September 20 (Friday)
8:19 PM
The BEEd 1-A cohort was left completely speechless following the sudden, inexplicable departure of their lovable, chill PE 1 instructor, Mr. Edwardo Casto. The Commander, Hidy Medona, had attempted to message him directly to clarify the situation, but the response she received remained absolute. It was heavily implied that Mr. Casto's hands were tied. He had been officially removed from the entire COE department's roster, leaving him exclusively assigned to the CON department.
The realization that they were now navigating an empty, ghosted time block hit the class hard. Hidy immediately took her frustration to the main group chat.
Hidy Medona: "K… fine, I will drop out in pathfit."
She immediately slapped a laugh reaction onto her own message. It was a clear, sarcastic coping mechanism, a desperate attempt to laugh off the sheer absurdity of losing a professor right before the weekend.
Her fellow Binangonan pal, Gracie Masado, quickly replied, matching the Commander's light sarcasm.
Gracie Masado: "Go, support."
But the academic reality was still pressing. Just a moment later, Gracie sent a follow-up inquiry to the class, trying to map out the logistics for their impending Saturday.
Gracie Masado: "Would there already be a new prof tom?"
She didn't get an immediate reply. The digital clock ticked forward for ten silent minutes before someone finally acknowledged the query. The Class Treasurer, Lindsey Soliko, stepped up, highly confident in her own prediction as it was deemed the most realistic outcome within their erratic institution.
Lindsey Soliko: "There's still none."
But the confirmation of a ghosted schedule wasn't a tragedy for everyone. A random, highly justifiable joke dropped from the air as the Talim Island commuter, Aprille Bolente, began to celebrate a massive logistical win for their haunted Saturday afternoon PE block.
Aprille Bolente: "So… we can go home early."
Lindsey immediately engaged with Aprille's message, completely ignoring the academic crisis and opting to fill the tense group chat ambiance with a literal party instead.
Lindsey Soliko: "Let's samgyup Aprille. My budget is our class fund."
The two digital sneakers of the class, Cosma Ibana and the FEC Representative, Deanne Parina, were silently enjoying the free entertainment, dropping laugh reactions on Lindsey's corrupt treasurer joke.
Though, Deanne finally decided to engage in the conversation, replying to Gracie's earlier comment about supporting Hidy dropping the subject.
Deanne Parina: "It feels like she can do it noh 👀👀"
Shortly after, Lindsey dropped a random but highly critical question into the chat. However, it was immediately buried by Deanne's sudden follow-up message, as they both hit send at the exact same millisecond.
Lindsey Soliko: "So uniform us tom??"
Deanne Parina: "Right @Hidy Medona"
The overlapping messages created a massive communication pile-up. The poor Commander couldn't process the two entirely different contexts at once, leaving her as the most confused class president on the server.
Hidy Medona: "Ha, what wait."
Both Deanne and Hidy slapped laugh reactions on the confused message, amused by the digital traffic jam.
And accidentally, Lindsey's buried question about the uniform prompted the Apex Strategist to finally take the stage, breaking his stealth maneuver in the group chat.
Jiro Sanata: "Maybe we will just go with white shirt and pants, since we already told the COE Dean before that every Sat we are not in uniform."
His former circle member, Cosma Ibana, instantly supported Jiro's logical deduction, dropping a white heart reaction on his message before typing out her agreement.
Cosma Ibana: "Yeah. True. Just white shirts and pants."
But the parameters were still painfully unclear for the rest of the cohort. Did it mean PE pants? A complete wash day attire consisting of a plain white shirt and normal pants? Or their official KSU COE blue uniforms? Aprille even openly admitted that she hadn't washed her uniform yet, banking entirely on the Saturday exemption.
Finally, Hidy closed the loop. She clarified that the institution had released absolutely no official statement regarding Mr. Casto's removal as their PE professor. Administratively, the class still existed. Therefore, it was still strictly valid to wear their PE pants and white shirts to avoid any uniform violations.
With the clothing logistics resolved, Gracie was back with a completely different, highly concerning agenda. She wondered out loud if their morning professor, Mr. Jeypi Shono, was a severe threat during examinations.
Gracie Masado: "Is Sir Jeypi really strict? Too lazy to review eh."
