Reins POV's
The teacher's office buzzed with the hum of the aircon, faint chatter, and the shuffle of papers. My friends and I stood inside, all eyes on us. It wasn't awkward-just heavy with subtle curiosity from the teachers behind their desks.
"Good morning, Ma'ams and Sirs," one of the girls said politely but with quiet confidence. We bowed slightly in unison-an odd yet graceful display.
The head teacher, a woman in her late 40s with cat-eye glasses, glanced up.
"Come in."
We stepped forward and sat on the chairs set up beside their tables.
"They're all from different strands, so it's better to conduct their interviews separately," one teacher said to the others.
I ended up alone at a desk, facing a strict-looking male teacher with salt-and-pepper hair. He opened my folder, his brows furrowed in thought. I didn't say anything-just sat and waited.
He scanned my file. "Hmm... impressive records. You girls are from England, yes?"
"Yes, Sir," another girl answered from a nearby desk.
The teachers exchanged impressed glances.
The man continued flipping through pages. "Rein Morales," he read aloud. "You came from... an international private school, is that right?"
I gave a small nod. "Yes, Sir."
"Impressive grades. You're in the HUMSS strand?"
"Yes, Sir."
The teacher nodded with satisfaction. "Very well. You'll be assigned to Grade 12-Acacia." He scribbled something quickly and handed me a slip. "This will be your homeroom section. A student officer will walk you there."
As if on cue, a petite girl in uniform knocked and stepped in.
"Sir, did you call for me?"
"Oh, Yes Shella, Good timing. Please guide her to Acacia."
I stood, gave a polite bow, and followed the girl quietly out into the hallway.
CLASSROOM
The room was nearly empty. Only a few students-early birds-occupied the front rows. I scanned the place.
'Still not many students,' I thought.
I took a seat in the fourth row, right at the center. Not too exposed. Not too hidden. Just right.
From my black leather bag, I pulled out a book, leaned back, and began to read.
"Hi!"
I looked up.
A girl stood in front of me with short black hair streaked with dark blue. She had soft features, monolid eyes, and a small beauty mark under her right eye.
"Are you a transfer too?" she asked with a shy smile.
I gave her a small nod. "Yeah."
"I'm Suki. Suki Kurosawa. Half-Japanese. But I grew up in Cebu. You?"
"Rein."
"Nice to meet you, Rein!" Suki beamed and sat beside me. "You looked like you didn't want to be bothered, but I couldn't help it. You've got that mysterious vibe."
I let out a small chuckle. "Mysterious?"
"Yeah. Like... you're the main character of a story or something."
Before I could answer, loud laughter and squeals echoed from the hallway.
Suki leaned closer to me, her eyes wide. "Oh no. The heartthrobs are coming."
A group of three boys entered the room like they were walking in slow motion. Heads turned. Giggling and whispering exploded like fireworks.
Girls swarmed them instantly.
"Marcaus! You finally came back! Did you miss me?!"
"Renzo, smile just a little, please!"
"Damian! Can I take a picture with you? Just one!"
The one in front-Marcaus-smirked as if this chaos was his everyday reality. His hair was perfect, his earring gleamed just right, and he had that flirtatious sparkle in his eye.
"I missed you all, I swear."
"Let's hang out during lunch break, okay?"
Beside him, Damian simply smiled-calm and gentlemanly. He nodded at the girls politely but didn't say much.
Renzo, the one behind, was tall and quiet. Headphones hung around his neck. He didn't even flinch at the chaos-just kept walking, eyes forward, totally unbothered.
"Grabe, ayaw gyud nila pasudlon," Suki muttered. "This happens every day. I swear, it's like a K-drama in here."
The boys struggled to make it to their seats. Girls were clinging, passing love notes, even tossing little gifts.
Marcaus had to duck when a cupcake flew past his head.
"Seriously?" he muttered.
Finally, they reached their seats and dropped down like exhausted celebrities escaping paparazzi.
Just then-
SLAM!
The door burst open.
