A/N: Third update for the week! We're on a roll!

LORELEI

I WAS starting to think that the truth behind the Moriarty case was like a Russian doll. Once you open it, you would see a similar but smaller doll inside, which can also be opened to reveal another much smaller doll. Hindi ko na alam kung ilang dolls na ba ang nabuksan namin at kung ilan pa ang natitira sa loob.

Honestly, I feared what else was hidden deep inside the mystery that is M. Natatakot akong malaman sakaling meron pang nakagigimbal na katotohanan. The involvement of Jamie's late brother was already shocking enough to me. Ano pa kaya kapag may mas nakayayanig pa roon?

For instance, Jamie knowing about everything that her brother did as the original Moriarty. Hindi ko maiwasang mapasulyap sa kanya habang pinag-uusapan namin ang motivation noon at ngayon ni M. Her brother founded the organization, and now, the successor is driving it off track.

She showed us a convincing reaction of wonder and confusion. Well, that could have been a mask. She could be pretending to be surprised—Oh, God! I really hate these thoughts! Sana'y walang katotohanan itong pagdududa ko. We've been through so much already. Imagine how heartbreaking it would be not only to me, but also to Loki and Alistair, if my fears become real.

Matapos ang aming quick review sa mga case file, nagpaalam na muna kami kay Rye upang mag-break at pumunta sa cafeteria. Nagutom si Jamie kaya nagyaya siyang kumain. Nagpahabol pa ang bago naming boss na baka pwede naming i-check kung sino ang mga pasaway na hindi sumusunod sa "clean as you go policy."

Habang nasa hallway kami, huminto ako sa paglalakad nang may naaninag akong lalaki na suot ang prescribed uniform para sa male faculty members.

"What is it, Lori?" kunot-noong tanong ni Jamie. "Bakit nahinto ka? Is something wrong?"

Umiling ako. For a second, I thought that my uncle had returned to the campus and resumed his stint as a high school instructor. Nang mas malinaw ko nang nasilayan ang mukha ng lalaking faculty member, parang nakahinga ako nang maluwag. What was I thinking? Imposibleng makatakas ang uncle ko sa kulungan. And he wouldn't easily sneak into the school anyway.

Nasanay na siguro akong nandito siya kaya naaaninag ko pa rin ang image niya.

Lumabas na kaming apat sa high school building at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad hanggang sa marating ang cafeteria. Ilang hakbang na lang kami mula sa entrance nang may maramdaman ako sa aking bulsa. My phone was continuously vibrating. Someone's calling. I pulled it out and looked at the number on the screen.

Unregistered digits. Could it be someone from my dad's associates? But they had to go through Nancy if they wanted to talk to me.

"Teka lang," sabi ko sa aking mga kasama. They also stopped and gave me a confused look. Itinaas ko ang aking kaliwang kamay para i-emphasize ang "sandali lang." I pressed the accept call button and placed the phone near my ear.

"Hello?" I greeted with furrowed eyebrows.

"Good morning! Is this the number of Lorelei Rios?"

Kumunot ang noo ko. Bakit familiar sa akin ang boses ng lalaking 'to? I was sure that I heard it somewhere. Parang na-meet ko na siya noon. I couldn't recall at the moment kung saan. Basta sigurado akong nagkausap na kami.

"Yes. May I know who I'm speaking to?"

"Oh, sorry! Where are my manners? This is Johannes Gutierrez, the editor-in-chief of BEYOND Publishing. We met last week, remember?"

Dahan-dahang nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Kaya pala familiar ang boses niya! Oo, nagkita at nagkausap na kami sa isang restaurant. Kasama ko pa nga noon ang nagpanggap na "Friedrich Rivera." If I had suspected anything by the way he called "Fritz" my teacher who accompanied me, I would have gotten a clue about the true identity.

"Yes, sir. I still remember you. Kumusta po?"

But why was he calling me this early? Just to say hello? To offer me his condolences?

"I'm doing really fine. Thank you! First of all, I'm sorry about what happened to Fritz. I heard that he got himself into some trouble."

