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Mingyu has always been a different existence for Wonwoo. Their relationship simply cannot be contained by the term “friends”. Lumaki man sila at magbago ay nagagawan pa rin nila ng paraan magkasama at mag-usap. Which is surprising because they have changed so much over the course of knowing each other.
They were way different from how they started out.
While growing up, Mingyu was a social butterfly—kahit sino ata iharap mo sa kanya kaya nitong kaibiganin noon. Si Wonwoo naman ay sobrang mahiyain. Siya yung tipo ng bata na naiiyak pa noon kapag hinahatid ng magulang sa eskwelahan. They were quite a perfect pair of polar opposites.
Mingyu was Wonwoo’s first friend (or at least the first one he was conscious enough to have). Madalas kasi silang magkatabi sa upuan dahil Jeon siya at Kim naman si Mingyu. Kahit kapag pinapapila sila by height ay di rin nalalayo sa isa’t isa.
Buong buhay nila ay nasa pareho silang eskwelahan, nagkahiwalay lang talaga sila noong Senior High School dahil si Mingyu ay nag-STEM habang nag-HUMSS naman si Wonwoo. Yun rin ang unang beses na magkaiba sila ng building na pinapasukan, which isn’t a big deal for a lot of people, but for a pair of friends who had never been more than two classrooms away from each other all their lives, that was a drastic change.
Kung tatanungin mo naman si Wonwoo kung kailan ba talaga nagsimula maging “nonchalant” si Mingyu siguro matratrace niya ito simula noong junior high school.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Mingyu has always been a catch. His easy going personality and of course handsome looks made him crush material for his peers. Dagdag mo pa na matalino ito at sporty, talagang binayayaan na siya ng lahat ng magagandang katangian ng isang lalaki.
What used to be just a flattering occurence soon became burdensome for Mingyu. Bawat galaw nito nakikita in a romantic light or kung tawagin nga nila dati ay panglalandi.
May tinulungan siya magbuhat ng props? Panglalandi.
May tinabihan siya sa group picture ng klase? Paasa.
May pinauna siya sa pagsakay ng jeep? Nagbibigay motibo.
Mingyu was a teen back then and he easily became exhausted with everyone constantly watching him, so by the time he was in grade ten, he had become a completely different person.
Pili na lang ang mga sinasamahan nito na mga kaibigan at di na rin gaano nagrereach-out sa mga schoolmates nila tulad ng dati. In a nutshell, Mingyu became closed off and Wonwoo felt useless for not being able to protect Mingyu’s vibrance.
Ang ginawa na lang nila ni Wonwoo ay siya na lang ang naging masiyahin at makulit para sa kanilang dalawa.
Kahit naman si Wonwoo hindi immune sa epidemya ng crushing phase kay Mingyu. Tao lang rin naman siya at syempre bakla, parang mas nakakagulat if hindi talaga siya nagkaron ng pagtingin dito.
Sila ngang mga taong hindi nakakasama si Mingyu magdamag ay nahuhumaling na dito, siya pa kaya? Mula bumbunan hanggang talampakan ng kaibigan niya kabisado niya ata. Kung tutuusin ay para nga silang glinue gun sa isa’t isa sa dalas nilang magkasama noong high school.
(Naiinis nga si Wonwoo dati kasi hindi sila napagkakamalan na magjowa kahit na lagi sila magkadikit pero pag may nakatabi lang na babae si Mingyu dati ay ship na agad ng mga kaklase nila.)
Pero that also awakened a personal dilemma for Wonwoo.
Wonwoo has spent approximately at least half of his SHS life battling his feelings for his best friend. He wanted Mingyu to feel safe with him. Somebody Mingyu didn’t have to worry about na baka nabibigyan niya ng mixed signals or pinapaasa kuno. Kaya he never thought of confessing, ever.
Wonwoo thinks he played that part well. Lagpas na sa isang dekada ang kanilang pagkakaibigan and ito, going strong pa rin sila.
Ngayon niya lang hinamak na kausapin ng ganito si Mingyu at di naman niya inakalang sasakay rin ito sa trip niya.
On one hand it feels like they’re closer but on the other hand something has definitely shifted.
Was this a good thing? Tutuklasin pa ni Wonwoo.
Ngayon hinihintay niya lumabas si Mingyu mula sa 7/11. Hindi siya makababa sa kotse dahil walang parking at huling text sa kanya ni Mingyu ay magtatapon na lang naman raw siya ng pinagkainan.
Wonwoo has pulled the window by the driver seat down so Mingyu could recognize him easily.
Soon enough, a tall figure came out of the 7/11, not forgetting to give some loose change to the kids frolicking outside holding the door open for him.
Textbook prince charming indeed.
From what he’s seeing, Mingyu seemed tipsy at most.
“Di mo dinala motor mo?” Mingyu walked towards him.
