n. an imaginary interview with an old photo of yourself.

* * *

The first thing I see is Gregory's face, just few inches away from me, causing me step back right away, questioning him, realizing that I am back to the real world, "Anong ginagawa mo?!" I suddenly remember that the time before I return to the game was at the time that that weird girl threw her mango graham shake at me.

"Gregory! Bakit hindi mo ako pinapansin?!" the girl shouts another time.

He sighs heavily and says, "Diyan ka lang. Kung ayaw mo masaktan." I didn't realize that he is holding an umbrella, until the moment that he opens it up and shelters the two of us from the rest of the things that had been flying in our direction. Once the girl is done with throwing things, Gregory closes his umbrella. The girl is already nowhere and he explains, "It's going to be okay. Titigil din siya kapag naibato niya na lahat ng gamit na mayroon siya. Si Josie, pinsan ko. Ginagawa niya iyon kapag nagagalit siya. At may pagka-clingy nga lang." He smiles and offers a handkerchief to my direction. "Ito oh."

"Hmph." I turn away from him. "Hindi ko kailangan. Ang mahalaga, naibalik ko na yung CD. Bye." Without any further ado, I head on my way home.

# # #

I start to feel like the time has passed in a flash. It's been a week since I've returned here, and things start to return back to normal.

"(Y/N), pinalista ko na nga pala tayo para sa fun race," Via tells me, excitedly.

I blink at her. "Ha?"

She sighs. "Doon sa fun race na kailangan daw kasali tayo? Kung hindi, demerits daw yun sa attendance sa ROTC."

Bwiset na ROTC. Requirement ng school namin ang ROTC, compared sa ibang universities na papapiliin ka pa.

This time, it is my turn to sigh. "May iba pa bang choice?"

"Wala eh. At alam mo na, baka mas lalo tayo pag-initan ng mga officers ng ROTC."

"Ilang meters ba?"

"Five kilometers."

"F-Five kilometers?!" I exclaim. "Seryoso ka ba, V? Parang hihimatayin na ako ngayon pa lang."

"(Y/N)! Sayang kasi yung prize! Ten thousand din yun, no! First one hundred daw!" She giggles lightly. "Di ba?"

"V, ilang libong estudyante ang nandun."

"(Y/N), matapos lang yun, accomplishment na. Also, kasama mo ako." She winks at me.

In the end, I agree with her. After all, this is a good take for me to stop thinking of the game. Either Goyo or Isidro or the others... They're not real. But my friend, and everything in front of me right now is real. It's just that... when I think about the game, when I think I'm not going to see them again... I feel a little sad.

# # #

At the day of the fun race, just two weeks later, I can't help but feel insecure at the gathered crowd. After all, the entire student community of our school are here. Wishing that they'll be able to have the ten thousand grand prize for the first to win. I do not imagine winning since just about few steps since the start, I'll certainly fall behind the line.

Via, next to me, had been doing warm-ups, one that she mentioned to remove the tension on her muscles in order to avoid muscle pains the following day. I start to follow after her, noticing that most of the students are doing the same thing while we wait for the program to start.

Finally, someone walks on the podium set-up by the side of the starting line as the crowd quiet down. And surprisingly, the one standing right there now is none other than but Gregory, dressed in his best suit, when I am expecting that he'll be one of the students in the run. And I instantly look away at the moment that our eyes somehow meet, coincidentally, and he winks at me, smiling even.

"Hmph!"

"Everyone!" he starts to address all of us. His voice echoes through the JumboTrons set up as well. "You know the goal. Five kilometers. The first to finish wins the winning money of one hundred thousand."

W-What?!

I blink, immediately turning to Via. "Akala ko, ten thousand lang?"

"A-Akala ko rin," Via remarks as the others around us start whispering as well. Not to mention that majority of them had been eager to position in front, as if it will give them the advantage. Some who've been forced into this start to be eager to win.

"You heard, right! The winning prize is one hundred thousand! Just an added zero in the end." Gregory laughs a little as he raises the signal gun that he has with him. "So, everyone, on your mark!

