Chapter 4

“So here’s our dormitory. Dito ang girls, doon naman ang boys.”

Naglalakad kami ngayon sa student’s dormitory habang nakaangkla pa rin sa amin ni Rizelle si Akane. Yes, that was her name. Napalingon naman ako sa tatlong lalaking nakasunod sa amin. ‘Yong nagtanong kasi ng pangalan ko kanina ang nagbitbit ng maleta ko. Kasi ‘tong si Akane, pinabitbit sa kanya. Nakakahiya tuloy.

“Okay, we’re here!” Ngumiti naman si Akane saka siya lumingon sa tatlo. “O kayong tatlo, alis. Girl bonding muna kami. Bye!”

Inabot ko naman ang maleta ko tapos nagpasalamat ako sa lalaki. Medyo awkward dahil hindi man lang nila ipinakilala ang sarili nila kaya hindi ko alam ang mga pangalan nila.

“Tara rito, Rainie!”

Napatingin ako kinaAkane at Rizelle na nakaupo sa gilid ng isang malaking kama na mukhang kasya yata ang lima hanggang pitong tao. Sobrang laki naman ng kama nila!

I placed my luggage and backpack on the corner and I just stood beside my things awkwardly because I didn’t know what to do or say.

“Ano pang tinatayu-tayo mo d’yan? Umupo ka rito,” sabay hatak sa akin ni Akane kaya napaupo ako sa gitna nila. Sobrang hyper naman ng babaeng ‘to.  Pakiramdam ko hindi ko siya kayang sabayan.
“Ang cute mo pero sobrang awkward,” sabi niya habang nakatitig sa akin kaya nanigas na ako sa kinauupuan ko. “Naalala ko tuloy si Riye sa’yo last year.”
“N-nee-san!” Napatingin naman ako kay Rizelle. Ngayon lang siya nagsalita simula nang magkita kami.
“Ano ka ba Riye, wala naman akong gagawing masama kay Rainie,” she remarked but her smile said otherwise.

Nakakatakot ang personality nitong si Akane. Parang ngayon lang nakakita ng babae. Pero ano raw? Riye? Kanina niya pa tinatawag na Riye si Rizelle. Nickname niya ba ‘yon? Hindi ba mas malapit kung Rize?

“Uhm, bakit pala Riye ang tawag sa’yo?” ‘Di ko na napigilang itanong kay Rizelle dahil na-curious ako bigla.
“Ah. Ano po kasi . . . that’s—”
“Sorry. She’s too shy. Kaya minsan ang boring niyang kasama, though, she’s kind and dependable.”

I couldn’t believe she just insulted and complimented Rizelle in one sentence. I think I won’t survive being with her.

“Anyway, Rainie, she’s been using Riye ever since she stayed here,” Akane said while playing with the curly ends of her hair.
“Huh? Nagpalit ka ng pangalan? Bakit?” tanong ko kay Rizelle.
“Kasi onee-san—uhm, may I call you nee-chan?” Napakunot naman ang noo ko pagkarinig ko no’n. Nee-chan? Parang narinig ko na ‘yan sa TV dati. Ano ngang ibig sabihin no’n?
“A-ate or older sister po,” Rizelle said, as if she just read my mind.
“Okay lang,” sabi ko naman at saka ako ngumiti sa kanya at ngumiti naman siya nang malapad.
“Thank you po! Ahm, about my name, we are required to change it.” Teka, ano raw? Bakit parang mali ang dinig ko? Required?
“Required? Totoo?”

Tumayo naman bigla si Akane at pumwesto sa harapan namin.

“You know what, Riye, I think we need to give her a history lesson,” sabay hawak niya sa bewang niya.

Actually, I think I needed it, too. I mean, this was like a new world to me and for sure, they have a different culture.

“Ganito kasi ‘yon, Rainie. You are required to use an alternative name here. Most of the time, we use Japanese names since the founder of Tantei High is a Japanese. For example, si Rizelle, Riye ang altenative name niya, which means blessed with logic. At ako, I’m Vivien and as you know, ang alternative name ko ay Akane which means red dye.” Napanganga naman ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko alam na may ibig sabihin pa pala ang alternative names na gamit nila.
“Kayo lang ang pumili ng alternative names ninyo? At saka pala, bakit required? Anong meron sa pangalan natin at hindi pwedeng gamitin?”

It was weird. Para saan naman ang alternative name kung pwede naman ang real name namin. At isa pa, mahal ko ang pangalan ko. Sabi kasi ni Mama, noong ipinanganak niya raw ako ay sobrang lakas ng ulan at halos bumaha na sa loob ng ospital. Kaya raw Rainie ang pangalan ko. Tinanong ko nga kung bakit hindi Storm kasi mukhang may bagyo noon, tapos ayon, binatukan niya lang ako.

“It could be your choice or your parents’. Pero ‘yong akin, ako lang ang pumili. Actually, dahil ‘yon sa buhok ko. Si Riye naman ay dahil sa Senshin abilities niya.”

Kumunot ulit ang noo ko. Senshin? Narinig ko rin ‘yon kanina pero wala akong idea kung ano ‘yon. Mukhang kailangan kong mag-notes dahil sa dami ng unfamiliar terms na binabanggit nila. Kailangan ko rin yatang mag-aral ng Nihonggo dahil inclined sila sa Japanese culture.

“Senshin? Ano ‘yon?” tanong ko at bigla namang nanlaki ang mga mata nila. Did I say something bad? Anong nangyari sa kanila?
“Are you joking?” patawang tanong sa akin ni Akane pero umiling ako. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed while covering her mouth. Masamang bagay ba kapag hindi ko alam ang salitang Senshin?
“Nee-chan, h-hindi mo alam ang Senshin?” this time, si Rizel—I mean si Riye naman ang nagtanong sa akin.
“Hindi talaga. Ano ba ‘yon?”

