Hindi Tugma

CHAPTER 1

"Ano ba?! Hindi ba't ayaw ko nga sabi?! Ba't kasi ang kulit mo, huh?" bulyaw ng dalaga.

"Manliligaw pa nga lang naman ako sa 'yo. Bakit ba kasi ayaw mo? Ayaw mo ba sa mala-Daniel Padilla na looks kagaya ko?" depensa naman ng lalaki, sabay pogi-sign.

"Ulol. Mukha ka kayang niyupi na tansan," mabilis na ganti ng babae na halos ikatawa ng mga nakakarinig, kung hindi lang sana sila nasa loob ng pinakatahimik na lugar sa eskwelahan.

Bzzz!

A sharp and annoyed buzzer sound suddenly echoed through the old library room. The librarian was clearly pressing the noise silencer buzzer out of frustration over the noise caused by the two troublemakers at the neighboring table. Yet, the man did not seem to care at all; he just smirked at the buzzer and continued pestering his companion.

"Ang haharot naman ng mga 'to. Unang araw ng pasukan, 'yan kaagad ang inaatupag," reklamong bulong sa sarili ni Amaris habang mahigpit na hinawakan ang hawak na itim na bolpen.

Amaris Redeo is a freshman education student at the prestigious Zechoxia University. Standing at five feet and six inches, he was blessed with a fine physique and a complexion that often made people mistake him for an actor, or occasionally misgender him due to his refined and gentle posture. He has a sweet voice, a unique flair for fashion, and an unwavering loyalty to the world of literature. In fact, he graduated from senior high school with high honors.

He loves writing stories and poems, and even represented their region in the National Schools Press Conference for four consecutive years. However, despite his intelligence and academic grace, Amaris has one major weakness: his physical ability. He is clumsy when it comes to sports and heavy manual labor, and he easily falls ill when pushed to the point of exhaustion, which is why he poured all his attention into sharpening his intellect.

Amaris was seated at the very next table, but his misfortune was happening right in front of him: the lovers' quarrel. Out of sheer annoyance, he simply slammed his book shut to block out their faces. He couldn't focus properly.

Bzzz!

The buzzer rang for the "nth time." Amaris turned to his right when he heard footsteps. The librarian had stood up from her seat, her eyes burning with fury and ready to unleash wrath upon the noisy students. Amaris thought this misery was finally coming to an end, but to his surprise, the old woman simply bypassed the two troublemakers and walked straight out of the library. True enough, the moment authority left, the free-for-all whispering and laughing returned.

There is only one librarian in this university's old library. On the other hand, the new library built last year already has five staff members and modern facilities. The old library is quite small; you can count the tables here on the fingers of your hands. It is filled with the vintage scent of old paper yet holds books that remain invaluable up to this day. The new library contains mostly new editions and is often the hangout spot for arrogant seniors.

That is why Amaris preferred the supposedly quiet space here. He just hadn't expected that even with a giant "SILENCE" sign, there would still be students entirely deaf to the word discipline.

Amaris was currently reading his favorite novel, "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. He had finished reading it several times already, but every page still seemed to leave a new sting and a new lesson in his heart.

"Agi!"

"Ay, kabayo!" halos mapatalon si Amaris sa gulat nang may manggulat sa kanyang tainga.

It was Cleo Monseal, his best friend since grade school. Even though they are classmates in the same college program, they happened to be assigned to different blocks.

Cleo is the sole clown of their group: loud, quick to catch gossip, and better at sniffing out news than an investigative journalist. Sometimes, Amaris just wants to cover her mouth with scotch tape, especially when she calls him 'agi', a Kinaray-a word meaning gay.

"Kung gusto mo akong mamatay sa atake sa puso nang maaga, sana sinabi mo na kaagad, Cleo!" inis na reklamo ni Amaris habang hinihimok ang kanyang dibdib.

"Ito naman, hindi na mabiro. Masyado ka kasing high blood palagi, para kang may menopause na ewan," depensa ni Cleo sabay hila ng upuan at umupo sa tabi nito.

"Kung dahil lang naman sa pagmumukha mo, malamang sa malamang!" usal ni Amaris.

"Grabe ka naman sa ferson. Paano ba naman kasi, nauna ka na pala rito sabi ni Tita. Sinundo pa naman kita sa bahay niyo, tapos iiwan mo lang pala ako roon na para akong tangang naghihintay sa wala," nakangusong reklamo ng dalaga.

