Chapter 24: definitely screams red

COOLER

She was in shock, and I have to admit that asking her to be my girlfriend right after a hot make-out session, with her still straddling my lap, wasn't the best timing.

Ang gulat sa mukha niya ay napalitan mayamaya ng lungkot.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Sinarado niya ang kahon ngunit muli ko iyong binuksan. She made a tiny groan before closing it again, pero binuksan ko lamang ulit. We can do this all night, with her still on my lap and I'll definitely enjoy it.

Siya ang unang sumuko. "Cooler, nag-usap na tayo, diba?"

I shrugged. "That talk was unlike today's context. I could go on without getting jealous before, pero ibang usapan na 'to ngayon."

Tinitigan niya ako nang matagal. "I like you."

I smiled. "Of course you do, and I like you too. That's why I want us to be together. For real."

Yumuko siya. "Bakit ako?"

Inangat ko ang mukha niya gamit ang daliri. "Bakit hindi? Hey, stop looking down on yourself. Just say yes so I can have a valid reason to miss you, call you babe, and shower you with love and adoration."

Tila mas lalo lamang siyang nalungkot. "Do I deserve that?"

I nodded with a smile. "Of course, you deserve all the best things in this world." Kinuha ko ang singsing at isinuot iyon sa daliri niya. I felt so proud that it perfectly fit her.

Tinitigan niya ang kanyang kamay. "Cooler..."

I exhaled sharply. "You're going to reject me again, huh?"

Niyakap niya ako nang mahigpit. "I really like you. Sa bawat araw na lumilipas, mas lalo kitang nagugustuhan."

"Then say yes."

Bumitiw siya sa pagyakap sa akin at tinitigan ako sa mukha na para bang pinag-iisipan ang sinabi ko.

I smiled sweetly. "I'm good looking."

"Alam ko."

"I have a stable job," patuloy ko. "I'm not a genius but they say I'm street smart."

Tumawa siya nang mahina. "Bakit ba minamarket mo ang sarili mo? Yeah, you're all that. Ako ang problema."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Why, what's wrong with you? You're beautiful. You're perfect for me."

Kinurot niya ang bibig ko. "Kung anu-anong pinagsasabi mo." Her hands lingered longer on my face, slowly caressing my skin. "Gusto kita."

I smirked. "Yeah, you said it like three times already."

"Pero natatakot ako," sinserong saad niya.

"I'm only scared of not being yours," I assured her.

Pinaningkitan niya ako ng mata. "Stop your smooth talk, Cooler, kanina ka pa."

I giggled and buried my face in her chest once more. "Just say yes, please?" At the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think why am I begging her? Wala sa bokabularyo ko ang ipilit ang sarili ko, but Rustia just made me do things I never thought I could.

"Seryoso ako. I'm scared," sinserong sagot niya.

"Your boyfriend is me, hindi si Freddie Krueger, so bakit ka matatakot?" Sinubukan niyang umalis mula sa pagkakandong sa akin pero pinigilan ko siya. "Get rid of all the inhibitions now and sort it out later, okay?"

She slowly nodded as a reply so once again, I crashed my lips into hers until she said yes to me.

***

JAJA

It happened.

I am now Cooler Vander's girlfriend, and he is my boyfriend.

I stared at him while he's busy on his laptop. His sleeves were folded, at hindi ko maiwasang hangaan siya. Niligtas ko ba ang Pilipinas sa past life ko to have a boyfriend like him?

Mukhang busy siya sa ginagawa kaya hindi ko siya kinulit. Nakaupo siya sa dining table, samantalang pumuwesto naman ako sa sofa at inabala ang sarili sa panunuod ng TV.

It's been days since we've been together, pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. It's pretty much nothing has changed between us, pero nagkaroon na kami ng label.

He was busy these past few days too, but he never forgets to text or call me. Ngayon lamang siya muling nakabalik sa apartment mula nang maging kami, but he was still preoccupied with work.

"Give me 15 minutes," narinig kong sabi niya kaya napalingon ako.

"Ha?"

"15 minutes and I'll be there, babe."

Babe. He called me babe. I'm not fond of endearments, pero maganda pala sa pakiramdam na magkaroon ng taong tatawag sa iyo ng ganoon. It was nothing special, but Cooler made it sound like it is.

