“I do. But well...”

She doesn't know what to say next.

“Just believe in me okay? I don't lie you know. ”

“But you're a liar. And you always lie for fun!”

“Err... That's true but I won't lie to you about important things. I trust you after all. Don't forget that I have been entrusting you my safety all this time. And you know my secret.”

“But— Oh. That's right.. I-I'm sorry I doubted you. Please don't be mad at me.”

She looks guilty now.

“It's fine. Am I the type to get angry easily?”

“Uhm... No. You never even been irritated before.”

“Fufufu. Don't worry. I'll tell mom we're not fighting.”

“...En. I'm sorry again.”

“That's right. Aren't you the one responsible for leading the singing of the school anthem of today's flag ceremony?”

“Yes why?”

“Well you have a beautiful speaking voice so I'm pretty sure your singing voice does as well. Do your best Eli-chan. I'm looking forward to it.”

“Are you praising me?”

“Yes.”

“Ehhhh~?! Really?!”

“Uh-huh. Why do you have glimmering eyes though?”

“Uwahh~ That's so nice hehehe. You just praised me hehehe.”

She looks like she wanted to hop but is trying to suppress it while her palms are pressing on her cheeks so the result is rather cute.

I don't know how to react to this visual.

“Why are you so happy?

“Because you rarely praise me.”

“I...”

I'm sorry.

“Are you really looking forward to it?”

“Of course. I genuinely does. This will be the first time I'll hear you sing after all.”

“Hehehehehe~”

She grabs my arm looking rather happy. Her giggles are like those of a child's bell-like laughter.

“You look so excited. But you'll just sing the school anthem you know.”

“But you're looking forward to it! It changes everything.”

“I see. Do your best Eli-chan.”

“Listen to me carefully okay?”

“I would. Anyway, you should go because you still need to prepare. Meanwhile, I'll call our classmates.”

“En!”

Then she runs away excitedly. On the other hand, I start walking back to our classroom.

Oh. It looks like the classroom has long been open. There are already half of my classmates idling inside as  well.

And looks like somebody already put my and Eli-chan's bag inside.

*BAM!*BAM!*BAM!*

I slap the blackboard explosively.

But why do they call blackboard a ‘blackboard’ when it's within the green spectrum?

“What the hell Reverren!!”

“Hey!”

“You scared me!”

“What was that for?!”

“Well well calm down. Why are you all overreacting? Anyway, we should go to the field. Flag ceremony is about to start.”

“Ehhh...”

“That's tiresome.”

“I'll just stay here.”

“It sounds to be a pain in the ass.”

“I'm currently in-game and I'm about to win. It looks like I'll be the MVP as well.”

“Who's the one recording the attendance? Miss secretary is as late as usual.”

“Don't be rude! She lives far from school you know. Ma'am Iris suggested that when the secretary isn't available, the responsibility of recording the attendance at the flag ceremony would be given to the one who will lead the class prayer.”

“First row last week and I was the one who led yesterday. So.... Uh, it should be ‘Jet’ who sits next to me!”

“Martini? What the fuck! Don't expect anything from that arrogant bastard!”

“Yeah right. He won't even do his cleaning duty even if ma'am Iris told him so. Let alone listen to us. He might even— No, he will really get mad at us!”

“And prayer? Does that damned soul know how to pray?”

“He's an asshole!”

Poor Martini getting dissed behind his back. I wonder how he'll react if he hear this recording.

I squint my eyes as I press the stop button of my voice recording app on my phone.

I'll anonymously send this to his FB account fufufufu~

“Then it should be you next.”

“Luh? I am for tomorrow. Besides, I won't go anyway.”

“Heh. I'll stay here as well.”

“Just write our names on the attendance and that should do it.”

“But ma'am Iris—”

“It should be fine as long as there would be no sucker for ma'am who will tell it to her.”

Fufufufu. I'll tell you all on her.

“Yeah. Besides, ma'am Iris doesn't come to our line anyway.”

“Fufufufu. What do you mean ‘she doesn't come’? She does you know. She's always there overseeing us somewhere nearby. You just all don't notice her. Besides, there are officers recording which class attended and which class didn't. She'll eventually find out.”

“Wait really?”

“Yeah. I don't lie you know.”

“Uhh...”

“We'll stay. We're still playing. She won't notice that we're missing anyway.”

Aren't you guys scared of ma'am? Is your gameplay more important than not getting scolded by her?

“Or we could just say we're late.”

“That's unfair. Hell no!”

“I won't go as well in that case. Let's all get scolded.”

“Beside, we have classmates in the SSG isn't it? Just tell them to record us as present.”

“That's a very intelligent idea. But like the hell they will comply. And Eli-chan will lead the singing of the school anthem. Are you just going to embarrass her like that?”

“What?”

“‘Eli-chan’? Oh Hecate— Eh? Wait what? What did you just say?! Hecate will be singing?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?! Holy shit!”

