Chapter 44: Another Kurt Incident


    ". . . Then, why not stay the night here? Nobody''s using the other side of our apartment, so you can


    crash there," Aunt Tarling kindly suggested, a warm smile on her face.


    I nced at my twopanions, Kiro and Dodong, and they both nodded in agreement. The idea


    of staying in one of Aunt Tarling''s nearby rental apartments seemed like a good n. But, for a


    moment, I wondered if they assumed we didn''t have the right clothes to sleep in.


    Aunt Tarling seemed to read my thoughts and reassured me, "Don''t worry about clothes, dear


    niece. We''ve got some you can borrow that will fit you just fine. You''ll only be here for one night,


    after all."


    Her thoughtfulness erased any doubts I had. Staying over wouldn''t be a hassle, and it could actually


    be a fun little adventure. We could head back home the next day without any problem. With a


    grateful smile, I said, "Alright, Aunt. Thanks a lot! That''s really nice of you."


    Feeling appreciative, the three of us said our goodbyes and stepped out into the evening air. The


    barangay had a different feel with the evening lights for the fiesta, casting a soft golden light over


    the streets.


    As we strolled along, the anticipation of the fireworks show heightened with every passing moment.


    The crowd was gradually assembling at the heart of the night, eager to witness the spectacle. Even


    amid the excitement, I could still hear Dodong''s tiny grumbles as he clung to my arm.


    "Don''t hold me back, Dodong! You want to see the fireworks too, don''t you? Ugh," I sighed in


    response, trying to convince him that staying put was the right thing to do. We were currently inside


    the grandstand, and I couldn''t help but notice the impressive organization our Barangay had put


    together for this event. Gone was the simple roof, reced now with a transparent canopy that


    allowed us to marvel at the stars twinkling in the night sky. This transparent roof was the stage


    where the dazzling fireworks disy would unfold.


    "The fireworks will begin a bitter, sis Lyka. Let''s step outside for a while! My rear end is starting to


    ache from sitting here for so long!" Dodongined again, fidgeting on the hard seat.


    I was just about to respond when Kiro, ever the considerate one, rose from his seat and took


    Dodong''s hand in his.


    "Come on, Dodong. Your sister looks tired so let her rest here. Let''s take a little walk to stretch our


    legs," he suggested to my sibling, while casting a thoughtful gaze in my direction.


    Dodong''s face lit up with joy, and he enthusiastically tightened his grip on Kiro''s hand. "Let''s go, big


    brother!" he eximed with glee. Kiro signaled for me to go ahead, and so I simply nodded, granting


    them this moment together.


    I watched them walk away, Dodong chattering animatedly while Kiro listened attentively. A mix of


    gratitude and contentment washed over me as I saw how caring Kiro was with my little brother.


    They made an adorable pair as they sauntered into the night, leaving me with a few moments of


    silence before the skies erupted in a dazzling disy of colors and lights.


    Within five minutes, I found myself sitting alone in the midst of the bustling crowd, feeling a bit lost


    and aimless as I attempted to follow the trail of Dodong and Kiro. The sea of people made it


    challenging to keep track of their whereabouts. Annoying, really. Sighing in exasperation, I mumbled


    to myself, "Hays! This is what you get for agreeing to this, Lyka."


    Suddenly, a firm grip on my arm startled me, and I turned to see Kurt''s face. He was holding a drink,


    unmistakably alcohol. Wait, was wine allowed in this public setting? It should be prohibited, right?


    And why is he here?


    I gently removed his hand from my arm and replied, "Hmm, unexpected to see you here too,


    Kurt..."


    He grinned and pointed towards a group of friends, all with drinks in hand, "Yeah... Look, my


    buddies are over there. Wanna join us? We''ve got some femalepanions too, so don''t worry


    about feeling out of ce." But honestly, I had no interest in joining them. My priority was finding


    Dodong and Kiro. Where could they have gone?


    "Ah, sorry, but I still have something to—"


    "Come on, Lyka. I had no idea I''d bump into you at the fiesta. Who''s with you?" He interrupted,


    diverting the conversation. Well, speaking of ‘who''s with me’, where are those two? Really?


    "But anyway... Are you okay with partying just like at the club when we once saw each other? Come


    with us," he insisted, grabbing my arm again, attempting to pull me along.


    "I still have some things to do, and I—" I tried to exin, but he seemed determined to have me join


    his group, making it difficult to break free from his grasp. The search for Dodong and Kiro was


    growing more pressing by the second, and I didn''t want to get sidetracked.


    "Don''t say that. Don''t insist when a girl says ''no'', bro," Kiro''smanding voice cut in, putting an


    end to Kurt''s attempt to pull me along. I was taken aback, wondering where Kiro hade from.


    As I looked around, my eyesnded on Dodong, who was standing behind the young man. He had


    a mischievous grin on his face, clearly amused by the situation. What is that child thinking?


    With determination, I managed to free myself from both Kurt and Kiro''s grasp. Kurt seemed


    surprised to see Kiro with me, and he whispered, "Kiro is with you, Lyka? Oh, Kiro again." His words


    weren''t exactly subtle.


    "We came here together. We visited her rtive here and joined in the fiesta," the young man I was


    with rified, emphasizing certain words like ‘we’, ‘visited’, and ‘rtive’. What was the hidden


    tension between these two? It seemed like there was more to their rtionship than mere


    acquaintances.


    As they exchanged nces, I sensed an undercurrent of unresolved issues that dated back to


    some past event. But what could it be?


    "I''m sorry, Kurt, but we have to go back for the fireworks presentation... I can''t join you for a drink," I


    exined, trying to handle the situation delicately.


    Kurt nodded, and his gaze lingered on Kiro as he muttered, "It''s okay, I''m used to it..."


    "...It''s always been like this, from then until now," he concluded, walking away.


    What did he mean by that? What was going on with him? Well, perhaps it was best to let it go for


    now.


    As we walked back to the grandstand, Dodong couldn''t help but chime in, "Ah! That Kurt guy’s


    words sounded like one of those lines you see from sad boys on Facebook!"


    I chuckled softly, trying not to dwell on the puzzling encounter. But it kept nagging at me; it felt like


    all the pieces would connect in the next few days. What was the connection between Kurt and Kiro?


    They clearly knew each other, but what caused the tension whenever they interacted?


    Ugh, my head would surely ache if I continued pondering over this. Hays, whatever. I decided to


    dismiss those thoughts for now and enjoy the fireworks show. There was no point in getting


    entangled in mysteries during such a festive asion. N?velDrama.Org owns this text.