looked down again, hiding my face. 

Damn it. I didn't know what to say. My hands were trembling while holding the bread. My mind couldn't think of anything to say. 

Just say something, Seven! Ask her if she's single!

"Single..." I muttered under my breath.

"Huh?" Alia asked, looking at me as she waited for the bread. I hadn't even realized I was gripping the bread so tightly that I'd already squished it. 

I handed her the bread with shaky hands. "I'm single."

Fuck! That wasn't what I wanted to say! I wanted to ask her!

I expected Alia to give me a weird look, but instead, she just smiled at what I said... and that smile made my heart skip a beat. "That's nice po!" masayang sabi niya. "Unless ayaw mo palang maging single." She laughed softly while working on something on the monitor.

I stayed silent, quickly handed over the exact amount, and rushed out of the store. As soon as I stepped outside, Ira and King were right behind me, bombarding me with questions about what had just happened. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely catch my breath!

"Anong single ka, p're?! Share mo lang?" King kept on laughing, even holding his stomach. 

"Ano ba 'yan, Pito! Chance na 'yon, eh!" Ira sounded disappointed. 

"Chance?" I repeated and scoffed. "Chance?! I don't fucking need a chance!" I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and walked away, frustrated with myself.

Why did I say that? Why?! Just... why?!

"Kung kailangan mo ng tulong sa pag-untog sa ulo mo, Kuya, pwedeng ako na lang?" Kiel suggested, chewing on something as he spoke.

I sat in the living room, questioning all my life choices, and smacked my head against the pillow repeatedly. It was beyond embarrassing. There's no way I'm ever moving on from that—not even the police could get that out of me.

"Nakakahiya," I muttered while staring at nowhere.

"Hindi, okay lang, promise. Wala naman akong ginagawa, eh," Kiel answered as if that was for him. Kumuha pa siya ng unan, ready nang ihampas sa ulo ko. "Game na?"

"Ah, I don't know..." I ruffled my hair, getting frustrated. If only I could forget about it already! 

"Huwag ka nang maduwag! Game na!" 

"Ah! This is hurting my head!" Napahawak ako sa ulo ko, hindi na alam ang gagawin. I shouldn't think about it too much... Right.

"Wala pa nga?!" reklamo ni Kiel.

I looked at him when I realized that he was having a different conversation with me. Oh... Right. I just sighed heavily and stood up to walk upstairs. Nagkulong na lang ako sa kwarto at humiga sa kama, tinatakpan ng unan ang mukha ko. 

After that, I tried hard to avoid Alia, but I always saw her around the campus. Sometimes, I would be surprised to see her waiting outside our room for Chae. I considered getting close to Chae to ask about Alia, but she wasn't the approachable type. 

"Shit," I whispered because as soon as I stepped out of the room after class, Alia was there with her other friend, Bailey. I just heard Chae calling her name. 

"Chae!" Tinaas ni Bailey ang kamay niya. "Lunch!" 

I turned away and walked in a different direction, determined to avoid bumping into Alia. I was trying to shake off these silly feelings I had for her. Ira and King kept pushing me to talk to her, trying to fix the situation. Believe me, I tried—but it always ended in failure. I'd chicken out every time, too afraid of embarrassing myself even more.

"Dear, I'm going to open my clothing business soon. Do you want to be a model?" Mom asked while we were eating outside. Mom decided to take me out on a date while Kiel and Dad attended some gaming event. Kiel wanted so badly to go, so sinamahan siya ni Dad. Kunwari pa siyang napilitan pero gusto niya rin naman. 

"Nope," I quickly answered. "I don't like getting my photos taken." 

"Why? You look good, kaya! You look like me, eh!" Mom said, proudly praising herself. I couldn't help but laugh at her self-confidence. People often told me I was a mix of both my parents, though I got Mom's softer features. Kiel, on the other hand, looked more like Dad.

"I just don't see the point," I said, shrugging. I wasn't the type to share things on social media. Being in front of the camera made me uncomfortable, and I never understood why I should take a photo of myself when I could just look in the mirror. Why would I take a photo for others to see? If they want to see me, they can just do that in real life.

I didn't see the need to post pictures of myself just to impress people I barely knew. I'd rather take photos of others or capture scenery to keep as memories—but not of myself. That just wasn't me. 

"Sayang, ah! Maganda ang fit ng mga damit sa 'yo, eh," Mom said, pouting. "But... Okay! No to modeling! Got it."

