Chapter 1: The Guy Who Almost Made Us Late

The first thing I learned that morning was that punctuality meant absolutely nothing to my cousin.

At least, not to Leo.

“John! Wait!” Leo said.

I stopped walking and looked over my shoulder.

Leo was running toward me with his backpack bouncing against his shoulders, one hand holding a plastic bag containing what I could only assume was his breakfast.

He was smiling.

That was the annoying part.

The guy was nearly late, and he still looked like he was heading to a photoshoot.

“Bro, what took you so long?” I said.

“Good morning to you, too,” Leo said.

“It's almost seven,” I said.

“And?” Leo said.

“Our call time was six-thirty,” I said.

“Yeah, but the bus hasn't left,” Leo said.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Then he grinned.

“See? We're good,” Leo said.

I turned around and continued walking.

“John! Hoy, wait up!” Leo said.

“Next time, I'm leaving you,” I said.

“You say that every time!” Leo said.

“And one day, I'll mean it,” I said.

“Sure, sure,” Leo said.

He caught up with me and slung an arm over my shoulder.

“Relax, cousin. It's a music camp, not a military operation,” Leo said.

I glanced at the clock above the terminal entrance.

“Keep talking. I'll make sure you carry my bass and your luggage,” I said.

Leo immediately straightened.

“Okay. Serious mode,” Leo said.

For approximately three seconds.

Then he started laughing.

That was Leo. Confident, charming, and somehow capable of making even his own irresponsibility look entertaining.

We had been cousins for as long as I could remember. Unfortunately, that meant I had spent most of my life being an unwilling witness to his personality.

I adjusted the strap of my bass gig bag.

Five days away from home.

Five days of music, training, and meeting people from different schools around the district.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect.

I'd played bass before, mostly by practicing songs I liked. But playing in a real band was different. I wanted to improve, especially when it came to timing, coordination, and understanding how my instrument fit into a complete arrangement.

That was the plan, anyway.

Learn something useful. Meet a few people. Go home.

Simple.

Or so I thought.

“By the way, you nervous?” Leo said.

“About what?” I said.

“New people. New environment. Five days away from home,” Leo said.

“No,” I said.

“Really?” Leo said.

“Really,” I said.

He nodded thoughtfully.

“Okay. So you won't mind if I tell everyone you're secretly terrified of talking to girls?” Leo said.

I stopped.

“Leo,” I said.

“What?” Leo said.

“Try it,” I said.

He burst out laughing.

“Relax! Joke lang!” Leo said.

I resumed walking, already regretting the next five days.

We reached the loading area, where several students were gathering beside a white bus. Most carried backpacks, instrument cases, or small pieces of luggage. Some were talking excitedly, while others looked as though they'd rather still be in bed.

A staff member stood near the bus door, checking names against a printed list.

“Look at that. New friends,” Leo said.

“Don't embarrass me,” I said.

“No promises,” Leo said.

“Leo,” I said.

“Fine. Fifty-fifty,” Leo said.

I sighed.

The trip hadn't even started, and I was already exhausted.

Scene 2: The Registration Desk

7:03 a.m. · Music Camp Venue

The venue was farther away than I expected.

After the bus ride, we arrived at a large campus-like facility surrounded by trees. There were several buildings, an open courtyard, and a covered area where students were unloading their instruments.

A banner near the entrance read:

DISTRICT YOUTH MUSIC CAMP

At least the place looked organized.

There were signs pointing toward registration, accommodation, the rehearsal rooms, and the main auditorium.

“Okay, registration first,” I said.

I said, checking the paper we had received before leaving.

Leo stretched his arms above his head.

“Then food,” Leo said.

“Registration first,” I said.

“Food second,” Leo said.

“Depends,” I said.

“On what?” Leo said.

“On whether you keep talking,” I said.

He laughed and walked ahead of me.

At the registration tables, a staff member handed us our name tags and schedules.

STAFF: “Name?”

“John Valen,” I said.

She checked the list, found my name, and gave me a tag.

STAFF: “Bass guitar. Group B. Rehearsal Room Two.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Leo stepped forward.

“Leonardo Valen,” Leo said.

I looked at him.

“Leonardo?” I said.

He gave me a warning look.

“Don't,” Leo said.

The staff member smiled as she found his name.

STAFF: “Lead guitar. Group B. Rehearsal Room Two.”

“Thank you, ma'am,” Leo said.

As we stepped away from the table, I noticed a boy standing beside a pile of bags near the registration area.

He had a bulky build, a crew cut, and a drumstick tucked behind one ear. His name tag hung crookedly around his neck.

He was trying to balance a backpack, a duffel bag, and a large drumstick case while reading his schedule.

He looked down at the paper. Then at the building signs. Then back at the paper.

Finally, he looked directly at us.

“Excuse me, bro. Rehearsal Room Two?” Niel said.

I pointed toward the hallway.

“Down there, then left,” I said.

“Left?” Niel said.

“Yeah,” I said.

He looked at the opposite hallway.

“Your other left,” Leo said.

The boy turned back to us.

