Silence filled the Student Council room. Angela nor Moira did not dare to make a sound, going as far as holding their breaths. The silence continued for a good minute, as Moira and Angela wondered if they’ll ever breathe again.

“Moira” Aiden called out from his office as the two girls quietly exhaled, before inhaling as quietly as possible. Moira got up from her chair, leaving a tensed-up Angela sitting by herself. Moira cantered towards Aiden’s office, rapidly breathing in and out as if she was hyperventilating. As Moira reached Aiden’s office’s door, she immediately knocked before entering.

“Did you need something Aiden?” Moira asked, feeling a little nervous after witnessing the tense exchange between Aiden and Min.

Aiden slowly looked up, his fist still on his desk, “Can you leave me alone for now?”

“Ye-yes, of course” Moira stuttered as she took one step backwards, taking herself out of Aiden’s office, before turning around and cantering back to Angela.

“What did he say?” Angela whispered as Moira hurriedly grabbed her stuff and placed it inside her bag.

“He said he wants to be alone, we should leave” Moira responded as Angela quickly stood up, grabbing her pen and folder as she walked towards where she was seating previously to grab her bag.

As soon as Angela zipped her bag close, she and Moira hurriedly left the room, making sure they closed the door as quietly as possible. As soon as the two girls left, Aiden bumped his fist on his desk again, before finally pulling his chair and sitting down. Aiden was obviously bothered by the way he treated Min earlier, he felt a sense of shame, a feeling he hasn’t felt in the longest time.

Outside the Student Council room, Moira and Angela deeply sighed, releasing the tension and nervousness outside their system. After composing themselves, they started walking down the dimly lit corridor as they headed towards the elevator. As they reached the front of the elevators, Moira pushed the down button, as they waited for the elevator to arrive on their floor.

“The scared the shit out of me” Angela commented.

Moira face Angela with a surprised expression on her face, “How do you think I feel!? Being called into Aiden’s office like that scared the shit out of my shit”

“That was pretty tense though. What’s the deal with those two anyways?” Angela asked as she tried to get a sense of what they witnessed at the Student Council room.

“I don’t know to be honest, but that’s the first time I’ve seen Aiden snap at someone”

“Yeah, same here. I didn’t realize that Aiden could be that scary, I mean you can’t even tell if he’s mad or not, his expression never changes”

“Actually” Moira paused for a moment as he remembered the scene inside Aiden’s office, “Aiden’s expression was a little different earlier when I walked in his office”

“Really? In what way?”

“His eyes looked soft, as if he feels bad about snapping at Min”

“Seriously!?” Angela responded in a surprised tone, Moira shushing her in the process. Angela covered her mouth and apologized in a muffled tone. Just then, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened as the two girls entered the elevator, Moira pressing “GF” on the panel.

“Yeah, I actually felt bad for him, but I was still overwhelmed by nervousness, I thought he was going to shout at me as well” Moira said as the elevator doors closed.

Angela sighed, scratching the back of her head, “I did tell Min to not bother him” .

“I just hope it doesn’t turn tense and awkward between them during our next meeting. The tension is bad for the heart girl” Moira responded.

“Speaking of hearts” Angela said, her smile turning naughty as she faced Moira, “What’d you think about what happened before the start of the meeting”

“Guuuuuuuuuuurl don’t start with me” Moira said as she sported the same smile that Angela had as they made eye contact.

“I can feel your excitement coming out the moment I mentioned what happened before the meeting” Angela continued as both started giggling.

“I’m not the only one” Moira countered as Angela’s smile almost reached her ears, her face flushed. The atmosphere inside the elevator suddenly shifted from tensed and anxious to full-blown excitement.

“I think Aiden and Min have a love-hate relationship” Angela said as she slapped Moira’s arm out of excitement.

“OMG, did you see how Min was looking at Aiden earlier!?” Moira excitedly asked as she tried to hold herself back from completely flailing.

“Yessssss! That was so cute!” Angela replied as she slapped Moira’s arm again in excitement.

“You need to calm down girl” Moira replied, still wearing that naughty smile, “You think Min has something for Aiden?”

“Maybe? I don’t know, but the way he looks at Aiden makes me want to ship them hard” Angela replied, still feeling excited about Min and Aiden.

