Never Be Apart

CHAPTER 26

I never lost my smile the whole time I watched. Bumalik sa pagiging blangko yung puting kurtina at ilang minutong nanatili sa ganun. Naghintay lang ako saglit ay maya maya'y may instrument na tumunog. Napalingon ako kay Ashden na nananatili lang na nakatingin sa harap.

Dahan dahang nag bukas yung kurtina at unti unti kong nakita sila Haruki, Natsumi, at Ah Ki. May sari-sarili silang mga instrument. Piano ang kay Haruki, naka gitara naman yung dalawa. Nagsimula ang intro ng paborito kong kanta kaya napangiti ako.

"Broken all the pieces I've been shaping lately
Focused on the things that didn't make no sense
Guess that growing up was never meant to be easy", panimula ni Ah Ki. Napapasabay pa ako dahil paborito ko talaga ang kantang iyon.

"Yeah, I got used to doing everything sideways
Didn't really care about how everyone felt
Hiding my emotions down in different ashtrays" pagdugtong ni Natsumi. Sinabayan ko ng palakpak yung beat ng kanta at napapaindayog pa.

"Oh, but what is lost ain't gone
No, you can't just let go
'Cause it's a part of you that will make you strong
Embrace your flaws" pagtatapos ni Haruki bago mag chorus.

"I'm not gonna fight back what I've become
Yeah, I've got bruises where I came from
But I wouldn't change if I could restart
I ain't gonna hide these beautiful scars"
Nagulat ako ng biglang may sumabat sa likod ko. May hawak na siyang mic ngayon at deretsong nakatingin sa akin, tumayo siya at naglakad papunta sa harapan. Tumabi siya kay Ah Ki na patuloy paring nag gigitara. Ngumiti siya sa akin habang kumakanta kaya napangiti din ako.

"I've been going way too hard on myself
Guess that it's the reason that I'm feeling like hell
But I wouldn't change if I could restart
I ain't gonna hide these beautiful scars" sabay sabay na sila sa part na yun kaya hindi ko maiwasang mapasabay din. Akala ko kakantahin pa nila yung pangalawang verse ngunit nagulat ako nang mag salita na si Ashden pero patuloy parin nilang piniplay ang instruments.

"Not too long ago, I met a beautiful girl", paniwala niya. Tahimik lang akong nanonood, ganun din yung tatlo na patuloy parin sa pagtugtog. "I never thought that... She's going to be an important piece in my life", dagdag niya. Napangiti pa siya nun at napaiwas ng tingin saka kinamot ng onti yung ilong. "I'm not that good at giving a birthday message but there's just one thing I want you to know thatI like you, Yoo Ki. I know it's already obvious because of what I'm showing without saying anything about it but it really is. I'll repeat, I like you, Yoo Ki. I really really like you", hindi ako nakasagot. Nananatili lang akong nakatitig sa kanila. Halos marinig ko na yung tibok ng puso ko dahil sa sobrang lakas ng tibok nito. Napahawak pa ako dito habang nakatitig parin sa kanya.

Next to give a message was Natsumi, hiniling niya lang na sana malagpasan ko lahat ng problema na nararanasan ko ngayon. Sunod naman ay si Haruki na nag sabi lang ng motivation words and advice. Ah Ki was the last one to give a message and said she would never leave me and she will always be there no matter what happened.

Matapos ng performance nila na yun ay bumaba na sila sabay sabay at nag apir pa sa isa't isa. Natawa ako ng onti at umiling. Tatawa tawa naman silang lumapit sa akin at isa isa akong niyakap. Ashden was about to hug me ngunit hindi niya natuloy dahil pinitik ni Natsumi ang noo niya.  Napangiwi naman agad si Ashden pero kalaunan ay ngumiti nalang din at kumindat nalang.