"Matulog ka na nga," ani Sage matapos nitong i-off ang hair dryer.

"Fuckboy sa umaga, parlorista sa gabi. Iba rin. Ano pang kaya mo, hair coloring, rebond, perm?" Tuloy-tuloy lang ang pang-aasar ni Ken though she was obviously impressed with Sage's unexpected skill. "Can you also do my makeup? I really don't get that 'contour' thing—"

"Tch, you don't need that." Sage cut her off.

"You think so?" tanong ni Ken, slightly flattered pero hindi aamin.

"Your resting bitch face can't be cured kahit ilang kilo pa ng foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, contouring—"

"Wow, you even know what a bronzer is," Ken said, deciding that having a resting bitch face is actually good and finding it even more amusing that Sage is fluent in cosmetic products. "Now I kinda get why girls like you. You can be their hairdresser and makeup artist at the same time."

"Para sa iyong kaalaman, the ladies want me because I'm rich, sexy and—"

"Conceited as fuck." She enjoyed completing his sentences.

"You know what, matulog ka na lang. You might end up talking to me all night and falling hopelessly in love with me."

"That just proved my point that you are conceited as fuck and we're not in a rom-com, I will not fall in love with you."

"Sa bagay, 'di ka talaga kasama sa rom-com. Kami kasi ni Lily ang mga bida do'n."

"Nah, wala kayo sa rom-com. It's more like a psychological thriller starring you, the mentally disturbed stalker of an innocent girl."

"I'm too good-looking to be a mentally disturbed stalker."

"Mentally disturbed stalkers come in many forms."

"So you agree? You think I'm good-looking?"

"I agree," she paused for a few seconds, seeing if he'll react. And just when his smile began to form, she dropped the bomb on him. "That you can be a mentally disturbed stalker. Matulog ka na, Airbender."

"Why? Scared that you'll fall in love with me if you keep talking to me?"

"Yes, I'm scared."

* * *

Ine-expect na ni Sage ang karugtong ng sasabihin ni Ken pero mahigit isang minuto na silang tahimik.

"You're scared?" he asked, doubting what he just heard.

"Kailan ba ako natakot? I said it to shut you up. Seems effective," nakangising sagot ni Ken bago ito pumunta sa kanang bahagi ng kama at humiga. "Close the lights and go to sleep."

Sage was speechless after that. Pinatay niya lang ang ilaw at humiga sa kaliwang bahagi ng kama. His heart was still racing. Siya yata ang natakot no'ng akala niyang wala nang katuloy ang sinabi ni Ken.

Lying still on his side of the bed while staring at the pillow barrier that separated them, Sage got into deep thought. Weird scenarios kept getting in his head. Paano kung tuluyan niyang hinalikan si Ken no'ng nag-aagawan sila ng unan? Paano kung hindi lumabas ng banyo si Ken no'ng nagtanggal siya ng shirt? Paano kung totoong natatakot si Ken na mahulog sa kanya? Why was he thinking too much about those? His own behavior was starting to creep him out.

He felt Ken move on the other side of the bed. Matapos ang ilang segundo, naramdaman niya ulit ang pagpapalit ni Ken ng posisyon. Her constant tossing and turning went on for about five minutes. She was clearly having difficulty sleeping.

"Can't sleep?" Sage suddenly said.

Natigil sa paggalaw si Ken. "Yeah," sagot nito.

"Dahil ba sa mga sinabi nila sa restaurant kanina?"

"Hindi."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She paused. "Maybe—I don't know."

"'Wag kang masyadong magpaapekto sa tsismis. It's not even admissible in court."

"Paano ka nakasisigurong walang totoo sa lahat ng sinabi nila?"

"I just know. But if any of it is actually true, 'di naman magbabago ang tingin ko sa'yo."

"At anong tingin mo sa 'kin?"

"I think you're harshly candid yet witty, responsible yet easily lured into bets by being too competitive, cool and..." Really hot at the same time.

"And?" tanong ni Ken.

"And that's all," he said. Sage almost said it but managed to hold back. It would be inappropriate to say that to her.

Ken was speechless. He wasn't surprised though. After all their arguments, she probably thought he hated her.

"Natahimik ka ah. Kilig na kilig ka na siguro," Sage commented after Ken's extended silence.

"No, I'm just really curious as to why you're sucking up to me. 'Di kita tutulungan kay Lily kahit sabihin mo pang hulog ako ng langit o na mas maganda pa ako kay Audrey Hepburn."

"Don't worry, I won't say that. Masyado kang suplada para maging hulog ng langit, taga-purgatoryo ka lang at best. At ang taas naman ng pangarap mong Audrey Hepburn, 'di ka pa nga Liza Soberano eh."

"Hmm, I guess you're right," sagot ni Ken.

