Friends,

A person who knows and with whom one has a bound of mutual affection.

Mutual,

Held in common by two parties.

Affection,

A gentle feeling of fondness and liking.

These two always come hand in hand but it breaks if one of them falls apart.

At the least, this is the first thing I should do on the first day of my class as a transfer student. But unfortunately, I’m not that confident in my English and local Filipino language due to me moving here three weeks earlier, away from an hour of jet-lag since the start of school so I end up screwing up on my introduction on the first day of classes.

“Ah, ermm, hero kurasumeito, mai name isu Yuuta Nishimura. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”

I smiled at them after my introduction, but my attempt to look friendly and my introduction gave a heavy atmosphere as if a monster is right in front of them.

My classmates now look at me with fear and uncertainty that I would cause trouble based on my looks. Here we go again that same thing I experienced at my old school in Japan; well the experience there is a little terrible but passable for the span of 2 years…

Maybe, moving to Baguio for a change of pace is a terrible idea after all.

Okay putting that awkward introduction aside, fast forward to a couple of days after the start of the school year where my classmates started making their own groups based on their interests and preferences while I got left out while others joined their clubs and their own cliques.

For a couple of days, no success in joining any student clubs. In the first day, I tried applying on the book clubs but it was full according to the president due to the influx of members. Tried filling into drama club, but I was rejected on their audition on the first minute because I wasn’t attractive enough for being part of the club which is just a load of bullshit.

Sports clubs and music clubs aren’t my cup of tea except for the light music band which I was also rejected.

“What? Rejected again?” A guy named Christian looked at me from behind his desk… Well, he is a bit attractive with his black prim and proper hair and ochre-colored eyes with that he is one of the members of the Student Council as expected of someone fairly more popular than I do.

Well he is someone who is willing to give a helping hand to everyone and he said it’s his devotion to help others, thus I got him involved to this chore. But he might go out and help others in need once he’s done helping me look for a club that is fit for me.

“Hmm, they were too scared on accepting me as a member…” I said while crossing out the last club on the catalog provided by the counselor during the orientation on the other day.

“Sigh, even the manga club still unsure whether they could join you or not; I wonder what’s up with you being a black sheep. Did you get into a fight or something?” Christian said in his worried tone

“Do you really realize that I’m just a new student here?” I retorted.

Guess I’ll be sticking on the going-home club or whatever that is for the rest of the semester… Rather my stay in this school.

Christian sighed as he crossed out the last club I was rejected yesterday, The Literature Club.

“This is harder than I thought. I’m sure that there are some clubs that will still accept new members.”

I flipped through the catalog with many organization names with red marks which are the clubs I was rejected on. Other students can find clubs easily, plus points if they are popular on the first day of classes.

“How could you be so sure? I was rejected on all of the major clubs in this school” I said in defeat.

“There is dude; trust me, you’ll find a club by the end of the semester.” Christian made a convincing smile at me and this is his weapon on how he climbed his way to the Student Council. Least he invested some of his time talking to me.

Talking makes my throat parched; I need something to gulp down before class starts.

“I’m gonna grab some milk, what do you want?”

“How about some soda, man calculus classes are a pain.” He said, “Also hurry up, our public speaking class’ gonna start soon.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m not gonna be late or some…” I stood up from the desk and suddenly, a girl came up into my direction. She rolled her eyes to me.

“Could you watch where you’re going?” She spat in disgust.

That girl’s name was Maya Aguas, that run of the mill high school girl you can see in every classroom usually with her friends composed majorly girls which are those types who follow trends and talk about superficial crap every day.

Of course, as expected she gets to the latest news and looks down on me.

“…”

I did not try to respond to that bitch because it would be a waste of time and would likely end up in a scenario where I would be in a lose-lose scenario anyway.

♦

Ka-Chink…

The sound of the vending machine dispensing a tetra pack of milk, I punched the straw section open and took a sip while admiring the students outside playing volleyball, and other sports around the school to the blending of trees and concrete on top of the mountains.

Haa, I never thought living away from everyone would be this stressful. Mom said that I should smile a little, but look everyone's basically scared at looking at my face.

I sighed as I punch the numbers for Christian's soda, a girl with a short black hair, black eyes, and a blazer type uniform with a school skirt below knee length and black loafers. She looks like something that a fool can ask for.

Her name is Alessia Eloise Guese, I know she’s from our class but it’s the first time I saw her since she keeps being mentioned during roll calls and she wasn't present yesterday.

“So, what’s your… umm, next class?” I said after punching the straw through the milk carton and took a sip on the milk.

“Public speaking… Miss Gemma.” She replied as she inserts a 20 pesos bill and clicks through the buttons and the machine dropped a can of iced coffee.

