I woke up to awareness, gasping for breath, as another nightmare jolted me awake—so vivid, it felt as if it had truly happened in my past.
"Hey! Get up, Shang!!" (Loud banging on the door, as if it was about to break.)
"It's your first day of school, and you're already late! Get up now!"
The fear from my dream faded, and my mind snapped back to reality.
Shang: "Oh, crap!! It's my first day…!" (She hurriedly got up and grabbed her towel.)
"Ugh, Ate! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" (She stomped her way to the bathroom.)
"Wow, really?! Now it's my fault that you're late? I've been knocking forever, but you weren't answering!" (She grabbed her bag, which only had a lipstick inside.)
"Hurry up so we can go together. We'll just buy food outside." (She fixed her clothes in front of the mirror.)
Shang: "Oh, Ate! Drop me off at the bookstore near Bryan's place. I need to buy something—today's the release of the book I've been reading." (She tied her hair into a ponytail.)
"Oh great, now you're definitely going to be late, Shang! You and your obsession with those fantasy books…"
Shang: "Ate, come on! You just don't get it. My current read, 'My Perfect Prince,' is amazing!" (She looked dreamily upward.)
"I just know he's tall, handsome, strong, and—most importantly—madly in love with the girl he loves… Ugh, if only guys like that existed!" (She clasped her hands against her chest, sighing.)
"That's a lie!!!" (Her sister cut her off.)
"No man like that exists! It's all just your imagination—there's no such thing as a perfect guy!"
Shang: (thinking to herself) Hmm, coming from the girl who's had five boyfriends… and got dumped by all of them.
"Why are you looking at me like that…?"
"Hurry up! You're making me late too!"
POV
My sister became my parent when Mom was gone—lost to depression after Dad left us. I don't even remember Dad's face; I was too young when he abandoned Mom. But despite everything, I'm still grateful… because I was given a kind and caring sister. The only problem? Sometimes, she's like a dragon.
"Shang! Text me later, I'll pick you up after school."
Shang: "Okay, Ate! I'll text you. Byeee!" (She shut the car door.)
Bryan: "Shaaaaanggg!!!" (He ran toward her, panting.)
Shang: "Bryyyyyy!" (She waved at him with a big smile.)
Bryan: "Why are you here? Our school is on the other block." (He looked confused, still catching his breath.)
Shang: "Because I need to stop by the bookstore first." (She pointed at the store.) "Come with me for a bit!" (She grabbed his arm.)
Bryan: "Shang, come on… we're gonna be late!"
(On the way to the bookstore…)
Bryan: "Ugh, Shang, why are you so obsessed with that book? The storyline sucks! The guy is way too perfect—like, he has zero flaws. That's not realistic at all!"
Shang: "Ugh, stop ruining my vibe! It's a great book, okay?" (She hugged herself, smiling dreamily.) "You're just insecure because you're nothing like Dylan—Prince Dylan, my knight in shining armor!"
Bryan: "Why would I be insecure over some fictional book character, huh?!" (He laughed.) "No matter what you say, Dylan isn't real. Your so-called 'prince' doesn't exist!"
(Shang eagerly pushed open the bookstore door, while Bryan followed behind, looking completely unenthusiastic—clearly just dragged along.)
Shang: "Good morning, Kuya Tope!" (She greeted with a bright smile.)
Kuya Tope: "Oh, Shang! Good morning." (He grinned at her.) "I already know why you're here…"
Shang: (Cutting in excitedly) "Is it here yet?!"
Kuya Tope: "Ah, Shang… not yet. Didn't you check the author's Facegram post?"
(Shang quickly grabbed her phone and opened Facegram. The first thing that popped up was an announcement from her favorite author…)
Shang: "What?! Next week?! Whyyy???" (She practically screamed, completely hysterical.)
Bryan: (Peeking at her phone screen) "Are you serious? You're so over the top. It's just a delayed book release, not the end of the world."
(Shang walked out of the bookstore, looking completely defeated—like the whole world had just crashed down on her.)
