Classified Information

"Good morning, Rude-kun!"

Pagpasok pa lamang ni Prudent, awtomatikong dumako ang kanyang paningin sa isang upuan kung saan nakaupo ang isang dalaga na may kulay dilaw na buhok habang kumakaway at nakangiti sa kanya.

It was no other than the annoying princess-brat, Oriel Zivar.

The girl had decided in the last minute to extend her stay in their section for atleast one month. Her reason was simple;

"Ikaw lang ang tanging nakilala ko sa paaralan na toh. I want to get familiar with the school and adjust for a while bago lumipat ng seksyon." she reason with brimming justice and vulnerability.

Of course, he wasn't buying it but what can he do when Sir Herbert had already given his consent?

Not only that, she had already level-up and starts calling him, Rude-kun, to his dismay. It was annoying but what can he do?

He was too lazy to do anything and decided to just suck it up. Besides, everything will be over after a month. She would be out of his skin once she had been transferred to another section which made him wish that time would move faster than it already was.

"Morning" maigsi na bati niya at umupo sa isang upuan na malayo sa dalaga.

Being the usual and bubbly Oriel as she is, she was extremely persistent. With a painful screeching sound, she pulled her chair to sit next to Prudent na nakakunot-noo at halatang dumidilim ang gwapong mukha nito.

"Hi..." she was breathless when she greeted.

Hindi niya akalain na mabigat pala ang upuan kaya halos mawalan na siya ng lakas habang umupo sa tabi ng binata.

She complained with a whiny voice, "OMG! That was too heavy!"

"Akala ko magaan lang ito dahil mukhang plastic and recyclable pero ang bigat pala. Parang gawa sa semento dahil sa bigat" patuloy pa niya with matching waving her hands in the air to emphasize her point.

"Eww! Look! Look! Umagang-umaga and I'm already this sweaty" she even showed off the perspiration on her temple habang pinipilit si Prudent na humarap sa kanya.

As always, para siyang kumausap ng hangin dahil hindi siya pinansin ng binata kahit anong ingay o dada ang ginawa niya.

The guy was as unmovable as a mountain. He was like a monk who had caught off all of his human desires, only to write about Buddha and scriptures inside his temple, somewhere in the northern mountains.

"Why are you sooooo boring?" she was dragging the words while looking dejected.

Isang sulyap ang binigay sa kanya ni Prudent bago bumalik ang tingin sa hawak nitong libro. This time, it was Earth and Science book.

"Ang hirap mo naman kausap, Rude-kun" napabuga na lamang siya ng hangin when she only heard a disinterested grunt from him.

Nakaramdam na din siya ng inip. Maybe, she should have requested more classmates from the school staffs, para kahit papaano may kausap naman siya kaysa kanyang katabi na parang pipi kung umasta.

Speaking of which...

"I almost forgot..." she trailed off habang sinusuri kung may bahid na reaksyon ang blankong mukha ng binata pero wala. Kaya pinagpatuloy na lang niya ang kanyang sasabihin, "Pinapatawag ka pala ni Sir Herbert to the teacher's office."

This time, Prudent removed his gaze from his book. There was a miniscule of interests in his face nang humarap ito sa kanya.

'Well, it was better than nothing' she thought.

"What for?" tanong sa kanya ng binata.

She could see how his eyebrows furrowed in confusion in which she answered with a shrugged of her shoulders.

"I have no idea. Hindi niya kasi sinabi" sagot niya.

All of a sudden, Prudent stood from his seat habang sinasarado ang binabasa nitong libro na may naka-ipit na book mark sa pagitan ng mga pahina.

It took Oriel by surprise, kaya agad niya itong tinawag nang makitang may balak itong lumabas sa kanilang silid-aralan. "Teka! Saan ka pupunta?"

"To the teacher's office. You said I was being called, right?" then he went a way like the wind with his long slender legs habang iniwan ang dalaga na nakatunganga sa direksyon nang pintuan.

"Wait...did he just leave me here?" she murmured habang nilibot ang tingin sa buong paligid " Iniwan niya talaga ako dito na nag-iisa!?"

Prudent, you idiot!

He took a deep breath while ignoring the taunting gazes and mocking whispers from his schoolmates. He raised one of his hands and decided to knock on the door at binuksan ang pinto nang may narinig siyang boses na nagsasabing, "Come in!"

