["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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CASTIEL
WHEN AN opportunity came knocking on your door, you should open up and welcome it with open arms. That's why when one of my junior officers gave me the most perfect opportunity to advance my plan, I grabbed it without any second thoughts.
Today was my scheduled interview with The Herald's feature writer. Noong una'y gusto niyang sa normal na paraan gawin ang interview—pupunta siya sa USC office at babatuhin ako ng mga tanong habang nire-record ang usapan namin. But I thought of something else. Something more exciting and more visual. Karamihan sa mga estudyante ay walang oras na magbasa ng mga article online kahit gaano pa kagaling ang pagkakasulat at sumulat n'on. No, they needed more than words.
Case in point: Oplan First Lady. Would anyone be interested in Priam and Fabienne's relationship if someone only wrote about them being spotted in Astra Blend Cafe? Maybe only some. But due to the photo and video components, our First Couple were able to steal the attention of students interested in gossips. It's like dropping a honey on the floor and luring out the ants. We managed to tell a more compelling story because of the visuals.
I would apply the same reasoning in my interview. I requested to The Herald if they could livestream it so everyone could watch me unfiltered and our conversation unedited. I'm the freaking acting president. I should not be treated the same way they treated ordinary interviewees. Fortunately, The Herald approved my request and sent a small crew to the USC office.
Since this was an important interview, I had to look better than usual. Ayaw ko sanang magpalagay ng kung ano-ano sa buhok at mukha ko, ngunit pinilit ako ni Tabitha at ng tatlong junior officer. They wanted me to bring out my A-game. So they sat me in my swivel chair and began working their magic on me.
"Look up," Tabitha asked before pressing the powder puff down my eyes. I obliged, rolling them up. "You're the acting president kaya dapat you look presentable. You shouldn't look like someone na parang pinabili ng candy sa store."
"That's right!" Mignonette was working the magic of the hairspray on my, well, hair. As the interim press secretary and a Tourism student, she must have gotten used to this process. "You're the face of the USC kaya dapat pleasing kang tingnan. You can get easily get someone's attention when you look so good."
"My answers are more important than my appearance." I darted them a side-glance. This was one of the reasons why I hated being in the spotlight. I would have to dress up and look good. If I were on the sidelines or backstage, I could look whatever the way that I wanted. There would be no need for these unnecessary rituals.
"Pinabibigay ni Felix ang updated list of questions," sabi ni Daphne pagpasok niya sa cubicle ko. "May ilan silang tanong na idinagdag."
"Can you hold it up for me?" I asked, and she complied. I could not look down because my make-up artist would surely scold me. I read every question silently. Oh, they want to ask about my ex-officers, huh? That's a bit expected. When I was done reading, I raised my gaze at her. "Can you ask them to add a question for me? To make things more interesting."
