Kai's Pov.
I thought everyone's lying, lalo na ang kapatid ko, dahil pinagbibintangan niya ang boyfriend ko na may relasyon sa kaibigan ko. I never doubted my boyfriend 'cause he's like a walking green flag he always cared for me. That's why me and my sister had an argument.
Not until I discovered that my sister was telling the truth. Everyone wasn’t lying. Everything they told me was true.
Sumakay ako sa isang bus papunta sa bahay ng lola ko. Habang nasa biyahe, nag-stop yung bus sa hintayan ng mga sasakyan. Sa harap nun, there was a store. Not just a small store malaki 'to at may mga pasaherong nagsibabaan para bumili.
Nakatulala lang ako sa bintana, nakatingin sa labas. Then I saw a familiar face. I stared at that boy for a long time, dahil medyo malayo sila and then I realized—it was my boyfriend, at may kasama siyang babae. I thought it was just a random girl na nagtatanong sa kanya, but suddenly, the girl kissed him on the lips.
I was in shock. Lalabas na sana ako at lalapit, nang makita ko ang mukha ng babae.
It was Yllana my best friend. Napaluha na lang ako.
It felt like my head was going to burst. Galit na galit ako sa sarili ko. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa nangyayari.
**HINDI ‘TO TOTOO.**
**THIS IS NOT TRUE!**
**HINDI ‘TO TOTOO.**
Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Basta na lang tumulo yung luha ko habang tinitingnan silang dalawa na naghahalikan.
Three years na rin ba nila akong niloloko? Hindi ko maiwasang mag-overthink.
I was trying to stop my tears from falling kasi nagsibalikan na ang mga pasahero at tutuloy na rin yung bus. Hindi ko mapigilan yung luha ko, kaya hinayaan ko na lang silang tumulo.
A guy approached me and asked what happened, but I didn’t respond. Instead, mas lumala pa yung pag-iyak ko.
Inabutan niya ako ng panyo, then tumabi siya sa akin. He was patting my head habang umiiyak ako.
The guy tried to comfort me, but it got even worse. Mas lalo akong naiiyak kapag tinatanong ako, mas lalo akong naiiyak kapag may taong nakikipag-usap sa akin habang umiiyak ako.
I tried to stop kasi nahihiya ako sa kanya. Habang pinupunasan ko yung luha ko, the guy hugged me and even kissed my head. Then he said:
"I don't know what happened to you, but always remember to keep being positive. Always care for yourself." And he smiled.
It felt like my heart was going to melt. Kaya imbes na tumigil na ako sa pag-iyak, mas lalo pa akong umiyak ulit.
I don’t know what happened next that time. Basta ang alam ko, pagkatapos kong umiyak, bumaba na ako dahil nag-stop na yung bus sa bababaan ko.
After I discovered the truth, I broke up with my boyfriend. I also confronted my best friend about what I found out. She tried to explain, but I no longer trusted her, so I cut her off completely.
I started distancing myself from everyone anyone who tried to get close to me. Nag-transfer na rin ako ng school para makapag-heal at makalimot sa lahat ng nangyari sa buhay ko kasama ang boyfriend at best friend ko.
Everything will changed. Kahit masakit sa part ko, I need to move on and heal.
Hello, if you want to read it advanced, you reach me at my wattpad account and I upload the chapter there first and I'll upload the chapter here 1 week after.
So if you want to read it advanced you can go to my wattpad account
My name is
AJja_18
I just woke up, not because of my alarm, but because of the sunlight directly hitting my face. I got up and immediately reached for my phone beside me to check the time.
It's already 8:34 AM and shit, I'm fucking late.
I immediately snapped out of my sleep when I saw the time. Like what the fuck? Why didn’t mom even wake me up? I didn’t waste any more time and rushed to the bathroom.
I washed my face, brushed my teeth, didn’t even take a shower, and just changed my clothes. After getting dressed, I put on my ID and headed downstairs.
"Mom, mauna na po ako," I told my mom.
I was about to reach the door when mom spoke.
"San ka pupunta, Asher?" she asked.
