Chapter Text
Hyeonjun never felt special. Tulad ngayon, habang naglalaro sila ng UNO kasama ang barkada. He was never the first to finish, laging sa gitna, and was never the one to lose in the most infuriating way. He’s just there to fill the gaps of the game, to make it more interesting for the others. Nilapag niya ang huling card, mukhang hindi siya ang bunot ng tatlong shots ng tequila.
It was Sanghyeok’s birthday party sa bahay nila at nakatipon silang lahat sa isang malaking lamesa. Everyone is having fun, maybe not Kiin, na kasalukuyang nakakuha ng dagdag na labindalawang baraha.
“May balik ‘yan Siwoo.” Mahina nitong sabi na nagpatawa sa lahat.
Hyeonjun observed his surroundings. Una niyang napansin si Minseok, which by the way, ang nagpumilit sa kanyang sumama sa inuman. The boy looks drunk dahil nakasandal na ang ulo nito sa balikat ni Minhyung na nagagahol na sa pag-aayos ng cards nilang dalawa.
Tumingin naman siya sa gilid. Geonbu is sleeping. Nakapatong ang ulo niya sa binti ni Su habang ginuguhitan ni Suhwan at Wooje ang mukha nito gamit ang marker na hindi niya alam kung saan nila nakuha.
“Aray mo Hyukkyu-hyung, akala ko sah isa kang day ones!” And there goes Pyosik and his dramatics. Isang card na lang kasi ay mananalo na siya pero biglang naglapag si Hyukkyu ng reverse card.
Maya-maya pa, bumukas ang pinto at dala nito si Wangho na may hawak na cake, the numbers two and four were lit alongside the cats decorating the top half of the desert.
“Wala ba kayong mga kamay?!” Sigaw ni Pyosik na nagsimula nang kumanta ng happy birthday. Everybody dropped their cards to make way for the celebration. Lahat sila ay nakapokus na ang atensyon kay Sanghyeok na mukhang hindi rin alam ang gagawin sa dami ng tingin na nakatutok sa kanya.
Hyeonjun went with the flow, he clapped his hands, sang, and even dirtied his kuya’s face with the frosting.
“Oh, make a wish na,” Wika ni Wangho nang matapos ang kanta.
Hyeonjun observed them carefully. He knows there’s something going on between the two with the way his kuya smiled right after Wangho said that. Kahit nga wala pang ginagawa si Wangho, pansin na agad ni Hyeonjun ang kislap sa mga mata ni Sanghyeok sa tuwing ang binata na ang usapan.
Naramdaman niya ang biglang pagkirot sa puso niya. It’s not like he’s not happy for the two of them, but Hyeonjun can’t help but to want what they have for himself.
You see, Hyeonjun’s life is not that ‘exciting’ per se. Siya yung tipo ng tao na hindi lapitin ng drama. Call him boring but he never had an actual fight with someone before, emotionally, at lalo naman physically. But the thing is, he wants spice in his life, not like that same bland boiled chicken breast that’s going around on the internet. In short, gusto niya ng drama.
Nang matapos kantahan si Sanghyeok, bumalik na ang lahat sa dati nilang ginagawa. Patuloy pa rin ang pag-ikot ng shot glass habang inihahanda na ni Jaehyuk ang tatlong tequila shots para sa matatalo.
“Sabi ko naman sayo may balik ‘yan Siwoo.” Wika ni Kiin sabay lapag ng huling card niya. Agad namang naglupasay si Siwoo, halatang kaunting alak na lang ay malalasing na siya. Everyone laughed at their friend’s misery until Jaehyuk downed all the shots at once.
“Quits na tayo Son Siwoo?” Maangas nitong tanong.
“Ulol,” Siwoo replied. Kinuha niya ang bote ng tequila at diretsong ininom ang natitirang laman nito. Hyeonjun just laughed at their friend’s stubbornness. He’s aware of the enemies to lovers trope pero ang ma-witness ito sa totoong buhay, it was actually fun to watch.
Dahil wala ng tequila para sa matatalo sa UNO, napagdesisyunan nilang magkwentuhan na lang. Tiningnan ni Hyeonjun ang relo niya, 10 pm, mukhang isang oras na lang at aalis na rin siya. Kailangan niya kasi maabutan ang last bus na aalis ng alas dose ng umaga pa-Maynila dahil may pasok pa siya ng umaga.
