After few months of waiting and processing paperwork, he finally stood before Eastwood College Academy. Although he already knew he had passed the entrance exam, it was only now that he truly felt how grand and magnificent the school was.
"This place is incredible, Tay. Eastwood College Academy is huge!"
"Yes, son. I'm sorry I could only bring you here now while we're delivering rice. The trip is just really far." Mang Alberto said apologetically.
"It's okay, Tay. I understand," Alonzo replied with a smile. "I'm just happy you brought me here today."
"So… are you ready to start here tomorrow?" Mang Alberto asked.
"Yes, Tay! I'm more than ready," Alonzo answered eagerly. "Ready to face a whole new world."
"You look excited," Mang Alberto chuckled, placing a hand on Alonzo's shoulder.
"Good luck, son. Stay here for a while—I'll just attend to our clients."
Alonzo immediately walked toward the front of the school, gazing at the towering gates. But today wasn't his first day yet. He had accompanied Mang Alberto to the city to deliver freshly harvested rice to their clients.
He was wearing a faded gray long-sleeved shirt, soaked in sweat. His black pants were stained with dust and dirt. His face looked rough and unkempt—proof of a long journey and hours spent carrying heavy sacks of rice.
He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand when suddenly—
Someone stopped in front of him.
Two girls stood before him, having halted mid-walk. One of them was fair-skinned and slim, wearing a maroon checkered skirt that reached her knees and long socks that hugged her legs. The other looked arrogant and overly refined, staring at him as if he were nothing more than a beggar.
They were students of Eastwood College Academy.
Then, without warning, the fair-skinned girl extended her hand toward him—holding a large amount of money. ₱3,000 Alonzo froze. He stared at her, completely stunned, unable to speak.
"Girl, do you really have to do that?" the other girl complained. "Come on, let's go already. It's super duper hot—my skin is literally burning!"
"Janice, please," she added impatiently.
"Let's leave before I collapse from the heat—and from the smell of that beggar!"
Alonzo glanced down at his hand, disbelief washing over him. ₱3,000?! Time seemed to stop as he held the money. He didn't know whether to keep it or give it back. But Janice's gentle smile—and the kindness shining in her eyes—somehow eased his exhaustion and washed away the heat clinging to his body.
He was amazed.
The girl standing before him felt like a ray of light beneath the scorching sun. He also noticed how respectfully she had handed the money to him—without judgment, without disgust.
But the girl beside her?
Her arrogance was impossible to miss. The way she looked at him was filled with mockery and contempt, as if she were deliberately humiliating him.
Alonzo let out a slow breath, closed his hand around the money, and bowed his head slightly.
Alonzo's POV
"₱3,000… unbelievable. She's not just kind—she's beautiful, like a fairy. But her friend? Her attitude is filthier than the clothes I'm wearing. She really thought I was a beggar…"
Though he remained silent, the heat of anger burned in his chest. He exhaled deeply, grateful that his anger faded the moment Janice crossed his mind.
"Janice… that's her name," he murmured softly, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"I'll never forget what she did for me today. I hope our paths cross again someday."
Just then, Mang Alberto called out to him—it was time for lunch. They still had many clients to deliver rice to.
Narrator's Note:
At the first encounter between Janice and Alonzo, what kind of world awaits the two of them?
And what if Janice's beauty and kindness hide a secret he doesn't yet know?
Will they meet again on Alonzo's first day at Eastwood College Academy?
Find out in the next chapter, guys!
To be continued…