Cloaked Lust

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"Good morning, Heather!" bati ni Aziel nang makarating ako sa room. Silang dalawa lang ni Gray ang nandito, sobrang aga nila pumasok. Sobrang aga ba nila pumasok, o late lang mga kaklase namin?

"Good morning," bati ko pabalik. Ibinaba ko ang aking bag sa upuan, at saka naupo. "Good morning, Gray," bati ko kay Gray. Tumango lang ito sa akin. Wala na talagang tatalo sa katahimikan na dala nitong taong ito.

"Congratulations on being the only one who found the key! Shall we throw a party?" masayang wika ni Aziel. "I think we should, what do you think?"

Halos ilang araw na rin nung nangyari 'yung Defreezing. Ako lang ang nakakita ng susi, at unang lumabas ng pinto. Binigyan pa ng extended time ang iba na hindi mahanap ang mga bagay na ipinahahanap sa kanila. Napag-aalaman ko na iba't iba pala ang hahanapin ng bawat isa sa amin.

I'm not actually the one who found it. It was thatーthat one person as evil as he can beーwho found it. I still remember what he said to me before I left.

"You owe me one, and someday you'll return the favor in whatever way I see fit."

Maybe he'll use it to blackmail me. That's the kind of person I see in him.

Masama talaga siya, literal. Mula labas hanggang loob. He's too twisted.

Ang nangyari, as a winner, I received a gift. The others who weren't able to find theirs received the punishment.

Binigyan nila ako ng free food stamp sa cafeteria for 3 months, books na I do believe cost a fortune, cash prize na I don't expect na kaya nilang magbigay ng gano'ng halaga sa mga estudyante, at a complete stationery set with bonus materials for making personal journals.

I'm somewhat happy with the things I received. But somewhat sad for thinking I cheated for letting someone give me the thing I myself should be looking for.

Is that cheating?

I didn't asked him to do it for me. He said he was bored, pero ibang klase naman 'yung boredom niya. Mapapahamak daw siya kapag nalaman na nasa loob siya ng room, eh bakit nga ba siya nasa loob kung gano'n? Papasok siya ro'n tapos takot naman mapahamak.

"Saan tayo maghahanda ng party?" tanong ni Aziel.

"Hindi, hindi. Okay lang na wala, thank you. You're so thoughtful," sagot ko sa kanya. Parang napaisip pa ito sa naging sagot ko.

"A gift for winning, maybe?" hirit nito.

"No, it's okay," sagot ko.

He somewhat pouted after I said that. Parang ayaw niya talaga na wala siyang maibibigay sa akin. Hindi ko talaga alam kung paano niya naging kaibigan 'yung dalawa, he's clearly different from them. Honestly, all of them are completely different.

"Okay, no. No gifts, no party," sabi niya. "What if a ー"

Napabaling ang atensyon namin sa harap nang marinig namin ang pagbukas ng pinto. Iniluwa no'n ang lalaking 'yon.

"Good morning, Kay!" bati ni Aziel sa kanya. Tinaasan niya lamang ito ng kilay, nilagpasan siya, at pasalampak na umupo sa upuan niya.

"What's up with you?" tanong ni Gray sa kanya.

"I feel like an errand boy, been to almost like a dozen of offices," inis na sagot nito. "I was clearly not in the mood to be ordered around, nor did I ever want to do things so inconvenient that I just want to puke."

"You're doing great, VP. Keep it all up," parang may halong pang-aasar sa tono ni Gray.

"Tch."

Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. He's still dressed like that. Parang kasali siya sa gang o kung saang grupo na mahilig sa mga away.