Chapter 13 (1/2)
¹Number- In the Philippines, there's a belief that someone is missing you
when you hiccup, so they will ask someone for a number 1-26
which will be corresponding to the letters of the Alphabet.
If they gave you 1, that means that the name of the person
that's missing you starts with the letter ”A.”
If it's 2 then ”B” and so on and so forth.
#SugarSpiceEverythingLimbo
“Keeping the push and pull will make one or both injured.”
-x-
Jhing thought that this ‘too many moments with Miko’ will end after Caliraya weekend escapade. She survived the team building, body ache, and Miko staying in her own apartment! Jhing was going to bury all memories into ashes.
But how to bury a photo uploaded on the Team Building photographer’s FB account?
Facebook must have a report b.u.t.ton for ‘offensive picture for my moving on process.‘ It’s like a shout to her face that Miko’s presence was unavoidable.
And it’s posted on FB!
For everyone to see!
They weren’t the subject of the photo, really. It’s a group picture of people… It’s just that… Only the two of them were wearing a serious expression.
It was almost blurred but to Jhing’s eyes: the part when Miko reached for her and the way she stared at his hand, was vivid.
Caught in cam!
Fortunately, the camera cannot capture feelings.
Jhing prayed for everyone to ignore it. There were so many pictures posted on the alb.u.m, but lo and behold, someone tagged her.
July Verano uyy, Miko and RionaJ what kind of moment were you having
in the background? ♥s everywhere!
A few more comments were posted; thankfully, unrelated to the background, but Fall added salt to Jhing’s wounding ego.
Fall Ying OTP ♥♥♥♥
Miko † my side profile is so handsome (＾～＾✿)
Sam Juan ^oh G.o.d kuya, where did you get that emoticon? What app po?
Miko † Sam Juan gid.com?? gid app? It's not on the emoji app TT n TT
Miko † google it, dummy
Miko † *dear
Fall Ying i see what you did there
Miko † ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌
Sam Juan crying, can't find it!!!!
“We were just playing around,” Jhing’s defense when July bothered her the second she entered the office.
She cringed. Jhing can’t believe that July zoomed in on the picture. “Looking so serious?”
“I didn’t want to lose.”
“What kind of game is it where he had to reach his hand out?” July whispered, “First one to confess loses?”
Jhing ignored the last line and answered, “Tag.”
“Weh?”
“Really.”
It was obvious that July didn’t believe her but thankfully, she didn’t push through.
The rest of the day went pretty normal.
Jhing loves normal.
Miko, apparently, doesn’t.
When December 1st came, Jhing got excited. She promised herself to buy one book for leisure’s sake. However, on the way out of the building, Miko rode on the same elevator as her; walked towards the mall like her; and went on the same floor where the bookstore is.
So he dropped the bomb. “Are you following me?”
To say Jhing was shocked by Miko’s question was an understatement. She could only utter a “What?” to defend her ego!
Miko’s smile widened. “You, a paparazzi, should not forget to take pictures on my best angle, okay?”
She walked away from the laughing Miko. After a certain distance, she turned around and saw that he was browsing technical books with smirking lips.
So he read books? Seriously?
Jhing spent her 15 minutes staring at the 3 books in hand when someone decided to stand next to her and hiccuped.
“Jhing.” It’s Miko, holding an art book.
Another hiccup. “Number¹?”
When she didn’t reply, the man poked her. “Jh—”
She stared at the books in front of her. “What number?”
“Number! When you hic—”
“Shut it,” she cut him off before looking at him, “11.”
Miko thought for a moment before his forehead wrinkled. “Not 10?”
“No.”
Another hiccup. “Just say 10 oh.”
Jhing shook her head. She returned her focus to the books on her hands as she smelled the scent of paper with a smile. Before she walked away, Miko held her elbow, making her happiness from bookish momentum quickly vanish.
“Say 10,” hiccups, “okay?”
“What’s your problem with that number?” Jhing removed his hold from her. “I don’t want 10. I like 11.”
Miko stood in front of her to stop her from walking away. “But 11 is K. Just make it 10.”
“For what?” Jhing wanted to push Miko away but skin contact wasn’t an option, again. “Why do I care about the number and the alphabet?”
“But I ha—” another hiccup, “hiccups. Someone is missing me. I want the number 10 so that someone’s name starts with J,” Miko said while wiggling his eyebrows.
Ignoring the heat on her cheeks, Jhing rolled her eyes. “Are you a child? You believe in that?”
It was a rhetorical question to insult him but it seems like Miko became numb to it because he still has the smile on his lips. “I’m no longer a child. I’m even older than—”
“But you believe in that number thing?”
“Why not?” Miko’s smile widens, “Someone definitely misses me anyway.”
“There’s just something wrong with the flow of your breathing, that’s why you’re having hiccups,” Jhing countered and started to walk, a book clutched in one hand.
“We—” Hiccup “Weh?” Miko chased after her. “Isn’t because someone misses—”
“No.”
He faked a pained expression as he put his hand on his chest. “Awtsu, you’re ruining my—” hiccups, again, “Belief of 26 years.”
“Oh, you’re 26?” Jhing tilted her head. “Doesn’t look like it.”
“A lot of peop—” His smile brightens but a hiccup ruined it, “—ple told me that I look younger.”
“Like 12?”
Miko chuckled shyly at the compliment. “Around 20—”
“You act like 12,” Jhing deadpanned.
Boom. Burn.
Jhing = 1
Miko = 0
Jhing left the aisle with a triumphant smile.
“Sometimes your wo—” Miko hiccups, “—ords stab me like a knife.”
Because Jhing got annoyed with his hiccups, she says, “Don’t breathe.”
“Huh—”
Jhing covered Miko’s mouth with her hand which made her s.h.i.+vered a bit. It’s not much… his lips just touched her palm.
No biggie.
“Don’t breathe. There shouldn’t be any air going in our out your system to stop your hiccups.”
She felt her palm burned from the touch so she let go of Miko, but it made Jhing smiled when the man followed her order. He stopped breathing, his lips pursing into a thin line.
Silence.
Better.
But it ended too soon.
When Jhing reached the aisle for Wattpad published books, she almost dropped the books she was holding when Miko pulled her arm as if he needed to hold her for his dear life.
Miko pointed at himself, coughing, as his face turns red. That’s when she realized that he still hasn’t breathed for a while!
“Breathe!” Almost a minute has pa.s.sed already, “You’re insane!”
Miko exhaled, then inhaled, and exhaled again as if he drowned. A lot of people looked at them curiously because his reaction was over the top. Jhing wanted to smile—laugh, even—but Miko will think that his action was sold to her so… nevermind.
“Is this all your pent-up anger for me? You will kill me whenever you have the chance ah.”
It was painful to hide her smile but she needed to. Jhing didn’t want to boost his confidence. “Who told you to stop breathing for a long time? 10 seconds should’ve been enough.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
Jhing shrugged. “It’s not my fault if you’re naive.”