Chapter Two: Your Smile's Kinda Nostalgic

Luigi knew Sean so much. He knew the meaning behind every expression on Sean's face. They were as it is because Sean is a genuine and simple person. His face can't hide his emotion. After laughing again as Sean recall Luigi's dirty pants in the morning with his backward laugh that sounds like fast hiccups, his expression turned serious when he looked at his phone screen.

"What is it?" he asked.

He looked at his mother on the kitchen while baking and then turned to Luigi and shook his head, "It's nothing."

They sat on the sofa watching the noontime variety show on TV laughing at every jokes made by the hosts.

"Ugh. It's boring me out." Sean side commented and called out his mother, "Ma, can Luigi and I go outside?"

His mother agreed. "Okay. Go."

Sean shyly smiled, "Can I ask for money?"

Mrs. Sarah looked at his son and immediately guessed where he wanted to go. "You're going to play in the computer shop again?"

"Maaaa—" Sean coyly convinced her.

The sight of how Mrs. Sarah spoiling Sean in the kitchen as she give him pocket money and feed him her freshly-baked cookies reminded him of how she slapped Jian on Sean's funeral even after Luigi punched him to the point of giving him a black eye. He felt distressed remembering the face of the guy moaning above him. Jian clearly looked similar to Sean but somehow, Jian was distinctive to him.

"Why are you so red, dude? Are you okay?" Sean asked while they were walking towards the internet café.

"Of course." Luigi answered. His phone received a call from Paul urging them to come sooner so that they can start playing.

The computer shop was equipped with air-conditioner which relieved them after walking under the heat of the sun. They sat on the computer desks that Paul and Ronron reserved for them, at the back of their seats were their classmates who they gamble against each other with for 500-peso-bill bet. The shop was then filled with angry swearing from each players. Luigi stopped playing for five years and his skills fell behind making his teammates disappointed. They lost and they did not even have the confidence to gamble for another rematch since the other side has the strongest player in their class.

"What happened to you Luigi? You were weaker than chicken. I even played better than you." Ronron complained as they open another round for the game. This time, they did not have money to bet. They played and swore like ravaging youngsters. It was only until six pm when they stopped playing since they already had no money left. They walked out of the computer shop feeling distressed about their loss. Aside from the bet, they also lost in many rounds because of Luigi's mistakes.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Luigi complained.

"No, we'll never forgive you!" Paul jokingly teased him.

"You jack off too much, that's why you became soft and weak like chicken!" Ronron angrily swore.

The three laughed and could not get over about how Luigi ran outside with his wet pants.

"Hey, are you my friends? Why are you announcing everyone my embarrassing moment?"

As soon as they reached outside Sean's house, the three ordered Luigi to be punished for losing on their meager gamble. He shamefully wrote his full name 'Luigi Clint V. Ramir' with his butt thrice while his father and the customers of Mrs. Sarah's bakery watched him do the act.

As soon as he finished doing the punishment, Luigi raised his head and joined them on laughing. Pity, there was one extra audience who saw what he did. Mrs. Sarah called Sean with an unusual happy expression. "Sean! Come here. Help me fix the dishes on the table for dinner." Behind her, Jian smiled failing to hide his amusement to the show earlier.

Sean was somehow shocked about the visitor. His friends were also shocked. Mrs. Sarah immediately introduced Jian. "This is Jian, Sean's twin brother."

The other customers also steal glances on the new face of the town. Mrs. Sarah is known for her timeless beauty, Sean is also the girls' campus crush, and the twin brother, though he looked identical to Sean, his red hair and gentle posture and bearing was on another level of beauty.

Luigi on the other hand has been frozen stiff like rock.

"Kuya Jian, why are you here?" Sean asked.

"Just vacation." Jian answered casually and then smiled at him. His dimples caved in and his chin formed little bumps. Under his eyes with dark circles and heavy eye-bags slightly became reddish. The expression on Jian's face was familiar to that when Luigi rejected his flowers.

Sean entered their yard and hugged his twin brother. "I thought you were angry with me." Sean cried. It turns out, Sean was taller than Jian. This time, the inexperienced Jian comforted his brother by hugging Sean back. "Why would I be angry with Shanshan?"

Sean quickly released him sized his brother up, "Why are you so small, kuya?"

"I'm not!"

"Your hair is so cool." Sean ruffled Jian's hair. Then he turned to his mother, "Ma, I also want my hair to become like kuya's hair color!"

The two brothers looked so picturesque together. In their previous life, they never looked happy together like this. Luigi remembered how he treated Jian before, how could he treat Sean's precious brother like that? A tug of guilt and regret hurt his heart.

Wait! Luigi remembered the past life, Jian has never set his foot in Sean's house before. He was supposed to have black hair at this age. Speaking of age, Luigi pondered on the idea of time. He remembered the day he first met Jian. It was the funeral, last week of May. Sean died on May 20, 2017.