Sinamahan ko lang si Mommy mag-shopping sa mall. I had been her shopping companion ever since I was a kid. Inaaya niya si Kiel pero hindi talaga 'yon interesado sa mga ganito. Nag-aaya lang 'yon umuwi. I was the more patient one. My feet were used to endlessly walking around the mall with her, and my arms had become strong enough to carry all her shopping bags.

"That one looks better," I said, pointing to the dress in her left hand. She always asked for my opinion, but in the end, she'd pick what she actually wanted.

"Parang mas okay 'yong right one. What do you think?" she asked again, holding up the dress. "Look at it one more time!"

"Yeah..." I smiled and nodded, pointing at the right dress this time. It was what she really wanted anyway.

Tuwing may bibilhin siya sa isang shop, bibilhan niya rin ako para hindi siya ma-guilty sa paghihintay ko... and that was the reason why I ended up having so many designer stuff. Naturally, I'd get interested in them too. 

"How about this, Seven? Let's buy this na lang for you..." We were at her favorite jewelry shop, and she was browsing for bracelets. Somehow, I got roped into it. I held out my wrist so she could try the bracelet on me. "Perfect! We're getting this." 

"Mom, you're already spending too much," I reminded her. "That's enough." 

I looked at my phone when I received a message from Dad. Afterward, I showed it to Mom, and she just laughed at it. 

From: Dad

JUSMIYO ANO NA NAMANG BINIBILI NG MOMMY MO NAG-NOTIF SA AKIN

"Oh, don't mind him!" She just waved her hand, pushing the phone away. They set it up so that every transaction on their credit cards would notify the other person too. "This is the last one na. To be fair, it's my birthday gift for myself." 

She really stopped there after getting a call from Dad. It looked like it wasn't a fight because she came back smiling, but I knew she got scolded a bit. 

"Let's go home," she said right after getting back from answering Dad's call. I covered my mouth and stopped myself from laughing. Oh, I could just imagine their conversation. 

The next day, I arrived at school around six A.M. since we always started our training early on weekends. To warm up, I jogged around the campus while waiting for my teammates. After a few laps, I headed to the convenience store to grab a drink.

To my surprise, Alia was there. It was way too early. Had she taken another shift? She looked exhausted, her eyes half-closed as she rested her chin on her hand at the cashier. I couldn't help but smile to myself before quickly looking away.

My hands froze mid-air, contemplating about grabbing a bottle of coffee. Napailing na lang ako at pumunta na sa counter. 

"Good morning po." Nagising siya nang ilapag ko na ang dalawang bote. Hindi siya nagsalita at kinuha na lang ang bayad ko. She looked so tired. 

I picked up the energy drink and gently pushed the bottle of coffee toward her on the counter. "This is for you," I said quietly, then walked out of the store without waiting for her reaction.

As soon as I crossed the street, I covered my mouth in shock. I couldn't believe I'd actually done that. Glancing back from where I stood, I saw her drinking the coffee. I felt relieved. Good. That should help wake her up.

After training, my teammates went to the convenience store again to grab some food. Alia wasn't there. Oh... So she probably took the morning shift. Nakipagpalit siya. Uh... Why am I analyzing her shift schedule?

"Tama na titig, huy. Hindi 'yan aalis sa paningin mo." Siniko ako ni Ira. We were seated on the bleachers, waiting for the students to finish using the volleyball court for their P.E. class. Alia was part of that group.

She looked adorable, awkwardly trying to play volleyball.

"She's serving. Shut up." Tinulak ko ang mukha niya paalis. My eyes stayed on Alia as she walked to the back of the court to serve. She looked like she had no idea what to do with the ball. Part of me wanted to go down and teach her, but that would've been weird. I was still just a stranger to her.

She bounced the ball twice before tossing it into the air. Extending her arm, she swung and hit it with her palm. I couldn't help but laugh softly when the ball barely made it over the net. How cute.

"Ano'ng nangyari diyan?" I heard King ask when he arrived. He was probably talking about me because I laughed by myself. 

"Nasiraan na, tol," Ira answered. "Reset mo nga sa settings." 

"May progress na ba?" 

"Wala, mahina 'yan, eh. Bahala ka, Pito. Mauunahan ka niyan, tingnan mo." 

It didn't really matter much to me. I was content with just admiring her from a distance. I wasn't about to get ahead of myself and try to ask her out. 

