August 29 (Thursday)
1:06 PM
While the rest of the BEEd 1-A cohort was busy enjoying their Thursday immunity buff, the Commander was actively engaged in a high-level diplomatic meeting.
Hidy Medona, alongside the male President of the BTLED ICT 1-A faction, had joined a crucial virtual call with the red-haired idol professor himself, Dr. Ricky Manazaki. The agenda was simple but terrifying: they needed further clarifications regarding the NSTP Common Module Orientation that was currently on a direct collision course with the campus-wide Buwan ng Wika event.
The call bridged two entirely different dimensions.
KSU Morong Campus Server
Dr. Manazaki's voice came through the speaker, surprisingly calm for a professor who usually radiated intense aura. "Okay, so, good afternoon, President Hidy and BTLED ICT 1 president. Did you guys eat already?"
KSU Taytay Campus, COE Dean's Office
Hidy sat in the administrative zone, her microphone unmuted. "Good afternoon po, Doc. And hahaha, yes po, I already ate na po."
"Good afternoon rin po, Doc. Yes po," the BTLED ICT president echoed.
"Uhh, BEEd and BTLED ICT presidents," Dr. Manazaki began, shifting immediately to the main quest objective. "We will just have a short meeting regarding our NSTP Common Module. This will be held tomorrow afternoon ah. So, it will be livestreamed, a virtual meeting. This is an important announcement, so please announce this to your classmates."
"Sige po, Doc," Hidy confirmed, taking mental notes of the incoming patch details.
The meeting continued for the next twenty minutes. Dr. Manazaki provided the specific rules of engagement, dropping survival tips on how the freshmen should manage their time and navigate the virtual module while the massive campus event was simultaneously happening around them.
At exactly 1:30 PM, the diplomatic meeting successfully concluded.
At 1:33 PM, Hidy Medona returned to her base. She opened the main section group chat and deployed a massive, multi-paragraph announcement to brief the entire Vanguard.
Hidy Medona: "Good afternoon! I just finished an online meeting with Doc Rick. Regarding our afternoon class, it was moved into a 'virtual' class, BUT you STILL need to ATTEND tomorrow ah."
Time: 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
She knew the immediate panic this would cause, so she proactively created a Q&A section, predicting the exact complaints her party members were about to type.
Hidy Medona:"Pres, how about the Buwan ng Wika? Eh, it is from 1-6pm po?"
"This is an important class for all of us po. For @Jiro Sanata who is a participant in the Buwan ng Wika, you have to attend the said event only when you are needed in the contest ah. If your contest is scheduled in the morning naman, good for you, there is no conflict in your schedule."
Hidy Medona:"Pres, what if we want to watch in the gym while joining our virtual class?"
"One of us will just bring a laptop that we can screen mirror to the TV, so we will only have one unified class inside the room po. You are not allowed to roam around the campus during that time since your attention will be divided eh."
Hidy Medona:"Pres, what about our attire? We will enter wearing traditional outfits, are we going to change clothes during that class or what?"
"Your choice. If you feel hot during that time, okay, you're allowed to wear uniform. But if we are going down to the gym, especially for the participants, it is strictly required to wear the traditional outfit po."
Hidy Medona:"Pres, is that really required?"
"Yes po, Doc Rick will give us a quiz about this, so please take this opportunity to attend ah."
Hidy Medona: "If you have any further questions, just pm me po or ask here in the gc. @everyone"
The chat instantly flooded with heart reacts. The Commander's announcement was crystal clear, effectively neutralizing the panic. The strategy was locked: they would bunker down in Room 406, mirror the livestream on the TV, and survive the virtual orientation together as a single unit.
But as Jiro read through the debriefing, his strategic mind caught a glaring omission.
Wait a minute. Hidy had specifically tagged him regarding his Poster Making schedule. But where was Anila Bakuda? She was the official tribute for the Kasuotan fashion show.
I thought she joined too... Jiro wondered, staring at his screen. Did she quietly back out from the quest?