Some trouble? That's the understatement of the year. My dad's death, as well as Augustus' and Sir Ephraim's, were just some trouble.

"I know that you still have classes this morning, so I'm gonna make this call quick. I'm still interested in publishing your stories. I hope you are still open to the idea of signing on with BEYOND?"

Kumurap ang mga mata ko na sandaling natulala. I didn't know what to say. Sinubukan kong timbangan ang mga susunod kong salita. "Akala ko ho, hindi na matutuloy ang offer dahil sa nangyari kay Tito Fritz."

If I could be totally frank, I don't feel comfortable with any opportunity if I only got it through a backer or padrino system. Gusto ko kasing pinaghihirapan kung anuman ang accomplishments ko sa buhay. I don't want it to be served on a silver platter to me, especially if I didn't earn it.

"Fritz was the one who recommended you to us. But his recommendation doesn't necessarily mean that we'd sign you on in our publishing company. I personally reviewed your works and saw a huge potential in them. Look, I'm interested in pursuing you to be one of our young writers. The only thing that Fritz contributed in this matter was to put you on our radar."

After the consecutive heartbreaks that I felt in the past week, parang naibsan nang kaunti ang bigat na nararamdaman ko. No offense to my dad Walter, but I felt happier hearing the news that BEYOND is still interested in me than the news of me inheriting everything from him.

Maybe it's because I earned the former compared to the latter.

"I'm still interested, sir," I answered. Before things got messy, I already made a decision. Our conversation in the restaurant helped me decide. Kaso nga lang, nagkagulo-gulo ang mga sumunod na eksena sa aking buhay, salamat mismo sa uncle ko. "I'm thinking of signing on with BEYOND."

"That's great news! Are you free this afternoon? Probably after your classes? Let's meet at the Diogenes Cafe near your school. Yes, I read your blog entry about what happened in that coffee shop."

Saglit akong tumingin sa mga kasama ko na matiyagang naghihintay pa rin sa akin. Wala naman kaming importanteng gagawin mamayang hapon kaya free ang schedule ko.

"Sure, sir. I will be there."

"Thank you! I look forward to meeting you again, Lorelei. Pwede mo ring isama ang mga kaibigan mo sa—ano nga ulit ang tawag doon?—sa QED Club! I want to them in person too. I want to see these high school detectives in the flesh. See you later!"

Then he hung up. I felt a smile forming across my lips as my stare lingered on my phone screen. Finally, some good news this morning!

"Mukhang happy ka, ah?" tanong ni Jamie na may kasamang pagsiko sa braso ko. Kanina pa siya dikit nang dikit sa akin. Hindi masyadong obvious na nakikitsismis siya. "May nag-deposit ba ng one million sa bank account mo? Baka pwede tayong mag-party mamaya? Andami mo namang pera, 'di ba?"

Ano ba'ng akala ni Jamie sa pera? Mga dahon na basta lang nahuhulog mula sa puno at madaling pulutin?

"I got a call from the EIC of BEYOND," I answered, still smiling. Pasensya na. Hindi ko kasi mapigilan ang pagngiti sa saya ko. "Despite what happened to my uncle Fritz, the editor-in-chief is still interested to sign me on as one of their writers. He asked kung pwede kaming mag-meet mamayang hapon. Natanong din niya kung pwede kayong sumama? He wants to meet the four of us in person."

"Talaga?!"

"Congrats!"

Nagliwanag ang mga mukha nina Alistair at Jamie habang may kaunting paggalaw sa facial expression ni Loki. Parang kukurba na 'yong labi niya pero biglang hindi natuloy?

"Lori, alam mo ba kung ano'ng meaning nito?" tanong ni Jamie sabay hawak sa magkabila kong balikat. "Kapag naging published author ka na, mag-a-attend ka ng booksigning at siyempre, pipirma ng mga libro. Tapos may mga magpapa-picture sa 'yo! Kakalat ang mukha mo sa social media!"

I smiled awkwardly at the thought. Ang gusto ko lang naman ay magsulat at makitang maisalibro ang mga kuwentong isinulat ko.