“But girl, when Min said that Aiden’s face was the cutest thing he has ever seen in his life” Moira excitedly said, as she returned the favor and slapped Angela’s arm. The two girls squealing loudly as their faces became flushed.

“What about Aiden’s reaction after Min said that, he was totally speechless” Angela squealed louder as she started hitting Moira’s arm in quick succession.

“But girl, I admire you for asking Min ‘The university or Aiden?’ question earlier, I almost let the feels come out during the meeting” Moira commented

“Don’t me friend, you were too direct when you told Min ‘Sounds like 10% Mount Juliet and 90% Aiden by how you have been staring at him’ I almost lost my ‘conceal, don’t feel’ demeanor earlier” Angela shot back as they started squealing again.

“But what do you think?” Moira looked at Angela with her naughty smile.

“Definitely MinAiden” Angela said, already deducing what Moira meant.

“You know what this means right?” Moira said, as she looked Angela straight in the eye, her naughty smile taking over her face. Angela looked at Moira as well, wearing the same naughty smile on her face. As they simultaneously shouted “Raikantopeni!”. Just as they were shouting it, the elevator doors opened and in front of them was Min, Bank and Ball, talking at the lobby.

When Moira and Angela looked in front of them after shouting “Raikantopeni!” they saw Min, Bank and Ball looking at them with surprised expressions on their faces. There was an awkward moment of silence, as the two groups looked at each other. There was an intense awkwardness between them, hoping to escape the awkward situation, Moira slowly and nonchalantly pressed the “B1” on the panel without breaking eye contact even when the elevator slowly closed.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Moira and Angela’s face turned tomato red from embarrassment. Moira covered her face with both her hands, while Angela leaned her forehead on the elevator wall. On the other hand, Min, Ball and Bank looked at each other, seemingly trying to absorb what they just heard, and trying to comprehend the awkward situation that transpired. The boys then started conversing in their native language.

“What was that all about?” Ball asked.

“Did they just say Raikantopeni? Like the intro warning?” Bank commented.

“I think that’s what they said” Min added.

“Who were those girls?” Ball asked, looking at Min.

“I think that was Angela and Moira from the Student Council” Min responded as he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

“In any case, you were saying?” Ball said as they got back to their topic of discussion.

“Oh, yeah. Aiden stitched up my polo and washed it too” Min said with a subtle smile on his face.

“Really? That was nice of him” Ball responded, impressed that the Student Council President would go the extra mile to fix Min’s polo, “He may not be a bad guy after all”

“Yeah, he’s pretty nice, cold and stoic, but pretty nice” Min added.

“You didn’t tease him did you?” Ball asked.

“I might have had before the meeting started” Min admitted as he gave a small smile.

“Shit” Ball cussed as he sighed out of frustration, “I already told you to stop teasing the Student Council President”

“Don’t be too up-tight Ball” Min responded with a laugh.

“So, did anything happen at the meeting?” Bank asked, curious on how the Student Council meeting went.

“It went really well actually; I learned a lot of things from the Student Council members. It seems like Mount Juliet is not a typical university” Min responded as he hid the fact about his encounter with Aiden at the end of the meeting.

“That’s good, anyways, let’s head back to our suite. Your stuff is already in your room” Ball said as the three Thai students started walking towards the International House.

On the outside, Min was smiling and acting like nothing was wrong. But inside, he was really affected by the harsh words that Aiden told him. Although Min likes to tease people, he’s friendly and outgoing. He can be tough and protective when he needs to, but deep inside he was soft and kind-hearted to the core. He deliberately hid the fact that Aiden shouted at him as to not affect Ball and Bank’s impression and opinion towards him.

Initially, Min wanted to just keep teasing Aiden because of their first encounter and the events during the welcome ceremony at orientation. But after he learned a little bit more about Aiden during his mini crash course with the Student Council members, he decided then and there to learn more about him, culminating to his decision to properly thank him for fixing and washing his polo, and apologize for teasing him at the beginning of the Student Council meeting. He never expected that Aiden would snap at him like that, although he was hurt by Aiden’s words, he still covered for him in front of his friends and was still motivated to get to know him better, even little by little until he returns to Thailand.

Back at the Student Council room, Aiden just finished what he was needing to do in his office when he realized that it was already 23:57. After saving the files he entered into the computer in the Student Council and university database, he shut his computer down as he walked towards the door of his office, turning the lights off as he closed the door behind him. Aiden then collected his things before turning the lights off in the Student Council room as he left.

