Pain's Rule

XIII

Chapter 13

Broken Rules

“YOU look upset…” naantala naman ang tahimik na pag-inom ni Emilia nang dumating si Lou na ngiting-ngiti sa kanya.

“Ah,” Lou nodded when he stared at the direction where Emilia is glaring. Lou had already a hunch that the reason of Emilia’s upset face is the girl with Pain. Although, it’s has always been like this, Lou is the only one who could notice Emilia’s feelings with Pain, and the latter is just an idiot smiling around her.

“You shouldn’t be surprised like that,” he said as he sipped into his champagne.

“You know Pain just goes around and find his girl…because he’s got a tricky rule…”

“…and you of all people still support him?” now Emilia glared at him seriously which startled him a bit. “He’s my best friend, I’d support him in any ways,” he shrugged.

“Hindi ba kaibigan ka rin ni Pain? You should support him also,” anito sabay pinaglaruan ang natitirang champagne sa kanyang wine glass.

“That is if you just see him a good friend but it’s otherwise…” he smirked.

“I’ve gotten used to seeing Pain with girls but whatever he does makes him more hard to be the successor,” nag-aalalang sabi pa ni Emilia.

“So, nag-aalala ka na baka hindi siya ang maging Director?” napasimid si Lou nang nanumbalik ang tingin niya sa kanya. “Doon ka talaga nag-aalala?”

“Of course, I worry about everything of Pain…” katuwiran naman nito. “Especially if Pain hangs around with a ‘nobody’.”

“Pain is a troublesome guy but that makes him more dangerous you know…” nilagok naman ni Lou ang natitirang alak niya’t napapikit sa sarap. “You never know what his thoughts are…”

Lou’s words left Emilia in deep thoughts.

***

PASULYAP-SULYAP si Pain kay Juvia dahil naisipan niyang hayaan muna itong mag-enjoy sa party. Besides that is his goal, to let everyone that he’s dating an ordinary girl which never happened in their family.

He took the liberty of talking with his old friends and from time to time he sees Juvia bumping to other people.

Based on his accumulated observation, she couldn’t even hold a wine glass properly and she’s taking her time in walking because of her heels. She tries food but obviously some of the foods here isn’t her type. She goes around tasting them but later gives up on finishing it.

“No…” bigla nalang napasambit si Pain habang nakatitig sa gawi ni Juvia nang magtungo ito sa mini bar kung saan ka puwedeng bigyan ng iba’t-ibang klaseng drinks.

“Why?” agaw pansin sa kanya ng kausap niya dahil bigla siyang nagsalita.

Pain saw how Juvia gladly accepts the glass of tequila. He doesn’t know her drinking history if she’s good at handling hard liquor but he knows this type of tequila she was given is a strong one which he couldn’t handle much before.

Mariing napapikit si Pain nang makita niyang ininom nga ito ni Juvia nang dahan-dahan at kaagad na sumipsip ng lemon pagkatapos.

“What?” napakunot-noo na nang tuluyan si Pain nang inabutan ng bartender si Juvia ng isang baso ng beer na naguumapaw pa.

“Pain? Are you okay?” untag sa kanya ng lalaking kausap at tumingin din sa gawi kung saan ang atensyon niya.

“Yeah…sorry,” agad naman binaling ni Pain ang atensyon niya sa kanila.

***

THE place looks like a real Italy. The one country she dreamed of visiting. Hindi niya napigilan ang maglakad-lakad at mag-enjoy sa mga buildings na parang estilong vintage pero nakahadlang ang kanyang heels.

Napaupo siya sa isang bench dito sa may park, medyo may kalapitan din mismo sa grand canal. She decided to go to a less noisy part of the venue for a peace of mind after what happened to Pain a while ago.

She took off her heels and looked how bad her feet got. Hindi kasi talaga siya sanay magsuot ng heels.

“I knew it! Juvia!” Napatayo siya kaagad nang marinig niya ang boses na iyon. Ni hindi siya nagkaroon ng oras para isuot ulit ang heels niya.

“Sabi ko na nga ba, ikaw iyong kasama ni Sir Pain…ako ‘to si Chenee!”

Sandaling minukhaan ni Juvia ang babaeng nasa harapan niya. Later on she realized that she was her classmate way back college but she didn’t have any news on her because she dropped out.

“Sabi sa amin no’n, nag-drop ka raw kasi wala ka nang pambayad ng tuition. Kumusta naman? Engineer ka na ba?”

Hindi nakasagot si Juvia sa tanong nito, pero umiling na lamang siya.