"Dapat isama mo ako sa booksigning!" Halos yugyugin ako ni Jamie. "Pwede ako ang maging assistant mo. Kunwari ako 'yong mag-a-abot ng mga libro sa 'yo o kaya ako 'yong kukuha sa pictures n'yo."

She's describing it so vividly na na-imagine ko na sa isip ko. Baka nga kapag nandiyan siya, sa kanya pa magpa-picture ang mga magpapapirma sa akin. Pero ayaw ko munang isipin. Masyado pang maaga. Ni hindi pa nga ako nakakapagpirma, eh. I also had to read the contract and see if it's a good deal.

"Have you decided kung tatanggapin mo ang offer?" nakangiting tanong ni Alistair.

"I'm inclined to say yes," sagot ko. Masasabi kong nasa eighty-five percent na ako sa pagdedesisyon. "Kapag ibinigay na ang copy ng contract sa akin, I might ask one of my dad's lawyers to check it."

My face showed a wry smile. Tanda ko pa ang pag-uusap namin ng papa ko sa kotse last week. He volunteered to ask his lawyer-friend to review the publishing contract para siguruhing hindi ako maaagrabyado. That could have been the start of a good relationship between us. But it ended before it even began.

"That's a good move," Loki said, nodding. "Some companies who have predatory practices tend to offer vaguely worded publishing contracts. The deal may taste sweet at first, but its aftertaste might not be so good at all. Having a lawyer on call will protect you from these predators."

"Wow, ah!" Siniko ako ni Jamie sa tagiliran. Napaaray tuloy ako. "Iba na talaga kapag mayaman, 'no? May lawyer-lawyer pang nalalaman! Kapag pipirma rin ako ng kontrata sa isang artist agency, pahiramin mo ako ng isa sa mga abogado mo, ha?"

"Oo naman," nakangiti kong sagot. "Basta bayaran mo ang consultation fee, ha? Tapos bibigyan mo kami ng cut mula sa talent fee mo para ma-ensure naming legally protected ka throughout your career. We can sue anyone who tries to slander or write a libelous article about you."

Lalong lumawak ang ngiti ni Alistair sa puntong halos kita na ang kanyang gilagid habang nagmamaktol naman sa harapan ko si Jamie. Para siyang bata na pinangakuang ibibili ng laruan pero sa isang kondisyon.

"Lori, naman! Akala ko ba, best friends tayong dalawa? Bakit parang huhuthutan mo pa ako ng pera? Ang yaman-yaman mo na nga tapos gaganyanin mo pa ako?"

"I can give you a friend's discount," tugon ko.

Right, friends. For a moment, my lingering doubts about her vanished. Sana'y ganito na lang. Sana'y nagkakatuwaan na lang kami. Sana'y wala nang matinding sikreto na itinatago ang isa sa amin.

Tumuloy na kami sa cafeteria kung saan occupied na ang lahat ng tables. Heto ang laging issue kapag sa kalagitnaan ng morning break pumunta rito. Naghanap muna kami ng puwesto bago sumabak sa mahaba-habang pila. Loki led us to one of the tables. Sa talas ba naman ng mga mata niya, may nakita na agad siyang spot. May mga estudyante pang nakaupo roon pero ubos na ang kanilang snacks at drinks. Alistair thought of asking them kung pwede nang bakantehin ang upuan, but Loki stopped him. He had another idea in mind.

You know what he did? Tumayo lang siya sa tapat ng mesa, nagkrus ang mga braso, at tinitigan ang mga nakaupo roon. Nang mapansin siya ng mga estudyante, noong una'y binalewala siya. Pero naging uncomfortable din siguro sa kanila ang kanyang mapanghusgang tingin kaya tumayo na sila. We could have simply asked them to kindly give space to us.

"You forgot your plates and softdrink bottles," Loki told them in a modulated voice. Nang lumingon sa kanya ang tatlong estudyante, itinuro niya ang sign na nagsasabing "clean as you go." "I hope you can read and understand what that phrase means. Otherwise, I will ask the principal to bring you back to first grade."

