REYNARD

JUST A few more words and... done! I clicked the send button on my email composer and waited for the confirmation message. Once the email was successfully sent, I leaned back against my comfy swivel chair. Finally! Tapos na rin ang article na naka-due today! I could relax and do something else.

I stretched my arms and cracked my neck. Sitting in front of my computer for an hour was taking a toll on my back. I'm only twenty years old, pero parang pangmatanda na ang back pain ko. What time is it? Oh, it's ten minutes past five! Darn it! I had an important appointment scheduled for this afternoon.

I turned off my computer and grabbed my hoodie draped on the backrest of my seat. Time to bounce! I hoped the person I was about to meet would forgive me for my tardiness. Can you blame me? Hindi ko na namamalayan ang takbo ng oras kapag sobrang absorbed ako sa isinusulat ko. Time went by so fast as if it's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment.

"Aba? Aalis ka na?" tanong ng kapwa reporter ko sa kabilang workstation. Napatingin siya sa kaniyang relo bago muling iniangat ang tingin sa 'kin. "Ang aga pa, ah?"

"Bakit?" Pinaningkitan ko siya, may halong pang-iintriga ang aking tingin. "Gusto mo bang samahan kita rito, Rie?"

"How many times must I tell you to stop calling me by that name!" Rie almost yelled. She caught herself as she raised her voice, drawing attention from others in the office. "Minsan pang tawagin mo akong Rie, ihahampas ko sa 'yo itong keyboard."

I laid my palms flat on the table and leaned toward her. If she wanted to strike me, my face was just within her arm's reach. "I wanna see you try, Rie."

She glanced sideways and chewed her lower lip. Hindi niya magawa dahil agaw-atensiyon na naman siya. Our editor was also just at the other end of the workstation. Kapag gumawa siya ng iskandalo, magiging agaw-pansin siya. Calling her by a nickname wouldn't justify any violence.

"I have no time for this," she muttered. Her monitor screen reflected in her eyes. Though I couldn't see clearly, a word processor was open. "Stressed na ako sa dami ng isinusulat kong articles dahil sa mga pinaggagawa ng USC acting president. Huwag mo nang dagdagan pa ang sakit ng ulo ko."

"Willing akong mag-stay if you say please." Tumayo na ako nang tuwid. As much as I enjoyed teasing her, she could be unpredictable. Baka lumabas ako ng office na namamaga ang kaliwang pisngi ko. I didn't want people thinking that I had been rejected and slapped.

She rolled her eyes. "At sino ka para pakiusapan kong mag-stay rito? Umalis ka na nga! Naiistorbo ako sa 'yo."

"Okay!" I turned around and waved without looking back at her. "Oras na para makipag-meet ako sa aking date."

"Date?" She giggled.

Muli ko siyang hinarap. My left brow rose. "Did I say something funny?"

Napatakip siya ng bibig habang pinipigilan ang kaniyang tawa. "I find it hard to believe na may ka-date ka. You, of all people? This is an old saying, pero mas may chance pa yatang pumuti ang uwak kaysa ro'n."

Ouch. Is that a personal jab or something? My brows furrowed. "Ayaw mong maniwala na may ka-date talaga ako ngayong hapon?"

"You must mean it figuratively." Her fingers resumed dancing across the keyboard. "Sa sobrang busy mo sa coverage, wala ka nang time para makipag-date o humanap ng jowa. You will probably be stuck in this office until you graduate from college. That's why you will never find a girlfriend—or boyfriend, kung gano'n ang mas trip mo."

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black." I snickered. "Pino-project mo yata sa 'kin ang romantic frustrations mo, eh. Wala ka ring jowa at lagi kang nandito sa office. Baka gumraduate ka rin nang 'di nagkaka-boyfriend."

She paused from typing, flicking her gaze at me. Namula ang pisngi niya. "May ilan na kayang nanligaw sa 'kin! I just can't find the time to entertain them. If I did, you won't be able to use that again to insult me."

