OUR STORY (BxB)

Chapter 26

-TAMARO-

I was deeply disappointed by Akiro's actions. In that moment, I felt abandoned—like I had stood up for him only to be left standing alone. I had fought for us, risked everything to protect what we had, but once again, it felt like he couldn't stand beside me when it mattered most. After Mr. William confronted us, we never spoke about what happened. The silence stretched between us like a wall neither of us dared to climb. I withdrew—not out of anger, but because I needed space to think. To breathe. To figure out what comes next, now that my heart feels both wounded and unsure.

To be honest, I'm tired—tired of holding everything together, of trying to convince myself this is still worth fighting for. There are moments I want to give up, but something in me keeps holding on to my love for him, clinging to it like a thread I'm afraid to cut. I know Akiro is young for a relationship like this—so am I, in some ways. But the difference is, I know who I am and who I want to become. He's still searching, still unsure of his own feelings.

Yes, we surrendered ourselves to each other. But surrender doesn't always mean love. Sometimes it's comfort. Sometimes it's need. Sometimes it's lust masquerading as something deeper. And lately, I've started to doubt the love Akiro claims to have for me. I wish I didn't feel this way—but I do. And I guess you can't blame me for that.

When Mr. William gave us a month-long break to clear our minds, I went home to Cebu to be with my family. I needed to stay there, even just for a while. Akiro had plans to go home to Davao too, but I wasn't sure when. The other members also returned to their own families.

I stayed in Cebu quietly, trying to collect my thoughts. I didn't tell my family what was happening between me and Akiro—I didn't want them to worry. Like I've always said, I don't share my problems with anyone. I just keep them to myself and carry the pain alone. I didn't stay long. After a few days, I returned to Manila and went back to the dorm. The members were there too. We were all on break from guesting, rehearsals, and filming—just a pause, not freedom.

When I enter the room, Akiro was here holding his phone while smiling. When he saw me, he keeps his phone immediately and look at me.

"Roo," he calls my name but I just look at him and lay on bed. I was tired from a long ride. I wanted to rest. I close my eyes, ignoring him. A few minutes later I heard him talking to someone. I lay with my back to him and I pretended that I was sleeping making a soft snore. I eavesdrop on what they are talking about.

"Mark, you know I'm in a relationship with Tamaro. Is it really necessary to do that?" he whispered into his phone.

So it was Mark—the one who had been talking about his new friends. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but the silence on Roo's end lingered. It was the kind that only comes when someone's trying to explain something complicated. A few minutes passed before Roo inhaled sharply and spoke again.

"Okay... just this once. You have a point. When can I meet her?" he asked.

Her?

The word struck like a chord out of tune. He's meeting a girl? A sharp pain bloomed in my chest. Before I could catch it, tears spilled down my cheeks. My thoughts spiraled—Is he meeting someone again? What was that all about? Confusion, fear, jealousy—all of it clawed at me, silent but relentless.

"Okay, okay. Just send me a message when and where we can meet," he said. A moment later, the call ended. I heard him take a deep breath, then step out of our room, the door clicking softly behind him. My heart skipped. I hadn't even realized I'd been holding my breath for so long.

I buried my face in the pillow, trying to muffle the ache that bloomed inside me. The tears came quietly, without warning. I had only given him space—I hadn't broken up with him. So why was he meeting a girl? What was that conversation really about? The confusion pressed down on me, heavy and unrelenting. And in the silence, carried by exhaustion and unanswered questions, I drifted off to sleep with tears still clinging to my lashes.

When I woke up, it was already evening. My eyes scanned the room, but he wasn't there. The air felt quiet—emptier than I expected. I got up slowly and stepped outside. In the kitchen, Jemuel was moving around, and in the living room, Renz, Joshua, and Harly were huddled together, immersed in their game.

I went straight to Jemuel. The moment he saw me, he pulled me into a hug.

"We didn't wake you—you looked exhausted," he said gently. "Are you hungry?"

I nodded, lips pouting, hair still messy from sleep.

