THE PRESIDENTIAL SON (English)

Chapter 9: PLAYING A GAME IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

(TREI)

 “YOU SEEM to be having fun, lately.”

I turn to Zero who is walking beside me. “Does preparing for the Sports Fest fun to you?”

“Not yet. The first two weeks of preparation is the most tiring and boring. But you look like you’ve been enjoying it since last week. You know, those morning meetings you think no one from the student council knows.”

I arch my brow. I realize he is talking about Aya Sagara. “I am not trying to hide it.”

“I know. The students have been talking about seeing the two of you together. But you are not the type who let others know about your whereabouts. In fact, you are good at hiding. That is why I have an idea that you are intentionally parading her for all the students to see. You are playing a game, Trei. I’ve known you since we were kids. I have an idea of how your mind works.”

I smirk but don’t comment. Not only because I don’t want to tell him about my plans – I like keeping them to myself. It is more fun that way – but also because we are in the middle of our round to all the sports teams in Golden Cross. We need to check if the equipment for all the sports will be more than enough for all the participating students in the upcoming sports fest.

“Even this schedule. You don’t usually visit the sports teams yourself,” Zero murmurs. “You always give this task to the PIO. This is supposed to be Prince’s job.”

“Just shut up and work, Zero.”

He shakes his head and follows me when I enter the gym where four of the sports teams practice. It is a huge gymnasium, with five standard-sized courts lined up. Each court is designated for the basketball and volleyball teams. In Golden Cross, there are men’s teams and women’s teams in each sport.

My gaze goes directly at the court occupied by the women’s volleyball team. It is my first time to watch an afternoon practice. I didn’t expect to see numerous students hanging around and watching the practice.

“How can they focus on practice with all these students hanging around and being noisy?” Zero comments curiously.

I don’t answer. I am busy looking for the tallest girl on the women’s basketball team. I hear her voice before I can actually see her. She is standing at the side of the court, giving instructions and cheers to the volleyball players currently practicing. She is wearing her team uniform. Sleeveless shirt with the logo of their team name, jersey shorts on top of black training shorts. She is wearing a cloth headband, probably to get her hair away from her face. I know it has been two hours since the afternoon practice started so it is no surprise that she is soaking in sweat.

There is a practice happening on the court but most of the students hanging around the women’s volleyball are looking at Aya Sagara.

“She’s popular huh,” Zero says. 

Yes, she is, to both boys and girls too at that. They are all there to watch her. It is probably because of her androgynous beauty and charisma. Even now as I watch her lead her team with confidence and authority, I can understand why she has fangirls and fanboys.

It pisses me off. As I watch Aya Sagara, my stomach clench with the urge to mess her perfect life. It is just fair the way mine was ruined because of someone special to her. I thought she knew about it. I thought she knew me. But here she is, living her life normally and enjoying her senior high school life like other students. Little did she know that she has something to do with the reason why my own life is slowly falling apart.

“Trei,” Zero whispers.

I blink and turn to him.

“I thought we are going to hand out the papers to the team captains?”

“That’s the plan.”

His brows arch. “Then we should start doing it. We still have to go to the swimming pool and to the field for the other sports teams.”

“That’s what we will do now.”

Zero sighs. Then with his loud voice, he announces our presence. The gym slowly goes quiet. All the attention is now on us. Zero keeps on talking, telling the captains to come and get the papers from us. I don’t look at any of them. My eyes are already focused on Aya Sagara.

She is looking at me now. She looks surprised. Then her expression becomes wary as if she is trying to predict my next move. She will never succeed.

I take my gaze away from her just to get one folder in the four I am holding. I give the three to Zero. “Distribute these to the captains.”

He accepts the folders in surprise. “Wait. Where are you going?”

I don’t answer. Instead, I begin to walk towards the court used by the women’s volleyball team. I see the moment Aya’s whole body tensed. She suddenly looks taller as if preparing for a battle. She doesn’t know the war has already started since that night in the shower room.

I am aware that there are many eyes following me as I walk towards her. I don’t waste my time looking around. It is more interesting to watch Aya’s different expressions. I particularly like the annoyance on her face when I stop in front of her.

