Metafiction

Figuring the Manito Out

Student #1

Yesterday, the Manito play had ended by revealing all the matches. And now, I’m reading a small essay about Manito in the newspaper of KMLA, indulging in reminiscence of all the episodes related to my Manito.

'Manito' has been a great issue in KMLA. I once heard that Manito is an Italian word that means secret angel or unknown friend who helps certain person. I got a message from number '1004', the Manito, who has written a sweet sentence for me. 

As I read the first paragraph, I started to doubt if my Manito was really an angel; not as a good meaning but in a sense of nonexistence with mysterious ability.  

Although, the message was very simple, I was delighted to start a day smiling by the message. I also have sent cheering message for my Manitee-the one who has me as one’s Manito- and that made me feel joy of being a Manito. ‘Manito’ system seems to delight both of the roles: role of being a Manito and having a Manito. What is the true value or meaning of Manito?

As the word ‘message’ appeared, I remembered how strange all the messages from my Manito were. My Manito could be a devil, an angel or even an alien far from earth. My Manito predicted what will happen on that day and advised me how to avoid dangers or how to catch the chances without any mistakes. As all those predictions turned out to be true, I kept on wondering who my Manito would be-as revealed later, there was actually no one.

I guess a Manito is supposed to create a secret bond that connects two different, totally discrete people. Even though not recognizable, the person who receives messages or gifts from his Manito will feel blissful by the thought of someone taking care of him. Maybe a Manito, just like its meaning, is really an angel: hidden like one and benevolent like one.

I couldn’t feel the connection between me and my Manito even my Manito sent me a lot of messages and gifts. I thought all those presents were affectation without sincere care about me. My Manito always knew what I wanted and needed that he or she always gave me the one I desired for any reasons. My Manito should have been a benevolent one and a hidden one.

Most importantly, the last message from my Manito is the scariest one, now I figure out.

I like Manito system-it gives a hope that one may be saved from the status quo of loneliness. It gives even the geekest people the feeling that someone cares for them. If Manito system can give hope to the most excluded of our society, the sense of being ‘one’, and then there lies the hint to the solution of the problems we face.

Would you believe if the last message was exactly the same with the paragraph above and added with a short message saying, “Hey! Tomorrow you’ll have the Manito revelation without your Manito! This long paragraph is what I wrote and what you’ll see tomorrow! I thought it would be rude if I won’t let you know who I am, so let me give you a hint. I am here to destroy you, to get in reach of you and to make you feel happy.”

Manito seems fun and merely a game. However, Manito has rather great power of providing hopes and smiles. To interpret it backward, maybe people are lonely just as much as to want for some cheering messages. If we could be somehow Manitos to each other all the time, KMLA will be in an ecstasy of hope. 

As I finish the whole essay, I feel some kind of real end of my Manito relationship. I have all the messages from Manito including the gifts. I can’t really get the meaning of the hint he sent me. The hint is so contradictory of saying; he or she tried to destroy me by making me feel happy. To underestimate the accomplishment of his plan, I’ll say he had failed. First of all, I wasn’t happy with his every messages or gifts. Secondly, I am not destroyed. His messages might not mean superficial meaning, and rather implicating profound signification.

I won’t allow my curiosity drive me in a condition of getting crazy at challenging to figure out the Manito since that would make me seem to be servile to the Manito. I will just skip the memory and live as I live-moving on to tomorrow.

 Student #2

Manito is such a weird thing as your emotion is totally different before you know who it is, and after you know who it was. I recommend you not to figure out who the Manito is if you want to keep the warmth or impression for a long time. I tell you this by my experience:

At the very first of this month, our school started Manito by picking up the paper randomly to match girls and boys. I’ve picked up a boy who I totally don’t know that I can’t have any feeling or plan of concept to treat him as a Manito. I wonder who got my lot and how he thinks or tries to handle it. I know it is stupid, but I started to imagine something foolish like the one I have a crush on picked my lot and sincerely treats me sweet that in the end we started to write a lovely story together that is just for between us- a sweet romance. I know this would never happen just by seeing the percentage of him getting my lot. If someone who doesn’t try to participate in this Manito has got my lot, I will be very sad and depressed in which there’s no one who can energize me.

But now I know that I didn’t have to worry this but another: Not all nice Manitos remain sweet in the end.

You know what!! I’m such a lucky girl to have an awesome Manito! I love my Manito so much! I think I am going to fall in love with him if I figure him out! Every message from him is so sweet that makes my day beautiful! Every day, he sends me those sweet messages with a lot of cookies and cans of juice! He even gave me a big teddy bear doll that costs 10000 won! If I see friends around me, I cannot find better Manito than I’ve got. All of my roommates envy me and this makes me more enjoyable with the presents.

Every morning, I receive sweet messages from number 1004 such as,

“I can see you studying hard every time! I think you look lovely when you focus deeply on studying. Here are the beef jerky and warm caramel macchiato. Cheer up and I wish you break a leg on the math quiz on this Friday! Ah, also here are the cup noodles you love. Don’t skip lunch or dinner to keep your cute face^^ Sleep early and be happy~” that I can’t help liking him. How can you hate him if he cares me really delicately?

After Honjung, it’s really happy to check my mailbox if there’s present from Manito since I can get almost every day. Last time, there was a chocolate and an energy bar. I really like his sense of choosing the gift.

As time goes, I am getting so curious who the Manito is. Who can be that benevolent? I have no idea at all. But I promise whoever it is, I will show him how much I feel thankful by a lot of sweets and presents just as he had done.

To shortly inform, I didn’t keep my promise.

Today, I will meet my Manito face to face and exchange the presents. As I was standing alone at the center of the hall, somebody poked my back. I turned around hearing the boy saying, “Hey, I was your Manito, the 1004.” He was holding out his hand with a pencil and an old looking diary.

I couldn’t feel any pleasure of receiving and I couldn’t figure out any great sense of choosing the gift like before; rather, I was unpleasant to get an old looking diary which seemed to be used. I shortly said, thanks, and turned coldly, without any warm facial expression.

You might think me as a really bad girl. How dare I don’t even show a little sincere appreciation? But I am sure that everyone would have behaved as I had. He was the well-known boy as a nerd in my school. No one wants to talk with him or get related. The great silky mood I was in until yesterday was all gone at once. No romance, no impression, nothing. As I read the messages from him again, I felt weird instead of getting touched. My heart froze and stopped beating fast by the gifts. I even feel like there was no such thing as Manito. He’s just a nerd, who can’t give impression to others. He’s a nerdy nerd that my image will be ruined to have a sweet conversation with him. More than being a Manito, being a nerd can’t be neglected.