Jiro read the message and smirked. It was evident that Gracie, despite being one of the smartest and most competitive students in BEEd 1-A, had also acquired the Energy Conservation mindset.
Her question triggered a wave of anxiety across the cohort. More students chimed in, highly confused and desperately trying to verify if the four specific topics they had reported on in FIL 1 and ART 1 would actually appear in the preliminary exams tomorrow, or if the test would cover entirely different materials. They couldn't exactly ask Mr. Shono now; it was far too late for standard office hours. They were left hanging in the dark, forced to gamble on reviewing their own presentation slides.
Though, both Lindsey and Gracie seemed to find the shared confusion to be a massive tactical advantage.
Lindsey Soliko: "Just dedma it guys."
Gracie Masado: "At least, everyone is affected."
Before the evening could settle into a peaceful review session, Hidy sent one last panicked thought regarding the possible mechanics of Mr. Shono's exam.
Hidy Medona: "Hala, maybe it was all identifications and enumerations."
The anxiety in the chat spiked again. But Jiro, calculating the rising stress levels, decided to deploy a highly classified piece of intel. He reached into his memory banks, retrieving the secret mechanics provided by his third-year CON sister, who had experienced Mr. Shono's exact examination style back during her own freshman era.
Jiro Sanata: "Actually… Mr. Shono's exams are easy… just full of multiple choices, plus, he doesn't mind about the seating arrangement. He was just very chill even though there was a lot of cheating. My sister said."
The BEEd 1-A cohort went absolutely shocked. The heavy, intimidating ambiance of the impending exam was instantly shattered, replaced by a massive wave of relief. Furthermore, several students couldn't believe the sudden lore drop that Jiro actually had an older sister studying in the exact same campus, but they were too relieved by the intel to interrogate him about his family tree.
With the academic tension neutralized, the Mountain Comedian and Class Escort, Jesper Arufe, seized the opportunity to drop a series of jokes. He actively tagged Aprille and Lindsey, playfully asking if they had taken notes every single time Mrs. Talashiro used the exact same phrase as part of her distinct speaking quirk: "Basically..."
But before the joke could fully land, Anila Bakuda interrupted the feed. She sent a highly important, structural announcement she had sourced directly from the fresh graduates of KSU Taytay. They had advised her that the current freshmen were actually allowed to draft a formal letter to request a campus-specific wash day.
Anila Bakuda: "Hi po, KSU Taytay fresh grads said we may create a letter to have a wash day."
But Jesper's joking session wasn't finished yet. He seamlessly pivoted his aim and launched an attack on Anila's serious announcement.
Jesper Arufe: "No to Wash Day, just Bath Day, @Windy Viyago said."
The Island Trio—Princess, Aprille, and Windy—immediately spammed their laugh reactions on Jesper's message, thoroughly enjoying the chaotic banter. But Anila remained completely unbothered by the disruption. She rigidly maintained her focus, continuing her follow-up announcement.
Anila Bakuda: "They say it still needs to be approved po. And that is except po from Saturday class which is P.E., where we wear jogging pants and t-shirt."
Aprille suddenly sent a sharp rebuttal to Jesper's joke, attempting to restore order.
Aprille Bolente: "We are serious here, don't make it a joke."
But even her stern message couldn't escape the barrage of incoming laugh reactions from the rest of the class. Anila tried to push through her one last follow-up, implying that the formal letter would be handled by the campus USO officers and then signed directly by the Campus Director.
At the exact same time, Lindsey finally dropped the visual files regarding their Adopt-A-Place and LTS report templates, which had been stealthily photographed earlier in the day, effectively capping off the chaotic Friday night.
September 21 (Saturday)
6:39 AM
The overcast and heavily cloudy skies were still prevailing across the province due to the lingering effects of the Habagat. But despite the gloomy weather, many BEEd 1-A students were already actively stationed in the humid hallway, clustering just outside Room 406.
The door was completely locked.
As the minutes ticked by and the heat began to rise, the early birds attempted to find alternative ways to breach the perimeter. They started inspecting the glass casement windows facing the corridor, looking for any panels that hadn't been properly secured from the inside.
