OUR STORY (BxB)

Chapter 13

-TAMARO-

I left Akiro in the dorm, still crying. If I'd stayed, I might've caved—might've accepted him again before he's ready. I need to give him space to figure himself out, because I'm always the one left hurting.

I love him. Deeply. But it can't go on like this.

I know he's struggling, too. I understand—he's still young. He needs time, and he won't find himself if I'm always by his side, shielding him from the confusion he needs to face.

Before I stepped out, I held back my tears. It wasn't easy. But I had to be strong.

When I got to the dance studio, everyone was already there. Waiting. Expecting us both.

"Tamaro, where's Akiro?" Harly asked.

"He's on his way," I replied with a bow, heading to the far end of the studio. I sat there, away from everyone. Jemuel came over and placed an arm around my shoulder. I looked at him, and the worry in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Are you okay, Tamaro?" he asked.

"Of course. Just sleepy—I didn't sleep well last night," I said with a weak smile.

"Is something going on?" he asked again. I knew the members had started to sense what's happening between me and Akiro. Maybe Stephen told them. Maybe they just knew.

"Haiztt, I'm fine, Jemuel. Really. Just tired," I answered, trying to sound casual.

He didn't buy it.

"Haiztt, I know you, Tamaro," he said. "I can tell when something's bothering you. If you ever need someone to talk to—I'm here. I'll listen."

"Thank you, Jemuel," I said quietly, grateful for his presence but still unsure how much I could say. I gave him a small smile.

I felt a little lighter, laughing with Jemuel. For a moment, the weight I'd been carrying loosened—just enough. That's when Akiro walked in.

Jemuel noticed him first. He stood to greet him while I stayed seated, trying not to react. I could feel Akiro's gaze even before I looked up. I kept my eyes on my phone, pretending to scroll.

The others asked why he arrived late. I listened quietly, the sound of their voices blurring around me.

"Tamaro, let's get started," Harly called out.

I stood, walked over without meeting Akiro's eyes. Stephen was beside me. He touched my shoulder—just a simple gesture, but I looked at him. His smile was soft, reassuring.

A silent promise: Everything will be okay.

I smiled back and nodded.

The best thing about our group is that we don't bring personal problems into work. When it's rehearsal time, it's strictly business. No drama. No distractions.

Today was no different—except it was. Akiro and I didn't talk once. Not a word. I knew the others noticed. They're used to seeing us side by side, barely able to keep apart. But today... distance spoke louder than anything.

Practice ended. We packed our things quietly, preparing to head back to the dorm.

That's when my phone rang.

I looked at the screen and smiled.

"Arion!" I said, unable to hide the excitement in my voice as I answered.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Akiro glance my way. I didn't react. I simply turned and walked toward the far end of the studio, sitting down again as I spoke on the phone.

Arion Ortega and I grew close over time—always running into each other at award shows, where he was often one of the MCs. He's one of the most well-known actors in the Philippines, older than me, and he treats me like a younger brother.

After our call ended, I stood and told the others I'd head back to the dorm.

"I'll go with you, Tamaro," Harly said, stepping beside me. We left the studio together.

Talking to Arion helped me forget, even just briefly, about everything with Akiro. But before I left, I saw him looking at me. That look—like he was pleading, without saying a word—hit me all at once. My heart clenched. I couldn't handle it.

I said goodbye quickly.

His tears are my weakness. And his eyes... they never know how to lie.

Harly slipped his arm around my shoulder as we walked into the quiet night. We left the building without a word, just the soft sound of our footsteps echoing under the streetlights.

I was about to turn toward the dorm when Harly gently pulled me in another direction. His arm was still around me, so I followed.

"Where are we going, bro?" I asked, surprised.

"Don't tell the others, huh?" he said with a grin. "I want to drink—come with me."

I didn't say anything—just let Harly lead me. He pulled me toward the small restaurant near the studio, the one close to the dorm. There were only a few people inside, and the owner knew us well. It felt safe.

We sat at a quiet corner, away from the noise. Harly started drinking first. I drank a little, just enough to settle the weight in my chest.

Then he spoke.

"Tell me, I'll listen."

"Harly?" I looked up, surprised.

"You really thought we didn't notice how you've been avoiding Akiro?" he asked.

I lowered my head. That ache from this morning returned like a tide rising in my chest. Without realizing it, my tears began to fall.

"We've been worried about you two," he continued. "The sudden silence between you... it's not like you. What happened?"

I wiped my tears, trying to steady myself. And then I told him everything. From start to finish.

Harly didn't interrupt. He just listened, quietly. Let me unravel.

I tried not to cry, but the pain was too sharp—like something twisting deep inside.

"Harly," I whispered. "I'm in pain. Right now, I'm hurting like a child."

"I know," Harly said seriously. "I understand you. And I understand Akiro. I'm not taking sides. Maybe you both just need to slow down and think more carefully. You're still young."

