"Ay, totoo mhaem! Lakas ng chemistry oh! Ayiee~" tukso naman ng iba, na ikinahiya mo naman. Si Woojin, na nasa tabi mo, ay tumawa lang, hindi tinanggi ang mga tukso, kaya't patuloy pa rin sila sa hiyawan.

"Okay lang yan, maganda ka, pogi ako. Bagay." Woojin teased, noticing your shy expression as he nudged you in the shoulders.

"Kadiri ka, Woojin." Sagot mo naman, nahihiya pa rin.

Woojin acted like he was deeply hurt by your statement, even going as far as clutching his chest. "Sakit mo magsalita, ssob."

"Wala na gustong lumaban oh! Ede panalo by default kayo niyan, mga 'te!" The class secretary shouted, receiving a bunch of teasing noises from your classmates.

Woojin showed a thumbs up, "goods na yan! Payag na raw 'tong katabi ko!" Sagot niya.

Pabiro mong tinulak si Woojin, sinusubukang ipakita sakaniya na naiinis ka, pero hindi mo mapigilan ang ngiting tumatakas sa iyong mukha.

"Nakakainis ka, alam mo ba yun?" You told Woojin, who laughed.

"Alam ko. Lagi mo ba namang sinasabi sa'kin." Sagot naman niya.

You rolled your eyes at him, "buti naman."

10th grade isn't hard, but you felt the need to pressure yourself to aim higher, to aim higher grades, just to graduate and walk on stage with medals dangling around your neck. But you unfortunately failed the long quiz for one of your subjects— a subject you were known to be good at.

Right after the class ended, you left the room quietly. No one noticed, except for a guy who's always been beside you ever since.

Woojin followed you, until he saw you sat alone on an empty bench at the back of the school building. He approached you, quietly at first, and sat beside you.

"Lungkot natin boss ah?" Pagbasag ni Woojin sa katahimikan na bumalot sa kapaligiran. Only the sound of the rustling leaves accompanied his voice. Wala kang lakas na lingunin siya, kundi iyuko lang ang ulo mo.

"Nabagsak ko yung quiz ng favorite subject ko, Woojin." You finally talked to him after a few minutes of silence. Woojin sighed, trying to find the right words to comfort you. But instead, he slung his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him.

"Wag ka mag-alala. Kung nahihirapan ka, lumapit ka lang sa'kin." Sagot ni Woojin.

You frowned and pushed him away from you.

"Anong lumapit sa'yo? 'Di ka nga naga-aral ng maayos." You retorted, with a pout present on your face. Woojin laughed, and quickly pulled you closer to him once again, ruffling your hair playfully.

"Oh, alam mo naman pala. Ede hindi lang ikaw bagsak, kasama mo 'ko." Biro naman niya, na mas ikina-simangot mo. Napansin niya naman ito, pero hindi pa rin nawawala ang nakakalokong ngisi sa labi niya.

"Joke lang, sungit." Dagdag pa niya.

"Nakakainis ka talaga."

Woojin smiled softly, "alam ko."

"Hala, umuulan." bulong mo sa sarili, pinagmamasdan ang malakas na buhos ng ulan.

Umuwi na lahat ng mga kaklase mo, si Woojin, nasa basketball practice. Ikaw naman, katatapos lang ang meeting ng club na sinalihan mo. Hindi mo naman expect na uulan ngayon, kasi sobrang init kanina at noong mga nakaraang araw, kaya iniwan mo na ang payong mo. Dagdag bitbit pa kasi, ang bigat na nga ng bag mo.

"Y/N!" Sigaw ni Woojin, pawis na pawis, katatapos lang ata ng training nila.

"Tapos na training mo?" Bungad mo sakaniya, habang hinahabol ang kaniyang hininga. Parang tinakbo niya ang gymnasium hanggang building ng club room niyo.

"Oo. Pauwi ka na ba?" Woojin asked back, you nodded your head.

He smiled widely, "sabay na tayo?"

"May payong ka?" Tanong mo ulit, umiling siya.

"Takbuhin nalang natin. Wala naman tayong choice." He answered, followed with a laugh. You shook your head and rolled your eyes at him.

"Baka magkasakit tayo, Woojin." You scolded lightly.

Woojin sighed, but quickly dropped his bag to rummage inside it. He took his white polo uniform, hang it on his shoulder, and zipped his bag before wearing its strap on his back.

"Akin na bag mo." Ang sabi ni Woojin, na ipinag-taka mo naman, pero noong napansin mong hinihintay ka niya, wala ka nang nagawa kundi ibigay sakaniya.

Napansin mo namang sinuot niya ang bag mo sa harapan niya.

"Uy, okay lang, kaya ko namang bitbitin, Woojin." You told him, nahihiya ang boses mo.

Umiling siya, "ako na. Ang bigat kaya netong bag mo, sa liit mong yan, paano mo kinakayang bitbitin 'to?"

