Chapter 3

"The name of the first president of the Philippines," the first question was fired and it's not a shocker that all of us stand up. Hmm... random nga talaga. I wasn't expecting this one kaya medyo na mental block pa ako. And even if I am standing, I am sure that I wasn't the first one. Because it was him.

"Hmm.... as expected. This is the easiest so it would be a disappointment if any of you didn't stand up. But, Mr. Vegas, the answer is?" Knew it. All of us stand up but just a little bit late than him. It was like he was certain that it would be the question, as soon as the teacher finished her question, and my muscles started moving, he's already standing.

"Emilio Aguinaldo," he answered before sitting down again. I noticed him just now pero hindi ko akalain na ganito pala siya kaintimidating. Unang tingin at alam mong matalino nga siya, also physically fit, and the aura surrounding him was so dark. So, it's him.

"Spell what this is, the formation of the word from the sound associated with what is named," the teacher continued firing questions and it was so frustrating that I haven't gotten even one as most of them were answered by Hiro. Especially that I hate losing.

"O-N-O-M-A-T-O-P-O-E-I-A, Onomatopoeia," Hiro answered, again.

"If two cards are to be drawn successively from a deck of cards, what is the probability that the first card drawn is a king and the second card is an ace if the drawing is done with replacement," probability? unlike the past questions, the whole class fell into short pause until I stand up and so as, Hiro.

"Hmm... Ms. Lim?"

"The probability of drawing a king in the first draw is 4/52 and same goes for the probability of drawing an ace in the second draw. Hence, the answer is 1/169," I answered with an explanation. That was my first point. Now, I got into the momentum of it. I looked in front only to see Hiro looking at me. Akala niya siguro mas nauna siyang tumayo, e nasa likod niya kaya ako. Nauna nga siguro ako sa kanya ng one second.

'Yung upuan kasi ni Hiro e align lang sa upuan ko, may tatlong tao lang na pagitan sa amin. Sa pinakaunahan siya at sa pinakalikuran naman ako. The seats are arranged in 6 columns and 5 rows.

"The Capital of Netherlands.."

"Amsterdam," Wayne answered.

"Any of several related green pigments found in the mesosomes of cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants?"

"Chlorophyll," Hiro.

"A body at rest remains at rest or, if in motion, remains in motion at constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force..."

"Newton's first law of motion."

"What do you call the large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major?" constellation? Orion at Big dipper lang ang alam ko dyan e but seven bright stars so it must be--

"Big Dipper or the Plough," a girl right next to Hiro answered. Magkamukha sila kaya malamang magkapatid sila ni Hiro. Maybe she's that Hakina. The teacher didn't even mentioned her name since siya lang naman ang tumayo.

"Solve; 123×5÷15-41 is equal to?" Math is my strength so it was easy for me to mentally calculate it.

"Zero," I answered.

"What is the longest word in any major English language dictionaries?"

"pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis."

The teacher kept on asking us her questions until all items were given.

"That's all. I run out of questions and I presume it was already fifty items. Now, for the result. Hiro, congratulations, you got the highest score. That should be expected. And for those that didn't get even one, try harder next time or you will be left out," Ms. Azura was about to get out when the girl who whined at Dana earlier raised her hand. She's the one who's been so active in answering the chemical-related questions.

"Yes? Ms. Marquez?"

"Can we, uhm, know the rest of the result?"

Ms. Azura just raised her brows but still went back in front and leaned again in her table. She opened her log book and continued reading the result of the earlier recitation.

"Okay, so Mr. Vegas got 21 points, almost half of the items. Then we have, Ms. Lim? With 8 points," I sighed. Eight points, huh? That was... lame.

"Then Ms. Vegas with seven points. Four points for Mr. Legaspi, three for Mr. Martisano, two for Mr. Sy, two for Ms. Wang, two for Ms. Marquez, and one for Ms. Salazar. That's it. Only the nine of you got scores, alam man nang karamihan sa inyo ang mga sagot. You still need to work on your reflexes dahil kung hindi ay mananatili kayong nasa ilalim," seryosong ani Ms. Azura bago tinuloy ang paglalakad palabas. Without even dismissing us out. She also seems a bit disappointed. Though I am feeling much disappointment and frustrations for myself. That... Hiro. I shook my head and told myself to forget about it. I'm just getting started. I won't lose again.

"Hey!" Jacob approached me on my seat. "You did a good job! Second highest, huh," he smiled. "So, you're Nazuki Lim, noong nagpakilala ka kanina bilang Nami, I thought you're the Naomi Salazar."

