DEMONS XLVI

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Third Person's

Ley met a car accident just a few days after she ran into Alecs. She's been staying with him and Alecs felt responsible for what had happened kaya naman he's been taking care of her. He moved her to his house just after a week the operation. Ayon sa mga doctor ni Ley ay stable naman na daw ang lagay nito despite her still being comatosed. Anytime naman raw ay maari itong magising kaya wala dapat ipagalala si Alecs.

Hindi niya alam if kailangan niya bang sabihin sa pamilya nito ang tungkol sa nangyari dahil una sa lahat, he doesn't know anything about her aside from her name that she told him. He's still doubting that she might be Yzel and he's still contemplating whether to go where the real Yzel is as she claimed, because at the first place he liked her before he even knew Jayzel.

"Tatlong linggo ka ng natutulog dyan. Kailangan ka kaya magmumulat ng mga mata mo at kakausapin ako ulit?" He asked the sleeping Ley while holding her hand and sitting at the edge of her bed.

He caressed her face and checked all the bruises and wounds she got from the accident. Sasakyan niya ang dina-drive nito when she encountered an accident. Yun ay dahil may tracking device ang sasakyan niya at ayaw niyang mawala na naman ito sa kaniya. He can't bear to lose her again.

Napansin niyang gumalaw ang daliri ni Ley kasabay ng unti-unting pagmulat ng mga mata nito.

"Yzel.. I mean.. Ley." Marahan niyang sambit before carefully holding her hand.

She seemed to adjust her sight before opening her mouth but no voice was heard. Though that is the case, he figured that she needed some water kaya naman kinuha niya ang isang basong tubig na nasa side table lamang.

"T-thank you." She mumbled.

"I'm very glad you're awake." Nakangiting sambit ni Alecs.

"Where.. am I?"

"You're still here at my house and at my bed." Sagot ni Alecs.

"Thank god you didn't tell them I'm here." She sighed.

"Whose them? Anyway, that's not even important. I'm not planning to let you go this time, Yzel, I mean Ley."

"You're such a pain in the ass, Lecs. Give me your phone and I'll show you something." Utos ni Ley dito and he gladly obliged.

Ley logged in her messenger to his phone saka niya ito inutusan na takpan ang camera para hindi siya makita ng kung sinumang balak niyang i-video call. She asked him to help her sit saka niya ito inutusan na tabihan siya to see who it is she'll call.

"Why'd you call, Ley?" Saad nito saka nagpunas ng mga mata.

"Sleeping at a tree again, Yzel?" Ley asked na ikinagulat ni Alecs lalo na't kitang kita niyang walang ipinagkaiba ang hitsura ng kausap ni Ley dito.

"Stop calling me that name, Ley." Malungkot nitong saad.

"What if you'll meet him again? I bet you're going to be happy kasi matagal mo na rin namang hiniling na mangyari yun."

"I don't know. He might still be mad until now for what I've done. Leaving him alone without any explanations is unforgivable. I just wish that I could still see Lecs' smiling face." Malungkot na saad ni Jayzel habang nakatingin sa malayo.

"Oh shit, low battery na ako. You'll get to see him again, no worries." Nakangiting saad ni Ley before ending the call.

"Siguro naman ay maniniwala ka ng hindi ako si Yzel?" Tanong ni Ley sa katabi at nagulat siya when she noticed that he's silently crying.

~•~

Ilang araw na lang at Christmas break na ng mga estudyante ng Woollim University at ilang linggo na lamang ay pasko na. Mahigit isang buwan ng nawawala si Ley and she's going to fail due to her absences buti na lamang at nakiusap ang kaniyang mga kaibigan to give her another chance na pinayagan naman ng mga teachers nito dahil isa siya sa mga students na nag-e-excel sa klase but they've given her until before the Christmas breaks starts to take a special examination or else she'll fail this semester.

"Are there any news about her?" Dongwoo asked Myungsoo and Yeol habang naglalakad sila sa hallway papuntang pantry. Magkakasabay ang pitong myembro ng D.A. gang at kasama rin nila si Iscelle at Batchi.

"None. I can't even trace where she is and it's getting me frustrated." Tila naiinis na sambit ni Yeol bago niyang iritang isinuklay sa buhok niya ang kaniyang mga kamay.

"Anyway, we might be away once the Christmas break starts. Everyone of you is already aware that someone is after us and that certain someone started by slowly vanishing our underlings at Eastern Europe." Pahay ni Gyu sa mga kasama.

"Alam na namin yan. Magagawan natin yan ng paraan saka ginawan ko naman na yun ng temporary fix." Sagot ni Namu na tinanguan naman ng lahat.

Nang makarating sila sa pantry ay agaran silang nagtungo sa counter para umorder at ng makarating sa usual table nila kung saan walang ibang estudyante ang nagtatangkang umupo ay nagulat sila ng makitang may babaeng nakaupo rito na ipinagsawalang bahala na lang ng ilan but not Yeol because the girl is currently sitting at Ley's usual seat.

"Ah!" Daing nito matapos maramdaman ang madiing hawak ni Yeol sa left shoulder niya pagkatapos na marahas na ipatong ang tray ng pagkain sa lamesa.

"Who the hell gave you---" Hindi na naituloy ni Yeol ang sasabihin after seeing her face.

"Tss! Let go." Malamig nitong saad na may nakakatakot na tinig at expression kaya't dahan-dahang napabitaw si Yeol na ikinagulay ng mga kasama kaya dali-dali silang lumapit.

"G-Gleya!" Tila hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Yeol saka niya marahas na itinayo ang kaharap at yinakap ng mahigpit.

"I said.. let go!" Maawtoridad nitong utos saka balak itulak si Yeol ngunit natigilan siya when she noticed that Yeol buried his face on the crook of her neck because he's crying.

"What a crybaby." Tila natatawa niyang saad before caressing his hair as if he is a child.

Samantala ay naupo na ang mga kasama ni Yeol sa kaniya-kaniya nilang upuan and they just smiled at the scene in front of them.

Matapos ang ilang minuto ay dahan-dahang inangat ni Yeol ang kaniyang mukha and Ley dried his tears with her handkerchief.

"What ha-happened to y-you?" Tila hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Batchi, ngunit imbis na sumagot ay ngumiti lang ito.

"I'll be taking a special examination to pass and continue this semester." Sagot naman ni Ley.

"We're asking what happened not why you're here." Cold at tila nang-uusig namang tanong ni Iscelle which made her sigh.

"Let's just say that I've met an accident." Tanging saad ni Ley.

"Kaya ba ngayon ka lang bumalik?" Tanong naman ni Dongwoo.

"Well, sort of." Tugon niya.

Hinatid siya ni Yeol sa admins office para sa exams ko at kahit anong tanggi ni Ley ay mapilit ito. Binigyan siya ang three and a half hours para tapusin ang cover to cover examination for all her subjects and after more than two hours ay lumabas na siya even when the teacher told her to review all her answers.

"You have to tell me everything, especially where you've been." Salubong agad ni Yeol sa kaniya.

Nagtungo sila sa school garden dahil walang tao dun lalo na't may mga klase na ang lahat ng students. Naupo sila sa malaking ugat ng puno saka niya isinandal ang kaniyang ulo sa balikat ni Yeol. She told him everything especially about what happened eleven years ago aside from meeting Alecs dahil masyado itong over-protective sa kaniya at baka kung ano pa ang gawin nito kay Alecs. Inilagay lang ni Yeol ang braso niya sa balikat ni Ley at mas inilapit pa ito sa kanya sabay halik sa ulo nito.