"Sino ka bang—"

"G*go, taga-execom 'yan! Huwag mong sasagutin. Kita mo 'yong badge sa collar niya?"

"Gusto mo bang mapatawag sa guidance? Kunin na lang natin ang mga pinagkainan natin."

Just like that, the table was cleared. Umupo na agad si Loki bago pa kami maunahan. May bagong pasok na mga estudyante sa cafeteria. Magmimistulang Trip to Jerusalem ang paghahanap ng mauupuan dito.

"So ano ang o-order-in natin?"

Alistair and I volunteered to buy our snacks while Loki and Jamie would stay at our table. Clubhouse sandwich at orange juice ang order naming tatlo habang nag-pass naman itong si Loki. He said he's hungry at all. Laging gano'n ang sagot niya kapag pumupunta kami rito. Nang makapila na kami, sinabihan ko si Alistair na bilhan din siya ng sandwich para pare-pareho kaming may snacks. Medyo awkward kung siya lang ang walang kinakain.

Kahit mahaba ang pila, naging mabilis ang pag-usad namin hanggang sa marating ang counter. Pagbalik namin sa aming puwesto, may dalang tray na si Alistair na may isang platter ng clubhouse sandwich at apat na bottle ng orange juice.

"Hey, I didn't order anything," Loki said as soon as he noticed the fourth bottle on the tray.

"Don't worry, our treat," Alistair replied, smiling at him. Maingat niyang inilapag ang tray sa mesa. Isa-isa kaming kumuha ng sandwich, maliban kay Loki na nagdadalawang-isip pa. Kung pwede lang kunin ang sandwich at i-stuff sa bibig niya, gagawin ko na sana.

"Hindi ka ba pinag-breakfast kanina ni Lori?" tanong ni Jamie. Parang concerned na nanay na siya kung magsalita. "Gusto mo bang subuan kita, Loki dear?"

"He's not a child anymore," I said after taking a sip from the orange juice. Kahit ilang beses kong sabihan 'yang si Loki na kumain, minsan hindi niya ako pinapakinggan. My words always fell in deaf ears when it came to asking him to eat. "Hindi naman siya nabalian ng kamay o braso para subuan mo."

"Kainin mo na ang sandwich mo bago pa lumamig," hikayat ni Alistair sa kanya na kangunguya lang. "Masarap 'yan habang mainit. At saka masamang pinaghihintay ang pagkain."

"Think of the poor children who have nothing to eat at this very moment," dagdag ko para lalo siyang konsensyahin. "You're lucky na may pagkain sa harapan mo. Be appreciative of what you have. Don't waste it."

"If I eat this sandwich, will I bring an end to child hunger across the world?" Loki asked. Umirap ang mga mata ko habang napailing ang mga kasama ko.

Heto na naman siya, nagmamatigas.

The three of us stared at him while taking big bites on our sandwiches. Napaaangat ang tingin niya sa amin. Gusto naming ipakita sa kanya kung gaano kasarap ang kinakain namin. Dala na rin siguro ng pressure kaya kinuha niya ang natitirang sandwich sa platter at kumagat na. He chewed it thoroughly before drinking his orange juice.

Kakain din naman pala, nagpapakipot pa.

"Do you mind kung makiki-share ako ng table sa inyo?"

Halos mabilaukan ako sa aking kinakain nang marinig ang boses na 'yon. Jamie gently slapped me on the back while Alistair quickly got me a glass of water. Straight kong ininom ang ibinigay na tubig at huminga nang malalim. Muntik na ako roon, ah?

My eyes raised their gaze at the male student holding a tray and standing adjacent to our table.

"Stein Alberts..." I thought to myself while looking at his grinning face.

"Disclaimer: I had no plans of killing Lorelei by making her choke on her food," he jested, still keeping that smile. None of us found his joke funny. "So ano ba? Pauupuin n'yo ba ako o hahayaan n'yo lang na tumayo ako rito hanggang mamaya?"

"You can't sit with us," Loki answered, crumpling the sandwich wrapper in his hand. "Look for another table whose occupants are willing to share with you."

