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Prof. Jaehyun Jeong, patron saint ng mga arki students, magna cum laude at isa sa mga pinakabatang professor sa Architecture department, ipanalangin mo si Donghyuck!
Nakailang lukot na ng papel si Donghyuck at nakaraming beses na ring inihagis niya ang mga iyon sa pinakamalapit na basurahan (kalahati ata roon ay hindi na-shoot) pero hanggang ngayon ay nakikipaglaban pa rin siya sa problem set na kanina pa niya sinasagutan. Oo na! Kasalanan rin naman ni Donghyuck kung bakit hindi siya magkandaugaga ngayon sa pagsagot nito dahil una sa lahat, bakit niya ba piniling first choice sa course during enrollment ang BS Architecture ? Kung hindi ba naman siya isa’t kalahating pabibo, bakit niya ba masyadong ginagalingan ang pagiging panganay na anak to the point na pati ang kursong kukunin sa kolehiyo ay nakadepende sa kagustuhan ng mga magulang niya? Well, that thought is reserved for another breakdown session at hindi ito ang tamang oras para roon dahil bukas na ang due nitong lintek (Lord, sorry sa bad words!) na problem set.
Pangalawa, hindi niya talaga maalala kung nasaan ang consciousness niya during the time na dinidiscuss lahat ng ‘to. Siguro ay nakatulala lang siya at lumilipad ang isip (Sorry, Prof. Jeong, ang mahalaga nilabanan ko naman. Kaso hindi nga lang siguro talaga enough ‘yung willpower ko against my kalutangan) habang nagkakaroon ng existensial crisis or thoughts like, ‘what if hindi ako nag-arki and took up film instead?’, ‘paano kung hindi naman talaga ako para rito?’, ‘bakit kaya di na lang ako nag-goin’ bulilit edi sana iniinterview na lang ako ngayon sa Showtime?’ . Magaling naman magturo si Prof. Jeong at sadyang si Donghyuck lang talaga ang problema.
Nakaisang higop muna siya ng cup noodles na nasa tabi ng mga nagkalat na papel sa study table niya bago sagutin ang tawag sa phone niyang kanina pa pala nagvivibrate. He winces first upon realizing that the noodles were already soggy at hindi pala iyon ang paborito niyang flavor. Kumbinsido na si Donghyuck na sinasabotahe siya ng mundo ngayong araw dahil wala ng nangyaring maganda sa maghapong ‘to but for the first time today, he lets out a genuine smile instead of a frustrated sigh after seeing a familiar contact appear on his phone screen.
Dory 🐠 calling...
“Nasa dorm ka?” A deep voice from the other line greets him.
“Yup,” Donghyuck answers, popping the p sound at the end. “Nasa Pop Up ka ba now? Nag-aaya sila Injun kanina kaso hindi na ako sumama.”
“Nah, just got out from training a while ago.” Donghyuck took a mental note to remind Mark later to not drink anything cold after mapansin ang napapaos na boses ng binata. But then he remembered na patayan nga pala ang training nito ngayon that’s why it’s probably the fatigue manifesting in the form of his hoarse voice.
“Pahinga ka na,” Donghyuck is not quite sure if Mark understood what he had just said dahil nasabayan ito ng hikab na kanina pa siya binibisita habang nag-aaral.
“Are you going to sleep na ba?” Mark asks instead.
“Nope, di ko pa tapos sagutan prob set ko,” another yawn escapes Donghyuck’s mouth. “Ikaw ba? Umuwi ka na agad para makapagpahinga ka. Dalhan kita salonpas bukas kapag nagkita tayo.”
“Don’t worry about me, Hyuck. Can you spare some minutes? Labas ka saglit ng dorm mo.”
Donghyuck anxiously looks around his room, having a very silly thought na baka mag-appear magically si Mark sa likuran niya. Napakunot naman ang noo niya dahil hindi niya sigurado kung ginu-good time ba siya ng binata o seryoso ito sa sinabi.
“Nandito ako sa labas, if you’re wondering.”
“Gago? Weh!” Donghyuck knocks his right knee on the study table when he stood up abruptly. Muntik pang matapon ang nanlalamig niyang cup noodles sa ibabaw.
“Hey, Hyuck? Everything okay?”
“Yes! Yes!” Agad naglakad si Donghyuck palabas ng kaniyang dorm, not minding to wear another garment pampatong sa manipis niyang shirt. It is only when he was completely outside noong narealize niya na sobrang lamig pala ngayong gabi at napakalakas pa ng simoy ng hangin dito sa labas.
“Hoy bakit ka nandito? Dapat umuwi ka na munang condo mo!” is the very first thing Donghyuck had said the moment he comes near the towering figure of Mark Lee waiting in front of the dorms.
