JAY-JAY’S POV

Hahaha, amazing! Nervous, and at the same time, it feels like I'm having diarrhea too. Hehe.

It's the beginning of the day, and here I am, a student at Higher Value International School.

What a name!

I'm almost to the room that the registrar's office showed me. According to my registration papers, it seems I'm in Section E of 4th-year high school. I came here because they said my records weren't that good.

I can't blame them; I was also rebellious at my old school. I continued walking towards the room. The school is actually good, just wide. The school grounds are fresh, with many trees around. I think I'll fit in here. I hope so.

When I arrived at the classroom, I saw some boys hanging around opposite the door. There were five of them, and they were all poorly dressed in uniform. A little scary, but they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

As I got closer, they stopped talking, and they all looked at me with disgust.

Okay, this is a little scary!

"Uhmm... M-Mister, is this the section?" I stuttered. Why am I so embarrassed about this?

They looked at each other first, then returned their gaze to me. They scanned me from head to toe. Is there something wrong with my appearance?

"No, this is the wrong building," answered a man with brown hair.

"Huh?" I said. "The registrar told me this was it!—"

"Move!" the man holding a lollipop shouted.

I was a little scared by their screams, so I ran quickly. It was terrible! Did they really need to shout? But I'm new here… I wasn't ready for this.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. While I was still walking toward my classroom, I got more annoyed! I increased my steps, but the other building was still a bit far away.

The building I came from was just amazing—it's in the far part and doesn't seem to be frequented by students. It's still in good condition, but the paint is faded, there's a lot of vandalism, and old things are scattered around. Chairs and desks are broken. Two floors, with about four or six rooms in total. I'm not sure if they're all used.

But the building I was heading to now was new. The paint was beautiful, it had four floors, and many rooms. Some even had air conditioning.

Rich!

Immediately, I entered the building to find the room. How many minutes had I been walking? It felt like nothing. No, I'm not blind. I just couldn't find the room in Section E.

Finally, I saw my classroom with the name on the door curtain. Only the section was listed, but there was a mark left that obviously indicated it was Section E.

Maybe this is it!

I immediately entered. The students there stopped and looked at me. There were about 20+ students.

I searched for the teacher but found nothing. So, I walked straight to an empty seat at the back.

More eyes turned toward me. "Is there a transferee?"

"Is there something new?" Whispers followed.

Honestly, I felt shy, or more accurately, irritated. I didn't want to be the subject of discussion, but obviously, they were talking about me. I just bowed my head while hugging my bag.

"Hi!" Someone came up and greeted me.

I looked up and saw a woman—what a beautiful creature! Are you an angel?

She was stunning, with long hair and fair skin. She was tall, looking even taller than me.

"H-Hello..." I greeted, feeling shy.

"Don't worry! I'm probably the same age. Let's go," she said.

"Ah... S-Sure," I replied.

She stretched, then sat down across from me.

"Oh, you're a transferee?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," I replied, still a little uncomfortable.

"My name is Rakki, the class president," she said, extending her hand, and I shook it.

Her name sounded so cool! It suited her… hehe.

"Jay, are you sure you're in the right section?" Rakki suddenly asked, looking at me with concern.

I was surprised, but I just nodded.

"I know because there's a transferee in Section E, but not here," she said.

Not here?

I felt embarrassed. I had entered the wrong section.

"What section is this?" I whispered to Rakki.

She looked around the class. It was so embarrassing when everyone heard what I said.

Rakki leaned toward me and whispered, "Section C."

Crap! I entered the wrong section!

I slowly stood up and walked toward the door, bowing my head as I went. Please don't let anyone look at me.

I was almost at the door when Rakki suddenly stopped me.

"Where are you going? Ma'am will be here soon."

My mood dropped even further. I took a deep breath and looked Rakki in the eye.

"Rakki," I began. "I-I was admitted to the wrong section."

"Pffft, say that again!" Rakki laughed, and soon, the whole class started laughing.

