“You should have invited Nica. I'd like to make fu— to talk to her about her newfound love.”

“Hey! What do you mean by making fun of her?! You're such an asshole for that.”

“Fufufufufufu.”

“Oh my god. You're annoying! And I did invited her. But she didn't want to come. She's busy chatting him after all.”

“Fumufumu. Somebody's gonna cry for sure.”

“How rude. Don't just assume that her love life will end up badly.”

“Well who knows. But I just wanted to have a drink. Never tried that before. Drinking and comforting a broken hearted friend I mean fufufu.”

“Likewise Mark.”

“Mark, Al, stop that. But you have a  point so I also told her not too take it too seriously but she just frowned asking, ‘Why shouldn't I?’. I don't know what to answer so I just shut up.”

“I think I understand what Nica is feeling.”

“Mae-chan, you finally joined into the conversation.”

“Hehehe. Well, I can't relate to your topics earlier.”

“How can you relate to Nica's feelings, Mae?”

“Well, you know, she just wanted to love. And so, she wants to fight for it 'till the end. So why would she not take it seriously? It's her's. It's what she wanted.”

“Fufu. I agree with Mae-chan. Desire is what compels humans— It's our fundamental driving force. So naturally, if they wanted something, they'll do something about it themselves. Because it's for themselves after all.”

“I agree with Mark-kun. Why won't you give everything you can for your own happiness?”

“Okay okay. Can we not go with this topic? I don't want to stress myself!”

“Fufufufu. Why don't you chat her Lyn? She might had forgotten to eat her lunch.”

“Oh that. I already thought about it. So I took out her lunch box and put it on her arm chair.”

“Oh. I bet she will ignore that. But I remembered something.”

“Speaking of lunchbox, have you gotten over your trauma for it, Lyn...?”

“Huh? What are you talkin— Hiiih! A-Are you planning on something again...?”

“Don't do it Mark. Lyn is really terrified by the noise of a sudden opening of a lunchbox.”

“Don't bully her Mark-kun.”

“How rude. I'm not bullying her you know?”

“Really now? Humph. I wonder who was that who left us to fight for ourselves?”

“You're still not done with that, my dear Rose. I told you I'll compensate you with a date.”

“Wha— I don't care! And I told you not to call me that!”

“Wait wait wait! What are you all talking about? What's this ‘lunchbox trauma’? Why Lyn-chan? Is lunchbox scary? I can't relate guys!”

“Well Mary, Mark-kun once brought a bloody chopped rat and frog in his lunchbox back in grade seven.”

““““““..............”””””

“What the hell?! Mark! You're so disgusting! You better not touch me! I don't want to be sick. Gross!”

“Uh.. hehe.. why would you even.. uh.. why would you bring that Mark-kun..?”

“Mae-chan, you told the story wrongly. I never did brought it myself. Crystal played a prank on me. She was just sad. It's because I moved up to highschool so of course she was left behind in our elementary school given that she's still in grade 5.”

“I apologize Mark-kun.”

“It's fine Mae-chan.”

“No no no! Something is also wrong with your story Mark-kun.”

“Really? I don't think I'm misremembering things.”

“I also don't think so Mary.”

“Right. That's how I remember it as well.”

“God! Stop reminding of that days. Although that's the reason why Mae, Nica, and I started becoming friends... But please stop reminding me of it. I still feel disgusted you know.”

“Not that! Am I seriously the only one who find Mark-kun's little sister pranking him with a dead rat a wrong thing?!”

Don't shout Mary. We're in a silent place you know.

Look at the customers, they're frowning. Most of them are teachers as well.

They're probably thinking ‘This kids lack manners’— or something akin to that.

And one of them is our granny— our very strict beloved teacher in UCSP.

“Oh right. That's pretty abnormal.”

“I guess we just got so used to it.”

“I'm sorry Mary.”

“‘Got used to it’? You're all weird!”

“Just accept it Mary. Mark just really brainwashed them.”

“I didn't. But I guess you're also one of them my dear Rose.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Alright don't punch me.”

“It's actually better than Crystal attempting to electrocute Mark.”

“I didn't know of this story but it sounds dangerous.”

“Of course it would be new to you Lyn. Mark just told me about this yesterday.”

“Oh—”

“What?! Why are you all acting too calm? Mark-kun, is your family okay?!”

