Getting to know my cousin again

HERA's POV

Simula ng makapasok ako sa loob ng banyo ng baklitang si Eun, 'di na ako lumabas. I just can't stand seeing his face!

Ang bait naman kasi niya kagabi nung nag-uusap kami pero ewan ko lang at nang mahimasmasan ang gagu, parang naging ibang tao na.

Inis kong kinuskos ang hita ko kung saan bumahid ang stain ng dugo kanina.

I was saving all my first to Jerimy and now wala ng natira. Hindi ko rin alam ang gagawin ko after this, kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanya?!

Paano nalang kapag nabuntis nga talaga ako ng bakla na 'yun? Ano na'ng gagawin ko? Paano na ang pag-aaral ko? Ano nalang ang sasabihin ni lolo? Baka ako lang 'yung makasira ng reputasyon ng aming pamilya na matagal na naming inaaalagaan.

Sunho and I are his favorites among his grandchildren and we're probably the ones who will handle our family business after we graduated. Kami lang din kasi ni Sunho ang nakapasok sa University dahil nga sa angkin naming talino and now this happened.

"Ugh!" Inis kong tinadyakan 'yung bathtub saka ako tumayo't pumunta sa harapan ng shower para magbanlaw. "Taena! Ang dumi-dumi ko na!"

Hindi parin talaga ako makapaniwala sa nangyayari ngayon. Parang gusto ko nalang mamatay!

"Shit! Aren't you finish yet? I also have to use my bathroom, if you may?"

After I kill that little shit of course!

Hindi ko siya sinagot at patuloy lang na naligo. Hindi ko naman na siya na rinig after that kaya inenjoy ko nalang ang tubig.

* * *

Eun's POV

"Magiging ama ka na ba talaga, hyung?" Min asked and I threw him the pillow beside me.

"Manahimik ka, ah! Ikaw may kasalanan nito," usal ko. "And don't make me remember!"

"That's what you get for buying a condo when we were supposed to live ALL TOGETHER." Yi hyung intoned but seems like he's just teasing me.

They're all sitting in front of me which makes me feel really awkward.

"What are we talking about again?"

Napatingin kaming lahat kay Zen.

"We lost him again," ngiwing sabi ni Ten.

Well, yeah! Zen suffers from a short-term memory lost kaya siya ganyan. But he's really smart when it comes to music and dancing.

I scratched my head whenever I remember parts of what happened last night. Ugh! This is so not happening. And that girl! She looks so demure but-ugh.

Sunho hyung was only glaring at me the whole time and I don't wanna know how I died inside his mind.

"Ugh! I can't think of a plan!" He whined. "I'm so stressed I could feel my hair falling off!"

"I have a plan," Xyler hyung said. "Why won't you guys pretend as sweethearts? Like Yohanne and Nic. At least in that way, it won't look like it's only a one night stand and the issue won't be that deep."

"But it won't be that easy," Sunho hyung contradicted. "The issue will probably spread throughout the globe and considering that Hera already had a boyfriend then I must say, it will going to be complicated."

Boyfriend? 'Yon? May boyfriend na 'yon and she's still... and I was the one who... ugh!

I ended up slapping my face in frustration.

No wonder why she's too tight.

"Let's break them up then?" Seiji suggested.

"And who says I'll agree?" Hera blurted out of nowhere, eyes squinting on me. "Anong tinitingin-tingin mo? Gusto mong mahampas ng mesa?" She groaned and I cocked a brow.

No one talked for a second until Sunho hyung broke the awkward silence.

"But, Ran, we have no choice," he explained. "Pagpapanggap lang naman, eh. Hangga't hindi pa nacoconfirm na butis ka, you two, will pretend as sweethearts."

"Pero kasi ganun parin 'yun, Jung, eh. It won't make any difference since if ever nga na nabuntis ako, it was still done before marriage."

"So ano gusto mo? Ipakasal na agad kayo? I can handle that."

"WHAT?!" We shouted in chorus.

"I can really do that. Besides, magkakapag-aral ka pa naman, eh. The graduation is near. I will handle our business for the mean time until pwede ka ng makapagtrabaho."

"And you're expecting me to agree? Seriously?" Hera griped.

"Ran, please! This is the only way to save our family's reputation. Please! Kahit ganun parin 'yon at least hindi masyadong downgraded. Remember when he disowned his other most favored grandson because of the same situation as this? Ayaw kong mangyari sayo 'yon. He never tolerates anyone who stains the family reputation."

I looked at Hera who's now staring blankly at her cousin. She then looked at me and walked away.

* * *

Hera's POV

Matrimony, as in marriage, as in kasal. I'm not that religious but I've always considered marriage as one of the most sacred entity in this world. It's a public declaration of love and commitment by two individuals who vowed to love each other until the end and I, for one, have seen it in my parents.

Mom died a long time ago but dad never considered marrying another woman to keep his promises to his late wife-the only love of his life. That's why the thought of marrying someone whom I don't have feelings with and worse, I only met last night, is really against my will!

Napaismid nalang ako.

Kanina pa ako nakikipag staring contest sa dalawang butiki na nakakapit sa ceiling ng kwarto ko't wala akong ganang gumalaw. Hindi din muna ako umuwing condo at dito na muna ako sa mansyon ng lolo namin ni Sunho kung saan pansamantalang naninirahan ang EcZo.

