September 13 (Friday)
7:30 PM
The week had already completely drained the physical stamina of the BEEd 1-A cohort, but the digital frontier was still actively demanding their attention.
Throughout the night, Vice President Princess Cleria went into full administrative overdrive. She aggressively spammed the KSU TAYTAY BEED 1-A main group chat, repeatedly forwarding announcements for their upcoming ART 1 reporting activity tomorrow. Princess, along with her co-reporters Francine Cenia and Tiffany Diez, were assigned the topic: Artists and Artisans and their Medium. They had already dropped their Canva presentation file into the chat, but it was the inventory list that triggered the panic.
She announced that the class needed to bring specific crafting materials for a hands-on activity.
Princess Cleria: "Guys, please bring these needed materials tomorrow ah. Drawing materials: pencils, colored pencils, charcoal, pastels, sketch paper. Painting materials: watercolors, brushes, watercolor paper, acrylic paints, canvas paper. Collage materials: magazines, newspapers, glue, scissors, construction paper. Clay or playdough for simple sculpting... and use A4 bond paper."
The sheer volume of the requested loot caused an immediate, widespread confusion.
What the hell, Jiro deadpanned internally, staring at his screen. Are we opening a National Bookstore branch? It is almost 8 PM. Where are we supposed to buy clay and canvas paper right now?
Before the class could initiate a full-blown mutiny over the impossible, late-night fetch quest, Princess finally issued a critical clarification.
Princess Cleria: "Ay, guys, you just have to choose ONE medium and its materials ah. You don't need to bring everything!"
The massive sigh of relief was almost palpable through the screen.
The 29-year-old Lore Master, Reo Bairo, immediately stepped in to optimize the remaining requirements. She politely suggested that instead of hunting for specialized A4 paper in the dark, they should just use standard short bond paper to make it easier for everyone.
Watching the administrative back-and-forth, Jiro couldn't help but drop a quick, cynical jab in the chat, playfully insisting that Princess was being way too strict with her initial demands.
Meanwhile, in the quieter sanctuary of their inner circle group chat, a benched party member was trying to catch up on the day's lore.
COF - BEEd 1A
Cosma Ibana: "Uy, guys, what did you all do today? I was absent earlier ah."
Cosma was currently resting at home, still recovering from the minor injuries she and her partner, Sam, sustained during their motorcycle accident on the slippery Raging Road yesterday.
Cicille Masha quickly briefed her on the surviving timeline.
Cicille Masha: "Ay, beh, we had a quiz in MMW and then a recitation in self."
Cosma sent a sad reaction. The academic debt was quietly stacking up for her, but for now, she just needed to heal.
September 14 (Saturday)
4:52 AM
The Saturday Curse was back on track. It was time for another grueling reporting marathon.
But before the sun even fully crested the horizon, the digital editors were already awake. Both Mira Palida and Niewi Voeliè were actively grinding in the early morning darkness. Niewi dropped a Google Drive link into their group chat containing the customized background music and the specific choreographed steps they needed for their impending TABATA workout in PE 1 later that afternoon.
6:58 AM
Most of the BEEd 1-A students were already safely inside Room 406. The vibe was surprisingly relaxed; they were chilling, talking, and mentally preparing for the long haul.
At the exact same time, the FIL 1 / ART 1 BEEd 1-A 24-25 group chat buzzed with an official dispatch.
Mr. Jeypi Shono: "Good morning! I'll be around in 20-30 mins. Reporters should prepare the extension cord and ppt for the report."
Princess Cleria, who was already sitting on the second row, saw the message pop up. She immediately cleared her voice, executing her Vice Presidential duties.
"Oy, guys. Sir Jeypi messaged. He will be late ah," Princess announced loudly over the classroom chatter. Still seated, her eyes still on her phone, she added, "Uy, kindly get the extension cord and the remote downstairs na!"
Without a second thought, the Class Escort, Jesper Arufe, bolted from his seat. He rushed out of the room, sprinting down the stairs to surrender his SHS I.D., secure the electronics from the storage room, and wire up the Smart T.V. before the delayed professor could arrive.
The moment Jesper returned to Room 406, he immediately plugged in the extension cord and the Smart T.V. cord. Princess Cleria wasted no time connecting her phone to the screen via screencast, successfully establishing the visual link. While still sitting comfortably in her armchair, she loudly called out to her group members—Sayra Bresa, Jayter Celda, and Francine Cenia—ordering them to prepare their scripts before the professor arrived.
