I found myself sitting in the backseat of the black van, sandwiched between Emi on my right and Karina on my left. Both girls had lunch boxes in their laps, and they opened them at the same time. Emi used a knife to cut her chicken katsu into small pieces, while Karina used a fork to stab her marinated pork.
And if you ask where my lunch box is—well, these two girls didn't allow me to buy lunch from the cafeteria, insisting they would share their food with me.
That's why, in this situation, I felt like I was a sauce being sandwiched between two pieces of bread.
Their lips turned into a wide grin as they both leaned closer to me. I looked right at Emi and left at Karina, seeing their eyes full of determination.
"Say 'ahh' for me, Inzo~!" Emi said, raising her fork with a sliced piece of chicken katsu.
"Inzo, open your mouth," Karina said as she raised her fork with a piece of marinated pork.
I took a bite first at Emi's Chicken Katsu. It was crispy and delicious, and the texture was on point.
"Mmm... It's good, Emi."
"As it should be, my beloved Inzo, because it's my food after all," Emi said with a smile. Her smile then turned into a wide grin as she looked at Karina. "Its deliciousness is world-class and can't be compared to a simple pork that was just 'marinated.'"
"W-what did you say? Pork that was just marinated?!" Karina's eyebrows shot up in anger.
"Yes, I said it clearly: a 'pork that was just marinated,'" Emi repeated, emphasizing each word with a mocking tone.
"It's not just marinated pork, Emi! It's Adobong Baboy!"
"Adobong Baboy? What's that?" I tilted my head in curiosity towards Karina.
"Adobong baboy is one of the signature foods in the Philippines. It's true that it is marinated pork, but if you take just a single bite, Inzo, you'll realize this is the best food."
"Okay," I said, taking a bite from Karina's fork. As the marinated pork entered my mouth, my eyes widened in shock.
"It's so delicious, Karina! The sauce... The pork is so soft!"
"I told you, Inzo! Adobong baboy is the best food," Karina said, her eyes beaming with pride.
"Y-yeah, thank you for sharing your food with me, Karina."
Before Karina could reply, we both felt a tremendous aura, more like a killing intent stare. I looked to my right; it was Emi. Her face darkened, and she looked really mad.
"What? Are you serious?" Emi asked, her voice tinged with jealousy. "I can't believe you're actually saying that Karina's food is better than my chicken katsu!"
"Emi..." I said as I was about to touch her hand, but she slapped it away in rejection. Then she crossed her arms and huffed.
"Hmph! Enjoy Karina's food then!"
I sighed, feeling the pressure of the situation. I had to balance this before things got out of hand.
"Emi, please don't be upset. Your chicken katsu was amazing. It's crispy, flavorful, and the texture was perfect. Karina's adobong baboy is great too, but it's different. I love both of your food."
Emi's eyes softened slightly, but she still looked away. "Really? You're not just saying that?"
I nodded earnestly. "I'm serious. Chicken katsu and adobong baboy have unique styles and flavors that's why I'm really lucky to have you as my girlfriend and a friend like Karina."
"That's right..." Emi said as she finally looked at me and continued. "After all, I'm your girlfriend, Inzo," she said with a smile.
"Oh~, it seems like for the meantime I will have the title of Inzo's friend," karina teased, covering her mouth and a playful glint in her eyes. "But I'll take it. It just means that I get to keep impressing you with my cooking, Inzo."
"Of course, Karina. Your cooking always impresses me." I said with a smile.
Emi glanced at Karina, then back at me, a hint of territoriality in her eyes. "You know, Inzo, you're lucky to have me as your girlfriend. I'll make sure you never go hungry."
I grinned back at Emi, feeling a sense of relief as the tension between us lifted. "I know, Emi. And I'm grateful for every meal you make."
"Hey, don't forget about my food too!" Karina chimed in.
"Alright, alright, I understand." I sighed as I continued. "Let's just eat together. After all, sharing is caring, right?"
"Then have some more of my adobong baboy!" Karina said as she raised the fork with marinated pork.
"Me first, Inzo. I am your girlfriend, right? So, the girlfriend comes first before a friend, isn't it~?" Emi asked with a playful smile.
