[JOW]
My head leaned back against the tiled floor of our clubroom, eyes fixated on the ceiling.
Clay walked over to me while Lyndon and Maryam were busy playing ‘SOS’ on the blackboard.
Seriously, this is supposed to be a Supernatural Club, yet no one’s doing anything remotely supernatural.
With a grin on her face, Clay plopped down beside me, holding out his phone.
“This is the answer to your question from the other day about the other girl in the photo,” he announced. I raised an eyebrow.
“Why did you ask about it, and now you're showing me?”
Her eyes sparkled like a star, too excited for her own good. “Because I’m curious too, and we’re partners in crime! We’ll solve this mystery together, bro. First step to finding the old curse-bringer!”
>Curse-bringer, huh.<
“Partners? Bro? Since when did that happen?” I scoffed.
She elbowed my face lightly.
>Barbaric bitch.<
“Stop whining. Just read it already!”
---
[Their Conversation – Messenger App]
Clay: Nov, are you busy? Can I ask something?
Nova: Not really. What is it?
Clay: Do you remember the photo from when we were kids?
Nova: Oh, the one where we found out we met before? Yeah. Why? Did you confirm Jow Ylliard Hayle has a bizarre ability too?
Clay: Yep. He can see red strings of fate.
Nova: Eww. That’s such a gross power.
Clay: Not only that—it blids him temporarily! Huhuhu... anyway, I just wanted to ask if you know the other girl in the photo?
Nova: Yup. She’s my classmate. Lean May Ronica Adolfo. But she’s been absent, still doing modules. She got hospitalized. Why do you ask?
Clay: That’s such a long name... I was just curious.
Nova: Hmm? You’re plotting something, aren’t you? Tell me!
Clay: Nooo I’m not!
---
I immediately smacked Clay’s head.
“What kind of conversation is that?” I complained, messing up his hair. She scooted away from me.
“You just want attention,” she grumbled while fixing his bangs.
Lean May Ronica Adolfo. So she was the one? What a twist...
“What’re you thinking?” Clay asked with a mock puppy-eyed expression.
“Gross,” I muttered. “Good thing Nova told you, though.”
She suddenly puffed up with pride. “Of course! We both want to break the curse we have. She’s like a detective. She’s been looking for the old man with a guitar from the picture. Can you believe she wants to use all her karate skills on that guy if she finds him? Also, did you know Nova’s a member of this club?”
What the f—?
“She really shouldn’t meet that old man.”
“Yeah. I think so too,” Clay agreed.
“And by the way…”
“By the way what?”
“Nova’s ability is kinda weird too.”
That piqued my curiosity again. I remembered what happened the other day.
“Clay... the other day I went with Nova to visit Lean May Ronica Adolfo’s place—she’s in our research group. But Nova wouldn’t let me go inside. She said the other end of my red thread was in that apartment. When she came back down, she touched my chest… then laughed in a way that made my whole body freeze.”
Clay slapped her forehead.
“There she goes again with her creepy agenda,” she groaned. “I bet she already knows who your destined soulmate is. I’m pretty sure she went somewhere else in that building too. You see, her power lets her learn a person’s soulmate’s full name when she touches their chest. It’s like the heart spells it out for her in a rhythm, like music. Nova is weird and creepy. If she’s smiling, either she’s up to something... or she knows something about you that you don’t.”
That damn karate woman!
---
[Clayrin Aisfine Ezz]
"Rin..."
I turned at the sound of my name.
>They’ve made so many nicknames for me. Can’t they just pick one?<
Through the noisy classroom full of gossip and laughter, Yvette, one of my closest classmates, waved at me with a smile, motioning me over.
“You’re the one who needs something, but I’m the one who has to walk over? Ugh...” I muttered.
I stood from my desk, pulled out one of my earpods, and paused the music on my phone.
“What’s up, Yvette?” I asked once I got to her.
She handed me an envelope.
>Another lust-soaked letter from a hormonal predator?<
“Who gave me this garbage?” I asked seriously.
“That’s from Miko, 12 STEM-B,” she said, raising her eyebrows multiple times.
