Love, Heila (Tagalog)

Chapter 9

The clock on the wall chimed exactly eight times, its rhythmic ticks echoing through the cozy, dimly lit interior of the flowershop.. Marion's corporate executive dinner was in full swing across town, and judging by the lack of frantic phone calls from the coordinators, the crimson centerpieces were doing their job flawlessly.

"Hay, sa wakas! Tapos na rin ang pinakamahabang Biyernes sa kasaysayan ng flower shop na 'to!"

Hijomi let out a dramatic yell, dropping his head flat onto the wooden counter. He looked completely drained, his apron covered in stray leaves, dirt, and dried floral adhesive. "Heila, uuwi na ako. Kung papapiliin niyo ako sa pagitan ng paglilinis ng mga natirang stems at ang matulog ng labing-dalawang oras, pipiliin ko ang matulog. Please sabihin mo na pwede na akong umalis."

Natawa ako habang tinatanggal ang sarili kong apron at isinasabit ito sa likod ng pinto. "Sige na, umuwi ka na, Hijomi. Salamat sa pagpupuyat ngayong linggo. Kami na ni Rehan ang magsasara ng shop."

"Yes! Sabi ko nga, ikaw ang pinakamabait na boss sa buong Luzon!" Hijomi scrambled up, instantly re-energized by the prospect of escaping work. He grabbed his helmet and glanced toward the back pantry, where Rehan was quietly organizing the empty wooden crates. "Hoy, Koreano! Alis na ako. Huwag mong papabayaan si Heila rito, baka multuhin ka ng nanay niyan."

Rehan didn't even look up from his stack of crates, but his low, accented baritone drifted out from the pantry. "Drive safely. Do not crash your motorcycle."

"Aba, sumasagot ka na ngayon, ha?" Hijomi chuckled, giving me a quick wave before sliding the front glass door open. Ting.

The cool evening air rushed in briefly before the door clicked shut, leaving the shop quiet once more.

I stretched my arms, feeling the exhaustion settling deep into my lower back. I walked over to the main worktable to survey the remaining mess. There were discarded rose thorns, crumpled pieces of brown wrapping paper, and loose strands of twine scattered everywhere.

"Ako na riyan."

Rehan suddenly appeared beside me, gently taking the heavy plastic trash bin from my hands before I could even lift it. He had rolled up the sleeves of his gray flannel shirt, exposing his pale, structured forearms. His expression was as blank and serious as ever, but his movements were incredibly swift as he began sweeping the debris off the table.

"Salamat, Rehan," sabi ko, leaning my hips against the edge of the counter and watching him work. "Pero alam mo, pwede mo naman akong tulungan nang hindi mo ako tinatrato na parang gawa sa bubog. Kaya ko namang magbuhat ng basurahan."

Rehan paused, holding a bunch of discarded stems in his hand. He looked at me, his dark, deep-set eyes locked onto my face with an intensity that always made me feel a little breathless, though I could never figure out why. "You have been standing for ten hours, Heila. Your hands are already full of small cuts from the roses. Let me do this."

"Sus, protective masyado," biro ko, rolling my eyes playfully, entirely missing the way his chest tightened slightly at my casual teasing. “Tunog boyfriend, e.”

Before I could even process what I just said, Rehan teasing replied, “I can be your boyfriend if that allows me to be protective.”

Shit.

“Hindi ka naman mabiro,” kinakabahang sagot ko, hindi alam kung saan ibabaling ang tingin.

“Well, I’m serious.”

My heart suddenly malfunctioned. Parang may malakas na dug-dug akong naramdaman sa aking puso. Letse ano ’to?

"I mean, para namang hindi ka rin napagod doon sa pavilion kasama si Marion. Kamusta nga pala kayo roon? Hindi ka ba nahirapan makipag-usap sa mga seryosong corporate people?"

I managed to ask to avoid anymore teasing. Fortunately, Rehan didn’t argue. Hays.

"It was fine," Rehan replied flatly, throwing the stems into the bin. "Marion is... organized. The others were just loud."

"Naku, ganyan talaga sa corporate world, lalo na sa marketing department," sabi ko habang naglalakad papunta sa maliit na salamin sa may sulok para ayusin ang buhok ko. My hair was a complete mess, tied up in a loose, unruly bun with stray pieces sticking out everywhere. I groaned at my reflection. "Jusko, mukha na akong bruha. Amoy lupa pa ako. Rehan, tapatin mo nga ako, ganito ba talaga ka-unattractive ang mga florist sa Korea? Baka kaya walang nagkakagusto sa akin kasi palagi akong mukhang pagod."

Rehan froze completely. He stood in the middle of the aisle, the broom resting in his hand, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly as he stared at me through the reflection of the glass.

To me, I was just complaining about my messy, hardworking appearance. But to Rehan, who was looking at me from behind, seems like thinking something more deeper. The warm, amber glow of the hanging Edison bulbs caught the soft curves of my face, and the stray strands of hair framing my neck only made me look more genuine, more raw, and completely beautiful compared to the heavily manicured, artificial corporate women he grew up with in Seoul.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, a sudden wave of heat rushing straight to his face. He quickly looked away, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the broom handle tighter to hide how deeply his heart was hammering against his ribs.

"You are not... unattractive," Rehan muttered, his voice dropping into an incredibly low, strained whisper that was barely audible over the hum of the air conditioner. Hindi ko naintindihan.

"Ano 'yun? May sinasabi ka, Mr. Runaway?" hinarap ko siya, turning around with a wide, completely clueless smile. "Hulaan ko, sinasabi mo sa isip mo na mukha talaga akong katulong dito sa sarili kong shop, 'no?"

Rehan closed his eyes for a brief second, letting out a slow, desperate breath. He was practically melting into a puddle of emotions right there, but I was so completely focused on my untidy hair that I didn't notice the faint pink flush creeping up the tips of his ears.

"I said, you look fine," Rehan lied smoothly, forcing his voice to regain its usual cold, indifferent mask as he walked past me to dump the trash. "But you should wash your face. The green sap from the leaves is on your cheek."

"Ay, talaga?!" tarantang pinalo ko ang pisngi ko at mabilis na tumingin uli sa salamin. "Bakit hindi mo sinabi agad! Kanina pa ba 'to rito? Nakakahiya, baka nakita pa 'to ng mga kustomer kanina!"

Rehan didn't answer. He stood by the back door, watching me aggressively rub my cheek with a wet tissue, a tiny, genuine smile finally tugging at the absolute corner of his lips.

"I am going to lock the front gate," Rehan said softly, breaking his own trance as he grabbed the heavy brass keys from the counter.

"Sige, Rehan. Maghahanda lang ako ng meryenda natin bago tayo mag-lock tuluyan," sigaw ko habang patakbong pumasok sa pantry. Rehan just looked at me.

Hindi ko sure pero parang may something sa mga tingin niya these past days. Am I delusional?