"Para kang may dalang bato ampota." He whispered the last sentence, which you still heard. You smack him on his bare shoulder, na ikinatawa naman niya bago umiwas sa hampas mo ulit.

Nilagay nya ang polong hawak niya sa taas ng ulo mo, sabay ngumisi ng nakakaloko. "Tara na, takbo!"

Madalang lang magka vacant sa schedule niyo, nasaktuhan na may meeting ang lahat ng teachers. Yung iba mong mga kaklase, lumabas, bumili sa canteen. Yung iba naman, gumagawa ng assignments na nakalimutan nilang gawin kagabi, ang iba naman nakikipagusap lang sa mga kaibigan nila.

Si Woojin, ayun, nasa harap at nakaupo sa table ng teacher. Hindi naman allowed yun, eh. Pero sino bang makakapag pabawal sakaniya? Kasama niya iyong mga classmates mo na tinutukoy nilang 'boys at the back'. May hawak na gitara si Woojin, nagsa-strum lang habang nakikitawa sa mga kaklase niyo.

Alam mong magaling mag-gitara at kumanta si Woojin, pero madalang niya lang gawin 'yon kapag magkasama kayo.

"Hawak pala ni Woojin ang beat, eh!" Sigaw ng isa sa mga kaklase mong babae, na ikinatawa niyo namang lahat.

"Tumugtog ka naman diyan, oh!" Sigaw naman ng iba.

Woojin smiled, "sige ba. Anong kanta?"

"Favorite song ng crush mo, ayie~!" Hiyaw ng isa niyong kaklase.

Woojin laughed, and you weren't sure if you were just mistaken, but you saw his eyes flickered on your figure for a second, before he quickly looked down at the guitar.

What shocked you most was the familiar intro of your favorite song,

Mundo.

"Naks, wala kang buntot ngayon, ah?" Ryul, isa sa mga seniors sa school niyo. Already in 12th grade, in the same basketball team as Woojin.

"Sino nanaman yan, kuya?" Singhal mo naman.

"Sino pa ba? Ede si Woojin." Sagot niya sabay tawa. You frowned, and quickly pulled your fries away from him nung napansin mong umaamba siya na kumuha sa pagkain mo.

"Damot." Ryul mumbled.

"Buraot." You mumbled back, na ikinatawa niya.

"Sungit mo naman. Kaya siguro inlove na inlove sa'yo si Woojin." Ryul said, which made your eyebrow furrowed.

"Pinagsasabi mo kuya, kilabutin ka nga." The older guy laughed.

"Luh, hindi mo ba pansin?" Tanong niya.

You glared at him, "ang alin?"

"Alam ko mga ganoong titigan, kung makatitig sa'yo akala mo ikaw mundo niya, eh."

Ryul's words were stuck on your head for days. To the point you kept recalling moments you had with Woojin, the way his voice softened even when he teases you, or when he started carrying your things for you. The way he always knew when you're upset or not in the mood.

Suddenly, Ryul's words weren't nonsense after all, and it is affecting you mentally.

You switched seats, making an excuse that you couldn't see well on your original seat. Or when you'd avoid Woojin like a plague, using every excuse in the book just so you wouldn't ineract with him.

Of course, everyone noticed, especially him. So when he spot you sitting on an empty bench during break time, Woojin found himself squatting down in front of you. His hands immediately engulfed your smaller ones, holding your hand tightly as if he was afraid you'd disappear if he ever loosen his grip.

Nanlaki ang mata mo, at sinubukang kumawala sa mga hawak niya, ngunit mas malakas siya sayo.

"Woojin, bakit?" You asked, panicked. Woojin's pleading eyes stared at you. It was the first time you saw him in this state, eyes teary and begging.

"May nagawa ba akong mali?" He asked, voice cracking a bit. You swore you felt your heart break into pieces.

"Ha? Wala, Woojin, tumayo ka riyan. Baka may makakita sa'tin." Sagot mo naman ng mabilis, habang tumitingin sa paligid. Hinigpitan niya ang hawak sa mga kamay mo, inilapit ang mga ito sa kaniyang mukha.

"Bakit mo 'ko iniiwasan?" bulong ni Woojin.

"Hindi kita iniiwasan—"

"Sorry, sungit ko. Hindi ko alam anong ginawa kong mali, pero sorry na. Pansinin mo na 'ko." Pagmamakaawa niya.

"Hindi ko kayang mabuhay na hindi mo 'ko kinakausap. Bati na po tayo, hm?" Dagdag pa niya, looking at you straight in the eyes. And you couldn't help but blurt out the following words,

"Gusto mo ba 'ko, Woojin? Yung totoo."

Woojin's mouth parted, like he wanted to say something, before he closed his mouth fully once again. The place was engulfed in an uncomfortable silence, before his unexpected words broke it.