Before Jiro could investigate the missing Vanguard member, Hidy deployed another administrative reminder, shifting from schedules back to the gold extraction phase.
Hidy Medona: "Guys, another one thing. The processing of our BEES membership is only until Friday po, so that we can be accredited by Monday as an official org for BEEd. Can you guys provide the P20 tomorrow? 🥺"
The Treasurer of the Class, recognizing a fellow gold collector in need, immediately responded.
Lindsey Soliko: "How to join there, Pres?"
Hidy Medona: "Just pay me P20 and I will list your name and then sign your signatures 😊"
To seal the deal and confirm the section's roster, Hidy forwarded a screenshot of the official class list for NSTP provided by Doc Rick.
Jiro tapped the image to inspect the official party roster.
He scanned the names. Okay, the four boys were listed right at the very top. Standard formatting. Then, he scrolled down through the girls.
Okay, 31 girls... so 35 in total... wait.
His eyes stopped on a specific entry.
Who is this 'KSU AC2024' girl? Jiro blinked, staring at the completely unfamiliar name and student number format. That 'AC' prefix... that's the Antipolo Campus code! He kept scanning the list, looking for the familiar names of his party members. Mira, check. Niewi, check. Mona, check.
Wait. Where is Cicille Masha?
He scrolled up and down three times. The quiet, observant member of his Circle of Friends was entirely wiped from the official server roster.
What the hell lol, Jiro deadpanned internally. The system literally deleted Cicille and replaced her with a random Antipolo student. Peak KSU server logic.
Hidy, who had initially sent the screenshot as absolute proof of their roster, quickly realized the glaring error.
Hidy Medona: "We should be 35 guys, check it guys, we lack 4, it says only 31 there. Follow up if who is not in the list so no one can be left behind."
Jiro, maintaining his absolute minimal effort approach, replied simply.
Jiro Sanata: "We are complete ah... the four boys are at the top of the list..."
He didn't even bother pointing out the missing Cicille Masha or the random Antipolo glitch. That was an administrative problem, and he was just a regular DPS player.
Hidy realized her tired glitch immediately.
Hidy Medona: "Hahahahaha, I saw it now. Sorry. I overlooked it because I just looked at the numbers, it says 31..."
The afternoon dragged on. Despite the detailed Q&A earlier, the Commander's inbox was being bombarded. Freshmen, notorious for ignoring long texts, kept messaging her privately to ask the exact same questions she had already answered.
By 3:35 PM, Hidy's patience meter had officially depleted. She returned to the group chat to drop the ultimate, simplified, idiot-proof itinerary for Friday.
Hidy Medona: "Sched tomorrow:
MMW: 8-11AM - F2F regular setup
NSTP: 1:30-5:30 virtual class
Attire: Uniform, just bring your traditional attires."
To ensure there was zero margin for error, she added a slightly passive-aggressive clarification.
Hidy Medona: "Already gets po or is it still confusing hahahha. We will attend MMW class with Dr. Manazaki in the morning, wearing our complete uniform, and then in the afternoon, the NSTP Virtual meeting."
And then, the Commander dropped the final threat.
Hidy Medona: "I will really pinch you guys."
She immediately laughed at her own message, and the rest of BEEd 1-A joined in with laughing emojis. The tension of the overlapping schedule was finally stabilized into a solid, actionable plan.
At exactly 5:30 PM, a quiet voice finally spoke up in the chat.
Cicille Masha: "Uhm, Pres, my name is not on the official class list po eh."
The missing player had finally noticed she was disconnected from the server.
Hidy immediately acknowledged the glitch, promising Cicille that she would settle the missing name issue with the higher-ups ASAP.
August 30 (Friday)
The day of the highly anticipated Buwan ng Wika had finally arrived.
The entire KSU Taytay campus was supposed to be buzzing with upbeat, festive vibes and colorful traditional aesthetics. But before they could even equip their Barongs and Filipinianas, the BEEd 1-A cohort had to survive a brutal philosophical dilemma in the morning.
They had to face Dr. Ricky Manazaki for Math 1 (MMW).
