[Present Day]
[Location: Taguig, Philippines]
[Time/Date: 12:45 pm/ 09-09-202*]
*Saori's Point of View*
My eyes darted across the crowded room until I finally found her. "Ate!" I shouted, weaving through the tables to get to her. I pulled her into a hug before she even had a chance to look up.
["Ate" ("a-te"), is in reference to an older female relative or respected friend (especially one's own sister or kapatid), and means "Sister".]
"Ugh, don't touch me," she said, though a smirk played on her lips. I feigned a look of hurt, pulling my hands back with a dramatic gasp.
"Hmph, so grumpy," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I sat down.
She fixed the two boys in the corner with a playful, yet stern glare. "We're going to the mall, just like we planned last night. Is that clear?"
I sighed, shaking my head at them. They'd once again spent their entire monthly allowance at the gaming cafe near our University. An hour there cost 5 dollars, which is nearly 300 pesos in our country.
"Why don't you just save your money," I chastised, "instead of spending it on things that aren't important?"
Tyler sighed dramatically, gesturing with his hands as if he were a game show host. "Look, we can't do that. They've got the full gaming setup, the place is air-conditioned, and they serve us food like we're VIP customers. We also have our own blocks."
I slammed my fist on the table. "Hmph! Excuses!"
My younger brother immediately jumped in. "Oh, please. You're the one who burns through your entire allowance on snacks every single day and then tries to steal my money before the lunch bell even rings."
I rolled my eyes so hard I'm pretty sure I saw my own brain. "Duh! I've already saved a lot more than you."
"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "I bet you can't go a single day without spending your money on food."
A wave of pure panic washed over me. He was right, and it wasn't my fault! Nobody can resist the delicious call of fresh, savory takoyaki, the creamy embrace of carbonara, or the glorious, soul-warming slurp of a good ramen bowl! If there's a medical condition of what illness I'm feeling every time I smell or see a food— I swear! People needs to lock me up somewhere just so I can restrain myself from eating it.
I shook my head and my senses returned to reality. "Hmph! You're wrong, and I'll prove it!" I declared, pouting like a toddler.
"Don't tell me..." He froze, his head shaking slowly. His eyes went from normal to manic in a split second. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN?!"
"Why not?" I said, nonchalantly flicking a piece of lint off my shirt. "It's much more fun to eat when it's free."
He pointed a shaky finger at me, his face turning a shade of purple usually reserved for cartoon villains. "You're the one who lectured me about playing with other people's feelings, but you— you?! You absolute crazy hag!"
Tyler's jaw hanged and nearly hit the floor. He couldn't believe my younger brother had just dropped that insult on me while we're surrounded and heard by lots of students.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" My face grew hot with rage. I launched myself across the table, pinching his ear with the ferocity of a crab. "I'm much older than you, so show some respect! And besides, I'm not playing with their feelings, I'm just... enjoying their generosity!"
"AH—! PLEASE STOP! I'M SO SORRY!" he shrieked, batting at my hands.
"Don't you ever call me that again, or I will punch your mouth with staplers!"
Ate Clydelle, who was sitting nearby, just took a sip of her water. "I'm sure you picked up that phrase from watching a lot of dramas." She said nonchalantly, as if she's already used to this happening and even if she tried stopping them, it won't be that easy.
Tyler, meanwhile, was turning into a human tomato. He was making choked, gurgling noises as he tried desperately to suppress his laughter, tears streaming down his face.
"Do you want me to punch you too, Tyler?" I threatened, still fuming.
He cleared his throat, wiping his eyes. "I would rather not." He took a shaky breath, still quivering with suppressed mirth. "It's just... there's a funny memory occurred to me. Frank was so annoyed by one of our teachers that he secretly mocked her and called her funny names." He then let out a laugh so loud and long it echoed through the entire lunchroom, causing more than a few heads to turn.
A deep sigh escaped me as I settled back into the chair, the confrontation finally over.
