To: You || DoDam

CH 1

KYLE

"I like it, but let's try that part again. Make your voice a bit more relaxed." The vocalist of the band followed his instructions and the recording was finally done after 2 hours.

"That's it." Dagdag pa ni Kyle. Lumabas na mula sa recording studio ang banda at isa-isang nagpasalamat sa kanya, pati na sa iba pang staff. At ng makaalis ang banda ay sinimulan na agad ni Kyle ang nakasanayang gawin. Kailangan nang maayos ang kanta para mapakinggan na ulit ng banda at mapagpracticean na bago irelease.

"Prod. Snack ka muna, alas tres na ng hapon." Sambit ng secretary ng kumpanya kung saan siya nagtatrabaho. The latter only gave a simple nod before the secretary exited his studio. The other two producers, who were both older than him, Jaden and Daniel, also thanked him for his time and made their way out of his studio as well. 

Within a minute, he was once again left alone, and he had no problem with that as he loved silence. After all, it was his company whenever he had a lot on his mind. Like what he was feeling at the moment.

"Walang mangyayari kung tutunganga lang ako dito." Inis niyang sambit sa sarili kaya't pinagpatuloy na ang ginagawa para makauwi agad dahil sa sakit na biglang bumisita sa ulo niya, na dahil na rin siguro sa tuloy-tuloy na pag inom ng kape at pagkakaroon ng sleeping schedule na kasing sira na ng laruang napabayaan.

As his eyes traveled along the lines of the song the band just finished recording a moment ago, he felt as if the story the song wanted to imply was something as familiar to him as the back of his hand. 

Like a flower in a garden with others,
you stood out on your own.

Catching my attention,
a bee wandering about, searching for the perfect flower.

But before anything else could come to his mind, he put the copy of the lyrics back in its designated white folder and put it aside as he played the song and closed his eyes as he listened. Thinking of the arrangement, if there are adjustments to be made, if the recording really was done.

But amidst that busy mind of his, something kept banging at the back of his head, wanting to be remembered and let out of the shadow-filled cave Kyle put it in 5 years ago. It wanted to get out, as if it knew something he did not. 

As if he was being called by someone who came back without any announcement or warning. Without even a single message sent to even one of their friends.

Yedam was great at ignoring things and was a guy who is strict with himself and sticks to the principles he had for himself. Maybe because he learned to become like that through a difficult way. A way he didn;t expect to go through. A way that he didn't know would reveal a part of him that only came and showed itself to someone who used to be the one he dedicated some songs too. Unreleased or released. Every word, every melody used to be about him.

About how he looked for him, how cheerful his smile was towards the latter.

But just like every flower, whatever they had withered. The difference is that, they both decided to ignore the signs before that flower withered.

But was it really the flower? 

Or was it just someone who decided to abruptly go, leaving the flower in the hands of another? Thinking it was for the best when it actually wasn't?

SAMUEL

"Thank you, Dad. I don't know for now but I'll tell you as soon as possible." 

The tall, now deep-voiced Samuel slightly bowed to his father before he left his office, which was open for extremely exclusive clients only, along with his family members. 

He walked along the corridors of his father's main company building radiating confidence and catching the attention of everyone he made eye contact with. 

If he was still the troublemaker, popular and 19-year old Samuel, he would've flirted with every person he would come across at the corridor. But he wasn't that Samuel anymore. He is now 25 years old, a medical technician and is about to start working at the hospital brought up by his older brother, Charles. 

The latter went straight to the parking lot and got inside his own Lexus F Marque. The car he decided to drive today since it was the closest one to the gate. 

But before he could start the car, his phone rang because of a call from someone he is highly familiar and close with. He pressed answer and waited for the other person to speak. "Sam? Is this still your number?" 

"Kuya if I changed my cellphone number I would've told you. Did I tell you anything? I didn't. I know you know what that means."

"Yeah yeah. Okay. So, when's the gathering? Gusto ko na ulit uminom-"
"Can we gather this time without bringing alcohol along?"
"Ng tubig kasi ng juice. Don't jump to conclusions, Sam."

The sarcasm in Daniel's voice made him chuckle. "I was joking. I don't know actually. It'll proably be talked about in the groupchat. I think Travis, Justin and John know already anyway."

"You trust those three? Seriously?"

"What? They're excellent planners. Something I'm not good at."

"Buti alam mo. Padalos-dalos ka eh. Kaya may mga naiiwan ka."

Before the atmosphere could change into something else, Samuel laughed it off. "Some things aren't meant for me anyway." 

"He's not a thing."
"I know."

Silence covered the two as Samuel's smile faded, kahit na wala namang pangalan na binabanggit. Kahit nga wala nang pangalang banggitin, alam niya naman kung sinong tinutukoy ng kaibigan.

After all, even if 5 years have already passed by, the guilt of what he did back then still weighed on his shoulders. Regret was what he felt everytime he looked at their picture. Their first and last picture before he let his indecisiveness take over.

"Sam you know he's still in that group chat, right?"
"I know. And it's okay. Kung pupunta siya, eh di pumunta. Kung hindi, eh di hindi."
"Sam-"
"Unlike me, he knows what he wants and does his best kahit ilang beses pa siyang mabigo. It's all up to him. Kung magkita kami ulit, eh di hi."

"Will you be okay?"
"Why won't I be okay?"