Appreciation

"Shion was a good protagonist, wasn't he?", tanong ni Keil kay Rie. Tumango lang si Rie habang nagpupunas ng luha sa mga mata niya.

"He was the perfect character for my novel. Poetic, but not too unrealistic. Tragic, but also heartwarming.", Keil continued. "Tama ka. Maybe I should've let Shion live. Iris didn't deserve that kind of ending, after everything she's been through, too.

But that's exactly how stories end in novels, don't they?

The truth is, not everything goes the way you wanted, even if you worked so hard on it that you have bled from your eyes and nose. Minsan, hindi mo maasahan ang tadhana. That was what I wanted my novel to be about.

To appreciate what you have, while you still have them."

Keil gave out another sigh, observing the clouds as he talked. Not noticing that Rie has been looking at him all this time. Not noticing how Rie wants to cry at how painful Keil said those words. Not knowing that the more he talks, the more Rie knows. And the more Rie knows, the more she wants to know Keil.

"Sorry", Rie apologized.

Keil smiled at her, reassuring that everything she did wass just normal, especially after reading that novel. Rie look down, trying to stop her tears from falling once again.

"So you were K?", she asked.

Keil nodded his head, realizing that Rie must have heard of the name. "Ironic, isn't it? Such a great author, yet behind the mask is someone as incompetent as me."

"Yeah, how ironic. Never would I have thought that K would turn out to be someone like you.", Rie replied.

Keil's face became gloomy, but before he could say another word, Rie continued.

"Someone who do writes fiction, but based on reality? That certainly is ironic. Even more ironic because I liked the story despite how I cried so much for it."

Keil was speechless. He looked at Rie, finally noticing how Rie's eyes was locked onto him.

"Stand tall, my servant; I commend your every word", Rie softly whispered as he reached out her hand, touching the cheeks of Keil. Nagkatinginan ng matagal ang dalawa, and as it goes longer, Keil becomes more... closer, to something... As if he was going to find out something from Rie's glimmering eyes.

But as expected of an inexperienced teenager, he couldn't handle the closeness of their faces and turned red. They both blushed, and stayed away from each other's faces.

"Th-that was from your book, actually... Chapter 12, Iris said that as part of her reply to Shion's proposal.", Rie cleared herself.

Of course, the writer himself knew this, but was still flustered by the earlier situation. "Anyway, let's go back to class. Baka mahuli pa tayo sa klase.", pagyaya nito.

Sa hallway ay magkasabay na naglalakad ang dalawa, but in an obvious distance, as if they're embarrassed about something. Nakasalubong sila ni Drei na nanggaling naman sa comfort room, at nang makita sila nito,

"What's with the couple vibes?"

He triggered them even more. Keil rushed towards Drei, leaving behind Rie who was blushing even more than before. Hinila ni Keil pabalik sa room si Drei, habang nililinaw ang nangyari. "We're not in that kind of relationship, you idiot!".

Meanwhile, Drei smiled with a smug look in his face, seeing how embarrassed Keil was.

Later that afternoon...

Rie looked at his seatmate, Keil, who was at the moment preparing his things before going home. Marahang nitong hinila ang damit ng binata upang kunin ang atensyon nito.

"Hoy, Keil... Di ko pa pala naibabalik yung libro". Inabot nito kay Keil ang libro, pagkatapos ay uuwi na sana, nang tawagin siya ulit ni Keil. "Rie... Wanna go home together?".

Rie turned around, immediately agreeing to Keil's proposal. She was actually going to ask Keil first, but backed down, thinking that Keil might think it means something.

Habang naglalakad ang dalawa ay inilabas ni Keil ang wallet mula sa kanyang bag. Binuksan niya ito, at ngumiti. Pagkatapos ay bumaling ang tingin nito kay Rie at nagtanong.

"Kain tayo? Treat ko."

The two ended up at a nearby fastfood chain where they ordered burger and fries. Habang kumakain ay naalala ni Rie na magtanong kay Keil.

"Yung libro, di pa yun officially released, di'ba? Why let me read it first?".

Tiningnan siya ni Keil na noon ay di makapagsalita dahil sa pagkain nito. Dali-dali nitong nilunok ang pagkain at sumagot. "Well, magkaibigan na din naman tayo for some time, so I figured why not?", he answered nonchalantly.

"Plus, di ko natiis yung sarili ko after seeing those look in your eyes when you saw my book. It was writer's instinct, I guess", dagdag pa nito.

Aminado naman si Rie sa sinabi ni Keil. Sadyang fangirl talaga si Rie ng mga libro, much likely because that's all she could rely on for someone who doesn't have solid friends.

Natapos kumain ang dalawa, at tumuloy na pauwi. Nang maihatid na ni Keil si Rie sa sakayan malapit sa bahay ng dalaga, umalis na din ito. Mula sa kinatatayuan ni Rie ay naaaninag ang takipsilim, habang tumatama ang sinag nito sa naglalahong wangis ni Keil mula sa malayo. Ngumiti si Rie, as she whispered the words "see ya tomorrow".