“Chuck, get up, already! You’re gonna be late for work.”
I nudged Chuck endlessly to wake him up. It’s already six-thirty in the morning but he hasn’t woken up yet. God knows what he was doing last night even though he knows perfectly that he has to go to work today.
“Unf! Dad, five more minutes. I’m still sleepy,” he answered with a hoarse voice.
I rolled my eyes and said, “I am not Dad, and I won’t stop nudging you until you get up there. Mom said breakfast’s ready, and I think we’re having hotdogs and eggs this –”
He didn’t let me finish with what I had to say and he suddenly bolted upright. I know perfectly well that his favorite breakfast since we were in elementary school is hotdog and eggs. He often gets a hotdog and two eggs, since he says that those stand for 100 and he would always go for acing every test they have. I couldn’t say that I was lying because I could smell hotdogs cooking for a while now.
“Guhaha! Sorry, bro, but I’ll have to shower before you! You’re such a slowpoke!” laughed Chuck as he hurriedly removed his shirt.
“Oh please, I’m already done! You’re the only one whom we are all waiting for, so if I were you, I’d hurry the hell up before someone eats all of your hotdogs and eggs,” I answered really fast while shaking my head because of my big brother’s attitude.
Chuck was in a real hurry to go to the bathroom so he had no time to listen to what I had to say. I just shook my head again, straightened my clothes, and then wore my ID. I’m certainly lucky because we don’t have to wear our uniforms anymore in the Department of Medicine. For some unexplainable reason, our uniforms back then were a huge pain. My only problem is that the time that I would have to wear shirts for the umpteenth time would eventually come because I’m not really that fond of buying new clothes, unlike others out there that buy countless clothes that just end up at the back of their closets. The last time I counted my clothes, I only have eight shirts that I could use in the university without getting reprimanded by the security guard. It’s a good thing that I have a few jackets that I could just wear above my shirts. That way, I could use my shirts again and again without anyone ever telling me that I have used the shirt again the previous day, unless the air conditioning units suddenly go out of order and I would have to remove it.
Before I forget, this is my first day in the Department of Medicine in the university. This is the reason why I got ready really early. Dad also goes early to the court, Mom to school, and Chuck to his office. For the first time, I could go along with my whole family. Back when I was still a Psychology student, my schedule always started early in the afternoon, so I was always left alone in our apartment. Mang Gido, the family driver, brings me to school right after lunch. Don’t even ask me about my escapades in the apartment during the one year I rested, because there is no way I would be allowed to go along with any of them at work, so I was left doing whatever I please, occasionally helping with the housework.
Today, Dad will be the one to drive all of us to our destinations.
I went to the dining room, where I saw Mom helping Nanny Imang, the one who helped take care of Chuck and I since we were little, make the table. Dad was already sitting on the table reading a newspaper. Printed in thick, bold letters, the headline read: 3 BURGLARS CAUGHT IN THE ACT!
Dad’s fancy of reading tabloids is a bit laughable in my opinion. Every time he’s done with it, I often borrow it to read my daily horoscope. I don’t really believe a single word it says, but I must admit that it’s pretty entertaining. Chuck also reads sports stuff there.
“Where is Marky?” Dad asked me as I sat down on my chair.
Before I could answer, Chuck went out of our room, fully dressed and said, “Coming, Dad. Sorry I took so long.”
“No matter. What’s important is that all of us will have breakfast together,” Dad said, putting down the newspaper. “Ling, let’s eat. We don’t want to be late at work."
“Yes, of course,” Mom answered, sitting down beside Dad. “Imang, please come sit with us. Let’s eat.”
“Mmm, yes, just let me get the rice,” Nanny Imang replied.
A few minutes through having breakfast, Mom noticed something about me. “Jay, don’t you think what you’re wearing is a bit tattered already? What would your classmates say in the university if they saw you like that?”
At that exact moment, I had a spoon in my mouth full of rice so I was unable to answer immediately because I chewed my food first. I looked at my white shirt with a fading rubberized print of Monokuma. “Mom, I think no one would mind. I would wear a jacket later because for all I know, the air conditioning units would be at full blast first thing in the morning. Besides, no one would know me there because all of my classmates would be studying in other universities. And no one has the right to judge me basing on what I wear.”
“In any case, you will need to buy some new clothes. I guess we could drop by at MOA this coming Sunday after we go to church,” Dad remarked.
“I know, right? I shall accompany you in choosing the best shirts from that place. To tell you the truth, that freaking thing in front of you creeps me out,” Chuck laughed.
“You have nothing to worry about, dear brother. Monokuma will do nothing but stare at you like this.” I then turned to Dad and said, “Thanks, Dad.”
After eating, Nanny Imang cleared up the table, and after getting all the stuff we’re gonna need for the day, all of us went outside the apartment while Dad started the car.
We were lucky because the traffic wasn't congested as of this time and our car wasn’t under the coding policy. We dropped off Chuck first in the city engineering office.
“Mom, Dad, I’ll just call you if I’m home. We won’t have work this afternoon. I don’t know what the event later is,” Chuck said.
“Okay, Marky, please take care in getting home later,” Mom told him.
“I’ll just call Mang Gido if ever. Okay later, guys,” Chuck hurriedly said as he ran off towards their building.
Dad dropped me off next in the university. My university is just a bit near Chuck’s office so we arrived at the campus in only a few minutes. A while later, Mom turned to me.
“I noticed that you’re a bit too quiet,” Mom told me.
“I… er, it’s nothing, really. It’s just… well, I’m a bit unaccustomed with things again because now I’m studying Medicine,” I explained.
“There’s no need for you to worry, son,” Dad said. I was surprised because it was him who answered. “That’s exactly how I felt when it was my first day in the Department of Civil Law. Always remember that this is the path you chose and that we’re always here for you.”
