The Engineer (Batchelor Series #2)

17

Drakon Da Vinci
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It was intrams day, and as the student council president, it was my job to make sure everything went smoothly. Weeks of planning had led to this—the culmination of the sports events we had worked so hard to organize. The campus was alive with excitement, with students from different programs hyped up, cheering for their teams.

Today was also the day I decided to wear those shoes. Yeah, the ones Renz gave me. They weren’t exactly my style, but I had to admit, they were comfortable, and if I was going to be running around announcing winners and dealing with the chaos of the day, I might as well be comfortable.

“Pres!” One of my council members, Aquarius, came running up to me as I made my way to the gymnasium. “The results are in for basketball. Civil Engineering won. Mukhang talo ang Pol Sci, ah.”

I nodded, pretending not to care too much. “Expected. Civil Engineering has been dominating that game for years now. Pol Sci didn’t stand a chance.”

Aquarius grinned. “Siguro because may secret weapon sila? You know, someone who gave you a pair of shoes as a peace offering?”

I rolled my eyes. Everyone in the council seemed to know about the shoes now. Somehow, the story of Renz's peace offering spread like wildfire. “Let’s not make this a big deal,” I said, adjusting the mic in my hand. “Anyway, I need to announce the winners.”

As I stepped up to the stage, the gymnasium was packed with students, all awaiting the results. The atmosphere was electric, with students from every college gathered in anticipation. I looked out over the crowd, spotting the various team banners, and of course, the Engineering team standing near the front—Renz, front and center, wearing his usual smug grin.

“Good afternoon, everyone!” I began, tapping the mic to get everyone’s attention. “First of all, I want to thank all the participants for making this year’s intramurals one of the best we’ve had in years.”

The crowd erupted in cheers. It was always like this—the energy, the noise, the thrill of competition. Even if I wasn’t the biggest sports fan, I couldn’t deny the way the excitement in the air felt contagious.

“Let’s start with the winners for volleyball. The champions for this year are…” I paused for dramatic effect, looking at the teams who were all holding their breath. “... the College of Business Administration!”

The gym erupted in cheers as the winning team jumped up and down, celebrating their hard-earned victory. I watched them with a smile, nodding in approval. “Next up, badminton—congratulations to the College of Architecture for dominating this sport!”

More applause, and I could see some of the athletes exchanging high-fives and hugs. The vibe in the gym was pure exhilaration.

“And finally,” I said, looking directly at the Civil Engineering team, “the winners of this year’s basketball championship… College of Engineering!”

The Engineering crowd went wild, and of course, Renz was at the center of it all, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. He raised his fist in the air, clearly basking in the glory. I couldn’t help but shake my head at his theatrics.

But as the crowd cheered, Renz’s eyes found mine, and for a split second, he pointed to my shoes and gave me a thumbs up, his grin widening. I knew what that meant—he noticed I was wearing them.

Napailing na lang ako. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero kahit alam kong annoying sya, parang hindi na nakakairita ngayon. Maybe I was getting used to his antics.

“Alright, alright,” I said into the mic, trying to regain some order as the crowd continued celebrating. “Let’s give all the winners a round of applause!”

The applause rang out, and as it died down, I went on to wrap things up, thanking the sponsors and making sure everyone knew what time the closing ceremony was happening.

After the announcements, I stepped down from the stage and started to mingle with the teams, congratulating them personally. I was halfway through when Renz approached me, still sweaty from the game, but clearly riding the high of their win.

"Pres, I see you're finally wearing them!" he said, pointing at my shoes with an annoyingly proud smirk.

I crossed my arms. "Don’t get too cocky, Salarza. I only wore them because I had to be on my feet all day."

"Sure, sure," he replied, still grinning. "But admit it, they're comfy, right?"

I sighed, not giving him the satisfaction of a full compliment. "They're… fine."

He laughed, obviously enjoying my reluctant praise. "Fine is good enough for me. I’ll take it."

“Congrats on the win, by the way,” I said, changing the subject. “Your team did well.”

He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, but I could tell he was pleased. “Yeah, we did alright. But hey, it’s not just about winning. Alam mo naman yun, Pres, di ba?”

I gave him a skeptical look. “Coming from you, that’s rich.”

He chuckled and then looked down at my shoes again. “See, Pres? When you wear something from me, it brings you luck. Next time you need a boost for council stuff, just say the word. I’ve got connections.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” I said with a smirk. “I’m not planning on relying on your 'luck' anytime soon.”

Renz just winked at me and waved off my comment. "Well, kapag kailangan mo ng tulong, alam mo naman kung saan ako hahanapin."

As he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie with him. It was weird, considering how he used to annoy the hell out of me. Maybe that peace offering really did work, after all. Maybe things were starting to shift between us in a way I hadn’t expected.

I looked down at the shoes one more time before walking away. Maybe Renz was right about one thing—sometimes, the right pair of shoes could change everything.

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