233 A Friendly Advice

[Johan's POV]

"That blond guy. Who is he?" Jerome asked as they made their way to the busy sidewalk of Guadalupe Bridge, still in their costume. He was holding a half-empty cup of kiwi-flavored fruit shake, while his other hand carried another plastic cup of quail eggs coated in an orange batter that matched his hair. Shoving one egg to his mouth, he turned to him, chewed, then took a huge sip on his drink. "It's not like we're doing anything wrong, but he seems so bothered you're spending time with me. Is he a suitor, or a boyfriend already?"

Johan rested his arms on the concrete rails of the bridge that overlooked the city of Manila and the—unfortunately—biologically dead, polluted Pasig River. With his own drinks and street-bought foods, he popped a quail's egg to his mouth before shaking his head, the warm wind of dusk and pollution ruffling his hair. "No, he's just a friend—a special friend who hangs around."