[Law]

Kung hindi pa 'ko mamumutla at kung hindi sisikip ang dibdib ko, makakalimutan ko talagang huminga. This room is probably one of the worst places I've been to. For fucking pete's sake, the tension is too much!

Kahit hindi ako nagsasalita, parang natutuyo ang laway ko kalulunok ko rito. Pasimple akong sumulyap sa batang babaeng nasa gilid ko. Principal Helena looks so serious... the last time I saw her like this was that time when Scarlet left the Academy.

She's furious...

I felt a little bit of pity to guy that just entered. He looks familiar but I don't really give a fuck.

"Is this meeting done?" Malamig na tanong ng isang babae. Nalipat ang tingin ko kay Miss Xilah na nasa lamesa ang tingin. "Then, I'll go now."

Inusog niya ang upuan niya, senyales na patayo na siya.

"Why?" Giit ng matandang babae. Magkadikit ang kilay ni Lady Luceta. "Is there anything more important than this meeting, Xilah?" Sarkastikong dagdag niya.

Miss Xilah looks so unbothered. "Yes, plenty of them." Sagot niya nang makatayo, napaismid si Lady Luceta at mas lalong sumama ang tingin niya.

"And one of them is the kid that just entered here."

"The student, Zeke?" Kunot noong tanong ni Principal Bora.

"What do you want with the student?" Muling tanong ni Lady Luceta.

Pabalik-balik lang ang tingin ko sa kanila na para bang nanonood ako ng palabas. Nagsasalitan sila ng mga salita. Lowkey trying to insult one another. And... I'm rooting for Miss Xilah of course.

"That kid, he's going to call them, right?" Ani ni Miss Xilah nang iusog niya ulit ang upuan at inayos.

Napaayos ako ng upo sa sinabi niya, she got my attention.

"And if it's 'them', he'll call that guy too."

Pinagtaasan ng kanang kilay ng matanda ang babaeng kausap niya. "At ano naman 'yon sa 'yo?"

Miss Xilah walked to the door, all of our eyes following her.

"Do you think that you can make him come back?"

"We're the academy, he has no other choice but to come." Lady Luceta scoffed. 

Walang buhay ang mga mata ni Miss Xilah nang lungunin niya ulit ang mga tao na nasa lamesa. May kung anong dumagan sa pakiramdam ko at kusa na lang akong napaiwas ng tingin sa kaniya. Napalunok ako nang malalim.

"Believe me, he have options. Every move he makes, it's just either for him... or for me."

"The Judge... makes the rules."

I was frozen in my place. That one word that came in her mouth... made me felt the chills down my spine

The Judge. 

It's been a long time since I heard that name. I didn't know that he was true or just a fucking myth. I tried talking to Gin about him once but even him only has a little bit of information about that guy.

All we know... is that the Judge— is the strongest.

Wala ring nakasagot sa sinabi ni Miss Xilah, kita ko ang matatalim na tingin nila sa kaniya. Merong isa na walang ekespron na pinapakita pero puno ng emosyon ang mga mata. 

The number 2, Yadiel.

"So what are you saying? YOU can bring him back?" Walang kaemo-emosyong tanong ni Principal Bora.

Binuksan ni Miss Xilah ang pinto at bago siya lumabas ay sinagot niya ang tanong ng principal.

"I'm the only one who can."

Tuluyang nakalabas ng silid si Miss Xilah, sa parehong pagkakataon, doon lang din ako nakahinga. The heck! What's wrong with this family?!

"Pfttt. You're turning blue, brat." Natatawang sambit ng isang batang babae— hindi si Principal Helena.

Hindi maipinta ang mukha ko sa kaniya. She looks like a freaking psychopath while looking at me, laughing. Ang malala pa, pagitan naming dalawa si Principal Helena na parang wala lang sa kaniya.

"Oi, oi. Just wait, I'll punch you in the face."

"Why not do it now? Scared? I can punch you right now in the face."

The bitch touched a nerve. Aamba na sana ako nang tapunan ako ng tingin ng batang nasa pagitan namin. Mabilis akong nahinto na mas lalong kinatawa ni Joker.

"I didn't brought you here to punch each others face. If you want to, I can do it myself."

Hindi ako nakaimik sa kabila ng pang-aasar lalo ni Joker. I clenched my fist instead, like a freaking kid that just got scolded by his mom. I bit my lower lip. 

Unlike me, who's embarrassed, Joker's eyes are twinkling. Like she's asking to get punch in the face by the principal!

