Chapter 5

Nakatingin lang ako kay Akane habang nakaangkla ang braso niya sa amin ni Riye dahil palabas kami ng dorm. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga pinagsasabi nila kanina. My brain couldn’t accept them as truth. Sino ba kasing maniniwala sa gano’n? Namuhay ako nang normal sa loob ng fifteen years, tapos bigla kong malalaman na hindi pala ako normal?

According to Riye, Akane has an enhanced hearing. Imagine? She could hear anything within a 100-meter radius! Totoo ba ‘yon? Maniniwala ba ako? Pero nagawa niyang marinig kanina ang paparating pa lang na mga tao kaya ibig sabihin ay totoo nga. Wait. Naririnig niya kaya ang naiisip ko ngayon?

“So, naniniwala ka na ba ngayon? That we aren’t joking?” she asked and I was caught off-guard. Did she really hear my thoughts? “This is why I’m in Meitantei,” dagdag niya saka siya tumawa.
“Pagpasensyahan mo na siya, nee-san. Ganyan lang talaga siya,” sabi naman ni Riye.

Just like what she said earlier, the three guys arrived in front of us. Hindi ko pa sila kilala dahil hindi naman sila nagpakilala at nahihiya rin naman akong magtanong.

“Hoy, Ken, ang tahimik mo yata ngayon?” tanong ni Akane sa lalaking nagbuhat ng maleta ko kanina. So his name is Ken, huh? Japanese name pala ‘yon?
“He’s always quiet when there’s a beautiful girl,” sabi naman ng isa pang lalaki. He has brownish hair and his calm expression made him look bored.
“Kaya nga maingay ako kapag kasama ko si Akane,” Ken retorted and Akane glared in return.
“Ha-ha. Funny,” sabay irap ni Akane. “Anyway, Reiji, mukhang sinusundan ka na naman ng stalker mo.”

Reiji pala ang pangalan niya. I noticed the subtle movement of his eyebrows after Akane told her that. A second later, he marched back into the dorm.

Humiwalay naman sa amin sina Ken at ‘yong isa pang lalaki. Papunta yata sila sa ibang building habang kami ay sa Midori para ipa-register daw ang alternative name ko. Actually, I was thinking about it earlier and one name continued to linger in my mind.

“Nee-chan, may naisip ka na ba?”
“Uhm . . . oo kaso . . . siguro okay na ‘yon. Paano pala kung may kapareho na ako?”
“That’s okay, as long as wala na siya rito o naka-graduate na, pero kung nandito pa ay kailangan mong palitan. We should have unique alternative names inside the campus,” sagot ni Akane.
“Saan pala tayo pupunta?” tanong ko naman nang makapasok na kami sa Midori at hindi ko akalaing ganito pala kalaki ang loob nito.
“Sir Hayate’s room,” Akane said with a grin. “He’s a cutie!”
“Nee-san!” suway ni Riye pero lalo lang ngumiti si Akane.

Pagkatapos naming kumaliwa, kumanan, umakyat at kumaliwa ulit ay narating namin ang room ni Sir Hayate. Hmm . . . familiar ang name na ‘yon pero hindi ko maalala kung saan ko narinig o nakita.

“Ilabas mo muna ang ID mo bago tayo pumasok.”
“O-okay.”

Nilabas ko naman ang ID ko at . . . ah! Naalala ko na siya! He was the signatory on the certificates and papers. He’s Hayate Kitamura.

Wow. Hindi ko akalaing mami-meet ko kaagad siya. I was wondering if he was the one who picked me or was it decided by a council? Nakalimutan kong itanong kanina kina Akane at Riye kung paano pinipili ang transferees.

“Tara na,” Akane said and she tugged us inside the office.

Pagpasok namin ay nakatalikod ang taong nakaupo sa upuan. Paniguradong siya si Sir Hayate.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Ms. Lazaro,” he said and he turned around.

Natulala naman ako nang makita ko siya. I was expecting a middle-aged man but he looked like a college student. His almost-blonde hair was a contrast to his eyeglasses and green eyes but he still looked good.

“Hi, Sir!” Akane enthusiastically greeted.
“Hi, Akane, Riye,” bati naman ni Sir Hayate habang nakangiti. Totoo nga ang sinabi kanina ni Akane.

Pinaupo niya naman kami sa couch at hindi ko ma-feel na office ‘to dahil sobrang laki. The room had several bookshelves filled with books of different sizes, a laptop station on the right side, receiving area in the middle, and his desk in front.

“I told you, he’s cute,” bulong ni Akane at tumango naman ako.
“Nee-chan!” suway rin sa akin ni Riye at parang hindi siya makapaniwala na sinasakyan ko ang trip ni Akane.

After a few minutes ay bumalik si Sir Hayate at hindi ko napansin na umalis pala siya dahil nilibot ko ang paningin ko sa buong kwarto.

“So, Ms. Lazaro, welcome to Tantei High. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay here,” sabi niya habang nakangiti kaya siniko ako ni Akane. “So back to our business, you’re here to register your alternative name, right? Do you have something in mind?”
“O-opo.”
“What is it?”

Naalala ko ulit ang pangalan na ‘yon. I don’t know why but I really want to use it. Mukhang maganda namang pakinggan at parang . . . parang may kakaiba sa kanya.

“Ms. Lazaro?”
“Ah! Sorry po,” I said when I realized I was spacing out.
“So . . .”
“A-Akemi,” I said. “Pwede po ba ‘yon?”

Nagulat naman ako nang makita ko ang reaksyon nila. Akane and Riye looked at me as if I said something bad while Sir Hayate had this curious yet dejected look on his face.