"Y-yeah, that's true..." I said, still contemplating the truth that Emi is my girlfriend and she needs to be my number one priority.
"A-ano?! ang daya mo naman! (W-what? That's so unfair of you?!)" Karina exclaimed, her anger evident.
"I can't understand you. You're speaking in that language again," Emi replied with a smirk.
"It's your fault!" Karina shot back. "You always try to overshadow me just because you're his girlfriend!"
Emi's smirk turned into a proud smile. "Well, I am his girlfriend, and you're just his friend. So, that means you're just in second place," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.
With that said, their friendly banter—no, their competitive rivalry continued until the lunch break ended. Emi and I went back to our classroom, while Karina said she had to wait for our homeroom teacher before she could enter.
Noises in the background from my classmates talking to each other and laughing around suddenly disappeared as everyone returned to their seats when our homeroom teacher, Nishimura-sensei, opened the door and made his way to his desk.
"Good afternoon, class."
We stood up and said in unison, "Good afternoon, Nishimura-sensei."
"Good, you may now take your seats."
We took our seats and looked at Nishimura-sensei. It was unusual for him to come in the afternoon since it was supposed to be our history teacher's period. This meant Nishimura-sensei had something important to announce.
"Everyone, you all know that our final exam is next week. But we have a new student joining us, and the new student has agreed to take the exam next week."
The atmosphere in our class became noisy as some students were excited, but what Emi and I mostly heard was from the back row, where the boys were really excited and hyped.
"Man, I hope the transfer student is a girl," said the first underling boy.
"A beautiful and elegant girl would be nice," added the second underling boy.
"As the leader, you guys have to support me, as I will make the transfer student mine," their leader declared.
"What if you get rejected again, bro?"
"Yeah, he's right. You did get rejected by Shinohara-san earlier."
"Perhaps you need to give the chance to others, bro?" the first underling boy suggested.
"Hell no! I will have this chance. That was just bad luck that I got rejected earlier."
"B-but bro, we are just worried for you. After all, you were sad earlier and you are our captain," the first underling boy said.
"I know you are worried for me, but..." His face turned serious, more like a sigma. "As a captain and a leader, I must be the one to make a move for the transfer student."
"Captain..."
"Bro... you really are a strong leader."
"Leader!" The first underling boy hugged the leader and cried weirdly.
It felt like I was hearing a drama about a heroic sacrifice, where the leader of the group had to take on the challenge for the sake of his members.
But Emi and I had an idea of who this transfer student was, as we had already met her earlier.
"You may enter now," Nishimura-sensei said, gesturing towards the door. The transfer student stepped foot into our classroom, her brown hair cascading down her shoulders, her brown eyes scanning the room as she made her way inside, dressed in the Hanayami Academy uniform.
Everyone in our classroom gasped in shock at the elegance and beauty of the transfer student.
"She's so beautiful! Is she our new classmate?" one of the boys from the front row exclaimed.
"She's so pretty!" echoed the girls in the front row.
"I would probably ask her on a date," one of the boys from the middle row whispered.
"No, we both know I'm luckier, so I'm the one who will ask her out first," another boy retorted.
"h-that's cheating!"
"Cheating, you say?" The boy clenched his fists and grinned. "No, it's not. It's my gut telling me this will be my lucky day—oh, my lucky day!"
Suddenly, a loud clap from Nishimura-sensei silenced the classroom.
"Silence, everyone," Nishimura-sensei said, then he turned to the transfer student. "You may now introduce yourself."
The transfer student nodded and then looked at us with a composed posture. She took a deep breath and started, "Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat (Good afternoon, everyone)."
That language made everyone, including Nishimura-sensei, shocked, as they couldn't understand what the transfer student said. Karina Nakashima repeated the introduction in Japanese to help the students understand.
"Minasan, kon'nichiwa. Watashinonamaeha Nakashima Karinadesu. Watashi wa 17-sai de, Firipinde wa yūmeina joyūdesu (Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Karina Nakashima. I am 17 years old, and I am a famous actress in the Philippines)."
My classmates murmured amongst themselves, intrigued by our new classmate. Of course, they couldn't believe that they would have a new classmate who is a famous actress from the Philippines.