Just kill me now! I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole.

I slowly walked out of the room, and I could still hear their laughter.

So shameful! So annoying!

I ran back to the building for Section E, the real Section E.

The guys I encountered earlier were probably waiting for me. If they had just pointed me to the right building, I wouldn't have ended up in the wrong section.

It's frustrating! They'll remember this for the rest of their lives, the entire Section C!

I finally arrived in the correct room. The students raised their eyebrows as I entered. Oh no… I made another mistake!

The teacher stopped teaching and looked at me. I was furious.

"Yes?" she asked.

I quickly composed myself and immediately pulled out my registration papers. Wait! I need to be sure!

"Is this Section E?" I asked boldly.

The teacher nodded and looked at me. She took my registration papers.

"Ahh... You're the transfer student! I've been waiting for you," she said, pulling me aside in front. "I'm Mr. Alvin Siongco."

I smiled at him and noticed the students who had laughed at me earlier. These people are crazy!

I could feel the intensity of their gazes. So, I just bowed my head, trying to ignore them. Except for the guy who was holding the lollipop earlier.

"Class! Silence, please," Mr. Alvin called. "Okay, welcome. Let's introduce you."

I took a deep breath. "My name is Jasper Jean Mariano, but you can call me Jay-Jay. I'm from Holy Saints High School."

The whole class stared at me. Most of them looked bored. The guy with the poker face didn't even blink.

"Class president... Anyone have any questions?" Mr. Alvin asked.

No one replied. They all looked uninterested.

"Class president," Mr. Alvin repeated, looking at the group of men I had talked to earlier.

"Shhh..." the guy with the lollipop said. He stood up with a bored look and turned to me.

Wait! He's the class president? No way!

"Question..." Mr. Alvin's voice sounded commanding. The class president, Keifer, spoke up. "Are you still a virgin?"

My eyes widened as the whole class burst into laughter.

"Keifer!" Mr. Alvin shouted angrily.

Keifer grinned. "You said question… That's a question."

No respect! He even answered the teacher like that! So arrogant!

I gave him a bad look. Mr. Alvin, however, was trying to calm things down.

"Keifer, sit down! Miss Mariano, you can choose any seat you want," Mr. Alvin said.

I was so done with Keifer. He gave me a bad look, but I turned my attention back to finding a seat.

No problem. There were plenty of vacant seats. Most of them were in the middle.

The desks and chairs were like those in Japan—old, but functional. There were more than 20 pairs of desks and chairs in the room. The students mostly sat at the back and on the sides. It looked like a U-shape. Only one row in the middle had no students, so I took a seat there.

I was now a loner in the middle of the room.

I rolled my eyes as I said to him while laughing again at the whole class. "Keifer!" Sir Alvin shouted angrily. Keifer just grinned. "You asked a question... and that is a question," he said. No respect! Even the teacher was answering him! How arrogant! I glared at him, but Sir Alvin quickly corrected him. "Keifer, that is not a decent question." There you go! I finally got it right! I wished I could reach into my pocket and disappear. Immediately, the whole class went "ooohhh" in unison.

Their class president, whom Sir Alvin called Keifer, raised an eyebrow. "You want a decent question? Okay... When are you leaving our section?" The whole class went "ooohhh" again. Honestly, I was disgusted by what was happening and even more disgusted by Keifer. His arrogance was unbearable! What did he think? Was he proud of his position?

I answered him sharply. "You? When will you be lost in the world?" The "ooohhh" from the class grew louder, even though Sir Alvin was reacting to it too.

"Why don't you go first?" Keifer responded with a grin.

"Because I am the one who'll make you disappear in this world," I said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, I can..." I added confidently.

"Okay, okay, both of you need to stop. Keifer, sit down. Miss Mariano, you can choose any seat you want," Sir Alvin said, his voice firm.