7:41 AM
Jiro Sanata walked through the open doorway of Room 406.
A few early birds were already scattered around, organizing their bags and mentally preparing for the incoming boss fight.
Jiro didn't head for his usual comfortable spot in the second row. Instead, he walked straight to the back row. Ever since Dr. Manazaki had implemented a strict seating arrangement based on their designated groups during the orientation, Jiro's spawn point had permanently shifted. He was now officially seated with the Falcon Party in the fourth row, specifically in the left section bordering the doorway and the hallway.
He dropped his heavy bag onto his armchair.
He unzipped the main compartment, reached past his thick notebook and his blue clipboard, and pulled out a legendary item.
His Casio scientific calculator.
He stared at the sleek, dark device. It was the first time he had actually touched it in months. Pay to win, right? Jiro smirked internally. It wasn't even an actual, grueling math test. As President Hidy had announced from Doc Rick's instructions last week, simply bringing this specific device and putting his full name on it literally served as their first official quiz for MMW. An automatic grade just for equipping the right item. A literal pay-to-win mechanic.
The Friday Curse had officially begun. The Dream was shaky, the schedule was chaotic, and the math equations were waiting.
As the class gradually settled in, the physical toll of the day's overlapping events was already visible. Every single BEEd 1-A student was wearing their KSU COE uneven shades of blue uniforms, but they were also carrying massive eco bags acting as heavy inventory weights. Those bags contained their required attires for the Buwan Ng Wika later in the afternoon.
Room 406 was established as their usual combat arena. Both wooden doors were pushed wide open, and all the casement windows were flung outwards to maximize whatever airflow they could get. Up on the ceiling, the two small fans were actually turned on, at least still spinning and blowing hot air around, fighting a losing battle against the humid heat and the sunny weather outside.
At exactly 8:22 AM, the red-haired idol professor finally stepped through the doorway.
Dr. Ricky Manazaki's fashion stats were fully maxed out, completely unbothered by the humidity. He wore a stylish cream chore jacket with a crisp white shirt underneath, paired flawlessly with cream trousers and polished brown oxford shoes. And naturally, his signature indoor shades were fully equipped.
He strode to the teacher's table, radiating his usual untouchable aura. He formally initiated their very first lesson in Mathematics in the Modern World.
"Okay, good morning, uh, 1 BEEd," Dr. Manazaki began, adjusting his stance. "So we can start our first lesson noh, in MMW."
He reached into his small, organized box bag and pulled out a whiteboard marker. Then, he looked at his students, who were already sweating in their blue uniforms, and flashed a playful smile.
"Wow, your breakfast is math hehehehe," he joked.
The class immediately laughed, the collective tension in the room dropping by a few degrees.
With the ice broken, he shifted into serious educator mode. He explained the absolute importance of the subject, drilling into their heads that MMW wasn't just a filler course. It was a core subject. Every single piece of content they were about to tackle would be included in the board exam—the ultimate licensure test for teachers (LET).
Then, came the item check.
"Who brought their calculators today?" Dr. Manazaki asked, scanning the rows.
Jiro already had his sleek Casio sitting proudly on his desk. He looked around the room. To his surprise, it turned out that only a very few students had actually brought their devices.
Dr. Manazaki sighed softly, offering a merciful patch update to his own strict rules.
"Aww, okay ah, I will give you a chance today," Dr. Manazaki compromised. "Next meeting, you must bring your own non-programmable scientific calculators ah. I do not want to see anyone borrowing calculators from each other, that is too distracting eh."
He set his marker down, pulling out his smartphone instead.
"I just sent a module to our group chat," he announced, tapping his screen. "The Nature of Mathematics. Please download it so we can read the module together ah."
Sitting in the back row, Jiro casually unlocked his phone to access the group chat. But there was a critical error.
No internet connection. Since Jiro operated on a strict stealth mode and load-saving protocol, he had absolutely zero mobile data activated. He couldn't download the PDF file.
He glanced to his left, looking at Nica Rosa, who was sitting on the aisle seat right beside him.
