Cost of Taste | ✓

Kabanata 21

Warning: read at your own risk.
TW// Suicide, sexual harassment

Kabanata 21

Pumunta kami sa bahay nila Suzy para magusap, wala ang kanyang mga magulang kaya malaya kaming tumambay sa sala. Tinawagan ko si Franny at Camisha, kahit busy sila dahil meron silang mga gawain para sa school ay agad silang nagbigay oras para kay Suzy.

Ilang ulit humingi ng sorry si Suzy sa dalawa. Hindi naman nagsalita ang dalawa at niyakap lang nila si Suzy na agad naluha nang maramdaman ang maiinit nilang yakap.

Adren and Etienne came along with us. Medyo nauna kaming magkakaibigan dahil mukhang may pinuntahan pa sila. Agad na hinawakan ni Adren ang kamay ko nang tabihan niya ako sa sofa.

"We'll help, okay?" he assured.

Tumango naman ako. "Thank you."

Nagsimula magkwento si Suzy tungkol sa nangyari. She told us everything from the beginning, pero isang misteryoso pa rin kung saan nakuha ang picture.

"Etienne, can you take a look at this?" tanong ni Adren at inabot ang phone ni Suzy.

Etienne furrowed his eyebrows. "Kuya Adren, I'm underage. I'm not suppose to be looking at nudes."

Adren scoffs. "Can you take a look at it and tell if this is considered as cybercrime? We'll sue them if it is."

"Lagyan niyo muna ng damit o kaya emoticon. I won't look at it. My virgin eyes is for my future wife only."

"Arte." Adren muttered under his breath. "Can you atleast just check it? Kahit takpan mo na lang ng kamay mo 'yung bandang gitna?"

Etienne rolled his eyes as he reached for the phone.

"Whatever, I'll only take a peek," as Etienne took a peek from the phone, the side of his lips rose up. "it's pixelated— Obviously an edited one."

Suzette let out a relieved sigh. Namumula pa rin ang gilid ng mga mata niya sa pag-iyak at singhot pa rin siya nang singhot.

"Ibig sabihin? Hindi talagang nude niya 'yan?" Napaawang ang bibig ko.

"Yeah, I only took a peek on the sides of the picture and I knew it went through some photoshop." Etienne sighs. "Geez, people can be so low."

"Napakalibog naman ng gumawa niyan!" Nanggagalaiti na singhal ni Franny.

"Ang sama! Asal di makatao!" Camisha added.

"Actually, some people do this to blackmail or tarnish a person's name. This is actually common for some people." Etienne scroll through the conversation and a smirk appeared on his face.

"Gagawa ng fake nudes?" Kumunot ang noo ko. Sobrang babaw! Kaya nilang gumawa ng ganun?

"Yes, because this country is conservative and a picture like this could cause a negative uproar from the people who personally don't know the person. Sad 'no?" Ngumuso si Etienne.

"It's their body though, it's their choices. Hindi naman sila kasama nung ginawa si Suzette—" Adren retorted then realized he said something weird.

Hanimal, nahahawa na sa akin si Adren.

Agad siyang bumawi. "I mean, they don't have any say in Suzette's life because they have no part in it. Also, it's her life so she's the only one who can make her decisions."

Etienne claps his hands in a slow manner. "Wow, is that Ate Arri's influence? If this was the old Kuya Adren, he'll say humans do not deserve to live at all."

Adren's mouth formed a scowl. He obviously didn't like Etienne. Pero bakit kaya siya nagpapakunsulta rito?

"Anyway, deepfakes are easily made nowadays. A fake nude is as easy as creating a collage picture in PiZap." Pagpapatuloy ni Etienne.