"Good morning, teachers" bati niya with his usual blank look pagkatapos sinarado ang pinto.

Tanging isang guro lamang ang bumati niya pabalik with a kind but with a hint of pity smile while the other teachers instantly ignored him when they saw the Zero pin on his sweater.

Prudent lowered his head to hide the dangerous glint in his empty eyes bago tinahak ang direksyon patungo sa pwesto ng kanyang guro. He expertly avoided the chairs and tables, along the way, while also making careful steps not to knock on one of the mountain-like paperwork on the teacher's table.

"Good morning, Sir Herbert" bati niya sa guro na kampanteng nakaupo sa upuan nito.

He could feel one of his eyebrows twitching when he saw how Sir Herbert had his foot covered with socks on his table filled with lesson plans. Hindi din nakatulong na may butas ang suot nitong medyas sa ilang bahagi nito.

Not only that, but even his feet was emitting a foul scent.

Kating-kati na ang kanyang kamay upang takpan ang kanyang ilong mula sa malansang amoy na nanggagaling sa mga paa ng kanyang natatanging guro.

It was no wonder that even his co-teachers wouldn't come near his table.

Sir Herbert was in the middle of biting on his apple when Prudent arrived and greeted him.

Halos mabulunan siya sa kanyang kinakain. Mabuti na lang at agad siya sinagip ng binata with a glass of water from his table. His image as a respectable teacher was losing its shine.

Kaya agad siyang tumikhim to keep his dignity at pa-simple na tinanggal ang kanyang mga paa mula sa mesa. His heart broke when he throw away a perfectly-red apple into the trash bin kahit hindi pa siya nakaubos ng kalahati.

"Ah Prudent!" Sir Herbert instantly transform into a dignified teacher. "I'm glad you're here. I have something to discuss with you."

Sinenyasan siya ng guro na umupo sa bakanteng upuan na nasa harapan ng mesa nito. Prudent willingly obliged and primly took a seat habang puno ng pagtatakang nakatingin sa guro.

Sir Herbert awkwardly cough from the pressure of Prudent's curious gaze. May kinuha siya ng isang kulay kayumanggi na folder mula sa drawer ng kanyang pupitre. On the front part of the folder was a red stamp that says Classified.

The teacher silently passed the classified folder to the student who gladly accepted the folder in return.

As Prudent flip through every content within the brown folder, the 28-year old teacher then said with a warning voice, "Whatever you may have seen and heard today will remain in this room"

His face was stern and serious but Prudent just couldn't take him seriously. He couldn't help but raised an eyebrow from the teacher's oh-so-serious tone.

Tinaas niya ang kanyang hawak na folder habang bahagya itong ipinakita sa guro, "What is this supposed to mean, Sir?"

He then take out a pile of paper from inside, revealing pictures and informations from male students that he had never seen before.

Sir Herbert, on the other hand, immediately went into stricken panic when he saw, in his very own eyes, how Prudent casually pulled the contents of the folder into the open. Classified information should remain classified.

"Espinosa, these are classified information! What if someone sees them?!" he whisper-shouted.

Classified? What classified information?

These are just informations about his classmates who had been absent ever since the first day of school. It was even written like a report on their daily lives; their habits when they eat, their hobbies, where they went for the past few days, their favorite food and allergies.

He was starting to think if their teacher was a certified stalker from his past life. The reports were very professional, it was written from their favorites down to the tiniest details of their discomfort. It was too detailed that it creep him out.

Prudent watched as his teacher carefully tended to each paper like it was his life. When all of the sheets of paper have finally tucked back into the folder, Sir Herbert then place his attention towards his student, who seemed to have lost the meaning of his life.

Prudent had dead eyes habang pinapanood niya ang kanyang guro na pinagsiklop ang mga kamay nito habang nakapatong ang dalawang siko sa ibabaw ng lamesa.

"Prudent, I have called you today to give you an assignment" prankang sinabi ni Sir Herbert.

Agad kumunot ang noo ng binata, hindi niya mapigilan magtanong. "Sir, assignment?"

"Don't worry, your assignment is very simple. I just want you to do one thing" nakita niyang ngumiti ng matamis ang guro. For some reason, he felt like it wouldn't be as easy as the teacher would say it was. "It involves the contents of the folder in your hands"

Prudent's premonition was right, it isn't as simple and easy as he says it would.