"Uy, do you have data?" Jiro whispered.
Nica checked her phone and smiled apologetically, shaking her head. "I don't have data too eh."
Oops. Co-op reading failed.
Since Jiro was sitting right in the middle between the two girls, Nica couldn't just pivot. She leaned slightly forward to look past him, calling out her bestie, Mekayla Sano, who was sitting right beside Jiro on his right.
"Meka, hotspot beh," Nica asked pleadingly.
"Okie," Mekayla agreed instantly, navigating her settings to activate her mobile hotspot.
Support class activated. Hotspot aura deployed.
Jiro and Nica quickly connected their devices to Mekayla's network, finally downloading the required module. The three of them huddled slightly, reading the digital pages together on their respective screens.
The module broke down the introduction of Mathematics in our world, specifically focusing on Patterns and Numbers in nature and the world, and the infamous Fibonacci sequence.
As Jiro scrolled through the digital pages, his Shonen strategist brain processed the information instantly.
This is it? Jiro mused internally, his eyes scanning the equations and visual examples. Just basic patterns and sequences. Easy mechanics. Absolute speedrun material.
For a former STEM student who had survived the grueling calculations of physics and pre-calculus, identifying numerical sequences in nature felt like playing a tutorial level.
The discussion flowed smoothly, with Dr. Manazaki explaining the concepts clearly until the clock finally hit 11:10 AM.
"Alright, we are done for today," Dr. Manazaki announced, capping his marker. "Class dismissed."
The room let out a collective sigh of relief. But before anyone could bolt, the professor dropped a final, heavy reminder.
"Do not forget ah, attend the NSTP virtual class later at 1:30 PM," he instructed firmly.
Then, his gaze swept across the room, shifting from academic to extracurricular matters. He looked directly at the front row.
"By the way, Pres Hidy," Dr. Manazaki asked, crossing his arms. "Who is Jiro Sanata? The one who will participate in the Buwan ng Wika later?"
Jiro froze in his fourth-row seat. His heart dropped into his stomach.
Hidy immediately turned around, raising a hand to point straight at the guy sitting at the back of the left section, right near the doorway.
The red-haired idol professor adjusted his shades, locking his sight onto Jiro. He offered an encouraging, confident nod.
"Oh, kid, do your best later ah!" Dr. Manazaki cheered.
Social spotlight activated. Threat level: Embarrassment.
Jiro felt the eyes of his nearby classmates suddenly shift toward him. He didn't speak. He was too shy and suddenly a bit nervous to formulate a cool response. He just silently noted the encouragement and offered a stiff, polite nod back at the professor.
With the final buff applied, Dr. Manazaki grabbed his box bag and strode out of the room.
The morning math grind was officially over. It was time for the lunch break.
Jiro stood up and navigated back to his Circle of Friends. His HP was running critically low, and he needed a quick snack to satisfy his craving before digging into whatever actual lunch they had.
"I'll just go buy something in the cafeteria," Jiro announced to his squad.
Niewi and Mira's eyes immediately lit up. The classic Filipino pasabay (proxy buyer) culture was instantly activated.
"Oh, pasabay nga!" Niewi beamed, pulling out some cash.
"Here oh," Mira added, handing him a few coins. "Just buy whatever is there ah!"
Jiro let out a soft, resigned sigh. He took their coins, securing it in his pocket. Fine, friendship as usual. Here we go again... bruh.
He walked out of Room 406 and made his way down to the ground floor cafeteria. The queue wasn't as messy as a typical rush hour, but almost all the tables were completely occupied by students recovering from their morning classes.
Jiro bypassed the heavy meals and went straight for the chips section situated right beside the counter. He just wanted something with a satisfying crunch to munch on. He grabbed a random bag of chips, but his Shonen strategist instincts—always highly suspicious of the KSU server's inventory—kicked in.
He flipped the bag over and checked the bottom corner for the expiration date.
30 June, 2024.
Jiro froze. His eyes narrowed as his internal monologue did the quick calendar math.