"Well, that's that." Muling sambit ni Principal Helena, ngayon ang tingin niya ay nasa harap na— sa ibang opisyales. 

"The meeting's over, but I think that we still need to talk about something. Right, Bora?" May tonong tanong niya.

Nagtinginan sila ni Principal Bora bago ito huminga nang malalim. He looked at the others. 

"You all can go now."

Principal also glanced at us. "Law, take Joker and Red to the other Kids."

"But I should also stay-"

"Law." Madiing pagbigkas ni Principal Helena sa pangalan ko. The moment I saw the look in her eyes, I knew that I won't win this time.

"U-Understood."

Tumayo na rin kami sa pagkakaupo. Kasunod ng ibang opisyales ng Academy, lumabas na rin kaming tatlo sa silid. For one last time, I glanced at the Principal. It's her and Principal Bora left inside.

Nang makatapak ako sa labas, parang nawala ang usok na nakatambay sa paligid ko at nagawa kong makahinga nang maayos. Medyo nawala na rin ang tensyon na nararamdaman ko kanina.

"Tsk, damn those oldies. Thinking that they can both shoulder all of the problems." Giit ni Lady Luceta nang makalabas kami. "They even cast Ethan aside!"

"It's okay auntie, wala rin akong matutulong sa kanila." Principal Ethan faked a chuckle.

Napangiwi ang kausap niya sa sinabi niya. "How the hell a soft hearted and fool man like you became a Principal?" Giit ni Lady Luceta.

Principal Ethan awkwardly chuckled.

"Come on, grandma. Ikaw ang pumili kay Tito Ethan na maging principal." Walang ganang pagsali ng isa sa mga opisyales, na sa pagkakaalala ko, si Elias.

"Sinabi kong sumali ka sa usapan ng mga matatanda?"

"Nah, I'm just stating facts."

Hindi ko napansin na pinapanood ko na pala sila nang matagal kung hindi pa 'ko sisipain sa binti ng kung sino. Mabilis akong napasimangot at napaaray dahil sa biglaang nangyari.

There I saw a fucking brat laughing again at me.

"Brat, are we going to watch them all day? Or you just wet your pants after leaving the room?"

"You fucking bitch-"

"Kid, I think we should go now." Malamig na ani na isa pa naming kasama. Seryoso kaming pinapanood ni Red na may seryosong itsura.

Sa muling pagkakataon, napigilan ulit akong makabawi sa isang baliw na bata. I clicked my tongue— irritated.

"Fuck it, fine. Follow me."

I have no choice but to follow Principal Helena's orders and take them both to where Scarlet and the other is. 

My girl is probably still taking care to the useless students from this academy. Thinking about it really irritates me more. I hate this academy, I don't like the students here. Specially a stupid looking guy, same age as scarlet,  a childhood friend of her, and her partner before me. In short ang— wala-akong-paki-sa-pangalan na lalaki. 

"You look irritated, do you really hate me that much?" Biglaang sambit ng batang nasa gilid ko na.

Sumabay sa akin sa paglalakad si Joker, hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngisi sa labi.

"Oi, oi. Get away from me before I punch your face."

"Can you?"

"Tell me a reason why I can't-"

"Because I look like Principal Helena." She answered confidently.

Napaismid ako sa sagot niya na kinatawa niya. Pinili kong isipin na hindi siya nag-eexist at nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. She then stopped laughing, eyes in front. She was silent for a couple of seconds before she said something in a serious tone.

"Is Principal Helena important to you?"

Hindi ko kaagad naproseso ang sinabi niya. Kunot noo akong naglakad. What kind of stupid question is that?

"Is that a no?-"

"Shut up." Seryosong sagot ko, nauna akong naglakad sa kaniya.

"I will live, kill, and die for her."

Nauna akong maglakad, at the corner of my eye, I saw Joker smirked. I'm not sure if I heard her right, or it was just my imagination. But I'm sure she said something like...

"I already did."

Pasimple akong napasulyap sa kaniya dahil sa sinabi niya. She wasn't looking in front, her eyes are on the floor— smiling. But despite that, there's still a hint of sadness in her face.

"Dito na ba 'yon?" Biglaang tanong ng lalaking nasa likuran namin.

Napatingin ako sa isa pa naming kasama na si Red at doon ako natauhan sa sinabi niya. We're close to the clinic of the academy where Scarlet and the others are.

"A-Ah, yeah." I continued walking, still a little bit bothered but I chose to let it slip.

"Let's go meet the others."

CHAPTER 13
End of Meeting