"Okay," sagot ko na lamang at inilipat ang channel ng TV sa Cartoon Network. Naaliw na rin ako sa pinapanood kaya't nawala na sa isip ko si Cooler—until he sat beside me. He draped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to lean on his side.

"Tapos ka na sa ginagawa mo?" I asked, looking up.

He nodded and planted a kiss on my head. "Yup," sagot niya at napatingin sa suot na wristwatch. "Six minutes earlier than the promised 15 minutes."

Ipinilig ko ang ulo sa dibdib niya at hindi inaalis ang tingin sa TV. "How's your day?"

"Pretty hectic," sagot niya. "But I survived it. Ikaw, how's your day?"

"Hectic din," sagot ko. "Last day ng sale kanina but I survived." Ginaya ko ang tonong ginamit niya kaya natawa siya at niyakap ako.

"Oh, I have something for you," he said and pulled something from his pocket. Akala ko ay kung anu-anong mamahaling bagay na naman ang ibibigay niya ngunit inabot niya sa akin ang nakatuping papel. "Here."

Kunot-noong tinanggap ko iyon. "Ano 'to?"

"A love note," sagot niya. "I wrote that while I was in the meeting with the legal team."

Naramdaman ko ang pag-iinit ng mukha ko. I opened the folded paper at napangiti. Wow, Cooler has beautiful handwriting. Why is he so perfect?

Hi, pretty!

If thinking of you all the time is a crime, then arrest me now!

Kidding aside, I want you to know you are so special to me. Please know I will always make you happy because happy you = happy me.

I'm so excited for our future adventures, and speaking of adventures, let's go on a beach trip this Saturday.

Xoxo,
Your cool bf, Cooler.

Nang napatingin ako sa kanya ay nakangiti siya sa akin. Wala akong masabi at hindi ako sanay sa ganito. Is this what it feels like to be treated right? Napatitig ako sa kanya, drawn by whatever magic he possesses.

"Is that a yes?" tanong niya.

Tila nagising ako mula sa pagkatulala. Bakit ba napakapogi ng boyfriend ko?

Boyfriend... It feels so good to call him that.

Hindi pa man ako nakakasagot ay biglang nagvibrate ang cellphone niya. Kinuha niya iyon sa bulsa at binasa ang mensahe. I noticed how his forehead creased before pulling me in for a hug, typed a reply, and kept his phone back in his pocket.

"So do I hear a yes?" baling niya ulit sa akin. "I like us to stroll in the sand, you know, get matching temporary tattoos—" Muling nag-vibrate ang kanyang cellphone kaya kinuha niya ulit iyon at tiningnan. He pulled me closer again, na para bang ayaw niyang makita ko ang text message. He typed in some reply before kissing my hair at nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita.

Alam kong busy si Cooler, but I never thought it would be like this that he's constantly on his phone. Well, at least he's making some time for me.

"Is everything okay?" nag-aalalang tanong ko. Sa tuwing nandito siya ay madalas nasa akin ang atensiyon niya, but now he kept checking his phone so it's probably very important.

Paano kung...

Sooner or later I have to face the truth about him and what he does. Tiyak kong hindi lamang siya yung tipong interesado sa magic tricks, or that book description of a businessman or something like that. Paano kung hindi magagandang bagay pala ang ginagawa niya, that's why he's occupied with texting right now?

At a glance, Cooler is not just a green flag, he was a whole damn forest. But taking into consideration his background, his family name, that definitely screams red.

Yes, he's perfect—if I kept turning a blind eye on his background. Come to think of it, what does he really do when his father said he will take over? Naroon ako noong dinner and I know hindi iyon simpleng anunsiyo ng kanyang pamamahala sa kung anong negosyo. It must be an enormous responsibility.

"Yeah," sagot niya at muling tinago ang cellphone. "Something just happened at work, but it's all been solved now kaya huwag ka nang mag-alala. You have my full attention now, babe."

Hindi ako naniniwala sa kanya, pero ayaw ko ring magpumilit pa. "Okay, let's go to the beach." Tumingin ako sa wall clock. It's past midnight."

"I'll go now para makapagpahinga ka na," sabi niya at muli akong niyakap. "I'll see you again tomorrow?"

