MORYN LODEZA

"Ma'am, we're here now." My driver's voice snapped me out of my deep thoughts. I looked out of the car window to see my surroundings. The first thing that caught my eye was the grand entrance of Destine University. I realized that I had already arrived at the campus. I didn't have a good night's sleep, so I felt a bit groggy today. After thanking the driver, I got out of the car and walked towards the main gate along with other students. Every student who passed by greeted me with warm smiles. My sleepiness suddenly dissipated because of their friendly gestures, especially the cheerful greetings from the younger students. I have always loved children and have aspired to become a Kindergarten teacher. I am well-known on the campus, as I am the child of one of the two owners of this institution. I'm happy because I've made a lot of friends now, unlike before.

"Moryn!" I heard a voice calling out my name. I looked ahead and smiled when I saw Holy Night Sebastian, my childhood friend, waving at me. Unable to contain her excitement, she ran towards me to greet me. Even though we are both girls, she often tells me that she will only love me. I usually respond with a smile whenever she mentions that, but I still believe that one day she will fall in love with a guy. As she approached me, she immediately hugged me, almost causing us to stumble as she happily embraced me. This is how she greets me every morning, as if she hasn't seen me in a year.

When she finally released me, her bright smile remained. I have to admit, she is quite cute. Even though she is wearing a boy's uniform, her beauty is undeniable. Her short, slightly messy hair gives her a boyish look, but she still appears adorable. Since I am one year older than her, I consider her as my little sister.

"Moryn, let me carry your bag," she enthusiastically offered. I wanted to refuse, not wanting to bother Night, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings either.

"Sure," I replied. Just as I was about to hand my bag to Night, suddenly another hand snatched it away. We both looked up to see a guy smiling slightly.

"Let me take this," he said calmly, but with a teasing expression on his face. I knew he was teasing Night again. He is Rhyme Dizon, the son of my dad's good friend and co-founder of this school. We have known each other since we were kids.

"What did you say!" Night asked, getting annoyed and giving Rhyme a dirty look.

"I was the one who offered to carry her bag first, so I should be the one to do it," Night protested, but Rhyme remained calm.

"I'm the gentleman here, and of course, I am the one who deserves to take on this kind of responsibility," Rhyme explained.

"I don't care!" Night shouted angrily at Rhyme. I noticed that we were starting to attract the attention of other arriving students, given that we were still in the hallway. All I could do was sigh. These two had always been rivals in everything, from academics to sports, and even in who could appear more gentlemanly in front of me. Honestly, they both mean a lot to me, so I didn't want either of them to get hurt. Rhyme must have grown weary of their conversation because he abruptly turned around, strolled away with my bag slung over his shoulder, and his hands tucked in his pockets.

"Night, we're running late. Shall we go?" Night reluctantly followed me, her face still scowling. I couldn't help but smile to myself. Her expression never fails to amuse me. Sometimes, I even catch myself thinking about how I'd love to have a child as beautiful and cute as her. We walked quietly behind Rhyme. The three of us are classmates and also in the same section. We're in grade eleven this year, but there hasn't been any change in how they treat each other. However, I still believe that they value each other, even if they don't admit it.

As we passed by, I heard whispers from the girls on the side of the hallway.

"Rhyme is really handsome," they murmured. They're right, Rhyme Dizon is undeniably handsome and the type of guy that every girl desires.  Another group of girls whispered,

"He and Miss Moryn look good together." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and I lowered my head, feeling the heat in my cheeks. Meanwhile, Night whispered angrily beside me,

"He's really a pain in the ass!" When we entered the classroom, our classmates who had arrived earlier started looking at us. Some of the girls swooned as they glanced at Rhyme, while he was greeted by the other boys.

Rhyme and I sat next to each other, with Night behind us. Even without looking at her, I could tell that she still had a sharp gaze towards Rhyme.

"Oh, I almost forgot this." I turned to Rhyme as he suddenly spoke. He handed me the bag that he had been carrying earlier.

"Thank you," I said shyly to him. I blushed even more when he gave me a wink and quickly averted his gaze to the whiteboard. I stared at him for a moment, reminiscing about the past.

During those days, I didn't have any friends. No one wanted to play with me because others kept their distance. Some were afraid because I was the child of one of the owners of Destine University. I was often bullied because they thought someone as rich as me wasn't suitable to be friends with them. I had many toys back then, but no playmates. Everything I needed was provided by my parents. However, I still longed to have friends.

I was so lonely back then, but everything changed when my dad introduced me to Rhyme. Since then, we have always played together. He enrolled in Destine University, where we are currently studying. From then on, he would block anyone who tried to bully me.