7:24 AM
Mr. Shono finally stepped into Room 406. He bypassed the empty teacher's table entirely, walking straight to the back of the room. He dragged an extra wooden armchair into position, set his laptop on the desk, and opened his Masterlist Excel sheet.
"Okay, so good morning everyone," Mr. Shono greeted from his tactical vantage point. "Uh, before we start our class reporting, kindly, uh, check the attendance first."
Since he was seated at the very back of the room, he decided to flip the usual academic script. He started the roll call from the bottom of the list.
"Sanata?" Mr. Shono called out, looking down at his screen.
Sitting in his usual spot in the second row, Jiro was completely deaf to the outside world. He was heavily focused on his phone screen, rapidly scrolling through feeds. He didn't hear his name at all.
Mr. Shono repeated himself, raising the volume. "Sanata."
Still no reaction from Jiro.
His seatmate, Princess Cleria, had enough. She reached over and tapped him sharply.
"Hoy, beh, are you deaf?" Princess scolded.
Jiro flinched, snapping back to reality. He let out a breathless, awkward laugh. "Ay, hahaha."
"Sanataaaa," Mr. Shono called out for the third time, drawing out the syllables.
Jiro quickly sat up straight. "Ay, present po, Sir."
"Ayy, you are not listening," Princess muttered beside him, shaking her head.
With the reversed attendance check finally cleared, the reporters for FIL 1 marched to the front of the room. They presented their topic: Estratehiya sa Pagpapahayag: Diskurso sa Iba't Ibang Sitwasyon (Speech Strategy: Discourse in Different Situations).
As the four members navigated the slides, Princess naturally took the lead, commanding the floor with her usual confident articulation. But she didn't just rely on raw information, she brought incentives.
To encourage participation, Princess had brought a pack of Choco Mallow Puffs to distribute to anyone who recited correctly.
Hearing the promise of free loot, Jiro's competitive instincts instantly activated. He felt like he was the only student in the room. He constantly raised his hand, aggressively dominating the recitation airspace just to secure as many Choco Mallows as possible.
He was practically farming the sweets.
Princess stared at him from the front, clearly exasperated by his monopoly on the recitations.
"You again?" Princess groaned, waving him off. "Don't answer again, Jiro."
She deliberately ignored his raised hand and began calling on the other active students—Cristel Basha, Anila Bakuda, Mekayla Sano, Gracie Masado, Jesper Arufe, and Aprille Bolente—instead.
Jiro just leaned back in his chair, a highly satisfied smirk on his face.
After their report concluded, the group administered a short quiz, followed by an activity requiring the class to draft an essay discourse on their yellow pads.
The FIL 1 session officially ended at 8:52 AM.
"Alright," Mr. Shono announced from the back. "Take a short break for ten minutes."
The tension in the room dissipated instantly. Some students opted to stay in their chairs to rest, while the majority filtered out and headed downstairs to the cafeteria to grab quick snacks.
Jiro was perfectly content to stay in his spot. He didn't want to burn any unnecessary energy.
But then, Mr. Shono stood up and walked down the aisle, stopping right next to Jiro's desk.
"Uh, Jiro," Mr. Shono said casually, holding out a crumpled bill. "Buy me a 3-in-1 coffee and a hotdog sandwich with ketchup at the cafeteria."
Jiro stared at the cash in the professor's hand. He was completely shocked and a bit irritated by the sudden, highly specific errand. A side quest directly from the professor? He couldn't decline.
"Okay po, Sir," Jiro noted politely, accepting the money.
He stood up, abandoning his planned resting period, and dragged himself out of the room.
He navigated the stairs and reached the cafeteria. He bypassed the usual food lines and walked straight to the small shelf displaying packets of coffee and hot cocoa powder. He grabbed a single 3-in-1 coffee sachet, a disposable paper cup, and a red-and-white plastic stirrer.
He approached the main counter.
"One hotdog with ketchup po," Jiro ordered, placing the coffee items on the counter along with Mr. Shono's P50 bill.
"That's twenty for the coffee, and twenty for the hotdog," the staff tallied, handing Jiro a P10 coin as change.
Jiro secured the items and borrowed a pair of scissors from the counter. He snipped open the coffee sachet, dumped the powder into the paper cup, and walked over to the communal water dispenser.
He stared at the red nozzle, remembering his lukewarm, barely-cooked instant noodle tragedy from previous weeks. Please let it be hot this time.
He pressed the lever. The water steamed. It was working perfectly.
He stirred the coffee until the powder was fully dissolved, balancing the hot paper cup in one hand and the wrapped hotdog sandwich in the other.
