(new chapter added/revised)
P A S T
three years ago
(continuation of chap. 2)
THIRD PERSON's POV
Wonwoo is afraid of attachment. As much as possible, he doesn't want to be so close and open to Mingyu. He doesn't know much about the latter, kaya ganito nalang siya katahimik habang naglalakad sila sa ilalim ng ulan, o sa ilalim ng dilaw na payong ni Wonwoo na prumoprotekta sa kanila sa malakas na ulan.
It has been three weeks since the day they had an encounter in the milk tea shop. Umuulan nanaman ngayong araw na ito.
"Wonwoo, ang tahimik mo, magsalita ka naman." biglang sambit ni Mingyu. . . na mas ikinatahimik ni Wonwoo.
Wonwoo slowly shrugged, he bowed down his head and uttered, "A-Anong sasabihin ko?" he felt his blood rushing through his head-his face became warm and pink all of a sudden.
Wonwoo swallowed the lump forming in his throat, "There's. . . There's nothing to talk about, anyway." he muttered, barely audible.
Mingyu softly laughed, amused with Wonwoo's timid and very quiet personality, "'Yan na ata pinakamahabang nasabi mo saakin sa buong panahon na nakilala kita." sambit nito.
Wonwoo clutched the blazer of his uniform, trying to rub off the shaking of his hands. Napaangat ang kanyang tingin sa paligid.
The older slowly raised his hands, he extended his arms to feel the droplets of water from the sky. The cold water slowly splashed on his skin, it cascaded onto his arms, travelling down from his elbows to the pavement.
Napatingin si Wonwoo sa kanyang sapatos at ni Mingyu. He peered at their feet that was walking in an unsynchronized manner. Wonwoo began to feel an itch through his legs, a prickling sensation started to dart through his neck.
Biglang napahawak si Wonwoo sa braso ni Mingyu habang nakatingin pa rin sa kanilang sapatos kaya napatigil ang mas nakababata sa paglalakad.
"Teka, kanan ang mauuna." sambit nito at tinuro ang kanyang sapatos.
Mingyu confusedly and curiously looked at Wonwoo, "Huh?"
Mingyu suddenly regretted asking Wonwoo to repeat himself. Bigla nalang kasi itong namula at napaiwas ng tingin sa kanya.
"U-Uhm, sige, maglakad ka na." Wonwoo cursed under his breath, scolding himself to stop showing his compulsive disorder to the latter.
"A-Ah, sige." As soon as Mingyu started to walk with his right foot, Wonwoo sighed in relief and began to match his pace and footsteps.
Sinimulang ikalas ni Wonwoo ang kanyang hawak sa braso ni Mingyu, ngunit hindi ito hinayaan ng isa na mawala ito sa kanyang bisig. He immediately clipped Wonwoo's arms from his forearm and body, so he can never remove it from his grasp.
"Hawak ka lang ng mabuti, baka mapaano ka." Sambit ni Mingyu. Though, as soon as Mingyu said those words, they heard a loud roar of an engine of a car. Napadaan nang sobrang bilis ang sasakyan sa daan na bigla nalang silang natalsikan ng tubig ulan sa kanilang katawan.
As soon as the cold water splashed on them, they both laughed at each other for failing to protect themselves.
"Sht, basa na tayo, hyung haha! Magpapayong pa ba tayo?!" biglang sigaw ni Mingyu, sinusubukang talunin ang tunog ng biglaang paglakas ng ulan.
Wonwoo hesitated for a while, but then he nodded his head to confirm Mingyu that they shouldn't use his yellow umbrella. Basang-basa naman na sila kung tutuusin. There's nothing wrong with playing a little under the rain, right?
Simula kasi nang bata palang si Wonwoo, hindi pa rin niya nararanasan maligo sa ulan. He has been anticipating this opportunity for a long time already.
Mingyu immediately closed the umbrella. As soon as the cold and blistering rain started to dart through his body, he immediately bowed down his head to protect his eyes, "HYUNG, HALIKA NA DALI! TAKBO NA TAYO."
"T-Teka h-hoy!" Napatakbo na lamang si Wonwoo upang sundan ang kasama. When he already catched up with Mingyu, nagulat nalang siya nang biglang hinila nito ang kanyang kamay upang hawakan ito.
The younger slowed down, he intertwined their fingers together. Wonwoo felt a shiver run down his spine—the gesture was just so foreign and new to him. He felt a little spark ignite through their hands, sending a feeling of immediate comfort to his body.
Napatigil silang dalawa sa gitna ng daan habang nakatingin sa isa't isa at hawak ang kanilang kamay. Wonwoo was about to let go of Mingyu's hand, for it just felt. . . so wrong, but then, Mingyu beamed at him while holding his hand tight.
"Hyung?" Mingyu muttered, trying to keep Wonwoo's hand near his lips, as if he was about to kiss it.
Wonwoo bit his lip, "B-Bakit?"
Biglang umihip ang malakas na hangin bago pa man makapagsalita si Mingyu. There was a feeling of sudden discomfort. Wonwoo, who was trembling, he hugged his body with his free arm to protect himself from the shivering coldness that the world has brought to him. Though, Mingyu, who was still holding his hands tight, slowly and gently kissed the back of his hand.
Biglang napatigil ang pagnginig ng katawan ni Wonwoo sa halik na ibinigay ng mas nakababata. His lips was so tender and soft against his skin. It ignited a very warm and fuzzy feeling in his innermost.
And the weird part was that his heart is vigorously beating-so fast, erratic, exhausting-he felt like he had to catch up with it, or else his breath might be taken away. It was so terrifying—to feel like your heart is going to explode.
Was falling in love always felt like this way?
If so, Wonwoo started to feel excited, afraid—agitated.
He's so excited to be pampered with love and affection. To feel at home with the right comfort and solace. Although he's also afraid of falling in love with someone who can crush his heart in a mere fraction of seconds. He's so terrified to bet on a game of love that has no guarantee that it can last in a lifetime-that has no guarantee that you can ever win the luxury of his love. . . forever.
But with Mingyu's bright beam that has the power to beat every single hurricane that can approach their way—it was enough for Wonwoo to give his heart to the younger, to give his heart to Mingyu, to give his heart for him to protect and secure.
"Please be comfortable with me, hyung. Trust me." he whispered.
But can he also trust Mingyu to never crush his heart even though he knows he can never will?
Wonwoo bit his lip as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat, "I will. . . as long as you promise me to be careful-to be careful in making memories with me—"
Mingyu gazed at him with such intense curiosity, "Why?"
"Because I'll make them last forever—" his heart started to get caught up in his throat, with his remaining strength to speak out his thoughts, he uttered, "And I don't want to be haunted with those memories if ever you'll chose to break my heart, and leave me crushed and so hopeless."
But there's nothing wrong to bet on something that can give you the happiness and bliss that you always prayed and wanted for, right?
And so he did.
•••
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Closure • meanie
Short Story| stand alone #2 | + three years later, he came back to ask for a closure. copyright © meaniempire, 2017