Crap... what are these? That is exactly two months ago...
Hoping it was just a single glitched item, he quickly reached out and grabbed another bag of chips nearby. He checked the back.
20 July, 2024.
Jiro dropped the bag back onto the shelf as if it had burned him.
Why are these chips beyond their expiration dates lol, Jiro deadpanned internally, staring at the rack of poisonous loot. Are they trying to poison us all? Fine, I will not buy anything here heh.
Heavily disappointed that he couldn't satisfy his craving for a good crunch, he turned around and marched right back up to the fourth floor.
He walked into Room 406 empty-handed.
"Ay, out of stock eh," Jiro lied smoothly, handing Niewi and Mira their money back. "I couldn't buy anything."
He deliberately didn't tell anyone that the cafeteria was casually peddling expired goods hahaha. Some server secrets were better kept hidden to prevent mass panic.
"Aww, okay," Niewi and Mira sighed in unison, visibly disappointed by the failed fetch quest.
With no snacks available, the squad just settled into their wooden armchairs and ate their packed lunches in peace.
1:10 PM.
The atmosphere on the campus was rapidly shifting. The hallways were already packed with students, and the visual aesthetic had completely transformed. Many of the upperclassmen were already walking around wearing stunning, colorful Filipinianas and crisp Barong Tagalogs.
Down below, the open-air gymnasium was now a vortex of noise. Upbeat Filipino and OPM songs blasted through the massive speakers, echoing off the concrete walls. The stage was beautifully decorated with traditional props and woven designs. The festive Buwan ng Wika energy was fully maximizing the campus hype.
But back up in Room 406, it was a completely different reality.
Despite the booming background noise of OPM music bleeding through their open windows, the BEEd 1-A cohort wasn't preparing to party. They were aggressively preparing for their mandatory NSTP Common Module.
The livestream event was finally starting.
Initially, they tried a decentralized approach. Everyone sat in their own chairs, pulling out their smartphones to watch the live broadcast individually.
It was a total disaster.
Audio lag detected. Massive echo effect. Because of the varying internet speeds and the sheer noise coming from the gymnasium outside, the thirty-plus phone speakers playing the exact same video at slightly different delays created an unbearable, overlapping screech in the classroom. It was completely inefficient.
The Commander immediately stepped up to fix the technical flaw.
Hidy marched to the front of the room. "Guys, does anyone have a laptop we can use?" she asked loudly over the noise.
The room went silent. Everyone looked at each other. Not a single person had brought a heavy laptop for a Friday class.
"Okay, then whose phone is the sturdiest?" Hidy pivoted instantly. "Who has a phone we can use to connect to the T.V.? Let's just use one device so we can all watch together."
From the back of the room, near the window section, the 29-year-old Lore Master calmly raised her hand.
"I'll do it," Reo Bairo volunteered, her veteran confidence shining through. "Wait a sec, let's just use my phone."
"Thank you, Ate Reo!" Hidy beamed with relief.
Reo walked up to the front, standing before the Smart T.V. She expertly navigated her phone settings and connected it to the screen via screencast.
Connection successful.
The livestream video popped onto the large screen, and the singular, unified audio finally played clearly through the T.V. speakers. It was, at the very least, audible now over the gymnasium's party noise. The class settled down, staring at the screen for the virtual orientation.
But Jiro's mind was ticking on a completely different clock.
1:44 PM.
The Poster Making contest was looming, and Jiro had absolutely zero intel on his deployment zone. He stood up from his chair and approached the front where the President was monitoring the stream.
"Ay, Pres," Jiro asked quietly. "Do you know what time the poster making starts? And where is the venue?"
Hidy pulled her eyes away from the T.V. "Ay just wait beh, I actually don't know that yet eh," she admitted, quickly pulling out her phone. "Wait, let me just chat someone ah."
"Thanks," Jiro nodded, stepping back to wait.
A few minutes later, Hidy tapped his arm, delivering the freshly acquired coordinates.