"Hindi ko naman sinabing sunduin mo 'ko, ha? Isa pa, gusto kong umattend ng flag ceremony kanina, na alam ko namang allergic ka."

"Tse! At least umaattend naman ako noong high school paminsan-minsan."

"Noon 'yon. Matanong nga kita, ilang beses?"

"Isa lang... isa sa loob ng isang buong semester."

"Kita mo na. Kahit kailan talaga, marami kang alibi. Teka nga, bakit ka ba naparito sa old lib? Hindi ba dapat nag-iikot ka na?"

"Buang ka ba, Amaris? Haler! Syempre, mamaya pang hapon ang schedule natin kaya expected na wala pa ang dalawang mag-syota nating kaibigan. Sino ba naman ang dapat na kasama ko ngayon? Of course, ikaw," turo nito kay Amaris sabay kindat. "Magkapareho kaya tayo ng program, block lang ang pinagkaiba. May dalawa pa rin tayong minor subjects na magkaklase tayo, noh!"

"I'm busy," maikling tugon ni Amaris habang ibinalik ang mata sa pahina ng libro.

"Mema u-turn ka na naman sa topic! Hoy, agi! Talaga bang busy ka? Unang araw ng klase tapos busy ka na agad na para kang Dean's Lister na nagmamakaawa sa tres?" napalakas ang boses nito kaya napalingon ang mga estudyante sa paligid. "Sorry!" mabilis na bawi ni Cleo habang nag-peace sign sa mga nakatingin.

"Kung ipapahiya mo 'ko sa harap nila, pwede bang lumabas ka na lang? At ilang beses ko bang dapat sabihin sa 'yo na h'wag mo akong tatawaging bakla?"

"Okay, sorry na nga. Ikaw naman, nasanay lang kasi ang dila ko. Pero, Amaris..." bigla itong natigilan, may kislap sa mga mata na para bang may naisip na kalokohan. "Kilala mo ba si Tara?"

"Huh? Sino na naman 'yang Tara na 'yan? Kakilala ba natin?" nagtatakang tanong ni Amaris.

"Tara na!"

Cleo suddenly yanked Amaris to his feet. Amaris had no choice but to follow due to his friend's tight grip. He didn't even get to pack his things properly; he ended up carrying the book he was reading, along with his notebook and pen. Good thing Cleo brought her bag, which felt as heavy as if it were filled with stones. They didn't have library cards, and if they got caught taking that book away, they would surely be in deep trouble with the librarian!

"Wait! Nadala ko ang library book!" sita ni Amaris habang nagtatakbo sila palabas.

"Hayaan mo na 'yan! Regalo ko na lang sa 'yo," sigaw ni Cleo habang tumatakbo.

"Regalo ka diyan! Hindi sa 'yo 'to, kay Mrs. Melba 'to!"

"Ah, basta! Iuwi mo na, tapos period, walang comma, stop!"

Nang makalayo na sila sa gusali at nakarating sa malawak na pasilyo malapit sa College of Engineering at College of Medicine, saka lamang sila huminto upang humabol ng hininga.

"Saan ba talaga tayo pupunta, ha? Kanina ka pa hila nang hila parang asong gala," reklamo ni Amaris habang pinupunasan ang pawis sa noo.

"Maglilibot sa buong campus! Unang araw ng pasok, 'di ba dapat pamilyar tayo sa mga pasikut-sikot dito? Paano kung maligaw tayo at mapadpad sa pugad ng mga taga-Criminology? Edi lagot!" sagot ni Cleo na taas-kilay pa.

"What?! Sa sobrang lawak ng Zechoxia University na 'to, parang gusto ko na lang umuwi at matulog."

"I don't care, okay? Samahan mo na lang kasi ako. Ang arte-arte mo naman, para kang prinsesa sa tore."

"Hindi ako nag-iinarte kung sinabi mo lang sana nang maayos. Alas-dies na ng umaga, tapos mag-iikot tayo sa ilalim ng init ng araw? See? Ang init-init!"

"Dali na kasi! Mag-sunblock ka na lang mamaya pagkauwi mo," muling hinila ni Cleo ang kaibigan.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Wahhh!"

A loud, piercing scream from a group of women suddenly disrupted the entire vicinity of the Commerce building. The two friends startled and turned toward the direction where the noise was coming from.