"Unfortunately, I don't know most of them. Kayong apat lang ang kilala ko rito sa cafeteria," may kibit-balikat na sagot ni Stein. "Hey, I'm still waiting for your permission? Don't leave me hanging here!"

Totoo nga siguro ang kasabihan na "speak of the devil and he shall appear." We were just talking about him in our morning execom meeting. Ngayon parang kabute siyang nagpakita sa harapan namin. Tapos nagre-request pang maki-share sa aming table? Today might be a crazy day.

I could feel na biglang nag-iba ang atmosphere sa area namin. Kanina'y medyo light. Ngayo'y medyo naging mabigat. Nagseryoso ang mukha ni Jamie habang ngumunguya. Naging neutral ang facial expression ni Alistair habang umiinom. Loki maintained the annoyed look in his face.

What was Stein trying to pull off here? I doubt he'd be here just to watch us enjoy our sandwiches. He must have a motive, sinister or otherwise. For all we know, he might try to poison our snacks or drinks.

"Actually, we don't have to share the table with you," Loki said as he got to his feet. "You can have the table for yourself. Sorry, I already lost my appetite. I'm going back to my classroom."

Nagawi ang tingin ko sa snacks at drinks namin. While Loki was done with his sandwich—which was a miracle—hindi pa namin nakakalahati ang aming sandwich at juice. Baka nga hindi pa namin maubos dahil sa isang masamang presensya sa paligid.

Fine! Whatever Stein's planning, I'm gonna bite. He went out of his way to eat with us. There must be a catch here or something.

"Why don't we stay for a while here? With Stein?" I suggested, glancing at our unwelcome guest. "Wala naman siguro siyang balak na masama sa atin, 'no?"

"Of course! If I want to poison any of you—except Loki, for obvious reasons—I would do it discreetly, without anyone seeing me near you." Stein quickly dragged a chair from another table and squeezed it between Jamie and Alistair. Agad siyang umupo bago pa may tumutol at inilapag ang kanyang tray sa mesa.

Nagkatinginan muna kaming apat habang sinimulan na ni Stein na kainin ang kanyang pasta. I could feel the "are you sure?" stares from them. Loki slid back into his seat while we went on eating our sandwiches. It felt kinda awkward to me—and to my friends as well—to share the table with the person who unleashed hell in Clark High.

Mabuti't katabi niya si Alistair. Kung may balak siyang gawing masama sa amin, agad siyang masusubsob nito sa mesa. He wouldn't be able to resist my childhood friend.

"First," Stein took in a forkful of pasta before turning to me, "This may come as late, but I wanna offer my condolences to you. I don't know your dad at all, but he's probably great man. That's what they usually say. Gone so soon, sadly."

"Thank you," I replied with slight hesitation.

"Second," he wiped the sauce off his lips with his fingers, "I wanna apologize to Alistair and to Jamie for putting your lives at risk. And I wanna congratulate you two for surviving! Nakaka-bilib, ah? Your quick thinking and reflexes saved you. Believe me when I say that I'm happy that you survived the car crash."

"Your apology has been noted," Alistair answered with a smile, which I couldn't tell if sarcastic or not.

"Next time, mas galingan mo pa sana, ah?" may pagkasarkastikong dagdag ni Jamie bago muling kumagat sa sandwich. Kung hindi ko alam na espiya siya ni Stein, mapapaniwala ako sa acting niya. Well, uma-acting siya at kami ngayon na kunwari'y hindi namin alam na espiya siya.

"I swear to God, I don't want to hurt any of you. Cross my heart!" Stein raised his right hand. How dare he invoked God's name? "But I got to do what I got to do. One of you was turning over some stones, and I have to teach that person a lesson. I hope she learned something."

Pasimpleng tumingin sa akin si Stein—nakataas ang kanyang bote na parang nagtsi-cheers—bago siya uminom ng softdrinks. We watched him as he took one long gulp. Napa-Ah! pa siya pagkatapos.

