Midnight Requiem.

winter of second year, march

MESSENGER

• Killio Hirozawa
Monday, 8:10 PM

Killio
Can you come out in the kitchen
for a while?

I just want to apologize about yesterday.
seen

Killio
Look, I'm really sorry, Lyra.

I was at the wrong for shouting at you.

I'm not trying to make excuses for myself but that name triggers memories I don't want to remember.

I never expected you to know that name.

And you don't know anything either.

I'm really sorry.

Lyra
is typing....

Lyra
sooo

ano nilulu2 mo jan?

Killio
Strawberry pancakes.

Lyra
para sakin?

Killio
Yeah.

For you.
seen

━━━━━━━━━━

winter of second year, march

         Allira hesitantly step out of her room, feeling her chest drumming erratically against her chest. She can feel her whole body burning, her palms going clammy and her head going dizzy. That was the longest message she got from Kio in the last four years they've been friends on social media and she wouldn't have expected for it to be an apology letter.

Seriously, "bakit ba kasi hindi nalang love letter?"

At sa totoo lang, hindi niya inaasahan si Kio ang unang hihingi ng tawad. She was convinced that she was in the wrong. Halata naman na hindi magandang memorya ang meron si Kio sa kapatid nito lalo na't umiiyak ito sa gabing yun — but if she even ask about what happened that night, she doubt it'll change anything. Killio, at the end of the day, would probably have the same reaction. He was probably upset and Lyra should've been more mindful of her words. He probably doesn't want anyone mentioning something about things he wanted to forget.

For Allira, ayaw niya lang talaga na magalit sa kanya ang binata.

For someone who grew up in a home full of warmth, where people eat their meals together, shares stories and ask how their day was as a bed time story: living with someone you're uncomfortable with, more so, someone upset with you — is unbearable. Halos abutin siya ng buwan makumbinsi lang si Kio na samahan siya sa pag-kain kapag parehas silang nasa bahay tapos lahat nang yun mawawala lang dahil sa isang hindi pagkaka-intindihan.

"Allira," she slowly peek on the kitchen upon hearing his voice.

And there he is. Killio Hirozawa in his grey apron, looking so attractively handsome.

"Come here," tawag nito. He still sounded... flat. Borderline uninterested but after living in the same roof for the last couple of years, Lyra likes to think she's slowly getting good at reading that emotionless voice of his. Ngayon, Kio is just being his usual, serious self.