EUN'S POV
I was only looking at Sunho hyung who's busy typing something on his laptop. I was sitting on the sofa in front of him while sipping my favorite caramel matcha.
"What do you want?" He asked in monotone and my brows raised when he looked at me. "Pansin kong kanina ka pa nakatingin sa akin, eh. May problema ba?"
Napaismid nalang ako saka tumungo. "Malaki. Sobra."
Rinig ko siyang napabuntong-hininga. "I'm sorry, Eun. Pero wala akong magagawa talaga. This is the only thing I can do to save you and my cousin.
Grandpa is very sensitive and strict with this kind of matter kaya malaking posibilidad na matanggalan si Ran ng mana and he might make you suffer as well.
Ran and I are his favorite grandchildren pero naranasan na namin ang galit ni lolo noon and it was hell. This plan maybe selfish para sayo at kay Ran but what else can we do?"
Napakagat ako ng labi. "Okay lang naman. I understand! Saka alam naman na ni Nic na fiancé ko si Hera."
Natahimik saglit si hyung at muli na namang napabuntong-hininga. "So, you did tried hiding it from her?"
Umiling ako. "Not exactly since aware naman akong malalaman at malalaman niya parin naman and besides, we already broke up. What's there to explain? Masaya narin naman siya kay kuya, eh!"
Hindi na nagsalita si hyung at hinayaan narin lang akong umalis to have some fresh air to breathe.
She'll be happier with Yohanne hyung! 'Yan lang ang dapat kong isispin. After all, he's her first love and I know hyung loves her, too. I should just at least be happy for them.
I went to the park and as usual, I am wearing mask to hide my identity from the public. Naupo lang ako sa isang bench na nasa pinakagitna ng Under the Pines park kung tawagin nila.
Medyo hindi na matao sa lugar na 'to sa mga ganitong oras kaya minabuti ko nalang muna na pumarito para makapag-isip.
Sa totoo lang kasi, wala paring pumapasok sa utak ko. Pilit ko mang intindihin pero kasi ang hirap! Hindi ba kasi talaga pwedeng madaliin nalang ang lahat?
Kung pwede hindi nalang palakihin ang simpleng gulo? Na sana pwedeng mamuhay ng tahimik? 'Yong tipong walang mangingialam sa mga gusto mong gawin? Na sana kung magkamali man, pwede pang maitama at palagpasin nalang ang mga bagay na hindi naman dapat sana piniproblema ng iba?!
Pwede mind your own business?! Bakit ang hirap 'yong gawin ng mga tao? Bakit lahat issue?! Bakit lahat dapat i-perpekto? Bawal na ba talagang magkamali?! Bakit kailangan magpanggap na perpekto para mahalin ng mga tao?
Wala namang ganun, eh, pero bakit ang hirap magpakatotoo?!
Naipatong ko nalang mga siko ko sa magkabila kong binti saka napahilamos ng mukha.
Ang daling isipin pero ang hirap gawin kasi parang kalaban mo 'yong mundo sa gusto mong mangyari.
Childhood best friend ko si Nic and we grew up together until umuwi si hyung galing China and from that moment on, I felt her drifting away from me hanggang sa malaman-laman ko nalang one day when we were in highschool, naging sila na ni hyung.
Of course, I was hurt pero pinilit kong maging okay total wala namang may alam sa feelings ko para sa kanya kaya minabuti ko nalang manahimik kahit ang sarap ng magwala sa t'wing nakikita ko silang magkasama but as long as she's happy, I'll be fine.
I endured a lot of pain hanggang sa may agency na nagrecruit sa akin to be a part of their team sa paggawa ng malaking project in Korea.
I was thinking that it will help me move on from everything so pumayag ako. My father is a Korean citizen kaya madali lang akong nakapag-settle dun.
Inisip ko na ayos na ang lahat, I was working really hard to be a perfect performer and luckily, I was chosen to be one of the first trainees from the Philippines to debut in Korea within just a span of three years and there, I met the other 10 members to complete the group.
Yes, we're originally just eleven members but our group name, Eccentric Zodiac, won't make any sense so the agency looked for one more member and that person was just spotted on a mall in the Philippines which happens to be my half brother, Yohanne Lu.
Nanliit ako sa sarili ko that time kasi 'yong tatlong taon na pinaghirapan ko, nakuha niya lang sa isang araw! Ever since then, I looked at Yohanne hyung as my competitor sa lahat ng mga bagay.
He's a freaking fast-learner! He's one of the lead vocals in our group and so do I kaya lagi kaming naii-kompara ng mga fans and what makes it worst is siya 'yong laging angat kasi sobrang galing din niyang sumayaw. In terms of looks, he's also a couple of steps ahead of me.
