//Gregorio Del Pilars' POV

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They've been gone for quite some time, now.

I could smell nothing but fire and smoke now. The calming scent of Nanay's sampaguita is nothing but a distant memory at this point.

Pip and I were sitting and huddled in a corner. He was shaking terribly, and I didn't know what else to do but hug him tighter. I was already scared, and the fact that he was trembling so much didn't exactly help at all. Yet being the big brother, I tried my best to remain calm and not cry. No, not in front of Pip...

Suddenly, I see two figures limping towards us from the smoke. I instinctively hold onto Pip a little tighter, ready to protect him from whoever or whatever was coming at our direction.

But as they moved closer, I realized that it was just Nanay and Tatay. I was about to get up and run into their arms with Pip in my grasp, but I saw Tatay holding Nanay up. She was limping and looking down.

"My... sampaguitas..." Nanay whispered. I noticed tear drops falling from her face.

She slowly looked up. When she saw me and Pip, she quickly shook them away, and smiled as bright as she could.

"'Di na bali. Ang importante ngayon, wala na yung apoy, at ligtas kayo."
("It doesn't matter. What's important is that the fire's gone, and you're all are safe.")

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'SMACK!'

I jolted up at the sound of something smacked on my desk. Then I looked to see my teacher, ruler in hand, arms crossed, and glaring itaks at me.

With her eyes still glued on me, she pointed to the board. "Because you just seem so eager to learn, please do us the honor of solving for x and y on the board for us."

I took a peek at the problem she pointed at on the board, and I sweatdropped. It turns out that that was todays' new lesson, and I've been sleeping in this class the whole time.

I smiled and chuckled nervously. Scratching the back of my head, I asked, "Uh, ma'am, how do you do that, po?"

Her eyes went narrower. "See me after class, Mr. Del Pilar."

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RIIIIIIIINGG!

Third block done, students quickly grab their things and rush out the classroom and into their dorms.

But I wasn't quick enough.

I was just under the door frame when she called my name.

"Mr. Del Pilar, didn't I say I'd like too see you after class?"

I froze there for a few seconds, before slowly turning around.

I scratched the back of my head. "Oo nga, no?"

She just sighed angrily and started rambling about my behavior.

I didn't bother to listen to her scolding, as I've heard this a million times. The minute she started yapping, I immediately shut her out, letting her words go in one ear and out the other.

But I did take this time as an opportunity to reflect on Phils' question last night and my daydream.

Thinking back, Mr. ASEAN never once asked me about my family when I was his student. So what makes Phil any different? What does he know? Did he tell him anything? What's his business in our family matters, anyway?

And my daydream. It was when Nanays' small sampaguita garden burned down to nothing but ashes. For the next few days, she forced out a smile as she continues her daily routine as if nothing happened.

But I knew better. Nanay treasured that little garden. It was where she would go relax, and make new sampaguita flower crowns. Sometimes, on good days, she, Tatay, Phil, and I would gather in that garden and bond as a family.

It was a small space filled with so much memories...

Since then, Tatay, Phil, and I worked to replant that small garden, all in an effort to make Nanay genuinely smile once again. And in the end, I'm happy to say that our efforts were not in vain.

Today, that sampaguita garden continues to thrive as it once did, but we installed CCTVs this time.

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It's been a while since I recalled such memories like that. So why come up now, and in math class of all times? Was there anything significant about it?

Then again, we never found the culprit...

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"Mr. Gregorio Del Pilar, are you even listening to me!?"

I felt as if I was yanked out of my thoughts and straight back into reality. And the first sight that greeted me was my teacher. Arms crossed, and eyes piercing itaks right into my soul.

"O-Opo, ma'am." I lied.

"Oh? Then tell me, what was the last thing I said?"

Fortunately for me, we've been through this enough times for me to know what she always says last.

"Uh, 'I expect better things from you, Mr. Del Pilar.'"

She stares at me for a few more seconds before sighing once again. "I have a feeling it's not sinking in, but whatever. I'm too tired to care and do any more about it right now." She made a 'shoo' gesture at me. "You're dismissed."

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Knock, knock.

No answer. Listening closer, I don't hear any footsteps, too.

I sighed and dug in my pockets for the keys.

When I felt them, I took them out and hurriedly unlocked the door.

It opened with a quiet creak as I was greeted with a rush of cold air against my skin, and the lights off.

"Hello?"

No answer.

I shrugged it off and headed straight for my room.

Once I entered my room, I threw my bag off to a side and sat on my bed. I decided to watch some TV. 'Ang Huling El Bimbo' was on right now, and I watched with keen interest.

It was just getting to the good part, when someone knocked on my bedroom door. With a grunt, I got up and answered it, revealing a familiar North Korean.

"Finally, you're back." He said and handed me a box. "I've been meaning to give this to you. I found this just sitting outside our dorms' door. It was sent to you by a woman... named 'Perla'?"

Just then, Taiwan walked by behind North Korea. "Oh, another girlfriend already?" Taiwan snickered.

I cringed as I took the box out of North Koreas' hands. "Disgusting, pare. She's my mom." And with that, I slammed the door shut.

After a few angry murmurs from North Korea to Taiwan, I heard their footsteps leaving my bedroom door.

I mentally facepalmed. Even with the admins' explanation of why they assigned me with the Northeast Asians instead of the Southeast Asians, it still didn't feel right. I didn't really feel at home with these arrangements.

But whatever. What can I do about it?

With a sigh, I grabbed a scissor from my school bag and sat down on my bed, puting the box on my lap.

After a few minutes of just sitting there, wondering what Nanay could've possibly mailed me on such a random day, I ended up deciding that it was probably some pasalubong, like food, that Maharlika sent them. Excited at that thought, I used my scissor to cut the tape with ease and opened the box.

But my excitement quickly turned into confusion when I saw a pair of slipper I recognized to be Nanays'.

Upon closer inspection to one of the slippers, I noticed a small post-it note attached to both of them, with Phil and I's names on them.

There was a little note from Nanay under Phils' name.

Gregorio,
As soon as you recieve this, give this piece of the pair of tsinelas to your brother.

From,
Nanay.

I found it a bit odd that I couldn't hear the loving tone Nanay would always use while talking to me and Phil. I sucked in a breath. Is she really that irritated from that group chat incident?

... Or maybe it's just me? Maybe I'm just overthinking...

Just then, I jolted at the sound of a 'ding!'.

I took out my phone from my pocket, and saw a message from Nanay.

Nanay: Kinuha mo na ba yung package ko?

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I'm starting to regret ever teaching Nanay how to use a phone...

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Word count : 1377 words

Coming up ---> 'chapter 9 : The Memories I've Kept From You'