Sarang

Chapter 20

"s**t," I mumbled before I ran faster. "I will kill you when I catch you! I swear. Did you hear me?!" I shouted. I turned right before effortlessly going ahead of him on his way. I was still catching my breath when I look sharply into his eyes.

"I said, I'll kill you, for real," I told him before getting the wallet he snatched. The police who were chasing him also arrived and quickly handcuffed him.

"Thank you, thank you!" she said when I gave her wallet to her. "What was your name? Thank you so much!"

"It's a secret," I winked at her before turning my bag. I sighed before getting the alcohol in my pocket to wash my hands then I lazily crossed over to the other road with my hands placed inside my pocket. I was just quiet as I walked into Asher's condominium.

"I heard he also lives here. I wanna see his face for real."

I heard the girl said before giggling. When I reached the exact floor, I went out, ignoring what the two women were saying. I knocked at Asher's door before using his doorbell. It took him a few minutes before finally opening the door.

His eyes widened as he saw me. "Anong ginagawa mo rito?" he asked in shock before opening the door wider. "Bakit hindi ka nagsabi?" he said.

"Well, I did a business near here so I decided to come over," I told him before sitting down on the couch. I looked around and the canvases on the side immediately caught my attention. That's when I realized that he's wearing a simple white shirt and shorts, his apron full of stains. He's also holding a paintbrush.

"Wow. You paint?" I said in an amaze tone of my voice. I stood up and look at what he was painting. It was just a simple sunset and I don't know, it's not yet done but it looks good. "This is good!" I complimented his work.

"Hindi pa nga tapos eh," he said before sitting down and started to paint again. I sat beside him to watch him doing the painting.

"I didn't know you could paint," I said again.

"Wala ka namang alam sa akin," he murmured so I look at him.

"Excuse me?" I raised my brow.

"Joke lang," he said before laughing a little. "Kumain ka na ba? May niluto ako diyan."

"No, thanks. I'm on a diet."

"Diet? Mukha ka na ngang buto-buto diyan, kalansay."

"What?" I annoyingly asked him. "What did you say? It's not kalansay, I'm just sexy!" I defended myself.

"Oo na, sexy na," he said, not even trying to win our small argument.

"You won't ask why I'm here?"

He looked at me. "Sabi mo may business kang ginawa malapit dito?"

"Psh," I rolled my eyes. "I helped someone today."

"Really?" he turned his head to me, smiling. "That's good."

"Ahh, I'm tired," I complained. I saw him putting down the paintbrush before standing up.

"Do you want to see the sunset?" he asked me.

"Sure!"

He took his notebook and a pen with him, he's no longer wearing an apron. We went to the balcony of his unit where the sunset was visible in our place. There's a long sofa and other furniture there.

We sat on the long sofa as he arranges his things on the table. I put my two hands in the pocket of my hoodie. When I yawned, Asher immediately look at me.

"You can sleep," he told me before tapping his leg, telling me to sleep there. I just rolled my eyes before doing what he wants. I yawned again but I remained my eyes open. Tinukod niya ang dalawang kamay niya sa magkabilang gilid, supporting his weight.

"This is so nice," I commented while looking at the sunset. I've never been in love with sunset, not until today.

"Alam mo ba 'yong kasabihan nila tungkol sa sunset?" he asked me, I shook my eyes. "Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end peacefully. They are the proof that endings can often be beautiful too."

"Really?" I asked him. "Every time I see the sunset, the first thing that comes to my mind is finally, the day is over and I can rest for the next day again. My long tiring day is about to end and I have to get ready for tomorrow's another day."

We were silent while just watching the sunset. I saw him getting his pen and notebook and started sketching something.

"Make me your subject," I told him.

"No, thanks. You'll ruin my drawing," he said. I frowned at him before closing my eyes. "Are you sleeping?" he asked me but I didn't respond. "Sleepwell, Alessia."

I can almost hear him breathing and also the sound of his pen. I slightly opened my eyes to look at what he was sketching and I let a small smile when I saw myself there. I don't know how long I slept. I just woke up when I heard Asher's voice while holding his phone.

"Hindi ko alam. May ginagawa ako," he said in a low tone of voice. He quickly look at me when I move a bit. He smiled at me before talking again. "Wala naman. Sabi mo hindi na kailangan?"

I got up and sat down as I tried to wake up my whole system.

"Hindi. Huwag ngayon. Bukas nalang siguro. Ge."

That's what he said before putting his phone down. "Are you hungry? Aeris is waiting at your house. She said she ordered food for dinner"

"Okay," I said before standing up. He just changed his clothes before going to my house. I saw Aeris playing with her dog and when he saw us, she hurriedly put her dog in the cage.

"Hi!" she greeted us. "I ordered dinner for us," she said. Aeris prepared for everything so we just sit and eat. She even volunteered to wash the dishes but I told her not to. It's my time to wash the dishes naman.

"Nga pala, someone called using the landline. Uh, I answered it baka kasi importante," she told me.

"Who was it?"

"It's from your company in China," Aeris explained everything to me about the call but I can't understand any of it. "Anong gagawin mo?" she asked after explaining.

"Huh?"

"Wala siyang gagawin kasi wala namang siyang alam diyan. Baka nga hindi niya alam na may kumpanya rin siya na located sa China eh," Asher whispered but I heard it.

"Excuse me, Sir, but I can hear you," I told him before wiping my hands. "What did you say again?"

Aeris explained to me again for the second time. I tried to understand it this time but I just can't.

"If you know nothing about this, I can help. I also studied business for almost two years kaya may alam din ako sa ganito," she told me.

