Une Déclaration D'amour (5/6)

Part 03: The Welcome Party

It was around 9:30 when Aiden woke to the annoying buzzing of his phone, which was charging on top of his bedside table, his head pounding as if he had a bad case of hangover. Aiden groaned as he begrudgingly reached for his phone, "Hello?" Aiden answered, his voice sounding raspy.

"Are you now just waking up?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, as he greeted Aiden.

"Why are you calling me so early in the morning old hag?" Aiden replied, sounding annoyed as he laid on his bed, still under the covers of his black comforter. His room still dark as his curtains prevented the sunlight from shining into his bedroom.

"It's already 9:30! Get out of bed!" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said in a peppy voice, annoying Aiden who was still half asleep.

"It's Saturday! It's not like I have any classes or anything! Besides, I don't have anything going on until later this afternoon" Aiden said, sounding vexed as his voice was starting to return to its normal cold tone.

"If I don't wake you up now, you'll be wasting the entire morning and early afternoon sleeping" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as Aiden sat up, his lower body still covered by his comforter as he leaned his back against the headboard.

"I was planning on it, but now that I'm up, that's down the drain" Aiden replied as he ruffled his hair in annoyance, making his bed hair a lot worse than it was, "You better not be calling me just to wake me up". Vice Chancellor Gutierrez laughed, loud enough for Aiden to move his phone a few inches away from his ear, annoying him a little bit more than he already is, given that he was rudely awaken, and his head was still pounding.

As the laughter died down, Aiden returned his phone on his ear, "I'm glad one of us is having fun" he said sarcastically as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez settled down.

"Anyways, I called to congratulate you on a job well done last night. We have received almost all of the surveys we sent out last night, and the current approval rating for this year's Student Organization Fair and the student council is at 94%" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez happily and excitedly announced as Aiden rubbed his eyes before giving out a yawn.

"You woke me up for that?" Aiden said, sounding uninterested, "I was just doing my job and duty as Student Council President, nothing more, nothing less. Hardly anything to celebrate"

"Don't be such a party poop! Savor the accomplishment at least" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez chuckled as Aiden rolled his eyes, "In any case, get out of bed, and enjoy the weekend. Hang out with your friends!"

"That's too troublesome. I rather sleep, but since I'm awake, I rather read a book or study" Aiden said as he removed the comforter that was covering the lower part of his body, sitting on the side of his bed.

"You sound so boring right now, and here I thought that people at my age group is boring" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as another round of laughter started.

"I'm hanging up now. Bye!" Aiden said as the laughter continued on the other end of the line before he ended the call. After hanging up, Aiden casually placed his phone back on top of his bedside table before falling back on his bed, now fully awake.

Staring at the ceiling, Aiden closed his eyes for a bit. After everything around him went black, he could hear a child's voice inside his head saying, "I promise.." a fragment of his childhood memories flashing an image where he was doing a pinky promise, his mother standing at a distance with another woman, whose face he can't seem to picture, his memory too hazy to discern anything. The only thing he can clearly picture from that fragmented image was his mother who seemed happy, but at the same time uneasy.

Aiden slowly opened his eyes, the darkness of his room greeted him, "Itsuki.." he whispered, remembering his younger brother after his subconscious flashed a fragmented piece of memory, triggered by the words "I promise". Aiden was a bit confused; he wasn't sure if what he saw and heard was a dream or something he was forgetting. The only thing he can distinctly remember was feeling a sharp pain in his head last night after hearing the words "I promise.." spoken by a child, likely his late younger brother.

"Am I relapsing? Is it because their death anniversary is getting closer?" Aiden asked himself before sitting himself up, placing both his feet on the carpeted floor of his bedroom, "The timing couldn't be worse".

As he sat on the side of his bed, another memory of his childhood flashed in his head. It was a painful memory that he was already all too familiar with – the fateful night his mother and younger brother died. The severe trauma and emotional stress of the incident caused some parts of Aiden's childhood memories to become warped and hazy, especially his memories that preceded the incident. For reasons unknown, even to Aiden, he seems to have a gap in his memories, especially the three days before the night of the accident, although he remembers the day before those three days, it's just a complete blank after that, up until the moment he witnessed the car his mother and younger brother was in erupted in flames - the night he lost the two people he loved the most, forsook the Labrador family name, and the night he "died".

Meanwhile, outside the MJU Station, Mingyu was waiting for Jasper, Moira, and Angela to arrive before meeting up with Ball at the main entrance of the university. It was particularly cool for an August, with overcast skies and light winds. Mingyu was listening to 'Welcome to the Black Parade' by My Chemical Romance as he waited for his friends to arrive, his white air pods sticking from his ears. As he waited, people exiting and entering the station were looking at him, since he is Filipino-Korean, he really stood out, given his fair complexion, height, hair style, and fashion. It took another ten minutes before Jasper arrived, and another five minutes before Moira and Angela arrived.

Mingyu is wearing cargo shorts, a pink t-shirt, and a white Jordan Aerospace 720. He was also wearing a stud earring on his left ear, a hanging cross earring on the right, a chained bracelet on his right wrist and an apple watch on the left. His light brown hair which he dyed was also styled in a way that made him resemble a K-Pop star or at the very least a Korean actor.

Jasper is wearing a long striped sleeve shirt, black ripped skinny jeans and a black Dr. Marten's boot. He was also wearing a stainless-steel hoop earring on his left ear, his cross necklace, which was on top of his shirt, a black multilayer bracelet on his left wrist and an apple watch on his right, a ring on his left index finger, and his red Beats earphones wrapped around his neck.

Moira is wearing a cream beret, her hair lightly curled. Her outfit consisted of a white tank top covered by an oversized black long-sleeved shirt which exposed her tank top's straps and her shoulders, black leggings, denim skirt, and boots which reached up just below her knees. She is also wearing a gold bracelet on her right wrist, and her apple watch on her left, she also had a ring on her right ring finger, and hoop earrings on both ears. She was also carrying a small white purse with her.

Angela is wearing a newsboy hat, her hair fixed in a French braid. Her outfit is a pink shirt, skinny jeans, a Vans high top shoes, and her jacket tied around her waist. Her earrings consist of small hoop earrings, and a heart necklace that has "MewGulf" engraved on it. She's also wearing a rubber wristband on her left wrist, and her apple watch on her right, she also has a ring on her left pinky finger. Like Moira, she's also carrying a small purse, although cream in color, a shade darker than Moira's beret.

All four really stood out as their outfits were quite fashionable, but each person has a unique take on their outfits, which is reflective of their personalities and tastes. Mingyu and Jasper's presence attracted more attention towards them, although some of the girls that were passing by and eyeing them were being cautious as they were under the impression that Moira and Angela were Mingyu and Jasper's girlfriend respectively – a completely inaccurate assumption at best.

After exchanging pleasantries, they all walked together towards the university's main entrance, where Ball was already waiting. Compared to Mingyu, Jasper, Moira, and Angela, he was wearing something a lot more casual, a plain white shirt, shorts, and slip-ons. Although dressed simply, he was still getting attention from people that were passing by where he was waiting, due to his height, complexion, and more importantly his looks – handsome and baby-faced. A few minutes later, the group met up with Ball, they guys greeting each other with fist bumps, while the girls opted for the plain and overused high-five before Ball started leading them to the International House.

As Ball led the group towards their suite, Bank was still busy cleaning up and making sure that their suite was presentable for the guests they were expecting, making sure to spray air freshener he bought at the convenience store in the student center. While cleaning, Bank was brainstorming on what he should cook everyone for lunch. He was especially nervous since Jasper is also coming over and wanted to make sure that the food he's going to make was perfect and good enough to impress him – a gesture of thanks for the mango shakes and breakfast Jasper bought him the other day.

Min on the other hand was still sleeping in his room, still trying to recharge his energy given how drained and exhausted he was from wearing the bulky Captain Wolf mascot during the final hour of the Student Organization Fair last night. He was completely unaware that they were having guests over as neither Ball nor Min informed him about that matter, the duo was already asleep by the time he came back from the Geronimo Center - both also forgot to message him.

After Bank finished cleaning the living area, he received a message from Ball informing him that they were on their way back to the suite. Bank immediately placed his phone inside his dark blue apron's pocket before cantering toward their pantry to get some snacks out, and then their fridge to take some drinks out, placing them on the living room coffee table before running back to their cupboard to get some glasses out for everyone to use. After making sure that everything was set and in order, he was finally able to take a breather, sitting down on the couch, he pulled his phone out, opening his mobile game, as he waited for the others to arrive.

As Ball's group walked, the eerily quiet and empty campus was giving Mingyu, Jasper, Moira, and Angela a surreal and unsettling feeling. Having not entered the university during the weekend before, even during their freshman year, as they had no reason to go on campus during the weekends - until now. It was far different from the usually hectic, and bustling campus that they have gotten used to during the weekdays, the deeply contrasting atmosphere was hard to comprehend, as if it was a whole different place entirely.