"Excuse me?" A girl suddenly appeared beside him, cutting in to our conversation. Binigyan naman siya ng nagtatakang tingin ni Jacob. Malawak naman ang space sa harapan niya para makadaan siya ng walang problema, ah. Sumulyap siya sa akin at nakitang pareho ang  ekspresyon ko sa ipinapakita ni Jacob kaya dinugtungan niya ang sinasabi.

"I just heard my name, Naomi."

"Ah! 'Yon pala. Don't worry, we're not backstabbing you. Not like we have the reasons to, besides we don't even know you. I just thought that this girl Nami here, is the Naomi Salazar I saw in the Class 1-A list," mahabang sagot ni Jacob. Tunog defensive tuloy.

"You're talking too much. I'm not even saying anything. You sound so defensive," she fired back, her brows meeting in annoyance bago siya umalis at nilagpasan kami. Sabi na. Napabuntong-hininga tuloy ako.

"Lahat yata nang babaeng nakikilala ko dito, puro suplada," pagpaparinig ni Jacob habang sinusundan ng tingin si Naomi. Alam kong isa ako sa pinapatamaan niya. "By the way, lumapit ako para magtanong, do you wanna run as a member for the Student Council?"

What? May election na ba? Though, I am not interested.

"No, thanks. Not into politics," I answered with a smirk.

"Grabe ka naman sa politics! Student Council lang, e," pagtatalo pa niya. Bakit ba ako ang kinukulit ng isang 'to? Kung gusto niya pala, dapat sarili niya ang ipinapasok niya.

"Still. At ayaw ko rin masyado ng responsibilidad."

"At tsaka, not entirely na tatakbo ka for higher positions sa Student Council. Kompleto na sila, but since bagong School Year tayo, kailangan natin ng batch representative, iyon ang nakita ko sa bulletin kanina."

"Teka nga, bakit ako?"

"Bakit hindi?" Ang galing naman kausap nito. My eyes narrowed as I look at him. "Kailangan kasi ng 2 nominees sa kada section kaya tingin ko maganda sana kung kayo ni Hiro iyon. Diba? Tingin mo?" He said with a smirk, may pataas-baba pa ng kilay.

"Tingin ko.... dapat si Hiro at Hakina. O 'di kaya, si Ryukou at Hiro?"

"Uh-- kilala mo ba si Ryu?" Tanong niya ng alanganin kaya umiling ako. Kilala ko lang sa pangalan. Inilibot niya ang tingin sa buong classroom.

"Kilala ko lang siya sa pangalan dahil siya ang sumunod kay Hiro sa list."

"Nakikita mo ba 'yung lalaking nakaupo malapit sa pintuan, sa pinakadulo," linapit niya pa ang mukha sa 'kin para bumulong. Sarkastiko ko siyang tinignan.

"Hindi." Tiningnan nya naman ako pabalik nang nakakunot ang noo. He sighed before standing up straight. "Tumayo ka nga. Malamang hindi mo makikita mula dito sa pwesto mo," irita nang sabi niya kaya sinunod ko nalang at tumayo. Curious din naman ako kung sino nga 'tong si Ryukou.

"'Yong lalaki sa pinakadulo sa unahan," tinitigan ko ang lalaking tinutukoy niya. Kausap niya ang isa pang lalaking nakaupo sa likod niya kaya medyo nakaharap siya sa side namin kaya rin kitang-kita ko ang mukha niya.

Di ko napansin na napatagal na pala ang titig ko kaya nagulat nalang ako nang biglang nagtama ang tingin namin. Kumunot ang noo niya pero binalik din ang tingin sa kausap at nagpatuloy sa pakikinig. Umupo nalang ako sa upuan ko at tumingin sa harap.

"Iyon si Ryu at ang kausap niya si John Jim. Sila lang ang nagkakasama at nagkakausap dito. Aside from that, hindi mo ba napansin kanina? Sa top ten, silang dalawa lang ang walang puntos," napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Ngayon ko lang din napagtanto na kilala ko na pala ang nasa top ten maliban sa kanilang dalawa at tama nga'ng sila lang ang hindi nakasagot kanina.

"Tumayo lang sila kanina sa first question. And hindi pa effort 'yon. Malapit ang upuan ko sa kanila kaya nakikita ko. Parang slow-mo kung tumayo, e. Halatang hindi interesado. Sa mga sumunod na tanong, hindi na sila sumubok na tumayo pa ulit. Pero paniguradong alam nila ang sagot at kung sinubukan pa nila. Malamang hindi na tayo nakapunto dahil mukhang kayang makipagsabayan nitong si Ryu kay Hiro, e."

