Perfect Image

Last night, after Keil went home from their three-day long trip...

"And when I sank deep down to the depths of despair, her hands extended to reach mine. Like a string of hope, she fished me out of that dark lake. Ironically, this fish was glad to get caught. Because as I went out of the murky water, I got to witness those glimmering eyes. Those sparkling smile, and that enchanting voice. All of a sudden, I had already forgotten what despair felt like. All that I can feel was the warmth of her hands, and that seraphic face of hers. Oh how I wish to witness her once more..."

Keil put down his pen and smiled. Kitang-kita sa mukha niya ang saya, at halatang punong-puno siya ng inspirasyon. Once after a while, Keil's face looked bright. He doesn't notice, but his face washed away the stress that built up in itself. He closed the notebook where he was writing on, with an unnamed chapter.

Kinabukasan...

Pumasok si Keil na may ngiti sa mukha. Nakasalubong niya ang mga kaibigan niya at maging sila ay napangiti ng makita ang aliwalas sa mukha ni Keil. They all rushed over him, and as Otep was walking close, he whispered to himself. "Heh? The selfish and awkward Keil who's always in a bad mood is smiling today, huh? Well, well, well. Sana lang, kung anuman ang dahilan ng happiness mo... Maging dahilan pa din ng pagngiti mo hanggang sa hindi mo na kailangan ng tulong ng kudos gang."

And speaking of the reason of his happiness, Keil still hasn't seen Mary since that night. Apparently, she is out for the week dahil sa isang seminar for artists. Turns out that Mary was a celebrity in the making, and has little time for school. Keil tried looking for her all over the school since she was famous, but this was the answer he got.

"It's fine, as long as I know that you really are not just a piece of my imagination trying to comfort me in that dark time. I do hope to see you again soon, though. That smile... I can never forget about it. This is the first time I experienced something straight out from those romantic novels I write", he zoned out in his thoughts.

Later that day..

"Oii, Keil", tawag ng kanyang katabi.

"Keil. Keil! Ke-illllll!!"

Keil, who was constantly zoning out, was surprised when his seatmate shouted his name and tickled him. He looked at her immediately with an annoyed look.

"Ano ba!? You can't just do that!".

It was Rie.

"Yes I can! I've been calling you many times and you only stare into the void. Are you perhaps stupid or what?", Rie teased her.

"W-what!? Course not. Sino kaya sa'ting dalawa?", he argued back. Rie just laughed at him, and Keil was embarrassed for falling in her trap.

"By the way, I've been calling you because Drei already went to the cafeteria. He's also been calling you many times already but you really seem out of it kaya ibinilin nalang niya sakin to tell you that you can just follow them there. There's still 15 minutes before the end of lunch break, you'd still make it if you run for your life", she jokingly said.

Keil said he'll pass, and just slept on his table. Rie gave out a sigh, and offered a bread to him.

"Here, that's from Drei. Eat."

Keil looked at the bread, then at Rie. He took the bread with an awkward look on his face, then asked.

"But how? Why?"

Rie laughed at him once again, and replied.

"Well, he kinda expected na tutulog ka lang ulit kaya bumalik siya na may dalang pagkain for you. He's nice, isn't he? Quite the friend A for the protagonist, I must say."

Keil was confused by what Rie meant. "Friend A? Protagonist? What does she mean by that?". He then proceeded to eat the bread hastily. While eating, he noticed that Rie was writing on her notebook instead of eating. He looked at her for some five minutes or so, then got fed up.

"Hey, Cheeky Rie. Why aren't you eating?"

Rie looked at him, distracted by the name she was called. In her face was a laugh that will burst any minute, and it did soon.

"HAHAHA, WHAT'S WITH THE NAME? I may be cheeky but I didn't really expect someone to use that as my nickname.. You.. you're something... That humor is killer!", Rie almost cried laughing at Keil, but Keil immediately noticed that she was just trying to dodge his question.

He pressed Rie's cheeks with her palms and asked again.

"Hey, stop dodging my question! Why aren't you eating!?"

Rie was surprised, and a bit frightened.

"H-hey, don't do that! It hurts!", she pushed Keil away, then held her own cheeks.

Keil was also surprised by his action, and immediately apologized. But he continued with his question, which finally drove Rie to a corner.

"Ih...Ihhh, ang totoo kasi nyan, walang iniwan si Drei na pagkain for you, hehe", pangisi-ngisi nitong sinabi.

"HA!!!???, ibig sabihin I just stole your lunch without me even noticing!?", ang sabi ni Keil na may halong galit at pagtataka. "Why go a distance for me? Are you out of your mind!?", dagdag pa nito.

Nginitian lamang siya ng dalaga habang nagdadahilan. "Hehehe, di naman kasi ako nagugutom, I'm actually on a diet kaya it also works out well for me. Right?"

"Nope. That isn't right."

Rie looked at Keil matapos nitong marinig ang biglang pagbabago ng tono ng binata.

"The heck is with that? Kinakaawaan mo na ako!? Because if you are then I don't like what you're doing. It makes me look down on myself even more than I already am. Stop."

Biglang natahimik ang dalawa. Hindi sumagot sa tanong ni Keil si Rie, at sa halip ay hinawi na lamang ang buhok at lumingon papalayo sa kanya.

After class...

Si Keil at si Rie nalang ang natira sa classroom. Pauwi na sana si Rie nang bigla siyang hinila ni Keil. Sinubukang kumawala ni Rie, ngunit bago pa siya magtangka ay binitawan na din siya nito. She looked at him, and saw within his eyes a serious intent.

"Stay. Don't go yet."

Keil's eyes were saying these lines to hers as both of their eyes met. Rie went back to her seat and looked down. She knew that Keil was mad, and she thought that he might hate her for what she did.

However, Keil smiled and pat her head. Then he kneeled down, to a level where their faces were almost inches close. "I'm sorry for what I did earlier. I just snapped without thinking, my bad. I'm sorry na, kaya please tell me why you did that because I just don't understand."

Rie looked at him, with eyes almost spilling tears. "Idiot, I just wanted to be your friend and you treat me like someone who wants to degrade you?", ang sabi nito habang pinapalo ng mahina ang balikat ni Keil.

Meanwhile, Keil, who was typically insensitive to these types of situations, knew exactly what to do. He felt the nostalgia in Rie's eyes. It was as if this has happened before. Inilabas niya ang kanyang panyo at ibinigay kay Rie. "Hatid na kita sa inyo, then you can tell me what I need to know on our way there. Malapit na din gumabi, it might be dangerous to go home alone."