"Alright then," he chuckled softly. "I'll make something for my baby bear." He turned away with a light laugh and started prepping food, his presence familiar and comforting.

"Where's Akiro?" I asked quietly, scanning the room again.

"He went outside with Stephen. They buy drinks. The brothers want to drink, tonight" he said. I take a deep breath. I thought he was going, and meet that girl he was talking about earlier. I feel pain again when I remember what I have heard. I shake my head and take away my thoughts.

Jemuel serves my dinner and he went back to the living room and join the members. Stephen and Akiro come back with beers and soju. They have plan to drink tonight. Stephen went to the kitchen and saw me eating. He looks at me like he was studying my face.

"Did you cry?" Stephen asked out of nowhere.

I looked down and kept eating, forcing myself to chew even though my throat was tight.

"No, bro," I muttered, reaching for my glass. The water tasted like nothing. My stomach refused the food. If there was anyone who could read me like a book, it was Stephen.

He stayed standing in front of me. I glanced up. His face was serious; eyes locked on mine like he was studying something I couldn't hide.

"You can't lie to me, Tamaro," he said, voice almost a whisper.

I shifted uncomfortably, glanced toward the living room. The others were laughing; lost in whatever game they were playing. And there was Akiro—smiling, laughing like nothing had changed.

For a second, our eyes met. It was brief. We both looked away.

Stephen sat in front of me, quietly resolute. I knew he wouldn't leave until I told him what was really bothering me. His eyes stayed on me, patient and firm, waiting.

I drank water again, trying to ease the dryness in my throat. Anxiety twisted in my chest, creeping up like I was about to cry. I glanced at him, then shifted my eyes to the members in the living room. I could feel the noise around me, but inside, everything felt still.

Stephen exhaled slowly and stood up.

"Finish your food. We'll talk later," he said softly, then walked away, leaving me alone at the table.

That's what I've always admired about Stephen—he knows exactly when to push and when to give space. And somehow, that silence felt like care.

After dinner, I joined the others in the living room, keeping quiet in my corner, responding only when spoken to. I sipped from a small glass of soju—never liked beer much. The others laughed, distracted by games and drinks, while I found myself stealing glances at Akiro. He was smiling at something on his phone, and even in that small moment, I felt the pull. Admiration twisted with ache.

If he's meeting this girl... should I let him go? Should I give up?

The thought gnawed at me, louder than the laughter around us. Then he stood up and disappeared into our room. After a minute, curiosity—or maybe fear—took over. I followed.

He was on the phone again. Talking to Mark.

"Okay, next week. Introduce me to her," he said.

I burst in, the door flying open with a sharp thud. My eyes locked onto his.

"R-Roo," he stammered, startled.

I didn't blink. "I get it. So, it's Mark again, suggesting you meet a girl, huh?" The smirk on my lips felt like armor.

"It's not like that, Roo," he said, eyes meeting mine, hands nervously adjusting his phone.

"f**k, Akiro. I heard everything. Your friend Mark wants you to meet a girl?" My voice broke as it rose, the anger and pain spilling out all at once. "Does he even know you're in a relationship with me? Is he really your friend? What kind of friend does that?"

I was shouting now, unable to hold it in. My chest heaved, pulse racing—and then I heard footsteps rushing toward the room.

"What happened here?" Joshua asked as he entered, his voice laced with concern.

The air felt thick, the silence between me and Akiro now wide enough to drown in. I didn't answer. I was still staring at him—waiting, hoping he would say something that made it all feel less like a betrayal and more like a misunderstanding.

"Ask him," I snapped, kicking the chair beside me as frustration surged through me. I grabbed my hoodie and stormed out of the room, ignoring Akiro's voice calling after me. I refused to turn back. I wouldn't let him see the ache behind my anger.

The truth is, I never liked his friend Mark. He's always been the spark in our worst fights—especially the one where he introduced his cousin to Akiro, not knowing about our relationship. That time... I almost walked away.