Honestly, I wasn't even ready for a relationship. I'd never been in one before, and I doubted I'd know how to treat her properly or make her feel special. On top of that, I wasn't confident I could balance my time between a relationship and volleyball. Not yet.

Alia was going to serve again, so I watched carefully. 

"Go, Ate! Crush ka daw nito, oh!" sigaw bigla ni Ira. I immediately ducked, hiding behind the backrest of the chair. I even grabbed my bag and used it to cover myself. 

"What the fuck, zero-four," I hissed, still hiding myself. King and Ira laughed so hard while I was panicking. 

"Hindi naman narinig, eh! Isa pa nga!" King stood on the chair, ready to yell. Binaba ko kaagad ang bag ko at sinubukan siyang hatakin pababa ng upuan. 

"Shut up! Shut up!" I tried to cover his mouth, but they just kept laughing. Ira pulled me back while King slapped my hand away. They were ganging up on me.

"Ate, ang galing mo daw mag-serve-Hmm!" I quickly covered King's mouth, but he pulled away, determined to finish his sentence. "Baka pwede rin daw mag-serve sa buhay mo!" He burst into laughter, slowly sliding off the chair, his knees weak from laughing too hard.

Lumingon ako at mukhang hindi naman narinig ni Alia. I swore I never wanted to be around these two again... but that wasn't an option since they were my teammates.

"Baba pa nga tayo para mas malapit at mas marinig," Ira suggested.

"I'm out of here. Just let me know when training starts," I said, grabbing my bag and quickly escaping to avoid another embarrassing moment.

"Ayun, si Camero! Ide-demonstrate niya kung paano ang tamang pag-serve!" I stopped in my tracks when the P.E. instructor noticed me leaving the court. 

"M-me?" Lumingon ako at tinuro pa ang sarili ko. 

"Oo, halika, Camero!" I heard some students make squealing noises as I walked over in their direction, putting my bag on the nearest bench. "Sobrang galing nito mag-volleyball! Magcha-champion siguro tayo ngayong season!" I could hear King and Ira's laughter from where I was standing. Bumaba pa sila mula sa bleachers para mas malapit sa akin. 

"Tatakas ka pa, ah," natatawang sabi ni Ira.

I tried to avoid glancing at Alia because her presence alone made me nervous. What more if I saw her watching me? The ball might fall from my hands. Ayaw kong mapahiya sa harapan niya. 

I walked to the back of the court with the ball in my hands. I'd done this countless times before, so why was I so nervous now? I bounced the ball twice, spun it in my hands, and then tossed it into the air. Taking a step forward, I jumped and hit the ball perfectly with my palm.

The sound of the ball hitting the ground was so loud that the entire court fell silent. I hadn't even realized I'd gone all out.

"Wow!" The silence broke as everyone started clapping, clearly impressed. The P.E. instructor called me over and asked me to explain what I did. It was painfully awkward. I mumbled through an explanation of how I liked to serve, then asked to be excused, claiming I had somewhere to be. Of course, that was a lie.

I just needed to get out of there, especially after glancing at Alia and realizing her attention was elsewhere. Seriously? I even went all out to impress her. But she looked completely drained, barely holding herself together. It was as if she would fall asleep any second if she just closed her eyes for a moment.

"Hey..." I said, glancing at Chae after we finished our seatwork. We were partners. The silence just felt awkward. "Your friend..." I started. 

"Alia?" she asked, still focused on jotting something down.

"She looked like she was about to faint during P.E. I'm just saying," I said with a casual shrug, trying not to sound like I was the one concerned.

"It's because she works a lot," Chae replied, finally looking up. Yes! Got her talking. "She's supporting herself and even helping her parents financially, so she's juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet. She barely gets any time to sleep."

Damn. I just nodded, keeping quiet to avoid saying anything that might give me away. Chae had sharp instincts. If I wasn't careful, she'd quickly figure out that I was interested in her friend.

I tried to think of ways to help Alia. Whenever I went to the convenience store, I would arrange the drinks back at their place. But I started seeing her less when we got busy with our competitions. 

"Congrats, guys! After finals na ulit!" sabi ni Sean pagkababa namin ng bus. Kagagaling lang namin sa competition. We just won, but it wasn't the end yet. We were still fighting for a spot in the Nationals. 

I was walking to the parking lot with King and Ira since I offered to drop them off. Dadaan daw silang mall. 

