"Tret was irritated as Tret constantly checked the wristwatch he was wearing. It was seven thirty in the evening, with thirty minutes left until class dismissal. He yawned and continued to glance at his watch. He wasn't in a hurry just because he thought Heo was waiting for him, but because he was tired and wanted to sleep.
He didn't expect Heo to meet him and fulfill his invitation to go out. He checked his messenger to see if Heo had sent him a message, but Heo hadn't seen his message since morning. A smile hinting at resentment crept onto his lips as he returned his cellphone to his bag.
Perhaps Heo was on a date with his new girl—Owen. He still remembered her name and how she had tried to seduce Heo. Tret knew Heo's girlfriends, and some of them weren't decent.
They seemed to only have a one-night role in Heo's life. He bit his lower lip and looked around. He felt like he was the only dead person among all his classmates.
They didn't know how many dead emotions he carried within him. He sighed as he finished their last activity for the night. Just as their instructor returned to the room, he was done too.
He was the first to leave upon hearing the word 'dismiss.' As he descended the stairs, he tried calling Heo. But he was dismayed to hear only the ringing of Heo's number. Perhaps Heo had no intention of answering his call.
Perhaps his speculation was correct, and Heo was on a date with Owen, or maybe he was at Owen's condo, or in the middle of pleasing that girl. He remembered Owen inviting Heo over to her place that night. He knew his friend; Heo never refused such invitations. It was an opportunity.
But as he descended, he immediately saw Heo's familiar car. His annoyance from earlier turned into a smile. He walked slowly towards Heo's parked car, wondering why Heo hadn't answered his call.
Was it a surprise that Heo had picked him up tonight? Or had he just come from Owen's condo and went straight there to pick him up? Would he fulfill the invitation he had extended that morning? Those were the questions on his mind as he stood outside the car.
Heo emerged from his car. Tret just gazed at his handsome face. Heo was wearing a simple white T-shirt and shorts, yet his attractiveness still shone through. He smiled, melting Tret's heart. Tret shrugged off the thought that nagged him. This guy wasn't his boyfriend, he silently exclaimed.
"I've been here for a while!" Heo exclaimed immediately.
Tret didn't know if there was annoyance in his voice. If he were the only girl Heo had his eyes on, Heo would be very patient with him. However, since this was the same scene as before, it was understandable if Heo felt impatient.
Tret wasn't one of the girls who could seduce Heo; instead, he was only a best friend who had fallen in love with Heo. Han didn't mention anything noteworthy regarding Heo's hugs or the gestures that Tret believed were significant. It wasn't a platonic relationship either; there was just nothing special about it.
"I called your number so many times, but you didn't answer my calls." He enunciated the word carefully. "It rang, yet you didn't pick up my call, but I think you're with your new girl."
"I'm not with Owen—not with that type of girl!" Heo said belligerently.
Tret sighed. He shouldn't have complained. "I'm sorry."
Heo moved closer to Tret and stroked Tret's arms. "Hey, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice." He smirked when Tret's face turned bleak. "Are you angry? Sorry, but I really didn't go to Owen's. If you plan to support me, give me your best support for other girls, not like Owen though."
If you only knew that I love you, Heo. I love you more than life itself.
He pinched Tret's cheeks when he couldn't make his best friend smile. "I hate that look, Tret," Heo said gruffly.
Tret shrugged. "I'm okay, so are we going somewhere?"
"Hours sound like forever. We'd better hurry." Heo turned away from Tret and stepped towards the passenger side of the car, opening it. "Come on!"
Tret sighed and approached Heo, getting into the car. He was about to fasten his seatbelt when Heo offered to do it for him, so he let Heo do it instead.
After Heo fastened his seatbelt, he gently closed the door and soon got in himself. Tret glanced at Heo, who was at the driving seat. The side view of Heo was nothing but perfect, his straight nose, and the curve of his lips—it was a perfect angle.
"Do you know why I didn't answer your calls?" he asked as he started the car's engine. "Because I left my cellphone."
Tret nodded. That's why he didn't see Heo holding his phone. It was him who was being too negative. He remembered again that a girl like Owen wasn't Heo's type.
How come? Tret asked himself a series of questions as they drove away. He didn't pay much attention to it earlier. Wasn't a girl like Owen, who willingly seduced men, the type of girl that Heo liked?
"Where are we going?" he thought to ask, glancing at Heo. Silence had prevailed for a while, and he needed to break it with that question.
"Poblacion, Roxas avenue," Heo answered, glancing at him. "I knew you haven't been there—Roxas Night Market."
Tret looked at him, staring hard at his best friend in the entire world. That night he found himself having trouble convincing himself that the man in the driver's seat wasn't just his best friend but a boyfriend he loved in his mind and heart. That thought always haunted him whenever they were alone together.
Only he had such imagination, and no matter how intently he studied the beautiful features of his best buddy, he never had any inkling of what was going through Heo's thoughts.
But no matter how the world turned upside down, his view of him as only a friend wouldn't change. The saddest aspect of his life might one day be something he learns to accept. His love for his best friend made him despise himself.
As he looked down and then looked out again, he released a deep sigh. Nothing was indeed special when he was with Heo, just the usual scene, usual conversation, but with a good ambiance and the thought that it was only them—perhaps it was enough. But he thought it was  a perfect place, and perfect time to confess. He had been thinking of it in the long time, he was at the verge of confessing his feelings.
However, just the thought alone made him feel the sting of a sharp dagger in his chest, piercing deep into the depths of his heart. He smiled faintly.
It wasn't a good time to be unhappy and hurt. Since Heo was his best friend and the busiest, but always accessible for his girls, Tret preferred to feel appreciated that Heo took time out of his busy schedule to spend with him that night.
He never spent hours for Tret, which is why he said hours felt like forever and Tret surely treasured it. He wasn't sure if they would go out again or if that was the last time, especially since the vacation was approaching.
Crowded. The Roxas Night Market was crowded, and that was the first thing Tret noticed. That was normal since it was peak hour, and the place was well-known for street food. Prices were reasonable, and the ambiance was dynamic with closely packed tables surrounded by grill smoke.
They had maneuvered through the narrow streets earlier, so they didn't get caught up in the heavy traffic. But he didn't pay much attention to that because he was feeling emotional quietly.
Heo was the first to step out of the car, and shortly after, the door on his side slowly opened. Heo helped Tret unbuckle his seatbelt again. Their eyes met once more.
When Heo's face was inches away from his and their lips were almost touching, Heo's gaze felt like it pierced straight through his heart, causing it to beat faster than he had anticipated.
Heo offered him assistance to get out. Since the place was so crowded, Heo didn't want them to get separated. He knew it was Tret's first time there, so he suddenly took Tret's right hand in his own, holding it tightly, and looked at Tret with a smile.
"I don't want you to get lost in the crowd and out of my sight."
Heo's words made Tret's fragile heart swoon. Heo held his hands tightly as they navigated through the crowd, and with every step, the image of Heo occupied all of his thoughts.
Tret wished there was a confessional place at the end of the crowd, where rejection wouldn't be rebuked. How he hoped it was a field of love, where they could run together as lovers without any criticism, hostility, or discrimination that could threaten a relationship between two men. He didn't look at their surroundings but at Heo's hand, tightly holding his own.