Lindsey approached a specific window panel, her merchant instincts shifting into full infiltration mode. She found a slight gap, wedged her fingers in, and successfully forced the window open. Without hesitation, she reached her arm deep through the iron grills, contorting her wrist until her fingers blindly found the cold metal of the bolt lock on the inside of the door.
During this exact scene, Jiro was calmly ascending the DOWN ONLY stairs, breaking the directional rules as usual.
The moment his eyes leveled with the fourth-floor landing, he immediately witnessed his fellow classmates actively attempting to break into their own classroom.
He stopped on the top step. A dry, cynical smirk crept across his face.
Ah. Go ahead… until the campus guard saw us.
Clack.
Lindsey successfully slid the bolt back. She pulled her arm out of the window and pushed the wooden door wide open.
The cohort immediately flooded into the stale, humid air of Room 406. They didn't wait for instructions. They quickly propped open the back door to establish cross-ventilation, threw open all the remaining casement windows, and clicked the two ceiling fans up to maximum speed. Finally, they aggressively dragged the unreplaced, long cyan blue curtains across the glass panes, securing their defenses to block the harmful, burning glare of the incoming blinded morning sun.
7:01 AM
Their FIL 1 / ART 1 BEEd 1-A 24-25 group chat buzzed. Mr. Shono dropped a quick notification that he would arrive in twenty to thirty minutes, followed by a request for someone to prepare an extension cord.
Without missing a beat, the class Escort, Jesper Arufe, rushed down to the second floor to secure the cord and a Smart T.V. remote.
Throughout the wait, the Vice President, Princess Cleria, turned to her seatmate. Jiro Sanata was in his own world, actively reviewing the presentation slides on his phone. His earphones were plugged tightly in his ears, blasting the upbeat, energetic rhythm of Make Me Feel Better by MindaRyn.
Princess reached over and tapped his shoulder. Jiro flinched slightly, glancing at her with a confused deadpan.
Uh, huh? Jiro's thoughts stalled.
"Beh, listen. Remove that thing first," Princess told him calmly, gesturing to his ear. "I have to ask something."
Jiro paused the track and pulled one earbud out. "Oh? Why? What is it?" he responded, mildly curious.
Princess quickly clarified her dilemma. She wanted to know if the fifth topic in FIL 1 and ART 1 would actually be included in their preliminary exam. Mr. Shono had previously mentioned a coverage of exactly five topics.
"Right? Sir Jeypi said last last meeting, during our online class, he mentioned 5 topics," Princess reasoned, her brow furrowed. "But only four groups reported their topics so far. So, how is that?"
Jiro's strategic mind went to work, calculating the syllabus timeline. He didn't even have to remember the exact wording but logic dictated a much more practical conclusion.
"Uh, maybe he'll include the very first topic he taught us himself during the orientation day," Jiro deduced smoothly. "Or... maybe he will just let Group 5 report their topic first before handing out the exams. That's probably why he asked us to prepare the extension cord eh."
Princess stared at him, genuinely shocked by the flawless deduction. "Weh, are you sure about that?"
Jiro didn't hesitate. He was absolutely certain of his theory.
"Definitely."
They went back to their own business. But a moment later, Princess glanced over at his empty desk. She was busy swiping through her own digital reviewers.
"Beh, do you have a reviewer?" Princess asked.
Since Jiro strictly adhered to his personal principle of Energy Conservation, he was notorious for never writing physical notes, let alone dedicated reviewers.
"Uhh, no. I don't write reviewers hahaha," Jiro chuckled dryly. "So waste on a paper eh. I only review on my phone."
Well... actually... I am just too lazy to write anything down unless it has a direct grade attached to it, Jiro's internal monologue corrected him, facing the harsh reality of his own habits.
Princess just nodded, shrugging off his unconventional method. She turned back to her phone, muttering under her breath, "What a lazy person." Jiro didn't even hear her as his earphone was already back in place.
As the time dragged on, the room was distinctly divided. Many students were aggressively reviewing their yellow pad notes, highlighting key terms with colorful markers. The usual academic rivals—Mekayla Sano, Cristel Basha, Gracie Masado, Anila Bakuda, and Hidy Medona—were locked in deep concentration. On the other hand, a few students were like Jiro, effortlessly swiping through raw slides and screenshots on their screens.
