Absinthe

Chapter 21: Pampa

"You sit like a girl," Jiwoo said, tapping his right thigh onto my left knee.

"Huh?"

"Look, your legs are closed up real tight," he explained, snickering.

What in the world was wrong with him? Why did he tell that Brenda girl we're together?

Is he really gay?

Was he staring at my thighs because he's interested in me?1

No way!

I mean, no thank you!

"Where are you headed?" Jiwoo continued with his questions. "And what's up with your car?"

"Do you have to ask?"

"Well, I'm your boyfriend for today, right?"

Holy hell. How could he say something as serious as that so flippantly? I stared at him in an attempt to discern what exactly was going on in his head, but I got nothing.

"Starstruck by your boyfriend's face?" he asked, chuckling once again.

I looked away and contemplated on how I would respond to this man. I had spent the last few years of my life playing mind games with executives and other powerful men in the corporate world. Not a single time had I been at a loss for words. And yet, I couldn't figure out what this guy was playing at.

"You could at least say thank you," Jiwoo continued.

"Huh?"

"Your boyfriend just bought you siomai, gulaman, and LRT tickets. He deserves a kiss, don't you think?"

"Can you stop with the boyfriend thing already?"

"Oh? My girlfriend's being a bit unreasonable today. Is it that time of the month?"

"What the fuck?"

"Should I get you sanitary napkins or something?"

I remembered his exchange with the other finalist at our workstation, Matt. Jiwoo had been ruthless at that time, and Matt had basically been left speechless.

"Right," I said, admitting defeat. "Thank you very much for the snack and the ticket. Seriously, though, you can now quit the boyfriend thing."

"For a second I thought I was wrong about you again," he said, tapping my knee with his thigh for the second time.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind."

I turned to look at him again. "Tell me."

"Well, I know a few pieces of siomai are nothing compared to what you've done for me. I'm grateful for that, so I wanted to do something nice for you, even if it's just buying you street food or something."

I kept silent.

"I thought you didn't appreciate it is all."

There was a hint of shyness in his smile. It was the kind of expression meant to garner sympathy. I decided that the best course of action was to change the topic and steer it in a direction I was comfortable with.

tap my knee against his

for everyone in the jeepney, eating a lifetime's worth of hair, and, as you saw earlier, getting accused of being a siomai

I narrated everything that had happened before we met at

- Manila. I wanted to buy

asked. "ZM Manila? Let's go

You don't have to come. I'm sure

protested loudly. "Let me go with you. Trust me. And

the boyfriend thing. I know you only said

bumping his leg against mine for the

"No buts."

kinda worried you'll end up

and I can perfectly handle

same intense gaze he had given me when he became infuriated over my getting

a beautiful lady suddenly standing in front of us said. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, and she

help you?"

lady ran a finger over her left ear, tucking a tuft of hair behind it. "My

here," Jiwoo answered

blushed at the display of affection she was seeing. "I'm sorry to disturb you." She walked away and sat at an empty seat a few paces to the right. Jiwoo didn't immediately let go of my hand. I had to pry his fingers open using my other hand and untangle myself from his

be that mean

I'm on boyfriend duty

the fact you acted like a total

I think it's

that being honest. We're not really boyfriends, remember?"

was quiet for a bit. Then he said

Should we make

point. And

said. "But I'm serious about being friends with

"..."

on his face. "We're both boys. And

his honesty. Now, I knew how to interpret his actions. I knew

Jokes between friends.

is Central Terminal Station. The doors are

here!" I said

let's get off at the next one," Jiwoo said. "I

Station instead. As soon as we exited the platform, we

Jiwoo say as he grabbed my hand. "To your wallet." Then he winked and headed toward

on Jiwoo's back. Within the next few minutes, I felt exactly 4 different hands dive deep

street, Jiwoo turned and grabbed the wrist of the chubby guy right in

guy's hand from

you talking about?" shouted

were trying to

widen in

he snatched his hand away from

at the corner of the street. He tossed some money over to the old lady manning the counter and took a bottle of water from the open ice box

In this weather, you'll get

to my throat. The smoke and pollution of the capital's most crowded place had gotten

pointing further ahead.

finished the bottle of water before tossing it into the trash bin already full to the brim. Then, I felt my

keeping my wallet safe that I had

me a worried look . Before

"I guess your boyfriend's buying you a new one today," he said, taking my hand and dragging me again. It didn't take long for the iconic red-and-white stripes of the very first ZM Mall to appear in front of our eyes: the

and towering blue and silver facades of every other ZM Super Mall, this one was low, small, and rather dull. It lacked the gardens and

state university—the University of the Philippines, or

when I found out that there were no uniforms in UP. I recalled how scared I had been of not having anything decent to wear, how I had juggled several

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