Chapter 4

HEARING that answer, she turned and ran into her room. She couldn’t even imagine herself imagining the way she showers. Agad itong napatigil nang maalala ang bikini na naiwan sa shower room. Kaya dali-dali itong nagsuot ng bathrobe at kumatok sa kabilang kwarto.

“Excuse me. I don’t mean to disturb you, but I think I left something.” She knocked three times pero wala itong sagot. Naisip n’ya na baka may pinuntahan ito kaya napagpas’yahan n’yang bumalik mamaya. Lingid sa kaalaman nito ay may palihim na kumukuha sa kanila ng litrato.‘Regina Alterro, huh? How dare you! Let’s see if you can get away with this.’

Pagbukas ng elevator ay napansin ni Jaceang isang taong palihim na nagtatago sa isang banda. May dala itong camera at tila nakaturo sa direksyon ng kanyang kwarto. Sanay na sila sa ganoong sitwasyon, but he felt uneasy this time. Dumiretso nalang ito sa kanyang kwarto at nagkunwaring walang nakita. He was about to close the door when the girl from the next room began to appear in front of her.

“Wait! I have left something in your room.” Sabi ng dalaga habang pinipigilan ang pagsara ng pinto. He didn’t know how to react. Alam nyang may kamera ang nakatutok sa kanila, hindi nya pwedeng papasukin ang dalaga dahil tiyak na malaking eskandalo ang kalalabasan nito.

“Let’s talk later. I have to go to the bathroom,” he reasoned out. Lalong nanlaki ang mga mata ng dalaga kayat buong lakas nitong tinulak ang pintuan. Hindi na nakabuwelo pa ang binata kaya sabay silang natumba sa sahig.She was on top of her at naglapat ang kanilang mga dibdib, konting galaw na lang ay halos magkadikit na din ang kanilang mga labi. There was a moment of silence when a sudden flash of a camera took their attention. Agad silang bumangon at ang binata ay sinubukang habulin ang taong naka itim na hoodie ngunit sa bilis nito ay ‘di n’ya naabutan. ‘Shit!’

Agad namang bumangon ang dalaga at naalala n’ya na wala pa nga pala itong suot bukod sa bra at panty. Buti nalang mahigpit ang pagkakatali nito sa kanyang roba. She went straight to the shower room and picked up her things, then stormed out of the room like a thief. Pagbalik naman ng binata ay napakunot ito nang makitang wala na ang dalaga. Leaving just like that? ’He went to her room and knocked.

“Open the door,” he said in his softest voice.Narinig ng dalaga ang katok sa pintuan ngunit hindi n’ya ito pinag bubuksan. “We need to talk.”

Nang mapansin ng babae na kalma naman ang lbinata ay binuksan nito ang kanyang pintuan. The guy was staring at her na para bang gusto s’yang kainin ng buhay. He stepped inside the room and locked the door.

“What are you doing?” she asked. Kinakabahan ito dahil iba ang tingin sa kanya ng lalaki.

Jace was furious. Naiinis s’ya dahil kakatapos lang ng isang isyu tungkol sa kanya ngunit heto at mukhang pangalan n’ya nanaman ang magiging usap-usapan. Those kinds of issues make him want to quit being an idol. They won’t even give them some privacy. But just then, he realized it wasn’t all her fault. His gaze shifted to her, who was now teary eyed. Napalunok ito ng makita ang dalaga na parang takot sa kanya. ‘Wait, is she thinking I’m going to do something bad?’

“I apologize. I meant no harm.’ He closed the door and went back to her room, leaving the woman speechless.

Back in his room, Jace was walking back and forth. He feels like he needs to say sorry, but a part of him says he doesn’t need to. ‘Shouldn’t she be the one that needs to apologize for just barging into my room? ‘

Just then, he decided to go get a drink at a nearby club. Shots here and there, shots everywhere.

He disguised himself para walang makakilala sa kanya. But still, some girls wanted to flirt with her. May mga babaeng pinipilit na makisayaw sa kanya, but he didn’t like it. He didn’t like the idea of girls flirting with him. Suddenly, the woman’s image suddenly flashed into his mind.