Although the campus felt empty and deserted, there were a number of people present on campus. Among those were the security guards manning the university gates; campus police that were patrolling within and outside the immediate vicinity of campus; a number of professors and instructors who were coming in to finish work they weren't able to do during the weekday; research assistants and graduate students who are manning and operating the laboratories and research centers in the graduate schools; janitorial staff who were keeping the campus clean and neat; gardening personnel who were watering the plants and doing some planting, mowing, landscaping, and other yard work to ensure that the university looked presentable; the maintenance staff who were working on a myriad of things, including preventive maintenance and repair of broken equipment; kitchen staff who were manning select parts of the central cafeteria; ROTC cadets and officers who were doing drills and their morning jogs and routines within the campus; and of course the students who are living on campus, including the international students.

Due to the vast size of Mount Juliet University, it still looked like a ghost town, even with people present on campus. Compared to the student, faculty, and staff population of the university that are present during the weekdays, only a small percent of them is present on campus during the weekends, hence giving the impression of the place being deserted. Although it felt deserted, the feeling and atmosphere was peaceful and serene, compared to the bustling and somewhat chaotic scenes that happened during the first week of classes.

When they reached the International House, Mingyu, Jasper, Moira, and Angela were surprised to find that there were some international students loitering around the vicinity of their residential hall, given that they barely saw the students moving freely during the week when classes were in full swing. Of course, the ROTC are still present in front of the International House, albeit operating on a skeleton crew, in comparison to a full company during the weekdays. One of the Gazebos out front looking like it has been permanently converted into an ROTC field HQ, as there were more equipment and things inside the Gazebo than it did during the previous days.

When the group got closer, they saw that there are still ROTC cadets posted outside the glass door of the International House as well as the base of the steps leading up to the entrance. Before they could pass the Gazebo where the ROTC field HQ is, they were stopped by an ROTC Cadet-Sergeant who looked like she was in command of the squad in security detail around the International House. The Cadet-Sergeant asked for Ball's companions' WolfCards as she held an iPad with a card reader attached to it, preparing to run their credential through the MJU database to make sure that their identities checked out and that they are currently enrolled students in the university.

As Mingyu, Jasper, Moira, and Angela were getting their WolfCards out, they heard a voice coming from behind the Cadet-Sergeant – a familiar voice for the members of M.A.S.S. at least. The NCO turned around, and when she realized that it was Cadet-Captain Rebecca Francisco in civilian clothes, she immediately rendered a salute, which the latter politely returned.

"You don't have to check their credentials" Cadet-Captain Francisco ordered as the Cadet-Sergeant looked confused and hesitant to carry out her order.

"But, ma'am, they're…" the Cadet-Sergeant responded before her superior officer cut her off.

"They're members of the Student Council and the International Student Organization" Cadet-Captain Francisco said to the surprise of the Cadet-Sergeant who was unaware who the four students were.

"This is Student Council Chief of Staff Moira Sato, Student Council Public Relations Officer Angela Dela Cruz, International Student Organization Vice President Mingyu Park, and International Student Organization Treasurer Jasper Hernandez" Cadet-Captain Francisco said, pointing to the person whose title and name she was saying, to the embarrassment of the Cadet-Sergeant.

"Apologies ma'am, I didn't realize they were members of the Student Council and the International Student Organization" the Cadet-Sergeant apologized to her superior officer, before turning around and facing Ball and their group, giving a salute before profusely apologizing.

"Carry on Cadet-Sergeant" Cadet-Captain Francisco said as the NCO gave her a salute, the former saluting back before the latter returned to her post.

"Well, that was an awkward encounter" Rebecca commented, looking at the Cadet-Sergeant as she returned to her post in the Gazebo.

"I wasn't expecting you guys to be on campus on a Saturday" Rebecca continued as she faced the group.

"I could say the same to you" Moira said as she returned her WolfCard in her wallet, "What are you doing here Rebecca? Also, you're not wearing your uniform" Moira continued after noticing Rebecca wearing normal clothes, and not her usual ROTC uniform.

"I just dropped off my report for the Student Organization Fair, I also went by our barracks to check our equipment and deployment orders for tonight" Rebecca explained.

"Also, I'm off duty this morning, so I'm wearing normal people's clothes today" Rebecca added as she gave a chuckle before Mingyu, and Ball greeted her.

"Hey, who's that?" Jasper asked as he lightly elbowed Mingyu.

"Oh, that's Rebecca Francisco, Cadet-Captain with the 1st ROTC Company" Mingyu explained as Jasper lightly nodded his head.

"Hey, Rebecca!" Ball called out, prompting everyone to look at him.

"Are you busy today? You want to join us?" Ball said as he extended the invitation to hang out in their suite to Rebecca.

"That's a great idea!" Moira and Angela said in unison, their eyes sparkling.

"I'm not really busy until later in the afternoon" Rebecca said, Moira and Angela looking delighted hearing that Rebecca was free.

"It's the same for us! You should come and hang out!" Angela cheerfully said as Rebecca happily accepted Ball's invitation to the excitement of Moira and Angela.

"Alright!" Mingyu commented as he moved his fist towards Rebecca, waiting for the ROTC officer to give him a fist bump. Ball, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca looked at Mingyu, as if he was doing something weird.

"What?" Mingyu asked as he looked at everyone's reaction, his arm still stretched out towards Rebecca.

"That's a complete 180 Mingyu" Ball said, giving a small chuckle.

"Definitely" Moira and Angela added in unison as Rebecca gave a chuckle.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mingyu asked, legitimately clueless at what the other three were talking about.

"Did you forget already? You were pretty hostile and untrusting of Rebecca the first time we met her" Angela said with a pouting face.

"You even called her a robot, remember?" Ball added as they ganged up on Mingyu.

"Well, I had a change of heart" Mingyu said, sounding defensive, "You guys did too, remember!?"

"True, but we weren't aggressive towards her as you did" Moira said, to Mingyu's slight annoyance.

"Well, past is past. I didn't mind, honestly" Rebecca said in defense of Mingyu, whose face immediately lit up when Rebecca took his side, "I probably would have done the same in all honesty".

"Definitely a complete 180" Ball commented again, Moira and Angela nodding in unison before Rebecca returned Mingyu's fist bump.

"Oh! By the way, this is Jasper!" Mingyu said, putting his arms around Jasper's neck as he introduced him to Rebecca, "Well, I guess it doesn't do much since you already know him".

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised you know my name and position in the International Student Organization" Jasper admitted as he offered Rebecca a handshake, which the latter returned.

"Well, she is the commanding officer of the MJU 1st ROTC Company Intelligence Detachment!" Angela said as Moira and Rebecca chuckled in response.

"That's true, then again, Jasper is #10 in MJU's Hottest, so everyone knows who he is" Rebecca said as Jasper got a bit flustered by Rebecca's compliment.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Ball asked as the group nodded, before everyone started walking towards the International House entrance, with Ball and the guys leading the way, while the girls followed behind them.

This was the first time that Moira and Angela were entering the International House in broad daylight, the last time they went there, the sun was either rising or was already setting, and they didn't have time to actually appreciate and concentrate on the interior design and aesthetics of the International House as they were more focused on their upcoming meeting. For Mingyu, Jasper, and Rebecca, it was their first time entering the International House, and was somewhat looking forward to actually seeing the interior of the building that the international students were staying in.

The main lobby of the International House was quite modern and majestic, resembling the lobby of a luxurious hotel. The ground floor was basically an entire reception area which included the welcome desk, couches, chairs, flat screen televisions, computer stations, vending machines, and closed-door lobbies, among others. Just above the welcome desk were three large flat screen televisions, which were showing different CCTV feeds from all over the International House, both the interior and exterior.

The basement of the International House, like the other Residential Halls contains a large laundry room, equipped with washers and dryers. There are also game rooms equipped with computers and game consoles, pool tables, arcade games, darts, card games, as well as a mini theater where students can watch movies in groups. The basement has ten mini kitchens and a central dining hub where the international students can cook meals outside their suites - which are also equipped with electric stove tops and ovens. The purpose of this mini-kitchens and central dining hub is for larger dinner parties or get-togethers.

The 1st floor of the International House is where the central atrium is located. The central part of the International House above the ground floor is hollow up until the 9th floor. The corridors to each floor from the first up to the ninth has large glass panes with rails in front of them that overlooks the gardens at the atrium. The entire 10th floor is supported by four massive reinforcement beams to prevent it from collapsing from its own weight. Underneath the 10th floor there is an oversized domed pendant light that provides lighting to everything below it, the lighting adjusts with the light outside, getting dimmer as the sun sets, with the LED landscape lights in the atrium garden providing lighting during the night.

The elevator hoistway from the 1st floor up to the 9th is made of glass, allowing the people riding the elevators to have a view of the atrium. Moira and Angela, as well as the rest of the Student Council didn't notice this fact when they attended the meeting with the International Student Council due to the atrium being dark. All the suites in the International House are keycard access only, and only those that live in a specific suite can enter it, their credentials and access code entered into their WolfCards.