Bryan: "Hey! Shang, don't be stupid…" (He teased, poking at her lifeless expression.) "What's wrong with you? Acting all dramatic doesn't suit you." (He tapped her shoulder.) "Hey… hey!"
Shang: "Ugh, leave me alone." (She sighed, still sulking.)
Bryan: "Wow, you're seriously acting like this over a book?!" (He shook his head.) "Alright, fine. Listen up—I'll help you. My brother knows the author of that book. I'll get an update for you, and I'll make sure you're the first to read it, okay?" (He cupped her cheeks and gave her a teasing grin.) "So smile already… come on… there it is!" (He laughed as she started to grin.)
Shang: "Promise??" (She looked up at him with puppy eyes.)
Bryan: "Promise! Now, let's go before we're late!"
(The school bell rang—signaling the start of class.)
POV:
This is it!!! New school, new environment, new classmates…
You got this, Shang. You can do this. We can do this! Fight! (I told myself, hyping myself up.)
Teacher: "Guys! Keep quiet!" (Slams a book on the table.) "Why are you all so noisy? "Mr. Delos Reyes, sit down!!! Why are you all so unruly?!""Please settle down. Take your seats."
Shang: "Wait… Am I really supposed to be here?" (She asked herself, worried.) (Talking to herself.)
Teacher: "Listen, guys! You have a new classmate. Ms. Cruz, introduce yourself."
Shang: "Hello, guys! My name is Shan Jane Cruz, but you can call me Shang."
Teacher: "Guys, do you have any questions for Ms. Cruz?"
Male Classmate: "Why did you transfer ?" (He asked curiously.)
"Maybe you did something bad at your old school, that's why you moved here?" (He added teasingly.)
"Or maybe… you have a sex scandal?" (He threw in another jab, making the whole class burst into laughter.)
Shang (thinking to herself): "Wow, this guy is such an idiot…"
Teacher (angrily): "Mr. Shawn, enough!"
Shawn:"Sir, it was just a question… Let her answer, sir."
Female Classmate (firmly): "Shawn! Stop it !"
(She then turned to Shang with a warm smile, pulling out an empty chair.)
Female Classmate: "Come here, Miss. You can sit with me." (She patted the seat beside her.)
Shang walked toward the woman in a daze and sat down.
"Hello im Elise Park.."
"Please be patient with Shawn, okay? He's always like that when there's someone new," said a woman with slanted eyes, smiling. "But he's actually a good guy," she added.
As the woman spoke, Shang just stared blankly at her.
"She's so beautiful… Her skin is so fair, like it's never been touched by the sun. And her face—flawless, like it doesn't even have pores," she thought to herself.
"Shang, right? Hello, Shang? Are you okay?"
As Shang continued to stare blankly at her, the woman grew slightly puzzled.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked, touching her cheek while reaching into her bag for a mirror.
Shang snapped back to his senses.
"Ahh, sorry! It's just that… you're so beautiful," she blurted out. Then, without thinking, he added, "What breed are you—? I mean, uh, what's your ethnicity?"
she stammered, clearly flustered.
"I'm half Korean, half Filipino. My mom is Filipina, and my dad is Korean. They're both in Korea right now, so it's just me and my nanny at home," she said with a smile.
Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she added, "You should drop by our house sometime."
"Sure," Shang replied.
Slowly, she turned her gaze toward Shawn, sneaking glances at him. But before he could look away, Shawn caught him staring.
"What? Do you think I'm handsome?" Shawn said arrogantly, smirking.
Shang blinked, caught off guard. she wasn't expecting Shawn to notice her glances, much less throw such a cocky remark at her.
"Hah? Hindi ah!" Shang quickly denied, frowning. "Baka may dumi ka lang sa mukha kaya napatingin ako."
Shawn smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Oh? Really? Then why do you look like you're blushing?"
Shang's classmates laughed and teased her.
"Keep quiet, Mr. Shawn," their teacher interrupted.
"But sir, this new girl keeps sneaking glances at me… I can't really blame her, though," Shawn said smugly, running a hand over his face.