As he carefully walked back down the ground floor hallway, trying not to spill the hot liquid, a familiar group approached him from the opposite direction. Lindsey Soliko, Jachie Marello, and Jesper Arufe were heading toward the cafeteria for their own break.
Lindsey's eyes locked onto Jiro's hands.
"Ay wow, Jiro," Lindsey laughed, eyeing the food. "Give me hahaha."
Jiro shook his head, holding the items out of reach. "Man, that's Sir's."
The trio burst into laughter at his miserable courier status, continuing their walk to the cafeteria while Jiro carefully navigated the stairs to return to Room 406.
As Jiro finally re-entered Room 406, he handed the hot coffee, the hotdog sandwich, and the exact P10 change to Mr. Shono.
"Thank you," Mr. Shono muttered, accepting the items.
With his forced courier duty concluded, Jiro returned to his seat as the short break stretched on.
At 9:14 AM, the break was officially over. Mr. Shono immediately messaged the FIL 1 / ART 1 BEEd 1-A 24-25 group chat.
Mr. Jeypi Shono: "Let's start."
It was a direct ping for all the wanderers still lingering downstairs. Slowly, the remaining students filed back into Room 406, filling the empty armchairs.
With the class reassembled, Princess Cleria, Francine Cenia, and Tiffany Diez lined up at the front of the room to present their ART 1 topic: Artists and Artisans and their Medium.
The presentation flowed smoothly, though it wasn't entirely immune to formatting glitches. Typos like "Tempra" instead of "Tempera" flashed on the screen. The real challenge, however, came during the post-report interrogation.
Mr. Shono wasn't entirely satisfied. He felt the report was missing crucial context.
"I feel like you are lacking some information regarding your report," Mr. Shono pointed out, requesting a deeper breakdown of the specific mediums artists and artisans use.
Princess didn't panic. Even though her phone was still actively screencasting to the Smart T.V. for the entire class to see, she smoothly opened an AI application. She directly prompted Mr. Shono's exact query into the text bar: Artists and artisans work with mediums.
The whole class watched the Smart T.V. screen as the AI rapidly generated the answer in real-time. The digital assistant effortlessly listed twelve distinct mediums, ranging from Painting to Mixed Media, successfully covering all the gaps the reporters had missed.
With the technological assist successfully deployed, the group administered their quiz, followed by the main artistic activity: drawing or creating any art piece depending on their chosen medium.
The sweaty shade began. While the rest of the class enthusiastically broke out their paints, oil pastels, and colored pencils, Jiro fully committed to his Energy Conservation philosophy.
Maximum efficiency, Jiro thought, keeping his desk clean. He opted for a simple, uncolored graphite sketch. No messy paints. No intricate blending. Just raw lines.
The ART 1 session officially ended around 12:17 PM.
With the morning marathon cleared, the class transitioned into their lunch break. The dynamic of the room shifted immediately.
The Island Trio—Princess Cleria, Aprille Bolente, and Windy Viyago—grabbed their bags and headed straight for the girls' restroom. They needed to execute a mandatory costume change, swapping their uneven KSU COE blue uniforms for plain white shirts, KSU PE blue pants, and their rubber shoes in preparation for the afternoon session.
Most of the other students were already comfortably dressed in their white shirts and PE pants. Jiro, sitting quietly at his desk, was wearing a plain white shirt paired with his old high school PE track pants. Budget mechanics.
Jiro and his inner circle—Niewi, Cicille, Mira, Ivyn, Cosma, and Mona—decided to eat their packed lunches inside Room 406 to avoid the cafeteria rush.
By 1:05 PM, they were done eating. Group Beta had officially clocked in for their sweeping duties, kicking up dust in the classroom.
To escape the cleaning operation, Jiro packed up his things and headed downstairs to the gymnasium. The rest of his COF followed shortly after.
They arrived at the open-air court. They were incredibly early for their scheduled PE 1 class, so the girls immediately found ways to kill the idle time.
They initiated a photoshoot right on the gymnasium stage. They struck poses, took endless group selfies, and laughed loudly while Jiro just sat quietly on a stray monobloc chair about four meters away, staring blankly at their high-energy antics.
Once the photo session concluded, the squad shifted gears. It was time for a dry run.
Mira pulled out a small, pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker and set her phone down, pulling up the reference video for their assigned choreography.
They had to perform a grueling routine: 16 specific TABATA steps, completely synchronized, and it had to last at least 8 minutes.