"Because you and I are the same, Rie. We're cut from the same cloth." My tone became serious. Lalo pang lumalim ang boses ko. "Mas importante sa atin ang maghatid ng balita at mag-expose ng katotohanan kaysa lumandi. Mas importante sa atin na i-pursue ang mga bagay na related sa ating magiging career. We have no time for love."

She stared at me with flat-lined lips, unamused by the comparison that I had made. Tama naman, 'di ba? If we were already part of the working class, we would most likely choose career over romance. Kaya nga kami laging nakatambay rito sa Herald office, kasi mas gusto namin ang aming gingawa.

"Aren't you late for your so-called date?" she asked before typing again. "Kapag hindi ka pa umalis ngayon, baka ma-basted ka na n'on."

I checked the time on my phone. Oh, shoot! It's almost thirty minutes past five. I dashed out of the editorial office and ran toward the food hub. Seryosong may date ako ngayon, but not in a romantic sense. I trotted up the escalator, yelling "excuse me!" to the people standing on the left. Geez. Weren't they aware of the escalator etiquette?

After running past some restaurants, I stopped at Astra Blend Cafe. Pagpasok do'n, iginala ko ang aking tingin at hinanap ang babaeng ka-meet ko. Spotting her in a crowd was quite easy because she would instantly stand out. Sa iksi ng buhok at artistahing hitsura niya, mapalilingon ang halos lahat sa kaniya.

"Sorry, I'm late!" I said as I settled down on the vacant banquette in the booth. "Hindi ko namalayan ang oras dahil sa ipinasulat na article sa 'kin."

"That's okay." Nginitian ako ni Fabienne. Nakapatong ang mga braso niya sa mesa. Kanina'y nagta-tap ang isang daliri niya, pero ngayo'y tumigil na. "Medyo na-late din ako ng dating dito."

Yup! My date this afternoon was none other than the First Lady herself! Last time we had a face-to-face conversation, she asked me to meet her in secret na parang may affair kami na ayaw naming ipaalam sa iba. Humingi siya ng pabor sa 'kin para ma-expose ang panse-censor sa kaniya ng Repertory Theater.

But this time, we didn't need to hide anymore since I was the one who asked her to meet with me. There was nothing wrong with the First Lady meeting with a campus reporter, right? Puwede kong sabihin na ini-interview ko siya para sa isang article sa Herald.

"Do you want anything?" I asked as I got up again. "Never pa kitang na-treat magmula no'ng in-interview kita, 'di ba? So ako na ang taya ngayon."

"Black tea latte sa 'kin. Thank you!"

Pumila na muna ako sa counter habang hinihintay ang turn ko. It had been almost a month since Priam was hospitalized. Base sa ngiti at ayos ni Fabienne ngayon, parang wala siyang pinoproblema. But I could see right through her. She genuinely cared for the USC president even if she's just playing to be his girlfriend. How did I know? No one would run away from the most important day of their career and risk the future opportunities that came with it. She wouldn't turn her back in the blink of an eye to the theater that she had loved for so many years.

She must be praying every night for her boyfriend to finally regain consciousness and return to the university. But none of us could tell when exactly that would happen. Walang magagawa ang mga nagmamahal kay Priam kundi manalangin at umasa araw-araw. Was there a higher being who could hear their prayers or see their sufferings? Well, that's another question.

"Here!" Inilapag ko sa table ang tray ng drinks namin. I ordered black tea latte for her while I ordered chai tea latte for myself. Inilapit ko sa kaniya ang inumin niya at ibinigay ang paper straw bago itinabi sa gilid ang walang lamang tray.

"Thank you for the treat," tugon niya. Sumimsim siya ng tea latte at saka iniangat ang tingin sa 'kin. "Sobrang busy mo siguro ngayon, 'no?"

"All thanks to Castiel." I puffed a sigh after taking a sip. "Things got interesting when he was promoted as vice president. But things got much more interesting when he became the acting president. There's never been a dull moment in LEXECOM so far. Parang nanonood kami ng political drama."

