ADRIEN

"Hey! It's our big shot Adrien!"

I smirk at the two men sitting on the couch of our office. I salute at them and grab a chair from behind and plop down on it. "Oh please, you both are big shots as well, Nino and Luka."

Nino brings out a fist for me bump with mine. Luka salutes back at me while holding a guitar propped on his lap.

"How's the song coming up?" I ask Luka since he is in-charge of making the campaign jingles for our candidate, Aaron Byvael.

"It's a bit tricky for now," he tells me then grabs the piece of paper on the coffee table and hands it to me. "It's hard to rhyme 'Byvael' with catchy words. Read a line I wrote there."

"Now lighter exhales with Byvael..." I read the first line written on the paper then furrow my eyebrows. "Sorry man, but this sounds like an airconditioner commercial."

"Exactly!" Luka grabs the paper back then drops it on Nino's lap. "I mean, I will forever support Aaron but why does he have such a hard last name to make a song with? That is why I got Nino with me to help out."

I throw a pointed look at Nino. "This shouldn't be a reason for you to neglect your main job."

Nino raises his hands in the air. "I'm done with the political analysis!" He argues. "Listen, based from last week's visit to one area, my team garnered enough data to know that we are popular in the demographic of the lower-class, we are speaking in terms of the masses here."

"And what about Nordic?"

"Nordic's popularity is more with the middle-class, though we could find a way to squeeze in with them as well."

I cock my head and nod in assent. "Aaron is younger than Nordic by seven years. Compared to the other guy, Aaron could relate more to the young ones. Could this be a reason as to why he's popular in that demographic?"

"From what I'm sensing and hearing from others outside work," Luka chimes in, "people like him because of his charisma and his play on words."

"Who wouldn't like him and his charisma?" I scoff. "The only people who do not like Aaron would be the supporters of that old man Nordic who keeps on holding parties for the elite." I scowl, thinking about the opposing party. "No wonder why the middle class loves him. He can promise them a life they want, to continue living like a bourgeoisie."

"So what we are trying to figure out is what else they want," Nino adds. "We can garner the votes of the middle class but we have to find a way to stand-out from Nordic's ways."

I click my tongue and the events of last week's party that I crashed show up in my mind. If only I wasn't confronted with their stupid blueberry of a campaign manager, I could have stayed longer and studied the people he appeals to and how my candidate could appeal to them as well.

"And that is where my job enters," I utter and stand from my seat. I clap my hands and bow my head at the two of them. "You, both, work on the jingle Aaron needs. I'm planning to release it by next week during our next visit to the area. I think," I muse, bringing a hand to my chin, "we could surprise the other party like that, and with the giveaways we are planning to have made."

"Dude, this is why you are our boss here," Nino points out.

"Wait, Adrien, doesn't Aaron have something for later?" Luka asks.

"Another exposure to the crowd." I fix my necktie and put it back in place. "It's going to be with the opposing party."

They both groan collectively and I let out a laugh. "I know how you feel," I simply comment.

"You're going to be with that stuck-up manager again," Nino mutters under his breath, referring to the blueberry.

Luka then smirks right at me. "Don't tell you're going there empty-handed. You must have something up your sleeve." He raises an inquisitive eyebrow at me.

"Oh, I assure you," I wink at him, "I'll make sure to test the patience of Nordic."

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"BYVAEL FOR PRES! BYVAEL FOR PRES!"

"RUSTAN NORDIC! RUSTAN NORDIC!"

The crowd is going wild. It is one of these nights where the two candidates for president present themselves in front of an audience which is all the time mixed in demographics. Events like this have started to give the public more chances to see the candidates in person. Some will even be given the chance to ask a question that the candidates have to answer.

Now the candidates are on-stage, shaking hands and smiling at the cameras surrounding them. Despite their cheerful expressions, I know that deep down their camaraderie is nonexistent.

I've been standing by the side of the stage with my team and the opposing team is at the other side. I wonder what the blue-head is doing now. And I can't wait for her reaction when things suddenly will go downhill for them.

"A pleasant evening to all! I hope all of you are having a grand time!" Rustan Nordic speaks into the microphone, in a proper standing posture and with his other hand holding onto his coat. Who in the world would wear a coat right now? It's too humid to be in a coat!

"What's up, my people?!" Aaron Byvael shout into the microphone then throws his hands to the air. Most of the crowd cheer loudly for him. Aaron then lets out a raucous laugh into the microphone. "I can't believe that you are all here tonight! We might as well start a rave!"

People start to cheer but the sudden voice of Nordic overpowers them, "Why would you want to have a rave when we are here to answer their questions?"

Oh no.

The crowd is now talking among themselves. Some have stopped cheering to also comment on Nordic's sudden action.

"Damn it, we are losing our crowd," I grumble under my breath. I saunter to the edge of the stage, making sure that I can catch the attention of Aaron and also stay hidden from the audience. I wave a hand to catch Aaron's attention. He gives me fleeting glances and I start to frantically point at my necktie. I continue with the action until Aaron sends me a subtle thumbs-up at my direction.

"Mister Nordic!" Aaron starts, "I see that you got a good point there! I hope you would accept my apologies." He brings out his hand for the other man to take. "Why don't we shake on it and continue with tonight's event?"

Nordic, being the ever-so gullible old man, grabs Aaron's hand and gives it a firm shake. Then his bowtie suddenly spits out water on Aaron's face. The crowd lets out collective gasps while Nordic gapes in horror with what happened. He tries to bring the microphone to his mouth to speak, but he could not manage to utter a word.

For me, I bite back a smirk and act surprised as well.

Aaron wipes away the water droplets on his face then laughs into the microphone. "Oh my goodness, Mister Nordic!" He utters, "As much as I like your joke, I don't think I can continue with the Q and A portion for the night since I do not look presentable for now."

"I...I," Nordic tries to say until a voice from the audience cuts him off.

"Byvael, it's okay!" The voice cheers. Another voice joins in, "Byvael, it's okay!" They continue to cheer it until a lot join in as well.

"Byvael, it's okay! Byvael, it's okay! Byvael, it's okay!" Their chants grow louder as almost everyone is saying the same line all together.

This time I grin, watching the audience cheer the same line over and over again.

Of course, one way to woo a crowd is through pity. And I'm happy that I got to accomplish that with the simple plan of mine.

My happiness is short-lived though when I feel someone pinch my ear and use it to drag me to the back of the stage. "Ouch!" I cry out in pain and the same person lets go. I'm not surprised to see the person who dragged me here. I have actually been waiting for her to attack me.

"You! You are so CHILDISH!" She exclaims, pointing a finger of accusation at me.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, what did I do wrong?" I ask innocently. Still, I rub on the painful spot on my ear.

"You switched his bowtie!"

"How could I have switched his bowtie? Did you see me go and put it on him?" I press on in a mocking manner.

She lets out a loud huff and presses her finger on my chest. "I don't care how you made it reach him in the end. What I care about is how it was used to gain more attention for your candidate!" She emphasizes, sneering at me.

I wrap my hand around her finger on me and pull it away from my chest. "Look at me, Miss Dupain-Cheng, and take note of what I'm about to say." She does comply but still with a scowl on her face. "I suggest you go back to studying your impact on the different demographics," I continue, "because honestly, it looks like you're not doing your job well at all. You keep on getting mad at me."

She emphatically pulls her finger away from my grasp and declares out loud, "Oh, I'll show you! I'll show that I can play this game better than you!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be honest, it's really exciting to write a story like this hahaha

I hope you like the first chapter.

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