"It's already late. Why are you still here?"

I turned my head to the owner of the voice. Oh. It's him.

"Hairo," I said his name. "I thought you're already asleep."

He tilted his head and sat next to me. Umusog naman ako ng kaunti. Tinignan lang ako nito at nagkibit-balikat.

"Yeah. Well, sort of," he replied with a shrug. "Nagising lang ako nang lumabas ka."

I nodded my head. "Oh. I see," I simply said and looked at the constellation I was looking at earlier.

Then my wish at the constellation knocked on my mind like someone knocking on our house's door. I wish I can have the moment with him . . . Hairo.

Tumingin ako sa lalaking katabi ko. Nakatingin din siya sa kung saan ako nakatingin. Bago pa niyang mahuli na nakatingin ako sa kaniya, binalik ko ang tingin sa taas at ngumiti ng palihim.

Did the constellation grant my wish? If that so,.. I'm glad.

"You didn't answer my question earlier," he spoke to break the silence between us.

I cleared my throat and answered: "Uh, that. Can't sleep," I shrugged. "Ikaw? Bakit ka nandito?"

"Just because," he answered dismissively.

"Eh?"

He chuckled while I pouted. Silence engulfed us again. We're just both staring at the constellation.. maybe, battling with our own thoughts, or maybe thinking about something dear to us? I don't know.

What matters for me... is this. Just the two of us, engulfed by silence, under the stars.

Minutes of silence, Hairo cleared his throat and asked.

"Do you mind if I ask you if you have a boyfriend or ex?" He asked with such awkwardness.

I let out a soft laugh. "Nope. I don't mind," sagot ko. "The answer is none. I had none. With my guy cousins, how am I able to have a boyfriend?" I answered with a laugh.

I had a lot of guy cousins and most of them are protective of us.. the girls. Lalong lalo na si kuya Zure. He's the eldest, that's why. And I'm their baby. All of them are protective of me. Naalala ko pa noon, may gustong manligaw sa akin na kaklase ko. Ate Zurie, Juri's older sister, was against of it. Well, all of them are. Ate confronted my classmate at piningot ang tainga niya. For what reason? Well, ate Zurie said and I quote: “Ang bata mo pa ngang siraulo ka, manliligaw ka na sa pinsan ko?! May alam ka na ba sa panliligaw?!”

My classmate, which is Kevin by the way, cried because of what ate Zurie did to him. Tawa naman ako ng tawa kay Kevin noon. Dahil tama nga naman si ate, ang bata pa namin noon. Imagine, we were just grade six that time! And he asked if he can court me. Ayon tuloy, napingot. Pero doon nagsimula ang friendship naming dalawa ni Kevin. At ngayon, we're kind of inseparable.

"Oh, right." He said. "But you have a lot of admirers and suitors, do you not?"

I chuckled. "Ewan ko, noh. Pero baka marami naman, di natin sure." Pabirong sabi ko sa kaniya.

He chuckled. "I'm sure you have," he insisted. "I've witnessed Zach being stressed because of one of your suitors."

I tilted my head and turned to him. "Yeah? And when was that?" I asked.

"College. Fourth year," he answered.

Napaisip naman ako. Kanino ba na stress noon si kuya? Hmm..

"Tell me about it," I urged him.

"You wanna know, huh?" he laughed.

"Yes, I wanna know."

He chuckled. "Well, he keeps on bugging your brother." He started, shooking his head. "Panay ang sabi niya kay Zach na payagan na siyang ligawan ka, but your brother kept on shooking his head and saying he would never allow him to court you. But the guy doesn't seem to give up, he kept on pursuing your brother on allowing him to court you. At doon na na-stress ang kuya mo," pagkukwento nito sa akin.

Hindi ko naman mapigilan ang pagtawa ko dahil sa kwento niya. Hindi ko naalalang naikwento ni kuya noon sa akin 'yon or baka hindi niya na-i-kwento. But really, it's pretty hilarious!

"Plot twist, si kuya pala ang gusto niya," natatawang gatong ko.

"You bet," Hairo said causing me to look at him with eyes widened.

"What?" I blinked my eyes. "Are you telling me t.. that.." Hindi ko na napigilan ang sariling humagalpak ng tawa.

"Uhuh. It's your kuya that he likes," he confirmed while laughing.

