Damn it universe, you shouldn't have let it be him. Not Mingi.

He's an idiot.

The night after knowing that fact seems to be a nightmare. I can't help but toss and turn in my sleep and this heavy heart didn't leave me even after waking up the next day.

“Can we not kidnap that guy?" Finally, I bursted out during lunchtime, the moment I manage to get Val away from his circle.

“And why not?" He raised his brows, still munching on his waffles.

“B-becase he's not that special. He's just a second cousin of Lucien Mondevilla which is from the main fraction of Mondevilla Clan. And I know the reason why Lucien isn't one of the choices was because he's strong and smart enough to be fooled by us.”

“Are you saying I don't have the power to seduce Lucien Mondevilla so we settled to a weaker opponent which is Mingi?”

I sighed. Pinadaanan ko nalang din muna ang mga schoolmates namin saka siya hinatak pa lalo doon sa gilid ng supper area. “What I'm saying is that, if we want a more impactful hostage, we can choose other noblemen who came from the main fractions. Like Rob Dazarencio.”

Napatungo siya pero nagpatuloy lang ako. “Because the closer their bloodline to the main fractions, the more important they become. And if they are part of that main fraction itself then that's marvelous, because they are the perfect hostage we should be focusing on. Saka alam ko namang kayang kaya mo makuha kahit sinong Nobleman.”

Inalis niya ang kamay kong nakakapit na pala sa braso niya. "I get your point, but why bother to construct such perfect scrpit when you could've just said you care about that Mingi? The only real reason why you don't want him to be included in this plan.”

Agad akong natigilan.

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt the chosen hostage. And I'll talk to Sage about our change of target.”

Tinapik niya pa ako sa ulo bago naglakad pabalik sa mesa niya. I don't even have the audacity to deny his claim because he's actually not that wrong. But it's in the most platonic kind of care, okay?

I just don't want that poor guy to get tangled up in the mess of our club because the last time an outsider did, she ended up with a severed head and injustices. And even if we won't really hurt him as a hostage, I still don't want him to feel like I betrayed his moral loyalty.

He's too gullible for this world and the only thing I can do is to get him away from me. Far enough so he won't be harmed by anyone, or anything. Although it also means that I sacrificed another person's well being, which is the guy named Rob Dazarencio, but who cares?

That guy should be living the life that he really deserves since the Dazarencio Clan were so good at making the minority as the collateral damage and the sacrificial lambs for what they think were the greater good. They should atleast have the taste of their own medicine from time to time.

Besides, I personally know Rob since kinder because he's the cousin of my cousin. Complicated isn't it? But since I am a Ludociel and Typo's mother is also one, and they were sisters, that made me his first cousin in his mother side. Rob on the other hand is his cousin on the father side, which is the Dazarencio Clan.

And Rob has nothing to worry because just like what Val has stated, the Spade Club won't harm him as a hostage and I will also do everything I can to keep him safe. But if the worst case scenario happened, well, condolences to my cousin's cousin, I guess?

I'll send him flowers.

•••

Days have passed like a wind and the Noble Date will finally be held tomorrow. Everyone was so busy with their designated roles that we actually didn't have the time to have a club meeting again. I was left with Val most of the time since he was my partner.

Actually, we've been together so much that he doesn't mind if he's now talking to me in front of his circle of friends. Which is weird because it consist of Artemis from Diamond Club, 9th place on the Overall Visual Ranking and Noelle from Clover Club, which holds the 2nd place.

I'm not the type of person who's obsessed with that visual ranking but knowing how Val, who placed 3rd, was so conscious and fanatic of the ranking, sometimes I can really feel some type of shame whenever I'm talking to him when he's with his friends.

Alam ko rin naman kasing may sapak siya at pabago bago ng mood. Baka nga bukas makalawa pagkatapos ng misyong ‘to, hindi nanaman ako nito papansinin sa daan e.

Saka tenga nga, bakit ba kanina pa siya naka tingin sa salamin at pinagdidiskitaan ang sariling mukha? Nasa dorm na kami't lahat lahat hindi pa rin siya tumitigil.

“What the hell are you doing? We should be preparing for tomorrow’s mission,” ani ko at pinakita ang hawak na mapa ng Schlemiel Academy.

“I am preparing, that's why I'm doing my skin care routine. But Kuina, we have a big problem!" Sa pagkakataong ‘yon ay parang pusa nanaman siyang lumipat sa higaan kung nasaan ako.

"I have a pimple sa nose, look!" Tinuro niya pa ang ilong niya at lumapit pa lalo sa'kin. Pinanliitan ko ito ng mata.