IT WAS then in the evening and Jazy wasn’t back in the hotel yet. Ang paalam n’ya lang sa kaibigan ay may pupuntahan ito saglit ngunit hindi na nakabalik. Kaya naman naisipan n’yang tawagan ito.

“Reg, are you sure you’ll be okay?” tanong ng kaibigan sa kabilang linya.

“H’wag kang mag-alala. I’ll be okay here. Just be sure you’ll be back tomorrow. We can’t miss our trip.” Regina giggled. “Kailangan natin na bumalik sa Seoul.”

“Oo na, don’t worry. I’ll be back. I have to go now. See you tomorrow,” pagpapaalam nito. Pagkababa ng tawag ay agad na pumasok sa kanyang isipan ang itsura ng gwapong lalaki. She wanted to curse him, but his tiny smirk playing across his face kept on flashing her mind. ‘Gosh! Inaakit ba n’ya ako?’

Sa kakaisip ay humiga ang dalaga sa kanyang kama at minabuti na matulog. Nakukuha na ng dalaga ang antok nito nang makarinig s’ya ng marahang katok sa kanyang pintuan. She thought it might be Jazy. ‘Iniwan na naman siguro ng ka-date nya.’

She woke up and opened the door. She didn’t even mind putting on her robe since she was wearing her nightie. After all, it was just her friendship’s expecting. Pagbukas ng pintuan ay tumambad sa kanya ang isang lalaking amoy alak. Hindi paman s’ya nakakapagsalita ay agad itong pumasok sa loob at dumiretso sa kama.

“What the hell?” Napanganga si Regina at nakaramdam na naman ito ng pagkabahala. She closed the door and followed the young man. Sinubukan n’ya itong hilain palabas, but he was too heavy for her to pull. “Hey! This isn’t your room!”

But she didn’t get an answer. Marahan n’yang sinilip ang binata at nang mapansing tulog ito ay tsaka lang sya nakahinga ng maluwag. Nakakunot na umupo ang dalaga sa sofa at linilabas ang kanyang cell phone.

‘Jace Park.’ He searched for his name at agad namang lumabas ang mga larawan at ang grupo ng binata. ‘So, he is really famous.’

Once again, he gazed at the young man from under furrowed brows. Iniisip n’ya kung gigisingin nya ito o hahayaan nalang, pwede naman s’yang matulog sa sofa. ‘No! Bakit s’ya matutulog dito e kwarto ko ‘to.’.

“Hey, wake up,” she whispered. She stepped a little closer to him and noticed his face to be all red. The guy wears pants and a simple black shirt and a black cap na natanggal sa pagkakahiga. Kahit amoy alak ito ay nangingibabaw ang bango n’ya. He has this fragrance of floral and citrus. Sa pagkakatitig ay hindi n’ya namalayan na palapit na ng palapit ang kanyang mukha sa binata.

‘You got soft monolids…Ang haba pala ng pilik-mata mo sa malapitan, and you got plump lips.’ Unti-unting naibaba ng dalaga ang tingin sa bandang pantalon pero binawi nito agad ang tingin paitaas dahil biglang gumalaw ang binata. Gumalaw ang binata at pumwesto ito na parang batang nilalamig. ‘Is he cold?’

Hinawakan nito ang noo ng lalaki at napagtanto na nilalagnat nga ito. Agad n’ya itong inihiga ng maayos at kumuha ng bimpo para kanyang mapunasan. Hindi n’ya alam pero ang inis na nararamdaman n’ya ay bigla nalang nawala. Buong gabi n’ya itong binantayan at hindi namalayan na nakatulog na pala ito.

Jace woke up the next morning and felt okay. Batid nitong hindi maganda ang pakiramdam n’ya kagabi kaya bumalik na ito sa hotel. But he found herself knocking at the girl’s room. He wanted to say sorry, but at the same time; he felt dizzy. Kaya naman humiga nalang ito ng diretso sa higaan. He looked at the woman to her right, nakaupo ito ngunit ang kalahati ng kanyang katawan ay nasa higaan. The man stared at her pretty face for a moment before covering her body with a blanket, making his heart skip a beat.

‘Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like I need to be close to you?