As the group reached the first floor, Mingyu, Jasper, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca marveled at the beauty of the atrium, the indoor waterfall, floras, gazeboes, benches, indoor firepits, and hammocks made it feel like they were actually outside, as the lighting emanating from the domed pendant light looked so natural. Ball just chuckled at everyone's reactions, since they all looked like children that went to an ice cream store for the first time.

As the group walked towards the Thai students' suite, everyone continued to look outside the corridor, entranced by the natural beauty of the atrium as they reached the suite – Room 119-A. When Mingyu saw their suite number, something started nagging him from the inside. Sensing some familiarity with the number he was seeing, although he was confused given that this was the first time he has ever been to the Thai students' suite. The feeling felt like he knows those numbers from somewhere but could not figure out exactly what it could be associated with, he quickly dismissed it as Ball got his WolfCard out of his pocket, getting ready to open the door.

Ball swiped his WolfCard into the card reader, unlocking the door, the smell of pine trees and cool air greeted them as he opened the door to their suite. The International House suite looked like a studio apartment, the furnishings, and appliances inside looked modern and new, which surprised the group as they entered, not expecting that the suites looked so different from the suites in the other Resident Halls on campus. Although the other Resident Halls at MJU were pretty modern as well and almost similar in design, the International House seemed like it was two levels higher in modernity and technology.

"Sorry for being late Bank!" Ball spoke in Thai as he entered, their guests following him from behind.

"It's okay, I actually just finished cleaning up and getting the snacks and drinks ready" Bank replied with a smile on his face, speaking in Thai, still wearing the dark blue apron.

"By the way, I also invited another person. She's a friend of mine, Angela, Moira, and Mingyu" Ball added still speaking in their native language as he gestured towards Rebecca, who was a standing between Moira and Angela, right behind Mingyu and Jasper. Bank nodded his head in acknowledgement before being greeted by Mingyu, followed by Jasper who commented how he looked adorable with the apron on, causing the Thai student to lowkey blush and avert eye contact.

Ball gestured for the girls to come closer so he could introduce Rebecca to Bank, after the girls complied and Rebecca came into full view, Ball introduced her to Bank, the latter smiling and giving her a "Wai", happy he was able to meet another friend. "Right, so this is our suite, make yourselves at home" Ball said, as the girls walked towards where the couch is.

As the girls were settling down, Bank knelt towards the coffee table, opening the drinks and the snacks he prepared earlier. Ball went to the cupboard to grab a glass for Rebecca, since Bank wasn't able to take out enough glasses, given that Rebecca joined them the last minute. Mingyu and Jasper pulled the bean bags in the living area and moved them closer to the coffee table where the drinks and snacks were before helping Bank pour the drinks into the glasses.

The snacks were a mix of Thai and Filipino snacks, the drinks were a liter of apple flavored C2s Bank and Ball bought at the university convenience store in the student center. After Ball placed the extra glass on the coffee table, he turned on the 70" flat screen television which was mounted on the wall in front of the couch. The channel that showed up was the MJU Hottest channel, which was showing a pre-recorded show that was taped on the weekday to be aired during the weekends.

The current topic being talked about by the hosts were the new "Hot" list that they were going to publish next week, which included a new list called "MJU's Hottest International Students" and also a major revamp and make-over to their ranking system that would feature a new look, updating their ranking system to incorporate the international students, and a new phone app.

The topic caught the attention of everyone in the living area as they focused on what was being talked about on the show. Especially about the new list that would include the international students to their ranking, and the new hot list slated to be released next week.

"For sure, Min, Ball, and Bank would make it to the top ten no problem" Mingyu said before taking a sip of his drink.

"No doubt about it, they've already caused quite a stir on campus, and it's only been week one" Moira chuckled before trying out one of the Thai snacks on the table.

"So-sorry" Ball responded as he gave out a forced smile, before translating what Moira said to Bank, who also apologized.

"Don't apologize guys, it's actually a good thing, I think" Moira said, clarifying her remarks.

"Yeah! It's been extra lively because of you guys, and the international students as a whole!" Angela said, as she tried the snack that Moira just ate.

"I doubt Aiden is enjoying any of it" Jasper said as he tried the squid flavored chips from Thailand.

"Who knows, he might be enjoying it as well" Mingyu replied teasingly, giving a wacky expression, biting his lips, his eyes squinted. Moira, Angela, Rebecca, and Ball looked at him, surprised by what he just said.

"What do you mean by that?" Jasper asked, as Bank lightly elbowed Ball and asked him to translate what was being talked about, also curious as to what Mingyu meant. M.A.S.S. was holding their breathes, nervous that Mingyu might slip up and reveal something he shouldn't reveal.

"Just a gut feeling is all" Mingyu responded, forcing himself to return to his normal expression as Jasper looked at him suspiciously.

"I still doubt he's enjoying it. You know, all the things he doesn't like doing, he was practically forced to do in a span of five days. But then again, who knows what Aiden is thinking or feeling" Jasper said as he grabbed another squid flavored chip.

"Wait, do you know Aiden personally? Like in a really personal level" Rebecca suddenly joined in, looking at Jasper who seemed surprised by his comment.

"Well, I mean yeah. I've known Aiden since High School" Jasper replied, looking at Rebecca who seemed surprised by the revelation.

"What's up with that reaction Rebecca?" Angela asked.

"Oh, I didn't think that there are people that are actually close to Aiden on a personal level" Rebecca responded, taking her glass of C2, and taking a drink.

"What makes you think that?" Moira asked as Ball and Bank sat on the floor, next to Mingyu.

"Well, he looks so unfriendly. There also rumors within the ROTC that he doesn't have any friends" Rebecca replied.

"It may seem like that, but he actually has friends, although it's a one-sided relationship" Mingyu chuckled.

"What do you mean by one-sided?" Rebecca asked.

"We think that we're close friends with Aiden, but we think Aiden doesn't think so. Though I really don't know, like Jasper said, we don't exactly know how what Aiden is thinking and feeling" Mingyu said.

"You probably don't know, but me, Katrina, Jasper, and Aaron are Aiden's closest friends - technically" Mingyu added to the further surprise of Rebecca.

"You mean, Katrina Tolentino and Aaron Keeling the Student Council Comptroller and Sergeant at Arms?" Rebecca asked for clarification.

"That's right, we've all been friends since we were in High School. Though I met Aiden during our Middle School years" Mingyu explained

"Oh man, I miss Mount Charlotte!" Jasper chimed in, surprising Moira, Angela, and Rebecca.

"You guys went to Mount Charlotte!?" Moira, Angela, and Rebecca said in unison, startling Mingyu and Jasper, the latter almost spilling his drink.

"Yeah, did we not mention that to you guys? Also, what's with that reaction?" Mingyu asked, looking at the girls who looked shocked and surprised. Ball and Bank looked confused, as they could not relate to what they were talking about.

"No you didn't!" Angela replied, shock and surprise still written on her face.

"So, what is this Mount Charlotte thing?" Ball interjected, focusing everyone's attention on him.

"Mount Charlotte is the official High School owned and operated by Mount Juliet University. It's a pretty prestigious High School, and is pretty rigorous, with an acceptance rate of 5%. Additionally, their classes are a mix of High School and College-level curriculum, and anyone who averages below 90% on their grades are automatically expelled" Moira explained.

"Really!? How did Mingyu graduate from there!?" Ball exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Why do you think we reacted the way we did?" Moira chuckled.

"Hey! Don't be rude!" Mingyu countered, his face looking annoyed and disappointed.

"Don't be harsh on Mingyu guys. He may look like an idiot, but this guy's pretty smart!" Jasper said as he placed his arm around Mingyu's neck, causing Bank to subtly purse his lips.

"Mingyu actually ranked 5th in our entire batch for academic excellence during our senior year" Jasper added in further defense of Mingyu, "Though, Mingyu can be slow and dim-witted at times, especially on social occasions. People judge him based on his personality, rather than his academic achievements".

"Wow, now I feel bad. Sorry Mingyu" Moira said, her voice sounding remorseful as Angela and Rebecca apologized as well.

"It's fine guys!" Mingyu chuckled, "I get that all the time. You guys aren't the first, and definitely won't be the last to assume that".

"Wow, I didn't think Mingyu was that smart, he's pretty nice too" Ball commented before translating everything that was said to Bank, who reacted the same way as everyone else, making him look like he's having a delayed reaction.

"So, anyways. I'll explain to Ball and Bank a little about Mount Charlotte" Moira said as Mingyu, and Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Like I already mentioned, Mount Charlotte is a pretty rigorous institution, and the expulsion rate hovers above 90% due to academic underperformance. All of their senior students are exempted from taking the National Achievement Test - the standardized examination issued by the national government – and university entrance examinations, instead universities scout the students and try and recruit them to be their prospective students after they graduate. It also goes without saying that if you graduate from Mount Charlotte, you are automatically accepted into Mount Juliet University, and the students are left with the choice whether to attend MJU or go to a different university" Moira explained to the astonishment of Ball and Rebecca, the latter seemingly hearing it for the first time. Ball immediately translated what Moira explained to Bank, who also gave a similar expression.

"I didn't think there was such a school here in the Philippines, it's quite surprising to hear that such a place exists at all!" Ball said, his face in disbelief.