“Ayaw kita isakay dun in case na lasing ka at baka mapano ka.” Pagpapaliwanag ni Wonwoo, unlocking the passenger door para makapasok na si Mingyu.
Though Wonwoo works out from time-to-time Mingyu still had a couple of inches on him and was just a tad heavier, and since naka big bike si Wonwoo, he’s not that confident in his strength to lug around both his heavy bike and Mingyu.
“Sorry sa abala.” Mingyu put his seatbelt on himself. “Medyo nahihilo na kasi ako.” What he said was mostly just an excuse to see Wonwoo sooner.
“Kailan ka ba naging abala sakin?” Inatras ni Wonwoo ang kotse para makaalis na sila.
“Awat muna sa banat, di kita masasabayan.” Mingyu let out an exasperated laugh thinking Wonwoo was still messing around.
“Di banat yun.” Wonwoo said. “Kahit di ka nahihilo susunduin pa rin kita pag sinabi mo.” Kahit di mo ako kailangan basta gusto mong andun ako pupunta ako.
Mingyu looked at Wonwoo’s serious side profile. With how often Wonwoo laughed and smiled around him nakakalimutan ni Mingyu na Wonwoo had sharp features that can easily come off as cold and unapproachable.
Mingyu never saw him that way though, para sa kanya Wonwoo has always been a very warm and indulgent person even back when he was still extremely shy nung bata pa sila.
Kahit nung nagsimula si Mingyu baguhin ang sarili niya ay hindi lumayo ang loob ni Wonwoo sa kanya. Lagi pa rin itong nasa tabi niya, nakangiti lang at nagbabaon ng kanyang mga pambihirang trippings.
“Thanks Wons.” Sagot ni Mingyu, forcing himself to stare on the empty road ahead and not at the curve of Wonwoo’s jaw or how the moonlight hits Wonwoo’s face in a way that makes him look surrealistic or at Wonwoo’s hands that were relaxed at the steering wheel—fingers long, slim, and elegant (Mingyu has grown up knowing exactly how it feels to have Wonwoo’s hand in his).
Okay, he’s just rambling at this point, maybe he was a bit drunk after all.
He just needs to look away from Wonwoo and he’ll be fine. His heart will once again slow down and the blood rushing to his ears would also subside. He has been doing this for years, this method always works.
But a red light interrupts their seamless ride.
Hindi matiis ni Mingyu ang di muling tignan si Wonwoo, so when Mingyu turned his head, he found that Wonwoo was already looking at him.
May pilyong ngiting nakaukit sa labi ni Wonwoo, the same one Mingyu could never stop thinking about ever since eighth grade.
The same smile he traces his index finger over in their childhood pictures.
The same smile he sees in his dreams and the same smile he imagines Wonwoo does while they’re texting.
Kung si Wonwoo ay nadale sa honesty niya, Mingyu could say he was completely taken just by Wonwoo’s smile.
“Antok ka na?” Tanong sa kanya ni Wonwoo, mistaking his dazed stare for sleepiness.
“…A bit.” Mingyu replied and Wonwoo didn’t speak anymore, content to softly humming by himself. The rest of their ride was spent in silence.
Mingyu pretended that the streetlights were more interesting to look at than his best friend.
It wasn’t until they’ve already arrived at Mingyu’s house did Mingyu feel like he should’ve talked to Wonwoo more. He probably drove for an hour just to pick him up and drive him back and yet they barely had any conversation. At an ungodly hour too.
Hindi naman talaga niya ugali ang magpasundo mula sa inuman. Nagtitira naman siya ng wisyo pauwi so he could always catch a ride for himself para makauwi but tonight he decided to call on Wonwoo. He was just testing the waters if Wonwoo would really come.
Wonwoo did end up coming in his horn rimmed glasses, messy hair, and black tank top. Showing all signs that he was about to go sleep (baka nga nakatulog na ito) but he still came the moment Mingyu called.
This could mean something right?
“Pasan ba kita?” Wonwoo asked half-jokingly, Mingyu looked like he needed a bit of help by the way he was staring blankly at him.
Mingyu just continued to stare at him, “I was serious about courting you.” Wonwoo almost lost the smile on his face by the sudden topic. “I know you’re only flirting with me as a joke-”
“Nung una. I was only doing it as a joke nung una-” Wonwoo immediately clarified.
“But hindi na rin naman natin mababalik sa dati kung ano yung meron tayo… kaya can we give us a chance?” Mingyu didn’t mean to sound desperate but if he didn’t say this now it felt like it was going to get stuck with him for another six years and he can’t imagine waiting any longer.
Kung hindi pa siya nilandi pabiro ni Wonwoo he would’ve never mustered the courage to even ask for this chance.
“Please baby?” There weren’t a lot of things that could shut Wonwoo up but there was this certain person who would constantly leave him at a loss for words.
He found himself nodding with a gulp.
“Okay mabi.”
If only Mingyu knew that he didn’t even have to ask Wonwoo for a chance.