Chapter four: Crowning

I was patiently sitting in Saya's room, hinihintay ko yung ibang sasabihin niya tungkol sa pinasok kong agent kineme na hindi ko naman alam. 

My phone lit up so I checked that notification, it was from Instagram. 

It is a tagged post, from Cassian. 

_Csn_Prm

Probably the last time I'm going to post something about you. Actually every post I have was you, only you with me. I never post anything on social media, but I want to show the world that you are mine. Sadly, we just ended. I really love you, and I will always do. But I have to fix myself in order for you to be proud of me. For now, I will forget you.

I hope you forget me too, baby. Kahit ganyan ka, I will always be proud of you no matter what. 

"Is that Cassian?" Biglang sumulpot si Saya sa likod ko. 

I turned off my phone before facing her. 

"Yeah," tipid na sagot ko.

"Di mo na kailangan itago, Vesper. I know that you two broke up, but there is still some lingering feelings towards each other." Tinabihan niya ako. "Tell me that I'm wrong, honey," Inipit niya ang buhok na humaharang sa mukha ko sa tenga ko. 

I smiled bitterly, "Sad to say that you are right." Umiwas ako ng tingin. 

"Come on, up." Hinila niya ako pataas. 

"What?" 

"You have to go out there, the Crowning will begin in 5 minutes, Vesper."

Nangunot ang noo ko, crowning? 

Bago pa ako makapagtanong nahila na ako sa ibang direksyon ni Saya. Kanina pa tong babaeng to ah, lagi niya nalang ako hinihila kaliwa't kanan. 

"Let us all settle down, and be prepared for the crowning." Sabi ng isang lalaki malapit sa mic, ano yan emcee? 

I was standing beside many agents for about 10 more minutes before my name was called. 

"May we call on Ravenna Vesper Hendrix," sumunod naman ako at umakyat sa stage. 

"And her partner Enzo Okazaki," lumabas si Enzo sa kwarto or let's say office niya with his devilish smirk. Umiling nalang ako. 

"Boo! You guys just met her earlier and she already has a promotion?" 

"She's pretty."

"She's hot dude." 

"I'm hotter, bitch." 

"I bet she doesn't know how to pick up a gun, or even defend herself." 

I smirked, maraming basher sa akin. Not all of them know me. 

"Excuse me, uh can you give them a background check of Ravenna?" Enzo told the emcee and gave a flashdrive. 

Ay wow, may presentation na kaagad?

First slide was my name and a picture holding a gun. 

The next slide was just a picture of me in my leather outfit with Kaede, and Hailey. 

"Ravenna Vesper Hendrix, the heiress of the Hendrix Mafia Corporation.  Also known as HMC. She is also the FLHMC, the female leader rather. She was one of them, their group consisting of six members including her. Their team was originally 3 and the other 2 is also famous in their home country, Philippines." 

After that slide there is a picture of us six. "Kaede Lei Alastair daughter and heiress of the most famous family of doctors or the Alastair medical center. Hailey Luvia Jane daughter of the most powerful gambler in the Philippines." 

Hailey didn't like talking about her father, kaya napailing ako. 

Pagkatapos ng isang slide, may video. 

It was me fighting, defusing a bomb, throwing knives, and sniping. 

That moment hit me, my ability might be a great use here in Japan. 

Nang matapos ang video, iniabot sa akin ni Enzo ang mic. Alanganin kong kinuha yon. Huminga ako ng malalim bago ako magsalita. 

"So if you're doubting me, I don't give a damn. I am your new recruited agent, happy to be his partner. And also, don't try me, you'll end up crying eventually." I dropped the mic before making my exit. 

Sinalubong ako ng tatlo. 

"What an impression." Pumalakpak yung dalawang bugok na lalaki bago ako abutan ng isang bote ng alak?

"Girl, I know you've been through a lot. So you have to release your anger on us by drinking and telling what you really feel." 

I opened the bottle and drank a fourth of it, hindi ko kayang i-straight yung alak dahil sobrang tapang nito. 

Napapikit ako, ganon pala kasarap ang alak dito. 

"You really put a shot glass there but we're just gonna drink it from the bottle?" Tanong ko. 

"Props," sagot ni Maeverick. 

"Post something on your instagram story." Sabi ni Jesse. 

I took a black and white photo of the shot glass and captioned it 'Forget me too' 

"45 thousand?!" Sigaw ni Saya. 

"Yeah." Sagot ko bago uminom muli sa bote. 

"Baka naman, follow back!" Sabi ni Maverick. 

"You can speak tagalog?" Tanong ko. 


"Obvious ba?" Sarkastiko niyang tanong niya. 

I opened my phone again to follow the three of them. 

"So what brings you here in Japan?" Saya. 

"Natanggal ako sa position ko doon sa companya, but I'm still the heiress." 

"Why?" Maverick. 

"I killed the target without the teams proper decision, well I have my own reasons, that girl that I killed kissed my fucking boyfriend." 

"That's kinda selfish, just a little you know?" Maingat na tugon ni Jesse. 

"I know, I fucked up okay? But I need to regain their trust again, but some part of me wants to get revenge. So I took this position as Enzo's partner." 

"Close ba kayo?" Tanong ni Maverick. 

"Nino?" 

"Okazaki." Sabay sabay nilang sabi. 

"Hindi naman, bakit?"  

"Parang magkakilala na kayo eh, wala kasing tumatawag sa kanya ng Enzo maliban sa pamilya niya or close acquaintance. Tell me, may history ba kayo ni Okazaki?" Siningkitan ako ng mata ni Saya na tila binabasa ang nasa isip ko. 

I finished the bottle of alcohol before answering, "He is my ex." Sagot ko at binuga naman nilang tatlo ang mga inumin nila. 

"What?! How come?" Jesse. 

"Long story short, he was my classmate in highschool in the Philippines, then we fell for each other, but he had to leave the country to come back here in Japan, I followed him but that only lasted a month." 

I checked the time it's 10pm. 

I am not drunk yet, but I feel like I'm going to pass out. 

"Vesper, come with me." Tawag sa akin ni Enzo. 

Wala naman akong choice kung hindi sumunod, nagpaalam muna ako sa tatlo bago magpahila kay Enzo. 

"I'll tell you the number one rule that you need to follow, here in Japan you're mine."

Biglang nawala ang pagkahilo ko at akmang susuntukin si Enzo pero hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. 

"You have nothing else to do but to follow me, darling. You're under me, and I know that you still love me."