To The Barangay Hall

Wearing his SK Chairman uniform on the way to the door, Sano asks Chitanda where his young brother named Kouei is at.

"I haven't seen Kouei this morning. Chitanda, where did Kouei went?"

"Big brother Kouei went outside with Ronalyn." She replied while keeping her eyes on the phone she's using to play a game. "By the looks of it, it seems that they're having their first date today."

Sano and everyone close to them knew that Kouei and Ronalyn have feelings for one another.

"First date, huh... Aren't they being a little hasty? Not to mention the current situation this country has." He sighed. "I bet they are too focused on each other and wouldn't bother checking up their phone right now. Chitanda, if he comes home first, tell him about the news, okay?"

"Okay."

Sano gave a doubtful glance at Chitanda who gave a short affirmation while being busy on her phone.

"You better." Said, Sano with a dead tone.

Sano with a quick farewell with her Mother, exits the door and makes his way towards the Barangay Hall. But not even getting far from his home, a middle-aged woman and an elderly woman who are talking to each other sees Sano and calls out to him.

"Sano, is that you?"

"Tita Elna and Lola Tanya, good morning." Sano offered the two women a polite greeting followed by leaning his head forward into a bow.

"SK uniform... Ah, today is the first day of your term together with my Granddaughter." The elderly woman named Tanya spoke in such a calming voice. And then the middle-aged woman named Elna who's carrying a sweeping broom followed suit. "You look more handsome than usual with your uniform right, mama?"

"Indeed."

"Thank you very much." Sano thanked them with their flattering remarks without showing any embarrassment or other complexion in his face, which the Mother and Daughter, Tanya and Elna, find to be just him being Sano.

Sano rarely show his emotions or feelings with anyone or anything. He's not someone who'd have his eyes sparkle upon seeing something he likes, but once he says that he likes one thing, it means that he really like it. When he's being infuriated by something or if he feels that his patience is being pushed to the limit, instead of using violence, he just lets out a sigh and just shake it off.

Sano is not lazy or an emotionless kind of person. Rather, he is a person who sees being worked up or being violent a wasteful act. He prefers to deal with things calmly and with less effort. Especially if there is no reason for him to put his mind into something.

Sano's always been being praised and admired by his family, their neighbours and even his friends. It reached to the point that Sano realized, being shy and embarrassed about it is a wasteful facade, and so he learned to just reply to them with his gratitude everytime they show their admiration to him or praises him for what he did. That's the kind of person Sano is.

"Hey, Sano!"

Suddenly a voice of a young man calls out to Sano from behind him. He turns around to see the face of the man together with a crowd behind him.

"Gil, everyone..."

The crowd is actually Sano's Junior High classmates.

Out of a sudden, except for the woman standing beside the man who called up Sano, all the girls from the crowd went running towards the curly haired man.

Sano has been popular to his classmates or those in the same level as him ever since his first grade. Which is why suddenly being surrounded by people is nothing new to him. He is so used to it that he learned how to handle such situations in a calm manner.

"Sano, good morning!"

"Good morning, Sano! You look cool as usual."

"Oh, you're finally wearing an SK uniform. That means this is the first day of your term in the SK council."

"That uniform suits you really well."

"Let's go out and eat sometime soon, Sano."

Meanwhile in the background, Tanya and Elna are speaking to each other while looking at Sano and the girls.

"Kids are so energetic these days."

"Indeed."

Though he was being surrounded by the girls and their overlapping voices, Sano can clearly see the eyes of jealousy from the boys who got left behind there. But that doesn't matter, he needs to go to the Barangay Hall now. And so he pleads the girls to let him go.

"It's good to see you guys all together, but I must hurry and get to the Barangay Hall now. So if you'll excuse me."

"Aww..."

"I guess that can't be helped."

Though filled with disappointment, the girls surrounding Sano made a gap for him to get through. Using that chance to get away, he then approaches the man he called Gil.

Seeing the basketball in his hand, Sano knew exactly where they're going.

"Going for the covered court in Tierra Monte?" Sano questioned.

"Yeah!" Gil replied. "I thought of inviting you with us, but I guess you're going to be busy even during vacation."

"It seems so."

Then, the woman standing beside Gil, who seem to be his girlfriend spoke to Sano.

"Well, how did it go with you and Kyouka?" Said the girl to the curly haired man.

"Kyouka? What do you mean?"

The girl and Gil's expression went gloom after hearing Sano's reponse.

"Honestly... It would be really nice if you weren't as dense as a rock."

Sano can clearly see how crestfallen the girl was as she spoken those words.

