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Nagising si Paulo sa tunog ng mga boses nung mga tao na kasama nila sa loob ng LRT.
Looking up, he saw how calm Felip looked even though dalawang beses na sila naligaw just to find that one hidden café Pablo wanted to go to. His cheek rested comfortably on Ken's shoulder.
May katabi silang mga estudyante, as usual, medyo may ka-ingayan ang mga ito. But they both didn't mind, ganon rin naman sila nung kabataan nila.
And all of a sudden, Ken turned his head towards the students’ direction, narinig niya kasi tumugtog yung ‘Out Of My League’ ni Stephen Speaks.
Paulo saw how a small smile painted his husband's face.
“Bakit?” Tanong ni Paulo.
Ken lightly chuckled and turned his head back to look at Paulo, “tugtugan ko ‘yan nung nililigawan palang kita, eh.” which Paulo replied to with a snicker.
“Ngayon ko lang nalaman iyan ah,”
“Akala ko pang gangsta lang pinapatugtog mo dati, eh.” Pagbibiro nito.
They shared a few more giggles before Ken spoke. “tanda ko pa nga yung mga pangalan ng mga kaagaw ko sa'yo noon,”
“Akala ko pa wala na akong pag asa sa'yo nun kasi mga campus crushes yung ibang manliligaw mo..”
Paulo lifted his head from his husband's shoulder and playfully smacked him on the side, “sus, na parang hindi kita sinagot kahit dalawang buwan mo palang ako niligawan?”
This is how Ken liked it; how they would always look back on what they used to be, what they went through, what challenges they had to conquer to be with each other at this very moment.
How many times they had to forgive each other, the times they had to sacrifice for each other.
It's all worth it.
Ken loved to look back at the memories of how their love grew.
“ga?”
“Mm?”
“May iku-kwento pala ako sa'yo.”
Paulo stayed quiet and intently looked at Ken beside him, “naaalala mo nung… nung high-school palang tayo?”
He paused for a moment and nodded his head yes, “Medyo... Ito naman! ang layo ng ni-rewind mo, alam mo namang ulyanin ako sa mga ganyan.” He laughed, pinching Ken's arm.
“Tanda mo nung hindi kita sinasamahan pumunta sa bakery para bumili ng almusal bago pumasok?” Tanong ulit nito, “lagi akong may dahilan noon diba?”
“Oo! Tandang-tanda ko pa yung sinasabi mo kadalasan na may LBM ka,” natatawang sagot ni Paulo. “Shh ka lang naman, langga!” Pag saway naman ni Ken.
Ken shook his head and smiled, “...Consistent honor student ka kasi noon, diba? Top 1 ka lagi sa buong school, tapos palagi kang champion sa mga contest na sinasalihan mo,”
“Eh tapos ako… Editorial cartoonist na maswerteng kumag.”
Paulo's eyebrows furrowed, he tilted his head at his husband, but lets the man continue anyway.
“Kaya pinangako ko sa sarili ko, at sa'yo—na mag aaral ako nang maigi para maabot kita.”
“Ang dami mo kasing pangarap noon,” Ken paused for a second and stared outside the window, “eh ang pangarap ko lang naman noon… Ikaw.”
“Kaya ang ginawa ko, pumapasok ako ng maaga para mag aral doon sa library, para pag nagkita tayo, maiintindihan ko yung mga sinasabi mo sa'kin.”
Marahang hinawakan ni Paulo ang kamay ni Ken. Paulo only realized that all of Ken's random babbles about new things, news, and trivias were not out of the blue— he actually studied hard and learned all about them, just for him.
“tsaka pag may nababanggit ka na kainan o pasyalan na gusto mo mapuntahan.. Isang buwan ako nagtitipid sa baon ko para pang libre ko sa'yo kahit saan mo gustong kumain. Alam ko kasing hindi ka mapakali pag hindi mo makuha yung bagay na inaasam mo talaga.”
“Alam ko rin na kumakanta ka sa choir niyo sa church niyo noon, kaya tinuruan ko yung sarili ko tumugtog sa piano, gitara, tsaka ukulele, kasi yun ang mga gusto mong instruments.”
“Tapos dismayadong dismayado pa ako tuwing nakikita ko yung mga regalo sa'yo nung iba mong manliligaw, kasi mga mamahaling relo, magagarang damit, tsaka mga hindi pangkaraniwan na bulaklak yung binibigay nila sa'yo.”
“Pero sinabi ko sa sarili ko na meron akong kayang ibigay sa'yo na walang luho ang makakapantay,”
“Sarili ko, kaya nag pursige ako. Ginawa ko lahat para mag improve bilang individual. Emotionally, mentally, and physically.”
“Kasi sabi ko nga, ga, ikaw ang pangarap ko. I meant that.”
By this time, they're already near their station. An ample amount of time had already passed just with Ken's voice smoothly blessing Paulo's ears as the memories came blossoming back.
He pouted at Ken, “papaiyakin mo naman ako, eh!” Sambit nito.
The train came to a stop and the doors opened. Tumayo na silang dalawa habang bitbit ni Ken ang mga plastic at paper bags na puno ng mga binili nila para pasalubong sa isang makulit na bulilit naghihintay sa kanila sa bahay.
“magugustuhan kaya ni Art ‘tong mga robot tsaka dinosaur?”
“Hay nako, sinabi ko na sa’yo na marami nang laruan iyong batang ‘yun eh..”
Their voices trailed off into the distance as the doors closed and the crowd inside the train thinned.
The group of teenagers were yet to arrive at their station.
“Uy, Sejun, Ken! Mamaya na ‘yang cellphone, tulungan niyo kami dito sa number 4!”
A student exclaimed, catching both of the young boys’ attention.
“Nubayan… Nags-soundtrip pa, eh.” Ken exclaimed, scratching the back of his head as Sejun moved places and sat beside their friends.
“Lagi mo pinapatugtog ‘yang ‘out of my league’ na ‘yan ah… In love si Nek! Hahaha!” one of their friends teased, which earned the young student a light push on his shoulder.
“Ayieee… Sejun, bigyan mo kasi ng chance Si Ken! Ehhehe!”
Sejun, with his perfectly ironed uniform, neatly cut hair and pale skin that complimented the color of his polo, looked up at Ken and smiled.
“Samahan mo nalang ako mag kape mamaya, maybe then I'll give you a chance”
“Eh— ano.. k-kasi ahm… May kailangan akong puntah—”
“So, I'll give you no chance then?”
“Ito na! Samama na nga… Sabi ko nga.. Saan ba yan? Libre na kita.”
.
.
.
No love ever ends, and no love ever dies.
It's just that new ones blossom for the season of love.