-chapter seventy-nine-

FINN

"You know... who it is?"

Kairo nodded.

Talaga bang kilala niya kung sino ito? At that time, June used her Invisibility before they could get closer. Kaya nga ako ang nasuspektahan dahil kaming dalawa lang ni Depore ang naiwan doon. And who would people point to if not me?

"Alam mong si June?" I asked to confirm.

"Yup. And it's not just June. There's someone else playing the strings."

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. Siguradong tinutukoy niya ang third enemy daw. That's also the time when June told me about the person who ordered her.

Pero ano ba ang balak niya at ginagawa niya 'to sa'kin? Wala na akong kilalang galit sa'kin maliban kay June. Nagsimula naman ang galit ni Marcella noong nasa laro na kami. There are a couple of players who supported them, but I doubt the two would follow their instructions. Kung gano'n, matalino at maaasahan ang taong 'yon.

Or they must possess some crucial secrets in the game.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"We were on the middle of a treasure hunt, kitten. Ngunit paanong nalaman agad kung nasaan ka, si Ate na naghahanap ng sirang seashells, at kami na nasa front beach." sagot niya. "Don't you think the situation was too perfect? You come out injured, bump into June, Depore comes to save you and we arrive at the right time."

I remembered Sapphire.

She was the one who found me after the Giant's Nest at siya rin ang nagsabing tatawagin niya sina Theo. Ngunit talaga naman sigurong coincidence lang ang nangyari. She was probably looking for treasure in that forest and saw me so she decided to help. Tapos siguro'y nakasalubong niya si Ate Depore at sinabi dito ang kalagayan ko. Knowing her endless concern, she would naturally run towards me.

But then... at that time, June was acting strangely when she noticed Sapphire. May sasabihin pa nga ata siya tungkol sa babae pero hindi niya ito tinuloy.

Is it really possible? Or is this just a cover-up for something more sinister?

Wala namang ikakagalit si Sapphire sa'kin at wala din naman akong nagawang mali sa kaniya.

Tiningnan ko ng diretso sa mata si Kairo at umiling. "Must be mistaken."

Sapphire won't do that. I don't believe that she's capable of doing that.

"Maybe." Kairo chuckled lightly. "Kitten, I'm still killing my mind to find it out too. And really, it hurts a lot. So... regarding that, can I ask you for a favor?"

Eh? Wait, sandali, ba't sobrang lapit na niya?

Pasimple kong inilayo ang katawan dahil sobrang lapit na naming dalawa. Kairo was never really educated in personal spaces.

"Favor...?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah." pabulong niyang sagot.

I've always described Kairo's voice as cunning or teasing. Iyong parang pangscam o alam mong wala talagang mangyayaring maganda. It's either really nice to hear or it's very irritating, and there's no in between.

But was Kairo's voice always this soft?

My breathing hitched when his head dropped on my shoulder. His ruffled hair tickled the underside of my chin. His breathing relaxed but my heart wS beating fast at the close proximity. There was this change in the atmosphere and the tension seemed to break.

Kairo seemed vulnerable.

"Five minutes, kitten. Can I rest here with you?"

Ilang segundo bago ako nakasagot dahil hindi ko alam kung anong ire-react. "Okay."

We remained silent as time passed by. Tanging ang mahinang paghinga namin ang maririnig. Ayokong magsalita o gumalaw. I don't want to break whatever 'rest' Kairo was talking about and having now. His actions really surprised me, so it feels wrong to destroy his show of vulnerability.

"It's exhausting." simula niya. "Nakakapagod din minsang umakto na hindi ka naapektuhan sa lahat ng nangyayari. Ang ipanatili ang ruthless Kairo na ang tanging alam lang ay manukso ng iba. Sometimes I just want to completely destroy that whole facade.

Pero, habang tumatagal, it served as a defense mechanism from other people. It's a wall built so that they can't use anything against me. The ruthless facade, I mean."

I hummed. Hinayaan ko ang sarili na makinig na lamang sa kaniya.

"Ya, kitten." he raised his head to look at me. "Sa tingin mo ba ang ingame na persona ko ay magkaiba sa nakikita mo ngayon?"

I blinked at him. "Alin?"

"This." tinuro niya ang sarili. "To the Kairo you see in a battle. Which one do you prefer the most?"

"Have to pick?"

