Attention
It was already afternoon when I woke up. I was alone in our room, it seems that the girls already got up earlier. I didn’t bother to even wash my face, instead, I just walk my way outside trying to find anyone.
Last night, after what I said about his eyes, he seemed in shock that it took us both quite a long time to move. Even in the dark I was able to see how red his cheeks has become and eyes, looking back and forth in both mine.
I stifled my giggles.
Kaia was in the kitchen alone. The memories of last night gushed and disbelief was etched in my face, remembering every detailed of what I saw. This girl!
I pulled her hair lightly making her shriek a bit.
“You seemed to enjoy last night, huh?”
“What?” Her eyes was emotionless, more like she put an effort to not put any emotions there.
“I saw you two kissing,” I pouted my lips, acting like kissing. “You and Istuki, you bitch.”
She looked horrified, like I wasn’t meant to saw what I saw. Of course, I mustn’t. They should have locked the door.
She was about to defend herself when the boys entered the kitchen. I found Istuki opening the refrigerator, I looked at Kaia who’s trying to focus on what she’s cooking. Well, it’s their love life, I don’t want to barged in.
“Lock the door next time.” I whispered but she just shoved me.
“Hoy! Ano iyan?” Anton making a fuss on what Kaia’s cooking.
“Man, my head’s throbbing still,” Istuki groaned.
“A hangover soup? Dude, I’m no longer hang over, kaninang umaga pa iyon.” Anton.
“This is not for you, idiot,” Kaia popped Anton’s bubble. I giggled.
“Oh...” he seems to slowly get it as his eyes go back and forth between Kaia and Istuki. “Sige, mamamatay na lang ako sa gutom dito.”
I wheeze at what he said. Kio laughed. The two lovers didn’t cared and just talked like they have their own world. In between my laugh, I heard the creak of the floor. It was Nami who’s brushing his hair using his hands. Our eyes met.
I blinked to re-focus my sight. He looked nostalgic. That’s the word. It might sound weird to describe him with that word but he felt like it. He felt familiar, like he was always in my sight even before I knew him, he felt like a familiar scene or place.
“Dude, cook me food please,” Anton head towards Nami and cling on his arms like a baby. Nami’s confused eyes looked at me.
“Eat what is served in the table, Anton.” Nami successfully escaped Anton’s hold and head his way to me. He then sat on the stool next to me.
Anton was left dumbfounded, looking at us.
“What if there’s no food served in the table? What the f*ck?”
“Why don’t you cook man?” Kio shook his head and head on the stove.
“Because I do not know how to?,” Sarcastically, Anton said.
It was probably the shortest day I had in my life. Before we even notice, it was starting to getting dark again. The night inside the forest was cold but calmed. Anton managing the guitar as we sat, circling the bonfire Istuki made.
The fire kept us warm, its red flames didn’t stopped us from coming nearer. In his specs, Nami placed his camping chair next to mine.
I looked at him.
“Next summer would be more fun, for sure,” Istuki.
“You’ll come back next summer, right?,” I asked Nami.
The flames reflected somewhere in his eye glasses. It bore on me and I looked still.
“Yeah, I’ll still be here all summer long next year,” he said, nodding his head seriously.
I adjusted my chair more closer to him, making sure that he knows I’m making my move. He kept his fingers busy with the strands of my long hair as my heartbeat found its own rhythm. As the night was getting deep so as my mind. No thoughts played, it was me being present. Looking in the eyes of everyone as I try to engraved it on my head, of what that moment felt like. Of how things felt so right.
And, from time to time, I would comb the hair in his forehead. His eyes will be on me but I won’t look back. I want that way. I want his attention. I want his attention when he’s serious, or when he’s doing something he love but will sacrifice what he’s doing and look at my way, and his attention when he find something funny and he’ll automatically look at me.
“Ugh, the wind was refreshing,” I said as I felt the cool breeze of air as we stood in an open field. The trees were scattered, like it was purposefully planted that way.
I saw Nami looked around, checking the place like what he’s been doing the past minutes of our walk.
“This would be a great soccer field.”
“Yeah, but it’s kind a long walk from the village to get here, right?” he nodded.
“They usually just do camping, or picnic...” he looked at me. “We once camped here.”
Interested, I urged him to talk about it.
“With your family?”
“Nope, it was with my Japanese friends years ago...” we started walking towards the nearest tree.
“When they visited me.”
Under the shade of that tree, we talked about our life. His life in Japan with his friends and family. Mochizuki was known for its wealth that’s why his errands everyday must be with a bodyguard lurking around to keep him safe. But, this also keeps him away from making friends.
When our conversation was getting comfier, I asked him about our first meeting.
“In the convenience store?”
“Nope, you don’t remember?” I asked in disbelief.
He shook his head, smiling. It was kind of disappointing that he couldn’t remember meeting me in the bookstore that summer I first saw him when we’re probably just in our middle teens.
“Seriously? You’re not joking?” I asked once again to make sure he’s not joking.
I saw how confusion mixed with his laughing face as he shook his head.
“I seriously don’t remember, sorry. You said it was years ago, right? That was probably me, I just have a really bad memory,” he explained as I looked at him doubtingly.
When he saw my face, he put his right hand up, like promising he meant what he said then hugged me sideways.
Okay, forgiven.
“I’ll never forget you forgotten our first meeting,” I jokingly remarked as we head back to the cabin.
He handsomely laugh as we walk side by side, his hands on his pockets.
I had fun that summer that I felt painfully empty on my way to the airport. I bid my goodbye to Kaia as I marched my way inside. With only the assurance of the next possible summer with them, I head home and attend school.