Chinito's First Love

Chapter 1: Four Hearts Collide

2004 – Sa Shanghai, China mula sa school kung saan niya nakilala si Jong at ang dalawa pa niyang kaibigan sina Jia at Chie. Mula sa rooftop umiiyak si Kecha hawak ang tiyan na may umbok na. Kahit takot siyang ipaalam sa magulang niya ang sitwasyon niya sinabi niya at pinapa-balik siya sa Korea kung saan sila tuluyan nang tumira doon pagkatapos mag-migrate sa Shanghai, China.

Aalis siya ng bansa hindi para kalimutan niya si Jong.

Aalis siya para huminga ng walang iniisip na problema para sa kaligtasan ng anak niya. Inisip niya na ipa-laglag ito pero ayaw naman ng puso niya mahal niya ang batang walang malay sa ginawa ni Jong sa kanya.

"Baby, eomma-neun neol saranghae. Appa-ga uri-reul beorinchae dareun saram-ege gatteodo, na-neun appa-ga neoreul saranghanda-neun geol algo iss-eo. Naega geu-ege malhaji anh-ajudo."

(Baby, mommy loves you. Even if your dad chose someone else over us, I know he loves you too, even if I don't tell him.)

Napalingon siya nang may tumawag sa pangalan niya. Binitawan niya bigla ang tiyan nang makita ang kaibigan na si Chie nakamasid lang ito sa kanya.

Naka-suot siya nang plain dress na tinernuhan niya nang jacket hindi siya pumasok sa kanilang school nakipagkita siya sa kaibigan niya.

"Ni you shenme yao dui wo he Jia yincang de ma?" She just watched her friend as he approached.

(Do you have something to hide from me and Jia?)

She replied to her friend, "Wo meiyou dui ni he Jia yincang shenme, Chie Xiexie nimen suoyou de bangzhu, jíshǐ nǐmen dǎ tā ye meiyou shenme keyi gaibian de."

(I'm not hiding anything from you and Jia, Chie Thank you for everything, and even if you two beat him up, there's nothing more you can do.)

Ngumiti lang siya ng bahagya sa kaibigan niya. "Ni bu bi likai zhi weile wangji ta," Chie told her.

(You don't have to leave just to forget him,)

"My parents are asking me to return, and I'll just finish high school in Korea. I told them that Jong and I already broke up." she answered.

Kecha looked at her friend, knowing she could trust her more than Jia, his girlfriend.

"Wo huaiyun le, Chie, erqie ta hai bu zhidao. Xiwang ni buyao gaosu ta he Jia wo hui rang wo de haizi yuanli Jong jiazu suo chu de dixia shijie. Suiran wo zhidao, zong you yitian wo wufa yongyuan dui ta he wo de haizi yinman guanyu tamen fuqin de zhenxiang." she said.

(I'm pregnant, Chie... and he doesn't know. Please don't tell him or Jia. I'll keep my child away from the underground world the world that Jong's family is involved in. Even though I know I won't be able to hide the truth from him and from my child forever...about who their father is.)

Umalis ng Shanghai, China si Kecha nang hindi nagpapaalam sa mga kaibigan nang personal. Nag-text lang siya thru keypad phone.

2006 – After two years nakabalik na siya sa Pilipinas kahit nag-iisa na siyang bumalik alam niyang nandito na rin ang mga kaibigan niya tinupad pa rin ang pangarap nila sa Pilipinas sila mag-aaral ng college.

Kecha Woon arrived early, excited at bagong chapter ng buhay niya. Hindi siya rich kid, hindi rin sobrang pabibo, pero may charm siya na hindi napapansin niya. Friendly, bright, and warm—she made people feel at ease.

Pag-upo niya sa architecture room, napatingin siya sa bagong dumating na lalaki—tall, sharp eyes, pure Chinese features.

Jong Yu.

Tahimik, simple white shirt, parang laging malalim ang iniisip. Wala siyang pakialam sa paligid, pero may aura siyang nakaka-curious.

At that moment, may dumaan na student tumakbo papunta sa door, at nasagi si Kecha.

She stumbled—

And Jong instinctively caught her arm.

"Careful," he said, tone calm but firm.

Feeling niya first spark pa rin ang nangyari sa pagitan nilang dalawa umiwas kaagad siya.

Walang halong landi just an unexpected jolt that made her heart skip.

Nang pumasok sa room sina Jia at ang tahimik na si Chie, sinundan sila ng tingin ni Jong. Not in attraction pero dahil sa presence nila. They carried a certain mystery.

"Hi! I'm Kecha, nice to meet you!"

'Yon agad ang bati niya kay Jia nang mwgka-titigan silang dalawa.

Jia smiled. "I'm Jia Li new transferee."

Beside her was Thea Weyza, needy look pero mahiyain.

Hindi masyadong nagsasalita, pero expressive ang mata.

"I'm Vhenno," he introduced himself casually. "Boyfriend ng nerd na katabi niya."

He said it with a teasing tone, but there was pride.

Pero nang dumating si Jia sa room?

Hindi niya maalis ang tingin.

Jong observed quietly.

He noticed Vhenno staring too long.

"New student?" Vhenno murmured.

Kecha elbowed him. "Uy, huwag kang obvious."

"I'm not," he lied.

He noticed Chie glancing at Jia.

He noticed Kecha biting her lip habang iniisip kung uupo ba siya sa tabi niya o hindi.

And for the first time, Jong felt something unfamiliar, "This group...will cause chaos."

—

Nagkatinginan ang magkaibigan nang marinig ang sinabi ni Jong sa katabi nito.