Stepping out of the Student Council room, Aiden put his earphones in his ears, before walking towards the elevator. During the ride down, the scene with Min at his office earlier kept on repeating inside his head. Aiden was feeling a great deal of regret for the way he treated Min back in his office, he never intended to snap at him like that, but during that time, Aiden was still reeling from what Min told him at the beginning of the meeting. The embarrassment, surprise, confusion, irritation and annoyance overcame his rationality and train of thought, and so the actions that he took against Min earlier was not the result of rational thinking, but the result of a sudden emotional outburst.

As Aiden got off the elevator, he could not help but still feel perplexed by what Min said. It was the first time that another guy straight-up told him that he was cute. The fact that Min saw his unguarded state made him feel vulnerable and exposed. As he exited the Student Center, Aiden shook his head to clear his thoughts, and proceeded to walk towards the main gate of the university, intent of not thinking about anything that happened on the first day of school.

In the International House, Min was having trouble falling asleep as he rolled side to side, Aiden’s words still ringing hollow in his mind.

“Lesson Four: When I tell you something, you do it right away. Especially when I’m working”

“Lesson Five: Knock first before entering someone’s office”

“FYI One: You annoy the hell out of me”

“FYI Two: Just because I helped you out this morning doesn’t mean we’re friends. I did it out of necessity and my duty as Student Council President. Don’t mistake it for something else”

The coldness and sharpness of Aiden’s words were bothering him so much. Min was debating whether to apologize or not, since he wasn’t sure how Aiden would react. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if Aiden would want to see him, given how furious he sounded earlier. Min started to think that maybe he should’ve just taken Angela’s advice and not bothered Aiden at all, but a part of him was saying that he needed to say what he wanted to say no matter the cost. Min was also starting to contemplate whether he should’ve listened to Ball, and not teased Aiden so much. His mind was full of different thoughts that it was keeping him awake. Although he knows that he has class first thing in the morning, the guilt he was feeling was too much to overcome.

Min laid on his back, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared blankly towards the ceiling. He doesn’t understand why, but there was a strong impulse in him that wants to be friends with Aiden, regardless of what his personality was. Min was confused, even though he knows that Aiden finds him annoying, he still wants to try and become close with him. Min wasn’t sure if it’s just pure curiosity, he finds Aiden interesting, or because he feels guilty teasing him so much.

“I guess I should keep myself distant for now. I should let things cool down before I try and apologize to him. Yeah. That’s what I’ll do” Min told himself as he let out a deep sigh before closing his eyes to try and get some rest before his classes starts in the morning.

“Hey Min! Are you up?” Ball called out as he knocked on Min’s door. Min was still in bed, having slept late.

“It’s already 7:30! We’ll be late for our first class!” Bank added as he started knocking on Min’s door.

When Min didn’t respond, Ball decided to open the door and head inside Min’s room. When they entered, they saw Min still sleeping face down on his pillow. Bank walked closer to Min’s bed and started poking his friend’s back.

“Hey Min! You need to get up! We’ll be late” Bank shouted as he kept on poking Min.

“I have an idea” Ball said as he left the room, coming back a few seconds later with a handful of ice cubes in his hand, “This should wake him up” Ball said jokingly as he slid the ice cubes inside of Min’s shirt.

It was extremely effective since Min immediately jumped out of his bed, reacting to the sudden coldness that touched his back. As soon as Min got the ice cubes out of his back, he sat on the side of the bed, looking at Ball and Bank who were laughing their hearts out.

“What the hell guys” Min groaned, his eyes looking heavy, his voice rough.

Ball then flicked Min’s forehead, strong enough for Min to tilt his head backwards, “We’ve been trying to wake you up! We’ll be late for class at this rate!”

“What time is it?” Min replied, rubbing his forehead.

“It’s already 7:34” Bank chimed in; his arms crossed.

“WHAT!? IS IT THAT LATE ALREADY!? WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP EARLIER!?” Min reacted in a panic, as he got up, grabbing his towel.

“We’ve been trying to wake you up since 6:45 you know. When you didn’t respond the last time we knocked, we had to go in and forcefully wake you up” Ball explained as Min rushed to get his things ready before heading into the bathroom across his room.

“What’s wrong with him? He’s usually the first one to wake up” Bank commented as he and Ball looked at the bathroom door from inside Min’s room.