Not minding my surroundings, I laughed my heart out. It's been weeks since I laughed this hard. Thanks to Hairo's story about kuya that made me laughed like this.

Ilang minuto din siguro ako tawa lang ng tawa. After minutes of laughing, I blew a loud breath and still can't help but to chuckle.

"That's pretty hilarious," I said, chuckling. "Kung sino man ang lalaking 'yon, ang sarap sapakin. Ginamit ba naman ako, bwesit."

Hairo let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah. Hindi nga makapaniwala kuya mo no'ng nalaman niya na siya naman pala ang nais," natatawang sabi ni Hairo.

Tumawa nanaman ako. "Ano 'yon? Villamora nga ang nais, pero hindi naman ako, kundi si Zach?" tanong ko habang tumatawa.

"You could say that," he shrugged.

"Bwesit," natatawang sabi ko parin. "Sino ba 'yon?" I asked. "The guy."

"You don't need to know," he answered.

Napanguso nalang ako dahil sa sinabi niya.

"Oh, hey, you're not cold?" he asked. Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya at doon ko lang napagtanto na nakasuot pala siya ng jacket.

"Slight," sagot ko.

Nagulat ako sa sunod niyang ginawa. He took off the jacket he's wearing and put it on me. I looked at him with a shocked expression. Nagkibit-balikat lang ito sa akin.

"I'm just being a gentleman," he said and looked away from me.

Tinignan ko lang siya, hindi parin makapaniwala sa ginawa niya. Nag-iwas lang ako ng tingin nang akmang titingin ulit siya sa akin. I can feel my cheeks heating up. No man ever did this! Lending me their jacket and all. Not even my bestfriend nor cousins. Only him.

I bit my lower lip and hugged my knees. The scent on his jacket lingers on my nostrils. Shit! Bakit ba pati jacket niya, ang bango?!

"Your jacket smells good," I blurted out.

My eyes immediately widened as realization of what I've said came to me.

The fuck, Zai?!

He let out chuckle. "It feels like you're telling me that I smell like my jacket," may halong biro na sabi nito.

Even if my cheeks are now crimson red, I frowned as a reaction to what he have said. "Jacket mo lang naman ang mabango, ha?"

"'Di natin sure," he laughed.

"Sure ko na."

Tumawa lang siya at hindi na nagsalita pang muli. Another silence engulfed us.

Kinuha ko nalang ang cellphone ko na nakalagay sa bulsa ng suot kong jersey shorts at binuksan iyon. My lips formed an oh when I saw what time is it already.

I left our suite at 11 quarter to 12, and it's already 1 AM. I've been here for about an hour? Such speed of time. Hindi ko man lang namalayan. I mentally shooked my head.

Tumingin ako sa direksyon ni Hairo at tinawag siya. "Hey, Hairo." Tumingin naman siya sa akin at tinaasan ako ng kilay. Pinakita ko sa kaniya ang phone ko sabay sabi: "Let's take a selfie."

He blinked at me enumerable times before nodding his head. "Sure."

Ngumiti naman ako at lumapit sa kaniya ng bahagya. I opened my phone's camera and positioned the phone in front of us. I smiled in front of the camera and so Hairod did. I clicked the capture button and immediately checked our shot.

"Nice," I commented. "Ulit. Wacky naman," sabi ko. "I'll post it on my IG."

"Story?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nah. I don't usually do IG story," I answered.

"Pero nakikita naman kitang nags-story minsan..?"

I shrugged. "Juri's doing. Or sometimes, Kevin."

Tumango lang siya at hindi nagsalita pa. Pinosisyon ko ulit ang camera sa harap namin at nag-wacky pose, gano'n din si Hairo. We took a lot of photos before deciding to go back in our suite.

It's already 2 AM when we get back to our suite. Nakangiting humiga ako sa kama ko habang nakatitig sa kisame. The constellation really grant my wish, huh? It really gave me a moment with Hairo.

"It's already two in the morning, Zai," Hairo said. "Let's sleep."

I hummed. "Yeah. Sure," I said. "Good night, Hairo." And thanks for making me happy today.

"Good night, Arzuela . . ."

Tumalikod ako sa direksyon niya at nagtalukbong ng habol. I closed my eyes and smiled. A good night, indeed.

–– MA(i)REVE ––

#HAIRENEMOMENT