hinata shoyo is one heck of a hunk in college. kada lakad niya, hindi talaga mapipigilan ng mga tao kung hindi sundan siya ng tingin. the way his eyes form crescent whenever he smiles, and it is all the time. he smiles all the time, at parang biniyayaan ang lahat ng nakakakita noon.
he was almost literally shining so bright kahit nakatayo lamang siya at naghihintay ng aya kung saan man sila pupunta ng teammates niya.
yet, this comes with disadvantage. kahit na sanay siyang makipag-usap sa tao, he could not help but feel discomfort whenever people would just barge in their classroom para magbigay ng kung ano. he likes the attention, and he understands, grateful even. pero minsan ay naiilang siya.
it's just... he doesn't have the heart to reject everyone, especially as most of them are literally handmade. he could not break their hearts like that.
so his answer? fake dating.
and that's what yn's here for. katulad na lang ngayon. kanina pa siya nakatago sa likod ng pader, pinagmamasdan si hinata na mukhang hinihintay siya para sa usapan nilang kain mamaya. she was just about to go to him when a group of friend went to him first.
"hinata, pwedeng pa-picture!"
she watched as hinata pushed himself from the wall, smiling at them, his typical business smile. "sure," simpleng sagot ng binata.
a sigh escaped her lips. hindi talaga marunong humindi ito. instead of waiting for them to finish, she walked towards the group. hindi pa man siya nakalalapit ay namataan na siya ng boyfriend, well, fake boyfriend. she could see relief through his eyes, making her think that her decision's just correct.
"love, hi! kanina ka pa?" bungad niya nang makalapit.
"sorry, excuse me." hindi na nito hinintay ang sasabihin ng mga babae. instead, he immediately went to her. tila ba automatic ang paghila nito sa kamay niya, at automatic na rin sa kaniyang ibigyay kamay.
"nagp-picture pa kayo," malumanay niyang sabi para hindi mainis sa kaniya ang mga fangirls nito.
hinata shook his head. "i think we've taken enough. and no, halos kadarating ko lang din."
with that, she nodded her head to the girls direction. kita ang inggit, at the same time admiration sa mga mata nito. "una na kami."
the girls could only nod and smile as they left.
nakangiti siyang nag-angat ng tingin kay shoyo. she couldn't help but find him cute as he tilted his head while looking at her. nakatalikod pa itong naglalakad para lamang nakaharap sa kaniya.
"masaya naman. kahit pumasok si de mesa." she sighed. "alam ko kasi gusto kong magdoktor, bakit parang audition ng pbb kapag nagtuturo siya?"
shoyo's hearty laugh echoed. "naging prof ko rin yan last year, minsan gusto ko na lang siyang tulugan."
"i know. kung hindi lang malikot mata niya," she replied with a laugh.
their conversation went on as they got out of the campus. dahil late na ang naging labas niya ngayon, halos iilan na lang ang estudyante sa labas. madilim na rin at tanging liwanag na lang ng buwan at street light ang nagbibigay ilaw.
as they talked, her eyes remained on shoyo. it's almost always like this, lalo kung wala itong practice. silang dalawa, kwentuhan hanggang maihatid siya nito sa dorm niya o minsan kapag may oras pa, kakain sila. palagi silang may topic dahil na rin kay shoyo. his days are always interesting.
"nga pala, nag-aaya sila yamaguchi sa linggo. reunion daw lalo kasi aalis na pa-italy si kageyama next week." umpisa nito.
"really? akala ko next year pa siya?"
nagkibit balikat ito. "i guess sa linggo pa namin malalaman." saka ito sumulyap sa kaniya. "well, kung papayag ka."
dito umangat ang kilay niya. "i always tell you na huwag ka nang magpaalam, ayan ka na naman."
"eh..." shoyo frowned. she sighed at the thought of wanting to keep her to herslef as he looked adorable doing so. "gusto ko lang magsabi."
nanlaki ang mata niya nang kumapit ito sa braso niya, at habang naglalakad sila ay idinantay nito ang baba sa balikat niya. unti-unti siyang huminga upang hindi mahalata nito na nahirapan siya.
hinata shoyo, pwede ba kasing totoong akin ka na lang?
she clenched her fist at the thought. "edi magsabi ka. magsabi ka lang para hindi ako mag-alala, pero hindi mo na kailangan ng permission ko." then that's when she remembered. "at isa pa, linggo na 'yon, shoyo."
"noted, madam!" sagot nito, at umalis na lamang bigla mula sa pagkakadantay sa kaniya.
naiwan siyang pinanood ang likod nitong maglakad papasok sa paborito nilang kinakainan. her eyes melted at the sight of his arms pushing the door, waiting for her kahit na nahinto siya sa paglalakad.
sa linggo ang lakad nito.
fake lang naman kasi dapat eh. nagkataon lang na magkaibigan sila ni yachi at siya ang naisip nitong ipakilala kay shoyo. she could not blame the woman kasi she's known not to fall for anyone that easy. bato siya dapat eh.
sa dami ng nagco-commit sa paligid niya, hindi siya nadala. sa ilang bulaklak na naitabi niya, wala namang feelings na namuo.
pero hindi niya inasahang masyadong mainit si shoyo.
of course, she didn't fall easily. she had done her role very well the very first month, even on the second month as his fake girlfriend. pero lintik, mapaglaro talaga si universe.
who would've thought that shoyo can penetrate the walls she built around herself by being her fake boyfriend?
he was bright enough to lighten up her dull world. his smiles could unite the heaven and hell, and whenever he smiles at her, something snaps. his shoulders were strong enough for her to depend on, at hindi niya alam na kailangan niya pala iyon dahi sanay naman siyang dumipende sa sarili niya.
her attention went to him when he guided her towards their spot. mabuti na lang at walang masyadong tao dahil kapag tanghali ay hindi bakante ang pwestong ito.
