"Do you like Shadow? You're gay?"
I can't believe that I am being asked like this. Of course they know. Lagi naman. Ako lagi ang pinag-iinitan nila. If I could just use my power and remove them from their job, I will do it.
Tumango ako bilang sagot sa kanila. Wala naman akong itatago. They have seen it. The way I act, the way I talk. It's something that a man won't do. I'm too feminine; I like girly things, I love makeup, I love crop tops, I like everything that a girl uses. Bakla ako. Pakialam ba nila?
I was discriminated by them, that I should act like a man that reach their masculinity standard and I didn't. Magkakaiba ang naghahandle sa lahat ng teams under The One, kaya hindi nakarating ang pagiging homophobic nila kay Mama. Hindi ako nagsumbong dahil wala rin naman ako pake until napuno na ako.
I got affected by the toxic environment that they were giving, and Yash came, my savior.
Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit hindi ako nagsumbong. Nalaman na lang ni Mama na ayoko na noong ako mismo ang lumapit sa kanya para i-terminate ang contract ko. Sinabi ko ang lahat pero hindi ako pumayag na tanggalin niya ang mga taong nanghamak sa akin. I was too kind. Alam ko ring may pamilya silang pinapakain kaya hinayaan ko na lang. Their synergy with the teams is also compatible, so it would be hard for them to adjust if they were replaced. Hinayaan ko na lang.
I was scouted by the weakest team in the league. I wanted to laugh and degrade myself for letting myself go on a team that barely wins.
Ni-hindi ko nga alam kung marunong ba talaga silang maglaro. Well, they can, they can play, but 'yon lang? What was their rank last season? Rank 7? The last rank? That's comedy.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ako na-convince ni Yash. He was saying what, na bumubuo sila ng team, bagong team na kayang talunin ang dating team na kinabibilangan ko. Nahihibang na ba siya? We're talking about the champions. The team that's dominating the league for three seasons. A back-to-back defending champions of the league and the defending champions of the worlds. How can we beat that? He's delusional.
I didn't want to go to any team. Hindi ko sila gusto. I was scared that I may be discriminated against again for how I act. Inferno is the team that I can still fight with in case they become homophobes to me. I came from Abyss, the champions, and they do not have the rights to discriminate for who I am. Mga talunan sila, wala pang napapatunayan sa mundo.
Yash and I entered the bootcamp. Surprisingly, the bootcamp is big. It was organized. Malaki, maganda at malinis. There are rooms on the second floor, like it's some big cargo container. Tabi-tabi ang rooms, may mga number na 1-5 at sa baba ay tatlong rooms, magkakahiwalay na. There's also a pantry and a kitchen. May table din na pahaba pero where everyone can eat.
Sa gitna naman ay may limang PC, may limang gaming chair din at mukhang lahat ay may sariling pwesto. Every chair is black except for the chair in the middle. It was a pink gaming chair. Ang headset ay kulay pink din, cat ears ang design, cute.
Everyone seems to be waiting for me. I feel shy and intimidated by them. They all looked so masculine. They looked homophobic too; they are allergic to my kind.
I looked at them one by one. I know the three already, but there's a new face on the team. Hindi ko pa siya nakita kahit kailan. Mukhang may lahi dahil mestizo pero lumalaban ang Filipino genes niya. May itsura din pero mukhang barumbado. Hindi ko gusto ang aura niya. Mga ganyang mukha ay parang bully at mahilig pumuna ng tao.
Was I being judgmental? No. I am just protecting myself.
"Welcome to Impyerno!" The leader of the team said. I hope that he was joking. I was in hell. Tapos ngayon impyerno pa rin?