“Erm, thanks, Dad. Really, thank you,” I slowly replied. It’s true. I really feel that everything is new because this is not the place I entered back in the College of Psychology when I could play truant every now and then and still get to pass my subjects. This time, our work everyday would become a lot more difficult. But I’m resting assured because like they said, Mom, Dad, and Chuck will always be there for me.
When we finally arrived in our building, Dad asked me, “Are you sure that you won’t be buying any of your books? I have seen the list of your books for this semester and it looks like we have a lot to buy. If you want, I could have Mang Gido to buy those for you.”
“Wha – wait, when did you – ah! No, Dad, there’s no need. I’ve already downloaded e-books and I have synced them in my tablet. That way, I won’t need to carry really heavy stuff. You know very well that those kinds of books are really big and each page is made of linen,” I chimed.
I felt my bag and true enough, it is very light, since it contains only my tablet, a binder for all my subjects, a pad of yellow paper, a thin jacket, and my water bottle. I’m not really accustomed to bringing my own lunch since I eat with my classmates in the carinderias in front of the university, or sometimes, in famous fast food restaurants.
“Well, if that’s the case, I know that everything would go smoothly today. And I presume that I could say the same for the next days,” Mom said blissfully. “Okay, we need to go now. Hun would still need to drop me off at school. Just give us a call if it’s time to pick you up.”
“Okay, Dad and I have the same dismissal time anyways, if I’m correct. I’ll just go call later,” I replied.
When they finally left, I faced the building where I shall study Medicine for the next few years. “Here goes,” I whispered to myself.
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I kinda feel that the place seemed bigger to me than when I was still processing the papers I need in order to get admitted. Who knows, but maybe all other students might feel this way in his or her first day in Medicine school, even though they came from the same university. I just smiled at myself and proceeded to go to the floor where our class is to be conducted this morning.
Before I entered the room where we’ll have our lesson, I first confirmed if my name is among the others printed in the list. As I found my surname, one other name which is printed right above mine caught my attention, then I felt that my whole world came crashing down.
“Damn, I’m screwed!”
Sagrado, Manuel Angelito Garcia. That was the name printed above mine. If you guys didn’t know yet, the owner of that name was the one who gave me hell when we were still in college. It never crossed my mind that he would also enter this university again. I really don’t want to think badly of him, but I couldn’t help but think that he followed me here just to make my life even more difficult (if not just to spite me every now and then). And now, I kinda wanna ask Him if I had already been thrown to a dimension forgotten by Him because both of us actually stopped for a year and both of us entered this university.
I turned my head accidentally and my swearing worsened since I already saw him in the distance. Because of the desire to avoid him, I immediately entered the room.
There were already a few of my new classmates that have arrived. Most of them looked like they had their own little worlds because they’re all holding their smartphones; some of them texting someone, others playing some flashy new game from the Play Store (which never caught my fancy even for a single second, except for Flow Free because it makes my mind work faster). Others who were not holding their phones looked like the very definition of not-a-morning-person, just like Chuck this morning, and I have absolutely no idea why they’re this way at this time. A few of my zombie classmates are holding Venti-sized cups of Starbucks coffee, believing that it’s an antidote for their current state of sleepiness. All of them sat distantly from each other so I decided to sit beside a girl who was talking to someone over her phone. It looked like she didn’t notice me because she just kept on talking to whoever she was talking with… probably her boyfriend or whatever.
A little while later, Manuel already entered the room. He’s a really big person that looks like he can lift anyone he pleases, even if they’re heavier than him. He has black and curly hair, fair skin, and a broken nose. His glasses are just about as big and thick as an average dictionary so it magnifies his black eyes a hundred times. Put four transparent wings behind him and you might mistake him for a dragonfly, if you look beyond his size. If ever, I’d really love to do to him what we used to do back when I was still in elementary school; when we catch dragonflies, we pluck off their wings one by one and then let them crawl in agony. His smile turned into a sneer this time. Most likely, he already saw my name in the list. He immediately went up to me and sat beside me without any second thought.
“Good morning, my dear friend,” Manuel growled using his very low voice.
“Pray tell what’s so good in the morning?” I asked snappishly.
“It looks like we’re gonna be classmates again for the next few years, my friend,” he whispered gleefully.
“Unfortunately,” I answered without even looking at him.
“Hrm, we’re enrolled in a new course this time around. I hope that we turn over a new leaf. Would it be okay if we become friends?” he laughed.
I do not trust this person even an inch and I think he already knows how I’m going to answer anyway. I just ignored his question and buried my head in my hands because my day has already been ruined in an instant.
This is where he showed his true colors. “Suit yourself. There’s nothing you could do about it, anyway, because we’re going to be together now.”
Nothing good will come out of this conversation so I decided to call it quits and find another seat, but he blocked my way.
“Please, clear the way,” I told him.
“Why should I do that? It’s really fun looking at you when you’re irritated,” he answered with a sneer.
I couldn’t control my voice anymore. “Darn it! If you want your nose to remain intact, just clear the freaking – AAAAARRRRGH!”
Without any warning, something that felt like blocks of wood suddenly fell on me. When I looked around the place, all of those were books. I heard everyone laughing at me, including Manuel while someone behind me was endlessly apologizing.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry! I’m very sorry, really! I didn’t see you because I was holding a lot of books. Argh! I’m really sorry about this. Are you hurt? I’m now asking for your forgiveness. I swear, I didn’t see you a while ago…” he apologized endlessly.