"So, if Mingyu was the 5th in academic excellence, how did everyone else do academically?" Rebecca asked.

"I only got the 5th spot during my senior year at Mount Charlotte, I was on the 9th spot during my Freshman and Sophomore Year, then 7th on my Junior year; Jasper was the 5th from his Freshman to Junior year, and took the 4th spot on our senior year; Katrina started off at 9th, then moved upwards to 3rd on our senior year; Aaron was consistently on the 9th spot during our years at Mount Charlotte" Mingyu explained

"What about Aiden?" Rebecca asked, curious as to why Mingyu left him out.

"Oh? I mean it goes without saying that he took the 1st spot from Freshman year up to our Senior year" Jasper responded to Rebecca's question.

"That's Aiden for you!" Mingyu proudly exclaimed.

"Well, I'm not surprised, he did rank 1st in the university last year" Moira shrugged.

"But, going back to earlier, all four of us have been friends, although Mingyu has known Aiden longer, since they were already friends when they entered Mount Charlotte. Katrina met Aiden and Mingyu during Freshman year, I met the three of them on our Sophomore year, and we met Aaron on the second semester of Sophomore year" Jasper explained.

"His expression never changes, and his attitude is mostly cold and snobbish" Mingyu added.

"I mean no offense, but how are you friends with a person like that?" Rebecca hesitantly asked.

"That's actually a good question, I've also wondered that myself" Angela chimed in, Moira nodding her head as well, with Ball listening intently, preparing to translate to Bank whenever someone speaks.

"Aiden may seem like he's unapproachable, and it's true that his expression and his cold tone stays constant, be he does have a nicer side as well, although he shows it in his own kind of way" Mingyu said.

"Take that #CoffeeShower incident with Hazelyn Mendoza. Aiden saw that another student was being bullied, and Aiden protected her from those bullying her, albeit in his own way" Mingyu continued.

"By spilling his coffee all over Hazelyn?" Rebecca said, "It's a bit of an overkill though?"

"It's true, I'm not saying that Hazelyn completely deserved it, but Aiden seems to dislike people like that" Mingyu said as everyone listened, with Ball whispering his translations to Bank.

"Seems? You sound unsure about that Mingyu, and what do you mean by 'People like that', are there certain people that Aiden dislikes?" Rebecca said.

"Yeah, because this is purely my opinion and observation from High School, and his attitude towards Hazelyn and Jason Marquez. Like we've said earlier, we don't know what Aiden is thinking or feeling, since he doesn't talk much about himself" Mingyu replied.

"What I mean is, people from rich families that have influence, and likes to flaunt and take advantage of their status to belittle, hurt, or bully people who are not well off like them" Mingyu added.

"What happened in High School?" Angela asked, curious as to what happened for Mingyu to say the things he just said.

"Hey, are you talking about the Home Economics class incident?" Jasper said as he looked at Mingyu, who nodded in response. "What happened in the Home Economics class?" Moira asked.

"It happened during our Sophomore year. Jasper, Aiden, and I were in the same Home Economics class, and one of the students, the son of the CEO of a real estate company, started beating our Home Economics teacher. Our teacher for that class was pretty new as well, from what I heard back then, she just graduated from college earlier in the year, and that was her first teaching job. Anyways, what happened was, the student bumped into our teacher, and the vinegar that she was holding spilled all over his uniform. He got so furious he grabbed her by the collar and slammed her on the whiteboard and started punching her in the face. Of course we were all shocked, but we couldn't do anything since he was wealthy and his father had influence, our teacher was already crying and begging for him to stop, but he didn't, and no one dared to interfere – except Aiden" Mingyu explained, his face was somber as he told the story.

"What did Aiden do?" Rebecca asked, Mingyu looked at her for a bit before he continued.

"Aiden left our cooking station and walked up to them, his expression the same as usual, holding a cup of vinegar. He called out to the student, and after he turned around, Aiden splashed the cup of vinegar in his eyes, causing him to let go of our teacher. Of course, since it got into the student's eyes, it temporarily blinded him, that's when Aiden grabbed a bowl of warm water from a nearby cooking station and splashed it all over him, he then walked up to the student, grabbed him by his collar and punched him three times in the face, knocking him out. Aiden then tended to our teacher, her face was swollen and bleeding, he started shouting instructions for someone to bring ice and towels, and for someone to call other faculty members, the nurse from the clinic, and the security guards. Jasper and I helped Aiden with the teacher, while some of our classmates did what Aiden ordered" Mingyu further explained, everyone in the room except for Jasper was shocked, Angela was teary eyed, after hearing what that student did to the teacher.

"What happened next?" Moira asked eager for Mingyu to continue his story.

"As expected, it became a huge issue in Mount Charlotte, and the incident spread like wildfire throughout the school. The student that Aiden punched had a concussion, broken nose, fractured jaw, and lost three teeth, his father stormed into the school the next day and Aiden was sent to the Principal's office. The father threatened to sue Mount Charlotte and Aiden, and from what I heard from the people present in the room, the Principal pleaded with the father to at least spare Aiden from any lawsuit, and that Mount Charlotte was going to take the full brunt of the lawsuit aimed at them. People said Aiden's facial expression didn't change at all, they said his demeanor was calm and unfazed, even with the threat of a lawsuit being thrown at him" Mingyu continued.

"Did Aiden go to court?" Rebecca asked, curious as how everything concluded.

"That's the interesting part actually. They said as the father was fuming in the office, Aiden got up from where he was sitting, and walked up to the Principal's desk, grabbed the phone, and made a call. An hour or so later, some people in suits came to Mount Charlotte, and went to the Principal's office, after that, the father dropped his threats and removed his child from the school, and they were never heard from again since then. The teacher of course, made a full recovery, though she had to do some counselling before she could go back to Mount Charlotte and continue teaching the Home Economics class. Everyone at school was wondering who those people in suits were, I tried asking Aiden about it, but he just dismissed it every time I asked, as the weeks and months passed, everyone moved on from the incident, and I stopped pestering Aiden about it. Honestly I forgot all about it until now" Mingyu concluded.

"I didn't know something like that happened with Aiden in High School" Moira commented after hearing Mingyu's story.

"It's something we never really talked about since it happened a long time ago, and Aiden never really spoke nor commented about it either, like always he just keeps to himself. Of course that's not to say that's the only incident that showed his nicer side, there were minor incidents throughout our High School days where Aiden would help those being bullied or were needing help, though it wasn't as bad as the Home Economics class incident" Mingyu said.

"Yeah, for real though. After that incident, everyone was afraid to go near Aiden, but as time passed, and word spread that Aiden was helping those being bullied, people learned to like and admire him, even though he has the kind of attitude. Almost all the rich kids who bullied other students stayed away from him, afraid to end up like that student he punched" Jasper chimed in.

"I think that was also the time Aiden started getting popular at Mount Charlotte, he was getting at least a dozen confessions and love letters in a week, and of course Aiden turned them all down, in a not so nice way I might add" Mingyu said.

"Even though he turned them down with wittiness, sarcasm, and cold attitude, they still liked him. It actually annoyed and irritated him, Mingyu and I can tell since he sighs, rolls his eyes, becomes extremely moody, witty, sarcastic, and snobbish" Jasper added before giving a chuckle.

"Yeah, those are the signs Aiden is irritated and/or annoyed, so watch out for them. Although his facial expression and cold tone never changes, his eyes, the way he speaks, and body language, gives away how he actually feels, though it would take time to get used to them, since they're extremely subtle and hard to catch" Mingyu explained.

"Hey! You were right about that night Moira!" Angela suddenly exclaimed before Moira shushed her, prompting Angela to cover her mouth.

"What are you guys talking about?" Mingyu asked as he looked at Moira and Angela.

"Oh, it's nothing" Moira deflected the question as she forcibly laughed to avoid the topic.

"Come on now, if you have something to share about Aiden, you should. We shared our story" Mingyu said, trying to convince Moira and Angela to share what they know.

"He does have a point you know" Rebecca added.

"I'm curious about it too, Angela already gave it away, so we already know there's something you're not telling us, plus the way Angela quickly covered her mouth reeks of something" Jasper continued. As the pressure started mounting, Angela held unto Moira's arm, and nodded, signaling for Moira to go ahead and tell everyone.

"Fine, but what I'm going to tell everyone stays in this suite" Moira said to everyone's agreement. "Where's Min by the way?" she asked, looking at Ball and Bank.

"He's still sleeping, I think he came back late last night" Ball responded, "Wait, does this have something to do with him as well?"

"Yes, actually. More precisely it has something to do with Min and Aiden" Moira said, reiterating her words to make sure it was clear to everyone.

"Though, I don't know if I should be telling the story. I don't want to share it with everyone, given that Min might disapprove of it" Moira said, worried about Min waking up and overhearing their discussion.

"Don't worry about it, Min sleeps like a log when he's tired. Even if an earthquake happens, he won't wake that easily, believe me it was a struggle waking him up for the first day of our regular classes, so it'll be fine, he's sound asleep" Ball said, reassuring Moira.

