["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
"I WON the bet!" I declared when I met my partner in community service. We just finished polishing the trophies, medals, and plaques in the university's hall of champions. Pumalad ako sa kaniya habang pinanonood ang pagbunot niya ng isang five-hundred peso bill mula sa wallet. He got a lot of blue bills there!
"Darn it," Michelangelo muttered as he slapped the yellow bill on my hand. His face used to have a smug look. Now it's gone. "I really thought that 'Ric will be the next VP."
"Not gonna lie, he's been disappointing quite recently." I held up the money before the light to see if it's real or fake. "No'ng una, inurong niya ang impeachment. Ngayon, hinayaan niyang makalusot sa LEXECOM ang napiling VP ni Priam. Where's the entertainment you've been bragging to me?"
"I don't know!" He threw his hands in the air. "'Ric never disappoints. 'Ric always gets what he wants."
"That doesn't seem to be the case now." I pocketed the bill. May pambili na ako ng burger with fries and drink mamaya. "Parang tigre siya na nabahag ang buntot. Ay, hindi pala tigre. Kuting."
A week ago, right after Valeria's resignation, Michelangelo and I made a wager. It started as a joke, pero sineryoso niya kaya napasubo na rin ako. I bet that Alaric wouldn't be the next VP. Never. He bet that his friend would take that spot through some clever maneuvers. He even said that everything leading up to this point was part of that guy's overly complicated plan.
Confident akong 'di mangyayari 'yon kaya malakas ang loob kong pumusta. Why? Because Castiel would never allow it. Priam wouldn't also be an idiot to nominate someone who tried to drag him off his throne. Except for mind control or hypnotism, there's no way we would be seeing the title "Vice President" before Alaric Esteban's name—at least, not through the usual nomination process.
"Hindi basta-basta mababahag ang buntot niya," pailing-iling na tugon ni Michelangelo. He had been a staunch Alaric supporter and defender since day one. He might be an apologist, too. "They must have threatened him or something. Nagawa nga nila ro'n sa isang CSC chairperson, 'di ba? Magagawa rin nila 'yon kay 'Ric."
"That makes sense." My eyes narrowed into slits. "But does Alaric have any skeletons in his closet that they can use against him? Kasi kung meron, posible ngang binlackmail din siya gaya ni Chevy."
Napahalakhak ang kasama ko na parang may mabenta akong joke na sinabi. Is he trying to laugh it off?
"Walang bahong itinatago si 'Ric," sagot niya matapos maubo. "Kahit gaano pa katalas ang kanilang sense of smell, wala silang maaamoy na umaalingasaw galing sa kaniya."
Because he's quite good at covering his tracks? "Then why did you mention na baka tine-threaten siya kung alam mong walang magagamit laban sa kaniya? What will they use to blackmail him in the first place?"
Napakamot siya ng pisngi at umiwas ng tingin. "B-Baka tine-threaten siya sa ibang paraan?"
Lalo pang naningkit ang mga mata ko sa kaniya. He knew more than what he was letting on. Let me dig deeper.
