Everyone is witness to the death of Damon Dominic, except for that one person who might have murdered him. After a "person of interest" is identified, three campus journalists will launch their own investigation to prove her innocence... or guilt.
K...
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TONY
DAMON DOMINIC is a lucky man. Wait, don't get me wrong. Hindi ko niro-romanticize ang pagkamatay niya. Hindi ko rin sinasabing masuwerte siya't hindi na niya kailangang magdusa sa tambak na schoolworks.
What I was referring to was the fact that the school held a memorial for him. Not every student who died within or outside Clark University was given that honor. Most of the time, we would learn that someone committed suicide today, then we would move on tomorrow as if nothing happened.
I guess one's status in the university would determine how much the administration cared for them. Despite his unexposed flaws, Damon was a star here. He was one of CU's pride. He brought honor not only to himself, but to the school. And only stars deserved memorials.
Gusto ko sanang i-excuse ang sarili ko gamit ang media ID—I know the Chief would get mad at me—but this was Damon we're talking about. Who knows? I might stumble upon a clue that would help me understand why he was murdered. Also, the Chief asked me to cover this solemn event for the CAScade. Meron pa kaming pa-article para sa kanya, ah?
At ten in the morning, every student in the campus was called to the school gymnasium. Classes were suspended for an hour. Activities were halted on the grounds. Could you imagine that the university allowed this level of disruption in our daily college lives? Kung ako siguro ang namatay, aalayan lang ako ng one minute of silence, tapos balik sa regular programming na ang lahat.
I was seated on one of the bleachers on the west side of the gymnasium. From where I sat, I could clearly see the huge portrait of Damon Dominic, the flowers for the dead, and the trophies, medals, and certificates displayed on a table. Some students wore black armband as a sign of grieving. Or maybe they just loved the temporary fashion statement.
Nagawi ang tingin ko sa isang estudyante na palakad-lakad sa gilid, itinututok ang kanyang camera sa iba't ibang anggulo. Nataong humarap siya sa direksyon ko, nakataas pa rin ang camera. Bigla niya itong ibinaba at kumaway sa akin. I averted my gaze and pretended that I didn't see Emilio. Sa dami ng katabi ko sa bleachers, malabong mapansin nilang ako ang kinakawayan niya.
"Do you think a-attend si Cleo ng memorial?"
"Duh! Why would she be here? She's probably in a faraway place na, out of reach ng local police."
There's only one person in our class who would speak with such contempt against Cleo: Esmeralda Esguerra. Pasimple akong lumingon sa kanya. She was fixing her lipstick while looking at a compact mirror.
"The only reason why she'd be here is guilt for killing Damon," she said. Ni hindi man niya naisipang hinaan ang boses niya. "But impossible nang makapasok siya rito. Everyone's looking for her. Kulang na lang ay magpaskil ng wanted poster na may mukha niya."
Now that she mentioned it, Cleo was relaxing in our apartment. We already bought her three packs of napkins, so she didn't have to worry about her period. If she had a choice, she would have gone here. Pero alam naman niyang hindi siya pwedeng lumabas kaya kahit gusto niyang mag-attend, wala siyang magawa kundi mag-stay sa loob.
