The Caretakers

CLAY'S POV

I yawn for about three times already until I finally convinced myself to stand up and get ready. Today, we're going on a trip.

With the gang... and Leighton.

I exhale with that thought. It's not that I don't want to be with him, I just know that he doesn't want me around. It's the exact opposite.

There's a big barrier that keeps on splitting the two of us.

Because of what happened that day.

While pushing a smile in front of the mirror in my bathroom, dinampot ko ang aking toothbrush at nagsimula nang magsipilyo. I close my eyes, forcing my mind to forget what took place in the past.

Why do things we badly wished to forget keeps on haunting us down? I know it was my fault why Leighton and I became like this pero hindi pa ba sapat 'yung ilang taong pagsisisi para maibaon na lahat ng 'yon sa limot?

Marahil ay sobrang bigat nga nu'n dalhin para sa kaniya.

At naiintindihan ko siya.

Muli akong huminga nang malalim matapos akong magsipilyo. I keep convincing myself that things will be better soon. I hope this vacation will reconcile us and seal all the damages that our past caused us to turn out like this.

I decided to put on a white plain shirt and a vintage colored checkered shorts. Isusuot ko na lang ang black sandals na binili ko kamakailan noong nagpunta ako ng Thailand.

I spray perfume on my entire body and fix my jet black hair. Later on, I place my sunglasses tuck in my shirt's chest part.

When I'm done, naglakad na ako palabas ng pintuan. Mabilis akong napangiti nang makita ang kasunod na kuwarto. All my woes suddenly disappear the moment my eyes peer at the door.

Kagaya ng ibang mga kuwarto ay kulay puti rin ang pintura nito. Ang kaibahan lang ay may maliit na sticker sa itaas na parte ng pintuan. It's a brown butterfly flapping her wings in a dark galaxy surrounded by glitters which serve as the stars.

A beam plasters on my lips. Ipinasada ko ang aking palad sa lumang sticker na 'yon. I'm about to open the wooden door when a voice calls me out, it's from downstairs.

"Babe! Hurry! They're almost here!" Gia's voice echoes from the dining area. My smile becomes wider when her loud voice run through my ears, causing butterflies in my tummy.

"I'm coming!" sigaw ko pabalik sa kaniya.

Narinig ko ang biglaan niyang pagtawa. "Me too! Sabay tayo babe!" she shouts, and that made me blush. What the hell.

Naglakad ako pababa ng hagdan at sinalubong ako ng pilya niyang mga ngiti. Her white teeth are gleaming.

"Oh, you came so fast, babe," she utters while munching a bite in the bacon on her plate. She's grinning sillily.

I slide down on the table across from her habang pailing-iling na tumatawa. She's wearing a sleeveless crop top with butterflies printed on it and a black jeans that has chains. Her hair is braided at the back in two sides.

I chuckle, at saka ko biglang naalala na may ibibigay pala ako sa kaniya. "I got something for you," saad ko at agad na kinapa ang maliit na box sa aking bulsa.

"What is it?" tanong niya at nang makita ang pulang box na hawak ko ay binitawan niya ang hawak niyang tinidor at masayang inilahad ang mga daliri niya sa aking harapan.

"Yes, I do," she declares while beaming.

I chuckle, "No, not yet. It's too early for that."

She frowns. As if someone would steal me from her.

Inilabas ko mula sa box ang isang gold necklace na may half crescent moon na pendant. I know she'll love it and it will match with her outfit.

Her eyes widen when she saw what I'm holding. She clamps her hands on her mouth, shocked.

She deserves more than this.

She's the one who stayed when there were million of reasons to leave me.

I want to embrace her and tell her that she deserves everything in this universe, that I will do everything just to make her happy, and I'm willing to be her bulletproof under any circumstances, because she means a lot to me, but Noah's voice stopped me to do so. He called our names out loud. They're here already.

YSABELL'S POV

A pile of clothes are on my bed. Kagabi pa ako namimili ng damit na maaari kong isuot ngayon. I already packed my clothes on my malice that are good for two weeks but I just can't decide what to wear today.

Pasalampak akong umupo sa aking kama. I'm frustrated. If I can just wear every clothes that I have here, I probably did it already.

There's a knock on the door.

"Ysay," he calls out. Napairap ako nang marinig ko ang palayaw na tanging siya lang ang tumatawag sa 'kin.

