Fiction Academy: CAS' Never Ending Story 2022

|108| "Open Secret"

Open Secret

by Jeanlouis Manalo

We all have that one friend or a person whom we can rely on, and share our random thoughts even though it has no sense, a person that we are comfortable being with and of course the one who we share our deepest secrets with, the one who we trust the most to keep it. But in the story of Heli and Jino, things become so complicated.

Heli is the most popular guy in school. Kind, rich, good-looking, intelligent, a good swimmer and also a student-leader that every girl in school admires. Heli has a best friend, which he thought is the best. He is Jino, just like Heli he is also a good-looking guy, a top-student, swimmer and student leader but he is not that rich. He works part-time in a convenience store near his house. With his salary he gets an allowance and medicine for his mother who was diagnosed with heart disease.

One day, Heli had a very serious problem. He kept this secret for a long while now because he doesn't want to disturb anyone, but he can't contain it anymore. He wants to tell Jino about it, to have some advice, and to comfort him. After thinking for a long time, Heli decides to tell Jino about it.

At their lunch break, Heli talks to Jino and says that he has a lung disease due to monthly training and competitions. He doesn't want anyone to know about it because he wants to compete in the Nationals and to be part of the National Team to fulfill his childhood dream. Jino understands his friend's sentiments and promise that he won't tell anyone about it and promise to help him overcome his disease.

After that day, Jino's mother rushed to hospital due to difficulty in breathing. Without enough money in his pocket, Jino does something that risks his friendship with Heli. He immediately contacted Shion, the Academy's most influential writer. For Shion, every hot topic or news that you will give to her may convert into some money but it depends on the weight of your story and the one who told the story will be anonymous. The story that Jino told her is about the condition of Heli. As the most popular guy in school this news really is a big one and Jino receives more than enough money for the hospital bill of his mother.

A couple of days after that, the condition of Heli spread out to the entire campus. Because of that his trainer stopped training him, he didn't make it to the competition and the worst of all is that his relationship with Jino ended. After knowing that Jino is the one who spreads about his condition he talked to him even though it hurts him.

Heli said to him, " Jino, you know that I am your friend and you are my only friend. How can you do this to me? If you need help for your mother's medication I am here and willing to help, there is no need to ask others. I am here for you! You also know how desperate I am to get into the Nationals. Or maybe we can say that you are just concerned about my health to the point that you want to stop me getting in that water and spread that news about me? Sorry Jino but I don't think I can forgive you."

In the end Heli is now afraid to trust anyone, what happened to him really hurt him and promised to himself that he was not going to trust anyone anymore for he cannot afford another heartbreak.

The End