Agnes smiled as she turned off the old stove, having finished cooking the pork adobo she and Islaw would share for dinner. She quickly transferred the contents of the pot to a serving dish and placed it on the table, much to the delight of Islaw, who looked like he had been waiting for her cooking for quite some time.
She turned around again to grab three plates and some cutlery so they could finally eat. However, the smile quickly vanished from her lips when she turned back to see the merman pull the dish toward him and plunge his bare hand into the hot, steaming viand.
The moment Islaw's fingers hit the boiling sauce, he let out a sharp yelp and jerked his hand back. Agnes sighed and rushed to his side, worried, as he continued to whimper like a child who had sustained a deep wound.
"Give me your hand," she said, gently taking hold of it.
Agnes shook her head when she saw how red Islaw's fingers were; the skin was clearly scalded, which worried her deeply. The adobo sauce was still boiling when she set it on the table.
She hadn't warned him immediately because it slipped her mind, and she never imagined Islaw would do something like that. This mischievous merman was just too greedy for his own good.
"Big sis, what happened to big brother?" Cholo asked, running frantically out of the bathroom. He had only just stepped away a moment ago.
"He burned himself on the hot adobo soup. He's just too stubborn," she answered with a shake of her head, which made Islaw pout.
"Looks like he's really hungry, that's why he couldn't wait for the food," Cholo giggled, taking his seat across from Islaw.
"Wait a moment. I'll look for some cream in my first aid kit for your burned skin, Islaw."
Agnes let go of Islaw's hand and told Cholo to watch him before heading into her room to find the kit. She rummaged through it and was relieved to find a cream suitable for burns.
"Give me your hand," she commanded Islaw upon her return, and he immediately reached out.
She carefully blew on his reddened fingers before gently applying the white cream. Islaw stared at his fingers in fascination now that they were coated in the ointment. When she finally let go, Islaw tried to taste the white cream on his finger. Out of sheer shock, she pinched his ear.
This merman was being far too playful.
"Ouch! T-that h-hurts, Agnes," he pouted, rubbing his ear.
"It's because you won't behave."
"I-I'm hungry! And this looks d-delicious," he said, pointing at his cream-covered finger.
"That's not food. It's called cream; it's meant for the skin, so don't eat it."
"Why? It looks t-tasty, Agnes."
Agnes could only scratch her head as she sat down. She served Islaw some rice and placed a portion of the viand on his plate, letting Cholo serve himself. She was about to start eating when she caught Islaw staring at her with a furrowed brow and a tilted head, as if waiting for an answer to a question.
She sighed, setting down her spoon and fork, and turned a tired gaze toward the curious merman. She had noticed that ever since Islaw learned to speak, he had become quite talkative and easily confused by things—even the most nonsensical details didn't escape his notice.
She didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed.
"Islaw, not everything that looks delicious is meant to be eaten," she replied before taking a bite of her own food.
She figured if she didn't start now, she'd never get to eat because of him.
"Y-you're right, Agnes. Like you... your l-lips look d-delicious, but I can't e-eat them," he said, which stopped her dead in her tracks.
She felt the food catch in her throat and began to cough uncontrollably. She almost had to stand up just to reach the pitcher and glass for some water. Before she could even recover from choking, she heard Cholo's muffled giggling.
"Oho, Big sis! So you and big brother have already kissed?" Cholo teased with a sly grin.
"Of course. W-we've kissed many t-times," the merman chimed in, sounding rather boastful.
"B-both of you, stop it. Let's just eat." Agnes sat back down, playing it cool as she continued her meal, but she could feel her face heating up.
"Big brother, even if you can't eat her lips, you can always devour them and nibble on them," Cholo said with a wink.
Agnes's jaw dropped. "Cholo!"
"Really? I w-want to g-gnaw on Agnes's l-lips!"
"Islaw! Watch your mouth, or I'll slap it!" she warned.
"Go ahead, Big brother."
"Cholo, what is wrong with you?!"
"I want to s-suck them," Islaw added.
"Islaw!"
"Go! I'm just here to support you."
"Cholo!"
She could do nothing but yell at them as her gaze bounced between the two crazy males. She was utterly bewildered, especially by Islaw, who seemed to have developed a very dirty mind. But what she couldn't understand was why, instead of being annoyed or uncomfortable, she felt a surge of giddiness at Islaw's words.
What is this feeling?
"Agnes, I l-like you. There is s-something in my heart push-pushing me to k-kiss you," Islaw said, staring at her intently. Agnes went silent, unable to move.
"I-Islaw." Her face turned even redder.
She felt a rush of warmth, and she was certain her cheeks were flushed—not from embarrassment, but from sheer thrill. There it was again, that tickling sensation deep inside her, sparked by Islaw's words.
"There it is! You're really something, Big brother!"
"Agnes, when I k-kiss you, my heart j-jumps with joy. I don't know, but I feel s-something. It just f-feels good." Islaw said, as he tried his best to string the words together.
