ＴＨＥ ＧＥＮＩＵＳ ＢＡＳＫＥＴ ＭＡＮ ＩＳ ＩＮ ＬＯＶＥ《Ｈ.ＳＫ》

TWENTY-EIGHT.

Mika's Point of View.

Malinaw na sa 'kin ang lahat. Sa ginawa pa lang na 'yun ni Hanamichi na pag-hila kay Kumi ay alam ko na-alam ko ng si Kumi ang gusto niya at hindi ako. Alam ko, dahil ako mismo ang nakaka-halata na may gusto siya kay Kumi. Ako lang naman 'tong mapilit e. Ako lang naman 'tong pilit na ipinagsisiksikan ang sarili sa taong hindi naman ako ang gusto.

Dahil hindi ko na kinaya pa ang sakit, nag-desisyon akong mag-paalam muna para lumabas.

"Excuse me po, I'll just go outside to have some air po." It's suffocating. I need to breath.

Bumuka ang bibig ni Tita Hazel at Ate Hana pero hindi ko na pinakinggan pa ang gusto nilang sabihin dahil nagmamadali akong umalis doon.

"Miks!" Jin called me. Nasa likuran ko siya, at nakita kong humihingal pa siya sa paghabol sa 'kin.

"Jin... why did you followed me all the way here?" Tanong ko kay Jin.

"I wasn't here for business. I was here to accompany Kumi... but I guess she's happy that Sakuragi dragged her out of here." Sabi ko kay Jin, tsaka ako bumuntong hininga.

"Miks." He called.

He still calls me Miks, huh? It's already been years since we broke up. And he still hasn't forgotten our call sign.

Hinapit ni Jin ang bayawang ko at bumulong ng... "Let's get out of here too,"

Naramdaman ko ang init ng hininga niya sa tainga ko, dahilan para mag-sitayuan lahat ng balahibo ko.

"Wait-where the hell are you taking me?!" Napalakas na sabi ko, nang bigla na lang niya akong hinawakan sa pulsuhan at hinila.

"Chiro! Let me go!" Nagpupumiglas na ani ko, pero tila ba wala siyang narinig at patuloy pa rin siya sa pag hatak sa akin.

"Soichiro Jin! Ano ba?!" Pa-asik na sabi ko.

"I'm sorry." He says, as he let go of my hand.

"I just want to escape this pain." Sabi ni Jin.

Bakit? Ako ba? Hindi ba ako nasasaktan? I knew it all along. I was by his side, and yet, he's still thinking about Kumi.

"Please come with me, Miks." Sabi ni Jin sa akin, tsaka siya lumuhod sa harap ko!

"I will come with you, Chiro. Pero please, tumayo ka na diyan." Sabi ko, tsaka ko siya tinulungang tumayo.

"Where are we going?" Tanong ko, nang makasakay kami sa kotse niya.

"At my shop maybe? Only if you want to bake some pastries with me." Sabi niya, habang ini-istart ang kotse.

I giggled from happiness. I mean, who would say no to that offer? No, it's not me. "I would love to accept your offer, Chiro." I said.

A sudden flashback comes to my mind. It was I and Chiro, back when we are still in America, in our Kitchen, baking because it was our hobby. It was our bonding, we don't do typical dates such as going out or anything. We were contented by hanging out in each other's houses and baking. We both love pastries, we both loved sweets-up until now. He still hasn't changed, but his feeling are. He's still the Soichiro Jin that I met before. He's still the Soichiro Jin that I loved before.

"Miks, you're spacing out. I've been calling you for ten times already but it's as if you're pre-occupied. What's the matter?" Tanong ni Jin sa akin kaya naman napangiti ako.

I was right. He hasn't changed. Maalalahanin pa rin siya. He was like this when something was bothering me-up until now.

"Wala naman. When you mentioned baking, I just had a sudden glimpse... of us." Humina sa huli ang sinabi ko dahil sa hiya!