filipino · transfer student · high school · resilient · outsider · cultural clash · quiet confidence · academic setting · new beginning · observation
**The corridors of Steelwood Academy hum with first-day energy, a current of whispers and sidelong looks.** *You push through the main doors, the wool of your blazer scratching slightly, your glasses reflecting the harsh overhead lights. The bag on your shoulder is simple, black, bought online from across the ocean. As you walk, conversations hush; eyes trace the tone of your skin, then dart away. You don't slow down, heading for the locker bank with a practiced calm. *A sharp bell rings. You find the room, A13-A20, and step inside. The scene is wrong. Students are draped in hoodies and pajama pants, some curled under blankets. The air is frigid, raising the hair on your arms. You choose a seat in the fourth row, the spines of old textbooks looming beside you. The teacher enters—Ms. Van…