“I don’t know, but at least he’s up” Ball responded as he walked out of Min’s room, heading to the living room to wait for their friend to finishing showering. Bank followed a few seconds later as he closed Min’s door as he left the room.

After leaving Min’s room, Ball grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge, before sitting on the couch on their suite’s living area. Bank sat beside him, his phone out as he checked their class schedule.

“What’s our first class for today?” Ball asked, looking at Bank’s phone.

“It says World History 201” Bank replied, “I think all three of us are in the same class” Bank added.

“Where is it at?” Ball asked as he sipped on his juice.

“It says Humanities 312” Bank responded.

Ball sighed, “I don’t like History, I’m not good at remembering dates and everything”

“I’m not that good in English, so you may have to help me understand the book” Bank laughed. Ball looked at Bank with a weird expression before slapping the back of his head.

“What the hell was that for!?” Bank exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

“If you practiced your English during our free time instead of playing on your phone all the time, you wouldn’t be having trouble” Ball explained, as he sipped the last ounce of liquid from the carton he was drinking from.

“Min was right, you’re too up-tight” Bank responded as he gave out a loud laugh. Just then, they could hear Min leaving the bathroom, and the door to his room opening and closing. Ball stood up to throw away his empty carton of juice, before heading to his room to grab his backpack. Bank stayed on the couch, playing his mobile game, his back leaning on the couch, his legs wide open. When Ball came back to the living area, he already had his backpack on, his right-hand carrying Bank’s backpack. Ball threw the bag towards Bank, hitting him in the nuts, causing Bank to drop his phone on the floor as he groaned in pain.

“Shit!” Ball cussed, not expecting the bag full of books to hit the bullseye.

“What the hell Ball!” Bank cried out in pain as Ball tried to hold his laughter in.

“I didn’t mean to hit your nuts” Ball explained, biting his lip to prevent him from laughing at his friend who was in pain, “It’ll be okay, just imagine you were kneed by a girl”

“That’s not helping at all! What if I develop erectile dysfunction!” Bank exclaimed. Ball finally laughed out loud from his friend’s comment as Min emerged from his room with his backpack on. Walking into the living room, Min noticed Bank on the floor of the living area, curled up.

“What the hell happened to him?” Min asked, surprised and confused as to why Bank was on the floor.

“That idiot Ball threw my bag on my nuts!” Bank explained, Ball still laughing hard.

“Like I said, I didn’t mean to” Ball reiterated as his laughter died down.

“We don’t have time for this, we’ll be late” Min said as he walked towards Bank and helped him up. Min then grabbed Bank’s backpack and cellphone, giving it to Bank who was walking like he was just circumcised. Bank tried to tolerate the pain, as the three of them power walked towards the Humanities Building to try and get to their class on time.

It was already 7:58 when they reached their classroom. When they entered, the professor was already at the podium in front of the classroom, checking the attendance. The room was already full of students from the different colleges at the university. As Min, Ball, and Bank walked in, the professor stopped them.

“What are your names?” The female professor asked, looking at the three International Students that walked in.

“My name is Thapthim Nontanakorn” Min answered as the professor looked at her roster, checking Min’s name off.

“What about you?” The professor looked at Ball.

“Rathavit Pattaya, ma’am” Ball responded.

“And you?” The professor looked at Bank

“Chatchawee Chungwatana” Bank replied, still having a hint of pain in his face.

“Are you okay?” The professor said as he looked at Bank.

“A-ah, yes, I’m doing okay” Bank replied.

“Are you sure?” The professor asked again as her face showed signs of concern.

“Ah, our friend accidentally hit a bench on our way here” Min interjected, saving Bank from the humiliation of explaining that his balls were crushed by his bag pack.

“Is that so? Well, be careful next time okay? You can go ahead and take your seats” the professor said, sending the three to find their seats as she prepared to begin her class.

The trio found four empty seats close to the middle section of the class. Min took the third seat next to the empty one beside the window, followed by Ball and Bank in that order. The professor then opened her laptop, the topic for the first day projected on the projector screen that was rolled down in front of the white board.

“Good Morning Class, my name is Dr. Anna Chua, your professor for World History 201” The professor began as she introduced herself.

“The syllabus for the class is on the desk in front of you, take the time to go over them when the class has concluded. If you have any questions, my email and office phone number are located there, as well as where my office is located, and my office hours” Dr. Chua added.