They both had worried looks in their eyes. Akane sat beside me and her expression became serious.

“I think you really need a history lesson.”

Tumango naman si Riye at agad akong kinabahan dahil naging seryoso bigla ang atmosphere. I think I did something wrong.

“Rainie, Senshin is the layman’s term for sensors, or those who have the sixth sense.” Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya at nag-aantay ng sasabihin niya, pero dahil nacurious ako ay nagtanong ulit ako.
“Anong sixth sense?” Nagtinginan ulit sila at pakiramdam ko ay nagkakaintindihan sila kahit hindi sila nag-uusap.
“Nee-chan. Sixth sense means enhanced senses, the abilities of Senshins. It’s a way to tell them apart from humdrums.”

Humdrums? That was the same word Ma’am Castro used a while ago.

“Wait. Ano ba ang humdrum?”
“Normal people,” sagot ni Akane.
“Huh? Hindi ba kayo normal?” I uttered suddenly.
“We are not. We’re Erityians and we are above the normal people.”
“You girls are crazy. Anong pinagsasabi n’yo?” Tumayo ako at humarap sa kanila. Sinong pinagloloko nila? Their eyes were definitely bizarre, but still . . .
“Listen first, okay?” Napatahimik naman ako nang sinabi ‘yon ni Akane. “I’ll give you a free history lesson so listen carefully.”

Muli akong umupo sa kama at hinanda ko ang sarili ko sa sasabihin niya kahit na parang magsho-short cicuit na ang utak ko sa mga nangyayari.

“Hundreds of years ago, a Japanese guy named Shou was born. He was not sociable. Ayaw niyang makipagkaibigan dahil nararamdaman niyang may kakaiba sa pamilya niya. Napansin niya kasing isolated ang family nila at hindi sila nakikipag-usap sa kahit kanino. People avoided them, so they did the same. Until one day, he learned from his father that they were different. They weren’t normal. His parents and his older brother had sixth sense. Because of that, he decided to travel around the world to know if there were other people like them. He changed his name to Shinji to start a new life.

One day, he reached the land of Ruthenia, now we call it Russia, and he met Veronika. Actually, it was accidental since Veronika was escaping from the people who wanted to sell her and Shinji helped her when he noticed that she also had a sixth sense. Because of that, she traveled with Shinji and changed her name to Natsue. They searched for other sixth sense users until they got here in the Philippines.

Matanda na no’n sina Shinji at Natsue, kasama ang followers nila, maging ang mga anak at apo nila. He wanted to return to Japan, his hometown, but he learned that his older brother also made a tribe of sixth sense users. They called themselves, Shinigamis, and they had already monopolized Japan. Shinji stayed in the Philippines and built an institution to train his tribe members, and that also became their resting place. That institution is Tantei High.”

My mouth was hanging open after Akane finished her history lesson. Parang nakalutang lang sa utak ko lahat ng sinabi niya. Oo, naintindihan ko naman, pero ayaw tanggapin ng utak ko ang mga nalaman ko. What surprised me more was that I managed to ask a question, despite all those doubts.

“You mean, hindi normal sina Shinji at Natsue at ang iba pa nilang kasama? Anong basis?”
“Hmm. Let’s put it this way. Dinala ka na ba ng parents mo sa isang ospital?”

Napaisip naman ako bigla. Naalala ko noong Grade 1 ako ay nalaglag ako mula sa itaas ng puno dahil kinukuha ko ang bunga no’n at halos nabalot ako ng galos. Sobrang sakit ‘din ng katawan ko no’n at mukhang nabalian ako ng buto.

“Hindi pa. May kaibigan kasi si Mama na doktor kaya sa bahay lang ako ginamot dati,” sabi ko naman.
“And that was because of your blood,” she said.
“Bakit? Anong meron sa dugo ko?”
“An Erityian blood is not compatible with humrums. That’s why even though you’re bleeding immensely, your parents will never bring you to a hospital because they won’t be able to analyze your blood. When that happens, our tribe and race will be exposed. I’m sure that your doctor is a fellow Senshin.”
“Pero—”
“And one more thing. Hindi ko lubos-maisip kung bakit hindi sinabi sa’yo ng parents mo ang totoo. Your true identity: that you’re a Senshin. I mean, they’re both Senshins since we’re all pureblood.”
“P-pureblood?”
“Yes. We can’t mate with humdrums, but only within our tribe. Because when that happens, the humdrum will die.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. Mamamatay ang tao kapag ginawa niya ‘yon? That’s absurd. And pureblood? Both of my parents?

“You mean, my parents are Senshins? Si Mama?”
“Of course! Or else, you will not exist.”
“No way.”

Si Mama? How come? That’s impossible.

“Nee-chan, let’s go,” sabay upo ni Riye sa tabi ko. “You need to discover your sixth sense before tomorrow.”
“S-sixth sense ko? Paano kung wala naman akong gano’n? I mean—”
“Ugh, they’re here,” sabi naman ni Akane habang umiiling. “Mamaya na lang natin ituloy ‘to. Magbibihis muna ako. Andyan na kasi ‘yong tatlo,” saka siya dumiretso sa CR.

Naguluhan naman ako sa sinabi niya. Paano niya nalaman na nandito na sila? Wait . . .

​“Paano niya nalaman na nandyan na sila? D-don’t tell me nakikita niya ang future?” tanong ko kay Riye pero ngumiti lang siya sa akin.
“Nee-chan, that’s her sixth sense,” she said. “She has an enhanced sense of hearing and she can hear everything within a 100-meter radius. She can hear any form of sound, even a whisper, as long as you’re within her perimeter.”
“W-what?”

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