CASTIEL

I WAS not born yesterday. I knew exactly what I was doing and understood the consequences of my actions. I was prepared to face them alone. Fabienne was getting worried about nothing. Kung ako sa kaniya, hindi ko na pakikialaman ang mga isyu sa USC. Mas bibigyan ko ng pansin ang audition para sa susunod na theater production. Between us, I was not the only who needed to make amends and repair my reputation. May atraso rin siya sa teatro.

Within twenty-four hours, news of my officers' temporary suspension reached The Herald. This morning, as I approached their circulation desk at the entrance of the admin building, I grabbed a copy of their latest issue and spread it before me. There was no need to search for the article's placement—it happened to be the banner story.

USC Acting Pres suspends 3 officers

The Herald staffers at the desk stared at me for a moment. Inirolyo ko na ang diyaryo at inipit sa aking braso bago nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. They must have been thinking, "this guy must be a wannabe dictator!" They would have been partially correct if they did.

I would not lie. Indefinitely suspending Sabrina, Rowan, and even Lavinia was not easy for me. We had been through so many trials together—except for the lady chief-of-staff who was relatively new. But it had to be done. For those in power, making the hardest decisions required the toughest of guts. Little did they know, I was doing them a favor by sparing them from the burden of what I was about to do next.

When I arrived at the USC office—for the second time since assuming the acting presidency—the atmosphere here was markedly different from when we took our oaths. It had drastically changed over the past two months. First, Valeria's resignation. Next, Priam's attempted assassination. Now, the suspension of three USC officers. Regardless of how long I would serve as acting president, the feeling within this place would never be the same again.

I passed Rowan's now-vacant cubicle. He had been a walking ball of sunshine in this office. Now that he was suspended, the atmosphere felt somewhat subdued... and darker. I had hoped for a temporary separation on good terms, but I had only strained our working relationship further.

Beyond the public information officer's area was Tabitha's cubicle. She sat there, sipping her daily coffee from Astra Blend Cafe while absorbed in her phone. She did not lift her gaze or acknowledge my presence. Maybe she had not noticed me yet, or maybe she simply did not care.

I would dearly miss Sabrina. Though quiet, she made her presence felt through her dedicated work ethic. I would miss her meticulous organization for our meetings and her reliability for confidential missions. But alas, we had to part ways for now.

And Lavinia? I did not know her well enough to say I would miss her, too. Maybe her efforts to challenge me and prove herself worthy of replacing me as chief-of-staff. Yet, her temporary departure brought relief. I had not determined yet if I could fully trust her, so her absence lifted my suspicions.

I halted at the entrance of my cubicle. Lumingon ako sa aking kanan bago lumapit sa cubicle na katabi ng akin. Around this hour, I would sometimes spot Priam there, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as he typed his latest council resolution. But now, his seat was empty. The person who always appeared serious and unbothered was nowhere to be found.

Please come back.

Enough with the reminiscing. I walked back to my cubicle and placed my shoulder bag on the desk. Ipinatong ko sa gilid ng mesa ang aking walking cane bago umupo sa swivel chair. I groaned as I stretched my left leg. I could not help but wonder when this curse would be lifted. It would be almost a year since Alaric the Prick gave me this gift.

Almost a year, huh? Nagawi ang tingin ko sa retrato namin ni Cassidy na naka-frame pa. It would also be almost a year since she fell into a coma. I missed seeing her infectious smile and the overwhelming positivity she brought to our family. Sana'y magising na siya bago ang anniversary ng aksidenteng bumago sa mga buhay namin.

I turned my face upwards to stare at the ceiling. This area used to be Valeria's. Now, it's mine. When we met at the hospital on the day Priam was rushed there, she had an outburst and blamed me for the incident. I stood before her like a freestanding punching bag and absorbed every blow she landed on me. It had been two weeks since then. Parang hindi ko pa siya kayang harapin. Mabuti't hindi ko pa siya nakasasalubong kahit saan sa campus nitong mga nagdaang araw.

It's already eight in the morning. My classes would not start until nine. May halos isang oras pa ako para gawin ang mga dapat kong gawin dito sa USC. About time to get moving.

I grabbed my cane beside me and sprang from my seat. Lumabas ako ng aking cubicle at nilagpasan ang dalawa pa para marating ang cubicle ni Tabitha. I knocked on the wing panel to get her attention, but she continued to ignore me.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" I asked her abruptly, skipping the usual good morning or hello. She was not one for small talk anyway. "Puwede na kitang i-suspend indefinitely para makapagpahinga ka at makapag-focus sa mga gusto mong gawin."

"Nah, I'm fine here," sagot niya, ni hindi man ako nilingon o sinulyapan. She kept scrolling on her phone. "My front row seat is sayang if I join the others you suspended."

"They must be harboring ill feelings toward me now." I leaned back against the panel. "If you read their statements in The Herald article, you can feel their disappointment. If their words could punch through the paper, I would have a black eye by now."