Terrific! I was done with him. I shot him a look, but turned my attention back to finding a seat. I was just glad it wasn't going to be behind him. It didn't matter; there were plenty of vacant seats. Most of the open spots were in the middle of the room.

The desks and chairs looked like those in Japan, even though they were old. There were more than 20 pairs of desks and chairs in the room. Most of the students sat in the back and along the sides. The arrangement looked like a U-shape. There was only one spot in the middle with fewer seats, so I decided to sit there. I took the seat, my face still a bit tense, as I became more of a loner in the class.

The class setup was amazing. There were only about 15 or 16 students here, and the others seemed to be scattered around.

Jay-Jay's POV

I enrolled in class quite late, so I missed some lessons. Fortunately, Sir Alvin gave me a copy of the lessons I had missed. Their lecture went far, but that was just how it was—nothing more, nothing less.

Sir Alvin is the English teacher and also the advisor of Section E. I had a bit of a rough start in this section, but so far, it's been pretty quiet.

Tick Tock Tick Tock

I'm taking it back! I still can't calm down! Was that just a ghost?

A while ago, I was being pelted with paper here. It was just a small, round piece of paper, but when I looked back to see where it came from, I found only malice in the whole class. What?! Am I bothering you?!

As we moved on to the next subject, the scene repeated. More papers were scattered around me.

"Just stay calm, Jay. They're just trying to annoy you!" I reminded myself.

I tried to focus on the lecture again. Sir Alvin assured me that the next teacher would also provide a copy of the previous lessons.

I was busy writing when suddenly, I felt something hit my hair. I reached up and touched it. It was wet.

A wet paper ball had been thrown at me. There was no need to ask where the water came from—the fastest and easiest source was a person's mouth. The slimy, slightly sticky texture confirmed my suspicion.

"Yuck! Eeewww!"

I immediately grabbed a tissue and some alcohol from my bag. Good thing I always carry these with me—girl scout mode activated!

Our next classes continued, but the situation remained the same. Damn it!

As soon as the teacher left, I stood up and faced the whole class. I stared at them intently.

"WHO THREW THAT PAPER BALL AT ME?!" I shouted in anger.

No one moved. Just as I was about to speak again, I noticed that everyone was holding crumpled, rounded pieces of paper. Paper balls—circles as big as apples.

They were all grinning at me. Dead!

I saw Keifer smirking. He stood up, positioning himself as if he were about to throw a baseball.

My eyes widened at the sight. What had I gotten myself into, Jay-Jay?

I swallowed hard and shut my eyes as I saw the paper ball flying toward me. It hit my face, followed by more and more paper balls raining down on me.

"Aarrrggghhhh!" I screamed.

It didn't hurt, but there were so many of them. Along with the barrage of paper balls, laughter filled the room.

"Okay, more! Hahaha!"

"There are plenty more here! Hahaha!"

I knew there were only about fifteen of them, but it felt like a hundred were throwing at me.

"Aarrgghhhhh... What is this?!" I shouted, but of course, no one answered.

I had no choice. I grabbed my bag and ran out of the room as fast as I could. They kept throwing paper at me until I was finally out of sight.

I didn't stop running until I was far away from the building.

They're so annoying! I wish I hadn't responded to Keifer!

It was lunchtime, so I considered going straight to the cafeteria. I entered and got in line.

While waiting, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"That was hilarious! Hahaha..." It was Rakki and some of my classmates. I immediately turned my back on them.

Why is this line so long?!

"Hey, Rakki..." I heard someone call her. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but listen.

"What's up, Michael?" Rakki replied.

"Have you heard the news about the transferee? What can you say about her?"

Wait—are they talking about me?

"Uhmmm... She's pretty, but a little noob."

Should I be happy? That was both a compliment and an insult at the same time!

Why is this queue so slow?!

"Hahaha... What do you mean?"

"She was placed in our section instead of Section E."

Suddenly, they all burst into laughter. It was humiliating!

"That's embarrassing..."

