Colet's Pov
Nakatingin lang kami kay mikha na walang choice kundi sabihin kay maloi ano nangyare sa pisngi niya.
"Maloi kasalanan ko nangyare kay mikha." Aiah said.
"Aiah wag mo sisihin sarili mo, i'm just upset that mikha didn't tell me she got hurt two times especially by gelo." Maloi said.
Tumingin si maloi samin ni jho. Lagot baka kami mapagbuntungan nito.
"Colet ano ginagawa niyo dito?" Maloi asked.
"Namiss lang namin si mikha kaya naisipan namin bisitahin." I said.
"Paalis na din pala kami." Jho said.
"Tama si jho, pagaling ka mikhs." I said.
Jho and i quickly went out of mikha's condo. We went to the coffee shop where gwen is waiting for us.
"Tagal niyo. Saan si mikha?" Gwen asked.
"She's stuck with maloi and aiah." I said.
Nagkwento kami kay gwen, sinabi ko na din kung bakit hindi namin kasama si mikha.
"Mikhaela lim has grown up." Gwen said while pinching my shoulder.
"Aray naman gwen." I said.
"Ano maitutulong natin kay mikha?" Gwen asked.
"Wala tayo gagawin, just let fate do it's job." Jho said.
"Huh?" Gwen and i said.
"I guess it's time to tell you two something about aiah." Jho said.
"About aiah?" I asked.
"Aiah not only likes boys but also girls." Jho said.
"Ano?!" Gwen and i said.
"Shhh mga boses niyo." Jho said.
"Kailan pa?" Gwen asked.
"Noong bata pa kami. Alam din ni maloi, sheena and stacey." Jho said.
"If that was the situation, ibig sabihin aiah already likes mikha before." I said.
"Hindi namin alam ni stacey, ramdam lang namin na baka may chance na dati pa pero hindi lang napapansin ni aiah sa sarili niya. Remember the sunflower crochet keychain." Jho said.
"Oo, the keychain in mikha's condo key that was given by aiah during high school valentine's day." Gwen said.
"That was a token of appreciation, mikha was the only person that aiah gave a token because of the tulip and golden retriever keychain." Jho said.
"It looks like fate was always in mikha's side, hindi niya lang nahalata." Gwen said.
"Well, fate has given her another chance again and this time she's risking it without her noticing that she was already making her moves." I said.
"For now, don't do anything to help mikha and don't say anything about what i said about aiah." Jho said.
Aiah's Pov
"Familiar ang apilyedo niya." I said.
I'm now in my office, having a meeting with maki and maloi's team through video call.
"Yes it is. Ka-batch niyo ang anak niya during high school." Maki said.
"Denise julia lee, i remember her. Hindi halata na anak siya ng drug lord." Maloi said.
"We have to get more evidence, kulang pa mga hawak natin." I said.
"We will but we have to be careful." Maki said.
"Tama si maki. The lee family always slips their way from every cases." Maloi said.
"They will not get away this time, i want this case to end with justice over crime." I said.
"Kakaiba talaga lakas ng loob ni attorney maraiah arceta, never backing down even from dangerous cases." Maloi said.
"Wait, may naalala ako about denise" Jho said.
"Ano jho?" I asked.
"During high school, crush na crush niya si mikha. Kahit mukhang nerd noon si mikha ay lagi nakatingin si denise sa kanya." Jho said.
"Sa nasabi mo jho, may napansin din ako when my family and i ate dinner outside. Denise was also in the restaurant." Maloi said.
"Even when we visited mikha in baguio, i saw a familiar face and i know that it was denise." Colet said.
"So we need someone to be close to denise and that person can only be mikha lim." Maki said.
"No." I said.
Huh? Bakit ko nasabi no?
"What did you say aiah?" Maki asked.
"Sorry a message just appeared on my phone." I said.
"Okay just what i said, mikha lim is the person we need to get more evidence." Maki said.
