Surrendering In The Devil's Temptation (FULL ENGLISH)

Leandra's Property!

Fuck off!

Do not disturb!

Leandro stared at the words plastered across the door.

Every time he passed Leandra's room, he would stop and find himself staring at her door. He couldn't help it. It always reminded him of the days when they were younger, back when they were inseparable.

They used to play together all the time and walk home from school together. They shared countless memories, and back then, he couldn't imagine a day without his sister by his side.

But everything changed when he entered high school.

Leandra gradually grew distant, and the bond they once shared slowly faded. They no longer walked home together, and whenever they crossed paths on campus, she would act as though he didn't exist.

These days, they only spoke to each other when one of them needed something.

"Fuck off. Do not disturb," Julian read aloud from outside Leandra's door.

"What is it?"

Both boys jumped when the door suddenly swung open.

Standing before them was Leandra, her expression serious and her eyebrows raised in annoyance. She looked every bit like the intimidating older sister she was known to be.

Her gaze always seemed cold whenever she looked at him, as though he had committed some unforgivable crime. Yet, to Leandro, she was always beautiful. Adorable, even.

His heart would race every time their eyes met-especially when he found himself looking into those beautiful green eyes that reminded him of a lush, thriving forest.

"S-Senior Leandra. G-Good evening," Julian stammered.

"Hmm. Do you need something?"

Julian nudged Leandro with his elbow, silently urging him to speak.

"A-Ah... n-no. We were just passing by."

"Oh."

That was all Leandra said before closing the door in their faces.

"Oh, my God! I thought I was going to die!" Julian exclaimed, clutching his chest.

Leandro could only manage a bitter smile before walking toward his own room, which was directly opposite his sister's.

---

Leandra sighed as she lay half-sprawled across her bed. A small smile tugged at her lips as she glanced at the little calendar sitting on her study table.

Only two months remained before she'll from high school.

She's happy. Soon, she would finally be able to leave this house.

Her mother had already agreed to her decision, while their father seemed utterly indifferent to whatever she wanted to do with her life.

She had always wanted to leave this place because staying here made her feel miserable. It made her lonely.

Things were no longer the way they used to be.

Everyone in this house had changed. They were no longer the happy family they once were. Their parents were always busy with work, and her little brother had grown up.

She couldn't treat him the way she used to, no matter how much a part of her wished she could.

In her eyes, he was no longer the adorable little boy she used to play with and sleep beside.

He had been cute-ridiculously cute.

That was until the day she saw him with a girl on campus.

It was then that she realized her little brother was no longer a child. He was growing into a fine young man.

But why?

Why did her heart ache every time she saw him with another girl?

She didn't want to admit that she was jealous, but her heart seemed determined to betray her.

That was why she did everything she could to avoid him.

She needed to get rid of these feelings. Somehow, she had to wash them away before they became impossible to ignore.

A smile spread across her face when she heard the familiar sound of the front door opening.

"Mom!"

She hurried out of her room to greet her mother.

Her mother smiled when she saw her.

"Lea. Have you eaten yet?"

Leandra shook her head.

"Didn't Leandro cook anything?" her mother asked, her voice tinged with irritation.

She angrily dropped her bag onto a chair and was about to head toward Leandro's room.

"Mom, please. He's doing his homework with his friend."

"Oh..." Her mother paused. "I thought that boy had messed up again."

With a dismissive huff, her mother pulled out her phone. Her expression brightened as soon as she read something on the screen.

Leandra let out a quiet, bitter sigh.

Sometimes, she felt grateful that her mother adored her. But whenever she saw how differently their mother treated Leandro, she couldn't help feeling sad.

It broke her heart.

"I'm sorry, dear. I already ate at a restaurant with a friend. I'll order pizza for you, okay?"

Pizza again? I had that last night, too, Leandra thought.

Whenever her mother came home, pizza was almost always what they had for dinner. Sometimes, she couldn't help wishing her mother would simply stay out a little longer. At least then, she wouldn't have to pretend to enjoy another pizza when she could have eaten something Leandro cooked instead.

She forced a small smile.

"That's fine, Mom," she replied sweetly.

Her mother placed the order and then began talking to someone on her phone. From the kitchen, Leandra could hear her mother's soft, affectionate laughter coming from outside the house.

Meanwhile, she sat alone, waiting. She pressed a hand against her forehead when the noise from Leandro's room reached her ears. She had always been unusually sensitive to her surroundings. Her hearing, sense of smell, taste, and even her other senses seemed sharper than those of most people. Unfortunately, that also meant she could hear almost everything happening in the room across from hers.

"Hahaha! Vivian is all yours, man! She already has a crush on you, so why don't you just court her?"

"Idiot. We're just friends."

"But... uh... do you like her, too?"

"Idiot! No, I don't!"

"Yeah, right. Keep denying it. You always walk her home, don't you?"

"I told you, we're just friends!"

"Shut up! Ate might hear us!"

Ate is a tagalog term of an elder sister.

"Ehh..."

Julian clearly had no intention of stopping. He continued teasing Leandro, even going so far as to tickle him until they were both laughing. Their laughter grew louder, especially when Julian ended up leaning over him.

"Julian, what the hell! Stop it! Hahaha! Julian-"

They both froze when the door suddenly flew open.

Leandro went completely still.

"A-Ate..." he managed to say.

His voice cracked when he saw the blank expression on her face as she stared at them.