Si Sage naman ang natahimik doon. Once in a blue moon lang sumang-ayon si Ken sa kanya so he began to wonder if she was playing mind games or is planning an epic burn.

"Ikaw, anong tingin mo sa'kin?" tanong ni Sage nang hindi na umimik si Ken.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Of course, I want to know."

She answered after a long pause. "Okay, I'll tell you. But first, tell me something."

"Ask away, Chicken."

"And stop calling me that. Especially in that tone, like, I can't even."

Sage laughed. It was so unlike her to say that last sentence but then again, she used to be an It Girl so it still kinda made sense. Na-realize niyang hindi niya pa talaga lubusang kilala si Ken and that he was so intrigued by this girl that he was willing to stay up all night and converse with her so he can dissect her personality.

"Maybe if you stop calling me 'Airbender' or 'Fuckboy', I'd stop calling you 'Chicken'."

"So 'Sausage' is okay?"

"Well, if you really want to talk about my sausage—"

"Ew, no, please stop. See? This is why I can't stop calling you 'Fuckboy' or 'Airbender'."

"Then I guess you'll be 'Chicken'."

"Magsasawa ka rin, Airbending Fuckboy."

"Not before you."

"Whatever." Kahit hindi niya nakita, Sage was a hundred percent sure that she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, bago ko sabihin kung anong tingin ko sa 'yo, tell me something I'm curious about. Bakit ang galing mong gumamit ng hair dryer at ang daming alam na cosmetic products?"

"Akala ko ba, convinced ka nang parlorista ako?" He smirked.

"I'm giving you the chance to come up with an interesting lie to amuse me, you should be honored."

"Well, what I'm about to tell you is the truth, kahit labag sa loob kong balikan ang nag-iisa kong pagkatalo—"

"Wow, first sentence pa lang nagsisinungaling ka na. Pa'no naging nag-iisa ang pagkatalo mo eh sa arcade pa lang, ilang beses na kitang natalo?"

"Wow, first sentence pa lang, 'di mo na ako pinatapos. I was going to say 'nag-iisa kong pagkatalo sa pustahan' before you rudely interrupted and just to remind you, ikaw ang natalo sa huli nating pustahan."

"Sure, you were going to say that," she replied sarcastically.

"As I was saying, I lost a bet with my sister seven years ago so she made me blow dry her hair for a month and buy her tons of cosmetic products from a dozen stores. Tinest niya pa sa 'kin."

"She sounds cool. Parang bagay nga sa 'yo 'yong lip gloss kong naiwan sa kotse ko dati." Ken laughed. "So bakit ka natalo?"

"I said I'd tell the girl I liked that I liked her but I didn't," mahinang sagot ni Sage, his usual air of confidence, gone. "So I lost the bet and a year later, I was ready to tell her it was too late."

"W-well, maybe... she's just not the right person for you?" she said awkwardly. Was Ken trying to comfort him?

"Tama ka." Bumalik na ang sigla ni Sage. "'Cause Lily is the one for me."

"And how many times have you been wrong about 'the one' again?" Ken swiftly replied.

"Dahil maraming beses na akong nagkamali, marami nang na-eliminate sa choices kaya lumalaki ang chance na tatama na ako, si Lily na talaga."

"Ew, you sound like a hopeless romantic."

"You sound like a jealous girlfriend."

"There must be something wrong with your hearing."

"I'm sure I perfectly heard your humming earlier."

"Kung mang-aasar ka lang, matutulog na ako," sabi ni Ken. The bed dipped as she shifted her position.

"Wait lang, 'di mo pa sinasabi kung anong tingin mo sa'kin," pagpigil ni Sage sa dalaga.

"Sing me to sleep," she suddenly said.

"Anak ba kita? Bakit kita kakantahan para makatulog?" It was a request that he never would've expected from Ken.

"Dali na, para sabihin ko sa'yo ang tingin ko sa'yo," Ken replied from the other side of the bed. It seemed like she was testing how much he was willing to give to get her answer. And he really wanted to know.

And what if music would actually make her feel better? He felt like it was his mission to make her better. Parang hindi siya mapakali, knowing that Ken wasn't okay. So he sang.

"Hold me close and hold me fast. This magic spell you cast, this is la vie en rose." It was a short song but he sang a verse in French so she better be, at least, satisfied, if not impressed.

"Sabihin mo na." Sage eagerly waited for Ken's reply after finishing the song. Nang wala siyang marinig na sagot, bumangon siya at sinilip si Ken sa kabilang side ng mga unan.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Kung hindi niya kilala si Ken, hindi niya aakalaing hindi ito nauubusan ng savage comebacks o na kaya nitong sipain palabas ng katawan niya ang kanyang kaluluwa. 

Sage couldn't help but smile as he shook his head. "Scammer ka talaga, Kendra."