4 days after Triggs joined the group,

 

“Ahh! That Siomai Rice really is the best!” Denz moaned as he rubbed his mountainous belly.

 

“You said it! Their chili garlic is top-notch,” Bill replied.

 

Birds chirped and butterflies flew as they chatted in the waiting shed of the campus garden. Triggs were also there with them.

 

“By the way, Triggs, why are you here?” Denz asked. “I thought you were suspended?”

 

“I’m only suspended from my classes, but they didn’t tell me I can’t enter the campus,” Triggs answered.

 

“Wow! Sooo edgy! Can I have a kiss, Mr. Edgy Man?” Denz’s sarcastic response.

 

“Shut up,”  Triggs replied after taking a bite of the fruit in his hand.

 

“Hey! You’ve been eating that shit since you came here. What the heck is that?” Bill asked.

 

“Oh, this? It’s called a Hanziel Fruit.”

 

The fruit was new to Bill’s eyes. He asked Triggs, “Hanziel Fruit? Never seen that before.”

 

“You want to try it? It’s good,” Triggs said as he took another bite.

 

Also intrigued, Denz questioned, “Where did you get those?”

 

Triggs had to pause for a second; he decided whether or not he would tell the truth.

 

However, he realized that explaining the true origin of the fruit would be like trying to convince people that Adam and Eve were true and the couple really gained knowledge after they ate the forbidden fruit - it would be a drag, and his friends wouldn’t believe him anyway. Worse, they will make fun of him.

 

He came up with a lie anyway, “They were a gift from James.”

 

“James? Your sister’s AFAM boyfriend?” Denz asked.

 

“Yup.”

 

Bill was still curious, “What’s the taste? Can I have one?”

 

“Sure.”

 

 From his pocket, Triggs brought out one Hanziel Fruit and gave it to Bill.

 

“You have to eat it slowly…”

 

Too late. As soon as the Fruit touched Bill’s hand, Bill quickly put the whole fruit in his mouth.

 

“Itch good. Taste lhike apple,” Bill uttered as he munched the whole Fruit.

 

“Damn it, Bill!”

 

Puzzled and worried, Bill uttered with a stuttering voice, “Did - did I do something wrong?”

 

Suddenly, Bill felt a surge of energy deep within his body. High-pitched ringing buzzed in his ears. Cold charges zipped deep inside his forehead like electricity. His body was frozen by the overwhelming flood of energy.

 

“Bill! Bill! Are you alright!?” Denz’s anxious shouts.

 

Bill’s legs started to get wobbly. It didn’t take that long until he lost consciousness. 

 

“Oh, shit!!” Triggs and Denz’s reactions.

 

Like a withered vegetable, Bill's body dropped. Luckily, his two friends were too attentive to catch him.

 

“Bill! Hey, Bill!! Can you hear me!?” 

 

“What the hell, Triggs!? What the fuck did you feed him!?”

 

“I told him not to eat it all!”

 

“What should we do now!?”

 

…

…

…

 

An hour later,

 

“Ugh… Where am I?”

 

“Bill! Thank goodness you’re finally awake,” Denz’s sigh of relief.

 

“We’re in the clinic right now. How are you feeling?” Triggs asked his friend.

 

Still in a trance, Bill mumbled, “Where… Where is she?”

 

Triggs and Denz stared at each other out of confusion.

 

“Where is she?” Bill repeated.

 

“Who!?” Denz’s puzzled response.

 

“Micah - my wife,” Bill answered with a faint voice. 

 

“What the fuck!?”

 

“Wait, who is Micah?” Triggs asked.

 

Denz answered, “His crush. The 4th Year Biology student that he's always crazy about,” 

 

“Oh! The girl he keeps talking about?” Triggs replied. “I still haven’t seen her.”

 

“Same. I only see her in pictures. I believe she’s a candidate for Latin Honours.”

 

“No wonder Bill gets crazy over her, she must be really smart.”

 

“Maybe…”

 

Bill suddenly groaned, “My wife!? Where is my wife!?” His voice echoed in the clinic.

 

Embarrassed, Denz pulled Bill out of the bed. “Okay, come on now, Bill. You’re embarrassing yourself here.”

 

Bill resisted and continued groaning, “We just got married! We were living together happily and peacefully. We loved each other so much!!!”

 

“You and you’re delulu* moments! Come on, Bill. It’s time to snap back to reality.”

 

“Nooooooooo!”

 

While Bill was still struggling to accept the fact that he had awoken to reality, Triggs was observing him. 

 

In his mind, Triggs thought, “Damn. I had no idea the Hanziel Fruit would have this effect on Bill.”

 

Bill then turned his attention to Triggs, “Triggs! Hand me another of that fruit you gave me!”

 

“For God’s sake, Triggs, please don’t!” Denz begged.

 

“Noooooooo!!!”

 

“No, Bill. I'm already on suspension. Just think of what will happen if I end up sending you to the hospital because I give you another of this Fruit,” Triggs said. 

 

“Nooooooo…” Bill whined. “It was the only time that I had the chance to be with her. She loved me there, accepted me, and promised to stay with me…” he whined.