I turned towards him and I saw him up close. He’s pretty tall, but he’s even thinner than me. He also looked older than me. It looks like he just had his head shaved because I couldn’t see even a single strand of hair on his scalp. His skin is a dark shade of tan, has big, black eyes, and a sharp nose. I might sound like a bad person for saying this, but if you don’t have a clear vision, you might call him Brownie or Spotty because he really looks like a dog that hasn’t been fed for several days. For our first day in the Department of Medicine, it looks like he’s already stressed out. I saw him frantically picking up his books and it looked like he was having a hard time so I decided to help him out.
While picking up his other stuff, the others finally stopped laughing and Manuel sat on his seat once again. I tried to make some small talk to diffuse the tension, “There, looks like that snapped them awake. Wait a minute, isn’t it our first day here? Why does it look like – wait, I think we should find another seat.”
We found decent seats right in the front row, near the teacher’s table. Manuel surely doesn’t have plans of following us here because of all the seats he can choose, he’ll choose the first row last, even if he can grab the chance to sit beside me, because he often dozes off during class and he sometimes drool if he’s in a deep sleep. There, we put my new companion’s books in order and I noticed that all of them are pretty old and slightly outdated.
“Ah, pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Juan Ramon Sereno. Just call me Ramon,” I told him.
“Erm, I, um, I’m Ashton Mari-Karlo Arkanghel,” he stammered.
“Pleased to meet you, unlike others,” I answered, offering a handshake. He took it.
“Um, me too. And thank you for helping me pick up my books,” he mumbled.
Ever so slowly, for some reason, this guy is starting to cheer me up, just by talking to him. “Aw shucks! It was nothing. Oh right, why do you have so many books even though we haven’t been tasked to any readings yet?” I asked.
“Ah, um, I was supposed to bring them later to my locker I rented so I wouldn’t have to carry them next week,” he answered.
“Is that so? That’s nice. Karl –”
“Please, call me Ash. Um, that’s what my parents call me.”
“Erm, right, Ash, I just wanna ask, how old are you? I kinda feel uncomfortable when classmates treat me formally.”
“Um, I just turned nineteen yesterday.”
I was slightly surprised to hear his answer. He may look younger than me, but we’re only almost the same age. “What the - ! I didn’t know you were older than me by a few months. I guess you were a bit off when you treated me a bit too formally a while ago.”
“Ahaha! Um, maybe that’s not the –”
My conversation with Ash was cut off because our professor already arrived for our lesson this morning. She went straight to teacher’s table and dictated, “Good day to all of you. I am Dr. Emilia Buenaventura, your professor for Gross Anatomy. Please pass your registration forms and I shall sign them one by one.”
I took mine from my binder and placed it on the table. I was sitting directly in front of her this time so it was easy. This is where I noticed that she is really strict, even by her looks: her black hair was tied in a tight bun behind her head, she was wearing small but thick reading glasses, her eyebrows were heavily penciled, and her thin lips were colored with a dark red lipstick. The more you look at her, the more she looks like the hawks you see in Discovery Channel. It seems that her sharp eyes could see even a strand of hair that falls at the back of the room. She’s the kind of professor whom everyone will be scared to misbehave when they’re already in her class.
I turned to Ash this time because I get more intimidated the longer I look at Dr. Buenaventura. This is where I saw that he seemed distressed in looking for his registration form inside his bag.
“Ash, need any help?” I offered.
“Um, no, I’m good. I think I just put it somewhere inside my bag,” he answered distressingly.
As he said this, I noticed something hanging by one of the books. Something that looks like a piece of paper. I took it and found out that it was Ash’s registration form. I showed it to him and asked, “Is this what you were looking for?”
Slightly shocked by what I’ve shown him, he said, “Where did you find that?”
I gave his registration form to Dr. Buenaventura and merely pointed to the book where I found it.
“I wonder how it got there?” he asked himself.
“You’re the one to ask,” I hissed.
We weren’t able to continue our conversation because our lesson immediately commenced right after Dra. Buenaventura returned our registration forms. The concepts she taught us weren’t that difficult to understand as of now, but her discussion is a bit too fast-paced for any of us to understand entirely, so it’s even more difficult for me to maintain my concentration.
All of us were finally able to breathe deeply after our five-hour lecture. We have a two-hour break before our Physiology class begins so I asked Ash if he wants to eat with me in Mang Inasal, but he said that he’s going to eat somewhere else. As a result, I spent my first lunchtime as a Medicine student alone. It’s a bit sad, so I’ll try to have some companions tomorrow.
When I arrived at the room where we’ll have our class in Physiology, I looked at the list again to confirm if my name is there. It is there, and so is Manuel’s, but someone else’s name was put in between ours: Se, Michelle. It was noted that we needed to sit alphabetically this time. I was thankful that I don’t have to sit directly beside Manuel.
As I entered our room, I immediately saw Ash at the very first seat nearest to the door. I looked for my seat and I passed by Manuel who looked like he dozed off. Typical. The girl named Michelle was also there sitting beside Manuel, and she looked disgruntled for some reason. I sat beside her.
“Good afternoon. I’m Juan Ramon Sereno. Erm, just call me Ramon,” I greeted her.
“Ah, good afternoon. Pleased to meet you. I’m Michelle Se, from China and I’ve lived here for four years already,” she answered casually.
Her skin is a lot fairer than mine. Her straight, black hair reached her shoulders. She has big, green, squinting eyes, a small nose, and thin lips. I had to stop myself from rubbing her on top of her head because those cute kittens I often see in the internet entered my mind when I saw her. Her way of talking isn’t really fast. It doesn’t look like she’s really fluent in speaking English as of now, but I don’t think it would be too hard to converse with her.
“Oh right, Michelle, why does it look like you’re not happy today? Is there a problem?” I inquired.
“Hrgh! As a matter of fact, yes, Ramon, I got a problem. He’s sitting and dozing off right beside me,” she grunted.
