Leah nervously walked into the hall. After a while, she found herself in the middle of the orchestra stage. A cacophony of instruments began being tuned. It was as if the orchestra was preparing for a performance but when she looked around, the chairs were empty. The ghost light had not been removed either. Leah found this rather unusual because usually, the stage would be completely empty except for the ghost light. All of a sudden, the scene changed, and Leah heard music playing. The melody was soothing. The chairs and ghost light disappeared and was replaced by a grand piano with a floating violin nearby. She could see the back of the pianist but somehow, he was faceless. The music he played was unfamiliar but soothingly melodious. Leah's dream was cut when her alarm clock went off.

Kento woke up earlier than Leah. He went for an early morning jog around the subdivision. When he returned, he hung out in the kitchen with the helpers as they prepared breakfast.

"Manang, tumutugtog din ba si Leah ng piano?" Kento asked Manang Yolly.

"Minsan. Pero, ang talagang nagp-piano eh yung Daddy nya. Pumasok ka sa den?"

"Opo. Dun ako pina-CR ni Leah kagabi." Kento said looking at his hands and fingers which felt a little prickly.

"Yung kahon na nasa upuan, regalo sana nilang bagong violin. Isu-surpresa nila kay Leah pagkatapos nung concert. Kaso, di na nila nabigay dahil sa aksidente. Noon ngang mga unang buwan pagkaraan nung aksidente, biglang wala kang maririnig na kahit anong music o pagtugtog dito. Ayaw ni Leah. Nagagalit."

"Talaga?"

"Oo. Pero, sabi ni Joyce..."

"Yung kasama nya"

"Oo, yaya nya. Unti-unti daw bumalik ulit yung hilig ni Leah sa music kasi lagi daw may pinapatugtog na music dun sa therapy center."

Kento smiled. He was influential in music being played at the center. He observed that the center's atmosphere was always serious, and the patients seemed more stressed and unmotivated to do their therapies. When Kento began playing music, the mood lightened, and therapy sessions seemed easier for everyone.

"Ah talaga? Eh yung piano dun sa den, tinutugtog pa rin ba yun ng daddy nya?"

Yolly shook her head. "Tumigil din ang pamilya makinig o magpatugtog ng kahit anong music nung nasa ospital pa si Leah. Kahit nga yung radyo ko, mahina ko lang pinapatugtog kasi nagagalit si Leah nun. Tapos, naging busy na ulit sa trabaho at bumiyahe pa pa-Amerika..."

"Pero ngayon?"

"Okay na ulit." Yolly smiled. "Pero, hindi pa rin nagagamit yung piano. Yung violin nga nasa box pa, diba?"

Kento nodded. "Pwede ko kayang tugtugin yung piano?" He asked, his voice softer than earlier.

"Pwede naman."

"Kahit wala dito ang Daddy at Mommy nya?"

"Oo. Wish yon ni Sir dati, na sana, may magpatugtog ng musiko ulit sa piano. Si Ma'am nga..."

"Ah, tumutugtog din sya?"

"Oo. Piano din. Siya nga ang unang teacher ni Leah pero mas nahiligan yung violin e. Halika, paandarin ko na rin muna yung aircon dun para kumportable ka..."

"Salamat...sandali lang ako..."

Yolly smiled. She was hopeful that music would once again be heard in the house. She left the den and closed the door behind her as Kento began playing softly.

---

Kento sat on the piano bench and admired the keys in front of him. He only experienced playing a baby grand in the only recital he ever had when he was still young. Lately, he had been playing the keyboard for the church choir, and their old, upright piano at home. Because it was new, the sound seemed richer and fuller. Almost immediately after Leah's last performance before the accident, Kento tried to compose something for her. Strangely, he could not complete the song no matter how he tried. He felt "lucky" when he found out about the cancelled performances. "Matatapos ko rin yun at mabibigay sa kanya." He thought to himself. However, he still was not able to complete the song. He just kept it in his drawer and almost forgot about it until now, when he was mindlessly playing the piano. Luckily, he remembered most of the melody, but it still did not have an end.

