Vance's POV

I pulled my blazer up my chest and hurriedly walked through the corridors of the Beta's dorm. I buttoned my polo uniform first before tugging to loosen my collar.

"Good morning, Vance," bati ng mga babaeng estudyante sa'kin na nakasalubong ko pababa ng hagdan.

Hindi ko sila binalingan ng tingin. "Good morning, ladies."

Nilaktawan ko ang panghuling tatlong hakbang at sa sandaling lumapat ang aking mga paa sa open hallway, panandalian kong ginulo ang aking buhok bago patakbuhin ang aking palad dito upang maayos ito.

Nagsimula na ulit akong maglakad papaalis ng building habang binubutones ang blazer ko.

Ramdam ko ang mga mata ng isang grupo ng mga lalaki na nilagpasan ko. May iba sa kanila'y napakunot ng noo at may iba ring napasingkit, para padalhan ako ng nanghihinalang tingin.

Sinulyapan ko lang sila mula sa sulok ng aking mga mata, saka itinuon ang aking atensyon sa lalaking nakapamulsa malapit sa nakabukas na gate.

Nang makarating ako sa tabi niya, sinabayan niya ako papalabas ng residential area ng Beta Class.

"You know it's hard to stop by the Beta's residence when I could just summon a portal to the school, right?" ani Grey.

"We're taking the platform?" tanong ko.

"Mmm." He hummed in response. "We still have time."

I adjusted my cuffs. "Did my sister notice I spent another night away?"

"She probably did," sagot niya. "But you know she's not one that talks."

Sinundan ito ng ilang minuto ng katahimikan habang inaayos ko ang aking sarili.

"Pull up your collar," tugon ni Grey. "You have a mark."

"Shit-" I said under my breath and circled my neckline with my hand. "I told them not to leave anything-" Scowling at the disobedience, I pulled my collar to cover the base of my neck.

"Them?"

Napabuga ako ng hangin. "Two."

"You know, I still don't get why you can't wait until the next school break," mahinahon niyang sabi. "I thought you already spent our last summer vacation in the island?" tanong niya. "While your sister just stayed in your apartment."

"I did," matipid kong sagot.

Pagkarating namin sa platform, sinalubong kami ni Henri na kahahatak lang ng isang sleeve niya para takpan ang kanyang relo.

Of course he would know when and where to meet with us without asking. He was, the son of Destiny.

"There's lipstick on your jaw," pagbibigay-alam ni Henri sa'kin nang makasakay kaming tatlo ni Grey sa platform.

"Seriously?" naiinis kong sambit at hinagod-hagod ang aking panga.

Ilang sandali pa'y nakarinig kami ng mahihinang hagikgik, kaya sabay kaming napalingon ni Grey sa mga babaeng nasa likod namin.

Meanwhile, Henri just quickly lowered his head to the side to give a subtle glance.

Nagpalitan kami ng tingin ni Grey bago muling humarap sa tanawin ng village na unti-unting lumiliit sa aming paningin.

"Fortunate of you to not have been in the dorm last night, Vance." Itinaas ni Grey ang kanyang noo at humugot ng malalim na hininga.

My brows furrowed with curiosity. "Why?"

"The girls made us eat deep-fried insects," sabi niya.

Napangiti ako. "How was it?"

"Terrible."

Henri snickered beside me, clearly insisting, dahilan na lumapad ang aking ngiti.

"Henri seems to have enjoyed it," puna ko.

Grey threw Henri a bored look, while Henri also fought back with a cold gaze.

Napayuko ako at marahang natawa sa inasta ng dalawa.

"Well, I'm sorry, monsieur," sarkastikong sabi ni Grey sabay piling ng kanyang ulo. "-if I do not enjoy the food of the world below."

"It's okay," Henri calmly replied. "I sometimes do not enjoy your food, either."

"If you are talking about the food that I cook, Percival, a mirror is going to land on your neck." Sinenyasan ako ni Grey. "Tell him, Vance, that I have the ability to see the future."

Nilingon ko si Henri. "He makes sure it happens."

Nauna kaming bumaba ng platform pagkatapos nitong tumigil sa tapat ng main entrance ng Academy.

"But seriously, why don't you just tell her instead of releasing your frustrations by meddling in affairs?" suhestyon ni Grey. "You accidentally kissed a girl, n'est-ce pas? Because you thought it was her that pulled you into a corner?"

