NO MORE NO 2 - The Apathetic and His Condition

• Mitsuki - /mitski/ (silent 'u') •

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NO MORE NO 2

The Apathetic and His Condition

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Nothing was more bothersome than engaging oneself halfheartedly into something you didn't like at the first place.

"Non, paabot naman ng paint brushes sa table!"

My face contorted into a scowl as I connected eyes with our block governor, Siera, who was pre-ocuppied assisting the rest of the class in letter cutting and paint mixing. I turned my gaze on the table and saw a small brown paper bag that probably contained the paint brushes.

"Non! The paint brushes, please!" Siera said impatiently. "Bagal, e!"

Mirroring her furrowed brows and frowning, I tutted in defeat when she didn't budge from our li'l staring contest. Damn woman.

I was about to lay down my hands off what I was doing when the door to the classroom we were occupying burst open. Everyone halted for a moment as a lady strolled in with an indifferent look plastered in her face. Stopping by the door, her eyes flicked through the room—halting briefly as her gaze found mine before turning it to our block governor approaching her.

Something was wonky about her. She looked a bit—

"Mitsuki! Saan ka ba nagsusuot nitong mga nakaraang araw?"

I glanced at Siera, then back to the person in question.

Yeah. Where the bloody hell had she been this past few days? The last time I saw her was when she yet again told me that crazy declaration. And that was fortnight.

Though our finals were over before that and most of the seniors in our department were in the process of requirements completion before the graduation next month, it was still atypical of her to miss a day in uni.

Everyone went back working. So did I, but here I was sharpening my ears to hear whatever her answer would be.

Great, Non. Now you've had reduced yourself into a lowly, cheap-ass gossiper.

"Ho-ho! Alam mo na, Gov, kung saan. Enebey! 'Weg ke nge." I could imagine her hugging our governor, her close friend, from side as she said those things. "Hanap ng fafables there, anywhere and everywhere. Nakatambay lang do'n sa College of Engineering at sa Arki Building---nagbabakasakaling may mabinwit akong yummy na isda in this world full of paasa. You know, sinusulit ang last few weeks ng college life natin. Carpe Diem!" she exaggeratedly beamed, following a flippant laughter.

Feeling a small nerve in me pulsated, my brow quirked up and I pursed my lips into a thin line.

"Landi nito. Ako'y tigil-tigilan mo ng fafables-fafables mong 'yan, Mitsuki, ha. Baka gusto mong makurot sa singit? Umayos ka!"

Yes, umayos ka.

"Ay charot lang naman, Gov. 'Di ka na mabiro, e! Tatanda ka niyang dalaga. Sige ka."

They walked past me, yet here I was, still trying to listen over their silly conversation.

"Tae ka. Paki ko ba kung gano'n nga. Walang poreber! Magbi-break din lahat ng mag-syota sa February 14! Tandaan niyo 'yan! Wa-lang por-e-ber!"

"Bitter ka lang kasi, Gov!" she countered. "Move on din kasi 'pag may time. Hindi mo talaga niyan mahahanap si ka-poreber mo. Sige ka."

"Tigilan mo ako, Mitsuki! Tumulong ka na sa pagdikit nitong mga design! Hoy, Non! 'Yong paint brushes sabi, e!"

With a sigh, I reached out for the brown paper bag on the table without getting up from my seat and unceremoniously tossed it over Siera. She caught it seconds before smacking into her grumpy face, muttering her usual cursing tirade in the process.

I snickered at that. Served her right.

"You're welcome."

Before she could rain down another batch of her unfiltered immodesty, I faced my laptop's screen again and picked up where I left off.

"Heena you pack kang—"

"Gov, relax. Ang puson mo nai-stress."

So Siera had it. No wonder she was being Grumpy Annabelle on me again.

I shook my head. Girls and their periods.

"Huy, Non! Tumulong ka naman dito, o! Pabuhat ka?"

Not looking whoever female blockmate it was, I simply said, "Not interested."

"Yabang nito. Uso maki-cooperate minsan."

As if that would contribute to my general well-being.

Apparently, the Society of English Majors' annual event had came yet again, and so was the bothersome preparations each block had delegated to do so. My menial share of piece was already done half an hour ago, while the rest of them was still at it.