"Leandra! The pizza is here!" their mother called from outside.

"Mom, Leandro is gay!" Leandra shouted before turning around and walking away.

"What?! Leandro!"

Their mother's furious voice sent both boys scrambling to their feet.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I'm getting out of here," Julian said hastily.

"Huh? W-Wait!"

Leandro tried to stop him, but Julian had already climbed through the window and jumped out.

Leandro heard him groan upon landing, but he wasn't particularly worried. The ground below was covered with grass, so Julian would be fine.

"Leandro!" His mom called.

"Coming!" he answered before hurriedly making his way to the kitchen.

The moment he saw the familiar look in his mother's eyes, he immediately lowered his head. Those eyes always made him bow his head in submission. They were the kind of eyes that could silence him without a single word and fill him with fear before he even knew what he had done wrong.

"Is it true? Are you gay?"

"Mom, no! She-"

"Then why are you always hanging out with him? Are you playing both sides? You're going out with Vivian, and you're also going out with him?"

"Ate, no!"

"Be quiet! Don't you dare talk back to your sister!"

"Mom!" Leandra screamed.

A sharp slap echoed through the kitchen as their mother struck Leandro across the face.

Leandra rushed forward and immediately stepped between them, shielding her brother.

"Mom, what are you doing?!" she shouted furiously.

Their mother didn't answer. She merely glared at Leandro one last time before grabbing her bag and heading toward the front door.

"I won't be home for the next few weeks. Tell your father if he ever comes home," she snapped.

Then she slammed the door behind her.

Leandra let out a heavy sigh before turning toward Leandro.

He was still standing with his head bowed.

"A-Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly. "I... I'm sorry. It was only supposed to be a joke. I got annoyed because you were being too loud."

Leandro lowered his head a little further, a smile appearing on his lips.

Leandra was taken aback.

"I'm okay," he answered with a smile.

She said nothing.

Instead, she stared directly into his eyes.

Those ocean-blue eyes looked so sad and lonely that she knew he was only pretending.

He couldn't fool her.

Her heart began pounding furiously.

She was angry. Not at Leandro, but at their mother. She hated how easily their mother could hurt him without a second thought.

"Oh, pizza!" Leandro suddenly exclaimed, his voice brightening as he tried to change the subject.

Leandra bit her lower lip. Seeing him smile like that only made her heart ache even more.

Fuck it.

Without saying another word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," she whispered into his ear, holding him tightly.

Leandro froze in surprise.

Her embrace was warm-so warm that the feeling seemed to travel straight to his heart, making it beat faster than ever.

"Ate..."

"Shhh... It's okay. You can cry if you want to. Mom is gone now. Just let it all out."

Leandro didn't answer.

Those were the same words she used to whisper to him when they were little, whenever he felt sad or their mother scolded him.

"Ate..."

"Shhh..."

Leandra tightened her embrace, holding him as though she wanted to protect him from everything that had hurt him.

I want to tell her that she's making me uncomfortable, but... why does this feel so good? Leandro wondered silently.

In the end, he simply smiled and slowly lifted his arms to hug her back.

Leandra froze. His large hands made her feel strangely uncomfortable.

It was unfamiliar.

She had hugged her little brother countless times when they were children, but this felt different. His arms were broader now, and his presence no longer felt like that of the little boy she remembered. She pulled away slightly, her face growing warm.

"Ate... are you okay?"

"H-Hey..." She struggled to find the right words. "W-When did you grow up like this? H-How did you get so... big?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, my God! What am I even thinking?" Leandra muttered, repeatedly patting her flushed cheeks as though she could somehow knock the ridiculous thoughts out of her head. "Oh, dear!"

"Are you okay? Why is your face so red?"

Leandro reached out and gently touched her forehead.

"H-Huh? It's nothing! D-Don't do that!"

She hurriedly stepped away from him.

"And please, don't hug me again next time! Oh, my God! What's happening to me?"

Muttering like a woman who had completely lost her mind, Leandra rushed upstairs.

Leandro was left standing in the kitchen, utterly dumbfounded. He didn't understand what had just happened. But strangely enough, seeing his sister act that way was a new experience for him. And he couldn't deny that he wanted to see it again.

There was something oddly satisfying about watching her become flustered around him. For once, it felt as though he had the upper hand. He glanced at the pizza sitting on the counter. They had eaten pizza just yesterday, and now they were having it again.

He knew Leandra wasn't particularly fond of pizza. He also knew that she preferred Hawaiian, yet their mother always ordered Margherita for them. He let out a quiet sigh, closed the pizza box, and walked over to the sink.

After washing his hands, he opened the refrigerator. His face scrunched up when he saw how little food remained inside. He closed the refrigerator and opened the cupboard above it.

A smile immediately spread across his face when he spotted several packets of instant pancit canton. He took a few packets out and grabbed some eggs to add to the noodles.

"Don't use the Chili-Mansi flavor!" Leandra shouted from upstairs.

Leandro smiled to himself.

Of course, he already knew that.

She hated sour flavors and rarely ate anything with that kind of taste. That was why he never bought anything except the Xtra Hot flavor of pancit canton.

He knew her preferences by heart. And for the first time that evening, he felt as though they were slowly finding their way back to each other.

He didn't want this night to go to waste. Who knew when he would get another chance to be close to her again before she moved out of the house?

He wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.

This time, he would do everything he could to rebuild the bond they had lost.