"Are you an angel?"

I chortled. "No. No, I am not an angel."

"You look like an angel," the adorable young boy insisted.

Well, he got me there. When I first saw it, I also couldn't help but admire the white ball gown. With its boat neckline and long, flowy peasant sleeves, it was as if it had been plucked from the wardrobe of angels. It's a testament to how my family doesn't take school productions lightly. In fact, we are VIPs at Wang's Bespoke where we've been getting our custom-made costumes for over sixty years.

As I stood there in arguably the most exquisite costume I've ever owned, I briefly toyed with the idea of just telling him that I'm an angel for the sake of staying in character. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Thank you. That's so sweet of you. What's your name?"

"I've been a good boy."

"I'm sure you have. My name is Kaisa. What's yours?"

"My name is Levi Ong. I am seven years old," he recited.

"Nice to meet you, Levi."

"Nice to meet you too! I've never met an angel before."

I wanted to correct him again, but there's no use in arguing with a child. Noticing his casual clothes, I recalled the day of my new student interview was the last time I was allowed to wear clothes outside of my uniform. I wondered if that was the reason he was here too. However, before I could have a chance to ask, he dashed past me and collided with Liam.

Levi peered at me from behind Liam's protective figure, as Liam playfully tousled Levi's hair and asked him what was wrong. At first, Levi seemed too shy to respond, but after a moment, he revealed to Liam that he believed a heavenly angel was standing right in front of them. He asked Liam if he could see her too.

Liam's gaze flickered to me and a warm smile spread across his face. "Yes, I definitely see her too," he remarked, just as Sera emerged from the classroom and made her way over to where we were standing.

"Careful there, Levi," she said. "You know what they call angels who fell from heaven, don't you?"

"Sera," Liam said her name sternly, like a warning.

"What?"

"That's enough."

"I didn't say anything."

"Good then. When we don't have anything nice to say, it's best not to say anything at all."

"Liam, you can't be serious. She's the one who's spreading lies about me. Why are you defending her?"

Liam ignored her and knelt to Levi's height. "Hey Levi, how would you like to eat lunch with the angel lady Kaisa?"

"I'd love to!"

"Okay, then why don't you escort her to the cafeteria? I'll join you in a bit."

Levi cautiously made his way to my side and placed his hand in mine. I managed a timid smile in his direction before glancing anxiously at Liam. I don't know how he did it, but Liam put me at ease with a single look. He then pivoted to confront Sera, obstructing her view of me. I walked slowly, attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation, but to no avail. As I stood at the entrance of the cafeteria asking Levi what he wanted to eat, Liam appeared next to us, so there couldn't have been much talk for me to miss.

"That was fast," I said.

"Nothing to it," he said nonchalantly. "What can I get you?"

"I have packed lunch."

"To drink then?"

"I have a water bottle too."

"Dessert?"

I laughed a little at his persistence and mentally added it to the list of things that I like about him. "Um, on the second thought, I'd like a melon juice. Drink and dessert in one."

"Okay, one melon juice coming right up." He strolled towards the cafeteria line, but then suddenly swung around and offered to take us to a table first. "It's easier to wait at a table when you're with a kid," he explained.

I simply nodded in agreement, still marveling at how efficiently he navigated the bustling cafeteria. It wasn't until he came to a stop that I realized he had guided us to the secluded table at the far end of the dining area, beneath the pergola where Sera had brought me just the day before. For a brief moment, I froze in shock. However, Levi, still holding my hand, pulled me to sit beside him.

That's how I like to remember ending up face-to-face with Liam for the first time. I don't think either of us knew what we were eating. At least, I didn't.

And Liam...well, he didn't notice what Levi was doing until the latter grabbed my melon juice.

"Levi, wait, that's Kaisa's melon juice."

"It's okay, Liam," I coaxed.

"No, let me get you another one."

"Why can't we share with her?" Levi asked innocently. "Is it because she's really a fallen angel?"

"Levi!"

"Liam, there's no need to raise your voice," I said, covering Levi's ears as he looked startled. "It's okay."

"It's not okay. Apologize, Levi. It is never okay to call someone a fallen angel."

"He probably doesn't even know what he's saying."

