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Chapter One - Hiraya

"No. Kernel... stop... kissing.. me.. don't!"

No one's getting raped.

It's just Hiraya's dog, Kernel, this how she wake up every day. The clock says 5:13 and there's still seven minutes before the alarm ring, but she's already up thanks to Kernel.

Kernel is a golden retriever with a little mix of aspi.

She has another dog, name's major, the craziest chihuahua ever born. She barks like sirang plaka. And one cat, Chippy, that has those deep mud-green eyes that completely disappear when he's on his demonic mode. He run, climb, and breaks stuffs every 2o'clock AM.

Kernel, Major and Chippy, the only companions she has at home.

After she cook breakfast for everyone, she changed their litter. Hiraya the dog-yaya, at your service. Then, she took a quick bath.

Bago pumasok sa school, Hiraya delivered the kimchi she prepared to the cafe she works at, Jean's Cafe. The owners are Dutch foreigners, they don't visit the cafe that much because they're abroad.

She made a coffee-to-go before she leave the cafe, because she stayed up late last night preparing the kimchi and studying the feeling-major minor subjects.

She have three classes in the morning and two classes on the afternoon. Her first class starts at 8AM, Filipino, the only subject she's taking that isn't line of nine. One of the reasons why coffee is essential for her brain, heart and blood to start the day.

It's a sunny Friday and the fourth period just ended. The classroom of Grade 11-Arts and Design students is literally a battle field if not a public market.

"TUMIGIL NA NGA KAYO. PASIMUNO KA NA NAMAN KARLOS, ANG INGAY NINYO!" Shouted Arvy, Hiraya's classmate. Siya ang tagasuway, tagatahimik at tagaawat ng mga kaklase niyang lalaki sa tuwing sila'y nag-aaway o nag-iingay kakalaro. "Nag-aaral kami rito. Respeto naman, oh."

This is just a normal school day, nothing out of normal is going on. Nanonood at nakikinig lang si Hiraya sa kaniyang mga kaklase mula sa kaniyang upuan sa pinaka likod like what she always do. Sobrang init na ng panahon tapos dagdag pa ng kaguluhan at kaingayan ang kaniyang mga kaklase.

"Ha? Anong sabi mo Arvy?" Sigaw ni Karlo mula sa kabilang side ng classroom, "Ha? Haydon't care!"

"Bwiset ka!" Sigaw muli ni Arvy. And that's pretty much how the World War III started.

The class president doesn't seem to really care. Barkada niya kasi sila Karlos at girlfriend niya si Arvy, dahilan kaya hindi niya rin maawat. At isa pa, pasimuno rin naman siya.

May kani-kaniyang mundo ang mga estudyante mula sa classroom ng arts and design. May naglalaro, may natutulog, may nag-uusap para sa groupings, may kumakain, may nagchichismisan, may nagti-t****k at may nakikinig lang mula sa sulok - si Hiraya.

Pangatlong buwan pa lamang ang nakalilipas nang magsimula ang klase. Three months of knowing each other, ang iba matagal nang magkakilala o magkaklase. At ang iba naman bagong transfer lang sa kanilang paaralan na Dinagiono High School, tulad ni Hiraya, kaya hindi pa sila gaanong nagkakasundo.

Three months is more than enough to build foundation of friendship, right? But that's not the case for some people.

"I don't need the definition of the conceptual framework. Ang sabi ko sayo, gumawa ka ng conceptual framework," pasigaw na sinabi ni Shanna kay Mako. "Simpleng instruction lang 'di mo pa naintindihan. 'Yon nga lang ang gagawin mo pa maintindihan."

Mako is Hiraya's seatmate, kaya rinig na rinig niya ang usapan ng dalawa.

"Nagsabi ako sayo na hindi ako makakagawa kasi walang signal sa amin. Saka biglaan ang deadline mamaya kaya 'yan lang nagawa ko kanina," Mako explained.

"Hindi naman kailangan mag-research para gumawa ng chapter 2," naiirita nang sinabi ni Shanna.

"Magkaiba naman tayo eh, 'di naman ako ganon katalino," sagot muli ni Mako.

"Gumawa ka na lang habang may time pa."

"Pahiram ako ng phone," hiling ni Mako sa isa pa nilang kagrupo. "Gagawa lang ako saglit. Wala kasi akong data. Thank you."