“Rob won't notice that and a mere pimple won't dull your brilliance, so focus on the plan.”

“I know I'm still pretty but I have a pimple sa nose.” Sumimangot pa ang mokong kaya binatukan ko na.

“Just wear a pimpe patch if that will make you feel better. Now focus on our mission and memorize this routes.” Tinuro ko ‘’yung mapa na kulang nalang ay ihambalos ko na sakanya.

“This is a big problem tho because I have a flawless skin. I don't usually have pimple but I had it two times na this month! I think I'll have my period sooner.”

Bahagya akong natawa at hinampas siya. “Beh, hindi wala ka ‘non.”

Napakurap kurap naman siya dahil doon at napatango. “Ay oo nga pala, alam mo.” Sumandal pa talaga siya sa pader kung saan naka dikit ang kama ko at nagpatuloy na sa pagtingin sa hawak niyang salamin.

Shoving him out is no use because he'll just roll on my bed and climb again, or he'll just lay on the floor. That is based on previous experiences so I just let him be.

I have no other option but to stare at his entire existence on my freaking bed and just be casual about it. Because up until this moment, I can't believe he just throw his freedom just for her twin sister to escape. Now he has to pretend to be a woman and marry a noble.

“Does your circle know that you’re a guy?" I can't believe I just said my intrusive thoughts out loud.

Good thing, that made him stop his mirror obsession and lend me his gaze. “Nope."

“Why?”

"Because I'm prettier than most woman here and I am good at pretending? I still don't even know how you figured this out.” He chuckled, with his back against the wall.

“As I said before, I have good eyes. Even if you have that pretty face and waist. And even if you seem to not have an Adam's apple and you're giving me so much gender envy because of those small shoulders. But your bust isn't giving.” Napayuko ako at huli na ng mapansing nagiinit na pala ang mga pisngi ko.

What am I blabbering about? I can't even tell him how I really figured it out!

“Oh my, Kuina, so the first thing you look at in women’s features is their bust?" sarkastikong saad pa ng mokong at hindi ako tinantanan ng tingin. Gago!

“It's not like that! But yours isn't really giving, it's not even there!”

Napasinghal siya. "It's there! It's here! Besides, real woman can be flat chested so what the fuck, girl?”.

"I know, but I just feel different about you. I guess it's my intuition! Tama, intuition ko lang talaga siguro ‘yon, tapos sa kung saan saan pa umaabot ang usapan. But anyway, hindi dibdib ang una kong tinitingnan sa mga babae, mata! Eh ikaw ba?” Mahaba kong litanya pero tinaasan niya lang ako ng kilay.

“Their faces, duh.” He even flipped his hair. “My motto in life is to be the prettiest or to be with the prettiest. So of course, I look at their faces first. I don't know about others though.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “What do you mean by that? There are other crossdressers in this all girls school?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. “In this society and economy? I can't be the only one, they probably just have different stories and different reasons for being here. But I'm sure that they aren't the enemy.”

“Gender and sexuality isn't the enemy, it's the oppressive mindsets that exist in everything even if they shouldn't,” he added. Val was about to waste his time staring at his mirror again, when all of the sudden the lights suddenly flickered.

An unexplainable chills suddenly crawled up from my system as we silently stared at each other. The silence was so loud we could now hear each other's breathing and the heavy footsteps from the corridor outside our room. The walk was slow but remarkable, especially because of the familiar chimes that the feet were dragging.

Para ‘yong tunog ng kadenang nakatali sa paa ng tao. Kaya naririnig mo bawat hakbang nito at bawat kalansing ‘non sa sahig. Habang nagpapatay sindi ang mga ilaw.

By that, Val slowly pulled me closer as we heard a knock on the door. I forgot to breathe for a second and even the training sessions I had with the whole Spade seemed to vanish just because of a knock.

In an instant, my hands were shaking again as the beating of my heart started to hinder me from hearing anything else. All I can see is Val's back, for he is now standing in front of me, blocking me from having a face to face encounter with whoever was outside that door. All I can feel is his warm hands who didn't let go of mine.

I was just in the middle of processing what to do when all of a sudden we heard someone who opened their door. It wasn't our room, it wasn't our door.

Para akong nabunutan ng kaunting tinik sa lalamunan at mas napakapit pa tuloy kay Val, ngunit kasabay ng pagbukas ng kung kanino mang pinto na ‘yon ay ang paglala ng pagpapatay sindi ng ilaw. Ilang saglit pa ay binalot ng isang napakalakas na sigaw ang buong lugar!

“What the f—" I wasn't even able to finish my phrase when this time, the lights were really out!

Like no, not again!