Thanks to his lesson, I truly learned something that could help us unravel what remains of the Moriarty mystery.

"What do you want?" Loki asked impatiently, folding his arms as he reclined in his seat. That's the million peso question, I guess? "Why are you even here?"

Stein's fork froze midair as he cast a glance all over us. "To express my condolences and apologies in person. I could have texted you all, but that might seem insincere. It's like breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend through text. It doesn't feel good and right at all. Mas maganda kung may personal touch, 'di ba? Mababasa n'yo sa facial expressions ko at sa intonations ko kung sincere ba ako."

"He did sound sincere," bulong ni Jamie sa amin. Ginamitan niya siguro ng kanyang special ability para malaman kung genuine ba o hindi ang delivery ni Stein sa kanyang "I am sorry" line.

"Now that you've said what you have to say, perhaps you can leave us in peace?" Loki asked with a mocking polite tone. He also gestured his hand to another direction. "Frankly, we would have preferred if you texted us. We could have avoided being infected by whatever morally bankrupting virus you've been diagnosed with."

If there's one thing I enjoyed about Stein being around us, walang iba kundi ang mga tirada sa kanya ni Loki. Our friend wouldn't miss the opportunity to trade barbs with his archenemy.

Napahawak ang kaliwang kamay ni Stein sa kanyang dibdib at parang lumukot ang mukha niya. "Alam mo bang minsan, ang sakit mong magsalita? No matter what your opinion of me is, I still have feelings too. I'm just a human, you know? I feel hurt."

"Minsan? Madalas," Loki corrected him.

Ibinaba ni Stein ang hawak niyang fork, sumandal sa upuan at bumuntong-hininga. I was on guard since the moment he took his seat. Maging si Alistair yata, naka-ready na pukpukin siya ng bote sa ulo. He may have assured our group that he wouldn't hurt any of us in broad daylight, but he could lie and do something terrible.

"I sometimes wonder how the three of you manage to keep up with him," Stein commented, motioning his hand to Loki who sat across him. "He's sometimes rude and contemptous—"

"Only to people who deserve it," Loki interrupted. "And as it happens, you're one of the people who deserve my rudeness and contempt. You should consider yourself lucky. You're on the top of the list."

Stein's shoulders dropped as he rolled his eyes. "Seriously, how can you be friends with this guy? I can imagine him being condescending on you when you fail to follow his train of thought. Ganyan kaming matatalino, may pagka-judgmental sa mga mahihina ang utak."

"We'd rather have him as a friend than you," I said while looking at him straight in the eye. "We'd rather be friends with someone cold and harsh but still has a soft spot inside, than someone who's rotten to the core. No offense to you, by the way."

"Dapat ko ba siyang alukin ng aloe vera?" bulong ni Jamie. "Coz he got some burns from you."

I chuckled. I wonder if Stein's gonna regret his decision of joining us here. He's being roasted at the moment, in case he didn't notice.

Napahagikhik siya bago tuluyang ngumiti sa akin. Ipinagpatuloy na niya ang pagkain sa kanyang pasta. Ako naman, medyo nawalan na ng ganang ubusin ang sandwich ko. Baka may lason ang hangin na ibinubuga niya. Better be safe than sorry, I guess?

"I have a question, if you don't mind me asking," Alistair spoke after finishing his sandwich. Kahit na kontrabida ang kasama namin ngayon, nagagawa pa rin niyang maging polite. "Do you have friends? Real friends? If yes, have you asked yourself how they managed to keep up with you?"

Stein chuckled, twirling a pasta on his fork. "I have acquaintances, a whole lot of them. I have subordinates, quite a bunch. But friends? I had one. Had being the operative word. We shared the same vision. We shared the same interest. Gano'n nag-click ang friendship namin."

Dahan-dahang nanliit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. Was he talking about the late Jaime Santiago, his predecessor? Was he the only friend he had in Clark High?

"You can easily become friends with anyone as long as you share the same interest." Stein took in another forkful. Kahit may laman pa ang bibig niya, nagpatuloy siya sa pagsasalita. "Look at the four of you. You got together because of me. Don't I deserve some credit for putting together the QED Four? I feel like I'm Nick Fury and you're the Avengers."