"I can help, too," Asher said so we decided to go to the living room. Aeris opened her laptop before doing something while I'm just here, looking at the paper she gave me. It's like I'm fighting on paper because of the way I look at it.

"I don't understand this!" I irritably said before putting the paper on the hair. I leaned my back on the sofa before crossing my arms. They both look at each other before Asher stand up to sit beside me.

"Why don't you ask Kaito for his help?" he asked me before getting the paper I was holding earlier. The only thing that I can understand there is my name and the company's name!

"He's no longer my employee," I told him.

"Did he already handed you his resignation letter?" he asked me. I shook my head. "Hindi pa naman, eh. Just ask him if he knows something about this."

"No, I think we can solve this," I said before getting the paper. My brows only creased when I tried to read it again. Damn this paper and the words written on it.

"Ask him as a friend? Wala namang mawawala kung magtatanong ka lang sa kaniya tungkol sa bagay na ito. Sigurado akong may alam siya," he tried to convince me.

"No. If you can't solve this then I will," I said in finality.

"You and your pride," he whispered before tilting his head. I don't know how I slept that night, as far as I know, I was trying to understand what is written on the paper. When I woke up, I was already in my bedroom.

When I got down, I found Aeris, Asher, and Kaito in the living room. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked before looking at Kaito. "And you, what are you doing here?"

"Good morning din!" he said.

"I asked him myself to go here," Asher answered my question. Aeris was just busy typing on her laptop.

"Wala ka pa bang nahahanap na pwedeng pumalit sa akin?" Kaito asked me.

"Wala pa."

"Eto si Aeris!" he shouted. Aeris immediately look at him when she heard her name. "Wala namang masama kung tulungan mo ang Ate mo rito diba? Wala ka rin namang trabaho."

"Excuse me? Are you trying to offend me because I'm unemployed?" kunot-noong tanong ni Aeris sa kaniya.

"Hindi, ah!" Kaito immediately said. "Ang sabi ko lang, tutal wala ka pang nahahanap na trabaho, bakit hindi mo nalang tulungan ang Ate mo? Kita mo namang wala siyang alam tungkol dito."

"Excuse me?" I raised a brow at him.

"Grabe na 'tong magkapatid na 'to. Pinanganak ba kayo para magalit sa akin?!" he asked us. Asher just laughed at him.

"Okay," Aeris said. "If that's okay with her," Aeris look at me.

"Of course! I would love to!" I said while smiling widely.

"Okay! So, eto na nga," Kaito sit behind him to tell her some things while Asher stood up and approach me.

"You need to know something about business," he told me. "What about we start by selling your cars?"

"What? Are you crazy? I can't do that. I can't sell my cars. They are decorating my garage," I told him.

"Then sell some of your appliances," he said again.

"I can't. They're decorating my living room," I declined again.

"You're bags and accessories?"

"No. They're decorating my closet. What's wrong with you? Why do you want me to sell off everything?" I asked, looking at him badly.

"I'm helping you to save money."

"It's okay. I have tons of money. I can still buy everything after selling those," I smiled at him.

"If you keep it up, you'll go bankrupt," he narrowed his eyes at me.

"It's fine. I have many companies."

"I don't care," he rolled his eyes.

"Stop talking! You're annoying!" I shouted at him. He just laughed at me before facing the two.

"Papakainin ko lang 'to. Gutom na ata, eh," he told them. They just nodded so Asher pulled me away. We went straight to his restaurant.

"Sir Asher! Nandito na po 'yong sinasabi ko sa inyong gustong mag-apply," Hannah told him. She gave him something I don't know.

"Dito ka lang, kakausapin ko lang siya," he told me before handing me the ID that Hannah gave to him. I raised a brow before looking at that, having no plan to get it. He chuckled before making me wear it.

I was just standing near the counter as I watch Hannah taking the customers order when suddenly, someone sitting at the table near my place called me.

"Excuse me, can I have one bottle of water? The cold one please," she told me before eating again.

"Excuse me?" I mocked her. "The drinks here are all self-service. If you want to drink, go get it yourself. Don't ask the crew to do it for you. You're not the only customer here," I look at her face down to her foot.

"Did you just... look at me from head to toe?!" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, why?"

I felt Hannah slightly pulled me to hid me behind her. "I'm sorry, Ma'am you asked the wrong person. She is not a crew here," she politely said using her calm voice.

"Really?" she laughed. "Sorry, mukha kasi siyang nagtatrabaho rito."

My blood boils because of that. "Pardon?" I said before stepping forward. "At least I'm not using an imitation bag. Can you see what I'm wearing?" I simply showed her what I'm wearing. "I bet my clothes are much more expensive than your life."

"What?!" she shouted. Some customers look at us because of that.

"What's happening here?" I heard Asher's voice. He immediately holds my hand before he pulled me closer to him.

"Uh," she cleared her throat while blushing. "Eto kasi eh, napakabastos ng bunganga. I'm sorry."

"What? Ako pa ngayon ang masama? I didn't---"

"I'm sorry about that. Hannah, assist her," he cut me off. Mas lalong namula yung babae kaya napairap nalang ako.

"What? I didn't do anything!" I defended myself when he drags me outside. "I just told her that the water is self-service, tama naman ako diba?! And excuse me? She even called me one of the crew!"

"Don't shout," he told me. "Wala akong sinasabing kasalanan mo. But you should avoid being rude to---"

"Don't talk to me!" I cut him off. "I don't care. She tried to pick up a fight with and I gave her what she wants," I said before walking away.