"Come in," usal ko saka ko ipinikit ang aking mga mata.

He appears in. Dad.

"Hindi ka ba makapili ng isusuot mo anak?" tanong niya.

He's on his usual white sando and an army shorts which I know every Filipino's uncle has.

"Mmm..." I nod with my lips pursed.

"Hindi ba ang sabi mo'y sa gubat kayo pupunta?" he asks.

Tumango ako. "Yep."

"Edi magsuot ka na lang ng kahit anong komportableng damit para hindi ka mainitan."

"Dad, they're all comfortable to me. Besides, being aesthetic is more important than being comfy." I give him a wink that made his brown eyes furrowed under his rectangular eyeglasses. His wrinkles are prominent, too.

"Para ka talagang si Yana kung magsalita," bulalas niya saka napailing habang ngumingiti. He's daydreaming again.

He misses my Mom every second of his life.

The mother I never met because she died when she gave birth to me. Dad never blamed me for what happened, and I don't blame myself either. Why would I? An infant should depart on the uterus and not in the mother's mouth so it's clearly not my fault. Ginawa ko lang ang dapat na ginagawa ng isang bagong panganak na sanggol.

It's stupidity to blame yourself on the things you aren't aware of doing, right?

But I somehow do it.

I look directly at him. "Did mom has any dresses?"

His eyes suddenly shines, the image of me wearing his late wife's clothes gives him bliss. I know that because when I was a child, lola would always bring clothes from my mother's closet and repair it to fit in my tiny body so that I can wear something that resembles my Mom during occasions like Christmas.

Hindi ako tutol sa ganu'ng bagay. Actually, I liked the idea because whenever I wear those outfits, I know I'm giving happiness to my two worlds.

After a minute, dad appears from the door while holding different dresses that will certainly fit on me. I ended up with the floral blue dress with a gradient color na abot hanggang sa itaas ng tuhod ko. Dad handed me a vines-like sandals because according to him, mom would always partnered that dress with those sandals. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin kumukupas ang alaala nang kaniyang namayapang asawa.

I wore the dress that I chose and it absolutely fits my tiny body, especially my waistline. Ginaya ko ang magulong ipit ni Ylise at naglagay ako ng light-colored lip gloss and I worked on my winged eyeliner to have a contrast between a simple and a sassy aura.

Nang makita ako ni Dad na suot ang damit ni Mama ay napatalon siya sa tuwa habang pumapalakpak. "Walang duda, xerox copy ka talaga ni Yana!" he yells then he hurriedly leaves the room while still bouncing in excitement.

Bumalik siya nang may bitbit na camera sa kaniyang kaliwang kamay.

"Picture-an kita anak, dali," saad niya gamit ang masiglang tono.

My smile automatically came out. I am so grateful to be the daughter of the coolest dad.

I strike a pose and happily beam at the camera he's holding. Nagpanggap pa siyang photographer habang kunwari'y hinahanap ang tamang anggulo na alam ko namang hindi gagana because the picture will still turn blurry. His hands are shaking unconsciously due to his excessive works.

An uneasy feeling surrounds my gut. I can't explain why am I feeling this. As far as I remember, I didn't eat anything weird yesterday to make my stomach twist.

I just feel like... I feel like bondings like this... should be captured. That's the big contribution of camera in our lives, it stores memories. Happy memories that might not happen anymore. It's like a souvenir from the shop that you won't be able to see again.

And I want to take it with me even if it's just two weeks. I surely will gonna miss my Dad. His presence, voice, smell, and even his corny jokes that keeps on making my day.

"Picture tayo, dad!" hinablot ko ang camera mula sa kaniyang nanginginig na mga kamay saka ako lumapit sa kaniya.

"Naku, anak, hindi pa ako naliligo," he shoves his hands away from me pero huli na ang lahat dahil nakatapat na ang camera sa mukha naming dalawa.

Isinabit ko ang aking kamay sa kaniyang balikat at ngumiti nang pagkalaki-laki. Then the flash from the camera almost blinded me.

The film withdraws from the camera and we both laugh when we saw our faces. I am stupidly beaming and the light from the flash is reflecting on my eyes and teeth. While dad, his face is crumpled and his hands are shoving me away from him.

It's hilarious. But sweet.

