Chapter 9: The Search That Changed Everything (Part 2)
1041 Words
Jerwin took slow steps forward, trying to steady his breathing.
The closer he got to the bench near the stage, the louder the fiesta felt—music from the band, laughter from nearby groups, and the constant chatter of people enjoying the night. Yet for Jerwin, everything around him seemed to fade into a dull background hum.
All he could see was Anabel.
She was sitting calmly beside Reilyn, laughing at something on the stage. The glow of the lanterns above gave her a soft outline, making her seem even more distant than she already felt.
Jerwin swallowed hard.
“This is it,” he whispered to himself.
Behind him, Lester followed at a measured pace, hands in his pockets, quietly observing everything. He didn’t rush his cousin. He had learned by now that Jerwin needed to face this moment on his own.
Still, Lester stayed close enough to step in if things went wrong.
And knowing Jerwin… things had a high chance of going wrong.
As they approached, Anabel suddenly turned her head.
For a split second, her eyes met Jerwin’s.
The change was instant.
Her relaxed expression disappeared, replaced by something sharper—annoyance, discomfort, or maybe both. She leaned slightly toward Reilyn and whispered something.
Reilyn followed her gaze.
“Oh…” she murmured softly.
Anabel stood up immediately.
“We should go,” she said.
Reilyn blinked. “Now?”
Anabel didn’t answer. She simply grabbed her things.
The two girls stood up from the bench and began walking away without hesitation.
Jerwin froze.
“They’re leaving…” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Lester sighed.
“That’s not unexpected.”
But Jerwin was already moving.
“Anabel!” he called out.
No response.
He called again, louder this time.
“Anabel, wait!”
Still nothing.
The girls kept walking, disappearing into the crowd near the side of the plaza.
Jerwin turned to Lester with panic in his eyes.
“Couz Lester, I need to catch them.”
Lester raised an eyebrow.
“You promised no chasing.”
“This isn’t chasing,” Jerwin said quickly. “This is… urgent apologizing.”
“That’s not a real category.”
Jerwin was already jogging forward.
Lester exhaled sharply.
“I knew this would happen.”
And just like that, the calm evening transformed into chaos.
The Unexpected Chase
Jerwin moved quickly through the crowd, weaving between groups of people trying to enjoy the fiesta. Vendors paused mid-sale to watch him pass. A child holding a balloon stepped aside just in time to avoid being bumped.
“Excuse me! Sorry!” Jerwin kept repeating, though his eyes never left Anabel.
Ahead, Anabel walked faster.
Reilyn glanced over her shoulder, trying not to laugh.
“He’s still following,” she said.
“I know,” Anabel replied, increasing her pace.
Jerwin sped up.
Lester, meanwhile, walked behind them at a steady pace, shaking his head.
“This is why I stay home during fiestas,” he muttered.
A vendor beside him laughed.
“Is that part of the program?”
Lester sighed.
“I wish I knew.”
Jerwin called out again.
“Anabel! Please just listen for a second!”
But the music from the stage swallowed his voice again.
He tried waving instead.
Anabel saw it—but didn’t stop.
Instead, she walked even faster.
Reilyn couldn’t hold back a small smile.
“He really wants to apologize,” she said.
“I know,” Anabel replied, “but I’m not ready.”
They turned slightly into a wider walkway near the food stalls.
Jerwin followed closely.
Lester caught up to him.
“Jerwin,” Lester said, “you’re making this worse.”
“I just need thirty seconds!” Jerwin insisted.
“You’ve been asking for ‘thirty seconds’ for the last ten minutes.”
Ahead, Anabel suddenly sped up again.
Jerwin gasped.
“She’s walking faster!”
Lester looked at her calmly.
“Maybe because you’re chasing her.”
“I’m not chasing— I’m pursuing closure!”
“That’s still chasing.”
Fiesta Chaos
The scene quickly became something out of a comedy.
Four people moving through a crowded plaza at increasing speed.
Anabel and Reilyn led the way.
Jerwin followed closely behind.
And Lester trailed behind all of them, looking like someone who had accidentally joined a marathon he never signed up for.
People started noticing.
Two teenagers near a snack stall pointed.
“Are they playing tag?”
One of them laughed.
“Why does the guy look so stressed?”
An elderly man sipped his drink and nodded.
“Ah… young love problems.”
Lester heard that and immediately shook his head.
“This is not love,” he said flatly. “This is damage control.”
Jerwin was breathing harder now, but he refused to stop.
“Anabel!” he called again, voice cracking slightly. “Please just let me say sorry properly!”
Reilyn glanced at Anabel again.
“He sounds serious.”
Anabel hesitated for a fraction of a second.
But then she shook her head.
“I can’t,” she said softly.
They turned another corner near the stage area, heading toward a less crowded walkway.
Jerwin stopped for a second, catching his breath.
Lester caught up.
“You okay?” Lester asked.
Jerwin nodded, though clearly exhausted.
“I just… need to say it.”
Lester looked at him for a moment.
Then he nodded once.
“Then say it properly.”
Jerwin blinked.
“What?”
“Don’t chase them around the plaza like this,” Lester said. “If you’re serious, stop running and speak.”
Jerwin hesitated.
Ahead, Anabel and Reilyn slowed slightly as they reached an open space near the side of the plaza.
Jerwin took a deep breath.
For the first time that night, he stopped running.
Lester stepped back a little, giving him space.
The crowd noise softened in Jerwin’s mind.
The music, the laughter, the movement—all of it faded.
Only one thing remained.
The moment.
Jerwin clenched his hands.
“Okay,” he whispered.
And then he shouted.
(End Part 2 — continuation in Part 3: The Apology, Silence, and Lester’s First Meeting with Reilyn)
- Writer