Say more! Move already! Finally, I reached the vendor. I bought two meals, knowing I'd need my energy. I also grabbed a large Piattos, Nova, and Cheappy.

I quickly took my food and walked toward the cafeteria door, but I was stopped when I ran into Aries—my cousin.

His brows furrowed when he saw me. I froze in place. I was exhausted!

"Hey, Aries! Over here!" Rakki shouted.

But Aries didn't move. Neither did I. I felt someone approaching us until...

"Jay-Jay! You're here!" Rakki greeted me. "Guys, this is the transferee."

Rakki suddenly hugged me and introduced me to everyone in the cafeteria. It was too late for me to resist.

"This is Jay-Jay, the one I was talking about earlier," Rakki said.

I just bowed my head. I didn't know if I should feel embarrassed because of the people around me or because of Aries.

Aries and I had a troubled past. We came from a broken family, which led me to rebel. My grandmother took me in, hoping I would change, but I disappointed her. She had a heart attack because of a fight I was involved in. My aunts were furious with me, except for Aunt Gema, Aries's mother. She took me in since she didn't have a daughter, and I agreed, promising my grandmother and everyone else that I would fix my life. When I arrived at their home, I thought things would get better, but Aries was still angry. He even threatened to leave if I stayed. Aunt Gema didn't stop him, so he left. And now, we had met again here.

"So, Jay-Jay... How's your experience with Section E?" Michael asked.

I didn't want to tell them how the entire section had humiliated me. And I didn't want Section E to think I was complaining either.

"It's okay... They're being nice to me," I replied, forcing a smile.

"I think that's a lie. Section E is full of barbarians. They have records both inside and outside of school," Rakki commented.

I frowned at her words. Seriously? Barbarians? Monsters? That was the past.

"No need to worry... Jay will fit in just fine with Section E," Aries said.

I looked at him. I couldn't tell if he was being sincere.

I already felt embarrassed enough. I slowly pulled away from Rakki's embrace.

"R-Rakki... I have to go now. I'm sorry."

I didn't wait for a response and immediately left the cafeteria. The atmosphere there was too strange.

I was also ashamed because of Aries.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the Section E building. Wait!

I can't go in now. They'll just trip me again, and I won't even be able to eat properly.

I looked around and spotted a table and bench that seemed decent enough. I decided to sit there and eat.

I opened my first meal and took out my handkerchief, carefully placing it over my blouse. Expelling stains would be difficult.

Our uniform was a simple blouse with a black necktie and a skirt that was two inches above the knee. The necktie indicated our year level. Since I was in my fourth year, mine had four white stripes.

Just as I was about to open my second meal, someone snatched it away—faster than the Flash.

"Hey! That's mine!" I shouted.

The thief was gone. My classmates, like starving scavengers, fought over the food.

I saw Keifer leaning against the wall, just watching our classmate's bicker.

"Give it to me!"

"Beg for it!"

"This is mine!"

Were they really that hungry?

"Please understand, they're just starving," someone said beside me.

I turned to see Felix—the guy who had talked to me earlier with Keifer. He had brown hair.

"I'm Felix," he introduced himself, extending his hand.

But I ignored him. What luck he had, talking to me after everything they'd put me through earlier!

I reached into my bag and pulled out my big Piattos. Just as I was about to open it, someone snatched it away again.

"Hey!" I shouted.

The thief vanished into the chaos. Were my classmates vultures? Even eagles couldn't snatch food this fast!

"Hahaha... You shouldn't take out food so openly," Felix said, amused.

I glared at him. "What? Are your classmates just that greedy?!"

He laughed. "Hahaha... A little."

I sighed in frustration. I had just lost all my food to my classmates, and they had left nothing but wrappers on the floor.

Were they really starving?!

Jay-Jay's POV

They went inside after finishing my food, and I was left outside with Felix. Even Keifer shoveled the shake here, but he was far away.

"Nothing that they... okay, you take out 'Lust,'" said Felix.