"Haha, tingnan mo nga 'yang mukha ko r'yan anak. Ulitin natin." he tried to snatch the film from my hand but I rapidly divert it from him.

"No, dad, it's cool," usal ko at muli akong natawa sa mga mukha namin. I search for my phone in my study table at mabilis na inilagay ang film sa likod ng clear case.

"Ikaw talaga!" nanggigigil na saad niya habang marahang pinipisil ang pisngi ko.

Muli kaming nagtawanan ng ilang minuto bago kami parehong napagitla dahil sa busina ng isang sasakyan.

"Mukhang andiyan na 'yung sundo mo." ngumiti sa akin si dad pero malungkot ang mga mata niya.

"Dad, it's just two weeks." I roll my eyes but an unusual heat embraces my chest.

"Alam ko, pero mami-miss pa rin kita anak. Wala akong ipagluluto ng almusal sa buong dalawang linggo." he forces a smile but his eyes never lies.

I flew towards him because the horn of Danielle's van is still producing such commotion. Niyakap ko nang mahigpit si dad. I'm trying to memorize the feeling of his arms around my body. It feels so warm, but not caustic.

"I'm gonna miss you too, dad." I rest my face on his chest.

Mariin kong ipinikit sa inis ang aking mga mata nang bumusina ng tatlong sunud-sunod na beses ang van mula sa labas.

"God, they're so annoying," I grumble as I'm slowly letting go of dad's grip. Mahina siya natawa nang marinig ang boses ko.

I give him an assuring smile to let him know that I will be fine so he should be at ease. "See you in two weeks?" tanong ko habang nakangiti.

"Mmm." he nods. "Siya nga pala, huwag mong kalilimutang magpaalam sa lola mo, Ysay."

Napasimangot ako. "Dad, it's Ysabell."

Umiling siya habang ngumingiti. "Y-say," he spells it out.

I roll my eyes and give him a last quick hug. He pats my back, but he's sniffing. I won't be around for just two weeks but he acts like I'm going overseas.

Bago ako lumabas ng bahay ay pinuntahan ko muna si lola. I flinch when I see her, but I took few deep breaths and the hard feeling in my stomach disappeared. I light the candle beside her and plant her a kiss.

The moment I step outside, I hear Leighton's voice. "Let's just leave that stupid behind," he annoyingly suggests to our colleagues, but they hissed at him so he just rolls his eyes.

The van's view is refreshing and it looks so vintage. I don't know if it's antique or they purchased it for that purpose. It's a pink Volkswagen retro. Their baggages are already on its roof, creating a camp scenery to anybody who will see it.

Naglakad ako papalapit sa kanila at napabuga sila ng hangin nang maaninag nila ako.

"What in the hell are you thinking? We're here for almost ten minutes already," pagmamaktol ni Ylise. She's wearing a black striped turtleneck and 'CAMPFIREWOOD, 1981' was engraved on it. Pinartneran niya ito ng faded jeans at ng kulay green na Converse shoes.

"And you already pushed that thing," itinuro ko ang busina, "A million times already. No kidding," I hiss.

They all giggle. "Leighton did," they state in chorus.

I shift my eyes at Leighton. He's on a yellow casual sleeve with an imprinted 'follow me' on its chest part, and on his right arm is a black watch. He's sitting beside Agnes, who's near the window. She's wearing a black shirt tucked in a daisy skirt and on her head is a peach bucket hat.

"Asshole," pang-iinsulto ko sa kaniya.

He cocks his head. "Told yah we should've left her. She's annoying," he mumbles in a grumpy tone. He really acts like a pre-schooler.

"Shut up." inirapan ko siya at naglakad na palapit sa van. Noah appears from the driver's seat, helping me carry my luggage. A black korean long sleeve with grey flowers printed all over it and a dark jeans really fits him.

"Y-you look... b-beautiful," he mumbles while scratching the back of his head.

Napatango na lang ako. "Mmm. I know," sagot ko at hindi ko na napigilan pang mapangiti.

I let him help me and once again, I hear Leighton's annoyed voice. "Stupid love," he whispers to himself but inaudible for everyone because he's wearing his headphone.

Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin. This man is really irritating me to death.

Nang nasa tapat na 'ko ng pintuan ng van ay napansin ko si Danielle sa tabi ng driver's seat. She's wearing a black ruffled sleeve, a black belt, and a beige loose jeans. On her lap, a black Chanel sling bag is lying.