The whole class burst into laughter, their noise filling the room.
Shang scoffed and looked away, trying to ignore the heat creeping up his neck. "Ewan ko sa'yo."
Elise giggled at their exchange. "You two are funny. I feel like you'll get along well soon."
"Not happening," Shang and Shawn said at the same time, making Elise laugh even more.
Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the start of their next class. Elise stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "We should go."
As they walked toward their classroom, Shang couldn't shake off the weird feeling lingering between her and Shawn. Something about the guy irritated her—but at the same time, it intrigued her.
As they entered the classroom, their teacher was already waiting by the door, holding a clipboard.
"Alright, class, no need to sit down. We're heading straight to the gym for P.E. today," the teacher announced.
Excitement buzzed through the room as the students quickly grabbed their things. Elise turned to Shang with a smile. "Looks like you'll get to experience how intense our P.E. class can be."
Shawn, who was leaning against the doorway, smirked. "Let's see if the new girl can keep up."
Shang raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Are you challenging me?"
"Tsk, it's not even a challenge if I already know I'm gonna win," Shawn replied, his cocky grin never fading.
Shang felt her competitive side kick in. "We'll see about that."
Elise chuckled. "You two are acting like little kids."
As they made their way to the gym, Shang silently prepared herself. She wasn't about to let Shawn's arrogance get to her—if anything, she was going to prove that she wasn't someone to be underestimated.
When they arrived at the gym, their P.E. teacher—a tall and muscular man holding a whistle—greeted them.
"Alright, class! Today, we're doing endurance and agility drills. I hope you all had a good breakfast because you're gonna need it!" he announced loudly.
Several students groaned in protest.
"Oh, come on, sir! Isn't our academic workload hard enough?" one of them complained.
"No complaints! Everyone, line up!" the teacher ordered.
As the class lined up, Shang noticed Shawn grinning at her.
"This is gonna be fun," Shawn said, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Shang smirked back, refusing to back down. "Try not to pass out, pretty boy."
The drills began—zigzag sprints, hurdle jumps, and push-ups at every checkpoint. Halfway through the routine, many students had slowed down, opting to walk instead due to exhaustion.
But Shang and Shawn—neither of them was willing to give up.
"Hah… getting tired?" Shawn asked between breaths, still grinning as he ran alongside Shang.
"I should be the one asking you that," Shang replied, masking the fact that her legs were already starting to ache.
They locked eyes—then, in an instant, both of them picked up their pace, determined not to lose.
Their classmates began to stop and simply watch the two.
"Wow, it's like Shang and Shawn have their own competition!" one of them murmured.
"Neither of them wants to fall behind," another added.
Elise smiled as she watched the two rivals push themselves. "Looks like this rivalry is just getting started," she whispered to herself, clearly entertained.
As the final stretch of the drill approached, Shang and Shawn were neck and neck, neither willing to let the other win. Their breaths were heavy, sweat dripping from their faces, but the fire in their eyes never faded.
"Come on, is that all you got?" Shawn taunted, pushing himself to go faster.
Shang scoffed. "You talk too much. Let's see if you can keep that up."
With one last burst of energy, they both sprinted toward the finish line. The class watched in anticipation, some even cheering.
"Let's go, newbie!" one student shouted.
"Shawn, don't let her beat you!" another yelled.
Elise, on the other hand, simply crossed her arms, a knowing smile on her lips.
Just as they were about to cross the line, Shawn made a bold move—he bumped into Shang slightly, throwing her off balance. But instead of stumbling, Shang used the momentum to push forward, catching up in the last second.
They both crossed the line at almost the exact same time, panting heavily.
The P.E. teacher blew his whistle. "Impressive. That was a tie."
Shawn clicked his tongue. "Tch. Lucky break."
Shang smirked. "Keep telling yourself that."
Their classmates clapped and whistled, clearly amused by the tension between the two. Elise walked up to them, shaking her head.
"You guys are ridiculous," she said, laughing. "But I have to admit, that was fun to watch."
