(Hiraya)
Nagpatuloy ang kaguluhan sa bandang iyon. Nawalan na ako nang ganang obserbahan ang mga susunod pa nilang gagawin.
Inilibot ko ang tingin ko sa iba pang mga studyante.
Napansin ko sa kabilang dulo ang kongregasyon ng mga studyanteng nakapalibot sa isang desk. May hawak silang mga baraha, nagsusugal sila.
Karamihan sakanila ay nag-uusap-usap sa kung ano man ang gusto nilang pag-usapan.
Napatingin ako doon sa kabilang dulo sa hilera namin, sa babaeng nakaupo malapit sa pintuan.
I also find that girl particularly annoying. Lagi siyang nakatingin sakin na may parang gustong sabihin. Hindi siya mapakali. Kusot na ang ibabang parte ng kanyang palda because she crumples it from time to time, whenever she looks at me.
What? If you want to tell me something, it's been what?.. months already, just tell me and be done with it. She stares at me everyday for a certain period of time then stops it for the rest of the day.
Ilang sigundo kaming nagkatitigan. Well, I bet she could tell na nakatingin din ako sakanya dahil biglang namula ang mukha niya nang marealize niyang nahuli ko siyang nakatingin sakin.
Oh my, thats a first! Namula ang mukha niya.
Well, I do, always know it when she looks at me. Thats why I find it annoying.
Every time na titingnan niya ako ay mararamdaman ko iyon, its like a creepy feeling when an single-for-life old woman looks at a teenage boy with degenerate thoughts.
Ah! Finally, what a miracle!.
She stood up, held my gaze, eyed me with determination na gawin na ang matagal na niyang dapat ginawa. Medyo napalakas lang ang pagtayo niya at tumalsik mula sa pagkakabangga niya ang upuan niya.
I don't know her name.
I particularly don't like names. Maybe because I just gradually forget them. Maybe because wala akong pake or maybe because I was not into making friends, not anymore.
Before she could walk her way here, may bumangga sa mesa ko. Nahulog ang phone ko sa lapag dahil nakapatong iyon sa mesa. I was too lazy para saluhin yung phone, which I could've saved.
Maari ko sanang saluhin, kayang kaya ko bago pa man mahulog. I just thought, it's useless or futile.
I could've just have my usual peaceful time. Pero nakalimutan kong dalhin yung headphones ko, na gagamitin ko sana para sa peaceful time ko. Now, kailangan ko pang madamay nanaman sa 'scenario' nato!
Flash! My body went out of my control.
Pinulot ko yung phone kong nalaglag. Humawi yung bangs ko. Tiningnan ko ang babaeng nakabangga sa mesa at tumayo ako mula sa pagkakaupo.
"Ah.. ano." She had an apologetic smile on her face. She saw the cracks that spread on the phone's screen.
"S.. Sorry!" Bigkas niya nang pabulong habang patulo na ang luha niya.
I just stood there. Hinihintay ko kung ano ang gagawin niya.
Nilapitan nung babaeng malibog si babaeng matapang. Bumulong siya sa tenga ni matapang na siyang tinanguan ng nahuli.
Actually Bb. Malibog pushed her in this direction kaya nabangga ni matapang yung mesa.
"Just say sorry. He won't bite you or something." Binalikat ni Bb. Horny nang mahina si matapang.
"Eh, oo, balak ko ngang manghinge ng tawad." Lumabi si matapang.
"Naman pala, go..!" Muling binalikat ni Bb. Malibog si matapang at sa pagkakataong ito ay mas malakas kaya napaabante siya sa harapan ko.
Lumingon si matapang kay Bb. at nanghihingi nang tulong ang mukha niya. Well, I know why.
"Hindi ko alam pangalan niya..."
Yep, I guessed correctly.
"What?" Napatingin sa akin si Bb. tapos nagsalita siya, "Diba siya si.. ah.. hmm?"
Yep, tama din hinala kong di niya ako kilala.
Umangat ang kilay ko.
"..."
My body was going to say everything is fine pero may nauna sa aking nagsalita. It's that girl.
"Hiraya.. Hiraya ang pangalan niya."
Oh my.
Flash! I can control my body again.
Napatingin ang dalawang babae sakanya. Pati na din ang ilang usisera't usiserong nakatingin sa amin.
Oh, I know where this is going.
"Ah..."
"Eh..."
Ang awkward na mga mukha nila ay lalo lang lumala dahil...
"Sino siya?" Tanong ni matapang kay Bb. habang tinuturo yung babaeng nakakaalam sa pangalan ko.
Nagkibit balikat si Bb., at habang lumalatag ang iba't ibang ekspresyon sa mga mukha ng mga usi, papalapit naman na sa amin ang magiting nilang prinsipe.
"Ah, Hiraya, ako nalang ang magbabayad nang pampaayos dyan sa phone mo. Please wag kang magalit kay Ganit."
Yep, just as expected. I know well how it'll end. Not because may kapangyarihan akong malaman ang hinaharap, it's just. The 'script' is so easy to follow through.
Now I'm intrigued by that girl who knows my name.
*
If you're wondering why few people know my name. Diba may attendance naman? Di ka ba tinatawag sa recitation?
