"MASASAPAK talaga kita nang wala sa oras, Takeru. Naku! Huwag na huwag mo lang talagang maiisipang magpakita sa akin at seryosong-seryoso ako na malalagot ka sa akin," nanggigigil na bulong ni Yasha sa sarili niya habang patingin-tingin sa paligid kung saan siya kasalukuyang naghihintay. Well, it was actually Takeru who suggested that she goes to the botanical park. The purpose? To meet the psychiatrist he recommended--kung sino man iyon.
Ang ipinagtataka lang ni Yasha, bakit kailangan pang sa labas sila magkita ng psychiatrist na iyon? Eh puwede namang doon na lang sa bahay niya. But Takeru reasoned that they had to keep it a secret from Raiden kahit na ang kapatid pa niya mismo ang nag-suggest na magpakonsulta na siya sa psychiatrist. Para wala lang away, pinagbigyan na lang niya ito.
Pero pambihira naman! Kailangan ba talagang close to nature pa ang meeting place nina Yasha at ng kung sino mang psychiatrist iyon? Okay, she might have once admitted to Takeru that she was quite a nature lover--quite lang. Pero mukhang mali pa yata ang pagkakaintindi ng lalaking iyon doon.
But in all fairness, Yasha was entranced at the sight of the place. Weird as it might seem, but the area almost felt like it was... magical. Napaismid na lang siya at bahagyang napangiti. Grabe, magiging corny pa yata siya nang wala sa oras.
As Yasha continued to scan the place, she took it as an opportunity to take a lot of photos. Well, since the place was magical as she described it, sasamantalahin na niyang kumuha ng mga litrato. It was a good thing na dala-dala niya ang kanyang ever-trusted and truly beloved DSLR camera. Hindi talaga nakukumpleto ang araw niya hanggang hindi niya nagagamit ang camera na iyon, whether it was for a job or just random pictures of her family--most especially the pictures of her and her brother Raiden taken together.
But just for this time, Yasha would use it to capture the "magic" of that place. Baka nga kailangan niya iyon para mailihis ang isipan niya sa napakaraming problemang gumugulo sa isipan niya kahit pansamantala lang. Just for a few moments... and perhaps it would be enough.
Pero bago iyon, kailangan munang kalikutin ni Yasha ang kanyang camera para mainspeksyon ang anumang posibleng pagmulan ng problema kapag nag-umpisa na siyang kumuha ng mga litrato. Makalipas ang ilang sandali ay wala naman siyang nakitang problema. With that, she finally raised her head to start her photography.
Natigilan si Yasha nang tumambad sa kanya sa pag-angat niya ng tingin ang isang pamilyar na bulto. Or at least she felt it was familiar. Nakita na niya ang taong iyon. Great... Umiral na naman ang pagkamakakalimutin niya. But then she realized that she might have met that man somewhere--perhaps just a few years back.
'Urgh! Why do I have to ransack my brain like this again?' Nakakabuwisit para kay Yasha na ganitong may mga bagay na kailangang pilitin niya ang kanyang sarili na alalahanin iyon. Muli na lang niyang tiningnan ang taong iyon. Only to be shocked at the sight of the man's features kahit na side view pa lang iyon.
No wonder he was familiar to Yasha. Hindi niya puwedeng ipagkamali ang tindig ng nilalang na iyon. It was already engraved in her mind for so long. At mukhang itinalaga na talaga ng isipan niya na tandaan ito.
Hindi tuloy alam ni Yasha ang susunod na gagawin. Heto nga't feeling niya ay parang nablangko ang utak niya dahil lang sa nasilayan. Pero hindi! Hindi puwedeng magkaganoon. And then a thought entered her mind that made her smile.
Moments later, Yasha found herself taking pictures of Dr. Shingo Yanai despite the side being the only visible features. Hindi niya tuloy napigilang punahin--pero sinarili lang niya--na mas guwapo palang tingnan kapag ganoong nakatingala ito sa langit at parang napaka-peaceful ng aura nito. She had only seen it once and that was before she had a glimpse of the brutality that the said doctor was capable off behind that benevolent nerdy feature. But she'd think of that later. Mananamantala muna siya ng pagkakataon kaya naman patuloy lang siya sa pagkuha ng litrato ng mga poses nito.
Until seconds later, Yasha frowned upon a realization. Naibaba tuloy niya ang hawak na camera. 'Wait a minute…'
"Pasado na ba akong model-slash-subject mo?"