Tumayo siya para mag-cr. Hindi pa naman siya lasing, but he can feel his tummy getting hot. Ang taas naman kasi ng tagay ni Jaehyuk. Tiningnan niya ang mukha niya sa salamin. He looks tired as fuck. Malapit na rin kasi ang finals nila. Wala naman talaga siyang balak pumunta pero dinaanan sila ni Minhyung na galing pa sa Katipunan para lang sunduin sila.
Sila. Meaning, dalawa sila. Even his roommate is not safe from Minseok’s whining. The car ride to Sanghyeok’s was awkward, walang nagsasalita dahil hindi naman sila nasa iisang circle lang. Hyeonjun is pretty close with Minhyung himself, but the latter is not that close with Jihoon, his roommate. Hindi naman magaling si Hyeonjun magsimula ng small talk kaya hindi na lang siya umimik. Mukhang naiintidihan naman nilang tatlo ang sitwasyon, kaya ang radyo na lang sa sasakyan ni Minhyung ang nagsilbi nilang ice breaker.
Lumabas na siya ng banyo. Nang pabalik na siya sa lamesa, nakita niyang nagkakatuwaan na ang lahat. Mukhang may naimbentong laro na naman si Pyosik dahil siya ang nasa gitna habang nakatayo ang lahat, buhay na buhay ang competitive spirit ng bawat isa. Tutal wala namang nakapansin sa kanya, bumalik na lang siya sa loob ng bahay nila Sanghyeok at naupo sa sofa. He’ll just wait there hanggang sa mag-11 pm na.
Ipipikit na sana niya ang kanyang mga mata nang maramdaman niyang bumigat ang kabilang dulo ng sofa na inuupuan niya. When he looked up, it was Jihoon. Dala niya ang bag nilang dalawa, and Hyeonjun understood it immediately.
“Tara na?” Tanong niya.
Tumango lang si Jihoon, handing him his bag. Hyeonjun and Jihoon had this.. uhh, paano ba ieexplain? To put it simply, they co-exist. If we’re talking science, it was a symbiotic relationship. Parang si Nemo lang sa isang sea anemone. They talk in silence, kung iisipin, para na rin silang estranghero sa isa’t isa, but with a twist, they need each other.
It was their parent’s decision to rent an apartment for the two of them. As ironic as it is, mag-bestfriends ang mga nanay nila. Growing up, Hyeonjun and Jihoon were forced to exist together, bound by the endless nagging of their moms. But their personalities seemed to clash.
Hyeonjun was… quiet. Hindi siya yung pa-mysterious type, at lalong hindi rin naman siya loner. Siya yung tipo ng tao na masasabihan ng ‘ang tahimik mo naman.’ He’s the kind of person who thinks twice before speaking, the one who hesitates, who lets moments pass because he’s not sure if he’s allowed to take space in them.
Sa kabilang banda, Jihoon was bold. He takes pride in what he does. Hindi man siya maingay in a ‘Pyosik maingay’ way, but he’s noisy enough to make a name for himself.
So when you do the math, they don't really fit.
If there was one thing connecting the two of them, it was League of Legends. Kaya nga nabuo ang tropahan nila kasama sila Siwoo. At first it was just them, hanggang sa lumaki na ito ng lumaki, making friends of friends—of friends.
They slipped out through the back door of Sanghyeok’s house, careful not to make a sound. Paniguradong magdadabog si Minseok kapag nalaman niyang uuwi na silang dalawa. Tiningnan niya ang oras, 10:12 pm, they still have almost two hours to catch the last bus.
Ibinaling niya ang tingin niya kay Jihoon. Diretso lang itong naglalakad, and Hyeonjun was reminded of all the times they’ve been walking besides each other. Jihoon will bail the two of them out, mula sa mga magulang nila, at tulad ngayon, sa mga kaibigan naman nila. Lagi na lang ganito, magkatabing naglalakad, pero walang naglalakas ng loob kausapin ang isa’t isa.
Maybe everything has its first time after all.
“Jihoon?” Mahina niyang tawag.
“Hmm?”
“Gusto mo dumaan muna sa 7/11?” Tanong niya. He didn’t even spare Jihoon a glance, he just fidgeted with his fingers. Sanay naman na si Jihoon sa kanya.
“Bakit? May bibilhin ka?”
“Wala naman. Ayaw mo tumambay muna?” Hyeonjun laughed nervously. Kilala niya si Jihoon at isa sa mga hindi niya makakalimutang ugali nito ay ang pagiging praktikal ng binata. Ayaw niyang nagsasayang ng oras sa mga bagay na hindi naman importante, and right now, it is keeping Hyeonjun company.
“Hindi ba may pasok ka pa bukas?” Jihoon looked at him.