Pinagmasdan niya itong mabuti at saka niya napansin na basa pa ang buhok nito, probably from all the training. Hindi rin nakaligtas sa paningin niya ang pagod na bumabalot sa mukha ng binata. Donghyuck shivers from the sudden gust of the wind and Mark tsks upon noticing it.
“You should have worn a hoodie man lang before ka lumabas.”
“Eh ginulat mo ‘ko masyado!” He embraces himself to ease the coldness of the night air. “Akala ko nga jinojoke time mo ‘ko!”
“Why would I?” Mark releases a hearty laugh that gives a particular glow on his cheekbones (Mama, ang pogi!) . He spreads his arms wide open with an inviting stare towards Donghyuck, and although the latter tries so hard to fight the urge to come to Mark and nestle onto the crevice of his neck, he still comically fails and ends up settling in his warmth.
This is better , Donghyuck thinks. Akala niya nga ay bibigyan lang siya nito ng hoodie like what he always does whenever Donghyuck forgets to wear one, but this is definitely much warmer than the comfort of any clothing. Mark has this faint smell of chlorine around him, and Donghyuck finds it all familiar.
“Rough day?” Donghyuck asks as he continues to bask himself in Mark’s warmth, and he can feel him relaxing with their embrace. A funny thought came across his mind for a second, na baka pwedeng hatian niya si Mark sa pagod na nararamdaman nito. Forget about his own exhaustion and burnout dahil sa course na pilit niyang minamahal, he believes that half less of something bad gives more room for anything half good. At kung kaya niya lang saluhin kahit kalahati ng pagod ni Mark, he’ll definitely do so.
“Medyo. Just the usual,” he hears Mark whisper. Donghyuck could feel his breath against his nape because of their proximity.
“Why? Sumasakit ba uli injury mo?” Donghyuck detaches himself from his hold and faces him worriedly. Agad naman itong sinuklian ng iling ng binata, to which he sighs in relief.
“No, no. Don’t worry,” Mark heaves a deep sigh. “Just pressured, you know? Last playing year ko na and I really wanted it to be my best playing year too.”
Donghyuck couldn’t seem to come up with the perfect words to take away Mark’s demons. So he just stood there, continuing to wrap his arms around him while quietly staring at him, tracing every feature of his face—even the tiniest moles that never get past Donghyuck’s gaze.
“You’re already the best to me ,” Donghyuck scoots closer to him once again, reciting the same words he had always heard from Mark.
The very same words he would always tell him whenever he feels like the walls are closing in, and all that’s left were the intrusive thoughts hanging around his head. Mark would always see through him: mula sa frustrations niya sa tuwing pakiramdam niya ay hindi niya na kayang ituloy pa ang ginagawa hanggang sa pressure na araw-araw niyang dinadala sa pagiging isang scholar (yes po, surprise! Mukha man siyang papatayin na ng Architecture pero nagagapang pa naman niya with medyo flying colors.)
Si Mark Lee na varsity member ng Ateneo swimming team. Si Mark Lee na palaging tinatakbuhan niya sa tuwing na-ho-homesick siya. Si Mark Lee na nagparealize kay Donghyuck na hindi naman pala malayo ang tahanan—maybe the one he grew up to was—but in here, there is another kind of home that gives the same comfort, warmth, and love. Si Mark Lee, his solace amidst the taxing environment of the university.
“You are to me, too,” Donghyuck doesn’t have to look just to know if Mark already has that flickering smile on his face. He knows he does, like how Donghyuck always has that restless heart whenever he’s around him.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Mark suddenly asks. They exchanged knowing glances with each other nang tumunog bigla ang tiyan ni Donghyuck at natawa na lang sila pareho.
“Cup noodles na namnan?”
“Badtrip nga, eh! Hindi pala ‘yung maanghang ang nabili ko!”
“Wow, so unhealthy.”
Mark pries away from Donghyuck’s grasp and intertwines his hand into his instead. “You should eat real food first before going back to your prob set.”
“Shouldn’t you be resting by now?”
Mark pauses a bit before staring right into Donghyuck’s eyes. “This is the only kind of rest I want.”
Siguro nga somewhere out there is a Star Cinema scriptwriter secretly pre dictating his life dahil ‘yung mga ganitong linyahan ay naririnig niya lang sa mga romcom films na pinapanood nilang dalawa ni Renjun. Siguro nga ‘yung pakiramdam niya na parang kakawala na ang puso niya mula sa kaniyang dibdib sa tuwing kasama si Mark tells him something more than what he intends to know. Siguro mawawala rin ‘to mamaya, o bukas, o sa makalawa. Or does it?
Mareng Bujoy, patron saint ng mga taong nahulog sa kanilang mga best friend, mukhang kailangan ni Donghyuck ng panalangin mo.