It was 5:23 a.m. on Day 4 of Regionals.
Birds were still stretching. The sun wasn't even done yawning.
And chaos had already arrived.
"AAAAAAAH! WHO TURNED OFF THE WATER?!"
Jomar's voice echoed down the hallway, followed quickly by banging on the bathroom door.
"I have shampoo in my eyes!! I CAN'T SEE!!"
Inside another shower stall, Mira shouted back, "It's not just you! The faucet's dry! There's no water!"
Doors opened. Feet scrambled. Wet slippers squeaked. A girl from Iriga Valley emerged with a towel on her head and pure betrayal in her eyes.
"I was mid-conditioner. Mid."
"My leg still has soap on it," muttered Randy, standing dramatically like a tragic sculpture.
Karl, towel draped over one shoulder, frowned. "This is it. This is how we die."
Coach Leia showed up first, somehow already in full tracksuit and drinking coffee. "What's going on?"
"Coach! There's no water!"
"We're sudsy and abandoned!" Mira added, arms flailing.
Coach Dan peeked around the corner. "It's just a temporary shutoff. They're fixing a busted pipe. Should be back by 6:00."
Everyone groaned. Randy whimpered. Jomar blinked soap out of his eyes.
"Can I just rinse off with my bottled water?" someone asked.
"I have wet wipes," said a chess kid helpfully.
"You're not touching me with that!" Mira screeched.
Eventually, the hostel's janitor confirmed the fix was done and, like a divine miracle, water gushed once again from the showers.
Cheers erupted.
"Bless the faucet gods!" Randy cried.
"Quick, everyone in before it disappears again!" Mira shouted.
They rushed in waves, like survivors reclaiming civilization.
By 7:00 a.m., the team was back to normal—hair dried, shoes on, breakfast halfway eaten.
"We lived through it," Karl said.
"Barely," muttered Jomar.
"I will never take water for granted again," Mira solemnly vowed, still rubbing conditioner from her ear.
And as they marched off for another day of Regionals, there was a quiet sense of unity.
Not just from the games.
But from enduring something truly traumatic—together.
Soap in eyes and all.