"Harly, I love him," I said, wiping away tears. "In my whole life, I've only felt this kind of love for him."

"I know," he replied gently. "I can see how deep your love for Akiro runs. But the question is—can he meet you there, in this moment? You did the right thing by giving him time to find himself. Because maybe you didn't realize... you're hurting each other."

He reached for my hand and gave me a soft smile.

"Thank you, Harly," I said, returning the smile.

After that, we walked back to the dorm together.

When we stepped into the dorm, Akiro was in the living room. As soon as he saw us, he stood. His eyes found mine, and I couldn't look away.

We stared at each other, and something in me broke again. His eyes—still hurting. Still honest. I felt the sting behind mine, the urge to cry pressing closer than ever.

Harly, ever gentle, patted my shoulder. And as he walked past Akiro, he did the same for him. No words. Just that small gesture.

This is one of those moments—the hardest kind. Because no matter how far apart we try to stay, our paths always cross. And when they do, silence says everything.

"Tamaro," he called softly.

The sound of his voice felt like a knife to my chest. I stepped toward him and wiped the tears falling down his cheeks.

"Shhh... stop crying," I said, trying to smile through my own tears. "It hurts me more when you do."

"Roo, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I hope you can forgive me. Please... come back to me."

I looked at him, my heart splintering. "I'll try to forget you cheated on me. I really will. But I can't come back yet. I'm still hurt. And this... this is the second time you've asked me to return."

He cried harder.

"Roo, please," he begged.

I let go of his hand and gave him the gentlest smile I could muster.

"I know I'm not enough for you," I said. "So let me go. It's too painful to be half loved."

Then I turned and walked away, leaving him in the living room, crying.

I was breaking too—for two reasons. First, because Akiro betrayed me. Second, because watching him cry cuts deeper than anything.

I wish he loved me the way I love him.

-AKIRO-

After rehearsal, I found myself watching Tamaro without meaning to. His phone rang, and when I heard Arion's name, I froze. He smiled—genuinely, easily—and I knew I wasn't the reason. The ache came quietly, like the kind that stings behind your eyes but doesn't fall. I might've cried if Joshua hadn't reached out and patted my shoulder. He didn't say anything. Just offered a small, knowing smile.

After speaking with Arion, Tamaro quietly said goodbye. Harly went with him. Once they left the studio, I sank to the floor and cried—I didn't care who was still watching. I was hurting, and Tamaro had been avoiding me. I curled into myself, knees to my chest, sobbing into the silence. The others approached, but no one spoke. Only the sound of my crying filled the room.

"Bro... I hurt him," I choked out between sobs.

"I hurt Tamaro. I didn't mean to. But I did." Jemuel wrapped his arms around me, his own tears falling for what I couldn't say.

"We know something's wrong between you two. What happened?" Renz asked gently. "Why is he pulling away?"

So, I told them everything—every moment, every mistake. If anyone could understand, it was them.

Stephen stood up after a long silence. "So... what Tamaro saw on your phone last night was true?"

"Last night?" I blinked at him, confused. "He only found out this morning."

"That's where you're wrong, Akiro," Stephen said. "Last night, while you were in the bathroom... the girl called. Tamaro answered your phone. He read the message himself."

I froze. He knew—and he didn't say anything. The guilt twisted deeper. He had kept it to himself, maybe to protect me, maybe because it hurt too much.

"He stayed in the bathroom for nearly an hour," Stephen continued, voice steady. "I knocked, and when he finally came out... his eyes were red. He'd been crying. I knew something was wrong, so I asked him to go for a walk."

Stephen looked at me with quiet grief. "He told me everything. He cried with everything he had. And still, he tried to convince himself it wasn't what it looked like. That maybe he misunderstood. But he didn't. It was all true."

I couldn't speak. The words wouldn't come. Because I knew—this was all on me. I'd been thinking only of myself... and never how deeply it would cut him.

"What should I do?" I asked, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

"You need to choose between them," Renz said, his voice steady, serious.

"I don't want to lose him," I whispered.

"If that's true," Joshua said quietly, "then you need to cut ties with Yana. All of them."

Something shifted inside me. The ache was still there, but beneath it—clarity. I'd made my decision. I choose Tamaro. And maybe it's late, maybe I should've realized sooner, but I know now... I can't lose him.

Talking with the members helped a little. When we got back to the dorm, Tamaro and Harly still weren't home. I couldn't sit still. My chest was tight with regret. I needed to see him. I needed to speak.

When the door finally opened, I was on the sofa, waiting. I stood as soon as he entered. My eyes found his, pleading, but he didn't give me time to speak. Just looked at me, and said—

"I'm not enough. I know. So let me go. It hurts to be half-loved."

I broke down on the couch as he crossed the room, his silence louder than anything. But I refused to give up. No matter how far he pulled away, I would follow, if only to show him that love meant choosing him—even when it hurt.

