And here we are... walking on the street again.
"What?"
"What?" masungit na pagtatanong naman ni Ren habang ito ay nakatingin lang nang seryoso sa dating nobyo.
"Why are you staring at me like I'm just a ghost here?" pagtatanong naman ni Skye habang bahagya namang nakakunot ang noo nito. "Come on, say something!"
"Well, I'm just wondering..." wika naman ni Ren atsaka naman ito muling napatingin sa kanilang dinadaanan ngayon. "Why are we walking here like we're not in danger anymore?"
Kasalukuyan naman silang naglalakad ngayon sa isa sa mga pinakadelikadong street sa New York. Ito ang street na pinakainiiwasan niya noon dahil sa dami ng mga gang na nakaabang dito lalo na't kaaway ng mga ito ang grupo nila Skye. Malinis na rin sa wakas ang street na ito at wala nang mga tao rito. May pagbabago rin pala sa siyudad na ito pero... mas malakas pa rin ang multo ng kahapon... dahil sa street na ito, sila ay unang nagkakilala at nakuha ang loob ng isa't isa. The night that he realized... he wanted to give up everything that he has... just to be with him.
"Oh... We're safe now... They already took everything from me, so they left New York as promised," tugon naman ni Skye habang ito ay nakangiti at nakatingin sa paahan ni Ren. "You still walk in dead silence."
"You taught me that..." komento naman ni Skye na siyang pagtingin niya rin sa kanilang mga paa. "We still walk in sync."
"I was wondering..." wika naman ni Skye atsaka ito muling napatingin nang seryoso kay Ren. "Did you kill half of yourself just to forget about me?" biglaan namang pagtatanong ni Skye, dahilan para mapatigil sa paglalakad si Ren, na siyang paglagpas naman ng ginoo atsaka ito huminto nang limang metro na ang kaniyang layo atsaka siya humarap muli rito. "Answer me."
I didn't expect that... what... how... Did I?
"What do you think?" pagtatanong naman ni Ren pabalik sa dating kasintahan nito. "Would half of myself already be enough to completely erase you from my life?"
You're like a tattoo scar... you're permanent to my skin until I die... killing half of myself would never be enough.
"Of course not," tugon naman ni Sky at bakas sa mga mata nito ang pangungulila nito sa pagmamahal na matagal niya nang hinahanap-hanap. "I guess it would be enough for you to stop loving me anymore."
What the fuck... hindi na maiwasan ni Ren na mapamura sa kaniyang isipan nang makita nito ang ekspresyon ngayon ni Skye. It's been longing for him, for his love, for his forgiveness. It was his true face, he's not pretending anymore. Ilang taon niyang hindi nakita ang mukhang ito, ang mukha ng taong minamahal niya noon. Bakit ganito? Ayos na ang lahat eh, ayos na ang kaniyang pamumuhay ngayon. Kinaya niya kahit mag-isa lang siya noon. Ngunit, bakit parang nahuhulog na naman siya sa kaniyang patibong? Why am I still crawling back to you?
"Yeah, it's enough..." matipid na pagsagot naman ni Ren atsaka ito muling naglakad para lagpasan naman si Skye. "Why are you suddenly asking me that kind of question?"
"Because you haunts me alot," tugon naman ni Skye atsaka ito naglakad muli para sabayan naman si Ren. "You're a pretty good ghost of my past."
Past... I'm just a past... Ren thought to himself. Hindi siya makapaniwala na ganito pa rin pala magsalita ang dating kasintahan nito. Tagos pa rin hanggang buto, parang nais nang kumawala ng kaniyang luha dahil sa sakit na iniinda nito. Napalunok naman si Ren atsaka ito tumingin sa may kalangitan para pigilan ang sarili na maluha. A ghost from your past, huh? I should have scared the living shit out of you.
"T-Then, how about you? Would you kill half of yourself just to forget me?" pabalik na pagtatanong naman ni Ren bilang pambawi.
"I would kill myself for you."
You're my living hell that brought me heaven.
•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•
As time passed by, pagkatapos nilang maglakad-lakad sa Upper Manhattan, napagdesisyonan naman nilang pumunta sa southern tip ng Lower Manhattan, na kilala bilang Battery Park. They're leaning at the handrail while facing the New York harbor. You can see the beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty but especially the sunset, it was golden.
"You're asking why... I left you in Japan, right?" panimula naman ni Skye para sa kanilang panibagong pag-uusap, sa wakas, ang matagal nang itinatanong ng kaniyang dating kasintahan. "Without a single word... just you all alone."
"Yeah..." mahinang pagtugon naman ni Ren habang nakatitig pa rin ito sa napakagandang kalangitan. "I'm always asking why..."
"I left you there because... I was scared for your future... I know that there's a bright future waiting for you and I just ruined it because I'm greedy for your love. Maybe, if I didn't leave you there, you're probably still stuck on that dangerous street of Manhattan with me. I want you to move forward without me."
I can move forward with you... If you just...
"I'm sorry for everything... Haha... Hahaha... It would never be enough to fix you, right? But, I'm really sorry. I gave you the most twisted life that kills your dream and faith. I shouldn't have run with you from that street and kept you to myself. I'm really really sorry... I regret it all the time."
We regret this part of our life... we regret everything about us.
"The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" he said as he smiled. "Just like you, Cos."
Agad na napalingon si Ren sa kaniyang dating kasintahan at nakita niya naman itong ina-admire ang ganda ng sunset. Ngunit, alam niya kung ano ang ibig nito, and it was the worst thing. Napalingon din si Skye sa kaniyang katabi at kitang-kita niya ang bakas ng pagkagulat sa mukha ni Ren dahil hindi nito inaasahan na sasabihin niya ang matalinhagang kataga na iyon. I knew that, Skye... I knew what you were trying to say... I'm the one who taught you that... Ren thought to himself as he looked at him with those pleading eyes again. Once again, he saw his beautiful ocean eyes as Skye gave him a bitter smile. He was looking at Ren who's now tearing up, admiring it like the beautiful sunset, he slowly inclined his face toward him like he was aiming for a kiss.
"I loved you... my universe..."
"Goodbye... I'm letting you go..."
❀