But now, it's different. Now he knows. He knows everything. He knows we're together. And yet, he's still out here suggesting Akiro meet another girl? For what? What is he trying to prove? To undo us with one casual suggestion?

It hurts. It feels deliberate. Like someone pulling at a thread just to see if it unravels.

I left the dorm with my hoodie pulled up, head down, tears streaming silently. I walked without direction, letting my feet carry me to the park—the one place I always returned to when I needed to be alone. The air was cold, but it was nothing compared to the ache burning inside me. I sat on the familiar bench and cried quietly, eyes fixed on the ground.

Then I felt it—someone settling on either side of me.

When I looked up, it was Stephen on my left, Jemuel on my right.

Jemuel wrapped his arms around me without saying a word, and I collapsed into him, sobbing. I wanted to scream, to rip the pain out of my chest with noise, but all I could do was cry. Stephen placed a gentle hand on my back, and that single gesture made me crumble completely. I broke in front of them—not with words, but with the kind of silence only they could understand.

Jemuel's hug shielded me from the cold, but more than that, it held me together.

"Bro... did I deserve everything that's happening right now?" I asked Stephen, voice cracked with doubt.

"No one deserves to be hurt, Tamaro," he said, giving me a faint smile. "Everything has a reason. Destiny is testing you both—to see if your love can survive these trials."

"Stephen's right," Jemuel added gently. "You have to be strong if you want to keep your relationship."

I stared ahead, eyes heavy. "I got mad because Akiro agreed to meet that girl Mark mentioned. For what? So he can figure out who he is again? I'm tired of the same excuse." I wiped my tears. My heart felt shattered, broken beyond what I could name. Why can't I be happy? Why do I always have to suffer like this?

"Just talk to him," Jemuel said, squeezing my hand. "Listen to his reason. If you don't talk, nothing changes."

I swallowed hard. "I always listen. I always understand. But... it's exhausting."

That last word—exhausting—hung in the air like a storm before rain. Their mouths parted in shock as tears spilled down my cheeks.

"I'm tired," I whispered. And then louder, from the center of everything unraveling inside me:

"I'm tired... and I want to quit."

-Akiro-

We were given a one-month break from filming, guesting, and rehearsals—to clear our minds and breathe outside the noise. Roo went home to Cebu, and I returned to Davao, but only stayed for three days before coming back to Manila. The other members had also visited their families briefly but chose to spend most of the break at the dorm. Roo stayed in Cebu the longest. We didn't communicate during that time. That was the space he wanted—and maybe I needed it too.

While he was away, I found comfort in new friends, especially Mark. I treated him like a brother. He was the one I confided in; the only person I told everything about Roo and me. Tonight, I was chatting with him again, fingers quick on my screen as we talked, when the door opened quietly.

Roo stepped inside.

He had just returned from Cebu. The moment I saw him; I instinctively locked my phone and set it aside. My chest tightened. The air shifted. After all that silence between us, there he was again—in the same room, carrying stories I hadn't heard and pain I wasn't sure he'd share.

"Roo," I called gently.

He glanced at me briefly, then turned away and lay on the bed without a word. I watched him, chest tightening at the silent distance between us. He looked tired—bone-deep tired—and I didn't have the heart to push him. So, I let him rest.

Later, his soft snores filled the quiet room. I smiled bitterly. The last time I heard that sound, he was curled in my arms, breathing steady against my chest. Tonight, his back was turned, and I sat alone. I thought about joining him—just lying beside him and holding him like nothing had changed. But before the thought could settle, my phone rang.

I looked at the screen and smiled faintly.

It was Mark.

"Ohh, Mark," I greeted him.

"Ohh, Akiro," he said on the other line.

"What's with the call?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you," he said, and something in his voice made me curious.

"What is it?" I asked, hearing the breath he took before answering.

"I've been thinking about what you told me last time... about your problem with Tamaro," he said. "So, I have a plan."

"What plan?"

"Blind date," he replied, straight to the point. "I have a friend I think is perfect. Look, I know you're a real guy. You're just confused because you're always around him."