“B-bakit po?” tanong ko naman. May mali ba sa pangalang ‘yon?
“Bakit ‘yon ang napili mo, Rainie?” Akane asked and this was the first time I saw her serious.
“Iyon ang unang pumasok sa isip ko. Maybe I heard it somewhere. W-why? Is there something wrong with that name? Meron na bang gumamit no’n? Bawal na ba?”
“No,” sabi naman ni Sir Hayate. He heaved a sigh and looked at me. “There’s just this story about that name.”
“Story?”
“Yes. Several years ago, someone used that name. She was great. She excelled in everything but before she could even graduate, she died. It was during the war so everybody thinks that it’s a cursed name. After that incident, nobody had used it . . . until today.”

I realized I wasn’t breathing after he said that. A cursed name? Nakakatakot naman! Pero gusto ko talaga ang pangalan na ‘yon. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit.

“But she was great, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, it’s okay,” sabi ko naman. “I’ll use a great name, not a cursed one. It’s Akemi.”
“If that’s your decision, fine. Give me your ID.”

Binigay ko naman kay Sir Hayate ang ID ko at may kung ano siyang tinype sa laptop niya. After a few minutes, he gave my ID back and my name, Rainie Lazaro, was replaced with Akemi. Whoa. Cool. Paano niya ginawa ‘yon?

After that ay nagpaalam na kami at bumalik muna sa dorm dahil naiwan ni Riye ang wallet niya sa kama. Sabi nila ay itu-tour nila ako rito sa school para ma-familiarize ako sa mga lugar na kailangan kong matandaan. Saka ko lang naalala na hindi ko pa pala alam ang schedule ko!

“Ah, that. Don’t worry, parehas naman tayo ng subjects,” sabi ni Akane.

Pero teka, ang ibig sabihin ba no’n ay kailangan kong humabol sa mga nakuha na nilang subjects?

“Ah, oo nga pala. It’s not like you’re going to take advanced courses para makasabay sa amin. It’s the other way around,” dagdag niya at tinitigan ko lang siya dahil naisip niya ang nasa isip ko.
“You mean kayo ang sasabay sa akin? Uulitin n’yo ang subjects?”
“Yup. We did the same thing in Riye’s case,” sabay tingin niya kay Riye. “Okay lang naman ‘yon para naman makapagpahinga rin kami at may advanced lesson and assignments din namang binibigay sa amin para may matutunan pa rin kaming bago. Oh, here comes the weirdest one.”

Pagkasabi niya no’n ay may lalaking lumabas mula sa right side ng corridor. It was one of the guys earlier, the one that I didn’t get the name. Si Ken ‘yong nagbuhat kanina ng maleta ko. Si Reiji naman ‘yong biglang umalis dahil sa stalker. Ano kayang pangalan nito?

“Hiro,” he suddenly said and offered his hand for a handshake. “’You wanted to know my name.”

Napanganga naman ako dahil sa sinabi niya. H-how did he know that?

“R-Rain—I mean . . . Akemi,” sabi ko naman at nakipag-shake hands ako dahil baka nangangawit na siya.
“Ayan ka na naman sa mind-reading mo! At ano namang ginagawa mo rito?” pagtataray ni Akane.

Wait, did I hear it right? Mind reading? Totoo ba ‘yon? Talaga bang nabasa niya ang isip ko?

“Nothing,” maikli niyang sagot at saka siya naglakad papunta sa right wing ng dorm dahil doon ang mga lalaki.

Weird.

Dumiretso kami sa left wing at kinuha ni Riye ang wallet niya. Binalik ko rin ang ID ko sa bag at kinuha ko ang coin purse ko. Bigla ko namang naalala ang nangyari kanina.

“’Yong si Hiro ba, kaya niya talagang magbasa ng isip?” tanong ko sa kanila.
“Yes, nee-chan. That’s one of his senses.”
“Oh.”

Gusto ko pa sanang magtanong tungkol sa senses niya pero hindi ko na ginawa dahil baka nakukulitan na sila sa akin. Isa pa, baka isipin nila interesado ako sa kanya.

“Interested with him?” Akane teased and I was surprised. Nababasa niya rin ba ang isip ko? Ano bang meron sa mga taong ‘to? They are creepy!
“Hindi, ah.”
“Okay. Tara na nga! Ililibot ka pa namin sa campus.”

Lumabas kami ng dorm at nagsimula nang maglibot. Halos hindi ko na nga natandaan ang names ng buildings since Japanese ang iba at English naman ang ilan. In fairness, ang daming buildings at ang lalaki rin nila.

We also went to the Central Plaza. Malayo siya sa mismong school buildings pero within the campus pa rin naman. Dito raw ang shopping center ng students at may mga kainan at amusement park din. Ang cool!

May ilang items ako na binili dahil nacute-an ako. Maging sina Akane at Riye ay nag-shopping na rin. Dito na rin kami kumain ng dinner at nilibre ako ni Akane dahil bago lang ako rito. Nalaman ko rin na every night ay nandito sila sa Central Plaza dahil hindi sila marunong magluto kaya naman nagprisinta ako na maging cook naming tatlo. Nagpasalamat pa sila dahil sa wakas daw ay makakakain na sila ng home-made dishes. Bumili na rin kami ng raw ingredients para sa pagluluto ko bukas kaya naman halos 8 PM na kami nakarating sa dorm. Sabi ni Akane ay 11 PM naman ang curfew kaya ayos lang na gabihin.

Pagdating namin sa kwarto ay bagsak agad kami sa kama. Nakakapagod.

Pagtingin ko ay tulog na agad ang dalawa at ako naman ay nagmuni-muni muna. Napangiti ako bigla dahil mukhang mag-e-enjoy ako sa lugar na ‘to. I already have friends and the facilities were nice. The campus itself was amazing and interesting. Pakiramdam ko magiging masaya ako rito.

​Well, I hope so.

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