Chapter Text
the first time it happened, vernon vaguely remembers how one of his college blockmate - si changbin ba yun? yes, he thinks si changbin nga - commented on a pic he accidentally saw sa phone ni vernon. dapat lecture notes lang ipapakita ni vernon, but he accidentally swiped right and suddenly, pic nila ni ino 'yung lumabas. in a panic (and also embarrassment), he swiped right again at isang picture na naman nila ni ino 'yung lumabas.
that's when changbin said the words.
"ang cute nyo naman ng boyfriend mo."
vernon thinks na changbin probably said it to be nice and para rin mawala 'yung awkward na hangin because vernon thinks na changbin thinks vernon showed him something personal.
"ah," vernon chuckled. "hindi ko siya boyfriend."
changbin hummed. "okay, okay, akala ko lang," he then laughed, sort of apologetic. "sorry for that."
vernon said it's okay . then they continued to browse the lecture notes na parang walang nangyari.
(it was weeks later when the conversation replayed in vernon's head, when vernon scrolled through his phone and saw the pictures again.
was that an easy assumption, though? to mistake him and ino like that? nothing was special naman sa pic e. it was a picture jl took of them, and which vernon asked jl a copy of, back then. probably four months ago?
the first pic was blurry, pero you can still see what was happening. vernon and ino, sitting beside each other, may empty bottles ng red horse in front of them. nakasandal lang si ino sa balikat ni vernon, nakatulala lang sa kung saan, while vernon is looking on his phone, his hand petting ino's hair.
the second pic is the same, but this time, much clearer, and vernon is looking up from his phone to face the camera.
vernon kind of remembers the story behind that picture - how ino drowned his heart in alcohol when his boyfriend of eight months broke up with him after a huge fight vernon can’t remember ("nakuha mo 'yan kay jl," vern commented. when jl shot a glare to him, he quickly defended by saying na, "'yung iinom kapag may away, to which jn laughed, earning a light slap on his arm from jl). he remembers how eager he was to comfort ino kasi pucha sinong nakikipagbreak days before the hell week . that was a dick move, kahit si vernon nabwisit sa ginawa nung ex ni ino.
he looks at the pic, blinks. what is there to assume here, anyway?
oh, well. whatever .)