"Well..." umakto siyang nag-iisip bago ngumisi sa'kin. "I have to know your preference so I know which one to show. Gusto ko na laging good ang impression sa'yo."

Oh. Maybe Kairo doesn't know that he already has his shares of bad experiences?

Umiling ako. "No need to."

"Choice ko 'to so shh! So ano na, saan prefer mo? This soft Kairo or the harsh one?"

"Choice ko din na hindi sumagot."

Kairo stared at me for a minute before bursting into laughters. Napaatras siya dahil sa lakas ng tawa, uncaging me from his arms but making me stay at place with his gaze. Humalukipkip siya habang mainit pa rin ang tingin sa'kin.

With a slow smirk, he mouthed, "Stubborn."

His comment made a small pout form on my lips. Why do people keep on saying I'm stubborn? I don't even have the attitude they're pointing out. Mabait kaya ako at sumusunod sa mga tao.

"'m not." sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "Wala naman akong prefer na Kairo. I like whatever you're comfortable in."

"Pft."

Medyo nainsulto ako sa pagtawa niya sa sagot ko.

"As expected, kitten."

"Expected?" I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

"That you would never fail to amaze me. I feel relaxed right now pero 'tong puso ko sobrang bilis ng tibok dahil sa sinabi mo. You should be careful or else you'd put someone on a heart attack, kitten."

Tanging blankong tingin lang ang naisagot ko sa kaniya. Is he sick? Symptoms ba 'yong sinabi niya kanina at may posibilidad na magkaheart attack siya?

"Are..." nagdadalawang-isip ako na tanungin siya. "...you okay?"

Kairo's smile seemed to freeze. "Bakit?"

"Magkakaheart-attack ka na?"

I almost want to hit Kairo when he laughed at my question. Nakakainis 'to. Kanina akala mo iiyak na tapos biglang tatawa. Kaya siya napagkakamalang baliw eh.

"Ano 'yon, appointment." natatawa niyang saad. "May takdang oras for heart attack after registration-"

"If it's wrong, then say so!" putol ko sa kaniya at sinamaan siya ng tingin. "One time you're sad, the next you're crazy."

"Hoy, hindi ako baliw! Baliw lang ako sa isang babae, oo, pero in general, hindi." agresibong sagot niya.

Natigilan ako. He's crazy for a girl? Is that one way of saying that he likes someone so much he doesn't have the right mind for it?

Kung tama man ang naisip ko, then may nakukuha din naman pala ako sa daily lessons ni Ree noon. She says it's a training in case boys get closer. Dapat alam ko daw 'yong mga bagay-bagay na related sa love, which is quite popular around our age.

It's not like there are boys who are interested in me though. And vice versa.

"Think that girl's lucky to have you, Kairo. You have flaws, like everyone else. 's alright to stay in the middle. Be ruthless if they deserved to, and keep privacy with close people." binigyan ko siya ng isang tipid na ngiti. "No need to show people your life. Important one only matters. Ah, for me. For me."

Tinitigan ako ni Kairo na para bang ilang sandali lang ay lalapit na siya sa'kin at itutulak ako dito sa building. His dark eyes held a lot of tension that kept me up my toes, even with his display of childish behavior just a moment ago.

Pagkatapos ay bigla na lang niyang inihilamos ang mukha sa palad. He seemed so trouble and full of problems. At noong tingnan niya ako ay para bang ako ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng 'to.

And so, I decided to ask him. "Earlier. Is it because of Ate Depore's death? And the culprit you said?"

"I told you, I'm not yet certain about my assumptions. Ngunit napansin kong may isa pa kayong kasama doon. Napaisip ako kung bakit hindi ko nakitang umalis, then I realized that they must have one of the benefits. After that, it wasn't hard to find whose who dahil may mga taong hindi mapigilan ang pagyayabang."

"But why exhausted?"

Kairo gave a sad smile. "Because while I want to grieve and be left alone in sadness, I have to show that I'm hungry or in need of revenge to erase suspicions. I have to stand in the sidelines and watch you get punished for crimes you did not commit. I have to listen to atrocities about you while remaining calm." then, there was this genuine twinkling in his eyes. "I just needed to rest. I'm thankful you gave it to me."

"'m happy you got to rest."

I froze when he stepped closer. Nagtatanong siyang tumingin sa'kin na para bang nanghihingi ng permiso. When I gave a nod, he returned to his previous position, with his forehead on my shoulder and arms caged around me. Parang yakap na hindi tuluyan.