"Anong meron? May sunog ba o nanalo sa lotto?" takang tanong ni Amaris.

"Ang OA naman ng mga 'to, para namang dumating ang hari ng mga engkanto!" dagdag pa niya.

"Wahhh! Nandito na si Ryker!" tili ng isang chinitang babae na halos mabasag ang eardrums.

"Oh My Ghad! Si Ryker, my future husband, nandito na!" sigaw naman ng isa pang estudyante na parang kinikilig na uod.

"Ryker ko, ikaw na lang ang kulang sa buhay ko!" dagdag pa ng isa na parang hihimatayin na sa kinatatayuan.

Students swarmed around an expensive black car that had just arrived and parked near the entrance. The door opened and out stepped a man with a well-built physique, tall, and wearing the official white uniform of the university. It bore the official logo on the left chest. The top two buttons of his polo were undone, perfectly exposing his collarbones and intensifying the shrieks of the surrounding women.

"Who is he? Bakit parang mga siniban ng demonyo ang mga babaeng 'yan makita lang ang lalaking 'yan?" nagtatakang bulong ni Amaris habang nakapamahalang pinagmamasdan ang kaguluhan.

"Agi! Seriously? Hindi mo siya kilala?" halos lumuwa ang mga mata ni Cleo sa gulat.

"So? Bakit, ano bang mawawala sa akin kung hindi ko kilala ang nilalang na 'yan?"

"Wala naman, pero―"

"O 'di ba? Wala naman pala. Halika na nga, baka mahawa pa ako sa katangahan nila rito," hila ni Amaris.

"Wait lang naman!" pigil ni Cleo habang nakatitig pa rin sa lalaki. "Hindi mo ba narinig ang balita? The only son of the richest business tycoon in the entire country studies here! Hindi ba't napakaswerte natin at dito tayo napadpad? Zechoxia University is literally home to this living Greek god. He is none other than Mr. Ryker Levious, my ultimate campus crush. Isn't it a miracle na makikita natin siya nang malapitan ngayon?"

"No," deretsong putol ni Amaris. "Dito tayo pumasok dahil matalino tayo at pumasa tayo sa entrance exam. Hindi luck o miracle ang nagdala sa atin dito, Cleo. At wala akong pakialam kahit anak pa siya ng kung sinong hari sa ibabaw ng lupa. We are here to study and chase our dreams, hindi para mamulot ng gwapo."

"Ito namang si Amaris, basag-trip talaga. Hindi ba puwedeng maki-join ka na lang sa moment ko?"

Bumuntong-hininga nang malalim si Amaris. "Fine. You stay here. Kung wala kang planong hanapin ang block natin, ako ay aalis na. Bahala ka dyan sa Ryker mo."

"Sige na nga, bahala ka. Magpapa-picture pa ako kay Mr. Levious kahit silip lang!" kinikilig na sambit ni Cleo.

Without hesitation, Amaris turned his back on his friend. He walked back toward their building alone, carefully avoiding the direction of the Criminology department to spare himself the trauma of their earlier stares. He walked in a hurry while still reading the book he was holding when-

BAM!

"What the heck!" malakas na mura ng lalaking nabunggo ni Amaris. Dahil sa lakas ng impak, nalaglag ang librong hawak ni Amaris at maging ang bolpen nito.

"I-I'm sorry! Hindi ko sinasadya, nagmamadali kasi ako," mabilis na paghingi ng tawad ni Amaris habang nakayuko at pinupulot ang mga gamit.

When he raised his face to look at the person he collided with, the man froze. He seemed rendered speechless for a few seconds as he stared straight at Amaris's face.

"Oh... i-it's okay," nauutal na wika ng lalaki, nawala ang galit sa boses nito at napalitan ng paghanga. "By the way, you're... cute. What's your name?" tanong nito habang nakangiti nang tipid.

"Amaris... Amaris Redeo," sagot naman ni Amaris, medyo nagulat sa biglang pagbabago ng reaksyon ng estranghero.

"I'm Milio Joshtine Esmajer. It's nice meeting you, Amaris," pagpapakilala ng lalaki habang iniabot ang kamay para makipagkamay.

"I-It's nice meeting you, Milio," tugon ni Amaris, tinanggap ang kamay nito habang ang paligid ay unti-unting kumalma sa pagsisimula ng kanilang unang araw.

@phiemharc - Hindi Tugma (C1)