"Don't make me remember," I seriously asked, while we walked through the student-filled hallways of the school. "If she liked me, then it would have really been her."

"What are you afraid of losing, then?" aniya.

Sumayad ang aking paningin sa daanan namin. "Her, Grey," sagot ko. "I don't want to lose the friendship that we already have."

"And besides..." I took a deep breath and sighed. "You know how she is."

"Mmm."

"She already looks happy, and pretty contented." Napangiti ako. "I don't want to mess with that."

"And in turn you mess with others," dugtong niya. "-and yourself."

"Just shut up, will you?" saway ko sa matinding pangungusisa niya. "And don't even think about giving me your love-is-a-risk orientation."

"Love-is-a-risk orientation?" ani Henri.

Lumapit si Grey kay Henri at inakbayan ito. "First, Percival, I shall tell you the story of a smart young boy..."

And off he goes, telling the story of a smart young boy again.

A boy who was aware of how different he was from the other children but still wanted to study and play with them.

So he asked his parents that he try to enroll him in a school for normal people, but instead of playmates and friends, he found enemies. 

A boy who took pride with who he was and what he was capable of, ended up shattering his own pride after realizing that he was just too different, because all he wanted, was to be normal.

He was only a child with a fragile heart and courage, but he was smart enough to know that when he grows up, he's going to have to carry the burden of everyone's expectations.

Because as much as he wanted to believe his parents who loved him, he idolized them to the point that he realized he will never become like them.

He had friends, but he also continued to silently suffer under the company of the wrong people. He pretended he liked his plan of schooling with normal children, of course, because it was what he first wanted.

This boy was as gentle as his father and as smart as his mother, but deep inside he also had both their pride, and sometimes, gentleness, intelligence, and pride is not a good combination.

What you get is a child who wants to get what he wants but cannot tell if he no longer wanted it.

What you get, is someone who chooses to suffer under his own mistakes.

"And then one of his childhood friends, a girl, obviously..." Grey chuckled. "Was the first to sense something was wrong, so she also asked her parents to enroll her in an all-mortals school instead of just being home-schooled like the rest..."

Then one of the boy's friends unexpectedly transferred to his school and finally found out why, that after years of being friends, instead of growing up into an open and free person like her, the young boy still stayed silent, shy, and timid...

"That girl, Percival, was his own damsel in shining armor," ani Grey. "It was her that had the courage to bring her friend back to his feet."

"He got bullied by the other boys in school for being smart and gentle?" dagdag pa niya. "Well, they all got bullied by a single girl."

Natawa ako nang mahina.

"And in time, that girl slowly brought back his pride and courage..."

Sinulyapan ko si Grey na hindi pa tapos sa pagku-kuwento kay Henri.

"An act of friendship..." He slowly waved his hand in front of their faces. "-turned into a big impression."

"And then the boy grew up to become a dashing bright man who now has the pride and courage to defend himself, but still couldn't express his feelings." 

Grey gave me a bored look. 

"So he just opted to express his manly frustrations to others."

"Because he is afraid of losing what he and the girl already have, Grey," natatawa kong depensa sa lalaking nasa kuwento niya. 

"And that is how love..." pagtatapos niya. "-is a risk, Percival."

Akala ko 'yon na lahat ang sasabihin ni Grey kaya nagtaka ako nang hindi pa niya binibitawan si Henri.

"The man is also starting to deny his feeling for the sake of her." He slowed down his speech to emphasize the most final part of the story. "Because a little birdie told me, that he's trying to convince himself that he is nothing but a friend and an older brother to this girl that he likes."

"He is," I sternly agreed.

"But let's be honest." Grey gave Henri a gentle tap on the back of his shoulder before letting it go. "He's only going to make a fool of himself, non?"

I hummed in response.

"You look like a fool, Vance," he emptily said.

Nilingon ako ni Henri, ngunit mabilis ding nabaling ang aming atensyon nang lagpasan kami ng isang babae na tumatakbo, nangangamoy usok at makina.

"Tangina!" Marahas niyang tinanggal ang maruming gloves na suot niya at itinapon ang mga ito. "Nakalimutan kong gawin yung assignment!"

"Tabi!" Sinigawan niya ang nagkukumpulang mga lalaki sa gitna ng corridor. "Sunugin ko kayo, eh!"

Nang tuluyan na nga siyang maglaho sa aming paningin, hinayaan ko sina Grey at Henri na pangunahan ako papuntang classroom.

Saka ko pinulot ang gloves na naiwan niya.