"School po, mauna na 'ko, Ma. I'm late na," I answered hurriedly, clearly in a panic.
"Ha? Anong school? Ba’t ka papasok? May project ba kayo?" she asked multiple questions. "It's Saturday, Asher," she added.
"Ha?" I responded, clearly confused.
I double-checked my phone and fuck, it really is Saturday. My mom laughed hard at me, and I felt a little embarrassed so I ran straight upstairs. I changed back into my pajamas and went back downstairs to eat.
"San si Dad, Mom?" I asked as I sat at the dining table.
"See? Pati flight ng Dad mo nakalimutan mo," she answered. "Ano ba iniisip mo, anak? May bago na ba? Ulyanin ka na ha," she teased.
"Anong iniisip, Mom? Wala nga akong malapitang ibang tao," I answered, pouting.
Oh right, my dad had to meet his parents in Korea because they had something important to tell him.
"Don't worry, anak. Makakahanap ka rin ng hindi na manloloko sa'yo," she said and smiled.
"San pala si Ate, Mom?" I asked, changing the topic.
"Dun raw muna siya kila Kiyo for one week. Need nila tapusin yung project nila," she answered.
I stopped talking and started eating. While eating, I suddenly remembered I had good news to tell mom.
"Mom, I have good news," I said, smiling widely.
"Ano?" my mom asked, also smiling.
"They told me to perform a dancesport performance sa upcoming event sa school, third kind category daw."
"Oh really? Sino naman partner mo?"
"His name is Marc. But our problem, Mom, is we don't know where we can practice. Pwede ba dito?"
"Sure, invite him here right now at ipagluluto ko kayo."
After I got mom’s approval, I immediately texted Marc and invited him over. Thankfully, Marc was free, but he said he’d bring some friends with him, which was okay with me. He came over not long after.
While waiting for Marc, I started to warm up.
**Doorbell Ringing**
"Mom, paki bukas ng gate, baka sila Marc na 'yon!" I shouted.
Yes, it was Marc along with one girl and two boys. Mom welcomed them in even though I was already sweaty. I smiled at them and led them to my dancing room while I went to change.
After changing, I headed to the dancing room where they were already eating.
Marc stood up when he saw me coming.
I approached them and Marc introduced his companions.
"Uhm, Kai, this is my girlfriend, Keisha."
"Hi Kai, I'm Keisha, Marc's girlfriend," she introduced herself with a smile.
"And this is Zayden and River, my friends."
"Hello bro, I'm River," the guy said, smiling and shaking my hand.
"I'm Zayden," the other guy introduced himself, also smiling.
Zayden looked familiar. I think I’ve seen him somewhere.
Nevermind.
"Hello, my name is Kai, but you can also call me Asher or Aiden," I introduced myself with a big smile. "So if you need anything here, just tell me or ask. By the way, do you guys know my mom already?"
"Yes," they answered, so I guess everything’s going smoothly.
After our introductions, Marc and I decided to start practicing. But before we began the routine, we first decided what to dance.
We agreed to do the five Latin American dances, and I was in charge of the Samba, Cha-Cha, and Jive routines, while Marc handled the Rumba and Paso Doble.
It’s good to be paired with him because we get along well, and he's talented. We kept practicing while his girlfriend and friends were just sitting at the side watching something—I wasn’t sure if it was a movie or a series.
We kept practicing until mom called us for dinner.
"Asher, call your classmates, hapunan na!" mom shouted from the door.
I checked my phone and yeah, it was already 12:01 PM.
"Yes mom, we're coming!" I shouted back. "Let's go," I told them with a smile.
They stood up and followed me to the kitchen. I let them go ahead and sit while I went upstairs to change.
"Just sit there, I’ll just change real quick," I told them. "Marc, aren't you going to change too?"
"That's my mistake, I forgot to bring an extra shirt," he replied, scratching his head.
"No worries, anak. Asher can lend you some clothes," my mom chimed in.
I smiled. "Tara, sa taas."
"No, it’s okay. I’ll just ask someone to bring me clothes."
