After Forever

Part 10

New quickly made a mental run-through of all possible scenarios and planned how he would react to whoever was behind that door. He looked towards the hidden camera he just installed before turning the doorknob.

He was half-relieved and half-annoyed when he found out it was just Chimon who knocked.

Hurriedly, he dragged the young man away from the office and out of the gym.

"What the hell, Chi? Why did you come here?" he murmured.

"I'm sorry kuya. I was calling your phone but you weren't answering. Pluem saw the coach's car entering the campus just a minute ago and I wanted to tell you immediately so I ran to the office."

"What? You told Pluem about this?"

"Sorry kuya. I didn't tell him everything though. I just told him to hangout near the gate and watch out for the coach's car. Look kuya, there he is," Chimon said pointing to the coach who was already entering the gym.

"All right. Thanks," New said. "But it's over now. I've done what I needed to do. Go back to your class. I'll check out the videos, edit out the student's faces, make sure they're unrecognizable and ten later this afternoon, we'll decide what to do with them, okay?"

New was about to leave towards the parking lot when Chimon caught up with him. "Thanks for trusting me kuya."

"Of course," New said.

"For real kuya. I've always wanted to be like you. I want to be as smart and creative and brave as you. I also want to be able to protect the people I love."

"Aww, Chi," New said as he placed his arm around Chimon's shoulder. "I wish we lived in a world where young people like you don't have to worry about seeking justice on their own. I wish we had an effective, impartial and righteous police and justice system. But unfortunately, justice usually on the side of the rich, corrupt and powerful. Victims rarely get any support. So I understand where you're coming from.

"Sometimes, we want swift justice for our families and friends and we usually can't rely on the police for that. Don't worry, I will teach you what I know. Little by little. But as early as now, I want it to be clear that we should always be on the side of justice okay? Any form of power, even just the mere ability to hack people's computers, comes with a responsibility to use it only for the good, okay?"

Chimon nodded. "I understand kuya. Thank you."

"All right now off to your classes."

---

Back in his car, New checked his phone to see what was going on inside the coach's office.

As he watched the feed from the camera he installed, he was reassured that the coach didn't have an idea that someone touched his PC yet. New only saw him yelling on his phone a few times; probably cursing at the International Hospital for the fake news. New smirked. It's your fault for being too gullible, asshole, he whispered.

---

Tay was anxiously waiting inside his office for the clock to turn twelve so he could have lunch with New. He badly needed to talk to him not just about Arm but also about what happened to Nanon.

At 11:50, his office phone finally rang.

"Hello. Is New here?" he asked his secretary.

"No Sir. It's Mr. Garcia who's here to see you," his secretary answered.

"Arm Garcia?"

"Yes sir. He's holding a few paper bags of what looks to me like takeout food. He's probably here to have lunch with you."