TWIST + LEG LIFT
CRISS CROSS JUMPS
OVERHEAD SQUAT + KNEE TAP
BUTT KICKS
SIDE SQUATS
KNEES UPS
JUMPING JACK + PUNCH
LEFT CRUNCH
RIGHT CRUNCH
KNEES UP
TWIST + LEG LIFT
LUNGE + CRUNCH
REACH UP + DOWNROPE JUMP KICKS
HEELS
ARMS UP + KNEE TAP
They spread out on the concrete floor, trying to mirror the fast-paced movements on the tiny screen while the music played from Mira's speaker.
Since they were practicing right next to a movable blackboard that had been dragged out for the PE classes, Cosma grabbed a piece of stray chalk. She quickly scribbled down the entire list of 16 steps right onto the blackboard so they wouldn't have to keep checking the phone.
Niewi and Mira looked at the board, then at each other, and burst into laughter.
"Huy, maybe Sir Casto will disqualify us if he sees that," Niewi giggled, realizing it looked exactly like a massive cheat sheet.
Jiro, watching from his monobloc chair, just smirked.
"I like that, hahaha," Jiro agreed lazily. "But still, we will forget it anyway."
Cosma laughed, grabbing an eraser and partially wiping the board down. The words were smudged, but if you squinted hard enough, the sequence was still perfectly visible. Stealth mechanics applied.
Around 1:57 PM, the rest of the BEEd 1-A cohort began migrating down to the gymnasium. They grabbed scattered monobloc chairs, arranging them into messy rows, dropping their heavy bags, and settling in.
Jiro's group was still in the middle of their sweaty practice run.
As the other students walked past, they couldn't help but notice the quiet strategist actually moving.
"Ay, ay, ay, wow, Jiro's got some serious moves!" Cristel Basha cheered teasingly from the sidelines.
A few moments later, Gracie Masado walked past. She stopped, raising an eyebrow with widened eyes as she watched him attempt a lunge crunch.
She playfully tapped his arm. "Uy! That's enough!" Gracie laughed, throwing up a peace sign. "Hahaha, just kidding!"
Jiro just stopped his routine and stared at them, his face dropping back into his signature deadpan expression.
What the hell is wrong with them, Jiro's internal monologue grumbled. I am barely doing anything. I didn't even synchronize this very well.
At 2:13 PM, the chill mentor finally arrived.
Mr. Casto strolled into the gymnasium, carrying a much larger, heavy-duty Bluetooth speaker. He set it down near the front and surveyed the exhausted, sweaty freshmen.
"Oh, are you all ready?" Mr. Casto joked, a wide grin on his face. "Hahahaha..."
The class laughed along, though the collective sound was laced with a very real underlying terror.
Aprille Bolente, ever the comedian, shouted back from the crowd. "Finally, Sir, diet time! Hahahaha!"
Half the class burst into laughter, completely breaking the tension before the physical torture even officially started.
Mr. Casto smiled, turning on his speaker. "Alright, get ready ah."
He pulled out the stack of 1/4 yellow papers containing the names of all the group members. He shuffled them like a deck of cards.
"Okay, first group to perform..." Mr. Casto announced, pulling a slip.
It was Brittany Bausta's group.
Brittany, Jiyah Guil, Anila Bakuda, Deanne Parina, Jerline Rama, Sherline Reyna, and Alpha Agane stepped up to the center of the court. The music blasted from the heavy-duty speaker, and the 8-minute TABATA marathon officially commenced.
As they were already performing, some of the cohort cheered them on.
"Go Deanne!! Go Brittany!!" voices echoed from the sidelines while they laughed along with the frantic movements.
Meanwhile, back in the seated rows, Sayra Bresa and the currently performing Sherline Reyna were feeling something terribly wrong in their stomachs. It was the creeping, undeniable consequence of eating something highly questionable from the cafeteria meals. The biological reality was starting to hit them.
The marathon continued. It was followed by Cristel Basha's group, and then Jesper Arufe's group. Finally, Mira Palida's group took the floor, and lastly, Reo Bairo's group wrapped up the physical exertion.
After the cheerful, funny, and thoroughly exhausting performances concluded, Mr. Casto stood at the front with the five 1/4 yellow papers in hand.
"Alright, guys, ah," Mr. Casto announced, looking down at the slips. "So for Bausta, they got 94! So for Basha, they got 96. For Arufe, they got 97. For Palida, they got 96. And lastly, for Bairo, they got 98!"
A round of applause echoed through the gym as the groups absorbed their grades.
After announcing the scores, Mr. Casto looked around the scattered rows. "Who is absent today?"
Reo Bairo raised her hand. "Hidy Medona is the only absentee today po, Sir."