"They were enjoying what they were doing, then you suspended them out of the blue. Kahit ako, magagalit sa 'yo."

"But you're not angry at me?"

"Nope." She refused to meet my gaze.

I studied her for a moment. The topic I was about to broach was delicate, so I proceeded cautiously. "Don't you resent me for what happened to your friend?"

"At first, I did." Her brown eyes finally flicked up to me. "But soon, I realized you're not the one at fault. That guy is."

"Alaric," I mumbled, giving her a sidelong glance. "I wish your fellow tigers knew the truth. They would probably turn against him, leaving him alone in the wild."

"One day, they will."

"Anyway," I stood upright and gripped my cane tightly, "our junior officer-aspirants will be arriving soon. Abangan na natin sila sa lounge."

"Do I really have to be here? Can't you handle it nang mag-isa?"

"Dadalawa na nga lang tayo rito, iiwan mo pa ako? Don't worry, I will handle the talking. Just be there."

"Fine! I'll just retouch my makeup."

I limped my way to the lounge and settled onto a couch. My gaze wandered, reminiscing about how this place once buzzed with life and color. Now, even with two people, it felt dull and empty.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, sumunod na rin si Tabitha sa lounge, dala-dala pa rin ang tall cup of coffee niya. She leaned against the pillar as she sipped from her drink. At eight-thirty, an alert flashed on our office's digital lockscreen, displaying the faces of the people who rang us. I rose and tapped my card key on the sensor. The door slid open, and three students entered—two girls and one boy.

"Welcome to the USC office," I greeted them with a smile. "Sorry, we're a bit understaffed right now."

"Wow! Ang laki pala ng USC office!" sabi ng babaeng may twin-tails na buhok. Tila nagningning ang mga mata niya habang iginagala ang kaniyang tingin sa paligid. There was enthusiasm in her round face with blushing cheeks. Meron din siyang dimples kapag ngumingiti siya. If I remembered correctly from her application details, her name's Mignonette Nievera, a second-year Tourism student.

"This is the heart of the Elysian student government." I gestured around us. "Important decisions are made here, and you three are fortunate to be selected for the Junior Officership Program. I'm sure you know who I am."

"Mr. Acting President." The guy with crew-cut hair extended his right hand. Mas matangkad siya at mas good-looking din kaysa sa akin. I was not insecure about my looks, so I could acknowledge when someone had better features. Sobrang neat ng pagkakaplantsa ng uniform niya, wala ni isang gusot. If I recalled correctly, his name's Reginald Galvez, an English major. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sir."

"No need to call me sir," I replied, shaking his hand. "I'm neither a teacher nor a knight."

"Pleased to meet you rin po," bati ng babaeng bagsak ang bangs at abot hanggang panga ang buhok. May suot siyang salamin na makapal ang frame at lens. Mukhang siya ang pinaka-timid sa tatlo. She reminded me of Sabrina based on her looks and demeanor. Her name's Daphne Hidalgo, a second-year Office Administration student.

"You probably know the USC treasurer." I gestured toward Tabitha who nodded and raised her cup in acknowledgment. "She's the one who assessed your applications and deemed you worthy of being part of this program."

"Not really," she interjected after taking a sip. Nabaling sa kaniya ang tatlong junior officer-aspirant. "I randomly picked three application forms and called it a day. That's how you three got here."

My lips stretched into a forced smile. "She's kidding, of course."

"I'm not."

"Anyway!" I motioned toward the empty conference room. "Why don't we talk in the aquarium so we can orient you on what you can expect here?"

I made an about-face turn and led the way, my cane clacking against the floor. It might be annoying to the newcomers, but if they wanted to be part of this council, they would have to get used to it.

Binuksan ko ang pinto para sa kanila at pinauna silang pumasok sa loob. They took the three swivel chairs on one side of the conference table. Napansin kong malinis ang ibabaw ng mesa. That should have been a good thing, right? Wrong. I glanced at Tabitha who refused to meet my gaze. Bago ako pumasok dito, inutusan ko siya na ilagay ang junior officership manual para may magamit na reference ang mga napili niya. Instead, she walked past me and sat in her usual spot on the opposite side of the table.

Sometimes, I wished I was not stuck with her here. It was my fault anyway. I suspended those who were far more enthusiastic about this job than she was.

Sighing, I left the aquarium briefly and went to our secretary's now vacant cubicle. Sabrina always kept everything we might need in her lateral cabinet. Thankfully, it was unlocked, so I did not need to call a locksmith or break it open. After rummaging through the contents, I found copies of the manual and returned to the aquarium. I handed them to the three students.

"Again, welcome to the Junior Officership Program!" I settled into the seat next to Tabitha, placing my cane on the vacant chair to my left. "It's an honor and a privilege to serve in the USC. We look forward to working with you three."

This program was implemented by the USC four years ago to train promising second-year students and expose them to council work. Priam had chosen to adopt it too during his term. Sa dami ng ginagawa namin, minsa'y kinakailangan namin ng ibang makatutuwang pa. We already had the USC Volunteer Program that Fabienne was a part of, but they worked on flexible schedules. If they were not available, we could not compel them to report.