"You deserve nothing but our fury," Loki replied sharply. "You know it's coming to you. You know that we're getting closer."

"Maybe you're getting closer, but will you get close enough?" Stein beamed a smile at him, which quickly vanished as he went on eating. "Though I must admit—if I can be perfectly candid with you—that you have caused me inconvenience in recent months. You and some uninvited participants to the table. Bastien got arrested but decided to take his own life. Augustus got poisoned. Rosetta got burned into crisp. I can no longer freely do whatever I want. Your friendship is getting stronger while my organization is getting weaker. It's kinda unfair, right?"

"Well, I'd say it's quite expected," Loki said, his eyes surveying the mastermind closely. "Since you mentioned Augustus, look at the Roman Empire. It lasted for over a thousand years, became feared across the known world, but it eventually fell. It's meant to happen. Your empire is failing and falling."

"Kumbaga sa isang group work, mahirap i-manage ang mga kagrupo mong matitigas ang ulo, walang ambag, at walang ibang inatupag kundi mag-chill," nakangiti pa ring sagot ni Stein bago muling sumubo. "Take it from me. It's undoubtedly challenging to manage an organization whose members have the same goal but different motivations. It ain't easy, I tell you."

"Thank God we're not in your shoes," I blurted out. "Thank God we don't have an evil empire to run."

Stein turned to me. "Oh, I don't think so."

My eyes slightly narrowed. Maging ang mga kasama ko'y naging seryoso ang tingin sa kanya.

"I mean, you're not in my group, but you are a group," Stein explained, playing the noodles with his fork. "You are not immune from the rust that erodes any structure of social relationship."

"Huwag mo kaming igaya sa 'yo at sa group mo," nagmamatapang na sagot ni Jamie. The way she raised her voice was kinda impressive. Ang lakas ng loob niyang sigawan ang kanyang boss. "Our bond is stronger than steel—a stainless steel! Our connection with one another can resist any form of corrosion. 'Yan, ha? Natutunan ko 'yan sa science lesson namin. Kaya 'di uubra 'yang rust na sinasabi mo!"

Natawa si Stein. Halos maibuga na niya ang iniinom niyang softdrinks. Bigla siyang umubo nang paulit-ulit, mukhang pinasukan ng tubig ang kanyang airway sa lalamunan. Alistair had to caress his back to comfort him. Kumuha rin siya ng isang basong tubig.

"T-Thank you," tugon ni Stein matapos makainom. "I'm really thankful you survived that car crash. If you're not here, who would have offered me a glass of water?"

Loki clicked his tongue in disappointment. Surely, it would have been silly and anticlimactic if Stein died after choking on his drink. On the bright side, that funny incident—sorry, I know that death is a serious matter—would have ended the Moriarty case right here, right now.

"Where was I? Ah!" Stein cleared his throat. "Pasensya na, hindi ko napigilang matawa. Hanga rin ako sa confidence n'yo, na parang perfect ang inyong friendship sa isa't isa. Gusto n'yo bang palakpakan ko kayo?"

"Our friendship may not be perfect, but it's definitely strong!" Jamie insisted. "We trust each other."

"Trust?" Muling natawa si Stein. This time, hindi na siya uminom. Nag-iingat na siya ngayon. "Do you really trust each other? Wait, wrong question! How well do you trust each other?"

"Sobra!" masiglang sagot ni Jamie. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero biglang umiwas ang tingin ko.

"Well then!" Stein put his hands together and rubbed his palms. "Can you tell me right now that none of you is keeping any secret, no matter how big or small, from each other?"

My lips parted as I was about to say something, but my tongue froze. My answer got stuck in my throat. I tried to push it out, but to no avail.

Napatingin ako sa aking mga kasama. Wala ni isa sa amin ang nakasagot. We only stared at the mastermind whose smile got wider in every second that passed.

Hindi na niya napigilang matawa. He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Napapahampas sa pa siya sa kanyang lap. Sumusulyap tuloy sa amin ang mga estudyante sa kalapit na table.

