5

Aiden was quick to school the expression of shock on his face into a blank one.

“Hey, you still there?” tanong ni Klyden mula sa kabilang linya. Aiden averted his gaze from Artemis. Kumuha siya ng ilan pang sitsirya at inilagay ito sa cart niya bago ito muling itinulak. He fixed his hold on his phone. He can feel his hands shaking for some reason. Is he nervous? Embarrassed? Flustered? Guilty?

As he pushed his cart past her, their eyes met once again. Nanikip ang kanyang d****b sa ekspresyon ni Artemis. She looks so confused. He willed himself to keep it cool. Aiden gave her a small smile, her eyes widened for a fraction before giving a small smile too, immediately averting her gaze after.

He reached the next aisle still feeling dazed. Ang maliit na interaksyon ay paulit-ulit na naglalaro sa kanyang utak. Sa maikling sandali ay tumatak agad sa kanya ang lahat. Her dark brown hair, she used to have it long, now it falls shortly just past her shoulders. Her eyes are just as beautiful as ever, her small nose and her pink lips, even the mole just below it. Aiden missed all these details about her.

His heart is pounding so loud in his ears, the only thing he can focus on right now. Nang bumalik siya sa reyalidad ay unti-unti niyang narinig ang prantikong boses ni Klyden mula sa kabilang linya. He shook his head to gain more of his self and focus on his friend’s voice.

“Aiden? Huy? Okay ka lang ba? Owen?”

He sobered up at the call of his old name.

“Y-yeah,” he answered before clearing his throat.

“Nasaan ka ba bro?”

“I’m at a grocery store. Hey—” he called out, cutting himself off.

“I’ll send you the address of my apartment. See you there.”

Klyden shouted many more questions ngunit tinapos niya na ang tawag. He opened his messaging app and sent him the address. As he stuffed his phone in his pocket, nahagip muli ng kanyang paningin ang patch ng dugo na unti-unti nang lumalaki sa kaniyang jogging pants. Hindi niya na nararamdamn ang sakit, namamanhid na ang kanyang hita kaya naman mas kailangan niya nang bilisan.

He quickly pushed his cart, got everything he needs, he had a hard time finding the first aid essentials but he eventually did. He quickly paid for his things at the counter, all the time roaming his eyes around the small grocery store to find that familiar figure again but he didn’t. He must admit, bahagya siyang nanlumo dahil dito. Nang matapos siyang magbayad ay paika-ika muli siyang naglakad palabas at papunta sa kanyang sasakyan. Hanggang sa labas ay iniikot niya pa rin ang kanyang paningin, nagbabakasakaling muling makasalubong o masulyapan man lamang si Artemis ngunit wala na talaga.

Alam niyang magandang bagay na agad silang nagkita, she is his mission after all. But right now, with his heart clenched hoping for another glance at her, the mission is the last thought he has in his mind. Right now, ang nais niya lamang talaga ay makita itong muli. Mission be damned, he missed her so fucking much.

With a heavy heart, he loads his purchases in his car. He was about to get in the driver’s seat when he heard a loud noise. It was startling. Agad siyang napatingin sa eskinita sa gilid ng grocery store kung saan nanggaling ang malakas na tunog, alam niyang kadalasan ay basurahan lamang ang matatagpuan dito at ang tunog na narinig niya ay tila ba may kumalampag. Brows furrowing, he slowly walked to approach where it is, he’s on high alert. Mahirap na. Isang araw pa lamang ang nakalipas nang siya sy nasaksak, kailangan niyang maging maingat.

Malapit na siya sa eskinita. He thinks he vaguely sees a shadow of someone when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Reluctantly peeling his eyes off of the small alley, he got his phone out of is pocket to check who messaged him. It was Klyden saying he’s on his way to his apartment. Kailangan niya na talagang makabalik. Upang makasiguro na hindi ito threat sa kanya, mabilis siyang lumakad palapit sa eskinita. Nang makitang walang tao, he immediately jogged back, although with great difficulty, to his car.