I wasn’t able to ask Michelle why our least favorite person in the world is Manuel because our professor for this lesson already arrived. Just like Manuel, he has a large build and he looks like he’s from Germany. His blonde hair is very short and a lot of short whiskers are growing on his face. His eyes are also yellow and he has a big nose. He ended up looking like a lion that had its mane trimmed. I was shocked when he finally started speaking.
“Good afternoon, you guys, and welcome to the Department of Medicine. I’m Dr. Arsenius Quamar, your professor in Physiology for this year. Please bring out your registration forms and pass them here in front,” he announced.
I really couldn’t believe my ears because it sounded like he wasn’t a foreigner at all. It may be because he has been living here in the Philippines for a very long time. I always have this respect for foreigners who don’t have a foreign accent. After arranging our registration forms, he resumed speaking.
“I’m pretty sure that you guys will like what I’m about to say next. We’re not going to start with our lessons yet for today. I would like to get to know you guys first. So when I call your name, please stand up and say where you’re from, when you were born, and anything else you’d like to say about yourself. Let me give you an example.”
He took a deep breath and started introducing himself to us. “I am Dr. Arsenius Quamar. I came from Scotland, but I’m already a naturalized Filipino, just like the rest of my family. I was born on the seventh of August, 1968, and aside from being a doctor, I’m also a marine biologist in the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Quezon City.”
After speaking, he looked at the registration forms he’s holding and said, “Mr. Arkanghel, are you ready to introduce yourself to us?”
Ash slowly got up and started to introduce himself. “Um, I’m Ashton Mari-Karlo Arkanghel from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Er, it was my birthday yesterday, June 3rd, in the year 1992. I often volunteer in our barangay back in our province.”
Dr. Quamar gave Ash’s registration form back after signing it. “Thank you, Mr. Arkanghel. Ms. Azcarraga, you’re up next.”
We listened to out classmates’ introductions one by one. All of them, Ash aside, look like they also had it easy in life, just like us, that is, if they’re not richer than us. There were also some of them that Dr. Quamar asked if they know someone or if they’re relatives of certain persons he’s acquainted with and I found out that some of them are following their parents’ footsteps.
It was now Manuel’s turn.
“My name is Manuel Angelito Sagrado, hailing from Biñan, Laguna, born on April 15, 1990, and I like driving motorcycles. I often join races and I’ve actually emerged as champ a couple of times,” he belted out proudly.
The only other person who’s even more irritated at Manuel than me is probably Michelle. I would really want to ask her why at this point, but I was unable to do so. She was the next to speak. “Good afternoon. I am Michelle Se. I came from Hongkong, China. I have been living here in the Philippines for four years with the family that adopted me. I was born on October 30, 1991. I like travelling to different places and my favorite destination would be Baguio City because I really like the climate there and there are so many flowers.”
“Thank you, Ms. Se. Let us turn to…”
Dr. Quamar stopped speaking when he saw my registration form. It looked like he was in deep thought – no. Not just in deep thought. It also looks like he’s thinking really fast.
“Mr. Sereno, weren’t you the one who won the National Schools Press Conference in Editorial Writing a few years ago in Lapu-Lapu City?” he asked me.
Everyone in the room suddenly stared at me. I was surprised because I was still the only one whom he knows this well among the class, aside from those who are sons and daughters of his colleagues. “Wh-what? Erm, yeah, I am. But how did you know, sir?” I asked almost incredulously.
“I happened to visit my friend that was one of the judges in that competition. She let me read your work and I was amazed with your insights regarding the use of communication in saving the environment,” he answered.
I suddenly felt my face go pink. “Oh, that, ehehe! Thank you very much for that, sir. Er, yes, I’m Juan Ramon Sereno, from Bani, Pangasinan. I was born in October 13, 1992, and I was the editor-in-chief of our school paper when I was in high school for three straight years. This was the reason why I didn’t stop writing.”
“Good for you. Thank you very much, Mr. Sereno. Mr. Soriano, you’re up next,” Dr. Quamar called after breathing deeply.
My classmates’ introductions continued on. Then all of us were done but we still have an hour left before our official dismissal.
Dr. Quamar belted, “Because all of you are already done introducing yourselves, I can dismiss you guys early. Let’s meet again this Friday at the same time. Please read the first and second chapters of our prescribed textbook. Goodbye, everyone.”
All my classmates went out of the room hurriedly, including Manuel and Michelle, so I just waited for everyone to go out since I don’t fancy going through a very crowded door. I was then just about to go out when I noticed Ash bowed on his seat. He still hasn’t packed his things, which is a mystery why since we haven’t actually done anything for this session.
I called him, “Ash, are you alright?”
“H-huh, oh, uh, yeah, I’m alright,” he responded weakly.
“You look pale. And why d’you look weak?” I asked, concerned.
“Oh, um, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit hungry. I didn’t eat enough this afternoon,” he answered.
Right after he said this, I also felt my stomach growling like mad because of that long time I sat down doing nothing. “Hmm, yeah, me too, I think I’m also getting hungry. Come on, let’s go grab some snacks. We were dismissed early anyways.”
“It’s okay, you go right ahead,” he replied. “I’m just about to go home.”
“Ok then, I guess I’ll leave everything to you. I’ll see you again tomorrow,” I said while coming out of the room.
I thought of having a snack at home so I just bought an iced tea beside my favorite carinderia where I often eat if I want to save up some money. I brought out my tablet to check out our reading assignment from Dr. Quamar. I saw that I’ve received a text message from Mang Gido. I read his text: “Text me if I’ll pick you early.”
I immediately replied: “Pick me up now. I’m in front of Ai Fa Qin Love Iced Tea.”
After sending it to Mang Gido, I also shot a text to Dad: “Mang Gido will pick me up. Got dismissed early.”
