18 ROSES: Laws of the Elite || #Wattys2017 Winner [UNDER REVISION]

101ST ROSE || Tric Marion Baek (Pt. 2)

I looked away. It's no use to deny to them anyway.

"Whoa. Oppa is silent," Seul Gi snickered again.

Agad namang umupo si Hye Ra sa tapat ko at nangalumbaba. "Mukhang first time nating magkwento ng ibang babae ah?"

I snorted at her. "She's different from all the girls I've met in that crappy school. She has guts and she has this freedom to tell everything what's in her mind."

Seul Gi giggled. "Pwede na ba akong kiligin para sa'yo, oppa?"

"Aish, dagchyeo," I waved my hand to shut her up.

Hye Ra smiled at me. "Parang gusto ko na atang makilala ang babaeng iyan."

Buong araw akong kinulit nina Hye Ra at Seul Gi tungkol kay Michelle Sumastre pero panay naman ang iwas kong pag-usapan ang tungkol sa kanya. Those girls were really bugging me off about who is Michelle? What did she do to me to make me act like this—something like that. Gusto sana nilang sumama sa akin pabalik ng Pilipinas but fortunately, they can't because they have their first quarter exam at Seoul Performing Arts High School. In the end, I managed to go back to the Philippines alone.

Nung pumasok ako sa Empire Academy kinabukasan ay agad akong sinalubong ni Madame Sinclair, ang teacher namin sa Music and Arts. Sinabi n'ya sa akin ang mga dapat kong pag-aralan at ipasa sa kanya na mga projects since malapit na rin ang Midterm exam namin. Kahit ayoko munang isipin ang tungkol sa mga iyon dahil pinatawag na naman ako ni Abeoji para dumalo sa business meeting namin ay tumango at sumagot na lamang ako sa mga pinagsasabi ni Madame Sinclair. Ugh, this really gives me a sudden headache.

I sighed as I walked towards my car. Pinagbuksan agad ako ng pintuan ng backseat ni Dong Ju, ang driver namin. I was about to enter the car when someone shouted my name.

"Tric! Tric Marion Baek!"

Napalingon agad ako at agad na kumunot ang noo ko nung makita ko kung sino ang tumawag sa akin. "Sumastre?"

Ano namang kailangan ng babaeng ito sa akin?

Ah, stop lying that you don't wanna see her Tae Hyun.

Nung makalapit na s'ya sa akin ay agad kong nakita ang paghingal n'ya kasabay ng kanyang pag-ubo at pagsinghot bago n'ya ako tignan. Ako lang ba o sadyang ang putla n'yang tignan ngayon? "Mabuti nalang at nandito ka na. Gusto sana kitang kausapin kasi buong linggo ka namang wala. Mabuti nalang talaga at pumasok ka."

"What do you want? Make sure it's worth my time," I said coldly, trying to hide my heart beating fast.

Huminga s'ya nang malalim. "'Yung... 'yung tungkol kasi sa Outside School... ano kasi, next week na kasi iyon. Lahat ay pupunta... m-maliban sa'yo. K-Kaya, kung okay lang sana ay sumama ka. Ano, co-compulsory kasi sa atin 'yun since Grade 12 na tayo. Kaya sana, pumunta ka."

I was expecting that she'll ask me if how am I? What did I do last week? Why am I absent? Am I fine—something like that. But she asked me about the freaking Outside School? Ah, urajil (damn it).

I gave her a cold stare. "My business and my company are more important than that Outside School. If you think that you can convince me just like how you convince the others, well, you're wrong. So, don't be so persistent and back off. I have important things to do than that camping."

I was about to enter the car when she suddenly blocked my way. "Ah, jinjja. Wae geurae?!"

"Seryoso, ano bang meron sa Outside School na iyon para hindi n'yo daluhan?" bahagya s'yang pumikit at huminga nang malalim. Kumunot naman agad ang noo ko. Is there something wrong with her right now? "Alam ko, nouveau riche lang ako at wala akong alam sa pagpapatakbo ng business maging ang pagtitraining n'yo bilang successor pero... estudyante parin kayo. Oo bilyonaryo na kayo sa murang edad at hindi required sa business profession n'yo ang camping na ito. Pero required kayo nito bilang estudyante. We do have responsibilities on our own. Business has its own business trip and so with the school, with our class. Ngayon lang 'to, Baek. Isang beses sa isang taon ito mangyayari. Alam kong wala kayong makukuhang business shares at pera sa Outside School na ito pero alam kong higit pa roon ang makukuha natin rito. Bago tayo umalis sa premises ng Empire, might as well enjoy ourselves as high school students for the last time."