Agnes hid a smile at his confession. She was truly being swept away by his words, especially when he reached for her arm and gripped her hand tightly. She never thought a merman could say such sweet and tender things.
And she never imagined that Islaw felt exactly what she felt. She thought she was the only one whose heart did leaps of joy—the only one whose mind cleared because of him. But they were the same.
"I w-want to kiss you, Agnes. I want to s-suck your lips," he said, which made her pause.
And just like that, the moment was ruined. Just seconds ago, it felt as if they were the only two people in the room, as if the world revolved around them to the sound of romantic music—but the moment he spoke again, her romantic fantasies shattered.
This shameless merman. What a pervert.
"B-but I can't."
"Why not, Big brother?" Cholo interrupted. Even Agnes couldn't help but wonder.
"B-because I might g-gnaw her lips off... I m-might acci-de-dentally s-swallow them," he said, leaving her mouth agape.
Agnes looked at him as if he were a complete idiot.
"I don't w-want Agnes to l-lose her lips," Islaw pouted.
"I r-remember that z-zombie we watched. It had a f-face but no s-snout. A face, but the m-mouth was r-ripped off. The t-teeth and gums were just h-hanging out," he explained, making her wince.
Cholo, meanwhile, spat out the water he was drinking.
"A-and that z-zombie had y-yellow tartar on its t-teeth. I don't want Agnes to b-become like that. I d-don't want Agnes's snout to be r-ripped off."
Agnes couldn't find the words to respond, and it seemed Cholo had nothing left to say either. She looked at the boy, whose mouth was also hanging open. She and Cholo exchanged a look and shook their heads in unison before she rubbed her hand over her face. The moment was officially dead.
Islaw himself had destroyed the mood.
Agnes spent the rest of the evening trying to push the image of yellow-toothed zombies out of her mind. Despite the ruined romantic atmosphere, she felt a lingering warmth as she finally tucked herself into bed, thinking about how much Islaw's vocabulary was growing—for better or for worse. She drifted into a deep, much-needed sleep, the sound of the evening waves acting as her lullaby.
But the peaceful silence of the early dawn didn't last long.
A loud, clattering sound of a pot hitting the floor woke Agnes from her sleep. She bolted upright, startled by the disruptive noise. When the clatter continued in the kitchen, she decided to head over and find out what was going on.
She didn't expect the sight that greeted her. She saw Islaw immediately as she reached the kitchen doorway. His back was to her, so he hadn't noticed her yet. Unsure of what he was doing, she decided to stay quiet and observe so she could catch him in the act.
She crept in secretly and peered at his work.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" He was hopping around as he set a hot pan down on the stove.
Only then did she realize he was trying to cook breakfast. Agnes was stunned, her mouth hanging open. As far as she knew, no one had taught Islaw how to cook; she hadn't even shown the merman how to boil water yet. How was he managing to cook?
The problem was, he clearly didn't know his way around a kitchen. He didn't even know to use a potholder for a hot pan. He had grabbed the searing metal with his bare hands, which explains why he kept yelping "Ouch." It looked like instead of his burns from the other day healing, he was just adding more blistered skin to the collection.
"Islaw?" She could no longer bear to watch the stubborn but sweet merman struggle.
"Agnes!" He turned to her in surprise, but a wide grin quickly broke across his face. "G-good morning, Agnes."
"Good morning, Islaw. What are you doing?" she asked, even though the answer was obvious.
"I'm c-cooking for you," he answered enthusiastically, like a child proud to tell his mother he got a perfect score on an exam.
"Really? How did you learn?" She approached him and gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"I a-asked Cholo."
"Really? He taught you?"
"No. He d-doesn't know how to cook e-either. S-so I just cooked w-whatever. He s-said you'd like w-whatever I made."
She didn't answer and just smiled.
"Agnes, I c-cooked for y-you."
"Thank you so much, Islaw. What made you think of cooking for me? I'm touched."
"You a-always take care of me. You always c-cook for me. I'm always f-full because of you. I want to do e-every-ti-thing you do for me."
"Thank you, Islaw. I really appreciate the effort. But I want you to know that taking care of you and cooking for you comes from my heart. I just want you to be full and healthy; that's enough to make me happy."
"W-why are you happy when I'm f-full?" he asked with childlike curiosity.
"Right now, I still don't know the answer to that, Islaw. I just want what's best for you. When I see you full, I feel like I'm full too."
"How does that h-happen? We have d-different s-stomachs," he said, scratching his head.
Agnes laughed softly.
"Someday you'll understand these things, Islaw."
"Okay. I'll s-set the table now, okay?"
"Go ahead."
She let him finish what he was doing. She stepped out of the kitchen and went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she returned to the kitchen, she froze, her brow furrowing at the "food" laid out on the table.
"L-let's eat, Agnes." Islaw smilingly guided her to a chair.