Stein pushed his eyeglasses back as soon as he calmed down. "See? How can you confidently say that you trust each other so much if you are keeping secrets from each other?"

Kumurap ang mga mata ko. Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Among the four of us, I must be the one who's been keeping the most number of secrets. Hindi ko alam kung biro ba ito ng tadhana o sadyang ako ang nagkaroon ng pambihirang pagkakataon para malaman ang sikreto ng iba.

I trust each of us. Really, I do. May mga bagay nga lang na kailangan munang ilihim dahil baka makasakit 'yon sa nararamdaman ng mga kasama ko o baka makaapekto 'yon sa pakikitungo namin sa isa't isa.

Wait. Don't I trust my friends enough if I'm afraid of how the truth might affect our friendship? Kung talagang tiwala ako sa kanila, alam kong hindi nila 'yon ite-take negatively at hindi ito masyadong makaaapekto sa amin, 'di ba? At saka sakaling hindi ko sabihin sa kanila, alam ko namang maiintindihan nila ang reason ko. Dapat maintindihan nila. O baka hindi?

Ugh! I was getting more confused the more I think about Stein's statement!

"There must be a good reason why people keep secrets," Alistair said. Amen to that. "Not everything needs to be shared, not even with people who are close to us. Kailangan ding i-consider ang magiging epekto nito at ang tamang timing."

"Oh, don't give me that bullsh*t, Alistair!" Stein replied. "Oops! Pardon my language! You're gonna keep something a secret if you're seriously worried about how it might affect your relationship. Admit it or not, you're afraid that once the secrets are out, your so-called friendship might fall apart. Like a house of cards! That's what you're trying to avoid. Better keep your secrets to keep your friendship in a state of perpetual happiness!"

I admit, he had a point. Even I feared that if one of us was hiding a deep, dark secret, it might turn things upside down.

"You speak as if you're an expert in relationships," Loki commented. "What are you now, a friendship guru? Have you grown tired of being a mastermind?"

"In order to plot a flawless scheme, I have to study human relationships—this interconnected web of social and emotional connections," Stein answered, making some weird hand gestures. "Yours is an interesting case study. I wonder what secrets you four are keeping from each other—oh, scratch that! What if I already know what those secrets are?"

We all looked at him intently. Napalunok ako ng laway habang nakatitig sa kanya. Nanatiling kalmado sina Loki at Alistair na nakatuon pa rin ang atensyon. Mukhang hindi naman humihinga si Jamie sa pag-aabang sa susunod na sasabihin nito.

Stein's grin grew wider, now ear-to-ear. "Have you ever considered the possibility that one of you might be working for me? What if I secretly tasked one of you to protect your group from any harm? What if one of you has learned of an earth-shattering truth, but refuses to share it because it might hurt your friend? What if one of you is secretly working with me to turn this boring campus into a giant chessboard and play with real human lives for our own amusement?"

That almost took my breath away. Hindi ko alam kung saan niya napulot ang mga 'yon, pero parang may idea ako sa ilan sa mga sinabi niya.

"What if we refuse to listen to any of your nonsense and leave you alone here?" Loki asked, standing. Una siyang tumango sa akin bago kina Jamie at Alistair. We nodded back. That must be the signal for our way out.

"Well, it's your choice!" Stein pointed his fork at him. "Maybe one or two of my what ifs are true. Maybe only one of them is a lie. Who knows? But don't say you haven't been forewarned~"

"Enough of this nonsense already. Let's go." Loki grabbed his crumpled sandwich wrapper and empty juice bottle. "We're only wasting our time by talking to a sad and lonely soul."

Tumayo na rin kaming tatlo at kinuha ang iba pang wrapper at bote sa mesa. Sumunod kami kay Loki na nauna nang naglakad palayo. Tanging ang plato ng pasta at bote ni Stein ang natira doon. He was almost finished with his meal.

"Let's have lunch next time! I enjoyed our chit-chat, by the way," pahabol ni Stein.

q.e.d.

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