“CHEOLLIE??!”
If anyone could see Woozi shouting hysterically while fat tears are streaming down his rosy cheeks, they would totally lost it. Kaya hindi na rin nakakapagtakang halos ihagis ko na patabi ang lahat ng taong nasa harapan ko para lang masapo si Woozi ng bigla siyang tumalon sa’kin.
I silently winced when he accidentally bumped on my cast but immediately plastered a smile when he raised his head. Nakayakap siya sa bewang ko habang nakasandal ang ulo niya (which is devoid of cat ears, thank god). He looked at me with tears and a pout.
“Ayos lang ako. I told you, I’m fine. Uuwi rin naman ako.” Natatawang sabi ko. The soft look he had turned sharp as his sight took in my casted hand. Tinulak niya ito ng medyo malakas gamit ang isang daliri niya. I winced.
“This is what you call fine? Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo’t hindi ka makaconcentrate sa daan?! You c–could’ve lost your life!”
Natulala na lang ako ng bigla siyang umiyak ng malakas. He look like a lost child—I would probably laugh if it’s not for the fact that he’s crying because he’s worried.
“Shh, stop crying. Hindi na mauulit. I’m fine, Ji. I’m alive.” Pinunasan ko ang mga luha niya at ginulo ang buhok niya. Hindi ko na rin masabi na binilisan ko ang takbo ng sasakyan dahil umiiyak na siya at pinapauwi na ako.
I don’t want him to blame himself.
“Jisoo, naiinggit ako. Ang landi nila, landiin mo rin ako.” Napalayo ako kay Woozi sa gulat at napalingon sa may pintuan. Jisoo is there, standing while leaning on the door frame with a crossed arm and a furrowed brow and—
“Sino ‘yan?” Turo ko sa lalaking nakayakap sa bewang niya. Nakasuksok ang mukha nito sa leeg ni Jisoo at—at ayoko ng malaman kung anong ginagawa niya dun.
“Si Jeonghan.”
“Ah si Jeong—sino?!”
“Jeonghan. Yoon Jeonghan. Yes, that very same Jeonghan. Shut up.” Tuloy tuloy na sabi niya ng subukan kong ibuka ang bibig ko. Okay, fine. Sabi ko nga hindi pwede ang ganung usapan sa public. Fine.
Inalis niya ang pagkakakapit sa kanya ni Jeonghan at bumulong dito. Jeonghan then (finally) looked at us. Nakakunot ang noo niya na parang hindi siya masayang nailayo kay Jisoo pero napalitan din agad ng makita niya kami. He jumped excitedly to our place and held out his hand with a wide grin.
“I’m Jeonghan. Hi, Seungcheol.”
“Hi? I’m Choi Seungcheol. Jisoo’s bestfriend and Woozi’s . . .” Napatingin ako kay Woozi at nakitang nakatingin din siya sa’kin. He smiled at me and nodded.
“—master. My owner.” Woozi continued in a small voice. Jeonghan tsk–ed and in the corner of my eyes, I can see Jisoo shaking his head. Anong meron?
Umiling na lang ako. Like master, like hybrid. Hinila ko na lang ang bewang ni Woozi at iniharap siya sa’kin. “Have you ate yet? o gusto mong kumain muna tayo? I think I could ask the nurse to—”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Uhm—” Bigla na lang hinatak ni Jisoo si Woozi sa hawak ko at itinulak sila ni Jeonghan palabas.
“Soo—”
Jisoo nodded his head while looking at Jeonghan. Jeonghan stopped for a second before nodding his head, “Just for a minute, then. Let’s go, Hoonie.”
Hoonie?
Bago pa ako makapagproteste, sinarado na agad ni Jisoo ang pintuan at hinarap ako. Seryoso ang itsura niya.
“Cheol, don’t do that.”
Nangunot ang noo ko, “Do what?”
“That. Stop being sweet to Woozi—”
“Why? He’s my pet and—”
“Exactly. To you, he’s just a pet. A hybrid. Kung hanggang jan lang ang tingin mo sa kanya, then stop crossing the boundaries of being just an owner to him.”
“. . . what?”
“. . . .”
“He is my responsibility. Inaalagaan ko lang naman siya. I am just taking care of him because he’s on my hands now. I can’t just ignore him, you know.”
Those words left a bitter taste in my mouth. It made my chest clench tightly. Even I, myself, can’t believe I’m saying this things. Not when I imagined my future with Woozi in it. Because even though Jisoo says it isn’t, sometimes I can’t help but still think, at the back of my mind, that being in a relationship with a hybrid is . . . socially unacceptable.
Those two little words’ what holding me back. It’s simple but it feels scary. Dahil kahit na hindi totoo at alam konh kathang isip ko lang ang lahat, hindi ko pa rin maiwasang isiping hinuhusgahan nila ako at dinuduro tuwing maglalakad ako sa labas.
“. . . wow, cheol. Just . . . wow.”
“Ano ba talagang problema mo? Did you just came here to lecture me about how I take care of my hybrid?”
“Umaasa siya, cheol. Can’t you see? Ganyan ka na ba kabulag—ganyan ka na ba katanga?! He obviously likes you. And he’s hoping that you like him too. Kaya kung hindi, then stop leading him on. Kung hindi mo kayang ibalik ang nararamdaman niya, then stop what you’re doing because he’s—”
“JIHOON, WAIT!” Napatigil kami parehas nang marinig namin ang boses ni Jeonghan sa labas. Napatayo ako pero agad din akong napaupo ng maalalang naka-cast din pala ang binti ko.
The door opened and it revealed a teary eyed Jeonghan. “Soo, si Ji . . .” Jisoo left a peck on Jeonghan’s forehead before ruffling his hair. Mubbling reassuring words. Pinaupo niya muna si Jeonghan bago tumakbo palabas para hanapin si Woozi, but not before giving me a glare and mouthing a ‘we’ll-talk-later’.
I let out the breath that I didn’t even know I was holding. Mabilis din ang tibok ng puso ko. Oh God, I really hope Woozi is alright. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko pag may nangyaring masama sa kanya.
“You really don’t feel anything for him?” Napalingon ako kay Jeonghan ng bigla siyang nagsalita. Nakatingin pa rin siya sa magkasalot niyang kamay. “What?”
“Hindi mo ba talaga siya gusto?”
“Si Woozi ba? Like what you heard I’m—”
I internally screamed. Napapansin ko kanina pa nila ako hindi pinapatapos magsalita ah! But I remained silent, waiting for whatever it is he has to say.
“—just taking care of him like the good owner you are, right? Do you hear youself? Do you even see yourself?! You don’t just treat him like a hybrid, like a pet. You don’t imagine french kissing your pets, cheol. You don’t think of fucking your pets. Not unless you deal with bestiality.”
Agad na napataas ang kamay ko, “No, of course not. I don’t. And I don’t imagine kissing or fu—yeah that whatever. I don’t, Jeonghan.”
“Hmm,” he looked at me with a smirk. Hindi ko gusto ang pakiramdam ko dito kay Jeonghan. “then how about you imagine Woozi and I kissing, then?”
“Fuck, no!” Napatakip ako ng bibig ng bigla na lang ako mapasigaw.
I watched Jeonghan laugh at me with a glare. His eyes glowing with amusement but his lips is twitching with what I could tell was annoyance, “Then you better fix this or I’ll rip your head out, fucker.”
I gulped.
———————————————
uhm, hahaha yeah 😇
tf is this