Pinanood ko siya habang kinukuha ang kanyang laptop sa dining table at isinilid iyon sa bag. Nang mapansin niyang nakatingin ako ay binigyan niya ako ng mabilis na halik sa labi at magkahawak ang kamay na lumabas ng bahay papunta sa kanyang nakaparadang sasakyan.

I was actually debating with myself if I should ask him to stay over. Pwede naman 'yon, diba? We're a couple now, plus it's late.

Pero wala pa akong lakas ng loob para sabihin iyon. I don't want him to get the wrong idea. Kinapa ko ang suot na singsing na bigay niya. It was like my constant reminder of our relationship.

Bumaling siya sa akin, squeezing my hand he was holding. "I'll leave now."He kissed me one last time before saying goodbye.

"Get home safe," wika ko.

"I will," he replied, turning on the engine and rolling up the window before he drove away.

At the back of my mind, I wondered if he really can get home safe tonight. Unknown to him, hindi sinasadyang nabasa ko ang text sa kanya kanina.

1:30 am. Ink Panther.

Nang bumalik ako sa loob ng bahay ay muli akong napatingin sa wall clock. 12:30—and his sketchy appointment is an hour away. Kinuha ko ang cellphone at hinanap sa Google Maps ang Ink Panther.

May tatlong branch ang tattoo shop na Ink Panther and I didn't know which one he was supposed to go. Binuksan ko ang link ng website ng shop. It was actually a big shop, na ayon sa internet ay isa sa pinakasikat na tattoo shops that even celebrities went to visit.

Anong gagawin ni Cooler sa isang tattoo shop? I don't think he has a tattoo on his body—at isa pa, may bukas bang tattoo shop ng ganoong oras?

Ayaw kong mag-isip ng kung ano. Whatever his business there, I'm sure it's important. I don't even think he's cheating. I reminded myself that I have to trust Cooler. I don't think he will do anything worth jeopardizing our relationship. Inalis ko na lamang lahat ng agam-agam sa utak at pumasok sa kwarto para magpahinga.

***

COOLER

I thought I got used to the smell of blood, but I never actually did. Bahagya akong napasimangot nang maamoy ang preskong dugo. If the occassion is right, I enjoyed its scent in the air, but most of the time it made me sick.

The floor creaked with my every step, at bawat hakbang ay lumalakas ang naririnig kong sigaw. Nang marating ko ang dulo ng mahabang pasilyo ay binuksan ko ang pinto.

I was greeted with the sight of a man chained to a chair. Makapal ang kadenang nasa kanyang paanan, at nakabalot sa kanyang katawan. His face was covered in blood. Nagkalat rin ang dugo sa sahig, and there were tiny bleeding things as well that, when I stepped closer, I recognized as fingers.

Four.

A thumb, a pinky, a ring finger, and another thumb.

Mula sa malamlam na ilaw nakita ko ang lalaking nakakadena. He was begging for his life, screaming but to no avail because his voice just echoed on the concrete walls of the room.

Ah, right, this is Ares' torture room.

Poseidon may be my most skilled reaper, but next to him is the equally reliable Ares. He just had an unorthodox ways of getting things done. He is also a bit messy, especially if he enjoys what he's doing whenever he's on the loose.

This torture room is right below his tattoo shop above. Napatingin ako kay Ares na maayos na inilinya ang mga gamit sa mahabang mesa.

On the side was Poseidon, looking at Ares na halatang nag-eenjoy sa ginagawa. Ares was covered in blood, but I figured it wasn't his blood.

"Did you ID him?" tanong ko kay Poseidon.

He nodded. "He's a small-time gunman."

Muli kong tiningnan ang lalaki na ngayon ay nagmamakaawa kay Ares. Dahil sa nangyari sa Four Seasons, Poseidon sorted out the failure in our plan. Hindi siya ang tipong nag-iiwan ng kahit anong ebidensya kaya nang napagtuunan ng atensiyon ng mga pulis ang nangyari, I knew we had to act.

"Got anything useful?" tanong ko.

Poseidon shrugged. "Malaki ang halagang binayad sa kanya, pero hindi niya alam kung sino." He let out a big sigh. "Whoever it was, alam kong hindi iyon basta-bastang tao. I've seen his device that was left deliberately para isipin ng pulis na hindi aksidente ang sunog. I ran the serial, it was a real deal at hindi gawa sa bansa."

