Lhisa looked back at her. The girl showed her white even teeth. Her round eyes were looking brightly at her.

Jhenie knew how excited Lhisa was. They had never been this excited before. This was a dream come true for both of them.

Jhenie looked at the building in front of her. It was really huge. When she saw the picture of the gakuen, she was already amazed by its façade. The huge towers which were used for stargazing by the astronomy club instantly took her attention. It was not every time when a Filipina student could see something as interesting as that.

The garden which was covering the grounds were full of students. Several groups were seen here and there. Some were on the picnic grounds, under the trees, around white brick tables and on the benches.

“This is beyond my dream when I signed that application form.” Lhisa exclaimed.

“Me neither. That post card says little about this school.” Jhenie commented shaking her head to wake up her senses. She felt numb which was probably caused by two things, nervousness and excitement.

Lhisa straightened her short black skirt and held her hand. “Ikku,” she said.

Jhenie nodded. “Hai.”

“I feel like were Japanese already.” Lhisa commented excitedly.

“Shut up.”

THE two of them stopped in front a huge brown wooden door that led towards the office of the school’s dean.

They smiled at each other. Jhenie fixed the bun in her hair, and tucked the stray strands behind her ears.

Jhenie slapped her cheeks lightly to make sure that her soft blush was still intact. “Look at me.” She commanded Jhenie. “Blush on?” she asked.

“Check.”

“Hair?”

“Still curly on the ends.”

“Lipstick?”

“Pink.”

“Uniform?” Lhisa asked pointing at her uniform.

“Ironed?”

“Eh?”

Jhenie smiled. “You look perfect as ever.”

Lhisa sighed in contentment before fixing the collar of Jhenie’s uniform. “Let’s go.” She said.

Jhenie nodded.

Lhisa knocked three times before they heard somebody said that they could come in.

Jhenie turned the knob and opened it wide. They were greeted by a clean, well-lighted room. There were book shelves on one of the walls. A large wooden table was neatly placed beside one of the walls facing the shelves. In front of the table were couches placed facing each other.

They were greeted by a smiling face of a woman in her early 50s. She seemed strict yet kind.

“Welcome to Sanshimonizumu Gakuen.” The woman greeted them.

They bowed down to the lady.

The woman smiled at them. “Ah, for foreign exchange students, you pretty well know the Japanese culture.” She commented. “By the way, I am the principal of the school. Please call me Mistress Mariko Kayama.

They bowed lightly again. “Hai.”

“Well, I saw your credentials and I am expecting a lot from you. Gambatte ne.”

The two smiled back.

“Arigatou gouzaimasu.” The two of them said together.

The woman took some papers from her table. “Here are your schedule. You will be able to see your respective rooms on your schedule.”

“Arigatou.” It was Lhisa who answered.

“You may proceed now.” The principal said showing them to the door.

The girls bowed again and went out of the door.

When they were already out of ear shot, they looked at each other with eyes wide open. They hugged each other and stifle their shriek.

“Totoo na ito!” Jhenie exclaimed.

“Right. This is it, this is really is it.” Lhisa nodded.

Jhenie’s heart was beating wildly in her chest.

They walked towards their classroom which was located in the third floor. They learned that each floor was composed of each level so students would not get lost.

WHEN Lhisa was about to open the door to their room, it instantly opened. A guy stepped out. He looked at them. His round to chinky eyes studied them. He had thick lashes, small face, very fair complexion and small lips.

The guy was not so tall but he had an intimidating air to him. He was staring at them as if he could see at their soul. When his eyes stopped at their face, the guy smiled sweetly making his eyes stand out.

Both girls’ jaws dropped.

“Are you the exchange students?” he asked.

The girls were taken aback by the realization that there were people who actually know that they were coming. The girls didn’t know what to say or do. They were shocked.

“You’re both cute.” The small guy commented and walked closer to them. “Take care of yourself here. The students might devour you whole.” He said.

The girls’ eyes opened wide. Jhenie felt like air left her lungs. She could guess that her face might look pale because of the fact that together with air leaving her lungs, her blood stopped pumping in her veins.

That was then, they heard the guy laughed. “Jokes!” he was smiling at them and making a v-shape with his fingers. “But then I’m not joking when I said you are both cute. Though, that one is prettier.” He said pointing at Lhisa.

Lhisa bowed and smiled.