I've had done and over with my part, and they still wanted me to come to their aid? How pathetic excuses of incompetent human being were they?

Ping!

Ignoring her snark remarks, my brow quirked up at the sudden email pop-up notification in the screen. Saving the document I was working on first, I clicked it and a sour mood instantly washed over me upon reading its succinct content. One particular phrase stood out among the rest.

" . . . . not admitted there, anymore."

What on bloody Mary did that mean? So all this transferring bullshits were all for nothing? I fucking crossed throughout the continents, settled here, just to come up empty-handed? Was this kind of rubbish prank?

And to think—

"Be considerate naman minsan sa mga nakapaligid sa 'yo."

I snapped up my hard gaze in a jiffy at the sound of the voice, glaring profusely as I did so. The flat look on her usually bright face was the first I noticed before settling on her pursed lips, coated with light amount of red lipstick.

"What do you want now?"

She crossed her arms and stared me down. "Tulong-tulong din 'pag may time, Mr. Pateros. Hindi porke't tapos ka na sa lahat ng requirements at sureball ka nang mamartsa sa commencement stage next month e ini-neglect mo na ang responsibility mo as part of this block. Tumulong ka rin po hindi 'yong sitting pretty ka lang diyan, ano po? Konsensya naman."

I leaned back on my chair and mimicked her crossed arms.

Ah, so that was what this all about. Their inferiority complex was shining through.

Explaining that I've had done my fair share already before she decided to grace us with her presence after two weeks was something I wouldn't do. I didn't owe them all an explanation. Hell would break loose before I give a damn.

"So it's now my fault that the rest of you weren't able to be at par with my level?" I scoffed, making her jaw tick. "If that remarks supposed to serve as reversed psychology, then I implore you to do better. You need more than that to appeal through to my conscience."

"Ba't ba ang yabang mo?" she hissed.

I shrugged. Noting the increasing attentions we gathered and the murmurs they created, I started collecting my things and shoved it inside my backpack.

"What can I say? It's deeply imbibed in my blood and genes."

"Sumusobra ka na talaga, Non."

Standing up and slinging my bag into my right shoulder, I turned around to face her. A chuckle almost escaped from me when I saw how hard she had to crane her head up just to look back at me with that fiery animosity gleaming in her doe eyes.

She was truly a hobbit whereas I was an elf. But just like a true hobbit, her courage to face me head on was commendable. She didn't even flinch as she hold her ground with firm resolve. Frodo and Bilbo Baggins would every bit be proud of their kin. So do Rowling.

"And so? What are you going to do about it?" I taunted just for the hell of it.

What could I say? I loved seeing her getting riled up once in a while. Not like this was the first time, anyway.

"Saite," she spat with a scowl.

I grinned at that. "Sou desu ka? Nigeru ojou-chan."

I couldn't help but laugh at the brief widening of her eyes before it sported sheer annoyance. Why? She didn't expect me to speak her mother tongue language? It wasn't a feat learning it.

"Tell you what," I started with a sly grin, "I'll help everyone in one condition."

Her nose crinkled. "At ano naman 'yon?"

Closing the remaining space between us, I griped her shoulders when she made a move to step away and leaned down close to her ears. She stiffened under me, but I right out ignored it and said the words intended only between us. Some of our knobhead blockmates had the audacity to tease us, but neither of us acknowledged it.

She visibly blanched as I was through with it.

Stepping back, I patted the top of her head while still grinning.

"Not that I expect you to do it. But good luck if you're planning to, anyway."

"A-At pa'no 'pag nagawa ko?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll help as I said. Your call."

With that, I strutted out of the classroom, deliberately ignoring the frowns and silent jeers from the rest of my lovely bunch of incompetent blockmates. Even so, I couldn't wipe the amusement off my face.

The seed of entertainment had been planted.

Let's see if it'd grow and blossom shamelessly as I'd expect it to be.

Not that she had the guts to water it, anyway.

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EDITED: 07.15.20

Non is... ┻┻︵ヽ('Д')ﾉ︵┻┻

The terms Centree (short for Centennial tree) and Society of English Majors mentioned here do exist in real life saved for the former. Not anymore, anyway. Hays. They're from when I was still in my undergraduate years in college.

-M O R R I (~‾▿‾)~