But the junior officers? They would be required to attend regular council meetings and assist us in our duties. The architect of this program hoped that his council—and future councils—would be able to prepare a new generation of student leaders.

"Question! Question!" Nagtaas ng kamay si Mignonette, halos ikaway pa niya sa akin na parang hindi ko siya napapansin. I acknowledged her first. "Hindi na po ba kami dadaan sa interview? Nakalagay po kasi sa promo mats na after ng initial screening, dadaan pa kami sa masusing interview bago ibigay ang verdict kung pasado kami."

"We're skipping the interview process." I glanced over at the other USC officer in the room. "I trust Tabitha's assessment of your applications."

"Again, I randomly bunot their application forms—"

"—So you three are now officially junior officers of the USC!" I raised my voice to drown out hers.

Lavinia was supposed to screen the applicants and oversee the process. But since I had suspended her, the responsibility fell on me and Tabitha. Sa kasamaang palad, ayaw ng treasurer namin ng dagdag na trabahong hindi related sa job description niya. She was not kidding about randomly choosing these three.

"We will issue your junior officer badge and your ID... probably by the end of this week," I continued, resting my forearms on the table. "Who knows? Baka isa o dalawa sa inyo ang alukin naming sumama sa roster namin kapag tumakbo na for reelection si Priam."

"I really, really wanna meet the president." Mignonette pouted. "Kailan ko kaya siya mami-meet?"

"There's no way for us to know when he's going to wake up." I looked down for a moment, then forced a smile. "But I'm sure he will be thrilled to meet you three once he does. So do your best, okay? Prove not only to us, but to the student body, that you deserve your title as junior officers."

"Yes, sir!"

"For the second time, no need to call me sir." I scratched my cheek. "I suggest you read the manual thoroughly and know the do's and don'ts by heart. We won't go through them one by one because they're all self-explanatory. What I want to discuss now are your assignments."

They closed the manuals and leaned in closer, as if I was about to reveal a shocking secret. Meron akong alam na ilan, kaso hindi ko puwedeng itsismis sa kanila.

"Since only Tabitha and I are currently working in the council," I continued, "we need someone to act as scheduler and coordinator, someone to take meeting minutes and handle other tasks, and someone to stand before the lectern and handle questions from the campus press."

They exchanged glances before nodding.

"Baka magkagulo kung papipiliin namin kayo kaya ako na ang magbibigay ng assignment n'yo." I opened the leather folder containing their application forms. Isa-isa kong chineck ang mga detalye roon habang binabalingan sila ng tingin. "Mignonette, can you show me your smile?"

She stretched her lips, showing teeth and gums in a nice smile.

"Can you work under pressure?" I asked next.

"Of course, I can!" she answered, her smile widening.

"How about your communication skills? Rate it from one to ten."

"I'd say ten! Walang halong pambobola o pagyayabang."

I glanced at her application form again. "You have the looks, the smile, the voice, and the confidence. I'm assigning you as the interim press secretary."

"Yehey!" She pumped her fist. "'Yon din ang bet kong posisyon kung papipiliin n'yo ako."

"Next," I turned to the next form, "Daphne. You're an Office Administration student so I have an idea where to place you. But just to be sure, what's your typing speed?"

"S-Sixty words per minute," she answered. Parang nahihiya siya sa kaniyang sagot, pero higit pa 'yon sa average typing speed ng karamihan.

"How proficient are you in using word processors, spreadsheets, and slide presentations? Rate yourself from one to ten."

"E-Eight?"

That will do. "Do you know how to operate office equipment such as printer, copier, and projector?"

"Y-yes."

"Then I'm assigning you as the interim secretary," I told her with a reassuring smile. I moved to the third and last form. "Reginald, you must be good at communicating."

"Yes," he replied with a nod. "I know my grammar like the back of my hand."

Wow. I flicked my gaze up to him. "And you seem organized, too."

"I want everything to be organized because it makes me more productive. Having a disorganized environment kinda throws me off."

I stroked my chin. "Initially, I thought of assigning you as the interim press secretary, but we can put your communication skills to good use in the coordination task. You will reach out to other student organizations and university offices. It's crucial to communicate well."

"That won't be a problem."

"And you have to keep track of our schedule and agenda for the week."

"That won't be a problem either."

"Then I'm assigning you as the interim coordinator with duties almost similar to the chief-of-staff's." I snapped the folder shut and placed it on the table.

"That will be an honor."

"Very well!" I clapped once. "We're all set for the new direction of this council. Let's meet again this afternoon to brief you more about your duties."

"Thank you!"

I escorted the three out of the conference room and showed them the exit. They bade me farewell before walking out of the USC office.

I could not manage this ship alone—especially since I could not expect Tabitha to do more than her job required—so I needed a crew to serve as placeholders until the original crewmates could return.

♔

NEXT UPDATE: Fabienne forms an alliance with the USC officers.