He's the gentlest person I've ever known. He doesn't hold grudges, even when he should. Maybe that's why it shattered me so deeply, knowing I was the one who broke his trust.

But tears won't change anything.

If I want to keep him, I have to prove it. Not with apologies alone—but with honesty, effort, and the kind of love he's always given so freely.

The next morning, we had dance practice scheduled. He hadn't stirred yet, so I walked into the bedroom. The light through the curtain fell softly across his face, and for a moment, everything felt quiet. I watched him sleep, the way his lips barely parted with each breath, his brows relaxed, like a child lost in dreams.

I reached out and gently brushed the strands of hair that had fallen across his face.

He shifted, eyes slowly fluttering open. I smiled without meaning to.

"Roo, wake up. Let's have breakfast," I whispered, gently nudging him. No matter how much we tried to stay out of each other's way, the truth was—we shared everything. Space. Time. Silence.

"Roo," I said again, softer.

"Don't call me that," he muttered without looking at me. "You're not my boyfriend anymore."

The words hit hard, but I didn't flinch.

"I love you," I said.

He turned toward me, eyes wide with disbelief. "You love me? But you had time for someone else?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp—hurt layered beneath the anger.

"Roo, I'm sorry," I said, my voice breaking. "I know it's my fault. I know I hurt you. But please... please, can we try again?"

I didn't care if it made me look foolish. I just needed him to know I hadn't given up.

"You know what, Akiro?" he said, his voice low but firm. "The pain I felt... it's not the kind that disappears with a pill. I hope you understand that." He rose and left the room without another word.

I sat there, eyes stinging, heart in freefall. But I wouldn't give up. Whatever he needed to say, I would receive it. Whatever he needed to feel, I would let him feel it. Because I still believed in us.

Days passed, and Tamaro kept his distance. You wouldn't know he was hurting. He laughed during practice, joked with the others. But I could see it—the way he disappeared into himself when no one was looking, the way he filled the silence with conversations that didn't include me.

And then, Arion.

They were closer now. Tamaro talked more with him, lingered longer with their drama friends. Maybe it was comfort. Or maybe it was escape.

I couldn't bear it anymore. I asked the members for help—I needed to talk to him alone. Not as part of the group. Not with distractions. Just the truth, unhidden.

We made a plan.

Night fell, and I waited on the rooftop. The city lights blinked in the distance, wind weaving through the railings. It felt private, sacred—the only place where what I had to say could land safely.

Downstairs, the members were guiding Tamaro up. I stayed still, rehearsing nothing. Because this time, I wouldn't plead—I would simply speak.

I was staring at the streetlight when the rooftop door creaked open. The members entered one by one, and then—he stepped in last. Tamaro froze when he saw me, glancing quickly at the others. Stephen leaned in, whispered something quietly against the air, then motioned for them to leave.

They slipped away, leaving just the two of us.

Tamaro walked toward me, eyes steady on mine. He stopped beside me, and together, we stared into the quiet glow of the streetlights below. The silence stretched—not empty, but full of all the words we hadn't said.

"Roo," I began, voice low, "remember when we were trainees? You helped me so much. In ways I didn't understand then. You changed me."

He turned to me, eyes already there—waiting.

"You're a big part of my life. You're the reason I learned what love even feels like." My voice broke, and the tears came. I didn't fight them.

"I'm sorry, Tamaro."

He didn't speak. He just stepped forward and pulled me into a hug so tight it stole my breath. I clung to him. I missed this. I missed him.

"Stop crying, please," he whispered, voice trembling. "I know you're hurting too... with everything happening between us. And I know I've made mistakes of my own."

I heard it—his quiet sobs mixing with mine. It was rare, seeing him like this. Raw. Fragile.

"But still..." he added softly. "I don't think I'm enough for you, Akiro."

I pulled back, cradling his face in my hands, tears falling freely now. His eyes met mine, red and vulnerable.

"Roo, you're more than enough. You always have been. Please, don't ever say that again."

He closed his eyes as if trying to believe me.

"I love you so much, Tamaro Saito," I whispered, holding him with everything I had left. "And I will choose you. Over and over—every time."

His lips curled into a quiet smile. Not whole yet. But real.

"I love you too, baby. I miss you so bad," he whispered, and I smiled through the ache in my chest.

Overwhelmed by everything—grief, relief, love—I leaned in and kissed him. He kissed me back without hesitation. Between the soft kisses, I felt him smile. We tasted salt, not from sadness but from the tears neither of us bothered to hide. It was messy and beautiful. One of the most honest moments of my life.

I chose him. I choose him still. And I'll choose him again, no matter how many times the world tries to shake us apart. I will never regret this.

"Roo," I whispered against the quiet. "I promise. It won't happen again. I'll never hurt you like that again."

We held each other beneath the moonlight, the city distant and quiet around us. In this rooftop moment, it felt like we had found our way back—not to how things were, but to something new. Something we would build together.