“Ah, sorry to ask. Kasi I am working in Fiore, engineer ako roon, sa ibang site nga lang. Nagwo-work ka rin ba roon? Well, seeing you with Sir Pain, I thought you are already an Engineer,” may halong tawa ang pagkasabi nito kaya napatingin si Juvia sa kanya. That is when she realized that she’s mocking her.

“So if you’re not an engineer yet…surely kakapit ka sa puwede kang i-angat?” pinag-taasan siya ng kilay nito.

“I don’t know how you seduce him, but you’ll just end up like his other girls…” sabay napababa ng tingin si Chenee sa paa niya. “Girls who belongs in his league we’re discarded like trash. So what about a woman who’s out of his league and is already…a trash?” she even laughed.

No matter how strong she have become to overcome such insults, it is still painful on Juvia’s heart especially, she knows she’s trying so hard in life but it seemed that she has no progress at all.

Hindi nga niya maiangat sa kahirapan ang pamilya niya at kinalimutan ang sariling pangarap. She’s working beyond her limits but still, it wasn’t enough.

Juvia’s deep thinking lured her into the mini bar. She was sure she was asked of a drink she would like but she just nods. Inabutan siya ng baso ng alak at wala sa isip na ininom niya lang ito. Bahagya lamang siyang nagising nang makalasa siya ng kakaibang pait.

She sipped into the lemon abruptly.

“Kuya, baka may beer nalang kayo riyan?”

“Right away, Ma’am…”

Para siyang nasiglaan nang i-serve ang beer sa kanya. Hindi pa rin siya sanay sa ibang alak na nakikita niya rito. Beer pa rin ang pasok sa kanyang panlakas. Para rin siyang naginhawaan nang pumasok ang beer sa kanyang sistema.

Hindi pa siya nakuntento sa isa lang at humingi pa siya ng dalawa hanggang sa nakaapat siya. Napatigil-tigil na siya nang makaramdam siya ng hilo na hindi niya inaasahan dahil kaya pa niyang uminom nang mas marami roon.

Yumuko siya saglit upang magpahinga, mga ilang minuto lang ay naisipan niyang bumangon pero pag-angat niya ng kanyang ulo ay nakaramdam siya ng hilo na para bang bumagbakliktad ang kanyang mundo dahilan upang kamuntikan na siyang mahulog sa inuupuan ngunit mayroong kamay na humawak ng kanyang braso.

“You know tequila and beer are one of the worst combinations to drink…” she then heard a familiar voice of a man beside her.

Tumawa siya nang mamukhaan niya ito.

“Ikaw pala ‘yan,” she chuckled.

“Parang ngayon lang nagsi-sink in sa utak ko kung gaano ka kayaman…” aniya.

Pain seemed to be amused with her words so he asked one glass of whisky.

“Do you want to know how rich I am?” he said confidently upon taking a grip of his glass.

“Sige nga?” napangalumbaba sa palad si Juvia na napatingin sa kanya.

“I could buy an entire country,” he answered, the he sipped into his wine, waiting for her response.

“But that is just my own wealth. If I add my entire family’s wealth which is my rightful possession, I don’t even want to think what I could buy…”

“Kaya dinala mo ako para manggulo? Kasi magugulat sila na magdadala ka ng kagaya kong babae sa party na ‘to? Ano’ng tipong tao ka ba talaga?” napatitig pa rin si Juvia kay Pain.

“I exist so I could give pain to others…” napahawak nang mahigpit si Pain sa kanyang paso nang mailapag niya ito sa mesa. “And the first ones I would like to hurt is everyone in my family…” biglang tumalim ang titig nito.

“Why…? Hindi ka dapat nabubuhay dahil sa pangalan mo,” napapikit na si Juvia at napayuko na sa mesa.

Batid ni Pain na nilamon na siya ng kanyang kalasingan.

“Well, it’s about time for my last job…” napatayo si Pain at hinubad ang kanyang coat. He wrapped his coat around Juvia’s exposed back.

Carefully, he escorted her out because his last job for tonight is taking her home…

***

“NATNAT! Tintin! Tama na ‘yan, pumasok na kayo!” napalingon ang dalawang batang abalang nakatingin sa langit nang tinawag sila ng kanilang Nanay.

“Pero hindi pa po umuuwi si Ate,” aniya ni Tintin. Lumabas si Linda at tumanaw sa labas. Halos wala ng tao at malalim na ang gabi. Katatapos lang din niya pakalmahin ang asawa niyang si Ronaldo dahil ubo na naman ito nang ubo. Kailangan na sana nitong bumalik sa doctor pero hindi pa niya nakukumpleto ang pangpa-check up nito.