“Don't stress yourself over it Mary. They all had been brainwashed by Mark as I said.”

“But you're too calm as well Rose-chan.”

“—?! I— Humph!”

“It's not a big deal Mary. And stop shouting, the teachers are getting annoyed fufufu.”

“Because it is a big deal!”

“Alright then.”

“What's all this ruckus about?”

The granny ended up coming to us anyway.

“Uh, good morning po ma'am.”

“Hello po ma'am.”

“Good morning po ma'am.”

Rose , Mary, and Mae stand up immediately to greet the granny.

“Sorry po ma'am.”

Al nods politely after standing up. Lyn also did the same.

“Fufufufu. Hello ma'am~ How's your day?”

I stand up as well. I turn to my side to look at Eli-chan but...

When did she disappear? Impressive. To think I wouldn't notice.

“Tellisha, Rose. What's with your behavior? You're ought to enforce public order yet... .Don't forget you're an SSG officer! You're supposed to be a role model for the student body. Especially you miss Mary. I could hear you shouting a ‘dead rat’ or something. We're all eating here you know! Did your parents forgot to teach all of you proper manners?”

Rose and Mary responds to that harsh scolding by lowering their heads.

Granny then turns her attention to Mae-chan.

“You just transferred here right?”

“Yes po ma'am...”

“Yet you are already causing problems.”

“Sorry po ma'am.”

Granny then turns towards Al and Lyn.

“I can't seem to remember you. What's your name and who's your adviser?”

“Sorry po ma'am. I'm Lyn and he's Al.”

“We're both from HUMMS-3 po ma'am.”

“HUMMS? Yet this is how you behave in school. Isn't your major about ‘humanities’? I'll inform your teacher about this.”

“Uhh... Sorry po ma'am.”

Al and Lyn looks at the ground. Their expressions are calm though. As expected of someone from a military lineage.

And right.

I haven't really mentioned my class section to you. Because it's not that significant. But because granny opened an opportunity for it, then might as well discuss it now.

It doesn't need a long explanation. The sectioning was done fairly simple. The school management just took the strand name and added a number suffix with it as an individual identification for a class in their strand.

I, Eli-chan, Rose, Mary, and Mae are in STEM-2.

“And you Reverren. A problem child. You're really disrespectful aren't you.”

Eh. I am a ‘problem child?’

“Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? This is what I'm talking about.”

“What?”

“I'm talking about your way of speaking to your elders!” She's pissed.

Oh.

The ‘Po’ and ‘Opo’ huh. They're basically affirmation verbs used to show respect especially to the elders here in the Philippines.

To date, I can barely hear these words. I, myself is guilty.

But it sounds fun. So I guess I should use it as well. It's polite after all. Makes it hard for others to be rude to you.

“Sorry po ma'am.” I bow down a little.

“..............”

Granny didn't say anything else. She just frown whole scrutinizing all of us. This is pretty awkward. Everyone's looking at us.

“Hmmmp! ‘Sorry’ ‘Sorry’.. Do you think you'll always be left off just by apologizing? You shouldn't just do anything stupid. For a well-known students, you people are very disappointing.”

“Sorry po ma'am.”

“““““.................”””””

Mary and company said nothing so I did.

“Reverren, are you insulting me?”

“No po ma'am.”

Fufufufufufufufufu.

“That's right. It's your fault.”

What now?

“You're a bad influence to people around you. I assume you're the reason why these two SSG officers are behaving badly. You're dragging them down!”

Arehhh~  Why does it seem like she holds a grudge against me?

“Ma'am please don't humiliate him like that.”

Oh my dear Rose! You're standing up for me?

“Although I agree he's a bad influence but I will not stand by watching you humiliating him like that.”

Hey! What do you mean by agreeing with her?

“Tch. I want all of you to write an apology letter. Submit it today!”

We just nod at her. I assumed she will make us— or most likely just me, clean or something.

Granny then walks back to her table grumpily.

I wave to the customers who are enjoying the show. Then we sit back to our respective seats.

“My dear Rose, thank you so much. You're making me cry fufu.”

“I-I-I.. I didn't do it for you!”

She shouted and that attracted attention to us once again. Granny is glaring here.

“This is your fault Mark.” She spoke in whispers.

“How harsh. I am not the one who shout you know.”

“You—! You....!” Rose is glaring at me.