"Don't worry, anak, sumama ka na sa kanya," mom insisted.
Marc followed me to my room and once we got there, I looked for clothes he could borrow.
When I found a shirt and pants, I handed them to him.
"How about your underwear? It's not wet, right?" I asked after giving him the clothes.
"Nope," he answered, chuckling.
"What’s funny?" I asked.
"Nothing, I was just surprised by your question," he replied, smiling.
"Ah, you know, I’m the type of person who’s conscious about clothes, especially underwear."
"But I promise, my underwear’s fine," he said, raising his right hand.
I just smiled at him and started changing. I don’t know why, but when I removed my shirt, Marc suddenly covered his eyes.
"Why are you covering your eyes?"
"Uhm, I’m waiting for you to finish changing."
"Instead of covering your eyes, change your clothes too," I said, removing his hand from his eyes.
He started changing and while I was removing my pants, he asked:
"What’s your waistline size?"
"Around 23-24, I think."
WEIRD??!?!
We both finished changing and headed downstairs to eat.
They hadn’t started eating yet because they were waiting for me. Once I sat down, we prayed and began eating.
"How's your practice, iho?" my mom asked Marc.
"Okay po, Tita. Actually, Kai is a good partner. He knows a lot of signature moves," Marc replied with a smile.
"As expected from Asher. How about you, mga anak? Okay lang ba kayo sa loob ng dancing room? Or do you want to hang out with me?"
"Okay lang po ba, Tita?" Keisha asked.
"Of course," mom replied, smiling.
They smiled and thanked my mom.
After eating, Zayden was about to wash the dishes but mom stopped him since it would be embarrassing.
"Asher, make them a bingsu for dessert," mom ordered, and I followed right away.
"What flavor do you guys want?" I asked.
"Anong flavors meron?" River asked.
"Mango, Blueberry, Strawberry, Chocolate, Matcha, and Red Bean."
Marc and Keisha chose Strawberry, River chose Red Bean out of curiosity, and Zayden said he was full. Still, I made one for Zayden—his favorite, Matcha.
It took me about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare six bingsus. Once done, I served them, starting with mom (who always wants Mango).
I gave Zayden his last, so he wouldn’t wonder why he got one despite saying he was full. At first, he didn’t want to take it, but I handed it to him anyway. He had no choice but to eat it.
We had finished everything and rested for a bit before Marc and I resumed practice. Keisha, River, and Zayden went out with mom.
Marc and I practiced for nearly two hours straight without rest to build stamina. We finished two dances continuously.
While practicing our highlight, I suddenly slipped. I was about to fall when Marc caught me and used his body to block mine from hitting the ground.
I quickly stood up and helped Marc up.
"Are you okay?" I asked while checking his arms.
"Yes, I’m fine," he answered, smiling.
"Let's rest first."
Yeah, we needed to rest. I could tell Marc was tired—he was off-balance and losing grip whenever he had to touch or hold me.
I was sweating a lot too, so I had to change clothes.
"Do you want to change your clothes?" I asked Marc.
"No, I'm fine," he answered, smiling.
I knew mom would scold me if I didn’t have him change, so after I changed, I grabbed clothes, pants, and underwear for him.
Honestly, I didn’t know his underwear size. I’m small, so let’s see.
He was shocked when I handed him the underwear, but I just smiled.
"Magpalit ka na."
"Uhm, I’m a large size."
"Just try the underwear. It’s stretchable."
He changed and luckily, it fit him well and he said it was comfortable.
We were still resting and bored, so Marc started to tell a story.
"Is it okay if I share something first?" he asked.
"Sure, just don’t open up about anything too personal," I replied and smiled.
"It’s okay for me. So, to start—I’m not really interested in dancing. Did you know that?"
"No. Actually, when I first saw you, I thought, 'Magaling kaya tong sumayaw?'"
He laughed. "I don’t know how to say this, but the reason I’m dancing now is because of my mom."
"Why? What happened with your mom?"
"I’ll tell you how she trained me. She’s the one who forced me to dance. I was seven years old that day. When Dad tried to punch me, mom blocked it telling I'm just a child, but that was just an act. I was about to cry, but the worst part was he wanted to beat me up."