"One hundred thousand... One hundred thousand, (Y/N)!" Via giggles.

I bite my lower lip, hesitant, and nods. "Oo. One hundred thousand, V."

"Ready..." Gregory says and then a loud bang, signaling then the start of the race.

And all of us bolt toward the end of the five kilometer run.

# # #

I remind myself to continue jogging. Well, not for the sake of the prize, but just to finish it. Somehow, I understand that I just need to give it my best shot like what I always do in the game. But just half a kilometer since the start, I already feel the strain on my legs, causing me to stop for a second to catch my breath.

Via immediately looks at me. "(Y/N)?"

"M-Mauna ka na, V," I urge her.

"Pero—"

I raise my hand at her. "Kaya ko, V." I look up at her with a strained smile. "Kitakits na lang sa finish line."

She seems hesitant for a second, but nods and continues on.

As for me, I sigh heavily and pull myself up, urging myself to walk then. For the rest of the race, I do that. Half-walk. Half-jog. Just enough to keep my breathing even, and also completely say that this is a fun race.

Just a kilometer away from the finish line, someone immediately bump against me, pushing me to have a bad landing, spraining my foot. It hurts like hell, but when I hear the familiar chuckle, I almost wish that I wasn't too clumsy.

The same woman that had been bullying me just because Gregory enjoys bullying me, too. She laughs and says, "Lampa." With that, she jogs off.

Bwiset.

If I don't finish the race, though I've participated, my ROTC record will mark a demerit. But with this sprain. And...

Bwiset talaga yung babaeng iyon. Akala niya maiisahan niya ako.

There's no place for giving up right now.

Though painful, I push myself up and bolt on with the pain on my leg ranging from tolerable to not. And with just a few feet away from her, she appears surprised that she pushes herself much more; and so do I.

We are just a hair's breath away from the finish line with countless other finishers cheering on for every new one who makes it to the finish line. However, she still finishes early by a second.

And, in the end, I still can't make it. I drop back to the ground, touching my painful leg with care. As expected, it is broken. Pushing myself certainly didn't help, causing it to turn from bad to worst.

Via dashes towards me, crouching low as she calls for a medic. Surprisingly, when she turns to me, she's all smiles. "I am so proud of you, (Y/N)!"

"H-Ha? Anong nakakaproud doon? Mas napatunayan ko lang talaga na lampa ako," I tell her.

"'Wag ka nga magpatawa. As long as you try your best, the outcomes doesn't matter! Kahit masakit, pinagpatuloy mo pa rin. And that's enough, (Y/N)! You already won first place in my eyes, BFF!" she remarks and immediately surrounds her arms around me as medics start to cower around us to check my leg.

I can't help not to smile. After all, Via is right. As long as I'm determined and I continue to try my best to do something, even if the outcomes are not what I want them to be, as long as I won't regret them... I've already proven myself much than intended. Then, should I continue to play the game? Because... once I start to play again, I'm not going to give up.

To be honest, I want to return to the game world and to finish it.

"Huh?! The Prince is coming this way!" one of the medics exclaims, and before I know, they've already given space for Gregory to stand right in front of me.

With a sly smile, he asks as he crouches right in front of me, "Are you alright?" He then touches my leg, causing me to squirm in pain. The people around us who are bearing witness to this right now starts to panic, wondering what's the reason that he is doing this for a person such as me. "It's dislocated..." he says. "It is right for the medic to check it themselves."

The atmosphere seems to feel too heavy. It seems like everyone's eyes are pinned to me, throwing daggers in question of what is going on. In the end, I can't help wondering why my enemy is treating me so nicely. And also, the real world is scarier than it was in the game.

# # #

Once my leg is healed and my mother asked me to pick some groceries for her, I didn't hesitate to buy some mangoes as well. And without any further ado, I take a bite of its juicy fruit and return back to the game.

* * *

A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

#GoyoDeadReckoning || #GoyoAngBatangHeneralStories || #ProjectAguilaStories