He motioned for me to take my hand off Levi's ears. "Levi, what is a fallen angel?"

"A bad angel," Levi responded softly. "Sent away from heaven and thrown into hell."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Bad."

"What do you do when you do something bad?"

"Apologize," Levi answered in a humbled voice. "I'm sorry, Kaisa. I don't think you're a bad angel."

"Apology accepted, Levi. Let's eat."

He hesitantly looked at Liam. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, Levi. What is it?" I said, but he continued to look at Liam for permission. "Liam, it's okay."

Liam nodded his head at Levi but watched him intently.

"If you didn't fall from heaven, then how did you get here?"

I ignored the sound of choking coughs behind us and focused on thinking about an answer that wouldn't disappoint a seven-year-old. "Umm..."

"God sent her here," Liam answered for me with a teasing smile.

I widened my eyes at him as Levi exclaimed, "You're a guardian angel!"

"Again, that is so sweet of you, kiddo. Thank you."

"Can I please have some of your juice?"

"Yes, of course."

"Can Liam have some of your juice?"

"Yes?"

I couldn't bring myself to glance in his direction after agreeing to this request, even though there was a hint of doubt in my tone. I was keenly aware of the risks associated with sharing a drink with someone. I could faintly hear my mother's stern warnings about indirect kisses echoing in my mind. However, what I heard more clearly was my own excited voice.

In hindsight, it was a smart choice, especially when his dad unexpectedly appeared at our table to collect Levi and shot us a suspicious look. As they departed, it struck me that we were now seated at the table by ourselves. It dawned on me that I had unintentionally violated my mom's odd number rule.

"Don't you like your lunch?" Liam interrupted my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You've been chewing the same bite for a while now. Do you want something else? Want to try mine?" He blushed before I could comment on his suggestion and hurriedly offered to get me something else from the cafeteria instead.

I looked down at my lunch. It was Bicol express—pork cubes stewed in rich, creamy coconut milk and chili peppers—I didn't want anything else besides this comfort food. "No, this is my favorite," I said. "I'm just savoring it."

"Got it. Okay. What else do you like?"

"You. I mean, what about you? What's your favorite food?"

"I eat pretty much everything. But since you asked, I like the okoy that you cooked during the National Language Month cooking competition. Maybe you can cook it again sometime." He flashed me a smile. "How about when we go to Cebu?"

First of all, the cooking competition was at least four months ago. I'm astonished that he remembers how it tasted. At the same time, it shouldn't have been a surprise, considering that I intentionally selected a recipe that is both simple and addictive. I know I request it from my mom often enough. Additionally, this year's Nationals would be held in Cebu, which is an overnight ferry ride away from the capital. He probably assumed that we would be in the same school lodging. I didn't have the heart to tell him that my family in Cebu would be hosting me, meaning that I wouldn't have the opportunity to see him outside of the competition venue, just like I rarely see him outside of our school premises.

"Have you always had an interest in medicine?" I asked, deciding to ignore his question for now. And how it made me feel.

"No, Levi has asthma so it's something I picked up from being in the hospital often. You? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I wanted to be a nurse and then I found out that I don't like the sight of blood."

"Really? You did so well yesterday though."

"I was out of it," I said. Beyond him, the small cliff that I rolled down on seemed somewhat romantic to me. If not for the two flights of stairs needed to climb down it, I'd have thought it looked nothing more than a grassy knoll.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Good. Besides my elbow, I feel pretty good."

"My aunt said that you still need to see a doctor."

It's funny how even without hearing what Liam's aunt had to say about my injuries, Ryuhei seemed to share the same concerns and insisted that I see a doctor. This led to him entering my house for the second time yesterday, with his aunt in tow.

"I did."

"You have a doctor in the family?"

"Um, no, Ryuhei's aunt is a doctor. She came to see me last night."

I thought about telling Liam that it was Kimiko's mom who visited, but since she came with Ryuhei, I addressed her as his aunt. It might have been the wrong choice of words, as I observed his dampened mood.

"Your families must be close," he said without meeting my eyes.

"Not really."

"But you're carpooling now."

"Yes."