"Alright, but I'm stressing this. Do not tell anyone outside this room, especially Min and Aiden" Moira said, underscoring the necessity that this would remain in their group. Everyone agreed and gave their word that they won't speak of what Moira was going to tell them before she started.

"It happened right after the first Student Council meeting on Monday, Min got an earful from Aiden in his office. To be honest, that was the first time I've heard Aiden raise his voice at someone, he sounded pretty mad at Min" Moira said, surprising Ball, Mingyu, Jasper, and Rebecca.

"Wait, you said Monday?" Ball asked Moira.

"Yeah, it was the night we first saw you and Bank in the student center lobby, while Angela and I were in the elevator" Moira said as Ball quickly translated what Moira said to Bank.

"Ah! Raika-" Bank was about to react when Ball covered his mouth and whispered something in Thai before removing his hand from Bank's mouth. Moira and Angela subtly reacted but was able to relax as Ball stopped Bank from finishing his sentence, Rebecca subtly laughed as she realized that Bank was going to say "Raikantopeni".

Moira cleared her throat before continuing, "Anyways, I personally got scared as Angela and I listened, we thought that Aiden might do something, although after a few minutes Min left Aiden's office, grabbed his things and left the Student Council room. Then there was a deafening silence, until Aiden called me into his office. That was really nerve wracking, I thought I was going to get an earful as well, it was so bad that Angela and I were trying to be as quiet as possible, going as far as to holding our breathes before Aiden called for me".

"Did you get an earful too?" Jasper asked.

"No, actually, Aiden asked to be left alone, so I hurried back to Angela, and we quickly packed our things and left the Student Council room. As Angela and I were waiting for the elevator, I told her that Aiden's expression seemed different" Moira responded.

"When I was in Aiden's office, although his expression and tone of voice was the same, his eyes looked soft as if he felt some sense of guilt and remorse for shouting at Min like he did. Although it was just his eyes that looked different, his expression and demeanor was slightly off, different from normal" Moira continued, then that's when Angela and I got on the elevator, and then we encountered Min, Ball, and Bank in the lobby.

"I did warn Min not to disturb Aiden, but he went anyways" Angela added.

"I want to say that it had something to do with the Polo Incident that morning, or because Min was the International Student Representative, or because Min disturbed him, or…" Moira paused, hesitating to continue, her face lightly blushing.

"Or?" Mingyu asked, the atmosphere in the room suddenly seemed suspenseful.

"Did something else happened?" Jasper asked, curious as why Moira stopped halfway. Moira faced Angela, her face a bit red, not wanting to tell what Min said at the beginning of the meeting.

"Tell them Angela, I don't think I can do it" Moira said as she asked Angela to continue her story.

"No, you tell them, you already made it this far" Angela said, forcing Moira to reluctantly continue.

"Or.." Moira took a deep breathe, "Or it could be what Min said to Aiden at the beginning of the meeting". Moira's face started blushing as Angela's face started to blush as well, everyone was leaning towards Moira and Angela, keen on hearing what happened.

"What did Min say to Aiden?" Ball asked, having a gut feeling that Min teased Aiden in some way or form.

"Min told Aiden, 'I don't know if you're aware, but when I first saw you this morning, your face had calm and contentment written all over it, it was baby-like and angelic at the same time. Probably the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life, and the cutest thing I've seen here so far at Mount Juliet'. He said that in front of the entire Student Council members, of course we were all shocked and surprised. I don't know how Aiden actually reacted, but we think he was also caught off guard like the rest of us by what Min said" Moira explained, her and Angela's face fully blushing. Rebecca blushed before quickly covering her mouth, trying to hide her smile and excitement; Mingyu quickly bit his lips, as he lowered his head; Jasper went blank, trying to absorb what Moira just said; Ball facepalmed hard as Bank tugged on his shirt, wanting a translation on what Moira just said. Ball reluctantly translated it to Bank, his hand still on his face before Bank placed both his hands on his cheeks, his face blushing.

There was silence in the living area, with the television making some background noises as everyone tried to process and absorb what they heard. Moira, Angela, and Rebecca moving both heaven and earth telepathically as they tried to find strength to conceal their Fujoshi feels in front of everyone; Mingyu tried his hardest not to laugh, biting his lip harder as his laughter got close to slipping out; Jasper's mind was in overdrive, his brain calculating what he just heard as if it was actual rocket science; Ball was still face palming hard, his face red as he whispered "Shiiiiit! Really!? Why!?" (Shiaaaaa! Jong pa!? Tam mai wa!?) (เชี่ยยยยยย! จริงป๊ะ!? ทำไมวะ!?) in their native language; Bank squatted behind Mingyu, reacting the same way as Ball did, whispering "Shit! Shit! Shit! Really!? (Shia! Shia! Shia! Alai wa!?) (เชี่ย! เชี่ย! เชี่ย! อะไรวะ!?).

The shocking and surprising revelation almost incapacitated everyone to the point that no one could break the silence. No one had the strength nor strong enough will to speak and get the group out of their current state, as the television behind them continued to generate background noises. The psychological effect was strong enough to render everyone thinking and speechless, the same as what happened to the Student Council when Min dropped his cheesy line, except back then Aiden was able to snap everyone back to normalcy. This time, however, there was no Aiden to snap everyone back to normalcy, hence the struggles the group was facing to recover from the psychological devastation they were experiencing.

As the group was struggling to recover, Bank's cellphone started vibrating and playing a tune inside his dark blue apron, causing him to snap back to normalcy. The alarm that he set was a reminder for him to get ingredients for the lunch he was going to cook for everybody, since he got distracted by his mobile game earlier, and the stories that was being told, he completely forgot to finish brainstorming and deciding on what he will be cooking. As Bank realized he messed up, he suddenly called out to Ball, his tone of voice sounded with urgency, snapping everyone back to normalcy.

"What's wrong Bank? You look flustered?" Jasper asked, using his clear and slow way of speaking. The other boy didn't even hear what Jasper was saying as he was preoccupied in telling Ball what was happening and why he was in a panicked state.

"Did something happen?" Rebecca asked as she looked at Bank talking with Ball, Moira and Angela were also confused as the normal color of their faces started returning.

"Hey Mingyu, you think Bank's okay?" Jasper whispered at Mingyu who was sitting next to him.

"I don't know, it seems like something bad happened, I can't tell. I don't speak Thai" Mingyu whispered back as he and Jasper looked at Bank and Ball, listening in on a conversation they don't understand.

"Hey, guys. Is the university grocery store open on the weekends?" Ball asked as he turned towards everyone after Bank finished talking to him about something that seemed important and urgent.

"Unfortunately they're closed on the weekend" Rebecca promptly responded before Ball translated what she said to Bank, who looked even more distressed.

"Why, what's up Ball? Maybe we could help" Mingyu asked before offering their assistance.

"Bank is going to cook lunch for us today, and he completely forgot all about it, being caught with all the stories and all. We already have Jasmine Rice in our pantry, but we need ingredients for the dish that Bank will cook. We've been using our WolfCards since we don't have the local currency yet, so we've been buying stuff here in the university until we get our monies exchanged. I do have a credit card, but I don't know if places around here would accept them" Ball explained as the others listened on.

"Credit cards huh? I guess going to Commonwealth Market won't do" Mingyu commented.

"What about SM Marikina?" Rebecca suggested, "That's pretty much the closest mall here at MJU that has a supermarket and accepts credit cards".

"That's a great idea! It's already 10:45 so they should be open already" Moira commented on Rebecca's suggestion.

"Should we take a jeepney or FX?" Angela asked, "Maybe a taxi or Grab?"

"Let's take the LRT. We can get on at MJU Station and get off at Santolan Station, it would be walking distance from there to SM Marikina. If we all go, it wouldn't be a hassle carrying the groceries back" Rebecca suggested.

"That would work, how much ingredients are we buying Ball?" Moira asked.

"It's not much, we just need some vegetables, chicken, pork, and some spices and we're good to go" Ball replied before reassuring Bank that they will get the ingredients that he would need.

"Alright, let's get going everyone! Before it gets crowded at the LRT Station and the Mall" Mingyu announced as everyone got up from where they were sitting except for Bank and Jasper.

"You're not coming bruh?" Mingyu asked as he noticed Jasper still sitting on the bean bag.

"Nah, I still feel sleepy, besides, it'll be faster with just you guys. If you, Ball, Bank, and I go together, we might get rushed in the train and the mall" Jasper said.

"Did you play video games all night again?" Mingyu asked as everyone else looked at Jasper.

"Maybe?" Jasper smiled before laughing, indicating his guilt, "I probably stayed up a bit late last night".

"He does have a point though, people were already looking at Mingyu and Jasper at the station earlier, I can't imagine if Ball, Bank, Mingyu, and Jasper are together. There's also a possibility that some MJU students are in SM Marikina as well. It is a weekend after all and the possibility of us getting rushed and/or crowded by people is highly likely, especially if they are High School and College Students" Moira explained agreeing with Jasper's reasoning.