“Ah. Okay. Good. Kasi muntik na akong mapunta sa kitchen,” Niel said.

“May kitchen dito?” Leo said.

“Hindi ko alam! Kaya nga nagtatanong ako!” Niel said.

I couldn't help smiling.

The boy adjusted his bags and offered his hand.

“I'm Niel, by the way. Drums,” Niel said.

“John. Bass,” I said.

“Leo. Guitar,” Leo said.

“Magkapatid kayo?” Niel said.

“Cousins,” I said.

“Ah! Magkamukha kasi kayo,” Niel said.

Leo immediately raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” Leo said.

Niel studied us for another second. Then he shook his head.

“Actually, hindi pala,” Niel said.

Leo put a hand over his chest.

“Bro. That hurts,” Leo said.

“Sorry, bro. Honest review lang,” Niel said.

I laughed.

Leo looked at me as though I'd personally betrayed him.

“Et tu, John?” Leo said.

“Don't start speaking Latin. We're not even in class yet,” I said.

Niel burst out laughing.

And just like that, our first conversation began.

Nothing special happened. Nobody made a grand speech. There was no sudden realization that we'd become lifelong friends.

We were just three students making jokes while trying to figure out where we were supposed to go.

But looking back, I think that was one of the things I would come to appreciate most about our friendship.

It didn't begin with anything extraordinary.

It began with something ordinary enough to forget.

Scene 3: The Guy Carrying Two Guitar Cases

7:15 a.m. · Main Hallway

We were halfway toward the rehearsal rooms when we heard someone calling from behind us.

“Mark! Wait!” Phil said.

A thin boy with wavy hair was walking quickly through the hallway, holding a keyboard bag in one hand and checking his phone with the other.

Behind him was another boy carrying two guitar cases.

“Bro, slow down! I'm carrying half the music department here!” Mark said.

The first boy didn't even look back.

“You said you could carry them!” Phil said.

“Yeah, but I didn't say I wanted to die before lunch!” Mark said.

Niel snorted.

“Uy, relatable,” Niel said.

The boy carrying the guitar cases finally caught up. He placed one case against the wall, wiped his forehead, and gave us an exhausted smile.

“Sorry. Family problem,” Mark said.

The thinner boy turned around.

“Family problem? Ikaw naman nagsabi na kaya mo!” Phil said.

“Phil, you gave me the heavier one!” Mark said.

“Because you're older!” Phil said.

There was a brief silence.

Leo slowly turned toward me. I already knew what he was going to say.

“Don't,” I said.

“Wait. You two are brothers?” Leo said.

The boy with the guitar cases pointed at the thinner one.

“Unfortunately,” Mark said.

The thinner boy rolled his eyes.

“I'm Phil. Keyboard,” Phil said.

“Mark. Rhythm guitar and vocals,” Mark said.

“Wait, so ikaw yung kuya?” Niel said.

Mark nodded proudly.

“Finally, someone recognizes my authority,” Mark said.

“Authority? You can't even find your own socks,” Phil said.

“That's a private matter,” Mark said.

“Last week, you wore two different ones,” Phil said.

“They were both black!” Mark said.

“One had stripes!” Phil said.

“They were subtle stripes!” Mark said.

Niel nearly dropped his drumstick case laughing.

I looked at Leo. For once, he wasn't the only person in the room capable of turning a simple conversation into a complete disaster.

I had a feeling the next five days were going to be loud.

Very loud.

“Anyway, what instruments do you guys play?” Mark said.

“Bass,” I said.

“Lead guitar,” Leo said.

“Drums,” Niel said.

Mark looked at all three of us.

“Nice. We're all Group B, right?” Mark said.

“Looks like it,” I said.

He grinned.

“Perfect. At least I won't have to carry these things around alone,” Mark said.

“That's literally why you brought them,” Phil said.

“Family support, Phil. Family support,” Mark said.

“I'm going to pretend I don't know you,” Phil said.

“Too late. We're related,” Mark said.

Niel leaned toward me and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Bro, I think they're worse than you and your cousin,” Niel said.

“Impossible,” I said.

Leo put a hand on my shoulder.

“I'm standing right here,” Leo said.

“Exactly,” I said.

We all laughed.

And for the first time that morning, I stopped thinking about whether the camp would be worth the trip.

Maybe it would be.

Scene 4: Five Names on One Schedule

7:28 a.m. · Rehearsal Room Two

The room was larger than I expected. There was a drum kit near the back, a keyboard stand beside the windows, several amplifiers against the wall, and enough chairs for two dozen students.

A whiteboard listed the morning's activities: participant orientation, instrument assessment, rhythm and timing exercises, and group assignment briefing.

Students were already settling in. Some were tuning their guitars. Others were testing keyboard sounds or chatting with people they apparently already knew.

Niel immediately headed for the drum kit.

“Mine!” Niel said.

A staff member standing nearby raised an eyebrow.

STAFF: “Excuse me?”

Niel froze.

“Ah—ours, ma'am. Our drum kit,” Niel said.

Leo whispered, “Smooth.”

Niel pretended not to hear him and sat behind the drums.