“Rejected!” I declared, blowing a sharp breath from my nose.
I growled, then sat on her desk.
“Bring me someone like Meliodas!”
“Ew! You want a groper—"
I stuck out my tongue and messed up her hair.
“What are you doing?!” she whined while fixing it. “Don’t do that! What if I never get married now?”
“You’re so dramatic... Anyway, are you free last period? Ma’am’s not coming. Come to the clubroom with me.”
She laughed and grabbed my hand, massaging my palm.
“Sure. Got gossip, don’t you?”
I gave her a smug look and smiled wide.
“You look like the ‘It’ clown.”
I scowled. “I’m way cuter than Pennywise!”
“Yup, you are!”
“Right?”
“Sir’s taking so long. Looks like he’s absent.”
I stood and felt the call of nature.
“Let’s go to the restroom.”
Yvette joined without question. As we left, a few boys followed us out of the classroom.
“We’re here to protect our queen!” one of them said.
“Hey, you perverted pieces of trash! You want to touch some iron bars?!” Yvette screamed back.
I just slapped my forehead.
>He’s really different from the others...<
---
Two periods later, we had no class left for the day. Yvette and I headed to the supernatural clubroom.
I grinned and pulled out two packs of lemon squares from my bag.
“Wow! I didn’t know you were such a generous soul, Rin,” Yvette said, clapping.
I tore the wrapper, pulled out a square, and took a bite—only to cough immediately.
So sweet!
I squealed in delight.
Yvette took hers and joined in on the snack time.
“I never get tired of watching you eat sweets.”
I gave her a look. “Why do you talk like a poetic earth-flower boy?”
She laughed—and choked. I handed her the tumbler, and she quickly drank.
“Chew and swallow before talking, dummy,” I teased, giggling.
Once she calmed down, she sighed.
“Rin, how’s the club?”
I touched my lips with a finger. “It’s okay. Why?”
“No reason. Just... you suddenly dragged Maryam, Lyndon, and that weird karate girl Nova into this club ten months ago... Honestly, I was scared when you invited Nova. I thought she’d beat you up.”
“She wouldn’t. I know her. We’ve been classmates since 7th and 10th grade.”
“I know. Actually, we met in 10th grade too.”
“Yeah. You were so cold back then.”
She pouted. “Who wouldn’t be? I just went through a breakup, and you randomly tapped my shoulder and asked for money!”
“Sorry! I forgot my wallet back then,” I said, scratching my cheek.
Yvette chuckled and grabbed another lemon square. “If you hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have become friends.”
“See? It was fate! So don’t get mad if I borrow mone—”
“No way!” she laughed, cutting me off.
Our laughter filled the room when footsteps echoed outside the door. The sound got louder, closer.
“You’ve got a visitor. Might just be someone passing by another club,” Yvette said.
I nodded. Moments later, a shadow appeared by the door, followed by a figure stepping into view.
She raised a hand and greeted us with a warm, “Yoh!”
She looked calm and beautiful, her gentle smile bringing a strange sense of comfort.
“Ate Jovenyl!” I cried.
“I came to visit. Lucky you, you’re free!” she beamed.
I ran over and hugged her tightly.
“You look tired, ate,” I said.
Jovenyl chuckled. “I barely slept. I had another weird dream last night…”
Yvette raised an eyebrow. “Another one?”
Jovenyl nodded. “This time, it was about my ex… He was holding this sword coated in bright pink energy. He was slashing these creatures—spirits, I think.”
Yvette shuddered. “Creepy…”
Clay scoffed. “You sure it wasn’t just an anime you watched and forgot?”
Jovenyl pouted at her. “It felt real. His eyes were glowing… and he said something like, ‘I’ll end the cursed line tonight.’”
“Okay, that's just edgy,” Clay teased. “You’re too obsessed with supernatural stuff.”
“You’re one to talk,” Jovenyl shot back, poking her forehead. “You co-founded this club.”
We all laughed, and the room slowly filled with chatter, snacks, and stories.
Outside, the sun was slowly beginning to set.
And somehow, this clubroom—filled with oddballs and strange talk—felt like the most peaceful place in the world.
To be continued.