Noah is finished on setting my luggage and he sits down on the driver's seat, causing it to move a bit.

Danielle is sitting next to Noah. Wow, that's cool, right? My stomach hardens with the thought and I can feel my breath starting to get hasty.

"Hey, Ysabel!" a shout beside me made me waver.

"Why are you shouting?" I hiss at Ylise who's sitting on the backseat. Hinimas ko ang aking tenga habang tinitingnan siya nang masama.

Ngumisi siya. "Because you're spacing out babe." she points her forefinger to me. "And don't give me that look like you don't want this trip. Because we all know that I'm the only one who do," she spits and that made her crumples her face.

I start thinking about what she said. Ylise has a point. I shouldn't be acting like a dick here because I'm looking forward for this vacation. I really wanted to ease my mind and forget all the stress even if it's only two weeks, so why am I bitching?

Nagseselos ako. That's why.

I hate the feeling of jealousy because Danielle is my friend. Being jaundice to her with no reason is like betraying her.

Normal lang na maging malapit siya kay Noah. Magkakaibigan kami e. Boyfriend ko si Noah pero ayoko namang hawakan ang leeg niya.

I know that I wandered again because Leighton's voice stutter me. "Oh, the stupid beggar is jealous on a swan. Pretty understandable," he whispers to himself but he intentionally loudens his voice.

I saw Danielle's face flushes. I'm so effed up. "Oh, I'm, I'm sorry."

She drops her head with a humiliated face at sinubukang tanggalin ang seatbelt niya pero pinigilan ko siya, "Don't, it's okay. Leighton is talking rubbish." I stopped her using my hand.

"Am I?" blurts Leighton out then he giggles. Maybe God will forgive him for what he did, but I won't.

"Do you know what a poop tastes like, Leigh?" I raise my voice while my hands are on my waist. I sound like a mother preaching her child, but I don't care.

"It's inedible," sagot niya habang nakangisi.

"It is," I utter sternly habang diretsong nakatitig sa kaniya.

Nagkunwari siyang nabigla at napatakip siya sa bibig niya. "Does that mean that you tried it already?" he asks in a shocked tone. He's. So. Annoying.

I feel my blood rushing upward my face. I can't beat him, and I hate it.

"Shouldn't I be the one who needs to be jealous?" Noah blurts out from the driver's seat na dahilan para matawa nang malakas si Ylise. Danielle is still obtaining herself from the humiliation that Leighton just gave her.

"I'd rather be gay." Leighton gives me a disgusted look and so do I.

"I'd rather be a dinosaur," I spit while copying his annoyed manner.

Ylise replies, "If you became one, can you let me experiment on you?"

I give her an astonish look. Seriously? She really still has time for this?

"Sure, but be ready to be my supper," sagot ko saka inihakbang ang aking paa papasok sa van.

I sit down beside Ylise because why the hell would I sit on Leighton's right side? Baka mapatay ko lang ang gago.

Gia and Clay aren't here yet and according to Noah, we will pass through their house on our way to our destination.

Danielle plays a song and somehow, it made me forget how annoying Leighton is today, and the jealousy that tried to swallow me. 'I Don't Care' by Ed Sheeran plays in the van.

I'm at a party I don't wanna be at

"Me too," Ylise blurts out after the first lyrics. It made me laugh. I rest my head on her shoulder.

"Hey, babe, I'm not your boyfriend," she mumbles while stroking my messy hair.

And I don't ever wear a suit and tie

"This is done with a pillow and not with boyfriends."

Wonderin' if I could sneak out the back

Natawa siya saka rin siya sumandal sa ulo kong nakapatong sa balikat niya.

Nobody's even lookin' me in my eyes

It took us about twenty minutes before we finally arrived at Clay and Gia's place. Noah shouts their names and they come out from their door after a few calls. Clay is holding two malices on his both hands and Gia is in his front.

Gia smiles when she saw me, this van is not tinted so she didn't has the difficulty in finding out who's inside.

"Hey," she greets the moment she steps on the van and quickly kisses my cheek. I kiss her back then she sits down beside me. I'm in between them and Ylise— who's now snorting while sleeping. Gia and I both chuckle because of how she sounds.

