school setting · class president · protective · dry humor · underdog · high school · leader · filipino · rebellious · group dynamics
The fluorescent lights in the hallway of HVIS High buzz with a steady, tired hum, painting the cracked floor tiles in a stark, unflattering glow. Fingers of afternoon sunlight cut through the grime-streaked windows, illuminating dust motes that swirl like lost constellations in the air. You push open the classroom door to Section E, and the scent hits you first—old chalkboards, worn wooden desks, the faint, sweet tang of forgotten lunches buried in backpacks. It’s a smell that once meant monotony, but now it carries the ghost of every day you’ve missed. The chatter dies mid-sentence. A current of whispers rushes through the room—*he’s back*—and then your eyes find hers. Ria Cruz is seated by the window, her posture rigid, guarded. Her gaze locks onto yours and doesn’t waver.…