Bakit? If he's not interested, bakit pa siya nandito? Bakit pa niya in-ace ang sectioning exams. There are a lot of students who would want to risk anything just to be part of this class. Samantalang siya, when he have all the means, hindi man lang nag-eexert nang kahit katiting na effort para dito.

"Alam mo, ang chismoso mo," sagot ko nalang kay Jacob. Ang daming sinasabi, eh. Tsaka, kelan pa kami nanging close nito?

"Anong chismis do'n? Keen observer lang ako. So, ano nga?"

"Pag-iisipan ko. Ni hindi ko nga alam paano sila pipili ng nominees, e."

"Ah! Sa pagkakarinig ko, usap-usapan din kasi, na bahala na ang class sa pagdedecide. Isa ito sa itinutukoy nilang teamwork. You know, advantage sa klase natin kapag ang batch representative ay mula rito sa'tin..."

"Paano? Hindi ba advantage lang iyon sa taong member mismo ng council?"

"No. Kasama na tayo roon. Have you read the email? Hindi tayo pwedeng lumabas ng campus unless," he said emphasizing the last word. "permitted by the school council, in which the school council is the term used by the school for the student council. Other sections probably hates us. So, if the batch representative would be from them, then our actions here will be much more limited."

"Alam na ba 'to ng mga kaklase natin? Kung sa atin pa rin pala nakasalalay ang pagkuha ng nominees, then kailan tayo magsisimula?"

"I don't know," sagot niya at nagkibit-balikat. Magbibigay nalang kasi ng impormasyon, hindi pa kompleto.

"Good day Class 1-A," natahimik ang buong classroom nang may nagsalita sa harapan. Hindi pa oras ng sunod naming klase, e. Napabalik tuloy si Jacob sa kinauupuan niya at ako naman ay napaayos ng upo at tumingin nalang diretso sa harap. Isang lalaking mas matanda lang siguro sa amin ng tatlo o apat na taon ang nakatayo sa likod ng teacher's table. Nakatukod ang dalawa niyang kamay sa lamesa. May isang babae rin na nakatayo malapit lang sa kanya, may mga hawak itong papel na yakap-yakap niya.

"I am Shoichi Garcia, your student council president," pagpapakilala niya. Student Council? President? Ah, mukhang may kinalamanan 'to sa paghahanap nila ng batch representative. "and this is Athena, the secretary. As some of you might already know that the Student Council needs to have at least 2 representatives from your batch. And we're here to pick the nominees from your class."

Wait, what? Sila ang pipili? Iba sa nasabi sa akin ni Jacob. Sinulyapan ko si Jacob na ngayon ay nakakunot na din pala ang noo at mukhang naguguluhan. Sumulyap siya sa akin pabalik at nang nakitang nakatingin ako ay nagkibit-balikat nalang.

Pero tingin ko mas okay na rin na sila ang pipili, malabo namang mapipili ako ng mga ito at hindi na 'ko kukulitin ni Jacob para dito. I am competitive but I never wanted to be part of any Student body.

"We will choose from the top 10," my mind went blank for a second. Hindi, okay lang yan, sampu kami at mas mga kilalang apelyido meron ang karamihan sa kanila. "As we call out your name, step forward and give us a short message, your sentiments, or just an introduction, anything." He said as he took the chair out of the teacher's table to drag it in the side near the door before sitting down. Sumunod naman sa tabi niya si Ms. Secretary.

My mind is now clouded and I couldn't focus in front even when Hiro started giving us just a very short introduction of himself. I took a deep breath and exhaled calmly. Hindi ko kailangang kabahan. I just have to say the things I wanted to say and to show them.

Tumayo na ako nang tawagin ni Athena at pumunta sa harap.

"Uh, my name is... uh, Nami Lim. I am... not... really interested in this... Student Council but maybe I'll just say a few of my... hmm... sentiments," I took a deep breath before continuing. "If you don't really think of this school as a battlefield and doesn't really care about graduating. Then I humbly ask you to, please not be a burden." I started, glancing at Ryu, who's giving me an amused look right now. I suddenly felt bothered sa napag-usapan namin ni Jacob kanina kaya ko nasabi 'yon.

Inikot ko ang tingin sa mga kaklase ko bago ito huminto kay Hiro. "I won't let this class drag me down. I'm gonna take the number one spot."