"I agree with Jasper and Moira's assessments, if we consider what happened with the Gerry's Grill incident, it could get ugly. Plus SM Marikina is still within a 20-kilometer radius of MJU, so the possibility of MJU students present in SM Marikina and its immediate vicinity are high" Rebecca added as Ball translated what was being discussed to Bank.

"I'm actually staying as well" Bank told Ball in Thai, "I have to clean up and start cooking the rice, so when everyone gets back, all I have to do is cook the dishes, plus I have to set up the plates and all".

"Bank said he's not going as well, so it's going to be me, Mingyu, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca" Ball said as he faced everyone.

"Why is Bank not coming?" Angela asked, curious as why he was staying behind as well.

"He said that he still needs to clean up, cook the rice, and prepare the plates and utensils" Ball replied.

"That makes sense, divide and conquer" Moira responded, "Right, we should get going then".

After Ball, Mingyu, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca left, Bank started clearing the coffee table of left-over snacks, trash, and the empty C2 bottles. Jasper grabbed the empty glasses and placed them on the sink, grabbing a damp cloth in the kitchen and wiped of the coffee table, making sure to catch the crumbs that he was wiping off the side as to not make a mess in the living area. After Bank clipped some of the snacks and returned some of them to the pantry, he threw away all the trash that he collected before washing the glasses that Jasper placed in the sink. The latter then moved back the bean bags to their original places before sitting down on the couch.

"Hey Bank" Jasper called out, "Is it okay if I put my earphones on?" Jasper said as he pointed at his earphones and then his ear. Bank smiled and did a thumbs up, before going back to washing the glasses, Jasper placed his earphones on and leaned the back of his head on the wall as he slowly dozed off.

Meanwhile, Aiden was sitting on the couch in his living room, a cup of freshly brewed coffee sitting on his coffee table. The curtains were wide open, allowing whatever natural light there is outside to enter, with the room temperature set at 17°C, it was a perfect atmosphere while reading – at least for Aiden. As he was reading, his phone suddenly buzzed accompanied by a notification sound, Aiden slightly lowered his book to look at the notification banner to see where it was from, when he got a glimpse of what it was, he quickly placed a bookmark on the page he was on before closing the book and laying it beside him before reaching for his phone which was beside his coffee.

The notification banner was from a bookstore he usually frequents, and it was informing him that the newest BTS Album he has ordered have arrived and was ready for pickup. Additionally, since he has been a loyal customer, the bookstore was also adding a 16.5 Cooky cushion and a limited-edition photobook. The notification made Aiden's day, his eyes blinked rapidly when he read the email, after placing his phone back on the coffee table he started clapping his hand rapidly, his expression almost remaining the same as his face almost smiled in delight and excitement. He quickly finished his warm coffee in one go and quickly hopped into the shower to get ready.

It didn't take Aiden but 15 minutes to finish taking a shower and getting dressed. His outfit consisted of a black oversized Dprique shirt, a black Nike Pro tight fit short-sleeve underneath, black cargo pants, and black Timberland boots. He also put on a chained bracelet on his right wrist, and his Apple watch on his left wrist, he also wore his dangling cross earring on his right ear, and two hoop earrings on his left ear, and of course his pendant. His hair was ruffled, and he wore his fake eye glasses as his disguise, not wanting to attract any attention to himself whatsoever. Ironically, Aiden's outfit and style practically makes him stand out even more than usual, albeit completely unrecognizable to anyone – except for Mingyu, Katrina, Jasper, and Aaron, who, for some reason can see through whatever disguise he has on.

As soon as he finished getting dressed, he grabbed his iPod, cellphone, and wallet before heading out. Since Aiden was in a particularly good mood, the songs he was listening to was a bit peppy and has an upbeat tempo - BTS' Go-Go. He was also walking faster than usual, excited, and extremely looking forward to getting his new BTS Album, the 16.5-inch Cooky cushion, and the limited-edition photobook, as well as window shop for new books to read. The bookstore that Aiden was heading to was in close proximity to MJU, located just across from the MJU station, hence the necessity for Aiden to disguise himself. Coincidentally, MJU international exchange students Monica Sawyers, Miko Yun, Tadashi Morinaga, and Fiona Ridein were heading to the same bookstore, since Monica is an avid book reader, while Fiona is a huge Manga reader, Miko and Tadashi were just tagging along so they can explore as well.

Monica, Miko, and Tadashi are all exchange students from Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, while Fiona is an exchange student from the University of Maine in the United States. Although she grew up in Auckland, Monica was originally from South Africa, before migrating to New Zealand with her parents and older sister during her elementary years. She can speak conversational Japanese due to her studies of the language; Miko is Korean, but was born in New Zealand, he can speak both English and Korean fluently, the latter due to him spending five years in South Korea with his relatives before going back to New Zealand to pursue his college degree; Tadashi is half Japanese-Chinese, he can speak English and Japanese fluently and a bit of Mandarin due to him spending time with his Father's family in Japan, and his mother's side in Taiwan; Fiona grew up in Maine and has been an avid fan of Japanese culture, particularly Anime, she can speak Japanese fluently due to her participating in multiple exchange programs in Japan during her middle school and high school years.

In another rare stroke of coincidence, another MJU international exchange student, Fujiyoshi Sakamoto, exchange student from Hamamatsu University in Japan was already in the said bookstore, looking for Filipino dictionaries and browsing around. Fujiyoshi can speak conversational English, and simple Filipino phrases, due to him studying English in the Philippines for a few months after graduating from high school. His short time in the Philippines made him fall in love with the language, people, and culture, which influenced him to start a vlog detailing his experiences and travel in the country. It was also due to this that he decided to participate in the exchange program at Mount Juliet.

It was close to around 11:15 when Aiden reached his destination, having just opened less than an hour ago, there were barely any people inside, a pretty good sign for Aiden since he can grab what he went there to get, and then quickly browse for some books and then head back to his condominium. Fujiyoshi at the meantime was in the dictionary aisle of the bookstore, browsing through different varieties of dictionaries, having a difficult time choosing what to buy. Meanwhile, Monica and her group just reached the MJU station and was getting ready to cross the street to get to the bookstore, as this was happening Aiden was at the register waiting for the cashier to get his BTS Album, his 16.5-inch Cooky cushion, and the limited-edition photobook in their storage room.

Unfortunately for Aiden, the cashier that was tending to his order was new and was having a hard time finding his ordered goods, causing him to wait a bit longer than he anticipated. As he waited, the sliding doors of the bookstore opened and the bell rang, indicating that new customers have entered the establishment, it was Monica and her group. Of course, Aiden didn't mind the ringing bell, as he was really looking forward to getting his goods and heading home.

"Oh, it feels nice in here, it's too windy outside" Miko commented as they entered the temperature-controlled bookstore, his kiwi accent coming out.

"I know right? My hair was flying all over the place" Fiona added as she fixed her long brunette hair.

"I told you earlier Fiona, just tie it, so it wouldn't fly all over your face" Monica responded.

"Oh wow, this bookstore is huge! It reminds me of the one we have in Auckland" Tadashi commented as he scanned the somewhat empty bookstore, failing to notice Aiden and Fujiyoshi who were within a ten-meter radius from them.

"Oh my God guys! Let's look around, they may have some Manga here!" Fiona excitedly said as she and Monica started walking towards the aisle closest to them, Miko and Tadashi following suit. As the group cleared the entrance, Aiden was finally able to get his goods, the cashier placing everything in a large paper bag which has the name and logo of the bookstore printed on it - Cooky's large ears protruding out of the paper bag. As Aiden was leaving, he noticed a sign for 70% off on select books, which caught his attention, prompting him to walk over the aisle where the sign was hanging. As Aiden entered the aisle, Fujiyoshi emerged from the dictionary aisle carrying two dictionaries on his arm, barely running into Aiden.

Monica and her group were two aisles away from Aiden, where the Manga and Japanese visual novels are located, it also had a sign hanging above it that says 50% off, which the group failed to notice. During their quick pass through the other aisle, Monica was able to grab a book 'Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile' by Herman Melville, carrying it on her arms as they browsed the Manga section. As Fujiyoshi was heading to the register, his eyes noticed the 50% off sign, and immediately changed course and headed to the other end of the Manga aisle, opposite to where Monica and her group are.

Fujiyoshi failed to notice the other international students since his eyes immediately caught the latest volume of Hunter x Hunter that was just release a few days ago in Japan and was surprised to see it in a local bookstore in the Philippines. He immediately grabbed an open copy and started skimming through it, Monica and her group doing the same, their focus directed at what they are reading.

Aiden was able to grab three books, mostly political and historical in nature, as he left the aisle he was on, he also noticed the 50% off sign on the Manga aisle. Since it's been years since he read any Manga, he decided to check it out and browse for anything interesting, carrying the large paper bag on his left hand, and the three books on his right arm. Aiden passed by Fujiyoshi whose back was turned, his focus on the Manga he was reading, Aiden failed to notice Monica's group as his attention was focused on the shelves.