I nudged Chuck endlessly to wake him up. It’s already six-thirty in the morning but he hasn’t woken up yet. God knows what he was doing last night even though he knows perfectly that he has to go to work today.
“Unf! Dad, five more minutes. I’m still sleepy,” he answered with a hoarse voice.
I rolled my eyes and said, “I am not Dad, and I won’t stop nudging you until you get up there. Mom said breakfast’s ready, and I think we’re having hotdogs and eggs this –”
He didn’t let me finish with what I had to say and he suddenly bolted upright. I know perfectly well that his favorite breakfast since we were in elementary school is hotdog and eggs. He often gets a hotdog and two eggs, since he says that those stand for 100 and he would always go for acing every test they have. I couldn’t say that I was lying because I could smell hotdogs cooking for a while now.
“Guhaha! Sorry, bro, but I’ll have to shower before you! You’re such a slowpoke!” laughed Chuck as he hurriedly removed his shirt.
“Oh please, I’m already done! You’re the only one whom we are all waiting for, so if I were you, I’d hurry the hell up before someone eats all of your hotdogs and eggs,” I answered really fast while shaking my head because of my big brother’s attitude.
Chuck was in a real hurry to go to the bathroom so he had no time to listen to what I had to say. I just shook my head again, straightened my clothes, and then wore my ID. I’m certainly lucky because we don’t have to wear our uniforms anymore in the Department of Medicine. For some unexplainable reason, our uniforms back then were a huge pain. My only problem is that the time that I would have to wear shirts for the umpteenth time would eventually come because I’m not really that fond of buying new clothes, unlike others out there that buy countless clothes that just end up at the back of their closets. The last time I counted my clothes, I only have eight shirts that I could use in the university without getting reprimanded by the security guard. It’s a good thing that I have a few jackets that I could just wear above my shirts. That way, I could use my shirts again and again without anyone ever telling me that I have used the shirt again the previous day, unless the air conditioning units suddenly go out of order and I would have to remove it.
Before I forget, this is my first day in the Department of Medicine in the university. This is the reason why I got ready really early. Dad also goes early to the court, Mom to school, and Chuck to his office. For the first time, I could go along with my whole family. Back when I was still a Psychology student, my schedule always started early in the afternoon, so I was always left alone in our apartment. Mang Gido, the family driver, brings me to school right after lunch. Don’t even ask me about my escapades in the apartment during the one year I rested, because there is no way I would be allowed to go along with any of them at work, so I was left doing whatever I please, occasionally helping with the housework.
Today, Dad will be the one to drive all of us to our destinations.
I went to the dining room, where I saw Mom helping Nanny Imang, the one who helped take care of Chuck and I since we were little, make the table. Dad was already sitting on the table reading a newspaper. Printed in thick, bold letters, the headline read: 3 BURGLARS CAUGHT IN THE ACT!
Dad’s fancy of reading tabloids is a bit laughable in my opinion. Every time he’s done with it, I often borrow it to read my daily horoscope. I don’t really believe a single word it says, but I must admit that it’s pretty entertaining. Chuck also reads sports stuff there.
“Where is Marky?” Dad asked me as I sat down on my chair.
Before I could answer, Chuck went out of our room, fully dressed and said, “Coming, Dad. Sorry I took so long.”
“No matter. What’s important is that all of us will have breakfast together,” Dad said, putting down the newspaper. “Ling, let’s eat. We don’t want to be late at work."
“Yes, of course,” Mom answered, sitting down beside Dad. “Imang, please come sit with us. Let’s eat.”
“Mmm, yes, just let me get the rice,” Nanny Imang replied.
A few minutes through having breakfast, Mom noticed something about me. “Jay, don’t you think what you’re wearing is a bit tattered already? What would your classmates say in the university if they saw you like that?”
At that exact moment, I had a spoon in my mouth full of rice so I was unable to answer immediately because I chewed my food first. I looked at my white shirt with a fading rubberized print of Monokuma. “Mom, I think no one would mind. I would wear a jacket later because for all I know, the air conditioning units would be at full blast first thing in the morning. Besides, no one would know me there because all of my classmates would be studying in other universities. And no one has the right to judge me basing on what I wear.”
“In any case, you will need to buy some new clothes. I guess we could drop by at MOA this coming Sunday after we go to church,” Dad remarked.
“I know, right? I shall accompany you in choosing the best shirts from that place. To tell you the truth, that freaking thing in front of you creeps me out,” Chuck laughed.
“You have nothing to worry about, dear brother. Monokuma will do nothing but stare at you like this.” I then turned to Dad and said, “Thanks, Dad.”
After eating, Nanny Imang cleared up the table, and after getting all the stuff we’re gonna need for the day, all of us went outside the apartment while Dad started the car.
We were lucky because the traffic wasn't congested as of this time and our car wasn’t under the coding policy. We dropped off Chuck first in the city engineering office.
“Mom, Dad, I’ll just call you if I’m home. We won’t have work this afternoon. I don’t know what the event later is,” Chuck said.
“Okay, Marky, please take care in getting home later,” Mom told him.
“I’ll just call Mang Gido if ever. Okay later, guys,” Chuck hurriedly said as he ran off towards their building.
Dad dropped me off next in the university. My university is just a bit near Chuck’s office so we arrived at the campus in only a few minutes. A while later, Mom turned to me.
“I noticed that you’re a bit too quiet,” Mom told me.
“I… er, it’s nothing, really. It’s just… well, I’m a bit unaccustomed with things again because now I’m studying Medicine,” I explained.
“There’s no need for you to worry, son,” Dad said. I was surprised because it was him who answered. “That’s exactly how I felt when it was my first day in the Department of Civil Law. Always remember that this is the path you chose and that we’re always here for you.”
