In Love With Narcissus : Chapter 2

When I Met Narcissus

(Eunice Sparks POV)

“And now we’re down to our last student. Ms. Eunice Sparks and her dish.” The teacher called out my name kaya tumayo na ako sa harap nila

“So what have you cooked for us?” Mr. Model asked.  Nagpapacute pa katulad nung ginawa niya sa iba. I ignored it, so I placed my dish in front of them. Pero bago pa ako makapagsalita, sinagot na agad ni Mr. Model and tinanong niya. “Hoedeopbap (Seafood Bibimbap)!” 

“Yes.” I plainly answered. Wala na talaga ako sa mood dahil sa tatlong ito.

“Wow!”  Sabay-sabay nilang sinabi. Wow sila dyan! Hindi nila magagawang magsinungaling saakin noh. Sige! Hihintayin ko ang mga side-comments niyo para magkaalaman.

“Deo-isang meok-kko sip-jji anayo (I don’t want to eat anymore).”  Lalo lang akong nagalit nang sabihin ni Mr. Pretty yun. At nagtawanan ulit silang tatlo. Grabe! Nanggagalaiti na ako! “Then let’s eat our hearts out for this last dish.”

Pambihira! Sana nakilala ko na sila noon pa para nalagyan ko ng lason ang niluto ko. Sayang! I’m really hoping this ends soon. 

As expected, they already know how to eat a seafood bibimbap. Since si Mr. Eyeglasses ang nasa gitna, ginamit niya ang chopsticks to mixed the red pepper paste along with the vegetables, raw seafood and a little grilled meat that was atop of the rice. Pinaghatian nila yun at tinikman na.

“Eottaeyo? (How is it?)” I asked unconsciously. 

“Ah mashitta (Tasty)!!!” Mr. Pretty said. Nasarapan nga siguro siya dahil sa sinabi niya yun in Hangul. Medyo nakahinga ako nang malalim.

“Mashee-eessoyo! (This is delicious!)” Mr. Model liked it too. 

“Naneun geugeo-seul jjo-a-handa. (I like it.)”  Mr. Eyeglasses added.

“It’s true that ‘Save the best for last’.” Ang bati saakin ni Mr. Pretty. “Jal haneun! And that means, well done!”  Right! So ngayon tina-translate mo na ang mga salita mo?

“A, geuraeyo? Gamsahamnida (Oh, really? Thank you.)” I answered back. Medyo masaya talaga ako na walang bad comment sa niluto ko.

“Cheonmaneyo (You’re welcome)… Wait!” Sinabi ni Mr. Pretty pero napatigil siya nang may mapansin siya. “Did you just speak in Hangul?” 

“Ne…? (Yes?)” Oh my gosh! Ngayon ko lang din narealize na nakikipag-usap ako sa kanila with that language.

“Ihae haseyo? (Do you understand?)” Asked Mr. Eyeglasses na halatang hindi makapaniwala na nakapagsalita nga ako in Hangul. 

“Choong-boon-hee ihae-hago iseumnida (I understand perfectly).”  At natulala lang silang tatlo nang magsalita ulit ako. Nagulat sila at nakanganga. And since kaming apat lang sa loob ng room na ‘to ang nagkakaintindihan, nakaisip ako bigla ng isang maganda at medyo masamang idea.

“WI-SEON-JA. (Hypocrites)” I slowly said it, stressing all the syllables!!! I can’t help myself from giving those three the taste of their own medicine. Ngayon mas nasa mood na ako. “Gwaenchanayo? (Are you okay?)” I asked sarcastically and smiled, I mean grinned at them.

“Ne…? (Yes)”  Sinabi ni Mr. Pretty pero halatang hindi naman talaga sila okay. The other two are also left dumbfounded. Serves you right! “You may go back to your seat now.” Sinabi niya nang nakatitig saakin.

“Ne, algyesseumnida! (Okay, Sure!)” So bumalik na ako sa kinauupuan ko at pakiramdam kong sinusundan nila ako ng tingin. Kahit yung ibang estudyante, nararamdaman kong ako din ang pinag-uusapan nila.

Now it felt like I’m really mean, but I’m not taking back what I said because this also felt right. Tama lang sa tatlong yun ang ginawa ko. Dahil hindi lahat ng tao, kaya nilang paikutin. 

A few minutes later, nagpaalam na yung tatlong judges. In-announce naman ni Ms. Randall na mapo-post daw yung grades namin bukas sa bulletin section. “You’re all dismissed.” I was relieved by then.

*     *     *

Kinabukasan, dumirecho na ako sa lecture hall ng building namin para tignan yung grades sa bulletin section. Marami nang estudyante ang nakatingin doon, at paglapit ko sa kanila, nalipat ang attention sa akin. As usual, hindi ko sila pinansin so they moved away nung sinilip ko na yung grade ko.

I got an A!  This is really great! Pero napansin ko na ako lang sa buong klase namin ang nakakuha ng mataas na grade.

“Kasi nakipag-usap siya kahapon sa kanila in Korean” One girl whispered to her friends. Nice! A sign of an unfriendly classmate. If I don’t get out of here, may feeling ako na mabu-bully ako. Umalis ako agad and their following me with their glaring eyes. 