Aiden was walking and looking at the shelves, failing to notice that Monica was doing the same. As the two neared the middle of the aisle, they accidentally bumped into each other, causing Aiden to drop the books he was carrying, prompting Monica to quickly apologize. The loud thuds of the books falling on the floor caught Miko, Tadashi, Faith, and Fujiyoshi's attention, causing them to head towards where Aiden and Monica are.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry" Monica apologized as she helped Aiden pick the books up from the floor. As they both stood upright, Aiden quickly cringed, albeit subtly, when he realized it was Monica that he bumped into, luckily for him, Monica didn't recognize him due to his different appearance. Aiden knew that he would have to change his tone of voice, lest he be discovered as the Student Council President that Monica had a heated exchange of words the other night – an annoying and frustrating turn of events.

"Monica, you alright?" Fiona asked as she, Miko and Tadashi walked up to Monica and Aiden.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I accidentally bumped into this kid" Monica said as she gestured towards Aiden who they still failed to recognize. "Kid!?" Aiden thought to himself as he subtly winced at Monica's poor choice of adjective to describe him.

"Hey, is everyone okay here?" Fujiyoshi asked as he approached the group after hearing the sound of books hitting the floor, carrying his dictionary and the Hunter x Hunter Manga on his arm.

"Yeah, we're okay, thank you" Monica replied, her tone of voice soft, the complete opposite of her commanding and authoritarian tone that she used during their joint meeting.

"Oh! Hey, I know you!" Tadashi exclaimed. Aiden froze in place, shocked and at loss at how someone could recognize him in his current appearance, which was completely different from how he usually looks.

"Yeah, you. You're one of the exchange students from Japan right?" Tadashi continued, allowing Aiden to lowkey breathe a sigh of relief as he looked at the other student behind him.

"Yeah, my name is Sakamoto Fujiyoshi from Hamamatsu University!" Fujiyoshi said, introducing himself in English, his accent noticeable. "I'm Morinaga Tadashi!" Tadashi said as he introduced himself.

"Oh? Nihonjin? (Japanese?)" Fujiyoshi asked in Japanese after hearing Tadashi's whole name.

"Iya~ Iya~ Hafu desu (No~ No~ I'm half)" Tadashi replied in Nihongo, Aiden, Monica, and Fiona able to understand what they were talking about, leaving Miko guessing and confused as to what was said.

"Sugoi! Nihongo jozu da ne! (Wow! You're Japanese is really good!)" Fujiyoshi replied in amazement.

"Arigato! Demo mada da yo! (Thank you! But not quite yet)" Tadashi replied before Monica interjected and interrupted their exchange of pleasantries.

"Tadashi, English, please" Monica said, her tone of voice went a bit colder, "We have people here who can't speak Japanese you know".

"Oh. Sorry Monica, I got carried away" Tadashi replied as he and Fujiyoshi looked at Monica's direction.

"Anyways" Monica said before turning towards Aiden, "Are you okay?".

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, and I'm sorry for bumping into you" Aiden replied, his voice softer, akin to how he sounded like before the death of his mother and younger brother.

"Oh, no. It was my fault, I wasn't looking at where I was going" Monica said, claiming the fault entirely as her own, surprising Aiden on the inside, not knowing that Monica has a nicer side to her.

"Oh!?" Miko reacted, catching everyone's attention, "Hanguginiseyo? (Are you Korean?)" Miko asked in Korean, looking at Aiden, as the latter pointed to himself, "Ye (Yes)" Miko replied.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Korean" Aiden replied to the disappointment of Miko.

"Oh, man. You look like a Korean though?" Miko said in English as Aiden shook his head. This prompted Tadashi and Fujiyoshi to walk towards Monica and the others to get a good look at Aiden.

"Uwa! Sugoi! Chotto Nihonjin mitai ne? (Woah! Wow! He kind of looks Japanese, right?)" Fujiyoshi commented as he got a glimpse of Aiden, his comment directed at Tadashi.

"Sou da ne! Kao to me wa Nihonjin mitai da! (You're right! His face and eyes look Japanese)" Fiona commented, surprising Fujiyoshi and Aiden, the latter reacting subtly.

"Uwa! Sugoiii! Kimi mo Nihongo hanashite dekiru!? (Wow! Amazing! You can speak Japanese too!?)" Fujiyoshi reacted after hearing Fiona speak in Japanese, with almost no accent.

"Un, sou da yo! (Yes, I can!)" Fiona responded as Monica once again interjected, "Guys! English, please!". Causing Fujiyoshi and Fiona to apologize and turning their attention back to Aiden.

"So, are you Japanese?" Monica asked, becoming curious due to Fiona and Fujiyoshi's comments.

"I'm Japanese-Filipino" Aiden replied, causing everyone to react in amazement.

"Can you speak Japanese?" Fiona asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Just a little bit, I'm not really fluent" Aiden responded, which of course wasn't completely true. He is actually fluent in Japanese due to his mother teaching him at a young age, and him spending time in his grandparents' home in Japan during the summer when he was younger.

"What's your name?" Fujiyoshi asked in English, causing Aiden to carefully think of his response. There was a short moment of silence before Aiden responded.

"Itsuki. Kurosawa Itsuki" Aiden replied, using his late brother's name as cover to conceal his real identity.

"That's a cute name!" Fujiyoshi responded with a smile on his face.

"Are you a high school student?" Miko asked, joining in on the interrogation. Aiden knows that he can't continue lying to the international students, as it goes against his principles and conflicts with his duties and responsibilities as Student Council President. Aiden then decided to fake his expression, putting on a cornered and uncomfortable face, hoping that it would cause them to back off.

Monica noticed Aiden's faked expression, quickly reading the situation, "Guys, I think we should stop, he looks uncomfortable with all the questions we're asking".

"Oh, sorry. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable" Miko said after noticing Aiden's fake expression.

"Yeah, we're actually international students from Mount Juliet University" Tadashi added, as Aiden once again faked an expression like he was surprised and was just hearing this for the first time.

"You know what, as an apology for bumping into you and making you feel uncomfortable, I'll shout for you in that café over there" Monica offered as she pointed at the café built inside the bookstore, right next to the entrance.

"Shout?" Aiden asked, confused as to what Monica meant by "shout".

"Oh, I'm sorry. In American English it means to treat someone, "shout" is actually a British/Commonwealth Nations thing" Monica explained, as Fiona and Fujiyoshi nodded their heads, as they didn't know what "shout" meant either, as both of them use American English, just like everyone in the Philippines.

Before Aiden could reply, Monica pulled Aiden towards the café, with Tadashi inviting Fujiyoshi too, as Fiona and Miko followed behind them. When they got to the café, Aiden ordered his usual cappuccino with four extra shots of espresso - getting it hot this time. The large amount of espresso that Aiden asked for surprised the international student, wondering how old "Itsuki" really is and if he's a high school or college student, given that his Japanese features may be deceiving them to his actual age.

Meanwhile, in SM Marikina. Ball and the others just left the Supermarket, everyone carrying a bag each, filled with the ingredients that Bank needed to cook 'Pad Kaprow Gai' (ผัดกะเพราไก่) and 'Pad Pak Kana Moo krob' (ผักคะน้าหมูกรอบ) - Thai Basil Chicken and Crispy Pork Belly Stir-fry w/ Chinese Kale respectively. As the group prepared to exit the mall, Ball noticed a "Gong Cha" store causing him to stop and look, this also prompted Mingyu, Moira, Rebecca, and Angela to stop in their tracks.

"What's wrong Ball? You want to buy some milk tea?" Mingyu asked as he looked at Ball who seemed really keen on getting a milk tea. Ball turned towards the group, eyes sparkling, his baby-faced features proved irresistible for the girls – Mingyu as well, to a certain degree.

When they entered the shop, there were already a number of people hanging out inside, with people starting to stare at Mingyu and Ball as they ordered their drinks. Even the female cashier was blushing as Mingyu and Ball ordered, the same reaction can't be said with Moira, Angela, and Rebecca, which were getting subtle death stares from the girls, as everyone assumed that they were Ball and Mingyu's girlfriends, and another female friend. The reaction was different for the guys, being the exact opposite than those of the girls.

After they got their drinks, Mingyu noticed a promotion poster, with the dates written in big red fonts "11.09.22". Then everything suddenly connected, causing Mingyu to point at the poster and loudly exclaimed "Ah!!", causing M.A.S.S. and everyone else in the shop to look at Mingyu.

"Wait. What? What happened!?" Ball said, startled and confused as to what Mingyu was exclaiming at, holding the bag where the three other milk teas that they got for Jasper, Bank, and Min are in.

"That!" Mingyu pointed at the promotion poster, confusing Ball, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca.

"What about the poster? You interested in the buy 2 take 1 offer?" Moira said as she looked at the poster.

"We could always come back when the promotion period starts you know" Angela added as she took a sip of her Milk Tea w/ grass jelly.

"No! Not the promotion! The date!" Mingyu said as his excitement was making him say things incoherently.

"What about the date? Something special about it?" Rebecca asked.

"11.09! It's the same as Min, Ball, and Bank's room number!" Mingyu said, garnering simultaneous facepalms from Ball, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca.