"Seven, gago, naunahan ka na!"

I stopped walking when I heard Ira. My head turned towards the direction he was looking at, and I saw Alia walking with a guy. He was... carrying her stuff. 

I felt something heavy on my chest, but I ignored it. I just looked away and continued walking. 

"Baka hindi pa naman boyfriend! May chance pa!" pampalubag-loob ni King. 

I shook my head. "I'm not that type of guy."

She smiled at him and looked genuinely happy. Who was I to ruin that happiness? Besides, at least that guy had the guts to pursue a relationship with her. I didn't. He deserved her more than I ever could.

Ira and King somehow found a way to dig for information about Alia's relationship status. Axel, our teammate and Chae's twin, played along by pretending to be interested in Alia and asking his sister directly.

"She has a boyfriend. Bago lang," Axel announced casually.

The whole team overheard and turned to me, their faces looking more heartbroken than I felt. I just shrugged it off, refusing to let it seem like a big deal. There was no point dwelling on it. I had more important things to focus on—like the competition. 

I looked at Sean, who was silent, trying not to look like he was listening to the conversation. I had heard he was close to Alia, but Sean and I barely talked, so I didn't want to ask him about anything. I was just glad that he never told Alia about me. 

"Olats tayo, par." Tinapik-tapik ni Ira ang balikat ko. "Okay lang 'yan... May iba pa diyan..." 

I put all my attention on the competition to forget about Alia, and we won the Nationals. I also got a trophy for being the MVP. I honestly wasn't expecting it, but I still felt fulfilled to receive it because I worked so hard to excel in volleyball. 

Then, finally, we were back on campus again for third year, first sem. I would still see Alia in the convenience store but I never talked to her again. Sa campus nga lang, palagi ko rin siyang nakikita kahit hindi ko naman ginugusto. 

It was late at night, and we had just finished training. As I walked to my car, I heard someone crying near the parking lot. I glanced over and saw Alia standing there, covering her face while her boyfriend walked away, visibly pissed.

My brows furrowed. Why would he leave her like that, crying? 

Before I could even think, my feet were already moving. She was too caught up in her emotions to notice me. Her face was buried in her hands, so I quietly slipped my handkerchief into her jacket pocket and walked away.

"Excuse me!" she called out, startled when she felt the handkerchief in her pocket. I didn't look back and just got into my car.

Once inside, I let out a frustrated sigh and tapped my forehead lightly against the steering wheel. "I've changed my mind. He doesn't deserve her. Who makes their girlfriend cry like that?" I whispered to myself.

But no matter how much it bothered me, there was nothing I could do.

"I'm not some third party, so stop whatever you're thinking," I said, rolling my eyes at Ira and King after telling them about what I'd seen in the parking lot. Those two gave me suspicious looks as if questioning my intentions.

I had only brought it up because I was curious if they knew anything about Alia's boyfriend. I hadn't cared before, but I needed to know more after witnessing that scene. Something about him just didn't sit right with me.

"Ito na nga ang chismis..." Umayos pa ng upo si Ira, ready na sa mahabang usapan. We were at a Japanese restaurant to eat. "Grae pangalan noong boyfriend niya. Malabo daw sila ngayon kasi iba't ibang babae ang kasama noong Grae. Sabi raw ni Grae sa mga tropa niya, nasasakal daw siya kay Alia kasi sobrang selosa raw... pero ang balita ko naman ay touchy talaga 'tong lalaki sa ibang mga babae."

"So he's cheating?" I raised a brow.

"Ewan ko, ah! 'Yon lang ang narinig ko noong nagtanong-tanong ako. Nakainuman ko kasi iba sa mga tropa niya, eh." Tinaas ni Ira ang dalawa niyang kamay. "Ano, Pito? Bilib ka na ba sa 'kin? Ano pa gusto mong malaman? Hahanap kami ni King ng paraan!" pang-aasar niya.

"Gusto mo sundan natin 'yong Grae na parang spy?" King probably watched too many action movies. 

Umiling na lang ako. I shouldn't get involved. I was just a stranger. It was their relationship to work on. I should just try to forget about Alia again. 

"You look bothered," Yori said as he took a seat across from me. I was at the library to clear my head—it was quiet there, so it felt like the best place to hang out and think. Yori had two books in his hands, and I was surprised he even noticed me. He always looked so focused when studying.