“Erm, thanks, Dad. Really, thank you,” I slowly replied. It’s true. I really feel that everything is new because this is not the place I entered back in the College of Psychology when I could play truant every now and then and still get to pass my subjects. This time, our work everyday would become a lot more difficult. But I’m resting assured because like they said, Mom, Dad, and Chuck will always be there for me.
When we finally arrived in our building, Dad asked me, “Are you sure that you won’t be buying any of your books? I have seen the list of your books for this semester and it looks like we have a lot to buy. If you want, I could have Mang Gido to buy those for you.”
“Wha – wait, when did you – ah! No, Dad, there’s no need. I’ve already downloaded e-books and I have synced them in my tablet. That way, I won’t need to carry really heavy stuff. You know very well that those kinds of books are really big and each page is made of linen,” I chimed.
I felt my bag and true enough, it is very light, since it contains only my tablet, a binder for all my subjects, a pad of yellow paper, a thin jacket, and my water bottle. I’m not really accustomed to bringing my own lunch since I eat with my classmates in the carinderias in front of the university, or sometimes, in famous fast food restaurants.
“Well, if that’s the case, I know that everything would go smoothly today. And I presume that I could say the same for the next days,” Mom said blissfully. “Okay, we need to go now. Hun would still need to drop me off at school. Just give us a call if it’s time to pick you up.”
“Okay, Dad and I have the same dismissal time anyways, if I’m correct. I’ll just go call later,” I replied.
When they finally left, I faced the building where I shall study Medicine for the next few years. “Here goes,” I whispered to myself.
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I kinda feel that the place seemed bigger to me than when I was still processing the papers I need in order to get admitted. Who knows, but maybe all other students might feel this way in his or her first day in Medicine school, even though they came from the same university. I just smiled at myself and proceeded to go to the floor where our class is to be conducted this morning.
Before I entered the room where we’ll have our lesson, I first confirmed if my name is among the others printed in the list. As I found my surname, one other name which is printed right above mine caught my attention, then I felt that my whole world came crashing down.
“Damn, I’m screwed!”
Sagrado, Manuel Angelito Garcia. That was the name printed above mine. If you guys didn’t know yet, the owner of that name was the one who gave me hell when we were still in college. It never crossed my mind that he would also enter this university again. I really don’t want to think badly of him, but I couldn’t help but think that he followed me here just to make my life even more difficult (if not just to spite me every now and then). And now, I kinda wanna ask Him if I had already been thrown to a dimension forgotten by Him because both of us actually stopped for a year and both of us entered this university.
I turned my head accidentally and my swearing worsened since I already saw him in the distance. Because of the desire to avoid him, I immediately entered the room.
There were already a few of my new classmates that have arrived. Most of them looked like they had their own little worlds because they’re all holding their smartphones; some of them texting someone, others playing some flashy new game from the Play Store (which never caught my fancy even for a single second, except for Flow Free because it makes my mind work faster). Others who were not holding their phones looked like the very definition of not-a-morning-person, just like Chuck this morning, and I have absolutely no idea why they’re this way at this time. A few of my zombie classmates are holding Venti-sized cups of Starbucks coffee, believing that it’s an antidote for their current state of sleepiness. All of them sat distantly from each other so I decided to sit beside a girl who was talking to someone over her phone. It looked like she didn’t notice me because she just kept on talking to whoever she was talking with… probably her boyfriend or whatever.
A little while later, Manuel already entered the room. He’s a really big person that looks like he can lift anyone he pleases, even if they’re heavier than him. He has black and curly hair, fair skin, and a broken nose. His glasses are just about as big and thick as an average dictionary so it magnifies his black eyes a hundred times. Put four transparent wings behind him and you might mistake him for a dragonfly, if you look beyond his size. If ever, I’d really love to do to him what we used to do back when I was still in elementary school; when we catch dragonflies, we pluck off their wings one by one and then let them crawl in agony. His smile turned into a sneer this time. Most likely, he already saw my name in the list. He immediately went up to me and sat beside me without any second thought.
“Good morning, my dear friend,” Manuel growled using his very low voice.
“Pray tell what’s so good in the morning?” I asked snappishly.
“It looks like we’re gonna be classmates again for the next few years, my friend,” he whispered gleefully.
“Unfortunately,” I answered without even looking at him.
“Hrm, we’re enrolled in a new course this time around. I hope that we turn over a new leaf. Would it be okay if we become friends?” he laughed.
I do not trust this person even an inch and I think he already knows how I’m going to answer anyway. I just ignored his question and buried my head in my hands because my day has already been ruined in an instant.
This is where he showed his true colors. “Suit yourself. There’s nothing you could do about it, anyway, because we’re going to be together now.”
Nothing good will come out of this conversation so I decided to call it quits and find another seat, but he blocked my way.
“Please, clear the way,” I told him.
“Why should I do that? It’s really fun looking at you when you’re irritated,” he answered with a sneer.
I couldn’t control my voice anymore. “Darn it! If you want your nose to remain intact, just clear the freaking – AAAAARRRRGH!”
Without any warning, something that felt like blocks of wood suddenly fell on me. When I looked around the place, all of those were books. I heard everyone laughing at me, including Manuel while someone behind me was endlessly apologizing.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry! I’m very sorry, really! I didn’t see you because I was holding a lot of books. Argh! I’m really sorry about this. Are you hurt? I’m now asking for your forgiveness. I swear, I didn’t see you a while ago…” he apologized endlessly.