 

Cringed, Denz grunted, “Oh, come on…”

 

Bill continued, “She protected me, I felt safe with her... But it was kinda weird though - one day, I suddenly got involved in a fight with a bunch of goons. Micah got so mad…”

 

“Okay, enough of that, please…”

 

Bill ignored Denz. “I heard Micah saying some weird shits to those goons, almost like an incantation. Then, one day, I just found out that those people suddenly contracted a mysterious illness...”

 

“And now you’re turning her into a Mangkukulam*!?” Denz blabbered. He then asked Triggs, “Seriously? What did you feed him!? I think it made him crazy! He’s talking nonsense!”

 

However, it seemed like Triggs was already invested in the story. He was intrigued when Bill started talking about incantations.

 

“And then? What happened!?” 

 

“What the heck, Triggs!? Why are you suddenly interested!?” Denz scolded.

 

Bill suddenly curled up on the bed like a sad kid. He started murmuring, “I know it was just a dream… or a hallucination - I don’t know… But it felt very real though. It’s so weird…”

 

“Yeah - totally, it’s weird. It’s weird because it’s not real, Bill! Now let’s get out of this clinic! Our next class is about to start!”

 

“Okaaay…” Bill replied like a sad obedient puppy.

 

Bill finally stood up from the bed.

 

The 3 of them walked out of the clinic door.

 

As soon as they stepped out of the clinic, Bill suddenly froze, star-struck, as if he saw a celebrity.

 

“What now, Bill!?” Denz muttered.

 

“Mi-Micah…” Bill stuttered as he pointed his finger in the other end of the corridor.

 

Triggs and Denz turned their gaze in the direction where Bill was pointing. There they saw a lady with glasses, a slim but well-defined frame, and a fair complexion.

 

The lady’s hip-length hair waved side by side as she walked through the corridor, slowly approaching Triggs and his friends.

 

Bill and Denz were shocked when the lady started waving at them - particularly at Triggs.

 

Triggs was equally surprised. “Lae!?”  Triggs uttered.

 

“WAIT!? You know her!?” Bill asked Triggs.

 

Triggs didn’t know how to answer Bill. He just kept his lip shut.

 

Lae finally reached them. “Triggs…” she greeted.

 

Suddenly,  “*AHEM!*... The name is Bill John Mangalao, or you can just call me ‘Bill’.” Bill introduced himself with a deep husky voice. His demeanor changed from a passive shih-tzu into a suave bulldog.

 

He extended his hand, offering a handshake. “But if you find ‘Bill’ hard to pronounce, you can just call me, ‘Beybeh’.”

 

Denz glanced at Bill with a cringed face.

 

“Triggs, can I talk to you?” Lae said, completely ignoring Bill.

 

“Sure. What is it?” Triggs asked.

 

“Can we talk somewhere else? This is important,” Lae requested.

 

“Sure,” Triggs replied.

 

The two of them went somewhere else to continue their chat, leaving Bill and Denz dumbfounded in the corridor.

 

“Ouch…” Bill whispered.

 

“And there you have it, the bitter conclusion of your fantasy” Denz teased Bill. “I think she’s more interested in Triggs than in you.”

 

Still determined, Bill stated, “No! This won’t be the end! I promise I’ll work hard to improve myself, to be the best man for her!”

 

Denz sighed.

 

…

…

…

 

Meanwhile, Triggs and Lae found an empty classroom. 

 

“We can carry on our conversation here,” Lae said. She then noticed Triggs staring at her. “Uhm… Is there something wrong with my face?”

 

“No! It’s just… I’m surprised that we go to the same university.”

 

Lae agreed, “What are the odds, right? I told you, our meeting was not a mere coincidence.”

 

Triggs nodded his. “By the way, I’m just curious about your name. My friend calls you ‘Micah’.”

 

“People usually recognize me more by my first name,” Lae explained. Then, she showed her ID to Triggs. “This is my full name.”

 

Triggs read the name in the ID,

 

“Micah Laelynn Rafhaelha M. Castro…”

 

Then he commented, “Hmm... 3 first names with a foreign surname, unnecessary letter H’s in the middle of the name - that’s very… Filipino-like.”

 

“I know, right?” Lae replied. “Anyway! I think we’re getting off track from the reason I initially wanted to talk to you.”

 

Triggs realized it too. “Oh, you’re right! What is it you wanted to tell me?”

 

“It’s about Isha.”

 

After hearing Lae’s answer, Triggs suddenly felt a surge of anxiousness.

 

“Why? What happened to her?”

 

“I think it’s better if you would just go to our Base. Calla can explain it better for you. But to give you a short answer; Isha is not in a good state.”

 

“I understand,” Triggs replied.

 

 

 

 

 

-TERMINOLOGIES-

*Delulu - a slang term that literally means ‘Delusional’

*Mangkukulam - a mythological creature/person that puts curses on their victims. It’s like the Filipino version of evil witches. 

*If you still don’t know what AFAM means, it stands for A Foreigner (typically white male) Assigned {to} Manila.