"Why are you getting excited about something so mundane Mingyu?" Moira asked as she removed her hand from her face. "119-A!" Mingyu said, still speaking incoherently.

"We already know it's their suite number, what about it?" Rebecca asked, starting to sound impatient with Mingyu and his incoherent responses.

"11.09! November 09! Do you know what day that is!?" Mingyu said, his speech almost returning to normal, his face filled with excitement.

"Uhmm.." Angela murmured as she took her phone out, looking at the calendar, "Wednesday?"

"No! It's Aiden's Birthday! Don't you see the coincidence!? 119-A! Min, Ball, and Bank's suite number looks like November 09 – Aiden!" Mingyu finally explained as everyone reacted in shock and surprise. Moira, Angela, and Rebecca squealing hard, catching the attention of not only the people inside the shop, but the people walking outside the shop as well.

"OMG! Min is staying in Room "A" as well!" Ball added, causing the girls' excitement to amplify.

"Holy shit the coincidence!" Mingyu said as he gave Ball a fist bump as M.A.S.S. celebrated that almost destined-like revelation that Mingyu shared with the group.

"OMG! They're so meant for each other!" Moira flailed, her face so flushed she looks like she was about to pass out from all the excitement; Rebecca was holding her chest, as she tried to control the overflowing feels she was experiencing, while Angela could only hit Moira and Rebecca's arm.

"OMG! How do you know Aiden's Birthday!?" Rebecca said as she tried to control her breathing.

"Back in high school, I took a quick peek at Aiden's application for Mount Juliet and got a glimpse of his date of birth, though that's the only thing I was able to see. I never told anybody about that, since Aiden would probably get furious, given how he's so private and secretive about his personal life. I'm telling you guys because we all share the same goal of supporting Min in his quest" Mingyu explained before the manager politely asked them to not block the entrance, and that if they weren't going to buy anything else, move somewhere else as to not disturb the other patrons, cutting the M.A.S.S. mini-celebration short.

The group apologized to the manager before they all started walking towards the LRT station and head back to MJU, so Bank could start cooking. They continued their discussion about Min and Aiden until they reached the station, which is when Rebecca started telling the group about what happened in the Veterinary Science Club's petting zoo, a subject she could not bring up earlier with Jasper and Bank present.

Back at the Bookstore Café, Tadashi, Fujiyoshi, Miko, Fiona, and Monica seemed to be getting along well as Aiden listened in on their conversation. Although not in the mood to join, he was extremely interested at their topic of discussion, which was their travelling and experiencing different cultures, as well as their experiences so far in Mount Juliet. For Aiden, it was an opportunity to hear directly from the international students, especially in regard to Mount Juliet as the feedbacks he was hearing would tremendously help him and the Student Council make changes to better the experience and stay of the international students and position the university to better serve the next batch of student coming to the university next academic year.

As Aiden listened on, Fujiyoshi looked at Aiden, "Itsuki-kun! So what did you buy? You're carrying a really large bag there" the Japanese exchange student asked in English, curious as to what Aiden got. Not wanting to reveal his hidden love for BTS, he slid the bag a little further away from the table using his foot.

"Oh, it's for my cousin. She asked me to pick up the things she ordered" Aiden responded with another lie, making him feel uneasy lying to his constituents.

"Oh, what about those books?" Fujiyoshi said as he pointed at the books Aiden was carrying earlier, which was laying on the table.

"Oh, these are mine. I like to read on my free time" Aiden replied, which was a fact. Fiona suddenly reached for the books and examined them, amazed, and surprised at the topics of the books Aiden picked.

"Wow, this are in-depth books in Political Science, International Relations and History! 'On Liberty' by John Stuart Mill; 'Diplomacy' by Henry Kissinger; and 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu!" Fiona said reading the title of the books as she shuffled them, amazed at the types of books he picked out.

"Wow, do you like those kinds of books Itsuki?" Tadashi asked as Fiona returned the books where it was.

"I do. I find them interesting to read" Aiden replied, slightly pushing his fake glasses upwards using his left middle finger.

"That's pretty impressive, a kid like you reading such complex books and topics" Miko commented which irked Aiden a little bit, still annoyed by the fact that everyone was calling him a kid.

"To each his own, I guess" Aiden replied, before taking another sip of his cappuccino. As he laid his cup back down, he noticed the book that Monica has, catching his attention.

"Herman Melville" Aiden said, catching Monica's attention, "You have good tastes".

"You know Herman Melville!?" Monica said, surprised that Aiden knows who he is.

"I've read a few of his works. 'Moby Dick', 'Redburn: His First Voyage', and 'Mardi: And a Voyage Thither', they're good books, I especially like the first one" Aiden said, impressing Monica, who was still unaware that the person beside her was the same person that humiliated her the other night.

"For a kid, you read pretty interesting books" Monica commented as she took a sip of her tea.

"Right, thank you" Aiden replied before looking at his watch. Realizing that it was already 11:50, Aiden tried to excuse himself so he could buy the books and head back to his condominium. As he excused himself, everyone else agreed to leave as well, Aiden walked to the register to pay for the books he picked, with Fujiyoshi, Fiona, and Monica doing the same while Miko and Tadashi waited by the entrance.

Since Aiden and Monica's group were walking towards the same direction, they ended up walking together to the station, which Aiden begrudgingly and reluctantly agreed to, telling himself that once he gets to MJU station, he will be home free and could finally enjoy the goods that he got, which has been delayed by the unexpected meeting with Monica, Fiona, Miko, Tadashi, and Fujiyoshi.

When they reached the station, Aiden was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, as he was moments away from regaining his freedom. Monica and her group were about to part ways with Aiden when someone suddenly placed their arm around his neck, surprising him, as four other people emerged from behind the person clinging on to him – Ball, Moira, Angela, and Rebecca.

"Yo Aiden! What are you doing here!?" Mingyu said out loud as he clinged on to Aiden.

"Aiden!?!?!?!?!?!?" Ball, Moira, Angela, Rebecca, Monica, Fiona, Miko, Fujiyoshi, and Tadashi exclaimed in unison as they looked at the person that Mingyu was clinging on, stunned at the sudden bombshell that Mingyu just dropped on everybody.

Aiden clicked his tongue as he pushed Mingyu's arm off his neck, "You always show up in the worst possible moment Mingyu" Aiden said his normal tone of voice returning as Mingyu backed off a few feet.

"We-we were hanging out with the Student Council President!?" Fujiyoshi reacted as Aiden's identity was revealed to Monica's group. Ball secretly taking his phone out as he took secret pictures of Aiden in his cool-looking outfit and style. Moira, Angela, and Rebecca could not believe what they were seeing. Aiden was wearing such a cool outfit, and his accessories made him hotter than usual, exceeding that of Mingyu, Jasper, Ball, and Min combined. Completely different from the "plain" Aiden they were accustomed to.

What surprised Moira, Angela, Rebecca, and Ball more was that Aiden's ears were pierced, a fact that they didn't know nor realize, though Mingyu seems like he was aware of it. As M.A.S.S. with the exception of Mingyu was comprehending what they were seeing, Monica's group was still reeling from the fact the person they have been calling "Kid" was actually the Student Council President of Mount Juliet University, the most powerful and influential student on campus.

Aiden removed his fake glasses, and looked at Monica's group, "Forgive me for my deception, I wasn't expecting to run into any of the international students nor the domestic students" Aiden said putting emphasis on the "domestic students". Ball taking another stolen shot of Aiden without the glasses on.

"I wouldn't have resorted to deception if I was Aiden the Student Council President, but right now I'm just plain Aiden Kobayashi, and I'm not too fond of mingling with other people on my free time. No offense to all of you, but that's just how I prefer it" Aiden continued, his comments directed at Monica's group, but somewhat towards Mingyu's group as well.

"No, we're sorry for calling you a kid earlier!" Miko apologized, followed by Fujiyoshi, Tadashi, and Fiona, Monica remaining quiet, unable to react or say anything. Moira on the other hand, was too distracted by how Aiden looked that she didn't even notice Monica.

"Ms. Sawyers" Aiden said, grabbing Monica's attention, the rest of M.A.S.S. finally noticing Monica, which irked Moira and Angela a bit.

"Although today was a bit uneventful, I did learn a bit about you. Notwithstanding our first joint meeting, you and I have some similarities, believe it or not, and I do hope that we can work together going forward" Aiden said, surprising Moira, and Angela. Monica unable to respond, still processing what just happened.

"So Aiden! You want to join us? We-" Mingyu interjected before Aiden interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Not interested. I'm going home now. In any case I'll see you all later tonight at the welcome party" Aiden said before walking towards the station.

Monica and Mingyu's group just watched as Aiden walked off, disappearing into the crowd of people heading up the station. After Aiden's silhouette disappeared, the two groups introduced themselves to each other, with Mingyu and Fujiyoshi greeting each other first, as everyone else followed suit. Moira and Angela pretty much snubbed Monica but greeted and introduced themselves to the other international students, Monica doing the same to Moira and Angela. After their introductions, there was a short exchange of pleasantries before the two groups parted ways.