*Author's POV*

Kinabukasan ay puno ang schedule ng Justin, kasama nya ang iba't-ibang leader ng mga bansang kasama sa APEC. Pinag-usapan nila kung papaano pa mapapalakas ang ugnayan ng mga bansa lalo na sa sa industriya ng kalakalan at pag-iinvest. Pero kapag may pagkakataon ay bigla-bigla na lang pumapasok sa isip nya si Artemis, napapangiti sya bigla. Minsan nga ay binulungan sya ng chief exec. nya dahil nakangiti daw sya habang nagdidiscuss ang isang leader ng bansa sa platform. At hindi rin sya nakaligtas sa batikos patungkol nga sa basurang nanggaling sa Canada, buong tapang nyang sinagot ang batikos na iyon, kuntento naman ang mga media sa sagot nya. Bahagya pa nga syang natawa dahil pinagkaguluhan sya nang dumating sya sa media center, tinagurian syang 'APEC hottie', dahil doon napapaisip sya sa nangyari kagabi, na kung isa sya pinag-uusapan sa APEC, bakit hindi man lang sya nakilala ni Artemis. Pero ang nasa isip nya na mas mabuti iyon. Gusto nya sanang bumalik sa sea side na napuntahan nya kagabi pero sinabihan sya na mayroon pang APEC Dinner Party, kaya hindi na natuloy ang plano nya.

Samantala, si Artemis ay bumalik sa seaside kung saan nya nakilala si Justin noong gabing iyon. Hindi nya alam pero bigla syang nagkaroon ng ideya sa kwentong isusulat nya. Habang nagsusulat sya ay pakiramdam nya ay gusto nya muling makita si Justin. Natatawa sya sa sarili nya. Dahil hinintay nya ito hanggang sa magabi na, pero hindi ito dumating. Inisip nyang baka may ginawa itong importante, pero sa kabilang banda ay naiisip nya, bakit nga naman ito babalik doon. Hindi nya alam pero parang may munting kurot syang naramdaman sa dibdib nya, pero ipinagkibit balikat na lang nya ito.

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*Justin's POV*

Tomorrow morning is my flight back to Canada, I dont know but a part of me is sad, and I have no idea why, its like I am going to leave somethinhg important here in the Philippines. While I am reading some important papers, out of nowhere, Artemis pop out in my mind. I stop on what Im doing. I changed my formal suit into a more casual one. Like what I did last night, I sneaked out again. I adjusted my baseball cap and reading glasses. I went to the place where I met Artemis, I smiled when I saw her there sitting while staring at the night sky. I silently walk towards her. The moment I stared into her, it's like my whole world stops, her eyes we're close and she's smiling while feeling the breeze of the sea wind. She opened her eyes she was shocked when she saw me standing next to her, staring.

"AY POTEK KALABAW KA!"

She literally jumped. I just laugh in her reaction.

"What did you just said?"

I asked her.

"Ah, nothing don't mind it."

She said. I sat beside her.

"How are you?"

I asked her. She smiled.

"Im good, How about you? I was here last night but you didn't come."

She said, but she hold up on what she said. I chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?"

She asked me with a bothered tone.

"Nothing, so you waited for me to come?"

I teased her. She rolled her eyes over me.

"No, I didn't."

She said. I know she's lying to me. But I didn't ask her more because it will make her feel uncomfortable. I just suppressed my amusement. A vendor walks us by.

"Balot!"

Then an idea struck in my mind.

"Hey! Do you want bahlowt?"

I told her, instead of agreeing, she laughed. Okay? Did I said something funny? I just look in to her.

"Did I say something funny?"

I told her. She keeps laughing.

"Wag mo na ulit babanggitin ang salitang balot okay? Nakakatuwa ka sobra!"

She told me. I just confusedly stared into her. I really have no ide what she's talking about. But whatever it is, I think its really funny because I just made her laugh effortlessly. I told the vendor that I will buy the food that he's selling, gladly, he undestands what I am saying. I payed him and told him not to gave me anymore the change.

"Hey! You want some? And please laughing okay? I might think that you're already insane."

I told Artemis, she finally stops. I handed her the food, and then she start eating quietly.

"Hey Artemis, you okay?"

I said. She just stare in to the night sky.

"I miss them."

She said.

"Who?"

"My family. I miss them so much."

She said, then a couple of tears runs on her cheeks.

"Where are they?"

"They're in the province. I just went here in Manila to work. I never thought that I gonna miss them so much. And hurts me a lot everytime I remember them, it hurts like hell."

She said. I can feel the pain within her. I brushed away her tears and hugged her. I don't know why did I do that, my reflexes took place.

"Hey. It's okay. Just think that everything that you do is for them, that it's for their own good."

I comforted her. She burst out the tears that she's holding back. I patted her back as a sign of sympathy.

"Hey. Hush now. Im sure they don't want to see you crying like this."

I told her. She nodded.

"Yeah, you're right, Im over reacting, Im sorry."

She said. She wiped her tear and smiled. I handed her more bahlowt. (A/N: balot po talaga iyon. Slang kasi itong si Justin, kaya pagpasensyahan nyo na.)

"You want more?"

I asked her with a smile.

"Thank you Justin."

She said. I just smiled and patted her hair.

When we finished eating, we decided to stroll around, while we're walking she talked to me.

"Hey Justin, when will leave the country?"

Im quite surprised in her question.

"Uhm, actually, tomorrow is my flight back to Canada."

I told her the truth, I don't want to lie. Her facial expression became sad.

"Oh."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you a little bit early."

I said, she faked a smile.

"No, it's okay. I mean you have to go right?"

She said. I nodded. I take off my ring in my ring finger.

"Hey, I want you to keep this."

I handed her the ring. She was surprised on what I did.

"Hey! What is this for?"

She asked.

"I want you keep this for me, with this, you will always remember me. Don't you ever lost it."

I said. I wear in to her the ring. It was perfectly fitted in to her index finger.

"Hey! You don't have to do this. This might be something special to you."

She said.

"Yes indeed, it's really important. It was my mothers'. So I want you to take care of it. Who knows? I might see you again."

I told her, she chuckled.

"I'll ask the fortune teller in Quiapo."

She said. I just laugh.

"I will take care of it."

She said.

"You have to, because you're my friend right?"

"Yes."

She agreed. I hugged her again, she also hugged me back. Then I felt that my phone vibrated, I read the message. James is finding me.

"I have to go Artemis."

I said.

"Okay. I think this is a goodbye then?"

She said.

"Don't say that. Remember what I've said earlier?"

I told her.

"I don't have anything to give you back."

She said.

"Its okay."

I said, but I saw a hair clip on her hair, I took it off.

"This will do."

I waved the hairclip that I took off.

"You!"

I just smiled.

"Until the next time I see you."

"Goodbye Justin."

She said.

"Goodbye Artemis."

I said. I started to walk away from her. I turned around and waved on her. She waved back, until my eyes couldn't reached her anymore. Deep inside my heart, one thing I know, Im gonna miss her. So much.