She averted her gaze, frowning. "I'm worried about him. Baka 'di niya namamalayan na napasosobra na ang kaniyang ginagawa."

"He seems to be biting more than what he can chew." I bobbed my head twice. "But hey! He's already of legal age. Alam na niya dapat ang kaniyang ginagawa."

"I hope so." She returned her gaze to me. "I also hope Priam wakes up soon. Siya lang siguro ang makapipigil kay Castiel sa ginagawa nito."

"How is he, by the way?" I stirred the ice cubes in my drink. "Ang huling update ko sa kaniya ay 'yong confirmation na na-coma siya. Out of respect for him and his family, we haven't been asking for regular updates."

"He's still unconscious, but his condition hasn't worsened. Naghihintay pa rin kami ng signs na magigising na siya."

"It must be so hard for you." I shook my head slowly, looking down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Even if you're just his fake girlfriend."

"Yeah. Lagi ko ngang ipinapanalangin na—" Her lips were just about to touch the straw when she froze and stared at it.

Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. "I know about Oplan First Lady, Fab."

Her brows almost knitted together. I could tell the questions running through her head.

Inilayo ko ang aking mukha mula sa kaniya bago itinaas ang kaliwang kilay ko. "You told me about Oplan First Lady before. Remember the morning before my failed exposé? You gave me the broad strokes."

"Oh, yeah. I did." Recognition flickered across her face. "But everything's off the record, right?"

"Of course, of course. I won't betray your trust. Promise." I raised my right hand to show her my sincerity. She had only given me fragments of that scheme. Thanks to Valeria Encarnacion, I now had the whole picture. But Fabienne had nothing to worry about. I had no intention of exposing it, at least not now.

"Totoo man o hindi ang relationship namin, Priam is my friend," sabi ni Fabienne. Nakatitig siya sa kaniyang inumin habang pinaglalaruan ang straw. "Close man kami o hindi, matagal man kaming magkakilala o hindi, 'di ko maiwasang 'di mag-aalala sa kaniya. You're worried about him too, right?"

"Yeah, but not as much as you are. I only know him by his face, name, and position," prangkang sagot ko. "Pero hanggang do'n lang ba ang concern mo sa kaniya?"

Nanliit ang mga mata niya. "Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?"

I stirred the my drink again, avoiding to meet her eyes directly. "You started off as his fake girlfriend, right? Ilang buwan na rin kayong magkakilala mula no'ng naging usap-usapan kayo sa campus. Do you think it's possible that your relationship has evolved?"

"We were strangers before." Her eyes blinked rapidly. "I'd like to think we're friends now."

"No." I clicked my tongue. "Not just friends."

"Ano ba'ng ibig mong sabihin, Rey? Bakit 'di mo pa ako deretsohin?"

"Is the fake now real?" I dropped bombshell. "Do you think you've fallen for him? Or maybe it's the other way around?"

Silence descended upon our booth. Fabienne continued to stare at her drink, as if she was trying to transform it into something else. Meanwhile, I fixed my gaze on her, trying to read her facial expressions and deduce whether she would tell me the truth or not.

Come on, Fab!

"To be honest," she finally lifted her gaze to meet mine and breathed a sigh, her pink lips forming a slight pout, "I don't know."

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Hindi mo alam? O ayaw mong aminin?"

"All I know is that I care about him, okay?" she hissed. "Kung higit pa sa kaibigan ang nararamdaman ko para sa kaniya, 'di ko pa masabi sa ngayon."

Napasandal ako sa malambot na backrest ng booth namin. "Napaka-showbiz ng sagot mo, ah? It's as if you're dodging the question."

"Because I genuinely don't have the answer," she added. "All I want right now is for him to wake up. If figuring out my feelings could help him regain consciousness, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Kaso kahit alam ko ang sagot sa tanong mo, walang magbabago sa kondisyon niya."

"Fair point," I muttered before taking another sip of my drink.

"Teka!" She leaned her forearms on the table again. "Kaya ka ba nakipag-meet sa 'kin ay para intrigahin ako? I thought you had something more important to discuss?"

