34 - Last Twenty Rounds
"I never thought that the world could be so cruel," hindi napigilang sabihin ni Yuan noong makitang sinundan siya ni Gian.
Bahagyang natawa ang binata. "Ngayon mo lang 'yan na-realize?"
Bumuntong hininga si Yuan at tumingala sa nagdidilim na kalangitan. "Last year, up until the first two months of this year, we were living our lives normally. We went to school everyday, party when there's an opportunity, celebrate birthdays, spend holidays with our families... while those people."
Kitang-kita ng dalawa ang pagguhit ng kidlat sa kalangitan. Sandali niyong pinaliwanag ang paligid bago dumagundong ang malakas na kulog.
"Gian, why do they need to experience that?"
"Yuan, the thing is, we don't control what happens around the world. It is unfair as it is. But we owe it to those who can't even smile, to laugh. The same reason why we need to live. We owe it to those who are not here."
Hindi na sumagot ang dalaga. Natanaw nilang papalapit na sina Jet, Mara at Manong Jules kasunod sina Kevin at Pia. Nagsimula na din silang maglakad pabalik sa van.
"Why?" tanong ni Gian noong mapansing hindi niya na kasabay maglakad si Yuan. Nilingon niya ang dalaga at nakitang nakatayo lamang ito at bahagya pang nakakunot ang noo.
"I just remembered that I also saw Luna that night... while I was hiding from Rina."
"Is that why you were just standing there when we came?"
"I needed to stop Rina so she could run."
Si Gian naman ang napabuntong hininga at napangiti. Hanggang ngayon ay napapabilib pa rin siya sa mga ginagawa ni Yuan at pakiramdam niya ay maswerte siyang naging kaibigan niya ito. Higit sa lahat, nakakasiguro siyang walang pinagsisihan si Rina bago ito nawala.
"Mariz and Jet didn't really come with you that night, right?"
"What?" nagtatakang tanong ng binata. Hindi niya naintindihan ang tanong at kung bakit iyon itinanong sa kanya.
Tipid na ngumiti lamang si Yuan at umiling.
*****
"Can't we just go on with our plan?" nababagot na tanong ni Yuan.
Malakas na ang ulan sa labas at nananatili pa rin ang kanilang sasakyan sa loob ng eskinita.
"We didn't consider Professor Villan or any other people in that plan."
Pasimpleng nagkatinginan ang lahat dahil si Lucas ang sumagot. Sa dalawang linggo nilang paglalakbay, ngayon na lamang nila muling narinig na nag-usap ang dalawa.
"He's alone," wala pa ring buhay na sagot ni Yuan. Hindi rin siya lumilingon. "We were able to kill hundreds of zombies at a time before. Why are we being so cautious with that professor?"
"He has a properly functioning human brain inside a body with the physical strength of a zombie," simpleng sagot ni Lucas na sa labas ng katabing bintana din lamang nakatingin.
Umalis si Yuan sa pagkakasandal. Lilingunin niya sana si Lucas noong magsalita si Manong Jules.
"S-Siya ba ang pinag-uusapan ninyo?"
BINABASA MO ANG
2025: The Second Half
Science Fiction⚠️TW: Violence, Depression, Suicide She's still Yuan Ignacio and she still cares. Already got more than enough of the thrill she had always sought for, the 20-year-old girl with the biggest heart continues to risk her life for everyone until the zom...