Ayaw ko rin namang umuwi sa bahay. Wala namang tao dun. Dad is out of town. As always! Six months na nga siyang hindi umuuwi dito sa Pinas. He's a very busy person, I know so I understand. Sabi din ni Sunho na pumarito na muna ako para mabantayan niya ako saka-sakali kaya hindi na ako nakipagtalo.

Parang tanga. Para namang magpapakamatay ako dahil sa nangyari.

Pero sana naman hindi ako nabuntis ng baklang 'yun kundi baka mas pipiliin ko nalang ata sigurong magpasagasa ng bus o 'di kaya airplane na agad para surebol.

Nahilot ko nalang sintido ko habang inaabsorb lahat ng nangyari at posible pang mangyari.

Once na naging positive ito, ora mismo, ipapakasal na raw agad kami ni Jung. Siya na raw bahala sa lahat mula kay dad hanggang kina lolo. Hindi naman maka ek si Eun kasi nga natatakot siya sa pwedeng mangyari kapag 'di niya ako pananagutan.

He knows about how powerful our grandpa is and one false move, matitirikan siya ng kandila ng wala sa oras. Aside from his intimidating appearance, he's also a very influential person and kahit saan, may connection siya.

Napatingin ako sa phone ko nang mag-vibrate ito.

From: Baeklita

Napairap ako nang makita ko kung sino ang nagtext. Bagot ko itong binuksan at binasa.

"Uy, Hera? Ano na?"

Napairap nalang ulit ako at ilang seconds pa bago nag type.

"Anong ano na?"

Sinend ko na 'yun at agad naman siyang nagreply.

"Are you pregnant or what?"

Napailing-iling nalang ako.

"Are you dumb or what?! Kagabi lang 'yun nangyari malalaman ko na agad? Tanga nito! Hindi ba 'yan tinuro ng teacher niyo?"

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Bakit nga pala ako may number ng baklang 'to? Taena kasi at kailangan raw, shet!

"Mukha ba akong nakikinig sa klase? Haist!"

"Leche! 'Wag mo na nga akong itext!"

Bwesit ko 'yung sinend saka pinatay ang phone ko at baka siya pa mapatay ko.

"Ran?"

Napalingon akong pintuan nang pumasok si Sunho dala-dala ang isang paper bag.

Sa totoo lang masaya ako. Masaya ako't nagpapansinan na ulit kami nitong lalaking 'to. Ilang taon niya na rin akong hindi natatawag na Ran. My real name's Hye Ran Ji, the only child of the great Brandon Ji na nakakatandang kapatid ng mommy ni Jung; the name I used to call him when we were kids.

Siya lang tumatawag sa akin ng Ran at ako lang din ang tumatawag sa kanya ng Jung. Close kasi talaga kami noon, eh, pero nung nagkahiwalay kami ng paaralan nung pareho kaming tumuntong ng grade school, 'di na ulit kami nagpapansinan not until now.

'Di na naman kasi kami nagkita after nun. May nangyari kasi sa pamilya ko kaya kailangan naming lumisan ng Korea papuntang Thailand. Ngayon nalang ulit kami nagkita nang pumarito kami sa Pinas. Sakto din namang may nangyari sa kanila kaya kailangan din nilang mamalagi muna dito.

"Here." Sabi niya saka inabot ang paper bag sa akin.

Tinanggap ko naman agad ito saka tinignan kung ano ang laman.

"Really?" Sarkastiko kong tanong nang makita ko ang sampong pregnancy tests sa loob.

"Dinamihan ko na just in case." Seryoso niyang sabi kaya napabuntong-hininga nalang ako.

"I'm sorry." Bulong ko.

"You don't really have to say that. I'm partly at fault, too, for leaving you with him when you're both not on the right shape." Numipis mga labi niya.

"Alam ko namang hindi mo rin talaga 'yun ginusto and now you will have to face the consequences if ever may nabuo nga talaga kayo." Tumabi siya sa akin sa pag-upo sa kama. "We'll be introducing Eun to lolo tomorrow as your boyfriend."

Hindi naman na ako nagulat kasi napag-usapan na namin ang part na 'yan. Wala naman akong ibang magawa kundi ang pumayag and kapag nabuntis nga talaga ako, he will immediately become my fiancé and get married. We have to make it fast para hindi obvious na nauna na 'yong bata lol.

"Ready ka na?" Tanong niya at umiling ako.

"But what about Jerimy? Hindi niya pa alam, eh, at masasaktan siya 'pag nalaman niya." Napakagat nalang ako ng labi.

"Whether you'll tell him sooner or later, he'll still get hurt pero maslalo siyang masasaktan kapag pinatagal mo pa. I can't say much since I don't know much." Nagpatong siya ng kamay sa balikat ko.

"But one thing I'm certain of is that truth always sets people free and if I were Jerimy, maspipiliin ko nalang ang masaktan sa katotohanan kaysa sa maging masaya sa kasinungalingan. You always know what to do, Ran! You're one of the smartest girls I've ever known."

"One of the smartest, ah?!" Singhal ko. "If I'm really one, then none of these should have happened."

"Being smart doesn't make a person perfect. Even the great Stephen Hawking admits the biggest blunder of his career as well as the greatest genius of all time, Albert Einstein. We're still human beings after all."