Chapter Text
Kanina pa naiipit ang sasakyan ni Mark sa matinding traffic sa edsa, gusto nalang niyang humilata sa malambot niyang kama at magpahinga pero kailangan niyang mag-tiis.
He's been tapping his fingers on the steering wheels, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. For almost an hour that he's been stuck in traffic, his thoughts wandered everywhere. At tanging mahinang musika at pagsinghal niya lang ang maririnig sa loob ng kaniyang kotse, nang biglang sumulpot sa kaniyang isipan ang tanong ng kaniyang boss kanina bago sila umalis sa restaurant na pinag ganapan ng kanilang company dinner kanina.
"if you could live on only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
That question casually conjured up and didn't leave his head until he reached home.
Pagkapasok na pagkapasok ni Mark, agad niya lang inihagis ang kaniyang dalang bag sa couch at umupo.
Head is resting, arms and legs spreading, his polo is now 2 button opened. Sighing because of the exhaustion from work and traffic on the way home. He hasn't eaten anything since lunch, so he got up and trudge himself in the kitchen. He took off his glasses first and put it over on the counter, then his next target is the refrigerator because he's so freaking hungry.
He spotted a left over pork sinigang from last night and hastily grab it, put it on the counter top. Scanning the whole fridge hoping that there's something he can eat first while reheating the sinigang. When his eyes landed at the bowl that full of strawberries in it.
Pinagkatitigan muna ito ni Mark, nagugulumihanan kung kakainin niya ba o hahayaan nalang ito'ng abutan ng pagkabulok sa loob ng ref.
His nose scrunched when he decided to take the strawberries, he slam the fridge shut before putting the strawberries in the sink to washed it. After rinsing the strawberries, he dragged himself on the couch, he tried to eat peacefully but his headache is kicking like hell due to lack of sleep. Then suddenly he remembered where it started, kung saan kailan nagsimula ang mga puyat na gabi niya.
The last time he saw his bestfriend, his first love, Hyuck.
— FLASHBACK —
6 years ago
7:50 PM | Monday
Habang abala si Mark sa pagrereview para sa kanilang nalalapit na periodical exam, naramdaman niya ang pag vibrate ng kaniyang phone sa tabi ng study table niya.
A text message from his bestfriend, Hyuck.
Hyuck: tara stroll sa timberland, bilis
Mark: bibihis lang ako
Napailing nalang si Mark at nagsuot nalang ng black na hoodie. Nagmadaling bumaba ng kwarto si Mark at naabutan niya ang kaniyang mommy na abala sa pagtitipa sa kaniyang laptop.
"where are you going mark?", tanong ng kaniyang mommy na nakasuot ng salamin. Lumapit si Mark sa kaniyang mommy at hinalikan eto sa pisnge.
"mag stroll lang po kami ni Hyuck mommy, babalik den po ako mamaya before 12"
"mag-iingat kayo, okay?" tugon ng kaniyang mommy at ngumiti kaya hinalikan niya ulit ito sa pisnge at lumabas na ng kanilang bahay.
And there he saw his bestfriend leaning on his own car that parked right in front of their gate. The passenger seat side is open as if it's waiting for Mark to drag himself inside of Hyuck's Ford Everest. When Mark stepped in, he saw how Hyuck get in with a grin on his face.
"fasten your seatbealt, Markie. Kapit ka mabuti", Hyuck exclaimed. Smirking while starring at him, so mark fasten his seatlbealt immediately, afraid what will gonna happened again.
"Hyuckie, not again"
Hyuck just shrugged shrugged his shoulder.
"buckle up", before he can reaponse, hyuckie slammed the accelerator, propelling the car into motion.
"OH SHIT!", mahigpit na napakapit si Mark sa hawakan at ang kasama niyang nag dadrive ay tuwang tuwa dahil sa kaniyang ginagawang reaction.
They're driving with a speed of 62 mph, going up to Timberland Heights.
Mark felt he deserves some appreciation for not yelling as Hyuckie speeded off and away from neighborhood. But, he just laughed and go with the flow because who knows it might be their last time. Might as well enjoyed it.
As they stop on an empty field, they looked at each other and laughed.
As the night goes by, they talk and talk, catching up because they're very busy preparing for their last periodical and also they're busy preparing for their graduation next week.
Kung pwede lang pabagalin ang oras, ginawa na ni Mark. Ayaw niyang mahiwalay kay Hyuck lalo na mula pagkabata pa sila, lagi silang magkasama. They're inseparable.
"what is it this time, hyuckie?", tanong ni Mark kay Hyuck dahil hindi ito mag-aaya ng mag-stroll kung walang mabigat na dahilan.
Hyuckie just took Mark's hands and gently entertwined it by his hand. It fits perfectly to his. Then, they looked at each other's eyes.
Hyuck shrugged his head and still starring at his bestfriend and he saw how Mark's cheek blushed.
"wala naman, hindi naman siya ganon kalaki para i big deal"
Tila kumirot ang puso ni Mark nang makita niya ang mga nangingilid na mga luha ni Hyuck. Kaya mabilis niyang kinapa ang pisngi neto at marahang pinunasan ang mga luhang umaagos na sa kaniyang pisnge gamit ang hinalalaki niyang daliri. Ramdam niya ang paghigpit ng hawak ni Hyuck sa kaniyang kamay habang taimtim siya netong pinakatitigan.
