His Caged Heart [REVAMP]

Prologue: Verne

🎼
I can't figure you out at all.
For my heart to be stolen
without me even realizing—
I hadn't expected such a thing.

Because I can't figure you out at all.
Without even realizing,
the one who was trying
to steal your heart
was me all along.

—Melancholic, feat. Kagamine Rin

IT WAS FREEZING. But it wasn't the weather that made my blood run cold. It was because of the papers pasted on the bulletin board in front of me. Columns upon columns of names imprinted there displayed the ranks of enrollees who passed the entrance exam of the prestigious Ried University. Naroroon ang pangalan ko sa kaliwang bahagi ng board kung saan makikita ang mga top scorers. As grateful as I am to have landed on one of the top places, hindi ko parin maiwasan na mapa-kunot-noo.Tila ba'y tumagos ang lamig at namuo sa tiyan ko kahit na nakasuot ako ng overcoat na pinapatungan ang iilang layer ng damit. At kung hindi lang dahil sa gloves ko ngayon, siguro kanina pa bumaon sa balat ko ang aking mga kuko dahil sa mahigpit na pagkaka-kuyom ng mga kamao ko.

My name rested on second place, under a name that did not have any business being above mine. Unang beses itong nangyari at ilang minuto na akong nakatayo dito, hindi parin makapaniwala sa katotohanang naka-paskil sa harapan ko.

I was never second place for the rank of first had always been my throne.

Huminga ako ng malalim. Puffs of white escaped as I exhaled. I tore my gaze off my own name. Kung pwede lang sana na maglakad 'yang pangalan ko at palitan yung nasa taas, ngunit alam ko na kahit anong tingin pa ang ipukol ko diyan ay hindi naman magbabago ang resulta.

Siguro ay naging pabaya ako sa cram school nang hindi ko nalalaman. Siguro ay masyado akong naging kampante dahil palagi akong nasa itaas at hindi man lang inisip na isang araw ay malalamangan ako. Siguro ay magaling lang talaga itong taong 'to at nahigitan niya ang score ko. That must be it. How careless of me.

...

Bullshit. Now is not the time for excuses, Verne. I should be at least on the lookout for the one who managed to beat me in my own game. Muli kong tiningnan ang board, checking the name that was casually sitting at the very top. Printed slightly larger than the rest of the names listed, it read:

Leontiy Rowska.

That name gave me the impression of a powerful and charismatic man. I can only hope that my first impression was correct, otherwise hindi ko talaga matatanggap kung nalamangan ako ng isang tao na hindi man lang umabot sa standards at expectations ko.

I reached for my phone and opened it. The screen lit up and greeted me of the current date and time. Friday. In three days, I would meet him. Malaking posibilidad na magka-klase kami dahil sa ranks namin. I have no idea what he's taking but our paths would inevitably cross in one way or another. And I will judge him the moment we do.

My father will not be pleased once he hears of the news, pero siguro naman ay iko-consider niya ang pagkakamaling ito once na makilala ko ang taong haharapin ko sa buong college life ko. He wont be lenient, and I'm not expecting him to be, but I know that I will have to do my absolute best to crush this person who took the high seat away from me.

The time read eight forty-seven in the morning, reminding me that I have someplace to be in the next few minutes. Ibinulsa ko na ang phone ko at tiningnan ang paligid.

Few students huddled here and there, wrapped in their thick jackets and long coats. Lahat sila ay tinitingnan ang kanang bahagi ng board. Ang ilan ay masayang makita ang mga pangalan nila, kontento na makapasa man lang kahit papaano. Others looked as pale as the gray skies above, halatang hindi nahanap ang kanilang pangalan.

I shook my head, turning the other way. Paalis na sana ako nang may napansin akong isa pang estudyante na tini-titigan ang kaliwang bahagi ng board kagaya ng ginagawa ko kanina. It was a rare sight since kaming dalawa lang ang naririto sa left side habang ang karamihan ay nasa kabilang dako.

He was significantly shorter than me. He had this wavy brown hair, streaks of copper and black mixed into the messy strands. Ang gulo ng buhok niya na tila ba ay pinugaran ng manok. Despite the cold, nakasuot lamang siya ng isang malaking itim na T-shirt at pantalon. I couldn't see his face since his back was to me, although, a part of me wondered if this person was Leontiy Rowska, but I stopped myself. Mukhang imposible naman yata 'yon. This guy looked like a scholar who managed to score high. Siguro kasama lang sa unang listahan.

Pero aaminin ko, there was something about this person that exuded confidence, a charismatic air that hovered upon his relaxed and slouched posture. Interesting.

Napa-iling ako. Bakit nga ba ako nang-huhusga? I'll meet the man soon anyway, there's no need to rush and try to find who he could be. Ugh, that man is really making me lose it and I haven't even met him yet.

Naglakad na ako palayo bago ko pa man kilatisin ang bawat isang estudyante na tumitingin sa board.

🗝️🗝️🗝️
Votes and comments are highly appreciated, thank you for reading!
—Luuc