Nilapitan ni Jia ang kaibigan at ngumisi na lang. "Lumipat ng school para makita ka," mahinang sabi ni Jia sa kaibigan niya.

"Isa ka pa!" umiirap siya sa kaibigan niya sinundan lang ng tingin si Thea at Jong na magka-sunod na lumabas ng kanilang classroom.

Naririnig nila ang kwentuhan ng kanilang kaklase nagka-palitan sila nang tingin nasa likod ni Jia ang fiance niya na busy kahit may lumalapit sa kanya nakikipag-usap ito pero hindi marami ang sinasabi.

"Your boyfriend doesn't seem talkative at all—he's kind of a snob!" Kecha whispered to her friend.

"Hey, be quiet," her friend replied.

"Okay, fine," she said.

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ng kaibigan naririnig nilang dalawa na may relasyon sina Thea at Vhenno sa mga nag-kwentuhan nilang mga kaklase.

Huminga na lang siya sa narinig. "Tingin ko, pinaglalaruan lang ni Vhenno si Thea pumayag naman ang ang nerdy alam naman nating playboy 'to mula't-sapul ito gusto niya masaktan."

"I think, parang hindi niya pinaglalaruan si Thea bakla kasi kung gusto niya lang paglaruan ito hindi nagtagal ang relasyon nila third high school may relasyon na silang dalawa college na tayo oh..." Narinig nilang kwentuhan ng mga kaklase nila.

Hinila siya ng kaibigan niya palabas ng kanilang classroom.

"Hey, wait!"' sigaw niya nabaling naman ang tingin sa kanila ng mga kaklase nila.

Sinundan nila si Vhenno at Thea nakita rin nila si Jong na may kasamang babae na hindi nila kilala. Sinundan na lang niya nang tingin bago siya sumama sa kaibigan niya.

A few minutes later, dumating si Thea, holding books close to her chest, smiling shyly when she spotted her boyfriend.

"Hi, babe," she said softly, touching Vhenno's shoulder.

But Vhenno didn't look at her immediately he was too busy staring at Jia.

"Nakatingin sa'yo si Vhenno," bulong niya sa kaibigan mula sa malayo naman si Chie.

Jong looked away, disliking the shift he saw on Vhenno's face.

Kecha felt the awkward tension even Chie notice and frowned.

And Jia?

She pretended not to see.

Hindi kaagad nagsalita ang kaibigan niya sa tabi niya. "Parang gusto ko bigyan ng leksyon, Kecha halatang mahal siya ni Thea pero parang hindi niya totoong mahal ito kung mahal niya 'to, bakit pa niya ako gustong tignan ng ganyan?"

Lumapit sina Chie at Vhenno sa table nila nag-kukunwari pa rin sila na hindi magkakilala.

Kecha looked around the table. "So... friends tayo lahat, ah? Same block tayo."

Jia nodded lightly, unaware na friends ang magiging simula ng lies, jealousy, secrets, and the biggest heartbreak she'd ever face.

Chie kept quiet, just observing.

But deep inside.

"She's trouble," he thought. "And I'm walking straight into it."

And he was right.

College was just beginning.

And so was their inevitable mess.

Lunch break came, and the six of them ended up in one table—accidentally.

Jia.

Chie.

Kecha.

Vhenno.

Jong with the unknown girl pinakilala sa kanila na kaibigan lang.

And later, Thea.

And Jong felt it—

like a thread tightening around him.

"This isn't an ordinary group," he thought.

But today?

Today they were simply six young people having lunch.

Not knowing their lives were already tied together.

Samantala, sa kabilang corridor, dumating si Jong Yu—tall, calm, at mukhang ayaw makipaghalo sa kahit sino. He was scanning the hallway for the Architecture building.

Tahimik siya. Stoic. Hindi sanay sa maingay.

Naglakad siya nang diretso pero wrong hallway pala. Kaya pagliko niya sa isang corner—

"WA–WAIT—AAAY!"

BUMAGSAK si Kecha sa dibdib niya after bumping straight into him. Nalaglag ang folder niya, kumalat ang mga drawing plates.

Eyes wide, cheeks red, Kecha scrambled to gather her things.

"Oh my gosh, I'm super sorry! Hindi ko nakita—"

Before she could finish, Jong bent down and picked up her paper.

Steady, controlled, parang hindi affected.

"You should slow down," he said simply, handing the page back.

Pero habang inaabot ni Kecha, napansin niya yung veins sa kamay niya, yung tahimik na aura...

Nakaka-intimidate, pero nakaka-curious.

"Um... thanks," she whispered.

Jong nodded once, then turned to walk away—pero narinig niyang sumusunod si Kecha.

"Hey, are you also looking for Room 204? Architecture?"

Jong paused. "Yes."

Kecha broke into a grin. "Sabay na tayo naliligaw ka din, no?"

Jong didn't answer pero hindi rin siya lumayo.

"Hindi ka pa rin nagbabago,"

Natawa na lang siya nang walang sound bago magsalita. "Ikaw rin naman akala ko may nagbago na sa'yo wala rin pala."

Magkasabay silang naglakad.

Si Kecha nagsasalita, si Jong tahimik sa tabi niya hindi siya nagsalita sa binanggit nito sa kanya.

Pero kahit hindi niya pinapakita, may napansin siya.

Kecha's energy was messy but warm.

Something he didn't know he needed.

At sa likod ng isip niya, maliit lang pero malinaw,

"This girl...is trouble."

Hindi niya alam that this "trouble" would one day give him a son he never expected...and a heartbreak he never saw coming again.