#Yatiz is a story focusing on the lives of young people in a small seaside municipality called Carmen in the southern part of the Philippines. The name is based on a cuss word here, "Yati/Yatis" that has no English equivalent but is closest to WTF.
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MARCH 3, 2023・FRIDAY・16:18
As soon as Maya gets off the tricycle, she can already see Noel from a distance, sitting on a concrete wall overlooking the sea.
She takes a deep breath and makes her way to him.
Some children pass by her, one trying to outrun another.
Maya looks and sees that Noel has already seen her. With a sense of panic creeping in, she feels unsure of what to do next. Eventually, she decides on greeting him with a smile.
He doesn't smile back. Instead, he gives her an unenthusiastic nod.
Maya stops by the concrete wall and makes an attempt to get on it by hopping up. She tries to get a foothold on it, but despite her height, she struggles to lift her body.
Noel takes her hand and helps her up.
After a few seconds of struggling, she finally manages to get herself on top of the concrete wall.
"Thank you," she says as she takes her seat next to him. She lightly taps her hands and gently brushes off her pants to get rid of some of the dirt.
They're both quiet for awhile, just staring at the sea.
Noel exhales. "Unsa man imong gusto iingon?"
"SO? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO SAY?"
Maya looks at him, melancholic. "Erm..." She clenches out her jaw, almost pushing out the next words she's about to say. "Wala'y nahitabo sa amo ni Gabriel. Basi'g nadunggan nimo nga ingon ana ang nahitabo. Nag-kiss lang mi."
"NOTHING HAPPENED BETWEEN GABRIEL AND I. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU HEARD. BUT WE JUST KISSED. THAT'S ALL."
He doesn't look at her. He just closes his eyes. "Unya? Panan-aw nimo, mas maayo na?"
"AND? I STHAT SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER?"
Maya realizes what she's just said. "Dili pero, Noel..." She exhales out of desperation. "...wala man mi nag-kiss ni Gab kay naa ko'y feelings sa iyaha. Wala gyud ko nagka-gusto sa iyaha. Nag-kiss mi kay abi nako'g naa'y nahitabo sa inyo ni Jasmin."
"NO. BUT, NOEL..."
"...I DIDN'T KISS HIM BECAUSE I HAD FEELINGS FOR HIM. I KISSES HIM BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE YOU AND JASMIN WERE HOOKING UP."
He smirks in an irritated sort of way. "Tapos ikaw pa ang kusog kaayo masuko sa akoa kay abi nimo'g naa mi'y ginabuhat ni Jasmin? Unya ikaw diay tong naa'y gibuhat. Ang pinakasakit pa gyud, wala nako nahibaw-an gikan sa imoha. Nahibaw-an nako gikan sa uyab sa imong ka-fling?"
"AND TO THINK YOU WERE ALWAYS GETTING PISSED OFF AT ME ABOUT JASMIN. AND NOW HERE YOU ARE KISSING OTHER GUYS. WHAT HURTS MOST IS THAT I FOUND OUT FROM THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE GUY YOU HAD A THING WITH."
