Chapter 4

“Who’s washing the dishes tonight?” Ersel’s mother asked after the whole family had finished eating dinner.

“That would be me!” Mina declared eagerly.

“Then I’ll be the one to sweep and mop the floor and wipe the table tonight,” Ersel declared while grinning innocently.

“Alright,” Ersel’s mother answered with a smile. “I’ll be going to my room for now then.”

“And I’ll be watching news programs for now, dear,” Ersel’s father declared with a smile.

“Go ahead, my dear,” Ersel’s mother replied in a jolly manner.

While Ersel and Mina were doing their respective tasks in the kitchen, they talked about their experiences at school.

“How’s school, Kuya Ersel?” Mina asked curiously.

“It was fine,” Ersel replied while smiling innocently. “I have a new friend. His name is Van.”

“What’s this Van like?” Mina asked interestingly. “Is he handsome? Is he tall?”

“Well...yeah, he’s rather handsome,” Ersel replied after thinking for a moment. “He’s also tall. Personality-wise, he’s friendly and kind.”

“Do you like him?” Mina asked in a teasing tone.

“No,” Ersel answered without hesitation. “He’s not really my type.”

“I see. Do you have any pictures of him?” Mina asked curiously.

“I don’t. Sorry,” Ersel answered apologetically.

“That’s too bad. He might be my type or something,” Mina declared in a slightly irritated tone, with Ersel chuckling upon hearing his sister’s declaration.

At that moment, Ersel remembered the mysterious and handsome guy who kept on staring at the former in school. Ersel does not know yet that that guy was Lino.

“That reminds me. There was this handsome guy whom I bumped into this morning,” Ersel said with his cheeks blushing.

“Really? Then what happened?” Mina asked curiously.

Ersel blushed even more with embarrassment while remembering what happened.

“I told him that I was sorry, but it looks like he hasn’t forgotten it yet,” Ersel answered while feeling a little awkward. “He was staring at me with that glare every time we ran into each other today.”

At that moment, Mina noticed that her older brother was blushing.

“Kuya Ersel, your face is red,” Mina said in a serious tone, surprising Ersel.

“R-Really?” Ersel asked awkwardly. “Don’t mind it. Hahahaha…”

“Hmmmm….don’t tell me...that guy you bumped into is exactly your type?” Mina asked in a teasing tone.

“Well...I guess so?” Ersel replied awkwardly while caressing his head from behind with his left hand.

“What’s his name? What’s he like?” Mina inquired curiously while smiling teasingly.

“I don’t know what his name is yet,” Ersel answered while his cheeks were still blushing as the guy's handsome face kept on showing in the former's mind. “He’s tall, handsome, brown-skinned, and muscular. But he’s apparently got a serious and quiet personality.”

“Oh, what an interesting guy,” Mina commented cheerfully. “He really is exactly your type!”

“Yeah,” Ersel replied with a smile. “Although...there’s something strange about him.”

“What is it?” Mina asked with curiousness.

“I don’t know how or why, but I feel like we’ve met before,” Ersel replied seriously. “I just can’t remember when or where.”

“I see. It’s like the two of you were fated to meet again, right?” Mina said with a serious facial expression while her head was rested on her palms.

“Hmmm...Maybe?" Ersel replied with a tone that indicated that he was not sure. "But I’m not sure about that yet. I have yet to know who he is.”

“Then why don't you ask him what his name is?” Mina suggested in a jolly manner.

“I’ll try, but I might not be able to. He seems...rather unapproachable right now,” Ersel replied with his cheeks blushing.

“Then, I wish you luck!” Mina declared cheerfully. “Get the name of your new crush ASAP, Kuya!”

“Thanks!" Ersel replied joyfully while showing his innocent smile to his younger sister. "So, what about you, Mina? How’s school?”

“Nothing much,” Mina replied after thinking for a moment. “Just normal stuff on the first day of school. Got to meet my friends as well as new friends and classmates.”

“Are there new students too?” Ersel asked while grinning innocently.

Mina nodded and replied, “Yeah. I think...there are five of them. Three of them are boys, and one of those boys is gay.”

“Are you friends with any of them now?” Ersel inquired curiously.

“No," Mina answered without hesitation while also shaking her head. "I didn’t get to talk to any of them yet."

“I see,” Ersel replied while smirking. “As expected, you’re rather shy.”

“I guess so. Hahahaha!” Mina answered in a lively manner.

