CHAPTER THREE

BLUE, RED, GREY, AND GREEN WERE IN THE CAFETERIA FOR LUNCH. They were chatting and laughing, except for Red, who rarely spoke. He quietly listened to his friends.

 The four of them were taking the same course: Business Administration, majoring in Finance. They had known each other since elementary school, forming a strong and lasting friendship.

 “I have a new friend. She’s coming here to join us,” Blue said, steering the conversation in a different direction.

 “She? I smell something good. Another meal to savor?” Grey teased, earning a sharp glare from Red. He scratched his head sheepishly. “Sorry.”

 “She’s my friend. And don’t you dare disrespect her, or you’ll have to deal with me,” Blue warned.

 Red smiled secretly upon hearing his twin’s words. He sat beside Blue, while Green sat across from him.

 “Then who is she?” Green asked, frowning.

 “She’s already here.” Blue stood up and looked toward the approaching figure. “Katleya!”

 Red turned to look at the girl, scratching his head. He remembered what had happened in the garden yesterday. He felt embarrassed, as he had spent the entire night thinking about it.

 “Wow! Miss Montenegro is in the house,” Green said in awe as he watched the young woman approach.

 “When did you meet her, Blue?” Grey whispered.

 “Yesterday in the garden,” Blue replied.

 Katleya arrived at their table without hesitation, showing complete trust in her new friend.

 Blue stood and placed an arm around her. “Hi, Kat. Meet my friends. This is Grey, the most flirtatious and handsome one in the group. That’s Green, the youngest and most athletic. And that grumpy guy who looks like me? Look at him. Just overreacting, right? I even forgot his name. All I remember is he’s mean to me.”

 “Hi,” Katleya greeted politely.

 “Hello, Miss Swalla,” Grey said.

 “Miss Montenegro,” Green added.

 “Have a seat,” Blue offered. He guided Katleya to his previous seat and grabbed a new chair to sit beside her. “Have you eaten? I’ll get your order.”

 “Wow! A gentleman,” Grey teased, exchanging high-fives with Green.

 “Stop teasing me,” Blue said.

 “I know both of you think Blue has plans for me, but I know he’s sincere and real. I trust him,” Katleya said.

 “Agreed.” Blue smiled at her. “And I won’t break the trust you’ve given me. That’s a promise.”

 Red’s eyes widened at his twin’s unusually serious tone.

 “Noted,” Katleya replied, turning to face Red. “Hi, Red.”

 Red simply nodded and remained silent. Then he stood up, intending to leave. He still felt awkward around her.

 “Red,” Katleya called out.

 He turned, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

 “W-Where are you going? Can’t you stay a bit longer?”

 “I have no reason to stay. Shall I go?” he replied coldly, turning and starting to walk away.

 Blue stood up. “Red!”

 Red turned and glared at his twin, making Blue nervous. He walked toward Blue and, once he reached him, placed a hand on his shoulder.

 “What? Didn’t you say you forgot my name?” Red asked.

 Blue scratched his head. “Tsk! I remember now. Drive me home later, okay? And just so you know, I told Grandma about you did to me.”

 “And?” Red chuckled.

 “Prepare yourself. She’s going to scold you,” Blue said, grinning.

 Red tapped Blue’s arm twice. “I’m always ready, crybaby. Can I go now?”

 Blue shrugged off Red’s hand. “Aren’t you scared?”

 “Why should I be? Grandma loves me,” Red replied.

 “She loves me more than you,” Blue said confidently, knowing how much their grandmother adored him.

 “That’s what you think,” Red countered, glancing at Katleya. “I’m leaving. Sorry about my behavior.”

 Without waiting for a response, Red walked away. Deep inside, he admitted to himself that he wasn’t ready to face her yet.

 ••

 BLUE SAT DOWN with a frown, visibly annoyed that his brother didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by his words. He wanted Red to fear him, just once.

 “What’s wrong with you?” Katleya asked, laughing softly as she looked at him.

 Blue slammed his hand on the table. “Annoying. He didn’t even flinch at what I said. Tsk! You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll get us some food.”

 “I’ll come with you,” Katleya offered, standing up.

 “Sure.”

 At the counter, while Katleya picked out her meal, Blue casually draped an arm around her shoulders. The students behind them began whispering and secretly taking photos. Both Blue and Katleya were well-known on campus, making their closeness a hot topic.

 “I want pasta and strawberry tea,” Katleya said to the cashier, handing over her money. Blue stopped her.

 “This cafeteria belongs to us, so your meal’s on me,” Blue said, winking at the cashier. “Just put it on my tab, miss.”

 “Got it, Sir Blue,” the cashier replied.

 “They might lose money that way. Every centavo has value,” Katleya said.

 “And you have value to me,” Blue replied with a grin, winking at her.

 Katleya smiled. “You’re really good at those lines.”

 “Of course,” Blue said, his smile widening as he spotted someone approaching. “Selena’s coming. Delicious.”

 “I’m happy to witness your transformation into a villain,” Katleya teased, laughing.