Shortly after, at exactly 7:32 AM, Mr. Shono arrived. He bypassed the front entirely, walking straight to the back of the room. He dragged an unoccupied wooden armchair out, sat down, and set his laptop flat on the attached desk. He looked up and made his announcement: before they started the preliminary exam, Group 5 for FIL 1 would present their report.
Jiro slowly turned his head to Princess, flashing a smug, I-told-you-so look. Princess was left completely stunned. She just nodded, silently acknowledging his accurate prediction. Wow... you're right.
Following a quick attendance check, Mr. Shono called the final reporters to the front. Group 5 consisted of Jiyah Guil, Cosma Ibana, Cicille Masha, and Jachie Marello. Their assigned topic was Diskurso sa Media: Pagsusuri at Aplikasyon (Discourse in Media: Analysis and Application).
Cosma took charge, confidently leading the presentation and effortlessly answering Mr. Shono's probing questions. Jiyah, wearing her usual face mask, spoke with a slightly weak voice, but showed absolutely no shyness, radiating a quiet strength similar to Alpha Agane. Meanwhile, Jachie and Cicille were highly articulate, delivering their parts smoothly while scanning digital notes on their phones.
At 8:21 AM, the reporting concluded, and Mr. Shono initiated the FIL 1 preliminary examination.
He instructed everyone to stow their notes and phones inside their bags, requiring only a single sheet of yellow pad paper and a pen. Did they need to scramble and change seating arrangements? Not at all. Mr. Shono was incredibly chill. He didn't even mind the obvious cheating or the subtle copying happening between seatmates.
From his vantage point at the back, he seamlessly connected his laptop to the Smart T.V. via screencast. The official KSU FIL 1 prelim exam file flashed onto the screen. He simply zoomed in on the questions so everyone could read them, slowly scrolling down to reveal the next items.
It was a brutal 50-item, all-multiple-choice test. As they answered, a collective wave of confusion swept through the students. They were all silently wondering why almost every single correct answer seemed to be letter B. And just as Jiro had predicted, there were several questions included that had never been reported by the class, but they relied heavily on common sense, making them surprisingly easy to decode.
Once the scrolling finished, the checking phase began. Papers were passed forward and swapped across the two main seating territories—the Window-Backyard section trading with the Door-Hallway section.
Jiro ended up holding Gracie Masado's paper. Looking down at her answers, he saw an ocean of B's.
Mr. Shono slowly scrolled back up the exam file, finally revealing the answer key.
Voila. An absolute landslide of B's.
After the checking concluded, Mr. Shono issued a strict directive: no one was allowed to return the papers to their owners yet. They had to announce the scores out loud as he called out the surnames from his masterlist.
"Agane?" Mr. Shono called out. "38 po, Sir," Cristel reported.
"Arufe?" "42 po," Francine answered.
The roll call marched on. "Masado?"
Jiro, gripping her paper, called out Gracie's score clearly. "47 po."
The entire class suddenly erupted into applause, praising Gracie's high intellect. Even a few muttered wows echoed through the room.
Finally, Mr. Shono reached the bottom of his list. It was time for the final verdict.
"And... Sanata?"
Jiro's heart hammered against his ribs. The beats skipped way too fast. He waited in agonizing suspense until a highly familiar voice broke the silence.
"48 po."
It was the 29-year-old Lore Master, Reo Bairo. She was the one holding his paper.
The BEEd 1-A cohort went absolutely stunned for a fraction of a second before breaking into loud, genuine applause. Jiro had just secured the highest mark for the entire exam.
He sat there completely speechless, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed the massive, unexpected comeback. Just yesterday, he had suffered a humiliating zero in math. Today, he dominated.
Shit. I did it!!! Jiro's thoughts screamed, clearly celebrating the sweet, absolute victory.
With the scores officially decoded and logged, Mr. Shono finally permitted them to return the yellow papers to their rightful owners.
9:38 AM
The short break finally arrived. While some of the BEEd 1-A cohort migrated down to the cafeteria to hunt for light snacks, Mr. Shono decided to assign a familiar errand. He casually tasked the Class Treasurer, Lindsey Soliko, to buy him pancit and a hot coffee from the cafeteria, perfectly mirroring the exact courier duty Jiro had suffered through just a week prior. Meanwhile, Jiro and a few others stayed glued to their armchairs, aggressively reviewing their notes for the impending ART 1 preliminary exam.