I turned towards him and I saw him up close. He’s pretty tall, but he’s even thinner than me. He also looked older than me. It looks like he just had his head shaved because I couldn’t see even a single strand of hair on his scalp. His skin is a dark shade of tan, has big, black eyes, and a sharp nose. I might sound like a bad person for saying this, but if you don’t have a clear vision, you might call him Brownie or Spotty because he really looks like a dog that hasn’t been fed for several days. For our first day in the Department of Medicine, it looks like he’s already stressed out. I saw him frantically picking up his books and it looked like he was having a hard time so I decided to help him out.
While picking up his other stuff, the others finally stopped laughing and Manuel sat on his seat once again. I tried to make some small talk to diffuse the tension, “There, looks like that snapped them awake. Wait a minute, isn’t it our first day here? Why does it look like – wait, I think we should find another seat.”
We found decent seats right in the front row, near the teacher’s table. Manuel surely doesn’t have plans of following us here because of all the seats he can choose, he’ll choose the first row last, even if he can grab the chance to sit beside me, because he often dozes off during class and he sometimes drool if he’s in a deep sleep. There, we put my new companion’s books in order and I noticed that all of them are pretty old and slightly outdated.
“Ah, pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Juan Ramon Sereno. Just call me Ramon,” I told him.
“Erm, I, um, I’m Ashton Mari-Karlo Arkanghel,” he stammered.
“Pleased to meet you, unlike others,” I answered, offering a handshake. He took it.
“Um, me too. And thank you for helping me pick up my books,” he mumbled.
Ever so slowly, for some reason, this guy is starting to cheer me up, just by talking to him. “Aw shucks! It was nothing. Oh right, why do you have so many books even though we haven’t been tasked to any readings yet?” I asked.
“Ah, um, I was supposed to bring them later to my locker I rented so I wouldn’t have to carry them next week,” he answered.
“Is that so? That’s nice. Karl –”
“Please, call me Ash. Um, that’s what my parents call me.”
“Erm, right, Ash, I just wanna ask, how old are you? I kinda feel uncomfortable when classmates treat me formally.”
“Um, I just turned nineteen yesterday.”
I was slightly surprised to hear his answer. He may look younger than me, but we’re only almost the same age. “What the - ! I didn’t know you were older than me by a few months. I guess you were a bit off when you treated me a bit too formally a while ago.”
“Ahaha! Um, maybe that’s not the –”
My conversation with Ash was cut off because our professor already arrived for our lesson this morning. She went straight to teacher’s table and dictated, “Good day to all of you. I am Dr. Emilia Buenaventura, your professor for Gross Anatomy. Please pass your registration forms and I shall sign them one by one.”
I took mine from my binder and placed it on the table. I was sitting directly in front of her this time so it was easy. This is where I noticed that she is really strict, even by her looks: her black hair was tied in a tight bun behind her head, she was wearing small but thick reading glasses, her eyebrows were heavily penciled, and her thin lips were colored with a dark red lipstick. The more you look at her, the more she looks like the hawks you see in Discovery Channel. It seems that her sharp eyes could see even a strand of hair that falls at the back of the room. She’s the kind of professor whom everyone will be scared to misbehave when they’re already in her class.
I turned to Ash this time because I get more intimidated the longer I look at Dr. Buenaventura. This is where I saw that he seemed distressed in looking for his registration form inside his bag.
“Ash, need any help?” I offered.
“Um, no, I’m good. I think I just put it somewhere inside my bag,” he answered distressingly.
As he said this, I noticed something hanging by one of the books. Something that looks like a piece of paper. I took it and found out that it was Ash’s registration form. I showed it to him and asked, “Is this what you were looking for?”
Slightly shocked by what I’ve shown him, he said, “Where did you find that?”
I gave his registration form to Dr. Buenaventura and merely pointed to the book where I found it.
“I wonder how it got there?” he asked himself.
“You’re the one to ask,” I hissed.
We weren’t able to continue our conversation because our lesson immediately commenced right after Dra. Buenaventura returned our registration forms. The concepts she taught us weren’t that difficult to understand as of now, but her discussion is a bit too fast-paced for any of us to understand entirely, so it’s even more difficult for me to maintain my concentration.
All of us were finally able to breathe deeply after our five-hour lecture. We have a two-hour break before our Physiology class begins so I asked Ash if he wants to eat with me in Mang Inasal, but he said that he’s going to eat somewhere else. As a result, I spent my first lunchtime as a Medicine student alone. It’s a bit sad, so I’ll try to have some companions tomorrow.
When I arrived at the room where we’ll have our class in Physiology, I looked at the list again to confirm if my name is there. It is there, and so is Manuel’s, but someone else’s name was put in between ours: Se, Michelle. It was noted that we needed to sit alphabetically this time. I was thankful that I don’t have to sit directly beside Manuel.
As I entered our room, I immediately saw Ash at the very first seat nearest to the door. I looked for my seat and I passed by Manuel who looked like he dozed off. Typical. The girl named Michelle was also there sitting beside Manuel, and she looked disgruntled for some reason. I sat beside her.
“Good afternoon. I’m Juan Ramon Sereno. Erm, just call me Ramon,” I greeted her.
“Ah, good afternoon. Pleased to meet you. I’m Michelle Se, from China and I’ve lived here for four years already,” she answered casually.
Her skin is a lot fairer than mine. Her straight, black hair reached her shoulders. She has big, green, squinting eyes, a small nose, and thin lips. I had to stop myself from rubbing her on top of her head because those cute kittens I often see in the internet entered my mind when I saw her. Her way of talking isn’t really fast. It doesn’t look like she’s really fluent in speaking English as of now, but I don’t think it would be too hard to converse with her.
“Oh right, Michelle, why does it look like you’re not happy today? Is there a problem?” I inquired.
“Hrgh! As a matter of fact, yes, Ramon, I got a problem. He’s sitting and dozing off right beside me,” she grunted.
