As the sun retires for the day, houses and lampposts lightened up the streets like a line of defense, protecting themselves from the encroaching darkness.
Kyouka, at her residence, seemingly drying her long black hair after taking a bath, found an unread message notification from her phone. The moment she opened her mobile device, she caught a glimpse of Sano walking outside, seemingly making his way back home across the street.
"Sano?"
Upon looking more intently from the window, she noticed that the young man isn't the usual Sano that he is. The way his hands are inside his pockets instead of usually just relaxing from his sides. The way his face were deep in thought where normally he prefers not to think about things, and the way his slanted eyes were emitting some kind of resolute as though forgetting he's the kind of guy who prefer not to do anything unnecessary or unreasonable.
In Kyouka's mind, she figured that something must have happened back in the Barangay Council meeting.
After watching Sano enter their house through the front door, Kyouka turned her attention to the message she received from someone just a couple minutes ago. Then, with a face as though she was shocked by the message...
"This is..."
.
.
.
4:30PM, at the quiet corridor on the second floor of the Barangay Hall, the door which leads to the Barangay Council meeting room opened. Then Sano came out of the said door.
'I didn't think being in a council meeting would be much more tiresome than entering the class...'
Sano let out a sigh of exhaustion as he slided down to the ground with his back against the wall. And then...
"You look like you just barely survived the meeting."
The familiar voice came from the woman watching the afternoon scenery from one of the glass windows.
"I thought you already gone home, Kyouka?"
"I figured I want to hear the decision of the barangay council before anyone else. My treat."
Sano stood up from the floor and saw the street food stall outside through one of the glass window.
"All right."
The two then went outside the Barangay Hall and went to the Kwek Kwek stall.
Kwek Kwek is a popular variation of the tempura-like filipino street food called Tukneneng. Tukneneng is a hard-boiled chicken egg deep fried with orange colored batter covering it. Whereas Kwek Kwek were deep fried similarly but with duck eggs as the main ingredient. The name Kwek Kwek comes from the sound ducks make.
"Here's your 2 orders of Kwek Kwek with ice-cold chocolate milk drink!"
"Thank you very much."
An order of a freshly cooked Kwek Kwek together with a drink costs 22 Pesos and arrives as four orange-colored eggs in a disposable paper plate and a chocolate milk drink in a plastic cup.
"Thanks for the food."
Sitting in one of the counter stools, Sano quickly chows down on his Kwek Kwek. Eating them one after the other. And in just a matter of seconds, all the four Kwek Kweks from his paper plate are gone.
Though, he ate it all. Sano doesn't seem to be quite satisfied yet. And Kyouka noticed that, and so...
"You can take the other two." Kyouka offered half of her order to Sano.
"Seriously?"
"I'm not really that hungry." She replied.
That being said, Sano accepted her offer and took two of Kyouka's Kwek Kwek with his half-cut barbecue stick and proceeded to eat them in one go. Afterwards, he chugged the ice-cold chocolate milk down to its last drop.
With an exhale of satisfaction, a wide smile printed on Sano's face.
"Much better." He uttered.
"With that, you should be able to iterate what happened during the meeting."
As Kyouka stated, Sano cleared his throat as he began to iterate what happened.
"The meeting should have been done hours ago." The young man told Kyouka. "One of the Barangay Council members, Edgorio Toto, tried to pursue everyone to put the Barangay under lockdown as early as tomorrow morning. But in the end, nothing was decided."
As Sano began to explain everything to Kyouka, everything that transpired from the council meeting started replaying from his head.
.
.
.
12:00PM, it was the middle of the day when the whole Barangay Council body gathered for an emergency issued by one of the Barangay Councilor.
"Thank you so much for answering the call and gathering here, everyone. Especially you, Barangay Captain, Risa."
Edgorio Toto, the Chairman for the Agribusiness and Transport Committee gave his sincere gratitude for the entire council body for gathering for the meeting.
The Barangay Council consists of eight members, including Sano. Much like him who represents the youth as the SK Chairman, the others also represents as the Chairman of their own respective committees.
Firstly, Agario Rene. The Chairman for Public Orders and Laws of the Barangay. He is the one that oversees human rights, public protection, security, safety, peace and order. Just like the title implies.
The Chairman for Health and Sanitation Committee, Bragaya Naing.
"This is about the live press that happened this morning, right? Then I am more than glad to discuss it with everyone."
The Chairman for Education and Sports Activity Commitee, Sinio Lenie.
"Likewise."
The Chairman for Clean and Green Committee, Sese Llana.
"I'm looking forward to this meeting."
'Are they really looking forward to this meeting? I can't feel any enthusiasm coming from their voice whatsoever.' Sano mumbled to himself.
"It's a pleasure to be with everyone here."
The Secretary of the Barangay Council. And, the Chairman of the Finance, Appropriations, and Ways and Means, Lagara Anyo.
'That guy must have a lot of work in him.'
Sano mumbled into his head while gazing at the young-adult secretary.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, Agario."
Like a siren, luring humans with their voice, Sano shifted his gaze from Lagara onto the person who spoke just now. The Barangay Captain of the Barangay Council, Risa Pontavel.
In that split second, the young SK chairman and the Barangay Captain met eye to eye. Then, with her perky, pink lips, Risa smiled gently onto Sano.
And just like that, excluding Sano, the Barangay Council that governed the Barangay of Silangan for 6 years reunited into their first meeting of their third term.
"To start this meeting right away, let us review the live press that occurred this morning."