Yasha's eyes widened as she tried to force down her blush but failed terribly. Soon after, lumingon si Shingo sa kanya at ipinakita lang naman ng hudyong ito ang pamatay nitong ngiti. 'Damn it! Bakit ang guwapo pa rin ng lalaking ito pagkatapos ng lahat?' Well, despite being a nerd, he does look cool. And begrudgingly, she had to admit it dahil iyon naman ang totoo.
"I hate it when you're completely aware of your surroundings," nasabi na lang ni Yasha matapos niya itong irapan kunwari. Ginawa niya iyon matapos niyang pakalmahin ang sarili niya dahil ang puso niya, hayun at nagwawala sa presensiya nito. Kung bakit ba naman kasi ganoon ang epekto ng lalaking ito sa kanya hanggang sa mga sandaling iyon.
"I was trained to do that, Miss Wilford, in case you're not aware of the fact. Pero hindi mo pa sinasagot ang tanong ko." And it looked like Shingo meant business when he said that.
Napailing na lang si Yasha. "Hindi ka rin hambog, 'no? Saka ko na pag-iisipan kung papasa ka ba talaga." Then her expression turned serious. "By the way, what made you come here in the Philippines?"
"For various reasons, mainly to regroup and seek refuge. Hindi ba nasabi sa iyo ni Takeru?"
"No. Bihira na lang kaming magkita ng buwisit na iyon since the attack. Nito lang naman nagiging insisting iyon na magpakita sa akin at guluhin ako, eh." But Yasha soon noticed something and frowned. "Why in the world am I even saying this to you?"
But the reply that Yasha got? A chuckle from Shingo--from the guy na ang tipid ngumiti noon sa kanya pero isa sa mga nanigurong hindi siya mamamatay dahil sa pag-atakeng iyon sa Shinomiya mansion. Siyempre, ikinagulat niya iyon pero kahit papaano ay napangiti siya niyon.
Kahit kailan talaga, naa-amuse pa rin si Shingo kay Yasha. But he was discreet about that before. He guessed he had to blame the surroundings for that. He soon composed himself and faced the woman. "By the way, how have you been since then?"
Bagaman napipilan si Yasha sa tanong na iyon ni Shingo, sandali lang iyon. She sighed and looked up to the sky. "Fairing well, I guess. Pero alam mo naman na siguro ang sitwasyon ko. That's why you're here, right? Ikaw ang s-in-uggest niyang psychiatrist para sa akin. Pero sa pagkakaalala ko, psychiatrist ang hiningi ko at hindi operations psychologist."
"I took up both, okay? That's why I've been busy since the attack. I had to do something to help them recover somehow." Shingo stared at Yasha straight in the eyes. "And I guess I have to do the same thing to you."
Bigla ay nakaramdam ng alinlangan si Yasha sa narinig. 'This can't be good,' she thought. "Hindi ba busy ka? You had other patients, especially those belonging to the Shrouded Flowers who survived the attack." At saka siya tumungo bago bumulong. "This is why I was hesitant to accept that jerk's offer."
"I can hear you, you know. But the survivors are all born and trained warriors, Miss Wilford. Sa ngayon, kailangan kong gawin ang lahat para matulungan ka. And I won't take no for an answer." There was a finality in Shingo's voice.
Napakunot tuloy ng noo si Yasha. At ang kumag na doktor, kailan pa naging demanding? She considered that weird in every way. At sa totoo lang, bigla siyang nakaramdam ng takot. Kasabay niyon ang pagsusulputan ng mga tanong sa kanyang isipan patungkol sa ikinikilos ni Shingo.
'Mukhang kakailanganin ko talagang mag-ingat nang husto, ah. There's no knowing what this guy could do to me.' May posibilidad din na alam na ni Shingo ang ginagawa ni Yasha na pag-iimbestiga ng lahat na may kinalaman sa Dark Rose. Kapag nagkataong pumayag siya sa gustong mangyari ng doktor, hindi siya makakakilos nang malaya para sa misyon niya.
At hindi puwedeng hayaan ni Yasha na mangyari iyon. Napabuntong-hininga tuloy siya at napakamot ng ulo. Kung bakit ba naman kasi ang lalaking ito pa ang kinausap ni Takeru na maging psychiatrist niya? Eh ngayon pa lang, nakikinita na niya kung anong klaseng gulo ang dadanasin ng utak niya kapag nagkataon.
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