"no one likes me there the way you like me, Markie"
Mark smile after hearing that sentiment. It's not a secret that he likes Hyuckie, not just platonically but romantically and Hyuck acknowledge Mark's feeling. It's just that, they both agree that their feelings can wait until both of them are ready. But, Hyuck has a problem.
He's going to live in Australia after their graduation, for good and Mark would probably stay here in the Philippines without Hyuck's prescence.
How unfortunate, isn't?
"ayokong umalis Mark. ayokong iwan ka", hagulgol ni Hyuckie habang nakayuko. Kaya hinapit siya ni Mark upang yakapin ng mahigpit at yumakap den pabalik si Hyuckie sa kaniya.
Mark don't want that either, but it's for Hyuck's future. He needs to leave to have a brighter future. Ito ang magiging unang paghihiwalay nila ng landas mula pagkabata. Labag man sa loob nilang dalawa, ngunit wala silang magagawa kundi ang tanggapin nalang ang itinakda sa kanila ng tandhana.
Inangat ni Hyuck ang kaniyang ulo at nagtagpo ang kanilang mga paningin, malungkot na ngumiti si Hyuck at humilay sa pagkakayakap kay Mark. Nakita naman ni Mark kung paano ang ngiti ng kaniyang kaibigan ay hindi man lang umabot sa kaniyang mga mapupungay na mga mata.
"have you tried smoking, Markie?", Hyuck asked suddenly
"No!", Mark exclaimed as he squeeze Hyuck's hand
"but i did, before i texted you earlier. hindi naman masarap!", Hyuck wrinkled his nose with his disgusted face expression and Mark just laughed.
Hyuck reached for the dashboard and he took something.
"ano 'yan?", pagtatanong ni Mark
"dried strawberries", Hyuck answered as he chewed some of it to took away the taste of the bitter taste of the cigarettes he hitted earlier.
As Mark looking at Hyuck that eating dried strawberries, napaisip siya kung ano na kaya ang magiging buhay niya pag umalis na si Hyuck?
Wala ng mangungulit sa kaniya na lumabas
Wala ng maingay na gigising sa kaniya kada linggo para lang ayain siya magsimba
Wala ng mag-aaya sa kaniya na mag late night stroll katulad ngayon
"will you gonna miss me, Markie?", biglang pagtatanong ni Hyuck
"bigtime!", and they both laughed.
Hyuck looked intensely into Mark, first is in his eyes, then he's scouring Mark's whole face as if he's capturing it with his eyes and store it in his mind. He's eyes finally landed on his lustrous lips, he slowly leaning his face onto the latter's and Mark's heart hammering his chest. They're few inches away between them felt like far too large.
"really?", and Mark felt the warm and soft breath that smells like strawberry of Hyuck's mouth. And Mark just nods.
Mark manages to get out his eyes stuck on Hyuck's lips, the lips that he hadn't given much thought before. The ones that were the only thing on his mind right now. He was suddenly aware of Hyuck's fingers hooked under his chin and he felt the slow closing of the gap between them two.
They're lips that slowly brushing to each other's, feels like heaven but also it feels like sadness. Hyuck tasted Mark's sweet lips, but for Mark—Hyuck's lips tastes like a last goodbye.
Mark slowly break from the kiss as he stare Hyuck's immensefully.
"and everyday i'm going to wish i had look at you more, Hyuckie. So that, five years or more down the line, hindi lang 'yang mga matatamis mong labi ang maaalala ng utak ko"
Mark broke the chaos he made by kissing Hyuck's lips under the roof of his Everest.
Under the dazzling evening
Under the night full of sparkling stars floating above their head
Mark never know that goodbyes are tastes like this, bitter and sweet like strawberries and cigarettes.
— END OF FLASHBACK —
Mark had never been one to put the label of favorite on a fruit, except watermelon. But now, he wished he had never eaten in his life except strawberries, just so he could have known what Hyuck's tasted like all these years.
*ting*
Bumalik sa kaniyang ulirat si Mark nang tumunog ang oven, hudyat na tapos na mainit ang kaniyang sinigang. Nang napayuko siya sa kaniyang hita, nakita niya ang lagayan na nangangalahati na at sumubo ulit siya at tumayo, tuluyan nang nabalik ang kaniyang ulirat sa kaniyang apartment. Having zone out and reminiscing the past.
Right after he took off the ulam he reheated, he suddenly remembered how he had woken up the next day(that day), he smells like cigarettes and his lips tastes strawberries.
He remembered everything, especially Hyuck that didn't showed up on thier graduation.
Mark lost his contact from Hyuck as he not even reach out to him for how many years.
6 years exactly.
Anim na taon nang nakakalipas ngunit hindi paren malimot ni Mark malalambot na labi ni Hyuck na dumadampi sa kaniyang labi.
While scooping rice, his boss's question rose up in his mind again and this time, Marks already have an answer.
"strawberries", he said to his self.
"i would live a life on nothing, but strawberries"
After eating his dinner and washed up himself. For the last time he spoke before climbing up to his bed and fall into slumber of dreams.
"strawberries and cigarettes, it's always tastes like you, my Hyuckie"
*beep beep*
1 unread text message
09611167809
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Hi, is this Mark's?