I wasn’t able to ask Michelle why our least favorite person in the world is Manuel because our professor for this lesson already arrived. Just like Manuel, he has a large build and he looks like he’s from Germany. His blonde hair is very short and a lot of short whiskers are growing on his face. His eyes are also yellow and he has a big nose. He ended up looking like a lion that had its mane trimmed. I was shocked when he finally started speaking.
“Good afternoon, you guys, and welcome to the Department of Medicine. I’m Dr. Arsenius Quamar, your professor in Physiology for this year. Please bring out your registration forms and pass them here in front,” he announced.
I really couldn’t believe my ears because it sounded like he wasn’t a foreigner at all. It may be because he has been living here in the Philippines for a very long time. I always have this respect for foreigners who don’t have a foreign accent. After arranging our registration forms, he resumed speaking.
“I’m pretty sure that you guys will like what I’m about to say next. We’re not going to start with our lessons yet for today. I would like to get to know you guys first. So when I call your name, please stand up and say where you’re from, when you were born, and anything else you’d like to say about yourself. Let me give you an example.”
He took a deep breath and started introducing himself to us. “I am Dr. Arsenius Quamar. I came from Scotland, but I’m already a naturalized Filipino, just like the rest of my family. I was born on the seventh of August, 1968, and aside from being a doctor, I’m also a marine biologist in the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in Quezon City.”
After speaking, he looked at the registration forms he’s holding and said, “Mr. Arkanghel, are you ready to introduce yourself to us?”
Ash slowly got up and started to introduce himself. “Um, I’m Ashton Mari-Karlo Arkanghel from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Er, it was my birthday yesterday, June 3rd, in the year 1992. I often volunteer in our barangay back in our province.”
Dr. Quamar gave Ash’s registration form back after signing it. “Thank you, Mr. Arkanghel. Ms. Azcarraga, you’re up next.”
We listened to out classmates’ introductions one by one. All of them, Ash aside, look like they also had it easy in life, just like us, that is, if they’re not richer than us. There were also some of them that Dr. Quamar asked if they know someone or if they’re relatives of certain persons he’s acquainted with and I found out that some of them are following their parents’ footsteps.
It was now Manuel’s turn.
“My name is Manuel Angelito Sagrado, hailing from Biñan, Laguna, born on April 15, 1990, and I like driving motorcycles. I often join races and I’ve actually emerged as champ a couple of times,” he belted out proudly.
The only other person who’s even more irritated at Manuel than me is probably Michelle. I would really want to ask her why at this point, but I was unable to do so. She was the next to speak. “Good afternoon. I am Michelle Se. I came from Hongkong, China. I have been living here in the Philippines for four years with the family that adopted me. I was born on October 30, 1991. I like travelling to different places and my favorite destination would be Baguio City because I really like the climate there and there are so many flowers.”
“Thank you, Ms. Se. Let us turn to…”
Dr. Quamar stopped speaking when he saw my registration form. It looked like he was in deep thought – no. Not just in deep thought. It also looks like he’s thinking really fast.
“Mr. Sereno, weren’t you the one who won the National Schools Press Conference in Editorial Writing a few years ago in Lapu-Lapu City?” he asked me.
Everyone in the room suddenly stared at me. I was surprised because I was still the only one whom he knows this well among the class, aside from those who are sons and daughters of his colleagues. “Wh-what? Erm, yeah, I am. But how did you know, sir?” I asked almost incredulously.
“I happened to visit my friend that was one of the judges in that competition. She let me read your work and I was amazed with your insights regarding the use of communication in saving the environment,” he answered.
I suddenly felt my face go pink. “Oh, that, ehehe! Thank you very much for that, sir. Er, yes, I’m Juan Ramon Sereno, from Bani, Pangasinan. I was born in October 13, 1992, and I was the editor-in-chief of our school paper when I was in high school for three straight years. This was the reason why I didn’t stop writing.”
“Good for you. Thank you very much, Mr. Sereno. Mr. Soriano, you’re up next,” Dr. Quamar called after breathing deeply.
My classmates’ introductions continued on. Then all of us were done but we still have an hour left before our official dismissal.
Dr. Quamar belted, “Because all of you are already done introducing yourselves, I can dismiss you guys early. Let’s meet again this Friday at the same time. Please read the first and second chapters of our prescribed textbook. Goodbye, everyone.”
All my classmates went out of the room hurriedly, including Manuel and Michelle, so I just waited for everyone to go out since I don’t fancy going through a very crowded door. I was then just about to go out when I noticed Ash bowed on his seat. He still hasn’t packed his things, which is a mystery why since we haven’t actually done anything for this session.
I called him, “Ash, are you alright?”
“H-huh, oh, uh, yeah, I’m alright,” he responded weakly.
“You look pale. And why d’you look weak?” I asked, concerned.
“Oh, um, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit hungry. I didn’t eat enough this afternoon,” he answered.
Right after he said this, I also felt my stomach growling like mad because of that long time I sat down doing nothing. “Hmm, yeah, me too, I think I’m also getting hungry. Come on, let’s go grab some snacks. We were dismissed early anyways.”
“It’s okay, you go right ahead,” he replied. “I’m just about to go home.”
“Ok then, I guess I’ll leave everything to you. I’ll see you again tomorrow,” I said while coming out of the room.
I thought of having a snack at home so I just bought an iced tea beside my favorite carinderia where I often eat if I want to save up some money. I brought out my tablet to check out our reading assignment from Dr. Quamar. I saw that I’ve received a text message from Mang Gido. I read his text: “Text me if I’ll pick you early.”
I immediately replied: “Pick me up now. I’m in front of Ai Fa Qin Love Iced Tea.”
After sending it to Mang Gido, I also shot a text to Dad: “Mang Gido will pick me up. Got dismissed early.”
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