I did, and I took the Nova. That's why I haven't opened it yet.

Felix grabbed it again. "That's it. What right?! Snatcher, just?"

"Hey!"

"Oh, well!"

"Sorry... Favorite, I—this—eh!" Felix said and walked away while eating.

I was left alone. No one would take my food even if it was released. Hehe!

Finally!

I let go of that cheap thing. Maybe it was the lightning… I just held onto it more tightly.

Tears welled up in my hands as I grabbed it again.

"Arrrgggghhh! What is it?"

I glared at that animal who stole my food.

"Keifer?"

"What?"

"Right?! No begging here is trending, huh?! If you're hungry, go buy your own food!!"

He looked at me with a guilty expression. "No, we can't buy..." he whispered.

"What?!"

I ignored him as he entered the room while eating my chut chirya(name of snacks).

This sucks!

I returned to my table and chair, the same ones I had taken before. I also organized myself.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a flood of paper balls. The floor was completely covered, and with every step I took, I couldn't avoid kicking or stepping on them.

They didn't even clean up. Disgusting!

I sat down in my usual place, right in the middle of the U-shaped seating arrangement.

The silence around me was unsettling. When I turned back to look at them, a bad feeling crept over me.

There was no mercy from the heavens, no miracle behind me.

Felix and Keifer were still eating the chut chirya I had bought!

THICK SHITS!

They enjoyed every bite of my food. The weird part? My classmates stared at them, their eyes following every mouthful.

Had they not been fed?

Even I couldn't help but stare at their food, envious of the enjoyment they showed. That gung gong Keifer even had a satisfied expression!

Thick-skinned!

I turned my gaze forward again, fuming at their actions.

That was mine! That should have been mine!

Finally, the bell rang, and our teacher arrived.

The room was a mess, and I expected the teacher to be furious. Instead, she just kicked the trash aside with an uninterested expression.

"This room is your responsibility," she said in a bored tone.

I was about to zone out when I heard something that caught my attention.

"Why? A girl here?"

"A... transfer student," someone answered.

"Ahh... That Jasper Jean Mariano?"

I smiled. "Yes."

She gave me a neutral reaction before flipping through her book. Just like my previous teachers, he assigned lessons I couldn't catch up on.

While writing the lecture, the teacher approached me.

"Mrs. Zaragoza," she introduced herself. She looked to be in her mid-50s. Despite her age, she didn't seem strict.

"If you could choose, which section would you want to be in?" she asked.

I looked at her in surprise. "Huh?"

"You can't be here. You're the only girl."

Wow… So well thought out.

I assumed my classmates had just been absent.

"Are you serious? I was placed here because of a mistake in my records at the registrar's office."

Suddenly, I felt the room grow quiet.

Everyone was listening.

"It's not a problem. I will help you with Sir Alvin," Alvin, the student, spoke.

"Our previous female student was transferred to Section A", she added.

"I'll think about it..." I replied.

Honestly, a big part of me refused to move. I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere, but I could sense their concern.

I was the only girl here.

The class with Mrs. Zaragoza ended, followed by a few more. We were now on our last subject for the day.

"I don't want to teach you guys!" the teacher shouted angrily.

My classmates erupted in cheers, acting like wild dogs.

Wow!

I lowered my head, panicking because of them.

"Clean up your room first. I have a meeting," she added.

What the—?! She had a meeting, but she didn't want to teach either?

"Oh well, that's fine too," I muttered to myself.

"Listen up! When I come back and this classroom is still a mess... I'll teach! No one will escape, or I'll trample each of you one by one!" she threatened before storming out.

Ms. Cindy Smith—that was her name. She looked to be in her mid-20s and had a cool demeanor.

As soon as she left, the whole class stood up in a panic.

I thought they were going to clean up.

Instead, they ran out of the room!

"Hey! What about you guys?!" I shouted.

I tried to follow them, but when I reached the door, they slammed it shut.