"Honestly, she had it coming," my brother grumbled, spearing a piece of tokneneng with his fork. "A minor subject that outshines a major one? She keeps assigning tasks without properly teaching us, she just hands over her lessons, and has us report them while she's on vacation."
"But still!" I countered, aggressively jabbing my own fork into the fried quail egg. "If I ever hear you disrespecting me with such impolite words again, I'm telling our parents."
[Tokneneng - is a tempura-like Filipino street food made by deep-frying orange batter covered hard-boiled duck eggs.]
He recoiled, a shiver running down his spine as he watched me murder the egg. "I-I'll never insult you again," he stammered, eyes wide with fear. "What about those guys who gave you free food? Are you going to give one of them a shot?"
I scoffed, my grip tightening on the fork. "Shut up. They're not suitors; they're my friends. They do it willingly, and you already know I'm not interested in dating."
"Oh, yeah," he said with a wry smile. "I know they're just for 'fun'—for you to get new ideas for your novel."
My heart pounded. I cleared my throat and looked away, pretending to be unfazed. "What? What makes you think that?"
"I always hear you talking to yourself in your room, acting out scenarios for your story," he yelled, his voice echoing in the kitchen. "And you get furious every time you realize you lack experience with such things. That's why you started talking to boys, manipulating them as if you care, but in reality, it's just for your own benefit!"
My face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "Shut up! And ugh! That's creepy. Don't listen in on what I'm doing, you freak."
"Hah! How can I be a freak when you're the one with crazy schemes?" he exclaimed.
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to regain composure. "Anyway, being in a relationship is a drag. There's no pure happiness in it, only jealousy and hatred. Isn't that wicked?"
"You don't understand how they feel because you've never experienced what it's like to be in a relationship," he nagged, sticking out his tongue.
"Shut up! There's nothing wrong with that; at least, I'm free."
—
"Saaaarriiii~!" a boisterous voice yelled, and I felt two heavy arms wrap around my shoulders from behind. I sighed, shrugging off the familiar weight. "What?"
The loud dude was none other than Dean Hilton, my best friend since the eighth grade.
Dean, along with Robin McGregor and Bobby Marquis, were the only guys I'd ever truly let into my inner circle. They were a constant source of playful teasing, but beneath the jokes, they were always there when it mattered most.
"Are you going to Hanatulu Resort for Daisy's 18th birthday?" he asked, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Oh yeah, right—" A sudden jolt of panic shot through me as I remembered my promise. "Oh gosh, I almost forgot! Is it really today?"
Dean's smirk widened. "Tsk, you're Daisy's best friend, and you forgot her birthday?"
"Hmpf!" I scoffed, trying to hide my embarrassment. "I... I know exactly when her birthday is; I j-just wasn't sure when she was celebrating it."
"If you say so," he said, and then with a quick pinch to my cheek, he added, "Robin, Bobby, and I will be waiting for you at the school's main gate." Before I could react, he was gone, running off with a victorious laugh.
"Ughh! Deaaaaan!" I yelled, my hand flying to my throbbing cheek. He knew exactly how much I hated having my face touched, and he did it every single time just to get under my skin.
My name is Saori Claude Moon, and I'm eighteen years old, stressing out the life as a first year college student. Thankfully, I'm not doing it alone. Aside from my friends, my support system consists of my cousins from my father's side, who are more like siblings, and of course with my brother.
First, there's Clydelle Jessica Park, the eldest at nineteen. She's a year ahead of me and acts like it, always offering unsolicited but surprisingly helpful life advice however there are times when she's too unhinged.
The next one, Tyler Adamson, is sixteen. He and my own younger brother, Frank Douglas Moon, are the same age and inseparable. They're a chaotic duo, full of teenage antics and online game-related debates.
All of us are students at the same prestigious university and, as luck would have it, we also live in the same neighborhood. This close-knit arrangement means we're constantly in each other's lives, creating a bond that's thicker than blood. We bicker and tease like siblings, but we always have each other's backs when it counts.
—