"I'll talk to mikha later about this." Maloi said.
"Will she agree?" I asked.
"I don't know but she may be our chance." Maloi said.
"Okay, i'll be the one talking to her about this. Meeting dismissed." I said.
I ended the video call meeting, napa-buntong hininga. Pumasok si kuya bryan sa office ko.
"Hi sis, nakabusangot ka ata." Bryan said.
"I'm not nakabusangot." I said.
"Your face doesn't say it." Bryan said.
"It's about the meeting." I said.
"What about it?" Bryan asked.
"We need more evidence and we need someone to get close to denise, the daughter of the accused." I said.
"Great idea." Bryan said.
"Not that great." I said.
"Why?" Bryan asked.
"Because they want to ask mikha to be the person to get close to denise." I said.
"Ah no wonder nakabusangot ka." Bryan said.
"I'm not nakabusangot." I said.
"Halata sayo aiah." Bryan said.
"Nag-aalala lang ako kay mikha, nasaktan na siya two times dahil sa pagligtas niya sakin. Now we want to ask her to risk her life to get evidence for the big case." I said.
"Nag-aalala ka lang ba talaga?" Bryan asked.
"Of course, she's my friend and i care when one of my friends are gonna be involve." I said.
"You know that i'm your brother." Bryan said.
"Kuya i'm just really concerned but we have no choice so i'll talk to her later." I said.
"Okay, i'll just get back to my office." Bryan said while smiling.
His smile is weird. I'm thinking if i can find someone else so mikha will not get involve but she's the only choice. After a few minutes, pumunta na ako sa restaurant ni mikha.
"Hi aiah." Stacey said.
"Hello staku, i wanna talk to mikha. Last week pa ata kayo puno ng customers." I said.
"Madami din kasi nagpa-reserve. Mikha's been busy in the kitchen, sabihin ko nandito ka." Stacey said.
"I'll just wait for her since i'm already off from work." I said.
"Okay, i'll get you a drink while you wait." Stacey said.
"Thanks staku." I said.
Tinitignan ko muna menu board at nilabas phone ko habang naghihintay. May napansin ako na familiar face kakapasok ng restaurant, si denise. Bumalik si stacey na may dala ice matcha latte at overloaded fries.
"Mikha wanted you to eat while you wait and it's her treat." Stacey said while smiling.
"Staku regular customer ba siya dito?" I asked.
Tinuro ko gamit ang mata ko si denise.
"Denise? Yes, sabi ni mikha kahit sa baguio she would sometimes eat at our branch there." Stacey said.
"Ah okay." I said.
I silently observed denise. She really doesn't seem to be the type to be a daughter of a drug lord. After an hour and a half, wala ng customers. Lumabas na ng kitchen si mikha at umupo sa upuan nasa tapat ko.
"Sorry for making you wait aiah." Mikha said.
"It's okay, full pack kayo ngayon." I said.
"Pagod pero ang saya." Mikha said.
"Then how about let the other chefs handle the restaurant for a day. Let's go somewhere tomorrow, my treat this time." I said.
"Huh?" Mikha said.
"I said let's go somewhere tomorrow." I said.
"Like a date?" Mikha asked.
"Maybe. I'll crash at your place tonight so we can enjoy the whole day tomorrow." I said while smiling.
"O-Okay." Mikha said, smiling back at me.
Pumunta na kami sa condo niya gamit car ko pero siya nag-drive, nasa auto shop pa daw car niya. It's been a week since the last time i've been here, when maloi found out about mikha got hurt by gelo.
FLASHBACK
Umalis na agad is jho at colet.
"Natakot ko ba yung dalawa?" Maloi asked.
"Maybe." I said.
"Mikhael janna jimenea lim sit down." Maloi said.
"Yes captain maloi." Mikha said,
Umupo agad sa couch si mikha. I smiled a bit looking at mikha, she's really scared when it comes to maloi being worried. Yung connection nila bilang mag stepsisters.