Hyung is a perfect-looking man. He got talents I don't have and the charisma I will never have kaya nga sa grupo, siya ang pinaka-dagsain ng mga fans ma pa-babae man 'yan, ma pa-lalaki, bakla at kahit lesbian, nagiging straight ulit.
I stayed quiet and watched him rise to the top until one day, I caught him making out with someone else while he's still in a relationship with the woman I love!
He begged me not to tell anyone especially Nic and swore to break up with his other woman but then after just a month, I caught him with another woman again and it happened again and again!
He cheated on Nic for couple of times pero ewan ko ba kung mabait ba siya, martyr, o tanga talaga at palagi niya parin itong pinapatawad.
I just can't watch idly while my brother is hurting her so I stepped up and rescued her from him. I became her shoulder to cry on until she finally saw me the way I see her from the very beginning.
After months of dating, she finally became my girlfriend. We were so happy hanggang sa gumawa ng scandal ang magaling kong kapatid sa Korea at nadamay ang grupo namin so they had us suspended for heaven knows how long! Until na humupa siguro ang issue.
That was the reason why we settled back here for the mean time, I guess. That experience was tough buti nalang Nic never left my side. We were just dating secretly but our relationship is as perfect as my fantasies.
But everything was ruined and that's still because of my one hell of a messed up brother!
"I'm warning you." I groaned, narrowing the spaces between me and Yohanne. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her! Baka hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili ko."
"Tama na, Eun!"
Pilit akong hinila ni Nic papalayo sa kanya pero nagmatigas ako. Walang emosyong nakatitig si Yohanne sa akin na para bang wala siyang pakialam kung masuntok ko man siya ngayon hanggang sa gumuhit ang mapanuyang ngiti sa labi nito.
"Do you really think she loves you?" He started with a faint smirk. "Mahal ka lang niya kasi wala na siyang ibang matatakbuhan!"
"HOW DARE YOU!!"
"EUN, PLEASE!" Susuntukin ko na sana siya nang biglang pumagitna si Nic. "Please umalis nalang tayo-"
Nasemento ako sa sumunod na nangyari! I felt lump on my throat when hyung suddenly cupped her face and kissed her at kung mahilig ka naman talagang durugin ng panahon, saktong may isang epal na paparazzi ang pumasok sa dressing room namin at nakita niya ang ginawa ng gago kong kapatid.
That's when Nic's role as Yohanne's girlfriend on camera started. Wala kasing ibang paraan para hindi masyadong lumaki ang issue.
I am against the plan of course but Nic assured me that everything will be okay pero nang patagal ng patagal ang pagpapanggap nila, pakiramdam ko nagkakatotoo na, na siyang lagi naming napag-aawayan ni Nic which actually reached to the point na napagkasunduan nalang naming maghiwalay na muna hanggang sa matapos ang lahat.
Pero sadyang mapaglaro ang tadhana at pumasok si Hera sa buhay ko at may pa-bonus pa talagang baby 'yan, ah!
"I felt my brain shrinking ugh!" Ungol ko't ginulo buhok ko sa magkahalong inis, panghihinayang, lungkot, at lahat na.
"Oh, really?"
"SON OF A-" napatalon nalang ako sa gulat nang may biglang nagsalita sa likuran ko. Nakasuot ito ng itim na hooded jacket, itim na cap, at itim na mask.
"Ahahaha are you really a man?!" Tatawa-tawa niyang sabi.
Napairap nalang ako habang hawak-hawak dibdib ko.
"Stop doing that, Sunho hyung! Your face really scares me!"
"How mean." Umirap siya't umupo sa bench na kinauupuan ko. "Have you seen Hera? Nacontact mo ba siya today?"
"Pinsan mo siya, ba't sa akin mo tinatanong?" Sarkastiko kong sabi saka tumabi sa kanya.
"Fiancé mo kamo siya, ba't 'di mo alam?" Banat niya rin.
"'Wag mo akong inuumpisahan, hyung, ah! Wala ako sa mood, baka naman-" tinignan ko siya ng pagbabanta pero deadma lang siya.
Kahit pa naka mask siya, kitang-kita ko parin ang pagkibot ng nguso nito.
"This place is one of Hera's favorite spots so I was hoping to find her here but look who I found," namuntong-hininga siya. "Cannot be reached kasi siya simula pa kanina so I'm getting really worried. She might be really mad at me for forcing you, two, together!"
"Maski naman ako, I'm also a bit mad at you!" Untad ko. "But what choice do I have? You've been taking care of us ever since and never kong na-question ang judgements mo kasi alam kong para din 'yon sa ikabubuti ng lahat. And this is obviously my fault, so I'm not the one to talk." Tumungo ako. "I just have one question for you tho."
Tumingin ako sa kanya and he's already looking at me.
"Gaano mo kakilala si Hera?"