An awkward silence settled between us, and I dreaded that it would become the new normal in our interactions. However, Liam took the initiative to ask me more questions, and just like that, we smoothly transitioned back into our getting-to-know-you conversation. It was the best break ever. I wondered how I would go back to my solitary lunches after this.

Afterward, he insisted on walking back to the classroom with me, but I still had to change out of my costume. Just like yesterday, he reluctantly agreed to part ways. So when I came out of the changing room, I had a silly thought that he might be waiting for me outside.

But it wasn't him.

Instead, Ryuhei appeared seemingly out of nowhere, giving me an unsettling feeling that he had overheard our conversation about him. I couldn't help but gaze at him curiously.

"You really do look like an angel."

"I've taken off the costume."

"I can see that," he said. "It wasn't the costume."

The compliment was almost pleasant, and the way he said it was nothing short of satisfying, but it left me feeling more bewildered than anything else. Therefore, I scolded him, "Smooth talker."

"Hey, the kid said it." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "And kids don't lie."

"Then, thank you. For the compliment."

"I'm just repeating what the kid said."

"Right," I said dubiously.

He crossed his heart with his fingers and said nothing else about it. "I'm here because Principal Ong wants to see you in the office."

"You sound worried."

"Should I be worried?"

"You should...probably stop sounding like Raeden. I know you're twins and all, but it's getting weird. Like I won't be able to tell you apart anymore."

He shrugged with a glint in his eye.

"No way! Why? What is going on?"

"You know Ryu."

"I like to think so," I said. In contrast to Raeden, Ryuhei had a reserved nature. Both of them were highly intelligent, athletic, and musically gifted, but Ryuhei had a penchant for immersing himself in books for leisure, much like myself. He was also incredibly dutiful and adhered to rules compulsively, just as I did. Given these aspects of his personality, it was hard to believe that he would orchestrate such a ruse, and that's exactly what I told Raeden.

"Ah. Then I guess you don't know him as much as you think you do."

I just could not believe it. "Is this why you went to different schools? So you can switch places when your school is, what, too boring for you?" I teased.

"Why don't you believe me? Today was Ryu's idea."

"Today? You've done this more than once?"

"Alright, angel. Time to go." He picked up my garment bag and started to walk towards the faculty office.

"What if we have a quiz?" I asked when I caught up with him.

"Which class?"

"Physics."

"Don't worry about it."

"Or it might have been English."

He stopped walking and turned to ask me seriously, "Which is it?"

"You were supposed to say that it doesn't matter," I chided him.

"I know my strengths."

"Rae."

"Come on. I'll take you to the office."

"I can go there by myself."

"It will make me feel better if I can accompany you."

"Sera hasn't done anything."

"She badmouthed you to a child."

"That was..."

Rae continued to lead me towards the office as I struggled to come up with a valid excuse. I realized that any excuse I could come up with would be weak, and we both knew it.

*****

Upon meeting with Principal Ong, I found out that there was no need to be concerned. She simply wanted to discuss with me the reason for not submitting the signed permission slip for Nationals along with the payment. During our conversation, she emphasized the benefits of commuting with my schoolmates, not only for additional practice opportunities but also for the chance to form lasting friendships and create cherished memories.

I explained that I intended to submit the signed permission slip but had made alternate arrangements to stay with my family in Cebu and travel with my cousins who were returning home. Despite acknowledging my plans, Principal Ong reiterated the importance of traveling with my fellow contest participants. She only released me when I relented to discuss her recommendation with my mom.

And that was it. The events from yesterday were not mentioned at all. Could it be possible that she was unaware of what had happened?

Looking back on it now, I can't help but wonder why no one approached me about the incident the day before. Everyone around me carried on as if nothing had occurred, and for a moment, I almost convinced myself that nothing had. Only, I had the scars that ensured that I could never forget.

Stepping out of the faculty office, I spotted Liam waiting by the door, in the same posture as yesterday: one leg propped up against the wall.

Truth be told, I hadn't intended to share the details of my conversation with the principal with my mom. However, when I saw him, it brought back memories of his request to taste my cooking again. That moment made me reconsider and ultimately decide to speak with my mom.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied with a smile.

With him there, I naively thought that everything would be okay.