"Watashi no shumi wa dansu, utau koto, soshite hon o yomu kotodesu (My hobbies are dancing, singing, and reading books)."
My classmates were amazed by her hobbies and excited to talk to her.
"Koko ni iru min'na to tomodachi ni naretara ī na (I hope I could be friends with everyone here)," she said with a dazzling, heart-stopping smile that shined throughout the entire classroom.
One of the boys in the back row, who had confessed to Emi earlier, suddenly nosebled and slumped onto his desk.
"Bro! What happened?!" the first underling asked worriedly, shaking him. "Hold on, bro!"
The second underling boy, looking panicked, shouted, "Sh*t, where's the medic? He's been hit! Hit! That smile didn't even damage me further like that." He glanced at Karina again, and blood started trickling from his nose as he clutched his chest. "Shi... S...she's an a..angel," he stammered, his face turning pale before he closed his eyes and fainted.
The first underling turned to the second underling boy as panic was evident in his voice, "No, don't die on me too, medic! Medic!"
"Is everything okay? What's wrong?" Karina asked with her gentle tone, and her gentle expression from her face made things worse.
The first underling boy looked at Karina, his heart racing when he saw her gentle and worried face. Suddenly, blood started to slowly and dramatically trickle from his nose. "Ah... it looks like it's my time, but I have no regrets. I saw an angel, and I will be with my friends in heaven."
Really? Are they really going to heaven? I wondered.
"Goodbye, cruel world... I hope I get reincarnated into a world full of beautiful ladies," he added with one last smile before completely fainting.
The other boys, both from the middle and front rows, also lost consciousness. Damn, that deadly smile is more dangerous than a pandemic.
It made me think, how did those Filipinos survive when Karina lived there for four years, using that smile in the showbiz industry?
As for me, I was the sole survivor of Karina's deadly smile because Emi tightened her grip on my right hand. If I tried to speak, feel shock, or admire Karina even a bit while she introduced herself, Emi would tighten her grip even more. That's how I managed to survive Karina's deadly attack.
Well, back to the present, Emi was still gripping my right shoulder tightly, not letting go.
"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath. "They can't handle a simple smile."
"They don't have girlfriends, Emi, so it's expected for them to feel that way," I said, trying to reason with her.
"Then does that mean you don't feel anything from Karina, my beloved Inzo~?" Emi asked with a wide and satisfied smile.
"Yeah, of course! I am satisfied with having a girlfriend already."
"Really?" Emi tightened her grip on my right hand for confirmation.
"Awww...! T-that hurts, but yeah, really, I promise." I winced in pain but still smiled at her to calm her down.
"Fine, I will only let your right hand go, Inzo, if you say the correct password."
"Huh, the correct password? What password?"
"I... love... you..." She said it slowly for me to understand.
"I..." I blushed in embarrassment. I couldn't say it in the classroom because the girls were looking at me, curious why I didn't lose consciousness like the other boys did.
"Don't hesitate, my beloved," Emi whispered, her eyes narrowing.
"I... love... you," I finally said, my face burning with embarrassment.
Emi smiled triumphantly and released my right hand. "Good boy," she purred, leaning closer. "Remember, you're mine and only mine."
I nodded quickly, trying to get this over with. "Yes, I understand, Emi."
Suddenly, Nishimura-sensei made a loud clap that woke the boys' souls and also interrupted the moment between Emi and me.
"We're not done yet, class. Our transfer student, Nakashima-san, hasn't told us about her interests yet."
The boys and girls once again became interested, and I too looked at Karina, waiting for her to speak.
"My interest in this class is none other than Inzo Hayashi."
After Karina said that, our classroom erupted into chaos. The boys, who had just regained consciousness, widened their eyes and mouth in shock. The girls whispered among themselves, eyes darting between Karina and me.
Karina walked gracefully from the center of the classroom to the middle row into the window side where Emi and I sat. She stopped as she arrived in front of us.
Emi's grip on my right hand tightened again, her blue-grey eyes filled with possessive fury.
"What did you just say?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
Karina smiled, unfazed by Emi's hostility. "I said, My interest is Inzo Hayashi. I find him... intriguing."
