"You just got discharged two weeks ago and now you're on the roll to ask me on a date? Nasisiraan ka na yata ng bait, eh. O baka naman gusto mong mag-stay pa ng ilang araw sa ospital." The way Kourin had asked that question could go even more incredulous than how she did it at the moment. But Seiichi's question that day when they met — rather accidentally — at a bookstore could make it possible.
"Yes. Is there something wrong with that? Seryoso ako sa sinasabi ko, kung iyon ang ipinag-aalala mo."
Of course, there was something wrong! How could he not realize that? Was this guy on high for saying that? That was not the reason, right? But in all honesty, Seiichi was surely not himself for saying this to her. Kahit sabihin pang sinabi na nito na seryoso ito.
At least, Kourin thought of it that way. Then again, could she even deny that she felt good and warm when he had asked her that? To her, it felt like a dream come true. How long had she been secretly dreaming to see this day finally come true in front of her? Mula pa noong huling beses na magkasama sila sa Japan.
"Are you okay? Natahimik ka na naman."
Seiichi's concerned voice snapped Kourin out and made her nod as soon as the question registered in her mind. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just... can't believe you're asking me out on a date all of a sudden. Ito kasi ang unang beses na nangyari sa akin ito, eh."
At iyon ang totoo. Iyon ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na may nagyaya sa kanya na makipag-date.
"It's not sudden, Rin. I've been thinking about asking you out for a while now."
'Say what now?' Nasisiraan na ba talaga ng bait ang lalaking ito? Kourin could only stare at Seiichi with wide eyes. She couldn't even believe the words that this guy was spouting out to her all of a sudden.
"I know this is unbelievable considering that... we only started getting along recently. But you could say that we're using this date as a way to get to know each other. Let’s take it one step at a time, sabi nga nila. Isa ito sa mga naisip ko para mangyari iyon."
Now Kourin doesn't know what to say about that. But if she was going to admit it, the thought of "getting to know each other" inadvertently pricked her heart. She knew at some point that she'd end up lying to Seiichi as she could not entirely reveal the real her to this young man.
"Did I say something wrong?"
That voice filled with concern snapped her out of her musings. As she raised her head, she saw the worried look in Seiichi's eyes. She smiled to dispel the worry lingering there. It worked, even for just a while. Sa mga sandaling iyon, hanggang doon lang ang magagawa niya.
"Wala naman. Huwag mo na akong alalahanin. I just... recalled something sa mga sinabi mo, that's why. You don't have to worry about anything."
"Could it be an old memory?"
She nodded rather slowly. "You could say that." Hindi naman nalalayo sa katotohanan ang tanong nitong iyon.
Silence hovered between them after that. Kourin then looked at the trees around the Shiasena Temple grounds. Yes, they agreed to go to the place where she lied to him about not being Kourin. It seemed that even with that painful memory, it was a place in which both of them could feel at peace for some reason. It surprised her when she discovered that he felt the same as her when they agreed to meet there that day. She didn't have any class scheduled at the time, anyway.
Bumuntong-hininga na lang si Kourin at saka niya hinarap si Seiichi. "Are you sure about this date?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm really serious about it? Do I look like a liar to you?"
"No," she replied almost immediately, making her look away from him. She couldn't help groaning inaudibly as she shut her eyes tight. 'Why did I talk that fast? Kailan pa naging matabil ang dila ko?'
Then again, there was nothing wrong with her answer, right? He only asked if he looked like a liar.
Seriously speaking, why was she easily reacting to the words he was saying?
"I guess that means you trust me, huh?"
Those words made Kourin face Seiichi who was looking up with a sad smile on his face. She couldn't help frowning at the sight of the wistful expression etched on his handsome face. 'I wonder what he's thinking. May naaalala na naman kaya ito, kagaya ko?' She couldn't help wondering about that as she continued looking at him before his words fully registered in her mind.
"I know I can trust you. Besides, I have a means of knowing if I could trust someone or not," she said.
He did frown at those words, though. "What do you mean?"
Kourin shook her head and smiled. "You don't need to learn that at this point. I know it's weird, but there's no reason for you to worry about it. Just know that I trust you. And I think that's what's important for you at the moment, right?"
Though Seiichi only eyed her rather intently for a few moments after she said those words, he nodded soon after. "You're right. I did recall that a friend told me—"
To her confusion, Seiichi suddenly stopped talking, which made her look at him. "Told you what?"
It took a while for him to respond by shaking his head. It only made her more confused, if she was going to be honest. Sino kaya ang tinutukoy nito? What had stopped him from saying what he wanted to say?
"Never mind." He sighed and faced her. "So do we have a deal?"
Mukhang wala na siyang kawala roon. Kourin nodded, even though her mind became filled with curiosity as to why Seiichi acted secretive all of a sudden. Even so, she later guessed that she might be able to figure it out soon. And it meant that she had to be careful, as well. For some reason, she had that feeling.
"Let's meet at the park where we first met two days from now," Seiichi declared, almost in an excited manner.
Well, not to the point where he had to jump around or pace around excitedly. Even so, despite the confusion, Kourin smiled at that. "Why do I have a feeling that you had planned this date even before I decided to agree with it? Parang may palagay ka nang papayag ako ano’t-ano pa man ang mangyari, ah."
"Not really. Hindi pa ganoon kataas ang kompiyansa ko sa sarili ko. But I couldn't help feeling excited that it was finally going to happen two days from now. I wonder what it's like to have a date with you."
She nodded and placed a forefinger on her right temple. "Hmmm... I would say boring."
"Bakit mo naman nasabi iyan?"
"Well, I've never had a proper date with a guy in my life. I'm pretty much a sheltered young lady, in case you're not aware of that."
"But at least they're going to allow you to go out with me, right?"
Kourin didn't know how to answer that, though. 'Let's just say I had my ways of convincing them.' At least, she knew she had to convince them. She'd have to think of reasons for them to agree, however.
"Saka ko na aalalahanin iyon. Is it okay if we stay here a little longer?"
It seemed that those words brightened up Seiichi's mood even further. His smile only made her heart feel light as if flying.
Okay, it might have been a little cheesy for her to think of it that way. Pero sa kabila ng lahat, alam niyang masaya silang pareho ng mga sandaling iyon.
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