She looks down at the folder in my hands. “Is that the checklist for the Sports Fest? For the equipment and all?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Give us mine. Our managers will check the equipment later.”

Aya lifts her hand, palm up in front of us. I don’t want to give the checklist yet, though. So instead of handing it to her, I look at the court that the women’s team uses. The players are no longer doing practice. Instead, they are all gaping at us. Even her fanboys and fangirls are looking suspiciously. Good. I want everyone to assume things about us.

“Hello? The checklist, please?” Aya asks in a quiet tone.

I look back at her. She looks uncomfortable and tensed but her expression is firm and her eyes look strong. She really will not break easily. But her stubbornness only makes this game more fun. When she finally breaks, the end game will be so much more satisfying.

Aya frowns and asks in a whisper, “Why are you smiling?”

I realize that I am indeed smiling. I am tempted to wipe it off but I resist. Instead, I finally hand her the checklist. “We have a meeting tomorrow morning for the Sports Fest. Be sure to attend.”

“I know,” she answers, taking the folder from my hand.

“Get in the office early. The same time as last week.”

She looks at me in surprise. “Why? I’ve already read every report I have to read last week. I even memorized the names and background of all the VIP guests as you demanded.”

Her confusion amuses me. For someone so smart, Aya Sagara can really be slow to pick up meanings. Probably because she doesn’t know anything other than academics and volleyball. She doesn’t look like it but she is innocent bordering on ignorant. It will make destroying her so much more satisfying.

I smile. “I need someone to eat breakfast with. I already got used to eating with you.”

I hear gasps coming from the nearest players to us. I ignore them. I watch Aya’s face as her eyes widen and her lips part. Her cheeks flush pink. I know she will be able to collect herself fast and I don’t have plans to get rejected in front of these people.

“See you tomorrow then. Bring the filled out checklist with you too.” Before she can say anything I already turn my back on her. I see Zero still standing at the entrance of the gymnasium. He is no longer holding the folders I gave him so he must have distributed them already. I walk towards him.

“Let’s go.” I go out of the gym, not looking back inside even if I have a slight urge to do so. Zero follows me.

“I had my suspicions but now I am sure about what you are trying to do, Trei.”

I turn to Zero, my brows arched. “What do you mean?”

He is frowning and his eyes narrow in a warning. “Stop it. She is just a scholarship student. She has a whole ass team depending on her. Not only that but she is the scholarship students’ pride. She is obviously working hard for a dream. So stop trying to ruin her, Trei.”

My jaw clenches. I don’t like the way he talks about her. “I didn’t know you know Aya Sagara that well, Zero. For someone who hates women, it was surprising to hear you praise her.” 

Zero sighs in frustration. “That’s not the point. You really are intentionally acting close to her, especially in public so students will talk. You know that you have many obsessed fans in this school. They don’t do it in a way that people will see but you know how they bully the girls that get close to you. The only girl they leave alone is Reina and that is because they worship her too. One of these days, Aya Sagara will be targeted by your obsessed fans and that is what you want, right?”

I don’t answer and just continue to walk towards the field where the baseball, softball, and soccer teams are practicing. Zero groans behind me.

“Don’t be like this, Trei. I am saying this not only for her but also for you. You can’t be this obsessed with someone. Playing a game is a double-edged sword. Do you think this will only affect her? Given the way you automatically looked for her in the crowd inside the gym, I think not.”

I stop and turn to Zero. “Can you just drop it? I don’t want to get mad at you but you are trying my patience, Zero. When did you become this talkative?”

He clenches his jaw. “I am just worried about you, Trei. You are cool-headed but you are being impulsive right now. You said you are playing a game? Fine. But remember this, a game is a double-edged sword. You never know you might get stabbed in the process too.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to talk back. He grabs the folders in my hand and says, “I’ll take charge of these. Go back to the student council office and think through your actions. You can still put a stop to this. If you get too deep into this game you started, you might not be able to get out of it.”

I clench my fists as I watch him walk away from me.

[You don’t understand, Zero. You don’t know why I am doing this. And I don’t have any plans of telling you.]

I stare at his retreating back for a few seconds more before I head back to the student council office.