PUHON

CHAPTER 4: Beautiful View

I slowly unloaded my items while Ken did the same before we decided to take a stroll around Iloilo Esplanade this afternoon to unwind and watch the sunset. We traveled here on a jeepney, then walked a little way before finding a spot to rest and take in the sunset.

We both gazed at it and breathed in the crisp air as it gently moved my hair. Ken is clearly staring at me, but I pretended not to see it.

He suddenly said, "I like the view." I chose this time to face him. He was looking at me closely as we both kept staring at each other. He broke the gaze as he turned back to face the setting sun. There was silence between us before I spoke.

"I always wanted a house near the ocean." I told him. This gained back his attention to me.

"Really? Me too." We both laughed. "Who would've guessed we're so alike?" He stated and I agreed.

The sky has hues of orange, pink, and purple. The sunset's color scheme is one of my favorites. Up until Ken unexpectedly spoke, we had been admiring the lovely colors and looking skyward.

"I want to enjoy my time here before I go back to Zamboanga." He said which gained a nod from me.

"So, what are your plans?" I questioned him.

"Explore Iloilo, eat a lot of food, and spend time with you." That last remark gave me butterflies in my stomach but I kept a straight expression although a smile was growing in my lips.

"Do you want to go to the club tonight?" I asked out of the blue.

"Sure. I want to have fun today."
Ken and I decided to go back to the hotel to eat our dinner and be ready to go to the club this evening.

10:00 PM

While we wait for the bouncer to let us inside, we can hear some background music outside the club. Ken is dressed in a regular white shirt and pants, while I'm wearing a black sleeveless crop top with jeans. Despite wearing basic attire, he still looks great.

People were having fun and dancing on the dance floor when we walked in. Ken and I headed straight to the bar and placed our drink orders together. While Ken ordered one bottle of beer, I merely got one bottle of Smirnoff to save myself from getting wasted. I'm only here to dance and enjoy myself.

When the music started, I immediately recognized it as one of my favorites. When WYAT by SB19 began to play in the background, the audience went wild. The dance floor was packed with people performing the well-known dance to this tune. To my amazement, Ken entered the dance floor at the center and started to dance. The fact that this guy can move amazes me, but I won't let him have all the fun. As I picked up the moves with him, we soon had the dance floor to ourselves. We were both able to really enjoy the song thanks to the crowd, who also applauded and gave us lots of attention. Ken and I seem like we practiced this together multiple times even though this is spontaneous. The music ended and the crowd cheered.

We exchanged hugs as we laughed at what we had just done.

"That was fun. I didn't know you were such a good dancer." He said as I smiled at him.

For some reason, the DJ began to play soft romantic music, which encouraged several couples to start dancing on the dance floor. We followed their lead and began to slowly dance in the middle of them.

"I am surprised to learn that you are a dancer as well." I smiled as I raised my eyebrows at him and he merely laughed.

"I used to dance, but I haven't done it since last year."

"How come?" I enquired.

"No reason. I was busy because of work and life occurred." he replied.

As we converse, our faces are close and our smiles seem never-ending.

Unexpectedly, a drunken man approached us and gave me a butt slap. I was so startled that I yelled so loudly that it attracted the attention of others nearby. Everything happened so quickly that Ken punched the man in the face right away. His companions attempted to exact revenge, but Ken was a skilled fighter. In an attempt to stop Ken, I pulled his t-shirt, but as I did so, I noticed that his abs were visible which made me blush a little.

The owner phoned the police as soon as bouncers and bodyguards intervened to put an end to the brawl. Ken and I together with the perpetrators went out to the club to explain what had happened. They were detained after numerous inside witnesses supported our claims.

We made the choice to return to the hotel. With the first aid supplies I got from the hotel staff, I sat Ken down at the bed and attended to his fight-related injuries. He undid his top, revealing his abs once more, but I made an effort to ignore it. I looked at his injuries, and thankfully, he's fine other than a few minor cuts and scratches. I bandaged his wound with a tiny Band-Aid after cleaning it. Ken simply stayed silent while I worked on him.

"I'm sorry." Is all I can say after I'm done aiding him. I sat down on the bed next to him, and I refused to look him in the eyes. I feel like I ruined our night, and this is my fault.

"Why are you apologizing?" He wrapped his arms around me and leaned his head on my shoulder. "It's not your fault. I protected you, and I'm happy that I did. I will do it again if necessary."

I quickly turned my body toward him and gave him a firm hug.

I said in a low voice, "Thank you, for everything."

He gave me a kiss on the forehead and said, "You're welcome." I could feel him grinning as he said it in my ear.

---To Be Continued---