The teacher walked in, arms full of folders.
"Good morning, class!"
Instant silence.
Students scrambled to their chairs in panic. In less than two seconds, everyone was seated and pretending to be innocent angels.
I blinked.
That was fast.
"As usual, first day, self-introductions," the teacher announced. "Let's start from the front."
One by one, students stood and introduced themselves. Some were shy, others too loud. One boy even tried to rap his name, earning groans and laughs from the class.
Then, it was my turn.
I stood up calmly.
"I'm Rein," I said.
Silence. Everyone waited.
"Anything else?"
"Nope."
The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Is really that all?"
"Yes, Miss."
She paused, then nodded. "Alright then. Please sit down."
I nodded and sat. The moment lingered awkwardly before the next student stood up.
Suki leaned toward me and whispered, "You really are mysterious."
I just smirked lightly and turned a page in my book.
LUNCH BREAK
The bell rang, and students bolted out of the classroom like they were escaping from prison. Some rushed to the cafeteria, others loitered in the hallway.
Suki grabbed my wrist. "Let's go! We need to find a table before the good seats are gone."
Before I could answer, she dragged me. The cafeteria was buzzing. The scent of fried chicken, spaghetti, and lumpia hung in the air. Trays clattered, voices bounced off the walls, and the energy felt like a mini festival. Students crowded around the food counters, and every table looked halfway full already.
"There!" Suki pointed to a round table near the back. "That one's ours!"
We hurried over, trays in hand, and claimed the seats like we were on a mission.
Two other girls were already sitting there-leaning close, laughing over something on a phone screen.
"Guys!" Suki called out as we approached. "I brought someone."
They looked up.
One had caramel-toned skin and almond-shaped eyes, her short bob effortlessly styled. The other was taller, her hair in a messy bun, a fork in one hand and her phone in the other.
"This is Rein," Suki said proudly. "Rein, meet Elie and Janelle."
"Hey," Elie greeted with a relaxed wave.
"New girl?" Janelle smiled. "Cool aura. Come sit."
I sat down with them, tray still untouched. They were loud, funny, and casually throwing jokes in a mix of English, Tagalog, and Bisaya.
Someone from another table shrieked, and we all turned our heads.
"Oh no," Suki muttered with a knowing grin. "Here come the heartthrobs."
Right on cue, F3 strolled into the cafeteria like they owned the place. It was like the air shifted. Heads turned, whispers exploded, and girls practically melted.
"Murag concert na pud," Elie laughed, poking her rice with a spoon.
Girls swarmed around the trio immediately.
"Marcaus! Sit with us!"
"Renzo, say hi naman oh!"
"Damian! Damian! Smile!"
Marcaus smirked like he was used to this. His hair was effortlessly perfect, sleeves rolled up just enough to show his watch, and that annoying flirtatious glint in his eyes was in full force.
"I missed you all, promise," he said, voice smooth.
Damian just offered small nods, smiling politely. Meanwhile, Renzo-earphones hanging around his neck-looked dead inside, clearly ignoring the chaos.
"Grabe, look at them," Janelle said while chewing. "Walking green flags but toxic sa puso."
Marcaus dodge when someone through herself at him.
"Seriously?" he muttered irritedly.
Finally, they reached their usual spot, surrounded by girls who clearly had no intention of leaving them alone.
Back at our table, the topic shifted instantly.
"Okay, real talk," Suki said, spinning her fork like a wand and pointing it at me. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how handsome did you guys think Marcaus was?"
The girls leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well..." Janelle. "He's a hundred."
Their collective squeal could've broken glass.
"Ay nako, 'hundred' daw! Jane, you're dangerous," Elie said, fanning herself with a napkin.
"You're so landi pa naman, pero deep down I know you couldn't approach him," Suki accused Janelle playfully.
Elie gasped dramatically. "I ship on him already!"
I rolled my eyes but smiled a little at their silly act while poking at my spaghetti. I didn't say a word but in the back of my mind, I could still feel someone gaze from across the cafeteria.