Something is different with this school. Before the class is over, sa lahat ng subjects, laging may quiz or any other form of authentication na present ka then you're not absent. Walang nagtatawag ng pangalan tuwing umaga.
And the school system, lahat studyante ang gagawa. I mean, para sa aming mga senior high that is. Magrerecord lang ng scores ang teacher, magbibigay ng modules, exams.. blablabla. Para daw prepared na kami pagdating sa college. Weird ba? Pabor sakin yun.
Na that's just bullshit. Read more you'll understand why.
*
Now, now, now... What do we have here, even that guy knows my name. Not because he heard that girl recite my name, malayo pa siya nung banggitin nung babae yung pangalan ko kaya sure na hindi niya narinig yon. Just that, he really knows my name and I don't like it.
"Hiraya ang pangalan niya."
"May Hiraya pala tayong kaklase."
"Wow, patapos na ang pasukan ngayon ko lang nalaman."
"Ako din."
I heard them buzzing here and there but I didn't care. It won't kill me knowing they don't know my name but them knowing my name. That's another matter.
Specially that guy. One less protagonist won't hurt, no?
[Ehem]
Heard that most annoying fake cough again.
[Ehem, ehem]
Well fuck you! Shut up already.
Bumalik ang tingin ko dun sa babaeng nakakaalam ng pangalan ko. Nasa harapan ko na siya. Hmm. I can't predict what she'll do. This girl is dangerous.
SLAP!
What the god fucking damn it?
"Huhuhu.. Sabi mo.. sabi mo sakin pananagutan mo ako!" She bawled.
Oh my.
GASP!
I heard them overly exagerate their shock. Well, even I was shocked!
"Matapos kong ibigay ang katawan ko sayo, sabi mo.. sabi mo pananagutan mo ako pero bakit hanggang ngayon hindi mo pa din ako pinapansin. Tatlong buwan na akong buntis!"
GASP!
That's louder than the last.
Akmang lalapitan ni Borhe yung babae pero kinilabutan siya bigla at napatigil sa gagawin niya. Nakatitig sa likod niya yung tatlong babae na parang gusto nila siyang pugutan.
Lumapit si Bb. kay babae.
"This jerk!" She shot me a threatening glance then she comforted the girl. "Don't cry anymore. Hindi siya karapat dapat iyakan." Hinagod niya yung babae sa likod at niyakap ito.
"Hiraya, to.. totoo ba ang sinasabi niya?" Pailing-iling na tanong ni Borhe.
What's with the disappointed look on his face. We're not even close. Before everything spirals into a cosmic mess, nilapitan ko yung babae.
"Sige, payag na akong makipag-usap sayo."
GASP!
"WTF? Nagsasalita siya?"
"WOW, that guy actually talks!"
WTF is happening!? This is why I hate commenting about that guy.
[Ehem]
Ah ffffffff, just ignore him.
Magically everybody suddenly dispersed like nothing happened. They showed confused faces first then they went back to what they were doing.
Bumalik sila muli sa pagkukwentuhan, paglalaro, paghahabulan, etc...
"Oo, kailangan talaga nating mag-usap!" Tumango tango siya.
"Whoa what the hell? How are you..." Dinuro ko siya sa mukha.
"Huwag dito! Tsaka pwede ba?"
I kept on mumbling things without stop then I realized something and shot her a scrutinizing gaze.
Now, now, now. I don't like where this is going now, or maybe not.
Bumuntong hininga siya. Tumango at sumenyas siya sa akin na lumabas. Tumango din ako dahil interisado akong malaman kung bakit.. bakit nung nagreset ay kilala pa din niya ako, whats more, maybe there is a chance after all.
Thinking to myself, I watched her back while we were walking. Wait a minute. Is that why she intervened? Now that's a glitch. Everybody should've been laughing and crying and playing and not paying attention to me. Ow I see. That over-the-top standing movement she made. Ha, she glitched.
Now that's interesting. How did she do it? I never had the chance to change things in here. Everything just went on and on and on, up to this point.
Ah shiz. Now that's why!
"Hey! Can I ask you a question?" Kinalabit ko siya sa balikat habang naglalakad kami palabas.
"Yes what?"
Oh my!
"Before the next reset wanna do something fun?" Sabi ko something fun pero delikado ang binabalak ko. Alam naman niya siguro ang ilang 'Rules' pero baka hindi niya alam lahat.
"No! Kung akala mo may susunod pang reset... wala na."
She stopped talking after that. What? Maybe she was expecting a shocked expression from me. Na, I actually expected this much because I also noticed some changes even before she showed up. Now, napatunayan ko na ang mga hinala ko dahil sa mga nangyari kanina, that's the reason kung bakit ko siya inaayang gawin ang 'something fun'.
First, everybody showed confused faces for a longer duration compared to the last 'scenario'.
Second, I can't move object within the 'time frame'. That girl moved the chair.
Third, this mother fucker slapped me hard. And... ansakit. Kadalasan kahit mabalian ako sa isang 'scenario' ay babalik sa dati yung katawan ko bago ako mabalian, pagtapos ng 'scenario'. Pero hanggang ngayon namumula pa din ang pisnge ko.
At panghuli, I think something big is going to happen. Soon, or maybe now, or maybe after this girl disappears, or not. I don't know.