Anonymous Message

At School

Maya leaned casually against the corridor wall, clipboard in hand, her eyes narrowing as Gozay walked toward her. Just as he reached the storeroom, raised a hand, "Hey Maaaaaaa..." Before he could complete, the door swung open, and a hand grabbed his tie, yanking him inside. The door slammed shut.

Maya blinked, stunned. What? That was a girl's hand, right?

Inside, Gozay stumbled back against the door, wide-eyed. "Rina? What the hell?"

She smirked, tugging his tie. "Missed me?"

Gozay swallowed, trying to change conversation, "Why'd you lie to Maya about the kiss?" he demanded.

Rina raised an eyebrow and leaned in. "You want me to make that lie real?"

His brain short-circuited, eyes wide, heart pounding. Is she actually—Going to KISS ME??

Rina chuckled, letting him go. "Relax. At this rate, you'll faint before I even try."

Gozay turned away, trying to hide his flaming face. "I asked you something," he grumbled.

"Fine," she said, folding her arms. "I lied because Maya's been rejecting you left and right. If she gets jealous, bam—proof she's not as indifferent as she pretends to be."

"She's not jealous," he shot back. "You know her."

Rina leaned closer, grinning. "Then what's the problem? You've a girlfriend, right?"

Gozay shifted nervously, "Um..."

"Oh, by the way, what about Jiya? Is she jealous too?"

He froze. "Jiya? She's my twin, Rina."

Rina gasped, genuinely startled. "Twin? For real?!"

Gozay rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I've got work to do. Maya's waiting, and we're gathering party suggestions."

Rina tilted her head, smiling slyly. "Sure thing, my boy."

Outside the storeroom, Maya was pressed against the door, shamelessly eavesdropping. She strained to hear something—anything—when the lock suddenly clicked. She jumped back, nearly tripping over her own feet.

The door swung open, and Gozay stepped out, looking mildly guilty. Behind him, Rina smiled sweetly. "Hey, cousin!"

"Uh… hey," Maya replied, attempting casual but failing miserably.

Gozay glanced at her, but she pointedly avoided his gaze, focusing on Rina instead. "Sorry, Rina, I'm borrowing him for a bit."

"Sure," Rina chirped. "Oh, and when you're free, let me know—I want to join Unity League."

Maya managed a polite smile. "Got it. See you later," she said, turning on her heel and walking off briskly.

"See you," Gozay mumbled to Rina before jogging to catch up with Maya.

When he finally matched her pace, he asked, "So, where are we starting?"

Maya flashed a tight-lipped smile, trying (and failing) to act unbothered. "You'll find out," she said, still not looking at him.

They spent the next hour bouncing between classrooms and clubs, gathering suggestions and jotting them down. Maya was all business, but Gozay couldn't shake the feeling that something was definitely off.

Moments Later

Gozay, clipboard in hand, kept sneaking glances at Maya as they made their way back to the student council (SC) office. Maya, scrolling through her phone with the intensity of someone trying to avoid life, kept her distance. Meanwhile, Rina waltzed between them, all grins and charm.

As they entered, the SC team was waiting. Maya slid into her chair while Gozay and Rina hovered near the table. Before introductions could start, Wenda yanked Gozay into the seat beside her. "Dozay! Took you long enough."

Rina's smile sharpened into something lethal. Gozay stammered, "Uh… meet Rina. She's here to join Unity League."

Rina gave a tight-lipped smile, her gaze slicing toward Wenda. "Pleasure to meet everyone."

Wenda, undeterred, grabbed Gozay's tie with a mischievous grin. "She's adorable. Did you bring her as a gift?"

Rina's jaw tightened. "How about you let go of my boyfriend?"

The room collectively choked.

Yasaki squinted. "Gozay… this is a development."

Kayzin leaned back, arms crossed. "Didn't see that plot twist."

Maya sat stone-faced, though her eyes could have burned holes through walls.

Wenda let go of the tie, strolling up to Rina like a predator circling prey. She cupped Rina's face, tilting it. "You are cute. Fine, I'll let him go. This time." A condescending head pat followed, making Rina bristle.

Maya forced a smile, "Rina is my cousin, Pres."

"Maya," Wenda said, amused, "she's your cousin? And Gozay's girlfriend? Guess I can't refuse her. So me, Maya and Gozay, three Yeses from us, Mr. President."

Yasaki shrugged. "Yeah, yeah."

Kayzin leaned toward Maya. "Are they couple for real?"

Maya's glare was lethal.

Kayzin smiled, awkwardly, "Yeah, got my answer."

Rina scribbled her name onto the membership papers with a flourish, securing her spot in the Unity League. The room's chatter dwindled as Yasaki tapped the table to grab attention. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's get to business," he began, his tone serious. "There's something important I need to discuss, but first—Maya, Gozay—what suggestions did you gather?"

Gozay scanned the clipboard, reading off the list. "Alright, we gave them options for activities. The top picks were Talent Show and Karaoke. For games, Scavenger Hunt and Trivia Contest. In the food department, it's DIY Dessert Bar and Cultural Cuisine Stations. And, of course, a couple dance to close the party. We'll need all hands on deck for decorating the school, and each club will represent their themes. As for the games, students will sign up with their teachers."

Yasaki nodded, impressed. "Sounds solid."

He then, glanced at Maya, "There's something else. Last night, Maya got a message from an anonymous account claiming to be a follower of the Freedom Alliance. He or maybe she demanded we resign from the Student Council and hand it over to Freedom Alliance. They said if we don't, there'll be consequences. And that person made it clear—don't bring the Freedom Alliance into this, otherwise it won't be good for us."