Luigi asked, "What date is it today?"

Ronron replied, "Sunday."

"The date, Ronron. I'm asking about the date."

"Ohh. April 16."

Luigi sighed, "That's only over a month away."

"What's a month away? Whose birthday is it?" Paul asked.

"It's nothing." Luigi laughed it off but the gaze from Jian was definitely not nothing.

Jian ignored Sean before. Not a text message or call from him. So, how come he's suddenly here? Luigi though to himself, "Unless, he also went back in time...like me". Then he blushed, meaning that they really had sex.

As the best friend, Luigi was invited to dinner by Sean. On the round table, Luigi was next to Sean and his maternal uncle, Jian was next to Sean and his mother. The food on the table were all mouth-watering seafood dishes. Sour shrimp soup, mussels, calamari, grilled milkfish, sea grape salad and spicy kinilaw, they were prepared by the best baker and chef in town. They always cook very good but the line-up of dishes proved how special this day was to them.

"This is just simple dishes, I hope you like these." Uncle Santi dared to impress his wife's son.

Jian simply nodded as he drink the soup with the spoon. Everyone was expectant waiting for his response. Jian smiled and complimented the soup, "It's really delicious."

The couple felt relieved and they offered the other dishes to him. Sean peeled the shrimp himself, and put them on Jian's plate. "Kuya, I'm sure you're tired of green salads there, eat this… it's my favorite."

Jian ate everything that was put on his plate. Luigi sneakily placed a raw fish from the kinilaw to Jian's plate and only that piece was not eaten by Jian. Annoyed, Luigi kicked Jian's feet.

"Who's kicking my feet?" Aunt Sarah asked. It seems that he failed. He stopped and ate silently instead.

"Kuya, how many days will you be here?" Sean asked stuffing his mouth with shrimp and mouthful of rice.

"A month."

"Sleep in my room, then!" Sean was brimming with happiness when he heard that Jian would stay as long as a month.

"I booked an inn for a month though." Jian smiled at him as soon as Sean showed how disappointed he was, "But I'll hang out with you for the whole month. Don't worry."

"Ugh. No, I want to sleep beside you."

"I'll take you to salon for hair color instead. How about that?"

Sean lightened up and quickly became positive again. After the dinner, Sean wanted to stall Jian but his brother firmly had to go.

"Can you sleep here instead? It's too late already, it's dangerous outside." Sean even hugged his brother's legs. "Come on, let's have sleep over."

"I have something to do, Shanshan." Jian sighed and pinched Sean's sulking cheeks, "Come on. Don't be cheeky. This method won't work on me anymore."

Sean sulked more and Jian whispered something to him. Sean let go of him and peacefully send him off. Jian politely informed his mother and uncle Santi that he's taking off.

Luigi did not miss the chance to have an alone time with Jian. "I'll send him off, auntie. Byebye!"

He said that he'll be sending him off but he was barely running after him. Jian walked so fast, it was clear that he doesn't want to be alone with Luigi.

"Hey, Jian!!!"

"What?" Jian did not hide how bothered he is. It made Luigi feel off when they clearly had a warm atmosphere earlier.

"Walk slowly, you can get on the tricycles on the next block, by the way, where's your inn?"

"It's in the Poblacion area, I think." Jian plainly answered.

From the location given, it was more than twenty kilometers away, tricycles cannot go that far and the jeepneys are no longer available.

"Where can I get a taxi? Is there no uber here?" Jian asked. He knew he was just asking as it was but he sounded really different from people in the countryside. "No. People don't use taxi here since it's too costly and the roads are too rocky and uneven, the jeepneys are also not available anymore because it's already late." Luigi held Jian's wrist to stop him from walking further but Jian flinched and moaned. "Aah! Let go of me."

"What's wrong?"

Under the light exuded by the street light lamp, Luigi saw the red clumps of rashes on Jian's neck and face. Jian was wearing tight jeans and dark green hoodie, rashes must be all over his skin underneath his clothes. Aside from the rashes, Jian's heavy breathing also troubled him. "You're not having allergic reactions, are you?"

"Can you hail me a cab or anything?"

"Stay here. I'll get my dad's motorcycle and take you to hospital, okay?" Before Luigi could leave, Jian tugged his shirt and told him to not speak about it to anyone including Sean.

He does not want to agree but he had to send Jian to the hospital first. He nodded but he was not planning to keep it. He rushed to get the keys and drove away. He stopped and slowly helped Jian put the helmet on his head and waited until Jian sat comfortably on the back. "Hold me tight. I'll have to drive fast, don't fall on me."

Jian had no energy to argue and hugged him tightly as instructed he also leaned on the Luigi's back. It was only last night that Jian confidently lead Luigi on for a ride, now he's embracing him for another literal ride.