"Maloi wala na masamang mangyayare. May restraining order na kay gelo." I said.
"Mabuti naman pero mag-ingat pa din. Mikha you know the drill." Maloi said.
"Drill?" I asked.
"Since nandito ka aiah, ikwento ko nalang ano yung drill." Maloi said.
Umupo ako sa tabi ni mikha habang nakatayo si maloi sa harapan namin.
"The drill i'm talking about is mikha should always bring the pistol i gave her. Simula ng naging detective ako at captain ng special unit. Naisipan ko na magpraktis si papa at mikha gumamit ng baril for self-defense. I just want my family to be safe." Maloi said.
"Sa bahay at dito sa condo, may nakatago na pistol." Mikha said.
"Ibig sabihin mikhs alam mo paano gumamit at may license to carry ka." I said.
"Yes but i might have forgotten how to use it." Mikha said.
"Mikhaela lim." Maloi said.
"I promise i'll make time to practice." Mikha said.
"Okay, uuwi na then ako. Basta mag-ingat pa din kayo." Maloi said.
Maloi left. Hinawakan ko kamay ni mikha, ramdam ko na she's nervous sa sinabi ni maloi about sa pagdala ng baril.
"Mikha relax." I said.
"Aiah i'm not really the type of person who likes to hold and learn how to use a gun but i need to do it to protect everyone important to me." Mikha said.
"You don't need to hold a gun to protect everyone mikhs. Na-protektahan mo na ako twice through words and your confidence." I said.
I smiled at her.
"Alam mo ba na i'm thankful na nagkita tayo ulit. Your confession last night, i don't need a longer time for me to think of my answer." I said.
"Answer?" Mikha asked.
"I'm happy to accept your feelings for me." I said.
"What did you just say?" Mikha asked.
"You're slow in some things are you? Baka makatulong ito." I said.
Kiniss ko ng mabilisan pisngi niya.
"Mag-shower na muna ako, hiram ulit ako damit mo mikhs." I said.
I went to her bedroom and closed the door. I'm smiling, iniisip kung ano face expression niya.
END OF FLASHBACK
I don't know if mikha and i are in the dating stage because she hasn't asked me yet but we always talked especially before sleeping. Nasa situationship stage ba kami?
"Aiah are you okay?" Mikha asked.
"Huh? Yes, i'm okay." I said.
Galing siya sa bedroom habang nanunuod ako sa tv.
"Mikhs pagod ka sa work, we can order food for tonight." I said.
"Basta ako magbabayad since tomorrow is your treat." Mikha said.
She sat beside me while i order food from my phone.
"Ano gusto mo for dinner?" I asked.
"You." Mikha said.
"Huh?" I said.
"You can pick for me, i mean okay sakin lahat except bicol express which i'm allergic." Mikha said.
She smiled at me and i smiled back. Mga ilang minuto din bago dumating order namin, korean food for tonight. Dolsot bibimbap and korean pancake pajeon. Pagkatapos namin kumain ay nanuod muna kami ng tv.
"Mikha." I said.
"Aiah." Mikha said.
"Ako muna mag-sasalita. You already know that maloi and i are handling a big case, a dangerous one." I said.
"Yes." Mikha said.
"And we need more evidence, there's only one way. We need someone who can get close to the daughter of the accused." I said.
"The daughter is denise julia lee." Mikha said.
"Paano mo alam?" I asked.
"I remembered when i watch the news, the surname is lee." Mikha said.
"Maloi, jho and colet remembered denise admires you during high school. So maki suggested that we pick you to be the person we need." I said.
"I agree." Mikha said.
"Mikha it's dangerous, i don't like the idea." I said.
"Aiah justice must win over crime." Mikha said.
"Nag-aalala pa din ako." I said.
"Magiging okay ako, i'll be safe." Mikha said.
"Promise?" I asked.
"I promise." Mikha said.
She smiled at me then pats my head.