Mark put his guitar cases down beside an amplifier, while Phil carefully placed his keyboard bag on a nearby table.

I set my bass against a chair and checked the tuning pegs.

For a moment, I felt strangely out of place.

Everyone seemed to know what they were doing.

Some students moved confidently between instruments, talking about techniques and songs I had only heard of. A few were already playing together, their notes blending into a sound that filled the room.

I looked down at my bass.

I knew how to play songs.

But I wanted to understand music better than that.

I wanted to know how to hold a band together without needing to be the loudest person in it.

“Bro,” Leo said.

Leo's voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up. He was holding a guitar pick between his fingers.

“You okay?” Leo said.

“Yeah,” I said.

“You've been staring at that bass like it owes you money,” Leo said.

“I'm checking the tuning,” I said.

“Right,” Leo said.

He leaned closer.

“Don't worry. If you mess up, I'll mess up with you,” Leo said.

I gave him a skeptical look.

“That's supposed to make me feel better?” I said.

“Absolutely,” Leo said.

From behind the drum kit, Niel suddenly struck a loud cymbal.

SFX: CRASH!

Everyone in our corner flinched. A staff member turned around.

STAFF: “Niel!”

“Sorry, ma'am! Testing!” Niel said.

STAFF: “Test quietly!”

Niel nodded solemnly, then whispered toward us.

“Ang sensitive naman ng sound system,” Niel said.

Phil covered his face. Mark laughed so hard he had to sit down.

And just like that, whatever nervousness I had been feeling began to fade.

Maybe none of us had everything figured out.

Maybe that was the point.

We were all here to learn.

And for now, that was enough.

Scene 5: The First Assignment

A few minutes later, the instructor entered the room and asked everyone to take their seats.

“Good morning, everyone,” Sir Adrian said.

STUDENTS: “Good morning, sir!”

“My name is Sir Adrian. Over the next five days, you'll be learning more than just your individual instruments. We'll work on timing, listening, arrangement, stage presence, and how to function as a band,” Sir Adrian said.

He wrote one sentence on the whiteboard.

A GOOD MUSICIAN LISTENS BEFORE HE PLAYS.

“Remember that. You can have the fastest fingers in the room and still be a terrible bandmate if you never listen to anyone else,” Sir Adrian said.

I found myself looking at the sentence longer than I expected.

It sounded simple. But something about it stayed with me.

Sir Adrian continued explaining the camp schedule before asking us to introduce ourselves to our assigned groups.

When our turn came, Mark stood first.

“Hi, everyone. I'm Mark. Rhythm guitar and lead vocals. I can sing, play guitar, and make terrible decisions,” Mark said.

Phil sighed.

“He's not kidding about the last part,” Phil said.

Mark pointed at him.

“That's my brother, everyone. He's the reason I have trust issues,” Mark said.

“You borrowed my charger and returned it broken,” Phil said.

“Unrelated,” Mark said.

Niel stood next.

“I'm Niel. Drummer. I like music, food, and sleeping. In that order. Unless I'm really hungry,” Niel said.

A few students laughed. Leo followed.

“I'm Leo. Lead guitar. I like playing music, meeting people, and—” Leo said.

I coughed. He shot me a look.

“—meeting musicians. I like meeting musicians,” Leo said.

Mark grinned.

“Sure, bro,” Mark said.

Leo ignored him.

Finally, it was my turn. I stood and adjusted my name tag.

“I'm John Valen. Bass guitar. I don't really have much to say. I'm just here to learn and improve,” I said.

Niel raised his hand.

“Question!” Niel said.

Sir Adrian looked at him.

“Yes, Niel?” Sir Adrian said.

“Sir, does improving include becoming rich and famous?” Niel said.

The room laughed. Sir Adrian smiled.

“If you learn to work with people first, perhaps,” Sir Adrian said.

Niel nodded thoughtfully.

“Noted, sir. Teamwork muna bago mansion,” Niel said.

Even I laughed at that.

When we sat down, Leo leaned toward me.

“See? Easy,” Leo said.

“What?” I said.

“Talking to people,” Leo said.

I looked around the room.

At Niel, who was still making jokes. At Mark, who had somehow started a conversation with three students in less than a minute. At Phil, who was quietly listening to the instructor. And at Leo, who seemed completely at home wherever he went.

“Yeah. Maybe,” I said.

I wasn't the kind of person who made friends with everyone he met.

I usually took my time. I listened more than I spoke. And when something bothered me, I preferred keeping it to myself until I could understand it.

But that morning, surrounded by strangers who were slowly becoming familiar, I began to wonder if the next five days might change more than my playing.

I just didn't know how much.

End of Episode 1

As the morning session ended, we gathered our belongings and headed toward the next activity.

Niel walked beside Mark, arguing about whether drummers or guitarists were more important.

Phil was already checking the afternoon schedule.

Leo was trying to convince someone that lead guitarists deserved the biggest share of the stage.

And I walked a little behind them, carrying my bass.

Five boys from the same district.

Two cousins.

Two brothers.

And one guy who seemed to have adopted all of us before lunch.

We weren't a band.