Beberapa kali, Ariana perasan mata Cik Sharlina mencerlung kearahnya. Sepanjang mesyuarat ini, Ariana tak dapat fokus. Bermacam-macam perkara berada dalam fikirannya.
"Jadi, untuk premium magazine tahun ni, akan tambah lagi 10 mukasurat, khas untuk premium The Stallions. Untuk muka depan pun kita akan guna gambar stallions juga. Ada dua gambar. Kita masih belum dapat pilih lagi. At first, kita nak letak gambar ni, ada coach. Ini gambar candid kiriman daripada Syed Ali, sendiri. Yang kedua pula, gambar para pemain yang kita amik dalam studio" kata Alan.
"Saya rasa, kita guna gambar yang dari studio. Scandal seleweng duit coach Hanif tu might bagi tanggapan buruk dekat pembaca. Selain daripada peminat ragbi, kita ada banyak regular purchaser lain selain daripada orang yang beli, untuk poster hensem Syed Ali" kata Hani. Terdengar bunyi ketawa satu bilik mesyuarat.
Ariana turut ketawa kecil.
"Correction, saya rasa poster Harraz paling handsome" menyelit lagi satu suara. Ariana sekadar menggeleng. Bagi dirinya, semua salah. Aidan Shah yang paling kacak.
"Tak kisahlah siapa pun paling handsome, tapi I got the point. Coach Hanif memang penting tapi, the magazine will be out in two weeks, which I think gambar atau anything related to Coach Hanif akan affect the sale. Premium magazine kita penting" kata Sharlina.
"Final desicion kita, gambar studio akan jadi cover mag" kata Sharlina.
"Carry on, Alan" kata Sharlina.
"Okay, continue. This whole documentary adalah bertujuan untuk tengok past. Past stallions. Jadi, we are targetting for good memories. Kita akan include lots of throwback photos . Two full pages untuk gambar sahaja. Photography team dah decide gambar-gambar dia"
Razif angkat tangan.
"Dah decide? Kita ada gambar candid lagi dalam draft. Gambar candid masa photoshoot" kata Razif. "Maaf team kami tak informed ada candid masa photoshoot. We'll meet at the studio later, kita pilih lagi sekali"
"Banyak gambar Ariana" kata Razif. Hampir separuh penghuni bilik itu menoleh kearah Ariana. Ariana sekadar tersenyum.
"Come to the studio later, Ariana. Join us to pick the photos" kata Alan. "Sure, thing" kata Ariana. Ariana menundukkan kepalanya.
"Hey, it's a cute relationship you have with the boys" kata gadis disebelahnya. Separa berbisik. Ariana mengangkat muka.
"Carla" kata gadis itu. "Ariana" kata Ariana semula. "We all aren't really close. I sorang perempuan masa documentary ni berjalan. So, they kinda pay attention to me" terang Ariana.
"Jealous" kata Carla.
"Whoever tweeted the thread, is shitty" kata Carla lagi.
Oh, kalaulah semua orang tahu Cik Sharlina yang tweet thread sensasi itu. Tapi, Ariana memang inginkan reaksi. Apa yang orang lain fikir tentang thread itu.
"Don't you think it might be true?" soal Ariana.
"Ariana, people don't care about the truth. Thread ni release three weeks before final game Lion-Stallions. And thread ni keep on going. Like it is planned to drag the team down" kata Carla.
Ariana mengangguk faham. "Tapi, thread ni pasal Coach"
"Can't you see how the coach is protecting the boys? Coach takde, macam mana team nak stay put? Aidan Shah tu, he failed last year. Patutnya dia drop. Tapi, coach and prof ganged up to let him stay in the class supaya dia boleh kekal dalam team"
Carla berhenti sejenak. Dia menggerakkan kerusinya menghampiri Ariana. Terasa janggal pula berbual perkara seperti ini secara rahsia dalam mesyuarat.
