|| Sage||

Shit . . . I lost?

That caught me off guard. I didn't underestimate him, I overestimated myself.

"Wah!!! Good job, Goya!" Isang malakas na paghampas sa balikat ang natanggap ni Goya kay Arriety.

Lalampa-lampa itong napausog na para bang sobrang bigat ng kamay ng humampas sa kaniya. He didn't look like he just beat me in an arm wrestling, someone thrice of his size.

"That's a fair fight, right? Don't make excuses." Gild's words caught my attention.

Ininat-inat ko ang balikat ko. "Yes, I lost," sagot ko. I'm not someone who'll make excuses. I know when I win a game and lose . . . which is rare.

"Heh!" Arriety looked at me with a cocky face. "Full of talks! Loser!"

I didn't satisfy her with a reaction, which of course, changed her expression to an irritated one.

That's my first lost. Kailangan kong ipanalo ang dalawang susunod para manalo sa challenge. Tinignan ko sila. Pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang susunod na challenge, kung mas lamang ba 'ko o hindi.

"I'm next!" Arriety stepped forward, crossing her arms and smirking. "I'll show you your place, kid!"

She's energetic, and Goya who's next to her is shyly supporting her.

Tsk. "So? What's your challenge?"

She looks so proud. "Tic tac toe!"

Napaangat ang dalawang kilay ko, napaisip pa 'ko kung tama ba ang pagkakarinig ko sa kaniya sa una. Tic tac toe?

She scoffed. "But it's not about taking turns, for you to have your turn, you must answer the trivia first! The one who answers first will be the one to make a move in tic tac toe!"

Hmm.

Taas noo niya 'kong tinigna, nasa beywang pa ang dalawang kamay. "Good luck though, if you ever manage to answer one before I do. Hmp! I'm the smartest in our clan! I'm a genius!" 

Goya nodded proudly, still bashful. "S-She is!"

Pasimple akong umiwas ng tingin. A genius, huh?

"Okay, let's do your challenge," walang ganang sagot ko.

Ang troso na pinaglaruan namin ni Goya ay umangat nang onti. Carved lines slowly showed on the log. It is ready for our tic tac toe.

"To make sure we aren't biased with the questions," ani Gild. "The game will decide the questions."

As soon as he said that, a blue screen appeared at the top of us. "The questions will appear there," Gild added.

"Okay, I'm ready," sagot ko.

Arietty and I stood in front of the screen, waiting for the game to start. A countdown appeared before the questions.

3. 2. 1.

𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗇 𝖲𝖾𝖺?

What is the-

"Sicily!" My opponent cheerfully. 

My eyes widened. I didn't finish reading the question, and I'm sure I'm not slow in reading it. Goya cheered Arriety as she got the answer correct, I still couldn't believe how fast she answered it. A green circle light appeared where she stood for a couple of seconds. Maybe signaling that she's right.

The question is not that hard. Yes, it's not common knowledge, but if you're that smart, you can answer it. Pasimple akong napaismid. But I'm not smart. I'm not book-smart.

This might be a challenge . . . but I can't afford to lose again.

Arietty scoffed at my direction before walking towards the log to make the first move.

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She put it in the middle, a smart move.

She then glanced at me, smirking. "I thought you're a one-man-player, boy? You can't even play for two," she mocked me.

Hindi ako sumagot, bagkus ay lumipat ang tingin ko muli sa screen. She scoffed again and looked at the screen instead. I don't want to argue with her, knowing what she's saying is true.

The next countdown appeared, I knew I had to be faster.

𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 "𝖬𝗈𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖲𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖺"?

I know that!

"Beetho-"

"Ludwig van Beethoven!"

Once again, I was taken aback. The screen turned green, meaning her answer was right. Nauna pa siya sa 'kin, kahit buong pangalan ang binanggit niya. You must be kidding me. I feel like I'm in a school competition.

Paunahan sumagot ang mga candidate, ang pinagkaiba lang ay hindi ko 'yon naranasan. Because I'm not a top student. It's her who experienced that, and I bet she won all of them.

I watched Arriety as she made another move on the tic tac toe.

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Tsk, just another one and I lose the challenge, I'll lose the game.

Tinapunan niya 'ko ng tingin. "Basic."

I need to be faster, much faster. And I hope, the question is something I could answer. Sana, sana madali lang.

Lumabas na ulit ang countdown, hinanda ko ang sarili ko.

𝖬𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟢'𝗌 "𝖲𝗎𝗉𝖾𝗋 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈 𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽," 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗆𝗒-𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝖾𝗀𝗀-𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗈𝗌𝖺𝗎𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗄𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗍𝗈 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖫𝗎𝗂𝗀𝗂 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗌𝖾?

I knew that answer the moment I saw the SMW and egg-throwing.

"Yoshi!"

"Yoshi!"

Bumilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko nang sabay kami sa pagsagot. Napalunok ako nang malalim. Did she answer first? Did I lose? Was it a draw?

My eyes were fixed on the screen, waiting to see what was about to happen. Parang buong isda ang natanggal sa lalamunan ko nang makita ang berde na liwanag sa tinatapakan ko.

I sighed in relief. I answered it first!

Arietty clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. Ngayon lang ako nag-alangan at nagduda sa kakayahan ko sa laro. This is isn't like me.

I went to the log to make my move. I stared at the tic tac toe. I need to stop her winning point.

Tsk, sana tungkol ulit sa games ang susunod na tanong.

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The countdown started again, I waited for the answer.

Luck is a part of the game, and it looks like I'm at a disadvantage right now.

𝖶𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖸𝗈𝗋𝗄 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖫𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗇 𝖤𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽?

I read the question fast . . .

But I didn't know the answer.

"The War of the Roses!" Arietty shouted fast.

I bit my lower lip and closed my fist hard.

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She scored again. Another winning point.

And even if I manage to get the answer next, I should still win twice in a row to win. She has two winning points.

Tsk.

Arietty smirked and looked at me. "Boy, you're no genius. How can you say you're a one-man player when you can't do everything on your own?

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