5

Ivy sighed at the video taken from her performance in the park. Honestly while listening to it, she was also surprised that she executed that piece perfectly. Hindi niya alam kung dahil ito pagbalik niya sa nakaraan or perhaps because she have hone her skills for more than a decade.

However, alam ni Ivy na hindi siya pwedeng maging arogante dahil lang sa mga papuri ng mga tao sa kanya. She knows that the more you're on top, the more you fell harder. It was painful, at halos hindi siya makaraos ng naranasan niya iyon.

In this life, she just wanted to perform in front of many people. Hindi na siya maghahanap ng fame nor riches. She just wanted a peaceful and steady life. And it would be even better if they can be together sooner.

"You seem idle today?" Tanong ni Lennon sa kapatid nito while reading his business magazine.

Napatingin siya sa kuya nito at napa-irap, "And you seem idle today too, big brother? Absent ba si Kuya Luke kaya tambay ka ngayon sa bahay?"

Hindi mapigilang mapaubo si Lennon ng marinig ang tanong na kapatid nito, thankfully he wasn't drinking his tea or else it would be embarasing. "No. Answer me first, you seem in a bad mood?"

Nang marinig ito ni Ivy, she couldn't helped but frustratedly burrowed her head on the sofa before turning off her phone. Pano ba siya magkakagood mood, when all the recent investigations are useless. Wala siyang nakuhang matinong sagot, either they mistake them for someone or just a completely nonsense information.

She really started to reconsider of using his brother his connection to find him. Pero alam niyang hindi niya maluluko ang kuya niya, with her alibi. And it would be illogical that she would start finding another man, just after she told her brother that she would move on.

But maybe, her brother would just think that she was doing this inorder to move on! In short, she can use this as an excuse so that her brother would think that she was finding someone to divert her attention. However, if that man would find out this excuse... Would he still stay? And won't think that she's just playing his feelings?

While thinking of this, Ivy couldn't help but shudder. Mostly naman, lalaki ang naghahabol sa babae but Ivy's situation seems reversed? Yet, she couldn't do anything with it.

That man is a fucking repressed to the point of just thinking of it makes you feel frustrated! Kung hindi siya nadisgrasya, at nasa bingit na ng kamatayan. Hindi sasabihin ng lalaking iyon dahil sa takot nitong mareject!

She shouldn't be the one pursuing, and planning on wooing someone but she couldn't afford to waste more time, since they already wasted a lot.

And she wasn't tsundere type, who likes: "If you don't say it, I won't say it too~" This wasn't a big deal honestly, but she really hope na mabigyan ng enlightenment ang lalaking iyon! Anyway, she would surely takes this on account, hehe. Just wait on wedding night, she would surely give him a nice piece of revenge.

"Kuya, paano ba maghabol ng lalaki— I mean, manligaw ng lalaki?"

When Lennon heard this, he immediately think of Axel knowing that his sister was infatuated with this bastard. But his sister said that she already move on with that scum so, who? "You can use your usual tactics, magpapansin."

After hearing his words, she couldn't help but get pissed. Alam niyang gan'on siya katimang sa past life niya at sa time na bago pa siya bumalik sa panahong ito, but having her brother nonchalantly told her to do the same thing made her want to beat the shit out of him!

This kind of black history shouldn't be brought up or else, you won't know you would be beaten up sometime. Just like the chinese saying: "No zou, no die." If you won't seek death, then death won't seek you.

"Brother, narinig mo na ang pagkaing sinampalukang kuya na inilaga sa kaldero ng limang oras? Kung hindi pa ay magsuggest ka pa ng walang kwentang mga bagay." Naiinis na sabi nito sa kuya niya.

Lennon chuckled and spread his arms helplessly, "That's how you pursue someone, really."

"It's called idiocy." She replied coldly.

"Then you're an idiot."

"Kuya, just seriously! I don't want to repeat the same thing!"

"Then tell me, who's that guy you are referring to? Is that bastard again?"

Nang tanongin siya nito, Ivy couldn't help but swallow hard. She doesn't know his name! How was she supposed to answer this kind of question!

"Pursuing someone with no feelings for you, requires you to brushed up your existence now and then. Just like you did, with that scum. Unfortunately, the way you do it, is pure stupidity."

Matapos marinig ni Ivy ang sinabi ni Lennon, she couldn't help but inhale sharply. But after a minute, she squinted her eyes and look at her brother critically. "How do you know? Do you have a lover, kuya?" Tanong nito sa kan'ya.

"Don't changed the subject, Ivy. So, who's that man?" Lennon asked seriously to her.

Ivy sighed, "No one,"

Lennon shrugged his shoulders at bumalik sa pagbabasa ng magazine, "Actually if you want we could get a star—"

"Kuya! I don't plan to be a sugar mommy! Ano ba 'yang iniisip mo!" Naiinis na tugon ni Ivy sa kuya niya.

Her brother was getting more and more cuter these days, ang cute niyang hambalusin! Who's in the right mind to suggest their sister to be a sugar mommy? Diba wala? Stupid brother! Stupid for spoiling her rotten like this!

But really, what her brother just is indeed true kung gugustuhin niya lang. Since her brother own a entertainment company they can easily get the she likes, just by offering them benefits.

Marami din kasi sa mga stars ay hindi kayang sumikat sa boung buhay nila just by relying on their own. Kahit sabihin natin mayroong isa or dalawa ang sumikat kahit walang backer, but that's rare. Hindi lahat ng artist ay kayang palaguin ang sarili nila, so they tend to find a backer to raise their status in entertainment industry. So, it wasn't a wonder if a star was link on business tycoons or politicians.