When Clay saw the only unoccupied seat, which is beside Leighton, he takes step aback.

Bigla siyang napasinghap dahilan para kumunot ang aking noo.

"Get in. We're getting late to our target time," Danielle utters while fixing her lipstick.

But Clay didn't do as instructed. He just stands up there.

He's now rapidly blinking at biglang nanginig ang kaniyang labi sa 'di malamang dahilan.

He's avoiding to glance at Leighton, but why?

I'm aware that there's something going on between these two, but why can't Clay even look at him?

In his eyes, I notice... fear.

"What's wrong? Go sit down," usal ni Leighton habang nakangisi. His grin is teasing, but I see hatred hiding in it.

Clay seems like he went deaf dahil wala siyang sinasagot ni isa sa amin. Gia worriedly touches his shoulder and tried to calm them from trembling pero marahas na itinulak lang siya ng huli nang hindi man lang ito tinatapunan ng tingin.

"Babe, okay ka lang ba?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Gia kay Clay. He snaps back to his composure...

...and a tear slips down from his eyes.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

Niyakap siya ni Gia at sinubukan nitong itago ang ulo ni Clay mula kay Leighton. He starts sniffing while hugging Gia's body tightly.

Sa isang iglap ay bigla siyang sumabog at ngayo'y naririnig na namin ang malalakas niyang mga paghagulgol.

Napatingin kami sa kaniya. Lahat ay nag-aalala maliban kay Leighton na ngayo'y suot na ang headphone niya habang nakapikit pa ang mga mata. Agnes is confusingly looking at him, but she didn't say a word. Ylise, on the other side, is still sleeping beside me.

"Huwag nalang kaya tayong sumama, babe?" Gia brushes Clay's hair and anxiety is occupying her face pero sinagot siya ng walang humpay na mga pag-iling ni Clay.

We're all worried... and bewildered.

What did just happen when his eyes met with Leighton's?

Did I miss something?

"No." his hiccups are hindering his words. That really affected him. Big time.

"A-alam kong g-gusto mong su-sumama," Clay answers when he loosens himself from Gia's embrace.

Gia lets out a sigh of frustration. She brushes off the tear from Clay's eyes, "Shhh, okay lang ako. We can spend the week by watching TV-"

"No, babe, I-i'm really o-okay," he says but it sounds the otherwise.

"J-just, just don't let me sit with him. I can't..." nanginginig pa rin ang boses niya at kita ko ang takot sa kaniyang mga mata.

Ylise is so lucky because she's sleeping, she didn't witness what just happened and how it confused us.

But we asked nothing. We all remain silent while Gia is still consoling Clay.

Bakit tila takot na takot siya kay Leighton? And what's the reason hiding behind those words he muttered?

He can't... what?

Gia looks at me, pleading. I nod at her when I get what she means with those stares. She can't be far with Clay because he obviously needs her right now and I'm the only option since Ylise is still sleeping.

I stand up and let them enter the back seat before I sit and close the door.

Before we go, Danielle shifts her head to me. "Don't get too near at the door, the lock is broken," she exclaims while smiling. Did she already forget what happened between us or she's just pretending that she doesn't mind? Nonetheless, I answer her with a beam.

I nudge Leighton's arm forcefully. He flinches and glares at me. "What is wrong with you?" I'm amazed that he bothers to whisper.

"Nothing." I give him a silly smile that will surely ruin his day.

He rolls his eyes then he rests his head to Agnes' shoulders. She blushed when I give her a teasing look while squinting my eyes. They don't fit with each other. Agnes is a nice person and Leighton is a scandalous asshole.

I lean my head on the seat and tried to sleep with the music that rings the van.

Killing me softly with this song

It took us almost three hours until I saw the entrance of the forest. Naglalakihang mga puno ang makikita sa paligid. The road is like a rollercoaster and it kept on making our van always jump whenever it hits a hole.

May puting kotse na nakaparada sa harapan namin, but it's not blocking our way towards the entrance.

Casa Réal was engraved on an enormous gate composed of bamboo sticks. The paint is color gold.

The car beside us horns when we pass through it and Noah nods at the person who's inside.

"Sino 'yon?" Agnes asks before I could.

"Our family drivers, they're going to pick up the van at susunduin nila tayo after two weeks. Sounds exciting, right?" Danielle replies then she winks at her. Agnes smiles lightly.