“According to my roster, we have eight International Students in this class. If I’m speaking too fast, or you have any questions at all, just raise your hands. Is that clear?” Dr. Chua announced as the International Students in the room replied with “Yes Ma’am” in unison.

“Good. Today we’ll be starting our discussion on the French Revolution. Everyone, please take your books out and turn to page 89” Dr. Chua announced.

As the students took out their textbooks, the door suddenly opened, turning everyone’s attention towards the front of the classroom. Aiden then walked in, as the girls in the classroom started squealing due to excitement. When Min saw who came in, his heart started pounding. He was getting nervous and anxious, not expecting to be in the same class as Aiden.

“Good for you to join us Mr. Kobayashi” Dr. Chua said, looking at Aiden, “You should be more punctual and set a good example to the other students, you are the Student Council President” Dr. Chua added.

“I’m sorry professor, I’ll try to be early next time” Aiden responded with his usual tone.

“Normally I would point you for tardiness, but considering your academic standing, I’ll let it slide for today. There will be no exemptions next time, do you understand?” Dr. Chua said.

“Yes, ma’am” Aiden replied.

“Go ahead and take your seat beside, uhm..” Dr. Chua paused as she looked at her roster, “Mr. Nontanakorn” as she pointed to the direction of Min and the empty seat.

Aiden looked at where she was pointing, and immediately walked towards the same direction, as the girls where Aiden was walking at squealed in excitement.

As Aiden walked closer to the empty seat beside him, Min’s heart was beating faster, he was growing nervous and anxious, as the scenes from last night flashed in his head, he wasn’t sure how Aiden would react. As Aiden approached the empty seat, Ball and Bank were surprised that they were in the same class as the Student Council President.

When Aiden reached the empty seat, he took his backpack off, placing it on the desk as he took his seat, his expression the same as usual. Min tried to kept his eyes away from Aiden who was sitting a mere inch away from him.

“Alright class keep it quiet, everyone can stan Aiden when the class is over” Dr. Chua announced as she clapped her hands to settle everyone down, to the annoyance of Aiden who just clicked his tongue in response.

As Dr. Chua started her lecture, Aiden just stared outside the window, not paying attention to what the professor was saying, he didn’t even take his textbook out. Min was checking out Aiden on the corner of his eye, trying to see what Aiden was doing - Ball and Bank doing the same.

“Mr. Kobayashi” Dr. Chua called out, causing Min, Ball and Bank to face the front of the class. Aiden slowly looked towards the front before standing up.

“He’s in trouble now” Bank whispered in Thai as Ball elbowed him.

“Mr. Kobayashi name the ruling French Monarchs during the French Revolution, and state some of the causes that led to the revolution” Dr. Chua asked, as everyone in the class looked at Aiden.

“The ruling monarchs of France at the time of the French Revolution was King Louis XVI, and the Queen Consort Marie Antoinette, they were both executed by guillotine at the height of the revolution. Some of the primary causes of the French Revolution were the inequality between the French nobility and the general populace, the continued droughts that critically affected the nation’s food supply, and the heavy taxation of the lower class compared to the upper class of the French society” Aiden answered to the amazement and awe of the students.

“Very good. That is precisely correct” Dr. Chua said as she continued on with her lecture. Aiden sat back down and stared out the window again.

“Holy shit, he’s smart!” Bank whispered in Thai still amazed he was able to answer that question even though he wasn’t paying attention.

“I know, I didn’t even know the answer to that” Ball added, speaking in Thai.

Min was just looking at Aiden, who was staring out the window. He gave a subtle smile before returning his focus to the front of the class as Dr. Chua continued with her lecture. Min’s anxiousness and nervousness disappeared as Aiden gave his answer, he seems like his usual self and couldn’t sense any hint of annoyance or anger from him.

Aiden, who was staring out the window with his normal expression was in fact quite startled deep inside. He wasn’t expecting to be in the same class as Min and couldn’t muster the courage to face the class and see Min at the corner of his eye. Like Min, Aiden couldn’t sleep properly the night before, his thoughts consumed by what he did to Min at the end of the Student Council Meeting. Aiden was expecting that Min was angry at him, given the harsh treatment he gave him, he understands completely if that was the case, since it would be anyone’s normal reaction.