Both Nat and Yori loved studying, practically making it a hobby. "Where's Nat?" I asked, since they were almost always together on campus. Nakakapanibago. 

"Still in class," he replied, a small smile forming just at the mention of his girlfriend's name. "I hope it's okay if I sit here. There aren't any other seats available."

"Sure," I said, moving my laptop to give him more space. Since Yori was in a relationship, he seemed like the perfect person to ask... "Hey... do you walk away from your girlfriend when she's crying?"

His brows furrowed. "Why would I ever do that?" he said, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Just a single tear from Nat would already make me fall to my knees and apologize."

"Even if you're mad at her? Like, really pissed?"

"It doesn't matter. No matter how angry I am, I'd never leave her in tears." He looked so serious. 

I knew then that what I saw wasn't normal. But I didn't know the guy, so who was I to judge? It was their relationship, after all. Every relationship works differently.

"What would you do if Nat got a boyfriend and that guy made her cry?"

"Two-timing?" He looked genuinely confused. "Nat?"

"No... I mean, imagine you're not together. She has a different boyfriend," I clarified.

"Oh..." His expression shifted. "Do you like someone?" he suddenly asked, catching me completely off guard.

"W-what?" I blinked twice, thrown by the question.

"It seems like the person you like has a boyfriend," he added casually, laughing softly as he glanced at his book. He didn't even look at me, but somehow, I felt judged.

"It's not like that..." I muttered. I was there first! I just backed out. 

"The boyfriend's an asshole, so you're worried, right?" he said with a knowing smile. "Well... if Nat's boyfriend were a total asshole, I'd just ask someone else to warn her. It couldn't come from me. It would look bad... like I was trying to sabotage their relationship."

Yori was right, so I decided to talk to Chae the next day. I asked her if she knew someone named Grae, and she immediately confirmed that he was Alia's boyfriend.

"Why? Do you know anything else about that fucking asshole?" Chae snapped, her irritation evident. Oh... so she already knew. I didn't need to say anything more.

"Nothing..." I mumbled, looking away. If she was aware, she had probably already warned Alia. There wasn't much else I could do. I needed to step back and focus on my studies and the competition.

I also made a conscious effort to avoid Alia on campus. Every time I saw her, I'd turn and head in the opposite direction. I even started walking to a farther convenience store just to avoid running into her, kahit na mas malayo pa. Exercise na lang 'yon. 

I tried to move on from Alia. I hadn't heard anything about her lately, and the team had stopped teasing me after finding out she had a boyfriend. Maybe they thought every mention of her name was hurting me. 

I set my boundaries. I kept my distance, hoping it would help me let go of my feelings. She was already with someone else, and I needed to take care of these feelings.

I was deeply focused on studying for finals when Ira hurriedly pulled out the chair in front of me and sat down. The chair made a loud noise in the library, drawing annoyed glances from the other people around us. Bahagya kong tinakpan ang gilid ng mukha ko gamit ang notebook.

"Breaking news!" masayang sabi niya. Lumingon ulit 'yong ibang estudyante sa amin sa lakas ng boses niya. I let out a sigh, stood up, and quickly gathered my things before pulling Ira out of the library.

We headed to the vending machines to grab a drink. "What?" I asked Ira about his 'breaking news' earlier. 

"Literal na breaking news, gago! Break na sila!" Ira pushed my shoulders. 

"Who?" Kumunot ang noo ko habang naglalagay ng coins sa vending machine. 

"Si Alia at Grae! Hindi ko nga lang alam kung bakit nag-break, pero 'yon ang sabi ni Sean!" Inalog-alog niya ang balikat ko.

I just looked at him, my face completely blank. "She's hurting. That's not something I should be happy about," I said, shaking my head as I pressed the button for my favorite drink. Pagkatapos ay yumuko na ako at kinuha 'yon. 

People were probably expecting me to react differently, maybe even do something about it. But I was just a stranger in her life, and I wasn't about to use her pain as an excuse to get closer to her.

Just as we were about to step into the library, Alia bumped into me on her way out. She turned quickly, her lips curving into a small smile. 

"Sorry..." sabi niya at umalis na, nagmamadali. 

That smile stuck with me. It wasn't the same. My chest tightened as the image of her face played in my mind. She really looked like someone who had just gone through a breakup. 

I sighed, gripping the drink in my hand. "Hey. How... do I bring that smile back to her face?" 

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:)