"Open this!" I yelled, banging on the door.

Through the window, I saw Keifer peeking inside. I rushed over.

"Hey! What kind of prank is this?!"

"Clean the room," he replied in a bored tone.

"I don't want to! Why should I? You guys made this mess!"

"Tsk. You're the reason it got messy!"

"What if I refuse?!"

"Then we won't open the door. Not even if Ma'am Sexy comes back."

I heard my classmates talking on the other side.

"Let her clean it up!"

"Come on, she should do it!"

Wow! The audacity!

"You thick-faced idiots! After eating the food I bought, now you're ordering me to clean?!"

"Tsk. Why did you even bring food for us?"

OH MY GOD.

"You're all jerks!!"

They just laughed.

I was beyond furious!

"Just clean the room. We're bored and want to go home. Besides, Ma'am Sexy might not even check up on us. We have the key."

Shit!

"Hey!!! FESTIVAL!!" I screamed.

Those thick-faced bastards!

What else could I do? I had no choice but to clean this filthy room.

Crossing my arms, I looked around.

It was a normal classroom, except there were piles of plywood, corrugated iron, and cardboard in the back. A cabinet stood nearby, most likely holding the brooms.

I walked over and opened it.

Dust exploded into the air like it hadn't been opened in a decade!

I almost choked.

"What the hell?!"

I searched for the broom and dustpan, noting how old everything looked.

The ceiling was covered in cobwebs, and the windows were coated in dust.

I planned to clean only the floor.

Fast-forward—I finished clearing the floor, throwing the trash into a bag.

While sweeping, I accidentally bumped into a pile of cardboard near Keifer's seat.

Ugh! The dust flew everywhere.

A rice cooker appeared from under the pile?!

I removed the cardboard and saw it was still in its box—brand new.

The shoe shelves looked like lockers but without locks.

Each section had a name.

Keifer's name caught my eye.

"Mark Keifer Watson."

I scanned further. Felix's name was there too.

"John Felix Collins."

But one name stood out the most.

Next to Keifer's name, a heart was glued to the divider. The name beside it?

"Ella Dianne Hyun."

So, this was the previous girl Madam mentioned—the one who transferred? I heard rattling at the door.

"Are you done yet?!" they asked.

"Not yet!!" I shouted.

I put everything back and leaned against the desk. Weird section. Too many secrets.

I heard the rattling of the door as they knocked and asked if I was done.

"Not yet!" I shouted back.

I leaned against the box, sighing, then turned my attention to the other covered items—those hidden under corrugated iron sheets and plywood.

Wait… do they have an electric frying pan? And a water dispenser? Small saucepans too? Is this… a kitchen?

Speaking of kitchens, there's even a small sink. And an empty bottle of dishwashing soap.

What is this? Are they camping here?

I shook my head and put everything back in its place. This section is so strange. No wonder it always looks messy.

Finally, I finished cleaning and slammed the door shut with force.

"There! Done!"

The door flew open, and those shameless people waltzed in as if they had done nothing wrong. But before I could step out, Keifer blocked my way.

"Where exactly did you clean?" he asked, looking around.

I crossed my arms and pointed at the floor. "I won't clean up your mess!"

His gaze scanned the room before his brows furrowed. "That's all?!"

"What?!" I shot back. "Why should I have done more? I already did your job for you!"

Keifer raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. "Don't make me yell at you!"

I scoffed. "One more word, and I'll gag your mouth shut!"

"Oh yeah? Go ahead and try," I mimicked him mockingly. His mouth fell open in shock, his eyes widening.

Then, out of nowhere, laughter erupted. The whole class was watching us, their amused expressions making me even more irritated.

"Hahaha… You two sound like a married couple!" Felix teased, earning a loud cheer from the others.

I turned to glare at Keifer in disgust. Ugh. That's exactly how I felt too.

Married couple? Really? No way. I can't even imagine being married to Keifer!