The Enigma of Erald

CHAPTER THIRTY: Withdrawal

ERALD

"YES, I contacted the K-OS Club before the club fair," I admitted to everyone who's still interested in hearing my defense. "But don't be mistaken. Hindi ko 'yon ginawa para makahakot ng pansin ang club namin. I did it to get a headstart on that rogue club. If I did not establish any communication with them, I wouldn't have gotten close to their leader."

Of course, that was an outright lie. That good-for-nothing group wasn't a threat so they weren't within my crosshair back then. Ang tanging dahilan kaya ko sila kinontak ay para may kasabwat ako sa gimik.

Still, no matter what explanation I offered to them, they did not seem to care at all. Inulan ako ng "boo!" habang nagsasalita. Ang mga muntikan ko nang ma-convert na supporter, bumaligtad na naman.

This was not the first time that what I did in the past haunted me.

During our first face-to-face meeting, Torry threatened that he's going to release the recording of my conversation with them. That's the card that they have been holding close to their chest. Hindi ko in-expect na ibaba nila ngayong araw ang kanilang itinatagong baraha.

But what bothered me most was the fact that the K-OS Club managed to play the forbidden recording while the debate was ongoing. Their boss was out of reach kaya paano sila nakapag-come up ng isang counter-attack sa akin?

During the thirty-minute break after the three-way debate, sinilip ko ang storage room kung saan naka-detain si Torry. There was no sign that the padlock was picked. Sa loob, nakatali pa rin siya sa lumang upuan at tila walang malay.

So how in the world did his group manage to make a move? May hinabilinan ba si Torry sakaling bigla siyang mawala sa eksena? Meron ba siyang deputy na nagdedesisyon kapag wala siya? O kusang kumilos ang mga galamay niya kahit walang utos mula sa kanya?

This was frustrating. I thought that they couldn't meddle in the election without their leader. I was wrong. I underestimated them which was my critical mistake.

After my quick trip to the storage room, bumalik na ako sa backstage. To my surprise, Charlotte and Clyde were waiting there for me. Something's strange with how our club president looked. Mukhang disappointed siya. Nope, that wasn't just disappointment. There was a glint of anger on her face.

"Bakit kayo nandito—"

"Is it true na kinontrata mo ang K-OS Club noong club fair?" Charlotte was fuming mad. Hawak-hawak niya ang kanyang journal kung saan niya siguro isinulat ang nangyari ilang linggo na ang nakararaan. "I can't recall what happened back then, and my notes did not mention anything about me approving your action."

Napahiya na nga ako kanina sa harap ng mga tao, mukhang mapapahiya pa ako kay Charlotte. I expected that she would be mad. But to deal with her a few minutes before the polling starts? Pwede bang i-postpone muna ito?

"Narinig mo naman ang sinabi ko kanina, 'di ba?" tanong ko. "I contacted them para magkaroon ako ng lead sa kanila. Hindi ko na lang sinabi kaagad sa inyo dahil hindi ko inakalang magiging relevant ito ngayon."

"Aside sa magiging masamang tingin sa 'yo ng mga estudyante, concerned din ako sa magiging perception nila sa club natin," Charlotte said. "They might think that we were too desperate to resort to such strategies."

Frankly, I was too desperate back then because I did not want the student council to take away our clubroom. Ang tanging mali ko lang noon ay hindi ko in-expect na magiging campus-wide threat ang K-OS Club.

"Let them think whatever they want!" I exclaimed. "Ang importante, nagbunga ang ginawa kong pag-contact sa kanila noon. If I didn't, I wouldn't have a chance of meeting their leader. Baka nga wala pa tayong kahit anong lead tungkol sa kanila."