Around 9:56 AM, the break concluded. Mr. Shono called the fifth and final group of ART 1 reporters to the front. Zherel Diman, Rechele Eve, and Ivyn Giron stepped up, delivering their presentation on Art Interpretation: Subject and Content.
At exactly 10:42 AM, the ART 1 preliminary exam officially commenced. It followed the exact same routine: bags secured, yellow pads out, and questions flashed on the Smart T.V. via screencast. But the difficulty curve had severely spiked. It was another 50-item multiple-choice test, but the questions were deeply confusing, integrating several topics that hadn't even been discussed in class. The safety net was gone. There was no magic landslide of letter B's this time. During the checking phase, groans of frustration echoed across the room as students frantically second-guessed their answers.
Just like earlier, the public announcement of scores began.
"Agane?" Mr. Shono called out. "29 po," Cosma reported.
"Arufe?" "34 po," Hurd answered.
Jiro looked down at Jerline Rama's paper, checking her final tally. "35 po," he announced clearly.
Finally, Mr. Shono reached the bottom of the list. "Sanata?"
Mekayla Sano, holding Jiro's paper, called out the verdict. "41 po."
It was a brutal drop from his previous near-perfect score, but as he looked around the room, Jiro realized he had still secured the highest mark. The rest of the class had barely managed to scrape past the 40-point threshold.
After returning the dreaded yellow papers to their rightful owners, Mr. Shono walked back to the teacher's table at the front. He leaned against the desk, preparing to drop a heavy administrative update.
"Okay, uh... 1 BEEd. Listen ah," Mr. Shono began. "So next week, September 28. I will not be on campus because I have to attend an important event in my school. So we have no classes next week. Okay?"
The BEEd 1-A cohort instantly celebrated the sudden academic reprieve, answering in a cheerful, unified chorus, "Yes po, Sir!"
But the part-timer instructor wasn't finished.
"So, uh... for your finals," he continued, cutting through the cheers. "We will not have a traditional final exam. So, instead, your special exam and major project for both Filipino and Art App is that you all have to conduct a Culminating Activity. Uh, wait, who has a whiteboard marker here? May I borrow it first so I can list it?"
Sitting right in the front row, Hidy Medona quickly handed her whiteboard marker over to him.
Mr. Shono grabbed the attached square whiteboard and dragged it across the blackboard rails to the right. He uncapped the marker and began to write in smooth cursive: Culminating Activity (Nov 30). He then listed the strict formatting guidelines for their impending major event.
Production Number (Choose Philippines / Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas) Visual Arts painting / drawing sculpture architecture photography
III. Performing Arts
music dance Literary Arts poetry drama Final Show
COMMITTEE
Program & Invitation, Stage & Decoration, Accommodation, Sounds & ICT, Narrative & Documentation, Refreshments
"So, this would be your format and the flow for your Culminating Activity," Mr. Shono explained, pointing at the board. "You all should also find the venue, or maybe you can use our campus gymnasium if the Campus Director allows it. So, uh, Miss Hidy, coordinate well with the officers, so you all can plan the culminating activity together for November 30."
Hidy firmly nodded, already absorbing the massive logistical weight of the upcoming event.
To ease the tension, Mr. Shono shared some examples from his own experiences. He pulled up some videos on the Smart T.V. screen, showcasing his past performances at his other school. The class watched in absolute amusement as their chill professor was seen cosplaying in a dress with a long wig, acting out a dramatic scene, and dancing while singing. The room filled with genuine laughter, thoroughly entertained by the unexpected visual evidence.
With the final academic bombshell officially planted, Mr. Shono concluded the session at exactly 12:50 PM.
Since the entire COE department had administratively removed Mr. Edwardo Casto from their roster, the BEEd 1-A cohort officially had no PE 1 class to attend. Commander Hidy Medona stood up and announced that everyone was free to go home early.
They packed their bags and walked out of the campus, leaving the empty, haunted afternoon time block behind.
END OF THE HAUNTED BLOCK