“O sige, pero kapag wala pa siya maya-maya, pumasok na kayo ha?” ginulo-gulo naman ni Linda ang buhok ng dalawang bata.

Pagpasok ni Linda ay napatitig ulit ang dalawang bata sa itaas. Wala naman kasi silang TV. Hindi rin lama ng kapitbahay nila ay mabait na magpaubayang makinood sila sa bintana kaya naman tumatambay nalang silang dalawa rito habang hinihintay si Juvia.

Nang bigla nilang mapansin ang dalawang lalaking nakaitim na may suot na mask ang palakad-lakad.

“Kuya, sino ‘yan?” nguso ni Tintin sa mga lalaki.

“Hala, pasok na tayo sa loob,” mahinang sabi ni Natnat.

“Nakita ko ulit sila no’ng isang gabi, may binugbog sila isang lalaki!” natatarantang sabi ni Natnat.

“Hindi ba dapat sabihin natin kay kapitan! Teka, tatakbo ako para magtawag ng kapitbahay…”

Huli na nang mapigilan ni Natnat si Tintin at nakatakbo na ito. May direksyong tinunguhan ang dalawang lalaking nakaitim at wala na sila sa malapit. Nag-alala si Natnat dahil baka makasalubong ni Tintin ang mga ito kaya sinundna niya ito.

Lalo siyang nagharumentado nang hindi niya mahagilap si Tintin.

Nakarating na siya sa malapit sa bahay ng kanilang kapitan pero wala siyang ni anino ni Tintin na nakita.

Tumakbo siya sa ilalim ng riles kung saan madalas magtago ito.

Ngunit nadatnan lang ni Natnat ang dalawang lalaking nakaitim kanina na may hawak na baril.

Napatakip siya sa kanyang bibig nang mamukhaan niya ang lalaking nakadapa sa sahig na parang katatapos lang nila ginulpi.

Iyon ang sikyu na nagroronda sa kanilang lugar gabi-gabi.

Kung wala lang humila sa kanya ay marahil napasigaw na siya kasabay ng pagputok ng baril.

Paglingon niya’y ang kapatid niyang nangingnig sa takot habang tinakpan ang kanyang bibig at nagtago sa mga tambakan ng basura.

“Yes boss. Na-scout na namin ang lugar. May nilinis lang kami, mahirap na baka may kumanta pa…” narinig pa niyang nag-salita ang isang lalaki.

***

WHILE Pain believed that he’s almost wrapped everything tonight, he forgot to ask where is Juvia’s home. Kahit naman pilitin niyang kausapin ito kanina ay hindi pa rin ito sasagot dahil lasing na lasing siya’t bumubulong pa habang tulog.

Napasinghap nalamang siyang naghintay na bumukas ang gates para pumasok ang sasakyan niya. Pain brought Juvia here in his home.

Pain lives alone in a mansion. There’s certain distance you have to walk upon entering the gates where his lovely cars and motorcycles are parked.

Pain is addicted to sports car and other similar vehicles. In fact, majority of the compound where he resides are reserved for parking space.

He found the spot for his Betty, or his favorite black BMW. He’s got names for his toys by the way.

Nag-alis si Pain ng kanyang seatbelt at tumingin kay Juvia.

“Oy, gising na…” yinugyug ni Pain si Juvia hanggang sa nagising ito. Nagkusot si Juvia ng kanyang mga mata at tila nahihilo pa.

“Just sleep here tonight. I have a lot of rooms…”

Pero parang bingi si Juvia at napapatingin lang kay Pain. Mukhang namali talaga ito ng pagpili ng kanyang mga ininom.

“If stare at me like that, I would think you’re seducing me…” he smirked. “After all, you look different tonight…” bahagyang napahina ang boses ni Pain.

Sinundan ng mga tingin ni Pain ang kamay ni Juvia na humawak sa batok nito. “…and you’re…doing something like this now?” there’s bit thrill in his voice now.

Then his eyes couldn’t even blink upon meeting with her glares. Hindi niya alam pero bigla siyang kinabahan sa mapupungay na mata ni Juvia na nakatitig pa rin sa kanya.

And then he snapped.

Without prior thinking, Pain smack her lips with the thought of deserve this much with what he spent on her tonight.

It’s a soft and squishy lips that just brushed on his lips which made him want to stay like that for a few more seconds before deciding to finally end it, when suddenly those soft lips started moving…and brushing his lips slowly.

And when Pain closes his eyes…he decided to prolong that few more seconds he allotted with his kiss while knowing…a rule has been passed.

***