4: Good Nights

Brye looked at the small lady compared to him. Her height, and her physique, even though she is a grown woman already, she's small compared to those that he had seen. It was as if he was talking to a teenager who is still in their puberty phase if it was in terms of physique. He half smiled, “hmm, I’d suggest the usual that I’d take, that’s not on the menu but it’s what we’ll take” he smirks at Karlos before pulling the lady with him to a seat beside the wall. Brye watched her eyes wander around the places, looking at the frames that hung on the wall. Different pictures of the valued people the owner, Karlos, has placed, or the events from the past that he had taken an interest in.

Soft music was playing in their background, “he’s your friend?” she finally asks something, muttering the words softly as if she was scared that Karlos will hear her. He laughs at her, “yeah, but he’s graduated already” he tells her, eyes landing on each other. She nods at him then falls into silence again.

“That’s one painful song” he hears her snicker with a downward smile on her face. “I didn’t see you as one who’d have an ex” Brye muttered, resting his head on his palm. “No, I never had an ex, kahit nga boyfriend wala” she laughed softly. His eyes widened a fraction, “really? Why?” he pries, he knows that it’s a personal question to ask but he’s curious. ‘Is it because she’s in a situation like me too? Do her parents would be the ones to pick whom she’s going to get married to?’ his thoughts ran wild while he waited for her answer. “Hmm, di ko rin alam, I just, never had one, though, oo, I have permission to have one but for some reason, I never had one e, it’s always one-sided, so eventually, I accepted that kung wala, then wala, and if magkakaron man, then thank you, or love isn’t just for me” she chuckled and shrugged at him. “How about you Brye?” she asked him this time.

Brye frowned softly, “Brye?” he repeats the name that left her lips. Liana mirrors his frown, “ay, ayaw mo ba nung nickname?” she bits her bottom lip, her lips pursued into a thin line. He blinks, “not really, it’s the first time someone calls me that, it’s either Aki or Jr since I was named after my father,” he tells her, chuckling. “And to answer your question, I have a few shares of girlfriends, ” he shrugs after disclosing the information.

She nods at him, just in time before they could drown in awkward silence, Karlos appears with the food in his hands. “There you go,” he placed it down on the table before winking at her. Her eyes are raised at him before she lets out a small laugh before muttering a small thank you.

Karlos left after that then Brye and Liana ate. It was only a matter of minutes, not even an hour when the lady in front of him finished eating. “That was fast” he took the drink beside him, gulping it down. She laughed a bit, “mabilis talaga akong kumain, hungry or not” she smiled, holding the huge glass of drink in front of her. She takes a sip and Brye watched how her face winced at the taste of the beer. “Gusto mo?” she offers to him, pushing the glass closer to him. “You don’t drink?” he asks, stretching out his hand and taking the mug in his hand. “Umiinom but not beer” she shakes her head, making him nod.

By the time they went outside the restaurant, after long bickering between Karlos and Brye, they walked past the other side where the stop is to wait for a ride home. There was a silence between Liana and Brye, and she understand that the man beside her is intoxicated but not really enough for him to pass out, maybe just sleepy. Luckily, a minibus appears again and they got in, Liana paying this time. Both sat down beside each other, Liana beside the window and Brye beside the aisle. There are other people as well, probably going home after their shift and it wasn’t crowded so it was silent inside the vehicle.

Due to the beer, Brye drank, his head was hung low and his arms were crossed across his chest in an attempt to sleep through the ride. Her eyes drifted to him, eyeing the uncomfortable position, “Brye?” she whispers to him, his brows raised to answer her call. “Here, you can lay on my head for a while, I can wake you up when we’re almost there” she reached for his head, laying it on hers.

Brye, despite his mind, was awake and his body wanted to sleep, he let her lay his head on her. He lets out a smile. A smile that was oblivious to the other. 

It was actually unintentional that he befriended her. It was rare for an Akihiko Brye Lim to befriend someone of his own will, not from his parents’ friends’ children. Since he’s the youngest of the three, he was pampered and spoiled since he was a child. He wasn’t opposed to it but as he grew, his view of all those pampers and spoils changed. He had to pay for all of it. In order to keep the bloodline strong, order to keep the business and wealth coming in, he and his brothers needed to marry someone from the same nationality, from the same circle.

It was the thing he despised the most but he didn’t say anything about it. His brothers got married after accepting ladies from renowned families and he doesn’t want that. Being fed with a golden spoon since he was young and paying it with something like that, he doesn’t want that.

So, Brye asked to move somewhere, and he did even if his parents don’t want it. The spoiled and pampered child card worked that time. He still excelled in his studies, a running Latin honor holder with other awards. But maybe with his high intelligence, Brye had problems with his emotions. How do you even feel what is love and what is not? His parents weren’t even there as he grew up. So how does it even feel to be loved by someone not because you are of the same standing, the same way of growing up, the same circle, and the same view of life?

It might sound shallow but Brye has always been asking for that. He wanted to experience something that he hadn’t. Another view of life where he’s someone normal, not some who’s the child of the Lim who has been a prestigious family, known for their business, known for their intelligence, and skills.

It was one of the many reasons why Brye moved out. To meet other people, to meet different lives.

And unintentionally, he meets this tiny lady that let him lay his head on hers despite their physical differences and he can’t help but smile at the thought. For some unknown reason, Brye was comfortable with her. He found her refreshing which is maybe why he talked to her that time despite not finishing the book Paradiso by Dante Alighieri.

“Brye? Are you awake?” he hears her and her eyes perked up, lifting his head off her before looking down at her. Her eyes looked at his, making him smile. “We’re here?” he asks her, a habit of looking down at her to meet her face forming in him unconsciously.

“Yeah” she smiles sleepily at him. The minibus stops at the stop and both had gotten off together. A yawn broke out from her lips as they walked across the pedestrian and arrived at the entrance. He smiled at the little sound that she let out after her yawn. Maybe Brye is being fond of her and it escalated fast. Too fast.

They got inside the lift and he pressed the button before the doors closed. “I’ll come by tomorrow?” he muttered softly looking at her. “Hmm, sure, maybe in the afternoon? Di ko alam kung magigising ako ng maaga” she sleepily laughs before the ding interrupts them. They got off and walked through the long corridor.

“See you tomorrow then” they stop in front of her unit. She only let out a hum with a nod before Akihiko proceeded to walk to his unit. “Brye? The food was so nice, thank you, and good night” she calls for him while she inserts the key in the knob. Brye turns to her, “good night, Liana” he broke into another fond smile before they enter their units for a good night’s sleep.