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special chapter: angelus

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Growing up, Karl always had his parents beside him. His father taught him how to play basketball when he's five and since then, he's been playing nonstop. Ang mom naman niya ay lagi siyang inaayang manood ng dramas na favorite niya, at ito ang naging bonding nila. Kahit busy ay hindi sila nagkulang sa kaniya.

That's why when they suddenly died because of a car crash, Karl was severely affected. Nagkaroon ng malaking puwang sa puso niya na para sa kanya ay hindi na muling mapupunan kahit kailan. He lost his parents when he's 10 at hindi man lamang siya nakapag paalam sa kanila, ni hindi man lang niya nasabing mahal na mahal niya ang mga 'to bago mamatay. It hurt him so much.

Mabuti na lamang ay naroon ang lola niya para sa kanya. He had someone beside him as he went through difficult times, pero hindi rin nagtagal ay binawi rin siya sa kanya. His grandmother died when he's 16.

It was really hard, dahil hindi lang ang kapakanan niya ang kailangan niyang isipin, kundi pati ang mga ari-arian at negosyong iniwan ng mga mahal sa buhay. He had to takeover all of them at such a young age dahil iyon ang kabilin-bilinan ng lola niya sa kanya.

The pressure was too much and he's still grieving, there were even times when he was suicidal. But thankfully, he had CJ and his cousin, Renz, beside him. Hindi siya iniwanan ng mga 'to, they sticked with him like lint, and he appreciated it so much. And there's also Sharmaine, the girl he likes so much, ang nililigawan niya, na kalaunan ay sinagot din siya. And he also met Yusuf, a stranger-turned-friend in senior high school na naging sanggang dikit niya.

Karl's relationship with Sharmaine was okay. She's always busy at naiintindihan naman niya iyon dahil isa itong honor student at president pa ng student council. Kahit na minsan ay mainit ang ulo sa kanya ng girlfriend ay inuunawa niya ito at kailanman ay hindi nagbago ang tingin niya sa kaniya. Siguro ay dahil stressed ito palagi kaya siya ang napag-iinitan minsan, pero bumabawi naman ito kaya okay lang. Even when they say that what she's doing is just bare minimum lang ay hindi niya hinayaang makaapekto ang sinasabi ng iba sa mga desisyon niya.

Because he loves her at sa kanya lang siya makikinig. Ilang beses na itong nakipagbreak sa kanya pero nagkakaayos naman sila. Sa katunayan ay tila naging cycle na ang break-up sa kanila.

He was so loyal to her. He loves her so much that he could even escape a game for her. He did it twice actually, which made his coach and the team mad at him, even his friends were disappointed. Natalo kasi sila dahil umalis siya sa kalagitnaan ng laro because Shar called him.

"Ano? She had tantrums again?" CJ asked, halatang inis.

"She's upset, I just comforted her." I answered. "Hindi naman niya ako pinilit pumunta, I willingly came. It's not her fault."

CJ sighed. "Ipinahiya ka niya last time at sinigaw-sigawan sa tapat ng student council office. Nakipagbreak pa sa 'yo. Are you really okay with that, bro?"

"Mainit lang ulo niya no'n kasi napagalitan sila. Okay lang naman. Nag sorry naman siya."

He just shook his head and tapped his back. "You're not a punching bag, bro. Na pagbubuntungan niya ng galit palagi. Pero mahal mo nga talaga... iba nga talaga siguro nagagawa ng pagmamahal."

Renz laughed. "Huwag mo nang anuhin 'yan, kahit siguro sabihin ni Sharmaine na magpasagasa siya, gagawin niya 'yan. Patay na patay e. By the way, bro, mag-va-valentine's day na ha. Ano pakulo mo this year?"

CJ immediately frowned. "Don't do any surprises in public again, baka maulit na naman 'yong last year. Tarayan ka na naman at mag walkout dahil nakakahiya raw."

Renz sighed and threw the ball. "And the past year too, hindi ka sinipot sa Valentine's date niyo dahil nakalimutan niyang may usapan kayo. Sayang porma namin ni CJ no'n at 'yong cake na hawak-hawak namin."

Karl gave them a sad smile, nalulungkot siya dahil kailangan niyang marinig iyon sa mga kaibigan. He doesn't want them to get mad at her.

"Sobrang preoccupied lang ng isip niya no'n dahil exam week. She's also sick at that time."

"Pero lumabas din, hindi nga lang ikaw ang kasama."

Karl sighed. "Napilitan lang siyang sumama sa mga pinsan niya."

"At naniwala ka naman agad? Iba talaga ang pag-ibig."

Back in high school and in their early years in college, he thought it's just normal to go through things like that as their relationship progressed. He thought na siya ang dapat mag aadjust palagi because he's the guy. Ngunit habang tumatagal ay tila mas lalo na siyang nasasaktan dahil sa pambabalewala ng girlfriend sa kaniya.

Naiintindihan naman niya na busy ito dahil sa acads at sa pagiging courtside reporter, pero busy rin siya e. He's a varsity basketball player, tila pareho rin sila, but he makes time for her kahit busy. Nakakalungkot, but he still endured it.

Madalas sabihin ng mga tao sa paligid niya na toxic na sila at kalaunan din ay unti-unti na niyang napagtatanto na maaaring totoo nga sila.

Pero mahal niya e, kaya nanatili pa rin siya. Not until, she told him na hindi na talaga siya kayang mahalin.

It broke him and made the void in his heart bigger, as another person left him. He also questioned his worth at wondered kung ano bang mga mali ang nagawa niya para iwan siya.

Pero sa kabila ng kagustuhang manatili ang minamahal, he let go of her. Kasi baka nga nasasakal na siya, baka nga sumosobra na siya.

At oo, napapagod na rin pala siya.

"Break na talaga kayo?" CJ asked him.

He just nodded. Tinapik naman siya ng kaibigan sa balikat.

"Minsan kailangan mo rin talagang isipin muna at mahalin ang sarili mo. Kasi baka hindi mo namamalayan, nauubos ka na pala."

He sighed. Siguro nga.

Bago umalis ay may dinagdag pa ang kaibigan, na hindi naman niya inaakalang mangyayari nga.

"Someday, someone will come and love you unconditionally, without you begging. Someone who will stay with you through ups and downs. Someone who will make you laugh and cry because of happiness. Someone who will love you fiercely and faithfully. Someday, someone..." CJ uttered na pinagtawanan lang niya.

Dahil talaga bang mangyayari iyon? Sino naman?

But months later, it did happen. With someone who came unexpectedly in his life... with someone who made him feel so much joy with her presence and so much sadness with her absence.

Sino siya? It's the stranger whom he met on omegle, who got him at first joke.