I looked into his eyes and saw he was about to cry. The pain was still there.
"He wanted to beat me up because he said I was stupid, a burden to the house, and all I did was play. I was seven. Just seven. What could a seven-year-old do? Mom didn’t even defend me. Instead, she said that if I wanted her to take my side, I needed to become a dancer because that was the only thing I could inherit from her. So, desperate for my parents' attention, I agreed. She secretly booked a trainer for me without Dad knowing. I practiced day and night. Even when I was tired, I kept going because I was desperate for their attention. But after six years, my mom died. She left a letter for me. It broke my heart."
He paused for a second.
"She told me everything. Her secrets. She said she did it all because she knew Dad had an affair—with her friend."
I was shocked. Flashbacks of the day I found out about my ex-boyfriend and best friend having an affair came rushing back. It made me believe even more that friends can be fake.
"The most painful part was—why did she tell me everything only after she died? I endured everything just to be noticed. Why keep so many secrets? Tell me, Kai, did I deserve that? When she died, Dad started abusing me. I was lucky that my stepmom is kind. She always protects me. I asked her why she even bothers protecting me if she had betrayed Mom, and she said it was her way to make up for her sin."
I was speechless. I didn’t want to cry. That was already in the past.
I just smiled at him, knowing if I answered, he might cry even more. I hugged him tightly.
"It’s okay. You know, everything happens for a reason."
He cried in front of me, telling me he was thankful he finally opened up.
SO HE MEANS I’M THE FIRST?
"If ever, don’t open up to someone you don’t know well. You can’t trust anyone. At the end of the day, you won’t know who’s really on your side."
He smiled while crying.
"You know what, let’s start practicing again. I might spill all my problems to you."
We stood up together and began practicing again. It seemed like he improved. He looked more confident. I could see it in his facial expressions. Maybe being able to open up gave him strength.
We tried recording a video, so I grabbed the iPad upstairs. On my way out of the dancing room, I saw mom with Zayden.
"Hi mom," I said, then ran upstairs.
I got the iPad and returned to the dancing room. We started filming our dance.
After filming, we watched the video. It looked good. Our partnership wasn’t bad, especially for a first-time duo. Marc even looked more fierce. He was hard to keep up with. Good thing I was flexible, or else I’d be dragged around.
We continued practicing and didn’t notice the time—it was already 7 PM.
Mom decided they could sleep over, but Marc insisted on taking Keisha home first in case she was being looked for. Mom agreed.
While waiting, I took a bath. When I went downstairs, Zayden was helping mom while River was in the living room.
I left them and went back upstairs to rest. I thought about what Marc had told me earlier. His story was hard to imagine—but it wasn’t my business anyway.
I had nothing else to do, so I just ate. I had plenty of snacks in my room.
I was watching and eating at the same time. Best rest time.
Later, they called from downstairs, so I went down.
Everyone was ready and I was the only one missing. Marc was also back, so we ate.
After dinner, mom said to bring out fruits for dessert, so I did. She also asked if I could lend them some clothes. I was okay with it—plenty of unused clothes in my closet.
Even underwear. I didn’t know their sizes, but my underwear is stretchable and fits up to large, like what Marc wore earlier.
The three of them took a bath together in my bathroom upstairs. I didn’t know what was going on since they were noisy, but I let them be. They were done and dressed. They said the underwear and clothes were comfortable, and I just laughed at them.
I can’t imagine their looks—they seemed like kids.
"If you want to sleep here, just sleep on the bed. It can fit all of us," I offered with a smile.
"Sure," River replied.
"Hoy River, nakakahiya. Dito nalang kami sa lapag," Marc objected.
"Bahala ka, dito kami sa kama," River replied.
"It’s okay, I don’t want anyone sleeping on the floor," I added.
In the end, we all slept on the bed—River, Zayden, me, and Marc.
River asked if we could watch something first, so I turned on the TV and we watched Weak Hero Class Season 2.
Download NovelToon APP on App Store and Google Play