"Well, we can't meddle between their relationship any further. They both have to make it work by themselves."

The other guys standing in the background agreed to what Gil said. After that, Gil and the others decided to continue making their way to the court.

"It looks like we're hanging you up too long. We'll go ahead to the covered court now."

Sano wordlessly nodded at Gil, and at last, the group finally turned back and went on their way to Tierra Monte. Sano did the same and begin walking towards the Barangay hall once again.

"I should have told Gil and everyone about the news this morning."

At this time of year in the Philippines, students that are in the same batch as Sano and below them tend to focus enjoying their first day of vacation by either staying at home and reading romcom books, playing video games, or simply going out with friends. That said, watching the TV and reading articles online are definitely not on their minds. And Sano knows it very well.

"But If I tell them now, it might ruin the atmosphere from the group suddenly making distances from each other. I'll just send Gilbert a message letter."

That being said, Sano turns his focus on the road.

The Barangay hall is not that far from Sadako residence, and so he can casually take his time doing a 9 minute stroll towards his destination.

From Kasoy street, Sano made a left turn and walked across the Bayabas street and then turning left to Atis street. From that road, he has a perfect view of the towering trees that are covering the ones that are being culled not far from the distance, and on the right are the houses built closely to one another and a broken part of the road that hasn't been fixed since so long. Seeing all this, Sano suddenly remembered Chitanda and the answer she gave to his request.

"That gaming fanatic... She better remember what I told her or I'll sneak up a virus app on her phone tonight."

Sano sighed, as though he let out his slight irritation from that. After reaching the end of Atis Street, he finds himself standing in the middle of the Langka Street. And then, at the sloping upward road on his right, where the AFP Housing Gym can be seen by panning his eyes on his left. He is dumbfounded by the abundance of people walking left and right.

"I figured that since Langka street is where the Market Area is located, a lot of people would be walking passed each other left and right. That is why I took the route from Atis street." Sano mumbled to himself. "At least half of these people should have heard the news and yet they gather around as if they don't care."

Seeing the ignorance of the people gossiping closely and walking passed the others, as if the day is like any normal day for them, Sano let out a sigh and continue his walk to the left.

"Well, whatever."

After taking a quick turn to the right which leads the opposite way from the AFP road, Sano finally reached his destination - The Barangay Hall.

The Barangay Hall doesn't look that extravagant, but the structure is built to fit a main lobby. A fire station, an office space for barangay tanods (barangay police officers) and health workers on the first floor.

The second floor is where the office of the Barangay Chairman, the head of the Barangay Council is located. As well as the briefing halls where Barangay Council meetings are being held. And our own little SK office as well.

And then there's the 2 floor building at the back of the hall where you can access it through the hallway from the main lobby.

The first floor is where two classrooms for below elementary level students, a small faculty room for the teachers and a kitchen room used for feeding programs can be located.

The second floor is a spacious multipurpose area where seminars and such are being held. Mostly, it is being used by students of ALS or Alternative Learning System and their teacher as it's classroom.

"I'm finally here, huh?"

Sano was about take a step up the stairs until a voice from atop the stairway stopped him from doing so.

"Ho? You're approaching me?" The young man spoke as he gave a menacing pose and glare at Sano. "Instead of staying down there, you chose to walk up the stairs and approach me?"

"Adrian? You're at it again."

Unfazed by the threatening words the man named Adrian spoke, Sano continues walking up the stairs until the two of them are standing on the same floor.

"When will you stop bringing up and improvising dead memes?"

"Dead or not, Dio memes are the best!"

"Whatever, the people are talking and looking at us because of you. Let's go to the SK office."

The guy who is spouting nonsense and making a scene in front of everyone, to the point that Sano wanted to get away and tell everyone they're not involved with each other is called Adrian Bajkal.

A pure russian descent but was raised in the Philippines, making him fluent to the Filipino language. He has a caramel-white short hair that streches out like flames and a pair of glowing pale-silver eyes, making his physical appearance stand out from Sano and everyone else who has a normal black hair color and eyes.

From the main lobby, Adrian leads the way to the second floor where the SK office is located. Before long, the two young gentlemen are standing in front of the SK office door.

"We're here."

Adrian then reached his right hand to the door. The sound of the door knob being turned can be heard by Sano and Adrian.

Adrian proceeds to open the door and the creaking sound of it echoed. The two finally entered the SK office, and there he sees the other members seemingly in a middle of a conversation but was stopped as Sano and Adrian entered the room.

"Welcome, SK Chairman. It's quite an unsual morning to see you being the last one to arrive."

A charming and angelic voice of a young woman welcomed Sano.

"Kyouka."