However, although she have the power to do so Ivy have no plan on doing so besides, she already has someone she like. Hindi niya gustong bigyan ang lalaking iyon ng panibagong rason ara lumayo ito sa kanya, or she might never see him again in this lifetime knowing her man's personality.

"Oh?" Reply nito na para bang walang nangyari. "Why not? Diba gusto mong magmove-on?"

Ivy couldn't helped but roll her eyes, "Pero hindi sa gan'ong paraan, and may I remind you only people who still have feelings have the right to use 'move on', as for me, my feelings for him have long burn ito ashes." And I don't have any plans to rekindle it in this lifetime or the next.

Lennon was stunned with her cold reply, hindi niya alam kung anong nangyari sa kapatid niya to changed drastically for this past few days, but he liked her this way. "That's good to hear, I always want to give you the best Ivy. To be honest, even I think that chasing stars is indeed a troublesome business,"

When Ivy heard this she suddely remembered something and looking at him playfully, "Oh what about your new scandal Kuya? This one is quite unique,"

Hindi mapigilan ni Lennon na samaan ng tingin ang kapatid niya, "My team was already handling that matter, and I don't have any connection with that woman."

Actually, she didn't want to tease her brother, however this is the first time after more than a decade, she can talk to him freely like this. After all, the last convesation they shared was during on the phone call, but at that time their relationship deteriorated at the negative levels dahil sa katangahan niya.

Kung susumahin mas matanda pa siya sa kuya when in terms of mental age, however, she really couldn't helped but act childishly ever since she went back in time. Ivy just missed him terribly, she just wanted to send her time with him compensating his absences for all this years.

Ivy tilted her head and smiled, "Ah, this must be the reason bakit ayaw mong pumunta sa company. You feared that Kuya Luke will scold you, am I right?"

"Nope," He said indifferently at nagpatuloy sa pagbabasa.

"Talaga lang? Oh well, kahit naman ako ang magiging assistant mo I will surely scold you for doing such stupidity." Ivy chuckled.

This kind of issue isn't new at all, ever since he started his own business maraming nagkakandarapang maging asawa ang kuya niya. Kahit naman hindi ng kuya niya gustuhin, there are still quite a few brave people that would try their luck to seduce her brother para sumikat. Mostly sa kanila ay babae, pero meron din namang lalaki which is quite odd. Although she wasn't against homosexuality, however, it's just surprising na kahit mga lalaki ay nafa-fall sa charisma ng kuya niya.

Lennon hands paused, "You learned to tease me Ivy, getting more courageous nowadays?"

Ivy smirked, "Why not?"

He was quite stunned with her rebuttal, but before he could open his mouth Ivy's phone suddenly rang loudly in the room which halted his movements. Agad namang tiningnan ni Ivy ang kayang telepono and she was shock to see the caller, it was actually Luke. Realizing this, she couldn't helped but felt excited! It seems the gap between them is slowly shortening!

She immediately answered the call without any hesitation, "Kuya Luke," she called.

"Um, Ivy is your brother home?" Hearing his hoarse voice asking her brother's whereabout, she couldn't helped but turned her head towards her brother's direction. "He didn't show up this morning, nagpatawag ang board of directors ng meeting sa recent project ng kompanya ngayong alas dos."

Hindi mapigilang mapataas ang kilay niya ng marinig ito, her workaholic brother actually skip his job! Ito ang unang beses na narinig niya ang ganitong bagay, and even on her past life she never heard his brother acted out of character liike this. Pero sabagay, during this kind of time their relationship was quite strained due to her strong insistence of loving Axel. Siguro iyon ang dahilan bakit hindi na umuuwi ng bahay ang Kuya niya at mas pinili na lang na magkulong sa office ng kompanya niya.

Thinking back her stupid actions in the past, she couldn't helped but facepalmed. Her brother really don't deserve a foolish sibling like her.

"What's wrong with you?" She mouthed in cofusion, her brother didn't reply, instead he just stared at her with sullen expression, to be exact on her phone. "Kuya!" Mahinang tawag niya dito, pero imbes na sumagot si Lennon ay ipinagkrus niya lang ang kanyang braso sa dibdib.

Seeing her 'mature' brother acting like a seven year old spoiled brat, the corner of her mouth couldn't stop twitching. In the end Ivy can only rolled her eyes in silence before replying back to Luke, "He's here, nagbabasa ng paborito niyang magazine."

"Is he alright?" he asked softly.

Ivy let out a sigh, "I should be the one asking you that Kuya," Pagkasabi ni Ivy dito ilang segundong hindi sumagot si Luke sa kanya, "I see, tell your brother I'll be there right away." He replied. She didn't know whether it was her illusion or not, but she can hear guilt in his voice.

"Sure, Kuya Luke."

"Thank you, Ivy." After that, the call finally ended.

She was quite confused with this situation, however she can only shrugged and stood up. Wala na siyang ganang magliwaliw, and the time of her practice was getting nearer and it was better to spend her time to practice, especially at malapit na ang araw kompetasyon. Kahit na mayroon siyang mahigit isang dekadang experience, it doesn't guarantee her at all.

All she need to do now, is to practice until she reached perfection. Practice until she can proudly tell everyone that she finally mastered her skills, practice and practice...

"Ivy,"

"Huh?" Agad siyang napalingon sa kuya niya.

"Would you..." Lennon paused as he looked at her intensely, they remained standstill for a few seconds and didn't utter any words. "Um, nevermind," he waved his hands dismissively at her.

Ivy couldn't helped but looked at him inquisitively for a while, seeing that her brother have no plans of continuing his words wala siyang magawa kundi tumalikod na lang papunta sa kanyang practice area. Ngunit, bago pa siya makahakbang papasok ng kwarto, her phone suddenly rang and this time it was from an unknown caller.