["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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REYNARD
JUST A few more words and... done! I clicked the send button on my email composer and waited for the confirmation message. Once the email was successfully sent, I leaned back against my comfy swivel chair. Finally! Tapos na rin ang article na naka-due today! I could relax and do something else.
I stretched my arms and cracked my neck. Sitting in front of my computer for an hour was taking a toll on my back. I'm only twenty years old, pero parang pangmatanda na ang back pain ko. What time is it? Oh, it's ten minutes past five! Darn it! I had an important appointment scheduled for this afternoon.
I turned off my computer and grabbed my hoodie draped on the backrest of my seat. Time to bounce! I hoped the person I was about to meet would forgive me for my tardiness. Can you blame me? Hindi ko na namamalayan ang takbo ng oras kapag sobrang absorbed ako sa isinusulat ko. Time went by so fast as if it's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment.
"Aba? Aalis ka na?" tanong ng kapwa reporter ko sa kabilang workstation. Napatingin siya sa kaniyang relo bago muling iniangat ang tingin sa 'kin. "Ang aga pa, ah?"
"Bakit?" Pinaningkitan ko siya, may halong pang-iintriga ang aking tingin. "Gusto mo bang samahan kita rito, Rie?"
"How many times must I tell you to stop calling me by that name!" Rie almost yelled. She caught herself as she raised her voice, drawing attention from others in the office. "Minsan pang tawagin mo akong Rie, ihahampas ko sa 'yo itong keyboard."
I laid my palms flat on the table and leaned toward her. If she wanted to strike me, my face was just within her arm's reach. "I wanna see you try, Rie."
She glanced sideways and chewed her lower lip. Hindi niya magawa dahil agaw-atensiyon na naman siya. Our editor was also just at the other end of the workstation. Kapag gumawa siya ng iskandalo, magiging agaw-pansin siya. Calling her by a nickname wouldn't justify any violence.
"I have no time for this," she muttered. Her monitor screen reflected in her eyes. Though I couldn't see clearly, a word processor was open. "Stressed na ako sa dami ng isinusulat kong articles dahil sa mga pinaggagawa ng USC acting president. Huwag mo nang dagdagan pa ang sakit ng ulo ko."
"Willing akong mag-stay if you say please." Tumayo na ako nang tuwid. As much as I enjoyed teasing her, she could be unpredictable. Baka lumabas ako ng office na namamaga ang kaliwang pisngi ko. I didn't want people thinking that I had been rejected and slapped.
She rolled her eyes. "At sino ka para pakiusapan kong mag-stay rito? Umalis ka na nga! Naiistorbo ako sa 'yo."
"Okay!" I turned around and waved without looking back at her. "Oras na para makipag-meet ako sa aking date."
"Date?" She giggled.
Muli ko siyang hinarap. My left brow rose. "Did I say something funny?"
Napatakip siya ng bibig habang pinipigilan ang kaniyang tawa. "I find it hard to believe na may ka-date ka. You, of all people? This is an old saying, pero mas may chance pa yatang pumuti ang uwak kaysa ro'n."
