Bosque University, one of the top universities in the Philippines for their specializations in various fields of profession.
Children of politicians, CEOs, and celebrities often study here—due to their world renowned curriculums, catered to meet international standards.
Toot, toot, toot...
Toot, toot, toot...
Ugh...
The young man sluggishly rolls over to the other side of his bed, reaching out for his head-throbbing phone alarm.
Fuck.
After three long months of summer break from graduating high school, it was finally his first day in Bosque University. Slowly gets up from the soft embrace of his bed and cold touch of his pillows to prepare for school at 5:30 AM in the morning.
"Oh, Juno. You're up early."
"Yeah."
It was a short thirty minute routine—no more and no less. He had to be efficient with his time, that was consequence of enrolling to a top university two hours away from home—which meant taking a bath and eating under thirty minutes—though sometimes he doesn't even eat.
Before the world has even fully woken up, he already heads out for the gruelling two-hour long commute ahead of him.
LRT, LRT!
Baclaran! Kabihasnan!
The loud jeepney barkers call for early morning commuters be it students or employees. Juno is among the average commuters—trying to get a seat on a jeep.
It was only when he got on the train does he feel a sense of comfort. But it was short-lived, because of the fact that he had to endure half the way being packed in a sardine can-like carriage with people.
To make matters worse, he had to be in the same carriage as people who doesn't know a single clue about public transport etiquette. The ones who used their phones while blasting high volumes as they scrolled through social media—and obnoxious students chatting and laughing loudly as if they were in their usual hangout place.
Before he even got to school, his energy was already depleted. Little did he know—his day would only get even worse.
DOK!
Juno turns his head with irritation flaring in his eyes after having his chair kicked from behind while carefree laughter echoes from behind him.
There he sees the group of noisy boys who sat at the backmost row of the quietly awkward classroom full of strangers he was in, laughing loudly as they play on their phones.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" One of them ask, peeling their attention off of their phone.
"Be careful next time." Juno replied with a slight touch of annoyance in his voice before turning his head back to the front.
DOK!
The obnoxious ring leader of the group laughs like it was his last after aggressively kicking the back of Juno's chair again.
"Oops." He said before he and his friends laugh again.
While they were laughing, Juno abruptly stands up from his chair and without a second thought, slams the thick, hard-covered textbook against the bully's face, as heads whip towards him in the classroom.
Then suddenly—
"Yeah, my bad."
The voice of the ring leader's mocking apology pulls Juno out of his violent trance.
"Okay." Juno turns his head back to face the front as a teacher walks into their classroom.
Unknown to him, the group of bullies look at him with great contempt on their faces accompanied by malicious intent behind their eyes.