The morning sun filtered through the window and hit the keys. Kento looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost 8am. He wiped the keyboard with the cleaning cloth before putting down the fallboard. He looked down at his hands which slightly shook and (still) felt that tingling sensation in his fingers. Thinking that perhaps he was just tired, he shook his hands and moved to get up. Kento noticed that he also felt some tingling sensation in his toes and feet. He slowly stood up while holding on to the piano's side arm to steady himself. "Baka naninibago lang ako ulit." He thought since he had not ran for a few days. He switched off the aircon and went to the kitchen.

Leah was coming down the stairs when she saw Kento enter the kitchen. She quietly crept up behind him and hugged him from the back. "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Kento said, surprised. He turned around and kissed Leah on the lips.

"Okay ka lang?" Leah asked.

"Okay naman. I just went jogging. Bakit?"

"You look sick." Leah said, putting her hand on Kento's forehead and neck.

"Medyo nahihilo lang pero I think kasi gutom na ako." Kento replied, looking over Leah's shoulder at the dining table.

"Sure ka ha?"

Kento smiled and nodded. After breakfast, Kento left for work and Leah prepared for her day with Andrea.

---

"Dun muna ako sa PT room 1 ha? Mamaya pa naman yung schedule ni Marcus e." Kento told Tricia.

Tricia looked at Kento quizzically then nodded. Her attention immediately shifted to a patient who entered the center. Kento walked to the room and lay down.

"Nakita mo si Kento?" Topper asked the other therapists in the center.

"Kanina pa." Denise replied. "Baka nagpunta ng coffee shop or nag-CR."

Topper went to the men's room but didn't find Kento there. After going around the main floor of the therapy center, he approached Tricia at the lobby and asked her.

"PT room 1. Pakisabi na rin na hindi makakapunta si Marcus today."

"Okay."

"Ken? Kento. Saan nakalagay yung extra resistance bands? Napigtas kasi yung gamit namin kanina." Topper said, seeing Kento laying on his side on the bed. When Kento didn't respond, Topper approached him and noticed that Kento was shivering. "Uy! Okay ka lang?" Topper rushed out of the room and called for help. Within minutes, Kento was rushed to the emergency department of the hospital.

"Di ako makagalaw." Kento said to the doctor in-charge. Aside from having droopy eyes, Kento's speech was slurred. The doctor immediately thought that perhaps he had been drinking but Kento didn't smell of alcohol. The doctor ordered some tests done. During the initial interview, the nurse learned that Kento had not been able to use the toilet since he arrived at the center almost 4 hours earlier. His temperature was also slowly rising.

Word immediately spread around the hospital and Lucas rushed to the emergency room. He talked to the nurses and doctors and asked about Kento's condition.

"Inaantay pa yung bloodtest and x-ray." Lucas was told. Kento was now wheezing, trying to catch his breath, but he managed to tell Lucas to call his parents and Leah. When the blood test results came, everything was normal. The doctor then ordered an MRI. As they waited for the results, Kento's parents arrived. Kento tried to smile and talk with them although it was difficult to understand him. When they offered him food, Kento needed to be fed as he had lost the function of his limbs. This alarmed the doctors even more because his MRI scan was also clear.

===

Leah was a little wary of answering her phone when it rang because the number was unlisted. Andrea looked at her. "Di mo ba sasagutin?" Andrea asked. Leah's phone had been repeatedly ringing for the last few minutes.

"Di ko kilala yung number." Leah replied. However, just as she was about to turn down the call again, a message appeared. It was from the same unlisted number and she read the name "Kento".

"Bakit?" Andrea asked, observing the change in Leah's expression as she checked her phone.

"Si Kento daw."

"O, hindi pa ba listed sa yo yung number nya? Baka bagong SIM."

Leah shook her head. "Hindi. Si Lucas." Leah continued, speaking to Andrea while reading the message.

"Ano? Sino?"

"Lucas. Best friend ni Kento sa ospital."

"Bakit daw?"

"Sinugod daw si Kento sa emergency room!"