"This was just an ice breaker. Relax!" I mirrored her posture. "Actually, ipinatawag kita rito para makapangalap ako ng info tungkol sa failed assassination attempt kay Priam Torres."

"Huh?" Her left eyebrow arched. "You said you didn't care about him, pero balak mo yatang imbestigahan ang nangyari sa kaniya?"

"The mystery surrounding the attempt on his life intrigued me, not him," I admitted, settling down my cup. "May ilang bagay kasi na bumabagabag sa 'kin. I can't get them out of my head. Hindi ako mahimbing na makatutulog sa gabi hangga't 'di ko nalalaman ang sagot."

"What do you know?"

I retrieved my notepad and read my almost illegible scribbles. "According to my source in the Office of Campus Security, Brandon Cabrera has hired a lawyer—"

"And his defense is from a prestigious law firm," Fabienne cut in. "Nabanggit na rin 'yan sa 'kin ni Cas no'ng nagkita kami sa ospital."

My mouth formed an "O." "Did you also know that half an hour before Priam was attacked, Brandon met with your ex-boyfriend?"

"S-Si Mitch-hell?!" Her eyes widened in shock.

I nodded slowly. "He couldn't recall what the assailant said, but he remembered Alaric's name coming up during their conversation."

"Alaric..." Fabienne muttered, her gaze dropping. "Alaric, Brandon, and Mitch-hell. Silang tatlo'y taga-CBA, 'di ba? May motive si Brandon kasi pinaghihiganti niya si Candice. May motive din si Mitch-hell kasi ipinahiya siya no'n ni Priam. May motive din si Alaric kasi makalalaban niya si Priam sa next election."

"You think there's a conspiracy among them?" Parang do'n patungo ang pagbanggit niya sa mga pangalang 'yon.

She shrugged. "I don't wanna speculate dahil mabigat ang parating na 'yon. Pero 'di ko maiwasang isipin na connected ang tatlong tiger—"

Her mouth froze midway as her eyes widened again. Natulala siya sa kaniyang inumin.

"Is something wrong, Fab?" I asked. "May naalala ka ba?"

"They're not just three tigers." She raised her gaze to me. "There are four of them."

"Four?" My forehead furrowed. "Who else is involved?"

Inilibot muna niya ang kaniyang tingin sa paligid, tila naniniguradong walang nakikitsismis. Leaned closer, her voice dropped to a whisper. "No'ng nagpe-prepare na kami para sa opening show namin, nakita kong may kausap si Priscilla sa phone—"

"Priscilla? Ah! Priscilla Mercado, your publicity manager for Romeo and Juliet?"

Mariin siyang tumango. "As I was saying, nakita ko siyang may kausap sa phone. Dumaan siya sa harapan ko, 'tapos nabanggit niya ang pangalan ni Brandon. Well, not the full name. Basta narinig kong may tinawag siyang Bran."

"So she knew Brandon was coming to the fair too?"

Naningkit ang mga mata niya. "Kung 'di ako nagkakamali, tinanong ni Priscilla kung magiging okay raw ba siya."

And the plot thickened. While the facts were not enough to conclusively prove collusion among the tigers to harm Priam, the details were becoming harder to dismiss.

"Maybe I should talk to this Priscilla," I said with a smirk. "Baka may alam siya na makapagbibigay-linaw sa nangyari."

"Are you seriously gonna investigate Priam's stabbing?" Fabienne asked. "The police already have the suspect in custody. Ano pa'ng dapat imbestigahan?"

"I'm curious whether Brandon acted alone or if someone influenced him," I replied, biting the tip of my straw. "If someone pushed him, that person should also be held accountable, right?"

Fabienne might argue that I was investigating to seek justice for her fake boyfriend. She could interpret my efforts that way, but my main motivation was mere curiosity. I wanted to expose any conspirators—if they existed—or clear their names. Either outcome would satisfy me.

It's time to delve deeper.

30

NEXT UPDATE: Old allies turned enemies?!