No Label

D-3

"Let's break up"

That's the first thing Jill said to me.

The ambiance of this cozy cafe is perfect for our emotion. The rain poured just in time. This is the moment that I hate and the reason why I don't want to commit. I hate breakups. I hate unfaithful guys. I hate guys falling out love.

Jill isn't the one I should be crying for. Everything is just a deal. The short time we spent together is just a stage play, for me. We shouldn't immersed too much with our roles because every story has an end. Time will come that we will face reality again.

"What if ayoko?", I answered. He looked at me with eyes slowly forming a ball of tear.

"Nana...", he can't say anything and just softly uttered my name.

"Can we not wait until Saturday?". I know it's toxic to keep dating without feelings but we're already here. I don't want to waste my efforts. "I made a deal. All I need is seven days.", I have no choice but to say the truth to him. I lack excuses now.

He looked confuse. If I were him, I will give the same reaction. "Deal? What deal? With whom?", sunod-sunod na tanong niya.

"A deal with Mina... to date you for seven days", he looked at me with disbelief.

"You mean... you're just acting to like me?"

"Ikaw? Did you actually liked me? ", I asked back.

He took a deep sigh and avoided my eyes. "I did... a long time ago. When I was dating Ina, I still liked you. I feel like I was a jerk to keep dating her while having feelings with you."

Nagulat ako. Nagulat ako na ganyan siya karupok knowing he likes another person now. Dapat siguro dagdagan na itong puso ni Jill. Mukhang hindi kasya sa isa.

"How about now? Do you still like me?"

Napatawa siya sa tanong ko. Yung parang tinatawanan niya sarili niya. "It's crazy..."

"Because you're doing it again? Dating me while being in love with another person?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And it's worse now" What a jerk.

"Worse...",indeed. " Because it's a guy this time?"

"Funny right?", he kept on smiling but his eyes are full of sorrow.

"No. Not funny at all. We're kinda the same"

"You're bisexual?"

"Maybe?"

"Sino?"

"Mina", I said without hesitation.

"Mina...", he mentioned that name with a sneer. "She's the reason of my misery"

'Misery' is kinda exaggerated.

"Was it because she made this deal? "

He nodded. "That's one"

"Ano yung isa?"

"The guy that I like"

Hindi ko maintindihan ang ibig niyang sabihin. Ano kinalaman ni Mina sa lalaking gusto niya? Sigurado akong walang boyfriend si Mina. Kaya nga pinatulan ko ang deal na 'to para mabigyan siya ng isa.

"Who?", I asked. I only have two guys in my mind. Jimmy and Yanyan.

"Yanyan"

Napatakip ako ng bibig dahil hindi ako makapaniwala. "What's with him? And how is that related to Mina? ". I care to ask even if I  somehow know the answer.

I know they are close so they're quite related but I want to know if there's something more between them aside from being in a 'mission'.

"They used to fake a relationship"

Ah... kaya pala "We are in just some kind of a mission" . Bakit ba ang hilig gumawa ng ganitong laro nitong si Mina? Ano ba ang gusto niyang malaman?

"So...If it's fake, why are you picking on her? I mean... fake lang naman pala so walang--"

"Yanyan likes Mina...for real.", he cut me off.

I know I missed a lot of happenings from my friends but I didn't expect this kind of surprises.

"So you're having a one-sided love with that Yanyan?", Then why can't he gave up when he is always like that? Marami naman ang nagkakagusto sa kanya, bakit doon pa siya sa ayaw sa kanya? Bakit hindi niya na lang ako seryosohin nang matutunan ko din siyang mahalin?

"Let's end this, Nana. End that deal with Mina. This is getting wrong"

"I can't" Knowing that the guy Jill liked is Yanyan, I cannot say the reason why I have to do this deal because it also involves Yanyan. "I can't call off the deal. Just three more days...please?"

"Why me, Nana? And what will happen if you failed to date me in seven days?"

"Why? Will Yanyan likes you back if we broke up?", I'm sorry if I need to be this harsh. I just can't explain everything to him.

He was taken aback. What I said hurt him.  "Why are you being so obsessed with that deal? Will someone die if you can't make it?", he already raised his voice.

"Yes"

Sabay kaming napatingin nang may sumagot sa gilid.

"Mina?", I didn't expect to see her here. She is just standing there with an expression I couldn't read. "What are you doing here?"

Hindi niya pinansin ang tanong ko at inilipat ang tingin kay Jill. "Three more days, Jill. I will give Yanyan to you", after she said those words, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of my chair. We left Jill without waiting for him to respond.

Is she serious? That... that someone will die?

What kind of game is Mina trying to play?