His vision is hazy while driving, his head is throbbing too. Dulot yata ito ng labis na dugong nawawala sa kaniya na nararamdaman niyang patuloy na lumalabas mula sa kanyang sugat. He endured it, shaking his head to remove the spots in his vision. Malapit naman na siya.

The apartment turns out to be a small house located at the very center of a small village. He’s kind of confused as to why they chose this place. But seeing as the company always chooses a place where they know is the closest to the target, that means Artemis must live somewhere in the area. His tired mind provided him a glimpse of hope, to see her again. Ngunit ang mas malaking parte ng utak niya ay nagbibigay ng rasyonal na rason. Tama naman ito, the purpose of all this was his mission.

Klyden’s car is parked outside the house with Klyden himself leaning on the door of the passenger’s seat. The guy turned to look at his car. Tinanggal nito ang suot na shades nang makilala ang kanyang sasakyan at saka tumayo nang maayos.

Aiden quickly got off his car, stumbling as his head spun at the action. Nanlaki ang mata ni Klyden nang makita ang kanyang itsura. The part of his pants where his wound lies beneath is almost soaked with blood by now.

“Dude, what the fuck?!” Klyden exclaimed while approaching him, agad siya nitong inalalayan palapit sa bahay. Kahit na mas malaki ang kanyang katawan dito ay mas matangkad naman ito sa kanyang ng ilang sentimetro kaya naman madali lamang para dito na alalayan siya.

“You always bring your kit with you right?” Aiden asked. Klyden is a trained medical agent. He studied medicine after all. Mas madalas siyang nakadestino lamang sa kanilang clinic kaysa tumanggap ng misyon sa labas ng kumpanya. He often just accepts mission when agents are all unavailable.

“It’s in my car, you dimwit,” Klyden answered, voice both worried and irritated.

“Ano bang ginawa mo at nagkaganyan ang sugat mo?”

Aiden typed in the password of the house so they could enter. It’s a fairly simple house, a small hallway leading to a modest living room connected to a kitchen. A stair is by the entrance, leading to the second floor where he assumes the bedrooms are.

Inalalayan siya ni Klyden na maupo sa mahabang sofa sa living room. He groaned when he felt his wound throb.

“I’ll quickly get my kit, asshole. Stay put.”

With that, Klyden left leaving him in the silent house. Isinandal niya ang kanyang buong katawan sa malambot na sofa at saka bumuntong-hininga. The events of today playing in his mind. Hindi siya makapaniwang halos hindi pa natatapos ang araw na ito ay ang dami na agad nangyari. His breathing is ragged. He feels breathless for some reason.

Klyden didn’t take long, agad din siyang bumalik na dala na nga ang kanyang kit. He sat beside Aiden on the sofa.

"What were you even doing at a grocery store? Akala ko ba pumunta ka ng company?" he naggedd.

"Hubarin mo 'yang pants mo."

Klyden gave him a towel to cover himself up with at saka tumalikod upang mabigyan siya ng privacy. Kahit nahihirapan, dahan-dahan naman siyang tumayo para mahubad ang kanyang pants, inilagay niya ito sa sofa at saka ibinalot ang towel sa kanyang bewang at muling umupo. Klyden immediately turned to him.

“Bakit ka nasa grocery?” ulit ni Klyden sa kanyang tanong. He started dabbing a cloth on Aiden’s wound, cleaning off the blood. He rolled his eyes at Aiden’s pained hiss.

“Magtiis ka, kasalanan mo ‘yan.”

Aiden chuckled at his friend.

“Ano na? Bakit ka nga nasa grocery?” diniinan niya ang pagpunas.

“Asshole,” Aiden hissed. It’s Klyden’s turn to chuckle.

“I went to get some supplies.”

“Hindi ba’t provided na ‘yun ng company?”

“I don’t know. Hindi naman ganun sa Italy.”

“Ah, kuripot,” Klyden grabbed a gauze from his kit, and a medical tape.

“Why did you sound so distracted though? May dumaang maganda?”