"Intriguing?" Emi repeated, her voice dripping with disdain. "He's mine. Stay away from him."
Karina tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. "Is that so? You don't own him, Shinohara-san. Inzo can make his own choices."
Emi's eyes narrowed, her grip becoming almost painful. "I won't let you steal my one and only treasure, Nakashima-san. Inzo is happy with me."
I glanced nervously between the two of them and whispered to Emi, "Emi, please calm down."
Karina leaned in slightly, her gaze locking onto Emi's. "I'm not here to take him away. I just want to get to know him better. Surely, there's no harm in that?"
Emi's voice grew colder. "There's plenty of harm in that. I know your type. You think you can just talk, charm, and seduce Inzo? Then you're wrong because he's mine."
Karina straightened up, her expression serene. "We'll see about that. I believe Inzo can decide for himself. Can't you, Inzo?"
Before I could speak, Emi cut me off, her blue-grey eyes flashing with anger. "Stay out of this, Inzo. Nakashima-san, you need to back off now."
Karina chuckled softly, her eyes never leaving Emi's. "I'm not going anywhere, Shinohara-san. This isn't over."
Nishimura-sensei clapped his hands again, his voice cutting through the tension. "Alright, everyone, settle down. This is not the time for personal conflicts."
Karina turned to Nishimura-sensei and nodded politely. "Of course, Nishimura-sensei. I apologize for the trouble that I have caused," she said with a slight bow.
Karina took a seat at the next table, which was usually occupied by a frequently absent student. Her new seatmate, a boy who looked like he had just won the lottery, had no objections to having Karina as his seatmate.
The fact remained that Karina intended to be closer to me. I didn't mind, as we were friends in elementary school, but Emi would definitely not allow that to happen. Emi is Emi, after all.
Emi's grip on my right shoulder remained tight, her blue-grey eyes watching Karina like a hawk. She leaned in closer to me, her voice a fierce whisper. "Don't let her charm you, Inzo. Remember, you're mine."
"I know, Emi," I said softly, trying to calm her down. "I doubt she really wants trouble."
Karina glanced over at us, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I promise I won't cause any trouble~," she said playfully, though her words carried a challenge to Emi.
"We'll see about that," Emi muttered.
After three subjects, it was time to go home, but I remained in my seat because I had a special quiz since I had been absent for the entire month of November.
As the other students started to leave, Nishimura-sensei handed me the quiz papers from different subjects and sat at his desk to supervise. To my surprise, both Emi and Karina stayed behind.
"Why are you still here, Nakashima-san? A friend doesn't need to stick around for this," Emi said as she crossed her arms, glaring at Karina.
"A friend should support another friend, don't you think?" Karina replied with a sweet smile.
"That's a job for a girlfriend, to support her boyfriend!"
"Is that so?" Karina raised an eyebrow. "I believe anyone who cares should offer their support."
Emi hugged me tightly, making me stop answering the quiz paper. "E-Emi?"
"Inzo doesn't need your support. He has me," Emi said, still hugging me tightly.
Karina remained calm, her expression serene. "Why can't he have both? There's no harm in having more people who care about him."
"Because you're up to something. I don't trust you."
"You're right, but I am currently interested in Inzo so much that I wanted to talk to him. So let me borrow him and talk with him alone, Shinohara-san?"
"No, never. I won't. He's mine."
Nishimura-sensei cleared his throat, trying to bring the peace back. "Shinohara-san and Nakashima-san, this is not the time for personal disputes. Inzo-kun needs to focus on his quizzes."
"Hmph! Fine. But I'm staying right here as Inzo's seatmate and girlfriend," Emi declared.
Karina nodded, taking a seat a little further away. "I'll be here too, just in case Inzo needs anything. I am his friend, after all."
I sighed inwardly. This is really a pain. "I appreciate both of you staying," I said, hoping to diffuse the tension. "But can we please just let me focus on this quiz?"
Emi softened slightly and let go of her hug. "Alright, Inzo. Do your best."
"Good luck, Inzo," Karina added with a warm smile.
I turned my attention back to the quiz. Damn, math is the first subject, and then there are five more to go.
My high school life seems to be getting more complicated now that Emi has a rival. I wonder if I can graduate peacefully.