["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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REYNARD
NEW YEAR, new me! Promise, magbabagong buhay na ako ngayong taon. Lahat ng bad traits at red flags ko, tatanggalin ko na ngayong 2022. Hindi na ako masyadong magiging pushy to the point na nagiging uncomfortable na ang interviewee ko. Hindi na ako magiging masyadong mapang-ahas to the point na malalagay sa peligro ang buhay ko.
Just kidding! I would be the same Reynard that I was in 2021. Bakit ko babaguhin ang isang bagay kung wala namang dapat baguhin doon? In fact, I would even amplify some of my traits. I would be bolder and fiercer this year—all for the sake of the truth. I would ask harder-hitting questions to those who would try to slither away with the use of lies.
"Thank you for coming to our first team meeting for 2022," our boss in the news department, Nolan San Miguel, greeted us with a forced smile. "Sana'y nasulit n'yo ang Christmas break dahil magiging hectic ang susunod na tatlong buwan. Mas lalalim ang inyong eyebags at mas sasakit ang mga likod n'yo sa ilang oras na pag-upo sa harap ng computer."
Thanks for killing the mood, boss!
The two-week break bored me. May ibinigay na projects ang Journalism professors ko, pero hindi 'yon sapat para ma-entertain ako. Man, I missed the campus and all its issues! This might be an unpopular opinion, pero mas gugustuhin ko pang may pasok kami no'ng bakasyon. If the university was only open back then, I would have gone here and stayed in the office as if it's business as usual. But alas, I had to lock myself in the house and waste away for two weeks.
"As you all know, the student council elections are just around the corner," Nolan went on. He was pacing back and forth in front of the white board, his hands clasped behind him. "It's going to run for three months. Given the tension last year, expect it to be brutal. That's why we have to be prepared."
This would be my first time covering a student council race. Last year, I was just a mere spectator. This year, I got a front row seat to watch as history would unfold in Elysian University. Mas gugustuhin ko pang mag-cover ng corruption scandal kaysa subaybayan ang mga estudyanteng mag-asta bilang trapo at mangako ng too-good-to-be-true promises.
Lucky us, the politics here was not as boring as in other schools. Sa ibang uni, isang party lang ang tumatakbo every year at walang nag-o-oppose sa kanila kaya automatic winners na sila. Castiel and Alaric deserved our gratitude for spicing up the race. I was at the edge of my seat as they made moves and countermoves. It almost came into a crescendo last November, but it ended in a whimper. If it weren't for the personal tragedy that struck Castiel, the campus would have been on fire back then.
"If you were following the news, we can assume that the incumbent USC president is going to run for reelection," Nolan explained, writing Priam Torres' name on the board. He then wrote another name right next to it. "We can also assume that Alaric Esteban is also running. There's no confirmation yet, but they're the top two names so far."