"Oh, great," Wenda muttered.

Gozay raised an eyebrow, looked at Maya, "Did you reply?"

She shook her head. "No. I didn't."

Kayzin shrugged. "They're just trying to scare us. Nothing we can't handle."

Gozay leaned forward. "Don't engage with that anonymous person. Just ignore him for now. But here's the thing. There are three possible scenarios: First, someone's trying to frame the Freedom Alliance. Second, it could really be one of their followers who hates us. Third, the Freedom Alliance might actually be behind it. I think we should focus on the third possibility."

Yasaki raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

Gozay leaned back, folding arms, his tone measured. "That anonymous person said not to involve Freedom Alliance or it'd be bad for us. If he's just a follower, he wouldn't know what happens in their office. So, we involve Freedom Alliance silently. If that guy reacts, it means he's not just a follower but a member."

Kayzin scratched his head. "And then?"

"Then, we show the messages to administration before they make a move," Gozay replied. "But first, we confirm if they're behind this."

Yasaki nodded. "Alright, it's your move. Handle it."

Gozay grinned. "Consider it done." he stood, stretching lazily before glancing at Maya. "Hey, Maya, care to assist your assistant?"

Maya met his gaze with a deadpan look. "Nope. One person is plenty."

Yasaki leaned back in his chair. "Go with him."

Maya's forced smile barely masked her reluctance. "Sure. Why not?"

Rina perked up. "Can I tag along?"

Wenda smirked, nudging her cheek playfully. "Relax, cutie. Maya's not stealing your 'boyfriend.'"

Rina shot back confidently. "I know. I just want to see how you guys work."

Yasaki chuckled. "Wenda, take her to check if the students signed up for games."

Rina groaned inwardly. Why do I have to go with Wenda of all people? she thought, stifling her frustration. But instead of voicing her complaint, she put on her best fake smile and chirped, "Yeah, sure. Sounds... fun."

Freedom Alliance Office

A short while later, as they approached the Freedom Alliance office, Gozay side-eyed Maya. "You mad at me or something?"

She didn't break stride. "Nope."

"Then why the silent treatment?"

Maya finally turned, raising an eyebrow. "What, you want me to break into song? Maybe a dance too?"

Gozay smirked. "I just... Nevermind. Let's just get this over with." He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Zara's crisp voice called.

Inside, Zara, poised and effortlessly intimidating, sat at the head of the table. Her crew—Fiza, Erissa, Royi on one side, Jeren, Ziyan, Adam on the other—looked up as the duo entered. Zara grinned, but her eyes were sharp. "Well, well, if it isn't the Unity League dream team."

"Surprised?" Gozay quipped, sliding into her line of sight.

"A little. What's the occasion?" Zara asked, leaning back with an air of amusement.

Gozay didn't mince words. "Last night, Maya got an anonymous message. Some joker claiming to be your follower blackmailed her and demanded we resign from the council. Care to explain?"

He gestured to Maya, who passed her phone to Zara. She scrolled, eyebrows twitching. "Hmm." She handed it back casually. "And what do you want from us?"

Gozay's grin turned razor-sharp. "Not your help, that's for sure. Just a heads-up—if anything happens to us, Freedom Alliance takes the fall. And trust me, you won't like what comes next."

Jeren opened his mouth, but Zara shut him down with a look. "Relax," she said, her tone icy but polite. "Gozay, Freedom Alliance has nothing to do with this. I condemn such behavior—it's beneath us. We'll help find the culprit, but don't start pointing fingers without proof."

Gozay gave a curt nod. "Fair enough. Now, we need a word in private."

Zara motioned them outside. Once they were clear of her crew, Gozay lowered his voice. "I know you're not behind this. But if you want to help, keep it quiet. No leaks."

Zara narrowed her eyes. "Why? Clearing my party's name requires transparency."

Maya cut in, her smile placating but firm. "Zara, we trust you. No need for theatrics. Just handle it discreetly."

After a pause, Zara sighed. "Fine. If that's what you want."

As Maya and Gozay walked off, Zara returned to her crew, her presence commanding the room. "Alright, cards on the table. Anyone here behind this nonsense? Speak now."

Her team looked at her like deer caught in headlights.

"No? Good." Zara's tone dropped. "Then here's the deal: no one breathes a word of this. One slip, and we lose face. Understand?"

A series of nods followed.

"Perfect," she said. "Now, let's get back to work."

On the way back, Gozay turned to Maya. "If you get another message, tell me first."

"Why?" she asked flatly.

"Because I'm asking nicely," he said, his tone soft.

Maya raised an eyebrow but smiled faintly. "Asking nicely? Alright then." She glanced at him. "By the way, does Jiya know about your oh-so-mysterious 'love life'? Pretty sure she'd explode with jealousy."

Gozay sighed, stopping in his tracks. "Actually… there's something important I need to tell you. Should've said it sooner, but better late than never."

Maya stopped too, her cheeks warming. Wait, is he about to confess again? She tried to steady her voice. "Y-yeah. Go on."

He took a deep breath. "I… I need to tell you—"

"Yes?" she prompted, her heart racing.

"Jiya's my twin sister, and that whole bet thing? She made it up," he blurted out in one go.

Her anticipation hit a wall. Seriously? But the surprise softened her frustration. "Wait, what? But you guys have different last names."

Oh so she already did her research, "Our parents split. She stayed with my dad. The whole bet thing was her lame attempt to boost my 'value' in your eyes. Clearly, it backfired. I just wanted to clear it up because, honestly? It's weird when you associate her with me like… that."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's good. Thanks for clearing it up."

Gozay trailed after her, scratching his head. She's mad at me again. But why?!