Altered: Win and Team

Reputation

Win

The school term's orientation for every faculty starts next week but there are already senior students who are in the campus grounds preparing booths to welcome freshmen and returning students. Most are committee members of their respective faculty, club members under each faculty and some were late enrollees.

Dean and I take turns in managing the committee but the swimming club management usually falls under me when he's needed in the faculty.

I passed by the poolside and saw Pruk coaching Nong and Mew. The two kids were our top swimmers and our bets to run the club when we graduate, so were breaking them slowly into the task without telling them that they are already candidates.

Votes can be casted but members have to choose from our top picks who has potential to take over. They can say it's favoritism since we’re in the same crowd but they can't deny that when it comes to talent, we've already nitpicked the strong contenders since the day they jumped into the pool.

Pruk nodded at me when he noticed me and I just waived at him. Dean should be in the lockers changing after a swim. I messaged him prior that we need to switch since the committee needs his insight for next week's faculty orientation.

“Are you done changing, Mung?”, I called out as I entered the locker room to give him a heads up, just in case he was still changing.

Some club members are not comfortable baring in front of others even in the showers, so it's common courtesy to announce entry into the lockers.

Dean just looked at me as he was drying himself with a towel. He's only wearing jeans and sporting a bare top. I went straight to my locker and started undressing.

“You should go easy on Nong Team.”,  Dean suddenly spoke to me with apprehension.

I looked at him and wondered what did he exactly mean by that as he grabbed his shirt from his locker.

“Don’t act like you don't know what I'm talking about. He's got bruises all over his torso.”, he eyed me again as he placed the towel on the bench and grabbed his shirt inside his locker.

I laughed at his protective demeanor of Nong. I sometimes wonder if he was really my friend and which side he's on.

“What about me?!”, I asked him as I took off my shirt.

He looked scandalized as he scanned my torso, “Were you attacked by a mountain lion?”.

I laughed again at his exaggeration but he can put it that way since I had scratches and bite marks all over my body.

“With two legs! You can interrogate that huge cat by the pool.”, I challenged him as I took off my pants.

I didn’t bother covering myself with a towel as I change into my swimming trunks in front of him.

We’re too comfortable with each other already that it’s useless. We were never awkward with each other in the first place. Seducing him is even futile.

Believe me, I've tried just to test if there's a probability that we can go beyond being just competitors in the pool. He just left me to hang and dry at my attempts.

That's why when I set my eyes on Nong, he thought I was just playing around. He knew not all people are immune to my seductions. One way or another they give in with my persuasion and insinuations. Turns out I got caught in my own snare with Nong.

“Why are you even siding with him?”, I asked him as I closed my locker.

Dean just shrugged as he regained his composure and wore his shirt, “I just don't want Pharm worrying about his friend. Besides, no one will wonder about yours, you already have the reputation.”