"My brother's really in love with her, you know. She's noisy and annoying as hell, but I've never knew anyone as caring as her." mahinang bulong niya.

"Mm."

"Hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin kay Kuya 'pag nakalabas ako dito."

Hearing him worry while being confident in his own abilities is rather cute.

"Ikaw, kitten. Do you have anyone you wouldn't want to lose in this game?"

A number of faces appeared, almost taking up my whole vision. They all matter to me in their own ways that with one of them gone, my life wouldn't function as it normally does. Some doesn't really have too influential effects but they do serve a great support system for me.

A death, or even a betrayal, from Kairo's assumption, will damage me heavily.

But what's another wound in a body full of scars, huh?

"Although-" Kairo's voice dropped on a serious tone. "-there's one thing I want you to promise me, kitten."

Hindi ko na talaga mabilang kung ilan na ang favor at promises na sinasabi nitong si Kairo. He feels like a salesman who would rip you off any chance he gets.

"Ano?"

"Never ever do I want to see you lose this game." he straightened up and patted my back. "You're the sparrow. You have wings. Even if you have only one wing left, fly and survive."

Even if it's the last feather, never shall you give up. For as long as the people has a ray of hope, they wouldn't be eaten by the darkness.

"Not allies." paalala ko kay Kairo. "Enemies."

"Asus." pagwawalang-bahala niya. "Sabihin mo 'yan sa'kin doon sa second city after kong ibigay sa'yo ang benefit."

I tilted my head, curious eyes focused on him. "Didn't feel it back then?"

"Until now po, hindi ko pa rin mafeel na enemy kita. And I was even hoping you'd join my alliance."

I frowned at his lies. Si Marcella lang kaya na habol ng habol ang nakita ko do'n, at saka si Theo na inaya ako. Kairo was never at the scene.

"Liar." akusa ko sa kaniya.

"Hindi! Totoo!" he defended himself, rather weakly. "Pero may problema nga lang kasi 'yong bestfriend mo-"

Bestfriend? Gavin?

I stood there, patiently waiting for his answer but he never said anything. Pinutol niya lang ang sarili sa gitna ng pagsasalita at iniwas ang tingin. He looks guilty, but in a pissed-off manner. Na para bang ayaw niyang sabihin ang kung anong nakapagpagalit sa kaniya noon dahil nakakahiya na ngayon.

What could it be that Gavin is even involved?

"Uh..."

Naalerto kaming dalawa ni Kairo nang marinig ang panibagong boses. The sly fox' hand quickly raised up in front of me, as if creating a wall between me and the newcomer.

Who was Maki, with both his hands tied up and all-ragged looking. Parang nakipagaway siya sa limang oso sa gitna ng gubat.

"Sorry sa pag-interrupt, bebe Kai- ay este, Kairo at Finn pero may important matter tayong dapat bigyan ng important attention."

Kairo opened his mouth to ask something when Maki shushed him. "At talagang importante nito na kailangan kong sirain ang date-date niyo. Okay? You get me, besties? Ayoko pero kailangan. I would gladly hide there and reco- I mean, hide there and wait for the both of you to finish kasi sobrang importante nitong news ko."

Si Kairo na unti-unti nang naiinis ay tinaasan ng kilay si Maki. "A-"

"Kai, huwag kang magalit sa'kin. While I'm usually a sub, I'm not in the mood for the punishment right now dahil sa importanteng nangyayari, at kahit na masarap ka, you are hers."

"Damn right." Kairo agreed, completely forgetting that he was ignored two times earlier.

Pero her? Iisa lang ba sila no'ng babaeng kinababaliwan ni Kairo? Sobrang ganda niya siguro para maging gano'n ang mahirap basahin na si Kairo.

"What is it?" I asked, because the two seemed to be communicating secretly now.

"Finn!" Maki almost teared up when he saw me. "'yong gagang plastic na old BFF mo at ang reyna-reynahang palaka ng RWO nasa mga flags natin! Mukhang nagkajoint forces ang dalawang ugly at tayo ang aatakehin!"

Kumurap ako't tumunganga sa kaniya ng ilang segundo. "Sino ulit, Maki?"

"Si June at Marcella ay inaatake tayo at mukhang dala-dala ang buong miyembro ng alyansa nila!"

-chapter end-