In Love With Narcissus : Chapter 4

When I Met Her

(Eun Hee-Jun POV)

Don’t get us wrong with our reactions, hindi naman sa sinasabi naming masama ang ihahanda saamin ng mga culinary students. Hello!!! This is East Verlake Academy! Mataas kaya ang standards dito sa lahat ng bagay.

So why are we troubled with the taste evaluation? Simply because we have sensitive taste buds. And it’s not a joke. Kumakain lang kami ng mga pagkain na niluto ng top chefs from around the world. And impressing us was easier said than done. 

Korean cuisine ang theme nila dahil Koreans daw kami. Sana pinoy dish na lang, mas sanay na kami doon eh! Parang mga Pilipino na nga kami, diba?

“Madeoptta…”  I commented in Hangul para sila Kyun at Jiwon lang ang makaintindi. We made it a point that we will use our own language to express our real selves so no one will get frustrated. We don’t want to lower their self-esteem, ang ga-gwapong masokista namin noh?

“This is good. Thank you for the food. Next please!” Pero hindi naman talaga masama ang lasa niya kahit hindi ako nasarapan.

At nagpatuloy lang kami nang ganito. We express our unpleasant feelings in Hangul while deciding to tell them the complete opposite of what we thought.

“Ahh… sida (sour)!” Jiwon commented, at pinipilit na wag ma-distort ang mukha niya. Ayaw niya ng maaasim eh. “This food has a nice flavor.”

 “I-geoseun silta! (This is disgusting!)”  Nasabi naman ni Kyun nang kumain siya ng karne. Vegetarian kaya siya, kawawa naman! “This is very impressive.”

 “Eol-mana jinjjaro chua-kada… (She’s really ugly…)” I said. I know out of the context na, pero kasi naisip kong patawanin na lang sina Kyun at Jiwon. Sumasakit na ang tiyan ko kakapigil tumawa nang malakas eh. “You made a pretty presentation, just like you.” 

Hindi naman siya ganun kapangit, okay? Joke lang yun! Pero hindi ko rin naman pwedeng sabihin na maganda siya.

After twenty dishes, feeling ko nasusuka na talaga ako. “And now we’re down to our last student. Ms. Eunice Sparks and her dish.” I’m really glad this is the last. I looked at Kyun and Jiwon and they both seem to think what I’m thinking.

“So what have you cooked for us?” Jiwon asked. The girl standing in front of us is someone I’ve never seen before. Siya nga yung new student, pero bakit hindi siya ngumingiti? Sayang! Maganda pa naman. “Hoedeopbap (Seafood Bibimbap)!”

“Yes.” She answered plainly. Is she pretending unhappy or unexcited?

“Wow!” Sabay-sabay naming sinabi para kunyari excited kami. “Deo-isang meok-kko sip-jji anayo. (I don’t want to eat anymore)”

After kong sabihin yun, parang inirapan ako nung babae. Hindi naman niya naiintindihan yung sinabi ko diba? “Then let’s eat our hearts out for this last dish.”

Anyway, Kyun mixed the bibimbap. Hinati niya sa tatlo at sinadya na niyang wag piliin yung may karne. Tapos, sabay-sabay na kaming sumubo, pero kinontian lang naming kasi nga nasusuka na kami. Pero ang nakakapagtaka doon, parang gusto pa naming kumain ulit. Ang sarap pala!

“Eottaeyo? (How is it?)” Tinanong nung babae pero hindi ko na masyadong pinansin dahil sarap na sarap na kami sa pagkain.

Tapos nung maubos na namin yung pagkain, “Ah mashitta (tasty)!!!” Sa wakas! Nakakain din nang masarap! 

“Mashee-eessoyo! (This is delicious!)”  Jiwon liked it too!

“Naneun geugeo-seul jjo-a-handa. (I like it.)” And so as Kyun. 

“It’s true that ‘Save the best for last’.” Ang galing nitong babaeng ito! Biruin mo na-impress niya ang mga gwapong tulad namin! “Jal haneun! And that means, well done!”

“A, geuraeyo? Gamsahamnida (Oh, really? Thank you.)” She answered.

“Cheonmaneyo (You’re welcome)…” Sagot ko, pero parang may mali. “Wait! Did you just speak in Hangul?” 

My cousins were surprised too, as well as her. “Ne…? (Yes?)” 

“Ihae haseyo? (Do you understand?)” At sinigurado ni Kyun kung talagang nakakaintindi siya ng salita namin.

Tapos sinagot niya kami sarcastically, “Choong-boon-hee ihae-hago iseumnida (I understand perfectly).” Confirmed!!! We’re busted! All along she knew what we are talking about. Pero hindi pa pala siya tapos sa sasabihin niya. She opened her mouth and slowly she said, “WI-SEON-JA. (Hypocrites)”  Ouch!

“Gwaenchanayo? (Are you okay?)” Tinanong niya nang nang-aasar. What the...

“Ne…? (Yes)” I didn’t know what else to say so I told her, “You may go back to your seat now.”

“Ne, algyesseumnida! (Okay, Sure!)”  Sinabi niya nang nakatitig saamin, kaya tinitigan ko din siya.

Nung tumingin din ako kina Kyun at Jiwon, nagulat din sila. I have no plans of staying any longer kaya nagpaalam na kami nang walang sinasabi.

“She’s interesting, don’t you think so?” Tinanong ko ang mga pinsan ko. First time lang na may isang babae na tinawag kaming ‘hypocrites.’

“I think she’s pretty. Pretty tough.” Sinabi ni Kyun at nag-agree si Jiwon.

