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“Sir, pwede na po kayong pumasok.” A medical assistant came to their side.
The couple look at each other. Sunghoon engulfed Riki into a hug, “P’ano ba ‘yan, mahal. Papasok na ‘ko.”
Riki tightened the hug.
Sunghoon kisses his lover’s forehead. “Mami-miss kita—”
Riki slightly punches his stomach. “Parang timang naman ‘to. Papabunot ka lang ng wisdom tooth mo eh.”
“Mahal, ba’t ka ba ganyan sakin.” Sunghoon pouts.
And Riki kisses the pout away. “Pasok ka na sa loob para maaga kayong matapos, okay? Hihintayin naman kita rito sa labas eh.”
Sunghoon nods. “Okay. Love you love you.”
He smiles. “Love you, too. Pasok na.”
Sunghoon stood up and jumped when he saw the medical assistant on their side, standing with an awkward smile.
“Love, ano ‘yon—ay, hala.” Riki gasps. Nakalimutan nga pala nilang may kasama sila.
Na-third wheel. Ang lakas pa naming mag mini labing labing dito.
Riki gave the medical assistant a cheeky grin. Hehe.
“—Oh, kelan daw sila mag-start?” Jungwon on the other line.
“Maya-maya na siguro. Baka nage-explain pa ng kaunti yung dentista.”
“Matagal ba procedure nyan?”
Riki shrugs. “Ewan ko po. Never pa ‘ko nagpa-bunot kasi. Pero baka mga 30 minutes or more.”
Jungwon laughs. “Hays. Good luck na lang sa kanya. May napapanood pa naman akong mga video ng mga pasyente na naturukan ng anesthesia, kung ano-ano nang pinaggagagawa o pinagsasasabi.”
Riki giggles when he imagines Sunghoon being goofy as the anesthesia wears off.
“Oh ba’t napatawa ka? Naiimagine mo ‘no?”
Riki nods like Jungwon can see him. “Opo opo.”
“Hahahaha, baliw.”
“Ah, sir…” Suddenly, a dental assistant calls his attention.
“Wait po, Kuya Won Won.” Nilayo ni Riki ang kanyang phone. “Yes po?”
“Gagamitan daw po ni doktora ng sedative si Mr. Sunghoon.”
“Hala, bakit daw po?”
“Naghihiyaw po kasi sila, medyo makulit po. Hindi po masimulan ni doktora yung operasyon.”
Napatakip ng bibig si Riki upang pigilan ang pagtawa. “Kailangan na po ba ako sa loob?”
“Ah hindi naman po, sir. Pinapasabi lang din po ni doktora. Si Mr. Sunghoon na rin po nag-request na h’wag daw po kayong papasukin kasi baka magtago lang daw po sila sa inyo.”
With that, Riki just let out his laugh. Ang kulit talaga.
“Sige po, thank you po for informing me.”
The dental assistant nods and smiles. “Maraming salamat din po.”
Pumasok na ito muli sa loob at binalikan ni Riki ang kanyang kausap.
“Ba’t tumatawa ka? An’meron?” Jungwon asked.
“Si Sunghoon kasi, ang kulit kulit. Gagamitan daw tuloy ng sedative.”
He heard Jungwon laugh loudly. “Loko talaga.”
“Kuya Won, kumusta pala siya?” Biglang tanong nito.
“Eto, tulog. Napagod kakalaro kanina.”
Riki giggles. “Baka napakain mo po ng matamis ‘yan kaya ganyan. Cute cute. Sendan mo ‘ko pictures, please.”
“I will, don’t worry. Oh s’ya, sige na. Chat na lang kita mamaya. Tinawagan lang kita baka boring na boring ka na dyan.”
“Grabe ka naman pero okay, hehehe. Yung pictures po ha, baka makalimutan mo.”
“Hindi ‘yan, ako bahala. Send ‘ko agad after nito.”
“Okay, okay. Bye bye! Thank you po sa pa-call.”
Jungwon hums. “Byeee.”
After several minutes of waiting, the dentist, the assistant, and a crying Sunghoon came out of the room— huh, crying?
Napatayo si Riki. “Sunghoon?” Napatingin ito sa dalawang umaalalay sa kanya.
“Don’t worry, sir. Epekto lamang po iyan ng anesthesia. Mawawala rin po 'iyan.”
The three laughed when they heard Sunghoon blabber gibberish words while sobbing.
Inakay ni Riki si Sunghoon at dahan-dahan itong pinaupo.