I glanced at Roo—still asleep, soft snoring in the quiet room. My heart tightened.

"Mark, you know I'm in a relationship with Tamaro. Is that really necessary?"

"I know. And yes, it is. If you're confused, then maybe this will help you see clearly—figure out what you really feel, what you really are."

I let his words settle. Maybe he had a point. Maybe clarity could come from seeing things from a different angle.

"Okay... just this once. You do have a point," I said slowly. "When can I meet her?"

"I'll let you know later. I'll call her first," he replied, excited.

"Okay, okay. Just send me a message when and where we can meet," I said, ending the call with a quiet breath. I glanced at Roo one last time—still sleeping—and walked out of the room.

In the kitchen, Joshua was preparing dinner. The others were scattered around the living room, immersed in their own distractions. I joined them, settling into the background. After Joshua finished cooking, we all gathered around the dining table.

"Akiro, where's Tamaro? Call him," Joshua said.

"I'll go," Jemuel offered, already heading to our room. Moments later, he returned.

"He's in a deep sleep. Must be tired from the long ride," Jemuel said, looking directly at me. I knew that look. The members—quiet, protective—were all aware of what was unraveling between us.

Later, Stephen asked me to come with him to buy drinks. We walked in silence toward the convenience store, footsteps in sync with the hum of streetlights. Then he spoke, without warning.

"Akiro... do you love Tamaro?"

I stopped. The question hit harder than I expected. I looked at him.

"Of course I love him, bro," I said, maybe a little too quickly. Maybe too defensive. The words came out firm—but something in me wavered, just beneath the surface.

"You love him, but you let him face this alone? That's your definition of love?" Stephen said, walking past me and into the convenience store a few steps ahead.

His words landed hard—cutting through all the noise I had been trying to ignore. Did I really leave Tamaro alone this time? The question clung to me, too sharp to escape. I wiped the tears that had started to blur my vision and quietly followed Stephen inside.

When we returned to the dorm, we didn't speak about what he'd said. Silence wrapped around us like smoke. As we stepped in, I saw Tamaro sitting at the dining table, eating slowly. Our eyes met—brief, flickering—and we both turned away.

I couldn't look at him.

Stephen's words echoed in my mind like a verdict I hadn't realized I was waiting for.

I joined the others in the living room, trying to blend into the noise around me, even as my focus stayed on Roo. Stephen had walked over to him, calm but direct. I saw the moment his words landed—Roo's shoulders stiffened, his eyes dropped, and he gulped. Stephen didn't look away. He sat in front of Roo with that quiet intensity only he could hold. Roo glanced at him, then glanced toward me.

Our eyes met again.

And just as quickly, we both looked away.

"You know," Jemuel whispered in my ear, voice low and teasing, "staring is a crime." His soft laugh brushed past me like a breeze trying to lighten the weight I was carrying.

I gave him a look—somewhere between annoyance and gratitude—and rubbed the back of my neck, pretending I wasn't unraveling inside.

After finishing his dinner, he joined us in the living room. The mood was light—laughter bouncing off the walls, beers and soju passed around. We were all talking freely, letting the night carry us. But Tamaro... he sat off to the side, quietly nursing his drink. His silence stood out against our noise, and from time to time, my eyes drifted to him. He didn't say much—just stared at the floor or into the bottle, lost in whatever thoughts he wasn't ready to share.

I turned my attention to my phone, opening our new Liner group chat. Smiles tugged at my lips as I scrolled through their messages—jokes flying, playful teasing, the usual chaos that made me feel like things were still normal somewhere.

Then, a notification appeared—a private message from Mark.

Call me. Important.

I excused myself quietly and headed to our room, heart pacing faster than my footsteps. I dialed his number with a mix of curiosity and dread.

"Akiro, I already told her—and she said yes," Mark said, voice filled with excitement. "She wants to meet you next week."