Hindi agad nakasagot si Hyeonjun.There’s really no winning an argument against his childhood friend. May pasok siya bukas, and it’s early in the morning.
“Pero ayoko pang bumalik ng Manila.” Mahina niyang sabi pero narinig pa rin ito ni Jihoon dahil biglang bumagal ang lakad niya.
“Lead the way then,”
–
“Alam—*hic—mo ba, Jihoon? Hanggang ganito na lang ba ko?”
“Yo—tama naman diba, Jihoon pangalan mo?”
“Oo. Pwedeng akin na ‘yang Soju?” Nilihis ni Hyeonjun ang bote bago pa ito maabot ni Jihoon. The latter just facepalmed. Wala pa silang kalahating oras sa 7/11 pero lasing na agad ang binata.
At first, ice cream lang ang usapan pero hindi na napigilan ni Jihoon si Hyeonjun nang kumuha ito ng dalawang bote ng soju. Tig-isa dapat sila pero naubos agad ni Hyeonjun ang isang bote, and being the responsible adult among the two of them, hinayaan na lang niya ang kaibigan inumin ang isa pa. Which by the way, he now regrets.
“Pati ba naman ‘to kukunin mo?” Hyeonjun started wailing like a madman. Mabuti na lang at nasa likod sila ng tindahan at halos walang dumadaan na tao. Hyeonjun is free to do whatever the fuck he wants, kahit maglupasay pa siya sa harap ni Jihoon, walang makakakita sa kanya.
“Do you think gusto kong mabuhay ng ganito? Like I’m just some NPC waiting to be told?”
Binuklat ni Jihoon ang bag niya at walang imik na inilabas ang panyo saka iniabot kay Hyeonjun. “Thank you very much.” Sabi nito bago nagpatuloy sa mga hinanakit niya sa buhay. “Feel ko talaga isa akong caster minion sa League,” Humihikbi siyang suminga at sabay na pinunasan ang ilong, “Pero Jihoon! Gusto kong maging si Seraphine!”
“I want to love! I want to get married and have kids!” Pagpapatuloy niya.
“You’re 21.”
“21 yung nanay ko nung pinanganak niya ko.” Diretsong sabi ni Hyeonjun, like he suddenly entered a lucid interval. Wala pang isang segundo ay bumalik din ito agad sa pag-iyak.
Jihoon just watched him, amazed. Alam naman niyang hopeless romantic si Hyeonjun. He knew ever since they were kids. Hindi naman na ‘to bago. Hyeonjun had always been like this—too soft-hearted for his own good, too quick to fall, and too honest about it. He always talks about his crushes, hindi man niya sabihin sa kanya, hindi man niya aminin nang diretsahan, Jihoon always had a way to know.
He’s been with Hyeonjun since forever. Kaya alam niya kung papaano tumingin ang kaibigan sa mga taong gusto niya, and Hyeonjun never once looked at him the same way. That part, Jihoon hated.
“Sabihin mo sa’kin Jihoon, boring ba ko?” Kinuha niya ang mga kamay ni Jihoon, and the latter did not know what to do. He remained frozen. He’s much stronger that Hyeonjun pero hindi gumalaw ang mga kamay niya para pigilan ang susunod na gagawin ng kaibigan. “Am I not attractive?” Hinatak niya ang kwelyo ng damit ni Jihoon, making their faces closer and closer—and boom.
Biglang tumayo si Hyeonjun, “Hindi ka ba nagsasawa? Out of all our friends tayo lang yung walang ganap sa buhay? Do we always have to be the background friend?” He pointed at Jihoon. He gestured wildly at the air, na para bang may kalaban siyang hindi nakikita ni Jihoon.
“Look at them,” He continued, kahit wala namang tao sa paligid maliban sa kanilang dalawa. “May love life, may direction, may plot twist. Tayo? Tayo yung extra na dumadaan lang sa likod ng eksena!”
Huminto siya sandali, breathing hard, bago muling tumingin kay Jihoon. This look. Jihoon saw it many times, but it’s never directed at him. But right now, sa kanya nakatingin si Hyeonjun, mukhang may pinaplanong masama but nevertheless, still looking at him.
“Ano?” Hyeonjun said, voice cracking into something almost excited. “G ka ba?”
Jihoon blinked.
“Tayo na lang,” Hyeonjun said, pointing between them like it was the most obvious solution in the world. “Let’s be the main characters together.” He extended his hand towards Jihoon.
Walang pag-aalinlangang inabot naman ito ng binata.