AD11-A class are still loud kaya nilabas na lang ni Hiraya ang kanyang cellphone para magpatugtog at sinuot niya ang kaniyang headphone na nakasabit sa kaniyang leeg.

She opened her sketchpad and drew some scribbles, lines and curves, but didn't really create any image at all. It just looks dark, chaotic and heavy tulad ng Racing Into The Night na kantang kaniyang pinapakinggan.

It sounds gloomy but that's the way Hiraya likes it.

The song was about to end nang bigla itong huminto dahil sa isang notification.

When she opened her **, she saw Art3myx's photo uploaded 2hours ago. A painting.

It's a vibrant illustration of a boy inside a bedroom. The furnitures are floating mid air and the boy is just standing there. Everything is colorful and detailed except the blurry part of the boy's head to shoulders, it's like as if it is moving so fast but the painting captured it.

Art3myx is an artist that she follows and idolize. Sobrang nagugustuhan ni Hiraya ang kaniyang mga art. Hiraya likes illustrations with dark and deep meanings. Even though Art3myx's art is nothing like that, Hiraya still fell in love with Art3myx's art.

S/he has more than 40k followers and no one knows who that person is.

Painting is Hiraya's medicine. Kapag malungkot, paint. Kapag stressed, paint. Kapag tapos na lahat ng gawain niya for the day, paint. Halos mapuno na ng paintings ang kaniyang bahay.

Night sky sa ceiling ng kaniyang bedroom, self-portait sa vacant wall ng living room, starry night sa gate ng garage at maliliit na daisy flowers na nakakalat sa buong bahay niya.

*Ms. Hiraya Jean Janssen!*

"Ms. Janssen, are you sleeping again on my class?"

Everyone laughed.

"Sorry Sir. Han, I fell asleep," tumayo si Hiraya at sinabi niya ito sa kaniyang guro.

"You've had your warning, Ms. Janssen. This isn't the first time."

"I'm really sorry, sir." Tinignan lamang siya ng kaniyang guro for a few seconds.

*Am I going to detention? Kailangan ko pang pumunta sa cafe*

"Ms. Janssen and Mr. Guerrero, please come with me to the office," seryosong in-announce ni Mr. Han. "Class, dismissed."

"Ha? Ano pong ginawa ko, sir? Bakit kasama po ako?" tanong ni Karlo sa kanilang guro, bakas sa kaniyang mukha ang pag-aalala.

"You're not in any trouble, Mr. Guerrero. But you and Ms. Janssen are needed in the Principal's Office."

The two students in demand immediately looked at each other as if they were in sync, then they scowled.

To tell you the truth, they're not in good terms. Siguro dahil sa nangyari sa kanilang dalawa two years ago sa summer camp or, maybe, way before that pa..

Inside the office, there are four people waiting. The Principal, PE Head teacher, two more students from the higher year, Jeric and Dale, and a middle aged man they didn't know.

"Good afternoon po," the two students bowed.

"Students, this is Mr. Mendez. He is a representative from Culture and Tourism Center," the principal introduced. "As Arts and Design students, I know all of you are aware of the Cultural Dance Competition, Regional level, and Ma'am Ignacio here recommended you four. You will be joining six more students from our neighbouring schools, Rizal NHS and Tablas International School.

"Gagawa pa naman muna ng audition video entry for the competition, kaya don't be pressured," Ma'am Ignacio added, the head teacher. "Sasayaw kayo ng cultural interpretative dance, that is kung tatanggapin ninyo ang aming request. If not, that's completely alright, we'll just choose different students."

The teacher gave them a minute to let it sink in. "If you need a parent's consent, we can make you one. So, what do you say, students?"

"Kailan po magsisimula?" Pangutana ni Dale from grade 12.

"Dance rehearsals for the audition entry will start immediately on next monday at the town plaza."

"May cash prize po ba kung mananalo?" Tanong naman ni Jerec.

"Yes, there will be cash prizes and certificates."

"Sige po, sir, sasali po ako," sagot agad ni Jerec.

"Ako rin po," magkasabay na binitawan ni Karlos at Dale, pareho ring nakataas ang kamay.

"Ikaw, Ms. Janssen?"

"Sorry sir, hindi po ako sasali," wika ni Hiraya. "But I know someone who might."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"Mako Sibal from my class."