Then, Holy Night arrived as a transferee when we were in Kindergarten. She was also lonely at the time, and I saw a bit of myself in her. So, I reached out and became her friend. From then on, she never left my side. As time went on, Rhyme became a rival to her. Whenever I think back on our childhood, it still brings a smile to my face.

After our class, as I was about to stand up, I suddenly felt two hands grasping mine. I looked first at Rhyme, holding my left hand, and then at Night, who tightened her grip on my right hand.

"She's coming with me," Night declared boldly to Rhyme, her gaze sharp. However, Rhyme just smirked and shook his head slightly, seeming to do so sarcastically to tease Night.

"I was the one who pulled her first," Rhyme responded with a playful grin. I chuckled a bit and decided to play along. Honestly, both of them were holding my hands at the same time, so it was impossible for either of them to be the first. These two are something else. I wonder which one of them I'll end up marrying? I laughed to myself at the thought.

"Liar! I was the first!" Night exclaimed, clearly annoyed at Rhyme.

"That was me, actually," Rhyme replied calmly, keeping up the banter. It seemed like this argument would go on forever, so I knew I needed to intervene.

"What if we all go together to the food court, like we usually do?" I suggested, knowing this conversation was a daily occurrence. Night let go of my hand and pouted.

"There's no way I'm going with that idiot," Night whispered.

"Well, I could hear you," Rhyme replied, smirking.

"Of course, because I deliberately wanted you to hear it!" Night snapped, turning away from us. I sighed. Night was always the one easily irritated between the two of them. Later, when we reached the food court, they started arguing again about what I should eat. In the end, I ordered both of the dishes they suggested so that no one would feel left out. 

When it was time to go home, I wondered why the two of them had left me behind. Perhaps they decided to leave early due to their ongoing argument. Hastily, I packed up my belongings and exited the classroom. Standing before the school gate, awaiting my driver, a bicycle suddenly pulled up in front of me, with Night riding it.

"My princess, I'll take you home," Night declared sweetly. My heart skipped a beat. How adorable! I wanted to pinch her cheek, as I often did. She is gorgeous yet has a touch of handsomeness. Since I didn't know how to ride a bicycle, I considered joining her for the ride and planned to text my driver to inform him.

I was about to ride on the back of Night's bicycle when a car suddenly stopped in front of us, and unfortunately, Rhyme was the one driving it. I knew he found a way to escape his driver again, even though he knew he was forbidden to drive. Here they go again. It looks like we'll be staying up late again because they're starting another argument. Then, Rhyme got out of the car and walked towards us.

"I think a princess deserves to ride in a fancy car," Rhyme remarked, seemingly belittling Night. Oh no, this was definitely going to lead to another argument. But this time, I was determined to side with Night. I wanted to ride a bicycle.

"A fancy car? Save it. A princess should breathe fresh air," Night retorted, raising her eyebrows defiantly.

"And she'll inhale dust if she rides that." Rhyme defended himself. I sighed and scratched my head. Why do they always have to argue?

"So I think it would be better if she rode with me." Rhyme said with a smirk to Night.

"No way! She's riding with me because I invited her first," Night asserted firmly.

"It doesn't matter who invited her first," I facepalmed as they began shouting at each other, right in the middle of the gate where students glanced at us. Suddenly, a car honked, and I recognized our regular driver who usually picks me up. He got out of the car and approached us.

"Ma'am, I apologize for the wait. Let's go," my driver said, breaking the tension. Both Night and Rhyme fell silent. I sighed in regret. I had wanted to ride a bicycle, but I supposed I would have to save that for next time. Perhaps I should ask Night to teach me how to ride it.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'll go ahead. Take care," I said, following my driver's lead. He opened the car door for me, and I got inside. As the driver started the car, I quickly rolled down the window to wave goodbye to Night and Rhyme. Once we were on our way, I silently prayed that they wouldn't end up fighting each other. This was our daily routine, despite their constant quarrels. Yet, I could never tire of being with them because they were the ones who showed me that I was important and not alone.

When the driver parked the car in front of our mansion, I sighed. It was a large house where only the maids took care of me, and their dedication was directly tied to their pay. Despite this, I appreciated them deeply. Sometimes, I thought they worked hard for their families, just like my dad, who never seemed to have time for me. Although it hurt, I resolved to endure and try to understand. As I entered my room, thoughts of Rhyme and Night crossed my mind again. I hoped they were both safe and had made it home without any fights. If they end up fighting, I won't be there to stop them. I hope that doesn't happen.