“Maiwan po muna namin kayo, no? Aayusin lang po namin yung mga gamit.”
Riki nods. “Thank you po.”
Riki sat next to the crying Sunghoon to comfort him. “How are you feeling?” Niyakap niya ito.
Iyak lamang ang sinagot ni Sunghoon. Riki tried to suppress his laugh. My big baby.
“What do you call a…” Sunghoon suddenly said after a while, still gushing out tears.
“What, baby?” Riki patiently asked.
“A fake spaghetti?”
Riki laughs. “Ano raw?”
Sunghoon sobs. “Hindi ko alam, kaya nga tinatanong kita eh—”
Riki laughs loudly. “Okay, I’m sorry. Hindi ko rin po alam.” He caresses his back.
And Sunghoon just throws corny jokes and pick-up lines, one after another. Riki just indulges him happily. Riki wouldn’t call it corny though. He loves it so much.
“Alam mo ba—sandali, sino ba ‘yon? Jay ba pangalan ‘non?” Sunghoon said with matching hand motions before wiping his tears. “Kako sa kanya gusto mo ba ng joke—” Bigla na naman siyang naluha. “—Tapos sabi niya wag na raw kasi nasa harap niya na raw.” And Sunghoon cried again.
Riki really really tried to suppress his laugh. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll hit them for you.”
After a few more comforting words, “Wait, who are you?” Sunghoon parted from the hug.
He scanned Riki’s face.
“Bato ka nang bato ng jokes at pick-up lines mo, hindi mo pala ako kilala?” Riki annoyingly said, with no real bite.
“Sino ka po kasi?”
Riki gave him a grin. “I’m your tooth fairy!”
Sunghoon cried a river. “Ibalik mo s’akin ngipin ko, please.”
“Okay, later.” Riki kisses him on the cheeks. He chuckles to himself.
Sunghoon watches Riki as he laughs. Eyes crinkling like crescent moon, the stars (moles) on his face—his boxy smile—
“You’re beautiful.” Sunghoon gulped.
Riki stopped from laughing. Suddenly being shy from Sunghoon’s gaze.
“Ang ganda ganda mo.”
And the younger kisses him again on the cheeks, showing gratitude.
“Please, be my boyfriend.”
Riki stills. “I’m sorry, I can’t”
Sunghoon was taken aback. “Oh, gusto mo bang ligawan muna kita? Okay lang s’akin—”
“May asawa na po ako.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
Riki smiles. “Gusto mo ba malaman kung sino?”
Sunghoon shakes his head, looking down. “Ayoko ‘wag na, haha. ‘Yokong masaktan—”
“Park Sunghoon. ‘Yan po pangalan ng asawa ‘ko.”
“Sino ‘yan?” Napatingin ito sa kanya.
Pinanlakihan siya ng mata ni Riki. “Ikaw ‘yan!”
Sunghoon choke. “Ako?” He points at himself, “Seryoso?”
Riki’s just looking at him intently.
“Fuck, ang swerte ko naman.”
The younger one raised his left hand, showing his ringed finger.
Napatawa si Sunghoon, tila ba hindi ito makapaniwala. Inabot niya ang kamay ni Riki at pinagmasdan nito ang wedding band. Kung kanina ay natatawa ito, ngayon ay naluluha na naman.
“Ang swerte ko…” He whispered to himself.
“I love you.” He blurted out. Tears running down his already tear-stained cheeks.
Riki has this fond look on his face. “I love you too, so much.” He wipes the tears away.
“Kailan tayo kinasal? May sarili na ba tayong bahay—may anak na ba tayo?”
Riki nods, beaming. “December 10 is the day we became husbands and to answer your questions—yes.”
Sunghoon gasps. Riki took out his phone and unlocked it. He clicks his gallery and shows Sunghoon their house.
“You’re a very hardworking man that’s why ganyan kalaki bahay natin.”
Riki swiped through his gallery, “The child looks like you.” Sunghoon breath hitches.
“Hmm and he looks like you, too. Parang carbon copy mo.” Riki giggles. “That’s our adopted son, Noah. Noah Nishimura-Park.”
Sunghoon kisses his temple. Sniffling, if this is a dream, please don’t wake me up.
“Do you want to know when is his birthday?” Riki squeezes his hand.
“Yeah?”
“On our wedding day.”
A destiny, indeed.
(After all the tears, Riki went out and got Sunghoon liters of water. He fears that his husband may become dehydrated.)