Pero sa pagmamadali ko, may nabunggo naman akong isang estudyante. Isa siya sa limang male classmates ko kahapon.

“Hey! Eunice!” He’s already calling me by my first name. I pretended na hind ko na-recognize ang mukha niya pero may dinagdag siya agad. “Classmate mo ako! Naka-post na sa bulletin yung grades ha.” 

“Yeah…”

“Have you seen my grade?”

“No…” Ni hindi ko nga siya kilala. 

“I’ve seen your grade! Ang galing mo, ikaw lang ang nakakuha ng A.”

“Ah, thanks…” Aalis na sana ako pero pinigilan niya ako ulit.

“By the way, I’m Tony. I’m just thinking, since you’re a new student, pwede kitang i-tour dito sa school.”

It’s very nice of him but, “There’s really no need for that. Well, thanks anyway but I really got to go.” 

“I think you’re very pretty. I’m thinking if we could hang out some time?” Wow ang bilis niya. I looked at him but it doesn’t feel right.

“Thanks but no thanks.” Dinalian ko na lang ang pag-alis para hindi na niya ako kulitin pa. Hindi nga kasi ako sociable na tao, kaya hindi ako sanay na makipag-usap. 

Then I found myself at the refreshment area, at naupo sa isa sa mga bench doon. Bigla ko tuloy naisip yung sinabi ng kaklase ko, that I’m pretty. That just made me sad.

Tinuruan kasi ako ng daddy ko na wag paniwalaan ang kahit na anong sasabihin ng mga taong nasa paligid ko.  Just because they say how pretty or how smart or how kind I am, doesn’t mean they meant it. Wala akong pwedeng pagkatiwalaan, and I grew up believing I can’t believe them.

Somehow, naisip kong tama ang sinabi ni daddy. Gaya ng na-experience ko kahapon  with Mr. Model, Mr. Eyeglasses and Mr. Pretty. Lahat nang sinasabi nila sa iba, puro kasinungalingan. I sighed. “I can’t believe he’s right.” 

“What? That you’re pretty?” Familiar na boses yun. Paglingon ko, nakatayo na sa likod ko si Mr. Pretty.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, hindi nga ako culinary student but that doesn’t mean I’m forbidden in this building.” Hindi naman niya sinagot ang tanong ko.

“Paano mo nalaman yung about sa…‘pretty-thing’?” Tinanong ko siya. Para kasing nandoon siya noong kausap ko yung classmate ko kanina.

“I was there. So… you really think you’re pretty?” 

“I’m busy so don’t bother me.” Naiirita ako sa mokong na’to!

“Busy? Busy talking to yourself?” He’s mocking me. “Hindi ka pa nga nagte-thank you saakin.”

“Thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” 

“I wasn’t thanking you! I’m asking why I should thank you.”

“Oh? Kasi na-appreciate ko yung niluto mo kahapon. And today, I gave you an A…” He’s very conceited. “Despite the fact that you called me and my cousins ‘Wiseonja’ (hypocrites)” 

Mag-pinsan pala sila! That explains their similarities. “You mean this is all about yesterday?”

“Yeah, and today.” He’s just annoying that I glared at him para ma-gets niyang hindi ako masaya na nandito siya.

“What do you want? An apology?” 

“I didn’t say anything about an apology.” Ang yabang talaga nito!

“Eh ano bang kailangan mo?”

“Nothing… I just came by to talk to you.”  Nothing naman pala! Tinalikuran ko siya pero may pahabol naman siyang sinabi. “Actually, I thought you are normal.” I don’t get what he meant so I ignored him. “And normal are not very beautiful.”

“So what? I’m ugly? Fine! Saying that makes you feel better? I’m ugly!!! Glad now?” Nakakabwisit! Oh sige na! Pangit na ako!

“I didn’t say anything about you being ugly.” Grabe! Ang galing mang-asar ng lalaking ito!

“Feeling mo kasi ang taas-taas mo na, just because you’re pretty!”  

“Pretty? You know it is mean to use the word ‘pretty’ to describe a man.”  Actually compliment pa nga yun. Pero tama nga naman, dapat ang description sa lalaking good-looking ay ‘handsome’.  “But it’s okay, I get that a lot.” Argh! Hindi naman pala siya na-offend.

“Alam mo, hindi ko alam kung ano ba ‘tong pinag-uusapan natin eh. Hindi kita gustong kausap!” Now for the sake of ending this long conversation. “Thank you. Sorry. Whatever! Okay? Just leave me alone!” 

“Hey! Eunice Sparks.” He called out my whole name and introduced himself. “I’m Eun Hee-Jun, but call me Eunhee.”

“Pakelam ko kung sino ka!!!” 

“This isn’t over yet, okay?” He smiled at me. At aaminin kong nakakatunaw nga kapag ngumingiti siya. At na-realize kong mas gwapo nga siya nang malapitan. Hay sayang ang kagwapuhan nito! “See you around, Yuni!”

“Wait… what!?! Sinong Yuni?” 

End of Chapter 2

>>>CHAPTER 3 HERE