“That's nice!”

“Miss Hecate will be singing guys!”

“I want to hear her sing!”

“Let's go!”

“Bring our banner!”

“On it! Wait, girls! Can we borrow your light sticks?”

“Uh yes?”

“Get your asses moving! We can't miss this divine event. I might win the lottery today.”

“I think this is why I'm winning this rank game despite my teammates being bunch of pathetic idiots!”

Bloody hell. Your allure is really insane my lil Eli-chan.

“Hecate is really popular among the boys.”

“Well she's beautiful.”

“What do you mean by that? She's also popular among the girls you know!

“I wanted to be her boyfriend.”

Huh?

“Too bad... She's already mine.”

They laugh at me.

“Hahaha! Reverren, you're still going on with that? It's been almost four weeks since you first said that you know.”

“Well we understand that it's really such a big achievement to be her boyfriend but although you're a good guy and a remarkable person, you're tarnishing her name with that kind of lie.”

A walking out through the front door male classmate pats my shoulder when he passes by me.

“I'm not lying.”

“Okay okay. Suit yourself but keep it in our class.”

“You're already lucky that you seem to be a pretty close friend with miss Hecate. You also gave her a very intimate nickname which she accepted. She's also playing along with you. Unlike us who can't even talk to her for more than a minute, you're too lucky.”

Is it my fault that you guys are afraid to interact with her?

And I think I know why they all don't believe my claims.

Eli-chan and I are low-key. Only few know that we're really dating. And those people obviously doesn't go around shouting, ‘Elizabeth and Mark are dating!’.

We don't flirt in public that much and in fact, it's pretty rare.

When a classmate asked me why I'm so intimate with Eli-chan last month, I said it's because we're in a relationship. But they took it as a joke.

They even clarified it with Eli-chan yet they still thought she was just playing along with me.

They all see me and her as a very close friend who's playing with her as a couple.

Well whatever.

“Good morning Mark-kun.”

I wake up from my thoughts and turn around to see Jeremy smiling slightly at me.

“Hello Jeremy.”

“What are you standing there in daze for?”

I look around and notice that all my classmates left already.

“Just lost in thoughts. Anyway, why are you still here? I thought you already left with Mae-chan and company.”

“They invited me but I was waiting for you. I just went to the toilet. Sorry if I was late.”

“Oh hell thank you. But let's go or we would be late.”

“Let me lock the door first.”

“Alright.”

—In the school's open ground in front of the biggest and one of the oldest building in our school named ‘Gabaldon’.

『....In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit. Amen』

After the prayer, comes the national anthem. So everyone, students and teachers alike, put their right hands on their left chest to show respect to the flag.

『♪Bayang magiliw, perlas ng silanganan. Alab ng puso sa dibdib mo'y buhay.......♪』

‘Lupang Hinirang’ or the ‘Chosen Land’ is the title of the national anthem of the Philippines.

The music was composed in 1898 by Julián Felipe, and the lyrics were adopted from the Spanish poem ‘Filipinas’,  which was written by José Palma in 1899.

The song expresses the aspirations, longings, dreams, ideals, commitment and determination, nationalism and patriotism, sentiment and spirit of the people.

So while the anthem was being sung by everyone, no student dares to chatter with one another because it's obviously disrespectful. And in fact, disrespect to the flag could put you behind the bars.

After it was finished, what follows next is the school anthem.

“Oi, I heard Ms. Hecate will be leading the singing today.”

“Is it true?”

“It's true. My friend in the SSG told me so yesterday.”

“Nice. I wanted to hear her sing.”

“She must have a heavenly voice right?”

“Yes of course.”

“Shhh! She's coming up the stage.”

So not only my classmates but other class sections wanted to hear Eli-chan sing as well?

Her popularity is this good?

“Mr. Reverren!”

Hmmm...?

Ma'am Iris called my surname from behind. I turn around and there she is several inches away beckoning me to come to her.

I look at the stage then to her. I walk towards her.

“What is it ma'am?”

“Please bring three boys with you and come to the second gate to pick something up. Deliver it then to the classroom. Please also call miss Gradielle because she needs to fill up some forms.”

“Eh? But the ceremony is still going on.”

Well it's finished after the school anthem or perhaps after an announcement if ever there is one.

“It's fine.”

“What do we need to pick up ma'am.”

“A new locker.”

“Can't the school staff do it? And why do I need to be one of the guys to help out?”

“The staff are already helping but they're not enough. Those lockers are ours anyway so we need to help. Is there a problem?”

She's one head taller than me so it looks like she's looking down on me with her cold eyes.

“Uh.... Fufufufu. No problem ma'am. I'll be going now.”

“Thank you.”

I look at the brown haired girl on the stage and squint my eyes.

Oh hell, I'll just sneak out. I don't think she'll noticed my absence among the hundreds of students in the field.