Champorado

9

"SO kayo," Addie repeats, finger pointing back and forth to Jiya and to Migo. "Kayo. As in, together. As in, boyfriend-girlfriend. As in, parang kami ni Cas."

"Yes," Migo answers, stiff from his side of the couch.

"Oo nga, Ads, paulit-ulit?" Jiya snaps. "Oo, kami. Oo, boyfriend ko siya, girlfriend niya ako, oo, nag-kiss na kami—nakita n'yo naman—and oo, magki-kiss pa kami ulit in the future. Paulit-ulit, more than that pa. Gano'n naman 'pag kayo 'di ba? Bawal sumagot si Van 'tsaka si Isco."

Van clears her throat. Both her and Isco look away.

Inggo hasn't stopped laughing. "Putangina. Putangina talaga!"

"'Yon lang kanina pa input mo!" Migo shouts, throwing a pillow at him. "Bobo mo, bwiset."

So after the stunt that Jiya pulled, pinalayas na ni Cas lahat ng tao sa bahay niya, inupo ni Addie at ni Van si Migo at Jiya sa couch, tinawanan sila ni Inggo 'tsaka ni Isco, tapos si Anton naman hindi kumikibo.

"So wait lang!" Van puts her hands up, staring at the two of them. "Kailan pa 'to?"

"So ito kasi," Migo starts, pointing at Jiya with his thumb, clicking his tongue, "masyadong baliw sa 'kin, when I told her I was going to the States before she left for Korea, she kissed me."

"Isa pa," Jiya tells him, raising one eyebrow. "Ulitin mo."

Migo clears his throat. "So si Valle kasi, when I told her I was going to the States before she left for Korea, she kissed me. Tapos ako yung nabaliw and nag-blackmail sa kanya na sasabihin ko sa inyo kasi wow." He whistles lowly and fans himself. "That kiss."

Jiya smacks him lightly. Migo grins and winks at her.

"Saan yung kiss?" Isco asks. "Sa lips? Pero kung nabaliw ka, baka sa baba—"

"Magsalita ka pa," Jiya tells him, unblinking, while Migo laughs. "Sige pa. Go."

He hides behind Van. "'Di kasi clear," he mutters.

Addie's still frozen, staring at them. "So...you don't actually hate each other."

"Oh, we did," Jiya answers, face blank. "I did, until naging sila ni Tasha."

"Ako naman kinukulit ko siya since freshmen pa kami in high school kasi crush ko siya." Migo laughs and swings an arm around her shoulders, spreading his legs. "Pero akala ko wala akong chance kasi nga she hated me. So 'yon, naglandian kami no'ng August pa—"

"I wouldn't say naglandian," Jiya interjects, clearing her throat.

"Nilandi mo 'ko, 'wag kang ano," he snaps, rolling his eyes. "Nagwala siya when I brought Rose no'ng birthday ni Ads, nag-confess ako, sinagot niya 'ko." Migo grins, shrugging. "Any other questions from the panel?"

Cas tilts his head to the side. "So bakit n'yo tinago sa 'min?"

"Oo nga," Anton says, furrowing his eyebrows. "Addie's birthday was almost a month ago."

"I will direct this question to my lovely girlfriend," Migo says, gesturing to her. Jiya slaps his hand away and rolls her eyes, and he puts it on her knee, rubbing her skin.

"Lovely?!" Isco snorts, slapping a hand to his mouth, pointing his other one at Jiya. "'Yan?! Si Grinch, si Thanos, si Oscar the Grouch? Sure ka ba?! Bro, feeling ko hi-no-hostage ka talaga, you were threatened, 'no? 'Wag kang mag-alala, we're going to get you out of there—"

"Ang daldal mo, tangina." Inggo pushes him, staring at Jiya, obviously waiting for an answer.

Jiya purses her lips and mutters, "Kasi nahiya ako sa inyo. I've been telling you guys I hate him and I can't stand him, and I didn't know how to tell you otherwise. Sorry."