“Ah, same classes I guess. Her next activity is a pain in the ass to go through. You should fool everyone including yourself before getting a better mark and validation from others. ”

“Are you sure about that?”

“No ones gonna evaluate how fake are you doing that activity anyway, not even God can evaluate how fake you are to others.”

“It’s just a school activity though; maybe you’re better off setting a bear trap than speaking in public.”

“I don’t think there are bears here though…” I retorted.

“Exactly…” She said monotonously.

I remained silent as I take a sip on the milk.

“So how are you going to pull it out?” She said after opening the canned coffee while taking sharp glances at me.

“Simple, I just wear a mask and fool those schmucks at the least for three minutes.”

“So you ended up fooling yourself as well just to fool those schmucks.”

She smirked as she addresses her methods emotionlessly.

“They’re just idiots, so let them be while I prance around the class wearing a mask.”

Does she look herself as a God?!

I held the can of soda which my fingers holding that can start to get wet and the tin on the can starts to lose temperature and it’s no longer to be considered as ice cold

“By the way, I should get going. I’m gonna give this soda to someone.”

“So you have friends huh...” She raised her eyebrows after taking a sip of iced coffee.

“Hmm, do you really think I enjoy my sweet time alone all the time?” I said in a condescending tone.

“No, I’m sure you look like you don’t need any friends.” She scorned her looks at me as if I’m a bug crawling on her peripheral vision.

“At the least everyone deserves to have friends right?”

“True, but I don’t think anyone would stand anyone being with the likes of you.” She said emotionlessly shutting me down.

“…”

This bitch… How can she already read me like a book?

She offered her hand to me suggesting me a handshake gesture.

“Maybe you really need friends.” She said in a calm tone.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t need pity friends.”

“Fine then, see you in class.” She said as she left the vending machine area.

I back to class afterward, and I knew someone I should be careful of… Mom, I think I made an enemy.

♦

After class, some of my classmates already went out to their clubs or gone home, I just stayed here for a while to clean the clutter and the arrangement of desks in the classroom. No one likes doing this here but I got used to cleaning the room alone or sort. After ten minutes of cleaning and arranging the desks, I’m proud to say that this is among my masterpieces in cleaning.

As I pick up my backpack, I went to Garcia-sensei’s office since Christian suggested that I have to talk to her to help me look for a club since it’s a requirement to a student to join at least a single club or an organization here.

However, going back and forth to her office can be a pain. But an unexpected encounter of Alessia on my way to Garcia-sensei’s office I heard bursts of voices coming across the hallway.

“Now you watch where you’re going; your eyes were glued on your smartphone.” A contemptuous voice lashed out from a girl who was holding her smartphone to check the damages.

That girl she bumped into is the class muse, Maya Aguas which I had a brief clash with earlier.

“No, you are the one who suddenly appeared and bumped right through me.” The girl responded.

“From the looks of it, you really look great in glasses.” She sneered while the girl she was talking to felt mortified.

The two of the girls who looked like her friends try to quell her anger.

“Whatever, let’s go girls.” She looked away from Alessia and went along with her friends going down the stairs.

“Got into a fight or something?” I said while approaching her.

“Were you stalking me?”

“I’m just a passer-by,” I responded nonchalantly.

“I see.” She responded lowering her guard.

“So, you’re on your way to Garcia-sensei’s office?”

“Sensei? What’s that? ” She tilted her head.

“It’s something you call teachers, mentors, and stuff.”

“I see.” She lightly nodded on my explanation.

“The teacher told me that I should head into the guidance room because I was late for a couple of days. How about you?” She suddenly throws the question at me while looking at the scarlet sky overlooking the teams in basketball training for their games.

“I was trying to look for the club I’m gonna join;” I made a wry smile, “Happens to be that I was rejected most of the clubs here.”

Alessia replied indifferently as she walks ahead of me getting left out on her pacing.

“That sounds harsh. I haven’t joined in any clubs since the eleventh grade.”

“No, that’s different on my case since Garcia-sensei is pushing me to join clubs.”

“If I recall correctly, she did push me joining a club since last year. But I have no interest in joining clubs.”

“But why? You look like your club president to me?”

But or her looks, and her calm and cool pose, she should be a club president present in anime. Rather she fits the description as the student council president. But unfortunately, she looks like she’s not part of any clubs or organizations in this school.

“Why would I waste my time as a club president if I’m going to leave the club as I graduate anyway?” She said tactfully.

“But you’ll be missing out the huge chunk of your youth.”

“But aren’t you missing out a chunk of your youth?” She throws a riposte on my statement.

“…” I didn’t respond to her statement as we reached to Garcia-sensei’s office with a plate “Guidance Counselor”.

I opened the door and entered her office and it’s much cleaner than I remembered. Before it was a clusterfuck of documents, papers, and applications for clubs, organizations. But it was surprising it’s clean and arranged without a lot of papers and clutters in the office.

