As Callisto's group approached the school's main gate, the ones in the front pointed a hand ahead of them in surprise.
"Hey, look!"
"It's Mina Minana!"
"She's so pretty."
"Those melons are big."
"Keep those thoughts to yourself, man."
Nearby the school gate, outside the guard post's small lounge area stood Mina Minana. Her golden hair and striking beauty stood out amongst those flocking around her.
"Speaking of fruits, is there any fruit you like, Mina?"
"I love mangoes."
"Really? What do you like more, the ripe ones you can eat by itself, or the unripe ones you eat on a stick with bagoong?"
"I actually like both, so I can't decide."
"You really like mangoes, huh?"
"Mina can eat a couple whole mangoes and still crave more, you know."
"Don't expose me!"
"That's hilarious!"
Despite the students crowding at her, Mina noticed Callisto's group looking at her direction and waved a greeting hand at them.
"She's waving at us!"
"Good morning, Senior Mina!"
"Good morning."
After that, her gaze seemed to drift toward Callisto's figure. With the same kind grin she shot at Callisto's classmates, Mina waved a greeting hand directly at Callisto.
"Good morning."
Callisto returned the friendly gesture, but not before thinking to herself how Mina seemed to notice her immediately compared to when they first met just a week ago. Back then, Mina and her friends didn't notice Callisto until Hinata called her.
Callisto thought it was probably because she was a stranger to Mina and her friends back then. It never crossed Callisto's mind that maybe, Mina and her friends had other reasons why they seemed to ignore her back then. Not now, not ever.
Right now, Callisto believed she guessed the reason why she got ignored right. She believed that the reason Mina noticed her immediately was because they knew each other now.
No other reason.
"Good morning," said Callisto in reply to her blonde senior.
The group surrounding Mina followed her gaze and found Callisto's group waving back at Mina and them. Though their attention seemed to gravitate onto Callisto then to Elesis.
"It's her."
"She really is wearing a wig."
"So pretty."
"There's Elesis, too."
"They're pretty."
One guy couldn't seem to take his eyes away from Callisto, from the way she smiled so politely even if it wasn't directly at him.
Something within his mind was compelling him to go there and get to know the lady with silver hair. And before he knew it, the guy broke off from the crowd surrounding Mina and found himself standing before a caught off guard Callisto.
"Nice to meet you. You're Callisto Mandjet, right? I'm a grade 11 student."
"Ah, yes. My name's Callisto Mandjet. Nice to meet you."
Mina watched almost in bewilderment by what was happening. That guy just now was part of a group of Mina's classmates who joined her and her three friends because they also wanted to be friends with Mina.
Mina is pretty, smart, good at sports, and kind. The perfect recipe of a popular student who was always brought up in gossip. A figure of everyone's admiration. The high school crush.
Mina hadn't had the time to talk to the guy properly yet even though he was engaging in a conversation with them as a group because the others were practically throwing themselves at her until now. Mina had been in a similar situation more times than she could count now. She knew that all she had to do was wait until the guy eventually mustered enough courage to try and have a proper conversation with her.
She didn't think that the guy would actually approach another girl before her.
"He's not that important," Mina thought to herself as she watched the grade 11 student talk to Callisto, her gaze sharp and cold as ice, an expression she wouldn't dare show in front of people if not for Callisto stealing the spotlight. "He's just a nobody classmate who wanted to befriend me just like everyone else. So why is it so irritating to see him talk to that girl before me?"
Just as she was thinking about that, the others who were once surrounding her like flies rallied toward the guy and Callisto.
"Hi, there! I'm his classmate!"
"Me, too!"
"Nice to meet you, Mandjet."
"Ah, nice to meet you, too."
Mina's friends looked at the scene transpiring in front of them, disbelief visible in all their faces.
"What's with those idiots?"
"They're like bees trying steal honey from another hive."
"Mina? Where are you going?"
Mina baffled her friends as she took a step forward. She made her way to a merged group of grade 11 and 10 students wearing a friendly smile, a stark contrast at the way she was watching the scene unfold before her earlier.
"Hey."
A couple students stepped aside, creating a path leading straight to Callisto. Mina ate the short distance between herself and the young lady as she continued to speak.
"We already met once during Brigada Eskwela, but allow me to introduce myself once again. My name is Mina Minana. Callisto Mandjet, was it?"
"Right. My name is Callisto Mandjet. We did meet last week like you said."
Relief filled Mina's eyes at Calli's affirmation.
"I'm glad you remembered. Where are you going? You've got a big group with you. You must have made lots of friends already. How nice."
"We're all heading to the nature park to hang out. And maybe go to the milktea shop later if we can."
Mina's face brightened with interest before it contorted with disappointment as she looked at Callisto and the rest.
"That sounds like fun! I wish I could join you, but I already made plans to meet up with Hinata and our friends."
"Hinata?"
Callisto's sky-blue eyes widened slightly the moment Hinata's name was brought up by the blonde lady before her.
Of course they'd make plans to meet up. They were friends. Even though Hinata didn't try to talk Callisto out of her hunch that she needed to be careful around Mina, he never said that he wasn't friends with Mina Minana either.
"Is that so? Well, you can always join us another day."
As Callisto's classmates agreed with her idea, Mina couldn't help but feel flattered at the offer presented at her.
"Thank you! I'll definitely join you guys another time."
Right as she said that, Mina seemed to receive a text message on her phone. Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Well, then. Let's talk again soon. Girls, let's go. Hinata and the others are calling for us."
Mina and her three friends went down to where the school cafeteria was. Their exit prompted the other grade 11 students to make their own, exchanging goodbyes with Callisto and her group.
Right after that, Callisto glanced at where Mina and her friends disappeared to.
While talking with Mina, Callisto felt the same feeling she had about her back then. Something about Mina was making Callisto feel wary about her. Only now, there was something else entirely.
Ever since Mina mentioned meeting up with Hinata, something seemed to twist inside Callisto. It was a rather strange feeling. Something she had never felt before.
Before she could think more about it, Elesis called out to her.
"Let's go, Calli."
"Ah, yeah."
Callisto looked away from the direction she last saw Mina and her friends. Their group resumed their walk as they passed through the school's main gate, making their way to the nature park.