"But what if we need something? Kanino tayo pwedeng humingi ng tulong?" I ask. The image of us without any connections with the city gives me uneasiness.

Gia replies, "They have everything we need except for the modern technology. Kung may mga kailangan man tayo, we can ask the caretakers to buy them for us." she points out the three person standing in front of the gate. They're wearing colorful masks and a Hawaiian outfit. One of them is holding a buko juice. Nagpakilala sila bilang mga caretakers ng lupa. They are Ylise's family employees, then.

"Pwede ko bang makita ang reservation, sir?" masiglang bati ng isa sa kanila. She's a woman, maybe in her forties, but I can't clearly guess because her face is concealed with a mask.

Gia hands me the reservation card with the stamp of Casa Réal on it. I give it to Noah and he smiles at me the moment our hands touched. So did I.

The woman checks it first, then tears it apart after a few seconds of confirming. "Huling protocol na po, kailangan po naming hingin ang numero ng telepono ng mga magulang niyo para in case na may mangyari ay may matawagan po kami," magalang niyang saad, but something is hiding on her lips. It's menace.

They give us a piece of paper and a ballpen. Isa-isa naming isinulat ang number ng mga magulang namin.

"Kulang po ito, sir," saad ng babae at ibinalik muli sa amin ang papel. Danielle takes a peek on it.

"Where's Ylise's?" Danielle asks nang mapansing wala rito ang number ng dad ni Ylise. She's still sleeping and I don't want to disturb her.

Nang tatapikin na siya ni Gia para gisingin ay nagsalita ako, "No need. I have her dad's number," I say while raising my phone. I recall that there was an instance when Ylise was at my house while we're working on a group project and her dad texted me if I was with her.

I search for the text message which was years ago and I wrote her dad's number on the paper that moment I found it.

Noah hands it back to the lady, and she gives us a smile. Umiwas ako ng tingin. I really don't like the way her lips curved. It gives me shiver.

"Welcome to Casa Réal," saad nilang tatlo nang nakangiti habang binubuksan ng dalawa sa kanila ang gate nito.

Noah and Danielle smiles back at them, but I remain silent. I didn't utter a word because I can feel that they are hiding something within those smiles.

The guy who's holding a buko juice fixed his eyes on me.

"Thank you... for being a piece." I hear him says when we passed through them.

I can't be mistaken.

It's what he really said.

Sinundan ko ng tingin ang mukha niya nang magsimulang umabante ang van na sinasakyan namin.

He's not smiling anymore while holding his mask.

He's devilishly grinning.

--

"Hey, rise up!" I shake Ylise's body to wake her up from slumbering. She had been sleeping since from the city.

Didn't she sleep last night?

She peers at me while furrowing her brows. "Am I in heaven? Why am I seeing an angel?" she jokes.

I lightly pat her shoulder, "You've been sleeping for a decade."

Only the two of us are left inside the van because everyone are already picking up their luggages on the roof.

"Really? What year are we in now?" she yawns.

Napairap ako. "Whatever, sleepyhead. You didn't even get up when your caretakers were getting our parents' numbers. Fortunately, I had your dad's-" she cuts me off.

"What are you talking about?" tanong niya sa nagtatakang tono at biglang napakunot ang kaniyang noo.

"I said I had your dad's number-" she cuts me off again and that made me sneer at her.

"No, not that." she shove her hands.

"Then what?"

"About the caretakers," she utters with confusion. Her eyes are wondering. Why is she acting like that?

"Your caretakers asked for our parent's numbers," I state. "And I gave your dad's."

She narrows her eyes while rubbing her chin. She looks naïve and it seems like she really has no idea on what I'm talking about.

"What's wrong?" I ask in bewilderment.

"It's just weird," she replies while staring somewhere.

I give her a confused look. "What is weird?"

She gazes at me with her eyes wondering, "As far as I know, we never hired any caretakers." she now stares directly at my eyes.

Heat starts flowing down all over my body.

"And if they really are our employees, why would they ask for my dad's number?" she adds and I feel my blood drips down from my face to my feet.

My heart starts skipping a beat.

Her last words made me shiver.

That's it.

A confirmation that something's wrong, that there's really something dodgy hiding behind those smiles under those colorful masks.

But why didn't my friends notice it?