Tumaas mga kilay niya, "that's kinda odd... well, let's see. As far as my memories can serve me right, Hera is a sweet girl when we were young, tho her mom kinda spoil her with everything. Yes, she's indeed a mother's girl but I couldn't remember seeing Mrs. Ji and her together. Lagi kasing daddy niya ang pumupunta sa mansyon noon and I couldn't vividly remember his face either."
"After kasi nung mamatay ang mommy ni Hera, hindi ko na siya ulit nakita pa. Hindi rin ako ina-update ni lolo patungkol sa kanila tho lagi niya namang sinasabi sa akin na kaming dalawa ni Hera ang magmamana ng almost lahat ng mga ari-arian niya."
"Hera's existence doesn't interest me anymore, so hindi ko na siya naiisip hanggang sa makabalik tayo dito and surprisingly, andito din siya. I didn't tell you, guys, anything about her since ayaw ko siyang mainvolve sa atin."
Napatungo nalang ulit ako, "so you mean, hindi mo talaga siya ganun kakilala?"
"Yes? No? Maybe? I don't know pero teka nga, bakit parang interested ka bigla sa kanya?"
Tumaas mga kilay ko saka siya tinignan, "normal lang naman ata sigurong magtanong-tanong ng mga bagay-bagay about sa babaeng hindi ko kilala na papakasalan ko, 'di ba? And besides, last night..."
Natigilan ako nang umiwas siya ng tingin, "dapat sana mag-uusap kami ngayon patungkol diyan pero ayun, nilayasan ako."
"Just what on earth happened to her?"
"I don't have any idea––oh!"
Napasingahap kaming dalawa ni hyung nang biglang mag ring ang phone niya. Bahagyang tumaas ang isa niyang kilay bago ito sinagot.
"Yes? Sunho speaking," he started and I gasped when he suddenly stood up. His eyes grew in circles and started walking to and fro.
"Hyung-ah! Is there something wrong?" I asked but he only looked at me in askance without even answering my question.
"Yeah yeah! I-I'll be there right away."
'Yon lang sinabi niya saka ako binalingan ng tingin, "s-something happened and I-I have to go."
"About what? Where?!" Napatayo ko nang tanong.
Numipis lang mga labi niya saka nag-iwas ng tingin, "I'll tell you later, you should go home. It's almost sunset!"
Hindi na ako nakapagsalita pa at tumakbo na siya papalayo hanggang sa mawala siya sa paningin ko.
"What the hell, hyung!"
* * *
SUNHO'S POV
Halos liparin ko na ang daan papuntang Pasay nang makatanggap ako ng tawag mula sa isa sa mga nagpakilalang tauhan ng daddy ni Hera. I don't have any idea what's going on at ewan ko rin kung bakit agad akong tumugon sa sinabi nito.
Inihinto ko ang sasakyan sa harap ng isang malaking gate at agad naman itong nagbukas. Nandito ako ngayon sa isa sa mga rest houses ni lolo. I don't remember when was the last time I came to this place, pero as far as I could trace, hindi ito naging maganda.
Agad akong lumabas ng kotse pagkahinto ko't agad akong sinalubong ng isang babaeng nakasuot ng itim na business suit na medyo pamilyar sa akin. Huminto siya sa harapan ko't inilahad ang kanyang kamay.
"It's been a while, Sun." Panimula nito.
Taas-kilay kong tinanggap ang kamay nito. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"
"Once." Limit nitong sagot saka tumalikod at naglakad papasok. "She's waiting for you."
Bagama't nalilito at medyo napikon sa inasal ng babaeng 'yon, sumunod parin ako sa kanya. Hindi ko mapigilang hindi mapalingon-lingon sa paligid at pansin kong mahigpit ang security dito.
Ang haba pa ng pasilyong nilalakaran namin kaya hindi ko mapigilang hindi magtanong.
"Excuse me?" Tanong ko sa babaeng mahadera. Nakasunod lang ako sa kanya.
"Yes?"
"Is Hera here?"
"No."
"Huh? Then who did I come for?" Taas-boses kong tanong pero hindi niya ako sinagot hanggang huminto ang mahadera sa harap ng isang pintuan.
"Find it out yourself," pasimple niyang sabi saka binuksan ang pinto.
I didn't bother talking anymore and just looked in front and to my surprise, I saw Hera sitting on a cozy swivel chair.
I was about to walk in when I noticed her unusual outfit. She's wearing a black slim long sleeves and cowl neck appeases, but this dress is cut and fit. She even have that smokey eye shadows and stunning crimson lipstick.
"Will you just gonna stare at me?" She said in a very... very familiar tone.
I swilled.
T-this scene... this happened before.
"Y-you..." I stuttered. "You're not Hera, are you?"
A taunting smirk crept on her lips.
"Good guess! Nice meeting you again."