And then just a snap, I said what I had to say. “She’s mine!”  Wholesome yun ha! It’s nothing romantic. Challenging kasi siya, at mukhang iba siya sa lahat ng mga babaeng nakilala namin.

“Ang bilis mo naman!” Napakamot na lang sa ulo si Jiwon.

At ganun din si Kyun na mukhang talunan. “Wala na! Nauna na siya.”

Yes! We would really want her to join us. Pare-pareho kami nang iniisip na ang mala-diyosang babaeng yun, na hindi agad nagkagusto saamin, ay ka-level namin maging kaibigan. Pasok siya sa standards naming tatlo!

So using our special access to the EVA student’s portal, nag-research kami tungkol sa kanya. Kyun typed in her name : EUNICE SPARKS and there we have it!

Ito ang nalaman namin: Eunice Sparks just turned seventeen last 17^th of May. Daddy niya si Mr. Adam Sparks, isang sikat na lawyer sa bansang ito. Ang mother niya ay si Eunice Han, half-Korean so that explains why she is good at Hangul. She went to an all-girls school during grade school and high school. Sa school records niya, palagi siyang top student, pero mababa when it comes to socializing. No extra-curricular activities o kahit na anong school trips.

Late enrollee siya dito at ang nakapagtataka, wala siyang minor subjects. Enrolled lang siya sa lahat ng culinary subjects. Oh, ito pa ang interesting! AB blood-type siya.

“So now that we know, anong balak mo?” tanong ni Kyun.

“First, I’ll be calling her Yuni.” Kanina ko pa 'to pinag-isipan eh. “Ang cute noh? Yuni almost sound like my nickname Eunhee (Yun-hi)!"

“Is this all about you?” 

“Nope! It’s also simply because her name is Eunice which is pronounced as Yu-Nis! Tapos tinanggal ko lang yung S, para maging YUNI na lang!”  Am I still weird with this? I don’t think so.

“Yuni is good.” Na-enlighten naman silang dalawa sa explanation ko. Talino ko talaga!

“Tomorrow I’ll talk to her.” I’m full of energy now and really excited! “Magkakaroon na rin tayo ng lady-friend sa wakas!!!”

*     *     *

Kinabukasan, pumunta na ako sa Culinary Building. By the way, si Yuni lang din pala ang binigyan namin ng A since siya lang ang deserving. Masaya siguro yun by this time! When I found her, she was with a male student so I carefully hid myself at the stairs to stay unnoticed. At tsaka nagtatago ako sa mga fans ko, baka kuyugin nila ako. 

Nag-usap sila sandali, at parang nag-confess yung lalaki. Pero grabe itong si Yuni, ang lupet makapan-reject! I’m really starting to like her! Ganun din ako eh!

Poor guy! What a loser. Tapos pumunta na si Yuni sa second floor sa may refreshment area at sinundan ko siya. Naupo siya at tumayo lang ako sa likuran niya.

“I can’t believe he’s right.” Natawa ako bigla. So iniisip pala niya yung sinabi sa kanya nung classmate niya kanina na maganda daw siya.

“What? That you’re pretty?” 

Tapos nagulat siya, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, hindi nga ako culinary student but that doesn’t mean I’m forbidden in this building.”

“Paano mo nalaman yung about sa…‘pretty-thing’?”

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

“I’m busy so don’t bother me.” Sinabi niya nang hindi tumitingin saakin.

“Busy? Busy talking to yourself? 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.”

Alam ko naman yun noh! Inaasar ko lang siya.  “Oh? Kasi na-appreciate ko yung niluto mo kahapon. And today, I gave you an A… despite the fact that you called me and my cousins ‘Wiseonja’ (hypocrites)”

“You mean this is all about yesterday?”

“Yeah, and today.” Bakit ba nakakalimutan niyang binigyan ko nga siya ng A. 

“What do you want? An apology?”

“I didn’t say anything about an apology.” 

“Eh ano bang kailangan mo?”

“Nothing… I just came by to talk to you.” Totoo naman yun. “Actually, I thought you are normal. And normal are not very beautiful.”

“So what!? I’m ugly? Fine! Saying that makes you feel better? I’m ugly!!! Glad now?” Nagalit agad? Hindi pa nga ako tapos sa sasabihin ko!

“I didn’t say anything about you being ugly.”  Dapat may kadugtong na, “…but then you made me realize that you’re special.”  Hindi ko na lang tinuloy dahil hysterical na siya.

“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. But it’s okay, I get that a lot.” Maganda daw ako. Sabi ko na yun din ang iniisip niya eh.

“Alam mo, hindi ko alam kung ano ba ‘tong pinag-uusapan natin eh.  Hindi kita gustong kausap!Thank you. Sorry. Whatever! Okay? Just leave me alone!”

“Hey! Eunice Sparks.” Hindi naman pwedeng hindi ko magawa ang plano ko. “I’m Eun Hee-Jun, but call me Eunhee.” I’ve decided to let her call me by my nickname since it’s the first time to meet a girl like her.

“Pakelam ko kung sino ka!!!” Kunyari pang hindi kinikilig na kausap ako.

“This isn’t over yet, okay?” I smiled at him, at parang napatitig siya saakin. Aminin na kasing name-mesmerize siya saakin. “See you around, Yuni!” 

“Wait… what!?! Sinong Yuni?” Natawa lang akong umalis. Parang hindi niya na-gets na binigyan ko siya ng nickname.

End of Chapter 4

>>>CHAPTER 5 HERE