"W-what kind of f-food is this, Islaw?"
"Rice and v-viand."
She couldn't find the words and just stared at the meal in front of her. Truthfully, she didn't know how to react. The raw rice had been fried—so it wasn't even cooked rice, just fried raw grains. The eggs looked like they had been soaked in vinegar. And the chicken meat was burnt to a crisp.
"T-thanks for this, Islaw. But I don't think I can eat this."
"Why, Agnes?" His face immediately fell.
"Islaw, your cooking method was a bit... wrong."
"S-sorry, Agnes." Without another word, he turned his back to her.
She let out a deep sigh before standing up. She knew what was coming next—he was going to feel bad and cry, and she couldn't let that happen. She approached him and wrapped her arms tightly around him from behind. Islaw pouted, his face reddening and his eyes dimming as he looked back at her.
"I'm sorry, Islaw. I really appreciate your effort to cook for me, so don't think for a second that I didn't like the gesture. How about this: next time, I'll teach you how to cook, if you want."
"I d-don't want to c-cook anymore. I c-can't cook anything good for y-you." She felt a pang of worry when his voice started to crack.
"Islaw, that's why I'm going to teach you. I'll teach you so you can learn. I really want to taste my Islaw's cooking," she said, pinching his cheek, which finally made him giggle.
"I'll c-cook again for you. Y-you'll teach me, right?"
"Of course. But for now, go take a bath while I cook our breakfast. You have school today," she said, tickling his neck.
He giggled and headed to his room to bathe while she took over the kitchen. She felt a bit bad about the wasted rice and meat, but every time she thought of Islaw's effort to cook for her, she couldn't help but smile.
By the time Agnes finished cooking, Islaw was done with his bath. They ate together and left the house at the same time. They made a quick stop at Cholo's house to pick him up before heading to the Preschool Center in town. While the two mischievous males were busy studying, Agnes worked on cleaning up the grounds.
Out of kindness, the teacher had given her a job. She was tasked with cleaning the inside and outside of the Preschool Center in exchange for money. She needed to earn a living since her savings were dwindling and prices were rising.
"Islaw!" They stopped walking when someone called his name.
"Why is you called us, pretty Keira?" Cholo asked with a grin, turning to a young girl who seemed to have quite an attitude.
"Hey, Buncel Cholo with the bad grammar, I wasn't calling you, so don't be a nuisance!" Keira shouted at Cholo, her eyebrow raised, causing the boy to look down.
Poor kid; it seemed he had a crush on Keira.
"Islaw." Keira ran up to Islaw with a smile and grabbed his large hand with her tiny one.
"Why?" Islaw tilted his head.
"Let's go on a date."
Agnes's eyes widened at what she heard.
"Date? No! Don't cheating me, Keira. It painful me," Cholo pouted.
"Stop talking, your grammar is annoying. Besides, even if you like me, I don't like you. I want Islaw to be my boyfriend. I want him to be my husband someday," Keira snapped, much to Agnes's shock.
Agnes couldn't help but shake her head. This child wasn't even five years old yet! Meanwhile, she estimated Islaw was around twenty-six or twenty-seven, roughly the same age as her.
"But big brother isn't available. He already belongs to my big sis," Cholo said, pulling her closer.
"No! Islaw is mine!"
"He's really not available, Keira. Just make me your boyfriend instead. You can even have me as your husband someday."
"W-what is a date? What is a b-boyfriend? What is a h-husband?" Islaw suddenly asked Agnes, making her blush.
Why is she blushing?
"Big brother..." Cholo started to explain.
"Now that you know, Islaw, let's go on a date! I'll pay for the food and the fare." Kiera said after all the explaining.
"I don't like you. I l-like Agnes!" Islaw answered before wrapping his arms around her waist.
She was surprised but couldn't help but smile.
"No! Let go of him!" The little girl started hitting Agnes.
"Keira, that's bad," Agnes scolded.
"Keira, you stop that," Cholo added.
"Shut up, you moron."
"Keira, stop it. The words you're using are bad," Agnes said, which only made the girl glare at her more.
"You're the bad one! You're stealing Islaw from me. Islaw, I have a crush on you!" she cried, continuing to hit Agnes.
"D-don't fight her. I d-don't like you. I like Agnes." Islaw buried his face in Agnes's neck.
"That's enough. Keira, don't force someone who doesn't like you. And don't say mean things to people because you don't know what their lives are like."
"Who cares?!" She was about to hit Agnes again when her mother arrived and immediately apologized to them.
"Mommy, I have a crush on Islaw!" Keira wailed.
"I d-don't like you. I like Agnes!"
"No! Make me your girlfriend instead!"
"I can't."
"Why can't you, Islaw?"
"Agnes and I are married," he answered, leaving Agnes breathless.
"What?!" One could see the look of devastation on Keira's face, mirrored by the pure shock on Cholo's.
"I'm her husband."
Islaw looked at her and gave her a bright smile.