I hesitated. Stephen's words still echoed in my mind, making me question everything. I wanted to refuse—I should refuse. But Mark had already made arrangements. Just this once, I told myself. Just one meeting, and then I'd make things right with Roo.

"Okay... next week. Introduce me to her," I said quietly.

And then the door slammed open.

I turned around, startled—and there he was. Tamaro stood in the doorway, eyes locked on me, face fierce. But behind the anger... there was something else. Something softer. His eyes shimmered with tears he hadn't let fall yet, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

I gulped.

The air between us went silent, heavy with everything that hadn't been said and everything that had.

"R-Roo," I stammered, nerves gripping my throat.

He looked at me, eyes blazing beneath a smirk that couldn't hide the pain swimming in them. "I get it. So it's Mark again—your friend—suggesting you meet a girl, huh?"

I wanted to run to him, to hold him, to tell him it was nothing. But the space between us had already widened.

"It's not like that, Roo," I tried to explain—but he cut through me with words like glass.

"f**k, Akiro. I heard everything. Your friend Mark wants you to meet a girl. Does he even know you're in a relationship with me? Is he really your friend? What kind of friend does this?" he shouted, voice raw and shaking.

The door burst open. Joshua and the others stepped in, startled by the noise.

"What happened here?" Joshua asked.

"Ask him," Roo snapped, kicking the chair beside him. He grabbed his hoodie; eyes filled with tears. He turned his back and headed for the door.

"Tamaro!! Wait!" I called, reaching out—but Stephen stopped me with a firm grip. My voice broke as I sobbed his name, desperate for him to hear me, to turn around, to let me fix this.

"Let him go," Joshua said gently but firmly. "I think he needs space. Stephen, Jemuel—follow him."

He looked at me with quiet disappointment.

"What happened, Akiro?"

I fell to my knees, eyes to the ground, tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't answer. Not yet. All I had was the echo of his pain—and the silence he left behind.

"Brother, I hurt him again... and I didn't even realize it," I said, voice shaking as I kneeled in front of Joshua, Renz, and Harly. The weight in my chest collapsed as Harly pulled me into a hug, and I cried against his shoulder.

"What happened this time?" Renz asked softly.

I told them everything—about the call with Mark, about the blind date, and how Roo walked in and saw it all before I could explain.

Joshua's face tightened. "So, you let Mark convince you to meet a girl? And you agreed? Wow, Akiro."

"I was just going to meet her... one time, then that's it. I wasn't planning anything more," I said, wiping my tears. My voice cracked beneath the guilt.

"Did you even think about Tamaro before you decided?" Joshua's voice was firm, almost hurt. "If I were in his shoes, I'd feel the same. You were wrong, Akiro. And if Mark was really your friend, he wouldn't have suggested something like that."

"He was just trying to help..." I murmured, the words feeling smaller now.

"Help?" Harly said, eyes steady. "He's not helping. He's trying to ruin what you have with Tamaro."

I was still crying into Harly's shoulder when Joshua's phone rang. We looked at him as he answered—it was Roo. He put it on speaker.

And then... we heard him.

Roo's voice, raw and trembling, spilled through the room like a wound finally exposed. He was crying his heart out, and each word cut deeper than the last. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to run to him, hold him, tell him I'm sorry—please, just let me undo this pain.

We listened in silence as he spoke to Stephen and Jemuel, his voice cracking with the weight of everything I had caused. My chest tightened.

And then, his last words broke me completely.

"I AM TIRED AND I WANT TO QUIT."

The call ended.

"What does that mean?" Renz asked, though we all knew what it could.

Joshua didn't answer right away. He stood, his face unreadable.

"Let's wait for them to come back. Then we'll talk—all of us. If it's too much, we'll decide whether to keep going... or disband the group."

Then he walked out, leaving the weight of those words behind.

Harly helped me to my feet, and I followed him to the living room, still shaking. My tears wouldn't stop. My chest felt hollow. My conscience—merciless. I had hurt Roo again. Not just a fight. Not just a misunderstanding. A breaking point.

I don't want to lose everything.

I don't want to lose him.