"Why?" Mr. Casto asked.
"She is sick, Sir eh," Reo explained. "Overworked."
Mr. Casto nodded understandingly. "Oh, she has to rest. Anyway, she will perform here alone next time, we will watch her."
Reo noted the requirement with a small smile.
Then, Mr. Casto paused, looking directly at the students. "Did Hidy also get food poisoned? Because during today and yesterday, I encountered many students who got sick from cafeteria food eh."
Reo Bairo just nodded undecidedly, as it was completely unclear if Hidy had also fallen victim to the same gastrointestinal trap taking out the other students.
Around 3:56 PM, Mr. Casto clapped his hands.
"Alright guys, and that's it for today ah hahahaha," he announced with his signature laid-back grin. "Class dismiss!"
In an instant, the BEEd 1-A cohort stood up, stacked their monobloc chairs back into neat rows, and grabbed their bags to head home.
5:20 PM
The sky above Taytay to Binangonan further darkened, and it rained heavily. The sudden downpour completely altered the logistics of the afternoon commute, putting the Island Trio in a highly dangerous maneuver as they waited for their passenger boat still docked at the main port.
8:27 PM
Binangonan, Hidy's House
The rain was still tapping against the windows of Hidy's room. She was lying in bed, resting and trying to recover her drained stamina while holding her phone, casually scrolling through short video feeds.
Suddenly, a chat head popped up. Her phone pinged. The BEEd 1-A cohort was checking in on their fallen Commander.
Reo Bairo: "Hello @Hidy Medona, how are you? We miss you 🫶"
Lindsey Soliko: "You didn't see our zumba dance earlier hahaha"
Reo Bairo: "Yeah hehehe. But that's okay, get well soon, we will watch your solo PE performance, we are your audience 🥺"
Hidy read the messages, a small smile appearing on her tired face. She dropped heart reactions on their messages and began to type.
At 8:31 PM, she finally replied.
Hidy Medona: "Aww hi ate Reo, I miss u too po. Sorry po, I wasn't really planning to be absent as much as possible, I also don't want to get confined hehe. My body just couldn't really cope with the workloads and responsibilities that I still wanted to finish po eh."
Alpha Agane: "Get well soon po pres!"
Reo Bairo: "Don't overwork yourself too much ah. If you need any help, don't be shy to ask us 😘😘."
Hidy went on to explain her responsibilities, admitting that she was hardheaded when it came to leaving tasks unfinished. She was worried that she couldn't properly update or watch over the cohort for their other requirements.
Then, she realized the terrifying implication of Reo's earlier message.
Hidy Medona: "Ahahaha, is that solo workout really true?"
Reo Bairo: "Yes, it is true ah."
The cohort was visibly excited to witness Hidy's impending solo TABATA performance.
Later in the conversation, Reo shifted the topic back to the biological hazard that had plagued the campus. She brought up the suspected food poisoning, noting that Mr. Casto had mentioned several students getting sick from the cafeteria food earlier. She even pointed out that Niewi Voeliè had been food poisoned back in August.
Even Hidy couldn't resist dropping a cynical observation about the institution's dining options.
Hidy Medona: "Will I get called to the guidance office if someone snitches on my chat that I feel like they just keep reheating the viands there hahaha"
Reo continued, revealing the casualties from the afternoon session. Both Sherline Reyna and Sayra Bresa had gotten sick from the cafeteria food during their performances. Reo openly wondered if the meals were even being cooked properly anymore.
Hidy joked that the siomai there was getting smaller and wrinkled from being reheated too many times.
Amidst the food poisoning conspiracy theories, the FEC Class Representative dropped a highly critical piece of social protocol.
Deanne Parina: "Guys, @everyone, earlier the BSN Dean, she doesn't want to be ignored ah, so every time you cross paths with her, just greet her hihi. I don't know how to say it but just greet her as a sign of respect because you'll really hear something from her 😅"
It was a direct continuation of the absurdity from the previous day, when Jiro, Niewi, and Mira had been unexpectedly interrogated by the exact same Dean while buying lunch.
The Class Treasurer immediately admitted her own vulnerability to the social trap.
Lindsey Soliko: "I don't even know who the BSN Dean is eh hahaha."
The conversation remained light, filled with laughter and jokes acting as their primary coping mechanism. But deep down, beneath the digital camaraderie, a heavy, unspoken dread was settling over the entire cohort.
They were laughing now, but none of them were truly ready for the impending reality of their Prelim examinations scheduled for Monday, September 16.
END OF THE SWEATY SHADE