They were silent as Klyden worked to roll the gauze on his wound. Mabuti na lamang at hindi naman pala ito bumuka. Nabigla lamang talaga ito dahil sariwa pa kaya naman nagdugo. Klyden secured the gauze on his leg with the tape. He tapped it lightly a few times bago nagsimulang iligpit ang kaniyang mga ginamit.

“I saw her today,” Aiden said quietly. Ang mga mata ay wala sa pokus na nakatitig sa itim na screen ng telebisyon na nasa harap nila.

Klyden looked at him confused.

“Her? Yung singer? Gagi idol ko yun! Saan mo nakita?”

Aiden rolled his eyes at his friend. Sighing as he continued to stare at the black screen of the television.

“Her, Klyden. I saw her today.”

Klyden seemed to ponder on who he was talking about before realization dawned at him.

“Shit,” he whispered. Ang mata ay bahagyang nanlaki, he turned to face Aiden.

“What happened? Nakita ka din ba niya?”

“She did. And she looked so shocked.”

“I bet she was. Akala niya siguro nakakita siya ng multo.”

Aiden wants to laugh at that. Because it’s a possibility. After what he did five years ago, he bets she really thought he was a ghost. As if on cue, her shocked face flashed in his mind. Her soft features that he loved staring at, her eyes that used to shine every time they’re together. Then the image of her crying at his supposed burial came to mind too. Her tear-stricken face, devastated eyes and downturned lips. He only watched from afar then, but he saw how hard she took it. Iniisip niya ngayon kung ano ang nangyari matapos ng pekeng pagkamatay niya five years ago. Ano-ano ang mga ginawa niya? May nagbago ba sa kanya bukod sa buhok niya? Gusto niyang malaman. At the same time, he knows it’s not really important now. Especially now that he needs to kill her.

Natahimik silang pareho. The ringing silence is loud in his ears before it got broken by the shrill sound of an alarm. Klyden fumbled beside him, it was his phone. He turned it off at saka tumayo, groaning as he did so.

“That’s my cue to leave.”

“Where are you going?” he slurred.

“May injured agent na idinaan sa clinic kanina, I need to check up on him. You know you should also be there, right?” Klyden brushed off an imaginary dirt on his clothes. He does it more as a habit.

“Shut up. You know I don’t like it there,” he said, closing his eyes.

His friend chuckled at him.

“I know. Hindi ka pa rin nagbabago.”

Hindi nga ba? Sa loob ng ilang taong inilagi niya sa ibang bansa, hindi nga ba talaga siya nagbago? He’s certain he did. But he can’t say for sure dahil hindi naman siya ang nakakakita sa sarili niya.

“I’ll leave you these painkillers, drink them,” he said. Ipinatong niya sa lamesa ang isang banig na painkiller.

“Do you still need anything?”

Tahimik na nag-isip si Aiden. Sasamantalahin niya na ang kabaitan ng kaibigan niya ngayon. His stomach growled.

“Yeah. Can you get my groceries in the trunk? The key’s on the table,” he said while pointing at the car key na inilagay niya sa lamesa kanina.

“Yung brown envelope din sana na nasa passenger seat.”

Klyden gave him a dirty look at first before perking up.

“Oh. Mission mo?” he nodded. Malokong ngumisi naman sa kanya ang kaniyang kaibigan.

“No, Klyden,” he said firmly.

“You can’t look.”

He only received a sassy eyeroll. Tila bata talaga.

“Boring,” Klyden said mockingly. He only flipped him off before closing his eyes. Listening to his friend’s retreating footsteps as he slowly feels the sleepiness creeping up on him. The feeling brought to him by the remnants of all the painkiller he took yesterday and the fatigue of the events of today.

In his half-asleep state, he heard the door open and Klyden’s footsteps. Narinig niya din itong ibinaba ang kung ano, ang mga grocery bag na ipinakuha niya, sa lamesa at ang tunog ng envelope na inihagis sa tabi niya. He wants to say thank you but his eyes won’t cooperate, refusing to open.

Before his consciousness completely slipped away, Artemis’ face flash at the forefront of his mind. Her beautiful smile shining. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely at peace.