“Oh, Yuuta. Didn’t know you brought Alessia with you.”

Garcia-sensei smiled as she shifts her gaze from her computer monitor to us.

Garcia-sensei is a teacher in her late 20's who black hair, black eyes, moderate make-up and clad with her standard dark blue blouse uniform on her chubby figure.

“Were you two friends?”

“No.” Alessia and I said in unison.

I gave the brochure that Christian which their names of clubs crossed out. All popular clubs crossed out while some of the more obscure club or organizations are off as well.

Garcia-sensei picked it up and scanned the marked brochure. And her face was a mix of sadness and disappointment.

She sighed, “Guess I don’t have a choice then.” She dances her fingers through the documents and picked up a folder with the SCHD and put it on the table.

“I mean why you push me on joining in a club, I’ll just leave in the club when we graduate anyway?”

“It’s… It’s a slice of youth. Aren’t you missing out a huge chunk of your youth?” She said in her worried tone, a close way home on how Alessia executed the same response.

Somehow I had a Déjà vu from this topic. Maybe I’ll avoid opening up that topic again.

“Have you heard of the Student Council Help Desk?”

“Uhh… No.”

“The Student Council Help Desk, I heard about it,” Alessia said while putting her index finger on her chin.

“Currently, there’s one student who’s running the club and it needs more members to keep it afloat.”

“So Yuuta, you are Christian’s friend right?”

I cannot say but technically Christian and I are acquaintances in class. But he did mention a club he was running… I cannot remember which club it is.

“So where’s the clubroom?”

“It’s on the eastern Annex, third floor, close to the Biology Prep room.” She presented the club room’s location.

“I see.”

“You might wanna visit the club right away.” Garcia-sensei said while shifting her gaze at Alessia.“I still have business to deal with Miss Alessia.”

“Right. You may leave. It’s a thing between us.”

“Okay then...” I left Alessia talking to Garcia-sensei and went to the club that Garcia-sensei mentioned earlier

♦

After ten minutes of walking around and looking room after rooms, finally reached the room Garcia-sensei told me. The door has a piece of paper written [Student Council Help Desk] taped on the door as what I noticed on some club rooms have their own steel plates engraved the names of their club or organization.

I held the knob and slowly turned it and I have greeted a room with an old scent of chemicals, the smell of old and rustic furniture, and formalin jars full of dissected animals from frogs to rodents. The room was cramped and shown the signs of being neglected in the span of years.

And yet I saw Christian removing some boxes from the shelves.

As Christian saw me, his eyes suddenly sparkled and put the box he was lifting on the table.

“Ah, welcome to the Student Council Help Desk? Are you here for an application?”

“I might take a look around the room.”

“I see.” Christian resumed removing boxes of chemicals, biology and chemistry supplies; and clutters on the shelves and the floor.

“Are you the only member of this club?”

“Hmm, do you think looking members would be that easy?” Christian said desperately and as well as losing his balance risking of spilling chemicals on the floors. “Woah!”

Sounds of glasses clinking can be heard around the room and suddenly stopped as Christian jerks his right leg. The clicking stopped and Christian put the boxes.

“Okay, what do you do in this club anyway? I’m sure you have some club activities.”

“I help students on their issues academic or personally.” He said confidently.

“Well it is you but why would I waste my time on people that I have little to no involvement on.”

“Come on man, it feels satisfying to serve for others, more like a thing from Buddhism.”

I raised my eyebrow on what Christian said; I know it would be a service according to him but why would I serve strangers in need? It feels like giving a shekel to a beggar and claims it as a ‘service’ to help others.

“Hmm…”

“So are you joining the club?”

He fumbled around the table by removing boxes he got from the shelves and found a paper with cobwebs and stained with chemicals that lost the aesthetic of an application form.

Joining the club might stop Garcia-sensei from nagging me to join a club but this is the only club where I could end up with regardless.

What choice do I have either I would spend the whole semester without a club but Garcia-sensei nagging me every day or joining this questionable club that Christian formed. No matter which situation I’m in a lose-lose scenario.

The only choice was to…

“Fine I’ll join your club, but I just want to know what you are doing.”

Christian didn’t give a convincing look on me after what I said.

“Well that was easy; the usual Yuuta I know would not join right away but to set out unreasonable conditions.”

“But still, I will be leaving this club if I see you prancing around.”

“Ha?!” Christian raised his eyebrows, “So you’ll act as a temporary member then?”

“Sort of,” I said nonchalantly while taking a little oomph from carrying a box. “But I’ll still be watching you.”

“Sure…” Christian took the box of specimens and put it aside on the room.

Boxes after boxes, being moved around the room making the cramped room wide; I guess this will be the room I’ll be staying after school for the rest of the semester.