right strings

-122-

-psyche pov-

binigay ko na kay manong driver yung bayad ko bago ako bumaba sa taxi, "psyche!" napahigpit ang hawak ko sa bag ko dahil sumalubong sa akin si jake na malapad ang ngiti sa labi.

"kamusta si manong leo?" lumapit sya sa akin at napalayo ako ng onti dahil sa ginawa nya.

"he told me na susunod na lang sya dito, sabi ko nga umuwi na sya at magpahinga pero he insists, ayoko din naman sya mawalan ng trabaho" pagpapaliwanag ko. he smiled a bit before he gestured na pumasok na kami sa loob ng ktv.

madilim sa hallway, yung mga party lights lang ang nagbibigay ng liwanag, nauuna si jake maglakad sa akin at hindi ko maalis ang tingin sa likod nya.

i should have warn myself, lalo na siguro kung alam ko na si irene pala ang babaeng gusto nya. i should not have fall for you jake, this is so wrong.

"ouch" hinimas ko ang noo ko sa pagtama sa likod ni jake. "hey, are you alright?" he giggled a bit looking at me.

i nodded, "it was so dark, i didn't saw you" palusot ko natawa pa sya bago buksan ang glass door at saka kami pumasok.

nakanta si sunoo at nasayaw si jay at jungwon noong nakapasok kami, hindi nga ata nila kami napansin. naupo ako sa tabi ni heeseung at ngumiti ako sa kanya.

dahil wala ng space, sa kabilang couch naupo si jake, he looked me like he can read my expression and feelings, napaiwas tuloy ako ng tingin.

"psyche! i thought you ghosted na naman us!" sigaw ni irene, natawa ako sa expression nya. "of course i will not" depensa ko sa kanya, he laughed at me before giving me some chips and i mouthed him my thank you.

"kumakanta ka ba?" tanong ni heeseung na hawak yung song book. "no i am not, siguro.. i am more on like dancing?" i shrugged.

"oh, sampol naman dyan!" dinagil nya ang balikat  ko at agad akong natatawang umiling, i should not have answer his question.

"gusto mo akong makitang sumayaw ng nursery songs? or zumba?" i joked. "huwag na nga, pass na psyche, panoorin mo na lang akong kumanta" i rolled my eyes on heeseung chewing my chips.

"oh jake, mga kantahan mo 'to" narinig kong sigaw ni irene sa mic na katatapos lang din kumanta, she arrowed the microphone on jake na kinuha naman agad ni jake, binelatan pa sya si irene.

jake has something glow whenever he is looking at irene, how come i didn't saw that before...

"ay taena ano bang kanta yan!" sigaw ni jay at binato pa ng unan si jake

"hindi nga ako naglagay nito oh! si irene!" depensa ni jake

the instrumental played on the background... the man who can't be moved.. oh,

Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand
Saying, "If you see this girl can you tell her where I am?"

he sang so well, gosh... i haven't heard his singing voice.. it was immaculate.

he's focusing on the screen, i know he's thinking irene while singing the song.. aray

Some try to hand me money, they don't understand
I'm not broke - I'm just a broken-hearted man
I know it makes no sense but what else can I do?
How can I move on when I'm still in love with you?

when i am still inlove with you... that line suddenly gave pain into my heart. I immediately stand up making others turned their head on me.

"comfort room lang," i mouthed heeseung before going out the room. I found myself lost because i can't find the comfort room, it took me a couple of minutes before i found one.

I looked myself in the mirror, trying to calm myself down.

irene loves banana milk, that is why he always bought it.

the day... on the amusement park.. he turned gloomy because he saw irene and sunghoon walking alone, leaving us.

that's why irene is layla's mom...

it makes sense now, he's hurt because of irene chooses sunghoon...

how could i know this late now. fuck.

i have a lot of questions.. what really happened? why jake is so nice to me? i need  answers..

"psyche" a knock on the door bring my senses back. "oh.. i am coming" i looked at myself in the mirror again and exhaled a large amount of air.

act normal psyche, you don't have the rights to act weirdly just because jake doesn't like you.

"are you okay? what you took so long?" salubong ni jake pagkabukas ko ng pinto. i gave him a light smile, "i had an upset stomach" i lied.

"do you want to go home now?" umiling ako

"no, it's fine" sagot ko sa kanya, he looked so worried but he placed his arms around my shoulder to help me.

"i am totally fine" inalis ko ang kamay nya, he found it so weird. "i can walk, mr shim jake" i tried to act normal.

"okay? you sure you wanna stay huh?" i raised a brow before nodding on him.

am i really sure to stay with you? and take the risk?