"Beh, they will start at 2:00 PM," Hidy instructed. "The venue is at the BSN hangout house, near the girls' restroom on the ground floor beh."
Jiro nodded. Time limit: 15 minutes. Location: Ground floor.
He quickly returned to his seat and opened his "Hulk" bag. He grabbed his trusty blue pencil case. It was a simple, zippered plastic case, but inside, it housed his premium strategic arsenal: his seven sets of drafting pencils (2, 5H, 2B, 3B, 5B, 6B, and 8B), two sharp sharpeners, one high-quality eraser, and two bright highlighters.
Graphite loadout complete. But wait. Colors.
He was severely lacking the required elemental damage for a poster making contest.
Jiro scanned the room and locked his sights on the Class Escort. He walked over to the front row where Jesper Arufe was busy chatting and laughing with Aprille, Lindsey, and Jachie.
"Uy, Jesper," Jiro tapped his shoulder. "Can I borrow your coloring materials?"
Jesper spun around, looking genuinely shocked before his signature comedic vibe took over.
"Oh, okay wait wait ah!" Jesper laughed, immediately swinging his bag onto his lap. He unzipped it and dramatically pulled out a pristine, high-tier oil pastel case.
"Oh here, beh," Jesper grinned, handing the case over to Jiro like a legendary quest item. "I even scolded my sibling for this just so I could borrow it eh hahaha! Just kidding. Good luck beh!"
Jiro chuckled, accepting the heavy pastel case. "Thanks, man."
"Good luck, Jiro!" Aprille, Lindsey, and Jachie cheered from their seats. Hidy also flashed him a supportive thumbs-up from the front.
With his party's blessings and his inventory finally complete, Jiro stepped out of Room 406 and began his descent.
He navigated the busy stairwell and made his way to the extreme right wing of the ground floor.
He easily spotted the BSN Hangout House. It wasn't an actual enclosed building; it was a mini, open-air hangout pavilion situated right next to the girls' restroom. It had a very distinct, permanent aesthetic—the tables and the surrounding attached chairs were entirely made of solid concrete, meticulously covered in smooth, glossy tiles.
The venue was already buzzing. The competing participants from other departments were settling in, unpacking their bags. Hovering around them were the official event organizers—the officers of VICES (Voices of Intelligent and Competitive English Students), the exclusive BSED English organization tasked with hosting the poster making contest for the larger Buwan ng Wika celebration.
Jiro approached the tiled concrete tables. As he scanned the area, he spotted a small, printed card resting on one of the smooth surfaces.
Jiro Sanata
Wow. My own nameplate, Jiro thought, feeling a sudden, unexpected surge of VIP energy. I will sit there.
He approached his designated coordinate and sat down on the cold tiled concrete chair. He placed his blue pencil case and Jesper's oil pastels neatly on the table.
He looked around. He was ready to unleash his decade-old artistic skills. There was just one tiny, crucial detail missing from his desk.
Jiro approached and politely asked one of the nearby VICES officers, a BSED English sophomore wearing their organization shirt.
"Excuse me, miss," Jiro asked, his voice calm. "Do you guys provide the 1/4 illustration boards po?"
The officer stopped, looking down at Jiro's empty table. She gave him a sympathetic, apologetic smile and slowly shook her head.
"Ay sorry, kuya," the officer explained gently. "We do not distribute the illustration board po... the participants are the ones to bring it themselves eh."
Jiro froze.
The lively OPM music from the nearby gymnasium suddenly faded into absolute silence in his ears. The world stopped spinning.
He stared at the officer. Then he stared at his pristine pencils. Then he stared at the completely empty, cold tile space in front of him where his canvas was supposed to be.
His soul literally shook. His grand, 10-year comeback dream shattered into a million microscopic pixels. He felt all of his strategic planning, his bag preparation, and his borrowed oil pastels plummet straight down through the concrete floor, burning away as it reached the Earth's core.
What the... Jiro's eyes widened in pure, unadulterated horror as his internal monologue screamed at the broken system striking him down once again. OH CRAP!
END OF THE SHAKY DREAM