Now that is a problem. Sino ang nasa likod niyon? Napakuyom ang kamao ko. Whoever it was, then he knows about Rustia too. Was it a rival? From the commission? A Hunting Dog?

I turned to Ares' long table and admired all his weapons. He was piling them carefully, making sure the distance from each other is the same. I opted to pick a butcher's knife.

Swinging the knife in my hand, lumapit ako sa nakakadenang lalaki. "Anong pangalan mo?"

He uttered something ngunit masyado yatang nabasag ni Ares ang buto sa baba niya kaya hindi siya makapagsalita nang maayos.

"Alright, I'll call you Ram because you're rumbling something," sabi ko sa kanya at nilapitan siya. I rubbed the safe side of the butcher's knife on his cheek, letting him feel the coldness of the metal. "Okay, Ram. Give me the name and you'll keep your head."

Ares crouched down in front of him. "You okay, pal?"

The man coughed blood a few times, saying something incomprehensible.

Ares turned to me. "Sorry Zeus, I may have rendered him unable to talk," sabi ni Ares. "That means he can't keep his head." He smiled like a madman, getting excited as evidenced by his sparkly eyes. "Can I do the honor?"

Nagkatinginan kami ni Poseidon. He gave me a shrug before telling me he got all the useful info already.

Apparently, this guy was paid half a million to plant an incendiary device to complicate the investigation at Four Seasons. He was also instructed to alert the police about the list of clients who visited the place at kasali na kami roon ni Rustia. Poseidon got rid of all records that connect us to Four Seasons but since this anonymous guy who paid Ram to complicate us got all these shit, tiyak kong hindi siya pipitsuging tao.

I tossed the butcher knife to Ares. "Do it."

Lumawak ang ngisi ni Ares. He tilted the guy's head, sliding the knife across Ram's neck. Mas lumawak pa ang ngisi ni Ares nang nagtalsikan ang dugo nito sa kanyang mukha at katawan. Murdering has been cathartic to my reapers—especially Ares.

Nalaglag sa sahig ang ulo ni Ram, and Ares picked it up like a prized possession. Inilapag niya iyon sa mesa at kinuha ang nakatuping tuwalya at pinunasan ang duguang kamay.

Bumaling ako kay Poseidon na tahimik na pinapanood si Ares. If shit goes down, I always pair them to get the work done. They were my top reliable reapers who were total opposites. While Poseidon is carefully planned and organized, Ares is more of a come-what-may.

Habang nililinis ni Ares ang kalat, Poseidon led me outside the torture room by opening the nearby door.

"I'll keep digging," Poseidon assured me. "Also, I talked with Achilles."

I stiffened upon the mention of one of the higher-ups. Achilles, probably Cronus' right hand when they were younger. He was not particularly fond of me, but who cares.

"Anong pinag-usapan ninyo?"

Poseidon handed me a golden calling card. "Sabi niya isa ito sa pinakamalaking shipment natin ngayong taon. He already made the deal, but he wants you to be personally present during the delivery."

I slipped the card into my wallet. "Got it. Kailan 'to?"

"This Saturday."

Oh, shit. No.

#

A/N:

I am so excited to share my Under No Illusion playlist with you but saka na lang kapag complete na ang UNI because it will be a major spoiler 🤣

Not so fun fact, and I'm not sure if already shared this, Cooler is my favorite Vander haha. I got his name from Kohler (Maximillian Kohler) from Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. Basta yung disabled na director dun haha. I like the sound of "Kohler" lalo na kapag nag-uusap kami ng roommate ko, spoiling each other kung ano ang nangyayari sa story hahaha so ayun, dun galing si "COOLER". Other not so fun fact, he was supposed to me a temporary DF character na mag-aappear lang for one or two chapters like the usual but I enjoyed writing him kaya ayun, he become one of DF's important main character.

Please don't hate me, but if I rank my fave Vanders, it will be:

1. Cooler
2. Ryu
3. Cool/Cronus
4. Z
5. Gray

Huhuhu sorry, Abo! 🤣

ShinchiLaaaabs