Shawn rolled his eyes but grinned. "Don't get used to it, princess. Next time, I'm winning."
Shang wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We'll see about that."
As the class moved on to the next activity, Shang couldn't help but feel something strange—despite the rivalry, there was a part of her that actually enjoyed the challenge.
After the intense P.E. class, Shang collapsed onto a bench at the side of the gym, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"Wow, I didn't expect P.E. here to be this intense," she said as she reached for her water bottle.
Elise sat beside her, smiling. "We're used to it. But you? Impressive. You didn't let Shawn beat you."
Shang sighed and glanced behind her—there was Shawn, leaning against the wall, wiping his sweat with a towel. When he noticed Shang looking, he smirked teasingly.
"Enjoying the view, Princess?" Shawn taunted.
Shang rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water before replying. "Ugh, you're so full of yourself."
Elise laughed. "Do you two ever get tired of arguing?"
Before Shang could respond, the school bell rang—it was time to return to class.
"Alright, class! Back to your rooms!" their P.E. teacher called out.
As they walked out of the gym, Shang let out a deep breath.
"We're not done, Shawn," she muttered to herself.
Shawn overheard and leaned in slightly, whispering near her ear, "I'll be waiting."
Shang felt her cheeks heat up but quickly stepped on Shawn's shoe—hard.
"Ow! What's your problem?" Shawn complained, though he was clearly amused.
Shang smirked. "I thought you were tough? Don't be weak, pretty boy."
Shawn simply looked at her for a moment before chuckling. "You're interesting, Princess. Let's see how long you can keep up."
As they walked back to the classroom, Elise noticed the expression on Shang's face—somewhere between irritation and amusement.
"Looks like this isn't just a rivalry anymore," Elise murmured to herself, smiling.
The canteen was bustling with students when Shang and Elise entered. The scent of warm meals filled the air, and trays clattered as students rushed to find seats.
Shang clutched her tray, feeling the weight of the day settling in. It was her first day at this school, and it had already been exhausting—from dealing with new classes to the unexpected tension with Shawn during P.E.
"So, what do you think of the school so far?" Elise asked as they moved through the lunch line.
"It's… interesting," Shang replied, scanning the menu. "More intense than I expected, though."
Elise laughed. "Well, you did challenge Shawn on your first day. That's a bold move."
Shang sighed. "I didn't 'challenge' him. He just kept provoking me."
As if summoned by their conversation, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Princess, still talking about me?"
Shang tensed, already recognizing that voice. She turned her head to see Shawn standing behind her in line, arms crossed and that ever-present smirk on his face.
"Don't flatter yourself," Shang muttered, turning back to grab her food.
Shawn leaned against the counter. "You sure? Because it seems like I'm all you can think about today."
Shang exhaled through her nose. "More like thinking about how to get rid of you."
Elise nudged her playfully. "Relax, Shang. It's just Shawn's way of welcoming new students."
Shang gave her a doubtful look. "More like annoying them into leaving."
Shawn chuckled. "You're still here, though."
The lunch lady handed Shang her plate, and she quickly moved to pay, but before she could, Shawn swiped his card.
"Hey! I was going to pay for that!" she protested.
Shawn shrugged. "Consider it a gift. A welcome gift."
Shang narrowed her eyes. "I don't need your charity."
"Too late, Princess. No refunds," Shawn grinned before grabbing his own tray.
Shang glared at him but let out an exasperated sigh. She turned to Elise. "If this is how my first day is going, I can already tell he's going to be a problem."
Elise giggled. "Yeah… but I think it'll be a fun one."
As they sat at their table, Shang stole a quick glance at Shawn, who was now laughing with his own friends. He caught her looking and winked.
Shang rolled her eyes.
"Definitely a problem."
Shawn leaned back in his chair, taking a slow sip from his juice box as he watched Shang's reaction. As expected, she rolled her eyes and turned away, pretending like he didn't just get under her skin.
He smirked to himself. Too easy.
"Dude, what was that?" Kevin, one of his closest friends, nudged him with an amused grin.
