1 Prologue

A dark room, a desk with a computer set on it, a closet full of clothes and a bookshelf decorated with comics and novels, and medals and trophies I received since the first day I entered school as a kid. And a book lying in bed with me as I enjoy my slumber soundly. Then, a gleaming light of the sun peeking from the closed window where the curtains was supposed to be closed strucked the corners of my eyelids.

"Who in the world pulled away the curtains...?"

With a tired voice, I slowly opened my eyelids and the ceiling's the first thing my pitch black pupils gazed on. With a mussy, black curly hair, and drowsy black eyes, I walked out of bed and went to the light that woke me up from my sleep. I exhaled out of tiredness as the sound of my footsteps from the wooden floor echoed throughout the room.

My hands reached out and opened the window. The morning breeze, the morning song of the birds, and the ball of light greeted me. It is another usual morning in the Barangay of San Mateo Rizal. Or so I thought.

Yesterday, March 5th, 2020 was the end of my Junior High year along with some friends. 2020 was supposed to be the year where I'm entering Senior High. However, I had a horrible feeling that the classes wouldn't return this year.

On February 9th, 2020. The first person that carried the deadly virus known as Covid-19 or Novel Corona Virus 2019 was reported in Philippines. The annunciation stirred panic throughout the country, especially Luzon region where the suspected carrier were currently living in an unnamed rented hotel. Since the annunciation happened, things have gone south from there.

The patient arrived in Philippines riding a plane toward Philippine Airlines on January 30th, 2020. Seeing the huge gap from the time she arrived to the day it was confirmed that she was a Covid-19 positive, it is highly likely that the virus have already been transmitted from the fellow passengers of her flight, to the airlines staff and to the people she interacted with during her way to the hotel she rented and more.

To erase the worry of the citizens, the Philippine Administration announced a Contact Tracing. A tracking operation to find the people who were a close contact to the patient from her flight to all the way to her destination. Contact Tracing was supposed to be a way to stop the virus from spreading further. However, due to the late actions of the administration which was being criticized by many, although they managed to track almost everyone in a span of a few days, those people who weren't aware of the disease they're carrying have already transmitted the virus to other people before the officials get to them. Making the Contact Tracing a meaningless effort.

Come March 5th, the day the school year ended. The situation in Metro Manila worsened as everyone expected. A question rose online and eventually reached out to everyone in the country.

Will the mainland, Metro Manila going to be under a lockdown?

That question has been the main topic of everyone in our final day as Junior High students. Of course, the same agenda was being talked with teachers. As well as the people gossiping on the streets.

It is only natural that the people would fear the disease, no one would want to carry a deadly virus that has no cure around their family or everyone surrounding them. Still, the virus aren't the only thing that makes these people feel gloom.

If the Administration were to impose the lockdown in the mainland, most establishments will be forcefully closed, the people working in Metro Manila will lose their jobs. And if the workers have lost their source of income, who knows what the people would do once their driven with desperation to live?

Seemingly in a daze while looking outside from the window, I didn't hear the sound of the door opening from behind. Until I hear a voice of a thirteen year old girl calling my name.

"Hey, Nii-chan! Good thing you're awake already. Waking you up is a hassle."

"Chitanda, what's the deal? Why are you talking in Japanese? You weren't born in Japan like me and Kouei do."

"Does being born in Philippines forbid me for speaking Father's native language?"

"No, it's just the way you say "Nii-chan" made me remember that one anime clip Adrian showed me yesterday."

"Anime clip? Forget it. Today's your first day in position as the SK Chairman, you know. You should be getting ready. Mother is waiting down in the living room with breakfast."

"All right."

Yes... Yesterday was the end of my Junior High days. But today marks as the start of my term as the chairman of the youth council, the Sangguniang Kabataan.

It was never my intention to join the SK Council, but now that it's come to this. I might as well see how the officials of our Barangay is dealing with the situation transpiring in our country.