 “Sh*t! I’m getting hard, Kat. Wait for the order here; I’ll go talk to Selena,” Blue said, walking over to the girl. He immediately put an arm around her. “How’s it going, Selena?”

 “Missing you,” Selena replied with a sly smile.

 “Later?” Blue suggested.

 “What about now?” Selena whispered, her boldness clearly affecting him.

 “You’re tempting me, aren’t you?”

 “Blue,” Katleya called, holding the tray of food she had ordered. “It’s ready.”

 “W-Wait,” Blue stammered, turning back to Selena. “Tell your naughty thoughts to calm down. I’ll be back after I eat with Kat.”

 “Okay. I’ll wait for you,” Selena replied coyly.

 Blue gave her a quick hug before returning to Katleya. He took the tray from her hands, and they walked back to their table together.

 “Enjoy your meal,” Blue said as Katleya sat down.

 “I will. Thanks,” she replied, beginning to eat. The group watched her with amusement.

 “Have you had a boyfriend before, Miss Swalla?” Grey asked.

 “Yes, for two and a half years,” Katleya answered.

 “What a lucky guy,” Green remarked.

 Katleya paused, looking up from her food. “If you’re thinking we did the things you’re imagining, we didn’t.”

 “W-What?” Grey stammered, stunned.

 Katleya smiled. “Love isn’t all about s*x.”

 “Okay, but why did you break up?”

 “He turned out to like men,” Katleya replied with a smile, glancing at Blue. “He likes you.”

 “What? Where is he? I’ll deal with him,” Blue said, feigning anger.

 Katleya laughed. “He moved to L.A. They migrated a year ago after we broke up.”

 “What a waste,” Blue said, pouting.

 …

 THE GATES OF the Montenegro Mansion swung open as the twins drove in Red’s sports car. Blue couldn’t stop grinning, thrilled at the thought of their grandmother, Rosa, scolding Red as promised. He had been eagerly anticipating this moment.

 The car came to a stop, and Red immediately stepped out. Blue, however, chose to stay inside for a moment, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself. He had a plan for revenge. Opening his Facegram account, he prepared to go live. He wanted everyone to witness his brother’s humiliation. A giggle escaped him as he imagined what might happen.

 Stepping out of the car, Blue started his live stream, unable to hide his giddy smile.

 “Hi to my BLUElicious fans! I’m here at our humble home. I want you all to witness my brother getting scolded live,” he said, pointing the camera toward Red, who was busy taking off his shoes. “You see, my twin here kicked me out of the car this morning. So rude, right? And since my motto in life is that revenge is sweet, I decided to get even. But don’t copy me, okay? This is just me being me.”

 He chuckled and continued, “So, what I did was tell Grandma about it, and she promised me she’d scold him when we got home. And because I’m generous, I want you all to see him cry like a baby. So now, let’s go!”

 Blue followed Red inside, keeping him in the frame. He didn’t bother removing his shoes, excited to capture the moment.

 “Here we go, guys. There’s Grandma. She’s the one in the red dress—not the other one, she’s just our neighbor. Now Red’s walking toward her. The scolding begins in 3… 2… 1!”

 “Baby Red!” Rosa exclaimed, pulling Red into a hug—a moment clearly caught on camera.

 “Grandma! Didn’t you say you’d scold Red?” Blue blurted out, his voice loud.

 Rosa turned to him with a stern look and then glanced at the camera.

 “Here it comes, guys! She’s about to scold him. She probably just forgot,” Blue assured his audience.

 “Blue! You little rascal! Why did you bring your shoes into the house? Take them off immediately!” Rosa yelled.

 Blue kept the camera on her. “Grandma, scold Red first. I’m live, you know! Hi, BLLUElicious! Just wait a few seconds. She’s really going to do it. Promise.”

 The moment Blue noticed the stick in Rosa’s hand, he bolted out of the mansion, ending the live stream with a pout. Outside, he sighed and took off his shoes before walking back inside.

 “Grandma! You promised to scold Red!”

 Red smirked as he watched his brother, even sticking out his tongue to tease him.

 “Bleh your face!” Blue snapped.

 “What’s the one thing I always remind you?” Rosa asked firmly.

 “Don’t talk back to elders,” Blue recited, scratching his head. “But we’re only a minute apart! Tsk!”

 “It doesn’t matter. Now, both of you, get changed. I’ve cooked your favorites: kare-kare and pork sinigang.”

 “W-What?!” Blue exclaimed, turning to his brother. “Why’d you include his favorite sinigang, Grandma? I only requested kare-kare, didn’t I? Tsk!”

 Red draped an arm around Blue’s shoulders. “Next time, try harder when you tattle.”

 “Don’t touch me. I’m mad at you,” Blue grumbled.

 Red tightened his hold. “I love you.”

 “I’m not weak,” Blue retorted stubbornly, elbowing him.

 Red kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, Blue.”

 “Tsk! Fine. We’re good now.”

 The two laughed as they headed to their room to change, eager to dig into the food their grandmother had lovingly prepared for them.