Chapter 28: The Winner

"Sorry," he said to me as I could see on his eyes that he was very sorry. There was no reason for him to say sorry because he just did his best for his group. He did not fail as a leader, in fact, he was a competent leader.

"You don't need to." He sat down on the floor with a sad face, as if he had really failed the group. It was just a game, and he did not need to apologize for what happened.

"Congratulations to everyone!" Professor Autre exclaimed from afar, she was clapping her hands.

She waved her right hand to us. “Come here, class.” All of us stood up and walked towards the center of the gymnasium, to where she was. I felt excited to hear her announcement even it was obvious that we did not win.

When we were all ready for the announcement she continued. “I’ve witnessed how all of you exerted efforts to win the game or the activity, but we all know that there should be one winner. Hmmm…” I heard gasps and murmurs around me, that was perfectly because of Professor Autre, she really wanted to surprise us.

“We won! We deserve a prize,” Lura stated. She was correct that they won because even I and Zen were both wet, my shirt was really soaked with water. Add the fact that Zen was able to hit me so bad and everyone was able to see that. They really won.

“Hep-hep! I haven’t told the special twist about choosing the winner earlier.” Professor Autre was standing and just looking on each and every one.

“What do you mean?” Mayb inquired, there was a disappointment in her voice.

“I didn’t tell you guys that the winner should be the lesser wet than the other. I asked you all if there were any question, clarification, and/or violent reaction, but no one asked about how I would choose the winner.” I was amused of what she had said, her way of thinking made me adore her even more. It was not because it seemed that we had a chance to win but because she was a smart being.

“Does it mean that...”

“Yes, Mr. Calleja. Your team won! Congratulations!” she announced gleefully.

“Woah! We won, guys!” Dego shouted as he started jumping because of too much joy. We won. My groupmates joined him too and they were shouting as if we won a lottery. I just smiled to them because I could not be energetic like them.

“Join them, Queen Kaede!” Professor Autre added. I just smiled at her for I did not know what to say. I could not draw the faces of the members of group two, and I felt bad about winning the activity.

“That is unfair, professor!” Lura protested and she even raised her eyebrows just to make face. I knew that our professor had seen what she did.

“Class dismissed!” she said before she walked and did not mind Lura. Why Lura could not be happy for his boyfriend’s group? It was also her achievement.

“Let’s go!” Dego held Lura’s right hand, and they went outside the gymnasium. I really envied Lura for having Dego. I admired Dego because of his intelligence and there were many times that I wished to the sky to give him to me as a gift. But I did not have any intention to tell my feelings to him, seeing him happy was enough for me.

“Tskkk. Such a nonsense game! It just made us have a free shower.”

“It’s so cold!”

“I enjoyed it!”

“That was an interesting game, huh.”

“The game was quite cool. I really want to hit Zen’s face, but I wasn’t able to do it because of her groupmates hahaha!”

I heard different sentiments about the game or activity from the folks inside the gymnasium. Fortunately, Zen was not able to hear the thing about her because her boyfriend brought her to somewhere else just like what Dego did to Lura.

It was Mayb who did not leave the place immediately, she just sat on the floor for a while. I was tempted to approach her, but I did not let myself to. My pride hindered me.

Zen’s behavior during the activity or the game was something odd, but it was good that she let herself to just keep quiet and enjoy the game. When she had thrown the pack of the water to me, I could not see any heavy emotions on her eyes. My guess was correct unless she was good enough to fake her emotions.

My feet brought me in our classroom, but I had thought that Professor Autre would not attend her real class schedule. That thought pushed me to go somewhere. I went to the comfort room first to change my clothes since I had my extras with me. After that, I went to the cafeteria. However, there were no marks of him there.

“Where are you?” I whispered while thinking of the possible places where he could be at. “I shouldn’t be looking at him.”

But my feet led me to the school building of the I.T. students and I did not know why I had convinced myself to go there. I was not sure about where to go because I was not familiar with the place, it was my first time to enter the whole building. “What should I do now?” I did not know where his classroom was.

“Who are you looking for, miss?” an I.T. student asked me when she saw me walking without any direction around the building. I was like an idiot frog while secretly peeping in every classroom before the I.T student asked me.

I smiled at her and said, “I am looking for Draco Clemen. Do you know him?” I felt shy to ask her, but I needed an answer.

“Oh, that hunk? Well, he’s my classmate but he’s not around. Why?”

“Ahmmm. Nothing. Thanks!” I said and smiled at her again.

“Okay.”

I had decided to go somewhere instead of going back to our classroom. “I need to talk to him."