"I mean, of course they want to keep Aidan. He's a monster in field-"
Ariana tersengih kecil. Konon monster in field. Aidan Shah bukan sekuat yang disangka. Dia punyai hati yang sangat rapuh dan minda yang sangat suci. Teringat pula Aidan Shah yang menangis teresak-esak di hadapan asrama Ariana.
"-like he can push guys yang twice bigger than him and still walk out the field in piece" kata Carla.
Itu tak benar. Ariana teringat kali pertama dia lihat luka dam kecederaan Aidan Shah. Semasa live interview pertamanya. Masa itu, hatinya berdegup kencang berdiri bertentangan dengan Aidan Shah di padang.
"Ariana, are you listening?" soal Carla.
"Yes, carry on. I dengar"
"Okay, like you tak excited ke nak tahu apa lagi dark secrets lelaki-lelaki tu?"
"Yes, of course. Who wouldn't"
"Okay, you excited. Now, fikir keadaan diorang masa training. Without the coach"
"Carla. Some people care about the truth--"
Belum sempat Ariana habis berkata-kata, Alan Wong di hujung meja mendehem-dehem.
"So, Ariana. Boleh share how artikel for the magazine going on?" kata Alan. Ariana terkebil-kebil. Dia cuba memproses sekali lagi kata-kata Alan.
Perlahan-lahan dia berdiri. Catatan di buku notanya diteliti.
"Oh, yes. Artikel" kata Ariana.
Dia berdiam sejenak, membaca sekali lalu catatannya.
"Okay, I took this opinion from someone else. I hope it's fine to share it here"
Sharlina mengangguk. "Yes, go ahead"
"okay. The thing we are doing right now is a documentary on the rugby team's win streak for four years, am I right? Tapi the documentary video we released is mainly about current players" kata Ariana.
Buku notanya diangkat.
"Syed Ali was mentioned 14 times and Aidan Shah was mentioned 26 times. I think it's unfair because kita tak include words from past year players. Win streak ni bukan team terkini je yang buat tapi pemain lama banyak contribute. C-coach Hanif pun banyak contribute. Plus, kita dah ada banyak gambar dan poster current team. Jadi, untuk majalah saya akan masukkan temubual Coach. Temubual dengan Coach Hanif ni tak ada release kat video lagi, jadi I think it's completely fine to put it in as a whole in the magazine" terang Ariana panjang lebar.
Sharlina meletakkan tangannya di dagu.
"Tak ada insight dari kapten?" soal Sharlina.
"Tak ada" kata Ariana.
"Boleh bagi interview tu nanti. If it's interesting, we'll proceed. Tapi kalau tak cukup interesting, kita masukkan interview dengan player lain"
"Tapi kita tak ada interview dengan player lain"
"You should record one, today" kata Cik Sharlina. Ariana mengeluh kecil. Tak suka betul kerja last minute.
"Miss boleh suggest kan siapa patut saya interview?"
"Best player, Aidan Shah" kata Sharlina. Ariana berkerut. "Bukan Ricky Tan?" soal Ariana takut - takut. "Aidan Shah akan jadi best player tahun ni. Trust me" kata Sharlina.
"Tapi miss, Aidan takkan main pun untuk final nanti" kata Ariana.
"Then, you should do two. One with Aidan Shah, one with Ricky Tan" kata Sharlina. Ariana mengetap bibir.
"Actually, it is confusing. For the whole season, Aidan contribute 60% for Stallion's winning. Tapi for final game nanti he won't be playing. Ricky Tan pula, most try adalah daripada dia. So, it's between those two" kata Alan.
"I agree" kata Razif.
Ariana mengangguk faham. "Sure. I akan schedule kan. I'll inform you if anything happen" kata Ariana. Kemudian, Ariana kembali melabuhkan punggung ke kerusinya.
"So, done for premium stallions. Let's move to the buletin" kata Sharlina.
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