"What was what?" Shawn asked lazily, pretending not to know what he was talking about.
"The little back-and-forth with the new girl," Kevin said, wiggling his eyebrows. "And don't think I didn't see that wink. What was that about, huh?"
Shawn scoffed, shaking his head. "Nothing. She's just fun to mess with."
Carlos, another one of his friends, chuckled. "I don't think I've ever seen you this entertained before. You usually get bored of people fast."
Shawn shrugged. "She's different. Most new students try to keep a low profile, but she? She fought back. I like that."
Kevin smirked. "Oh, so you like her now?"
Shawn shot him a glare. "That's not what I meant."
"Sure, sure," Carlos teased. "You just 'enjoy annoying her.'"
Shawn didn't reply, just popped a fry into his mouth and smirked.
His friends continued to joke around, but his gaze drifted back toward Shang's table. She was talking to Elise, clearly complaining about him.
She was still thinking about him.
Good.
Kevin followed his gaze and grinned. "Be careful, man. You push her too much, and she might actually throw that tray at you."
Shawn laughed, shaking his head. "Let her try. I'll just give her another reason to be mad."
Carlos snorted. "You're unbelievable."
Shawn leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Nah. I just love a good challenge."
And Shang?
She was definitely a challenge worth his time.
As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, students flooded out of the classrooms, eager to head home or hang out with friends. Shang grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, feeling the weight of her first day settle in. It had been a mix of awkward encounters, like with Shawn, and the usual nervousness that came with meeting new people.
As she stepped into the hallway, she saw Bryan leaning against the locker, a casual grin on his face, waiting for her. He gave her a wave when he spotted her walking toward him.
Bryan: "Hey, hey! How was your first day, new girl?" (He raised an eyebrow playfully.)
Shang: "Surprisingly… intense," (she replied, looking at him with a tired expression.) "Definitely not what I expected."
Bryan: "Uh-oh. Did you get into trouble already?" (He teased, pushing off the locker to stand up straight.)
Shang rolled her eyes. "You could say that. A certain guy with a smirk, who thinks he's the king of the school, decided to make my life difficult today."
Bryan laughed. "Ah, Shawn, huh?" (He raised an eyebrow.) "What did he do this time?"
Shang: "Oh, you know… He kept provoking me. I swear, it's like he's trying to get under my skin."
Bryan: "Ha! Sounds like him. Don't take it personally. He's like that with everyone." (He shrugged, clearly unbothered.)
Shang: "I'm not taking it personally. I just don't like how he thinks he can push my buttons and get away with it." (Her tone was a little sharp.)
Bryan chuckled. "Oh, I get it. You're not gonna let him walk all over you."
Shang: "Exactly." (She crossed her arms, clearly annoyed by the whole situation.) "But still, it's just my first day. I didn't think it'd be this… eventful."
Bryan smirked. "Well, I think it's only just begun. You seem like you'll keep things interesting around here."
Shang shot him a playful look. "Yeah, because that's exactly what I need—more drama." (She gave him a sarcastic smile.)
Bryan laughed, nudging her lightly. "Hey, don't worry. If anyone can handle Shawn, it's you. You seem pretty tough."
Shang: "Tough? More like stubborn." (She smirked.)
They walked down the hallway together, and Bryan glanced at her with a grin.
Bryan: "So, are you going to let him keep messing with you? Or are you going to do something about it?"
Shang raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Bryan: "Well, knowing you, I think you're not going to just sit back and take it." (He gave her a knowing look.)
Shang chuckled. "You're right. I'm definitely not going to let him get away with it."
As they continued walking, Shang's thoughts briefly flickered back to Shawn's teasing grin and the way he winked at her during lunch. She could feel the challenge ahead, but for now, she was determined to stay in control of the situation.
Shang: "I'll deal with him my way."
Bryan nodded, clearly enjoying the thought of Shang going toe-to-toe with Shawn. "Well, good luck with that. And hey, if you need back-up, you know where to find me."
Shang laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."