Jhenie smiled. The guy was somewhat tactless but she was used to it. Lhisa was really always pretty and Lhisa knew how to take care of herself well. She, on the other hand, always thought that she already abandoned her femininity.

“Eh, Chinen-kun, that was a pretty wrong thing to say.” Another guy commented. He was taller by some inches on the guy named Chinen. He had strong, manly jaws though he looked so cute. He looked serious as he said those words though he didn’t look angry at all.

“Watashiwa Arioka Daiki, hajimemae.” He introduced himself. He put his arms around the guy named Chinen. “Kore wa Chinen Yuri desu.”

Lhisa swept in front of Jhenie. “Watashiwa Lhisa desu. Yoroshikou onegaishimasu.” Lhisa took Jhenie on the arms, “Kore wa Jhenie desu. Senpou watashi tomodachi desu.”

“Hajimemae.” Daiki said and extended his hand to shook Jhenie and Lhisa’s hands.

“Ah sensei, ohayou.” It was Chinen Yuri who saw their teacher first. “We have a new classmate,” he announced eagerly.

The girls turned around to see a stern looking woman on her middle 20s. The lady was not even smiling at them. “Irrashaimase.” The teacher said though she didn’t look welcoming at all. “I’ll be your teacher in history.” She announced. “Follow me.” She commanded while looking bored at the same time.

The teacher then looked at the two boys and smiled. “Please take your seat now, Arioka-kun, Chinen-kun.” She said sweetly.

Jhenie’s eyebrows shut up. She didn’t like the lady at all.

“You have new classmates,” their teacher announced in class.

Jhenie looked at her new classmates. There were about 25 of them including those they met earlier.

She smiled at herself. They were composed of all kinds of individual. It was just almost like in their private school in the Philippines. They were just the same. Stern looking guys, the nerds, the socialites, the social butterflies, the es, the good looking ones, the smart looking guys, the proud, the level headed, the wall flowers… all of them, they were in the classrooms.

For so many years, Jhenie had learn to look at the people around her, learned to study them especially when they don’t see her. She was one of the wall flowers after all. Nobody notices her, she doesn’t care though. She was far happy and in peace that way.

“Watashiwa Lhisa desu. Yoroshiku.” Jhenie heard Lhisa introduced herself. Her friend bowed to the class.

“Kawaii.” She heard some of the boys commented. She smiled at herself. Lhisa was really charming.

“Watashiwa Jhenie desu. Yoroshiku” She introduced herself shyly and bowed to the class.

“Ah.” She heard her classmates say. She smiled. She was used to that treatment even when they were still in the Philippines.

“They are the new exchange students so be good to them.” Their teacher commented nicely though she didn’t look that way. “Go ahead, look for empty seats.” She said afterward.

A guy in front shoved a chubby wallflower from her seat thus she stumbled. “This one is free.” The guy told Lhisa.

Jhenie looked at the guy and frowned. The guy was pretty handsome but he looked so full of himself.

Lhisa smiled at the guy but she didn’t take the seat and moved towards the back of the class. The wallflower regained her poise and sat on her chair before glaring at the guy.

Jhenie shook her head, definitely a narcissus.

Lhisa saw an empty chair on the seat beside the guy, Daiki whom they met earlier. Beside her was a tall guy. He was as handsome as the first two that they met, earlier though he seemed nicer.

Lhisa and Jhenie looked around. Lhisa pointed at the empty chair near the window. Jhenie nodded and proceeded there. When she was about to sit down, a guy sat at it and stared outside the window. He was late and just arrived.

Jhenie was so shocked that she wasn’t able to say something.

“Yamada-kun is really cool.” She heard a girl in front of her whisper to another girl.

Jhenie stared at the guy. She marked him. He was one of those guys that she didn’t like to get acquainted with.

“Ryo-kun, a transferee was supposed to sit there.” The tall, nice guy commented.

The Yamada guy looked at Jhenie. He stared at her from head to toe as if sizing her up. After a while, he went back to staring in space. Jhenie got annoyed.

“Oy, haven’t you found a seat. We are about to start the class now.” The teacher commented.

Jhenie looked up and bowed. “Sumimasen.” She looked at Lhisa who looked back at her looking sorry.

Jhenie saw an empty seat beside the door at the back. She went there and sat down. She looked around and caught a guy looking at her. She looked back at him. He smiled in full braces and waved a little. Jhenie smiled awkwardly. ‘A nerd’, her brains concluded immediately.