"wait here. bili lang ako lemonade." lord, ngumiti na naman siya.
naglakad muli palabas si shoyo at wala siyang ginawa kundi panoorin na lamang hanginin ang puting t-shirt nito. mukhang uulan pa yata base na rin sa paglipad ng buhok nito.
simula nang marealize niya sa sarili niyang hindi niya yata kayang makitang ganito sa iba ang binata, alam niyang tinamaan na siya. she could not accept the fact that someday he'd hold another's hand. someone's gonna run their hands on his hair, and they would feel the joy of it.
suminghap siya nang bumalik ito at ibinaba ang inumin nila. "sho," she started.
marahan itong ngumiti sa kaniya. "bakit?"
"sa linggo ka aalis. wala na tayo sa sabado." she decided not to beat around the bush.
katahimikan ang naging dulot nito sa kanilang dalawa. tanging hangin paggalaw lamang ng mga nagtitinda ang tanging maririnig habang nakatitig sila sa mata ng isa't isa.
nang hindi niya kayanin ang tingin ni shoyo. bumaba ang mata niya sa lamesa. "anong plano natin?"
"may nagawa ba ako?" finally, nagsalita ang binata.
sa gulat sa sinabi nito, muli siyang nag-angat ng tingin. "wala. what made you say that?"
mukhang nakahinga ito nang maluwag. "ah." he smiled sheepishly, scratching his brows. "i just thought... i did something."
"wala naman. iyon lang kasi 'yung napag-usapan."
"i figured." tumango ito. "actually, salamat pala sa pagpayag. bago ka pa kasi maipakilala ni yachi, kilala na kita kasi madalas ka niyang kasama last year-orgmates pala kayo."
doon siya nagulat. well, of course she knew him dahil player ito, pero hindi niya inasahang kilala rin siya nito noon pa.
"no'ng sinabi ni yachi na ikaw raw yung ipapakilala niya, natakot ako. you looked intimidating dati, like someone who wouldn't even dare to look at me." natawa ito, parang maraming naalala. "si hirugami nga, binasted mo, ako pa kaya? though fake, boyfriend pa rin para sa paningin ng iba."
"pa'no mo nalaman?" hindi niya inaasahang magugulat siya sa mga sinasabi nito ngayon. not that she's mad. pero hindi niya talaga alam na marami itong alam tungkol sa kaniya. sikat ito, gwapo, mabait-he's a literal star, someone to challenge celestial beings, so paano dadapo ang tingin nito sa kaniya?
"hindi naman pinublicize ni hirugami, huwag ka mag-alala. kaibigan ko lang si hoshiumi, so i heard it from him when she found out girlfriend kita." uminom ito. "but, going back, hesitant talaga ako sa pag-alok sa'yo. ikaw na 'yan, ito lang ako-"
"what do you mean iyan ka lang?" she cut him. hindi niya mapigilang magsalubong ang kilay dahil sa narinig.
mukha namang nagulat ito sa naging reaksyon niya. amusement dance in his eyes as he leaned closer. "ang cute mo." natawa ito, at iniunat ang kilay niya. "relax, i'm confident with my skills. with myself, pero sa'yo, noon hindi. pakiramdam ko may kailangan akong i-prove para matanggap sa tabi mo."
"what are you saying hinata shoyo, have you seen yourself?"
shoyo didn't let go of her cheeks. "have you seen yourself?" he retorted.
natahimik siya. una hindi siya makahinga sa mga sinasabi nito, pangalawa, she likes the feeling of his hands on her cheeks too much.
hindi nawala ang ngiti sa labi nito. "pero sabi ko, bahala na. naging selfish din ako eh, kailangan ko talaga."
natawa silang dalawa sa sinabi nito. give it to shoyo to lighten up everything.
"and everything went smooth. hindi ko inexpect na ganito ka pala. ang sarap palang magpaalaga sa'yo, at ang sarap na alagaan ka." marahan itong ngumiti. "pwede ko bang sabihin sa'yo ngayon ang plano ko?"
tumango siya, hindi makapagsalita.
"can i be selfish once again? pwede bang this time, totoo na? can i prove myself to you? pursue you in a way na malinaw sa'yo kung ano ba talagang habol ko?"
she was left dumbfounded for a few seconds. kanina lang hinihilang niyang sana totoo lahat. sana shoyo was also looking at her the way she looks at him. at ngayon, ito ang sinasabi niya.
is she dreaming? is this okay?
"kung ayos lang sa'yo..." ang tanging nasabi niya.
muli, natawa ito. "no, it's your call. everything, basta nandito lang ako."
"do it." pumikit siya. huminga nang malalim, bago muling tumingin dito. "iextend natin. without holding back. this time, no one will hold back."
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