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Using his Android phone, Ersel checked his Facebook account and saw that he has a Friend Request. The person who sent the Friend Request was a guy named Van Matthew Resurreccion. He then checked the person’s profile and saw that it was his classmate that he met that morning. Afterwards, Ersel confirmed Van as a friend.

At that moment, Ersel also began to chat with Van.

[Hi there, Van!] Ersel sent with a smiling emoji.

[Hi, Ersel! Thanks for accepting my friend request!] Van replied also with a smiling emoji.

[Sure, no problem!] Ersel answered.

[What’s up, bro?] Van asked with a smiling emoji.

[Nothing much. Just checking my Facebook updates. What about you?] Ersel responded with a smiling emoji.

[Same as you. LOL. But I’ll play Mobile Legends later.] Van responded with a laughing emoji.

Ersel laughed upon reading Van's message and the former thought about playing Mobile Legends with the latter.

[Really? Want to play with me?] Ersel challenged, feeling eager to play with his new friend.

Van also laughed upon seeing Ersel' message.

[Sure, man! What’s your username?] Van replied with a smiling and blushing emoji.

[It’s ersel12345.] Ersel replied with a smiling emoji.

[And what is your rank now?] Van asked via Messenger.

[I’m at the Epic ranking.] Ersel replied with a smiling emoji.

[Great! I am at the Epic ranking too.] Van responded with the heart-eyed emoji.

[Let's start playing then!] Ersel replied while feeling eager about his upcoming team up with Van in the popular mobile game.

[Yeah!] Van responded with a smiling emoji.

The two boys then played Mobile Legends, with each of them playing different heroes each time. Ersel was astonished that Van was able to have more kills than the former. Van was always reaching the Godlike streak in each game that they played.

[This guy’s really good.] Ersel thought in admiration. [I’d surely lose to him if I fight from a different team.]

Ersel then looked at the time on his Android phone. It was already thirty minutes before midnight. He was enjoying the games so much that he had lost track of the time.

[I’ve got to sleep now.] Ersel thought while looking at the time.

Ersel then chatted with Van.

[Van, let’s stop for now. We have classes tomorrow.] Ersel sent via Messenger.

[Okay then, bro. I’m about to sleep as well.] Van responded with a smiling and blushing emoji.

[Let’s play again tomorrow. Thanks, Van!] Ersel replied also with a smiling and blushing emoji.

[Yeah! See you tomorrow, bro!] Van responded with a smiling emoji.

Ersel then responded with a large Like sticker after reacting with a heart to Van's message.

Ersel then lay on his bed with a sigh of contentment.

“That was great,” Ersel mumbled while smiling. [I’d love to play with Van again tomorrow!]

His mind went blank for a few moments. Then he suddenly remembered the mysterious guy who was staring at him with a piercing glare at the university.

[That guy...who is he, anyway? And why has he been staring at me like that?] Ersel thought while the mysterious guy's face was in the former's mind.

Ersel then thought deeply about who that person could possibly be. No matter how much he thought deeply, Ersel could not think of who that mysterious guy could possibly be.

[He has this familiar feel, like I’ve met him before.] Ersel thought while also trying to think who the mysterious guy was. [But I can’t remember when I felt that before or even when I met him before.]

At that instant, Ersel also remembered about Mina suggesting to him to get the mysterious guy’s name.

[That’s right! I have to know his name!] Ersel thought determinedly.

At that moment, however, Ersel also remembered that he might not be able to get the guy’s name by asking the latter directly.

[I’ll have to find out his name by myself then.] Ersel thought decidedly and determinedly. [Knowing my first impression of that guy, it's possible that he won't easily tell me his name even if I try to ask him about that nicely.]

Ersel then turned his eyes on the shelves and saw two little glasses filled with colorful shells that he had picked up from the beach where he had met his childhood friend named Lino thirteen years ago. He then remembered that he was supposed to give one of them to Lino after the latter came back from his vacation with his parents.

[Oh, that's right...Lino, if I ever meet you again, I’ll give one of these to you.] Ersel thought sentimentally while holding and staring the two glasses of shells in his fair hands. [But I wonder if you'll accept one of these if I give it to you. You might be mad at me for suddenly leaving you without a word or letter ten years ago.]

After a few moments, Ersel put the glasses back at the shelves and switched off the lights before lying down on his bed. Then Ersel fell into a deep slumber soon after.