For the most part of the class, Aiden just stared out the window, not paying attention to the lecture, as the other students listened attentively and wrote down notes from the PowerPoint presentation and what the professor was saying. While Min and Ball had no problems keeping up with the lecture, and writing down notes, Bank was struggling to comprehend what was being discussed, and was having a hard time writing down notes.

“Argh…” Bank grumbled getting the attention of Ball, Min and Aiden.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ball asked in Thai, keeping his voice low.

“I’m just not getting this” Bank replied in the same language.

“Just calm down Bank, we’ll help you study later” Min added as Aiden opened his bag and took out his binder from his bag and held it up towards Min.

“Here, give this to your friend” Aiden told Min, who turned to face Aiden. Min grabbed the black binder, then passed it to Ball, who then passed it to Bank.

As Bank received the binder, he opened it and inside was pretty much notes and excerpts from the book that covered the chapter the professor was currently discussing. Looking at the binder, Ball was amazed how detailed and organized Aiden’s notes were. His handwriting was pretty and neat like a girl’s.

“You can give it back to me on Thursday during class” Aiden said before looking back out the window.

The struggling Bank was teary eyed after seeing Aiden’s good gesture. Min looked at Aiden again, this time smiling and mouthing “Thank you so much” before focusing back to professor Chua.

Close to the end of the class, Dr. Chua once again called on Aiden who was staring outside the window, “Mr. Kobayashi”. Aiden looked to the front of class.

“Are you paying attention?” Dr. Chua asked as the rest of the class looked at Aiden again.

“Yes, professor” Aiden responded.

“Really now? Then can you tell me who Maximillian Robespierre is?” Dr. Chua asked, holding the textbook on her hand, as Aiden stood up once again.

“Maximillian Robespierre is a leading figure in the French Revolution, most specifically during the Reign of Terror which saw the deaths of at least 17,000 people who were considered as enemies of the revolution. As the leading and prominent member of the Committee of Public Safety he openly advocated and pushed for the execution of alleged enemies of the revolution by guillotine. Ironically, Maximillian Robespierre himself was later arrested and executed by guillotine, effectively ending his reign of terror”

“Impressive, Mr. Kobayashi. What about Jean-Paul Marat?” Dr. Chua fielded another question.

“Jean-Paul Marat is a journalist and politician during the French Revolution. His periodical L'Ami du peuple or Friend of the People in English was influential, but quite notorious for the fierce tone of his writing. Jean-Paul Marat’s writing was linked to the September Massacre which resulted in the deaths of over a thousand prisoners during the French Revolution. He was assassinated in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday, which was popularized by the painting “The Death of Marat” by French Artist Jacques-Louis David”.

“Excellent Mr. Kobayashi. Your reputation precedes you” Dr. Chua announced, as the students in the classroom once again reacted in amazement and awe.

“All right class, we will be having a quiz on Thursday about the chapter we covered today. You’re all dismissed” Dr. Chua added as she ended her class, taking her laptop, textbook and roster as she exited the room.

As soon as the professor left, Aiden grabbed his bag, and the syllabus under it before walking towards the door. As he walked, the girls in the room, and some guys took out their phones and started taking pictures. None dared to get close to him, as some of them were part of Aiden Guardians, and were bound by the “Collective Will” rule.

“He’s really awesome!” Bank exclaimed as he further inspected the binder that Aiden gave him earlier, his face looking like a small child inside a candy store.

“He really is” Ball added, while looking at the contents of the binder, “He’s pretty much covered over half of the sections for this class”

“Hey Min, you should ask him to tutor us for this class!” Bank proposed. Min reacted with hesitation, thinking of an excuse to not be put in that awkward situation of asking Aiden.

“I-I would, but Aiden is really busy you know” Min responded as he stuffed his things inside his backpack.

“What else could he be doing besides the Student Council and the International Student Organization?” Bank inquired as he placed his things inside his bag.

“You’d be surprised” Min responded as ha got up from his chair.

“Try us” Ball challenged his best friend as he got up from his seat.

“I’ll explain it you guys, let’s get something to eat first” Min proposed as they started walking towards the door, as the students from the next class started coming in.

“You should treat me breakfast Ball!” Bank said as they walked out of the classroom.

Meanwhile at the central cafeteria, Mingyu, Katrina, Jasper, and Aaron were having breakfast, as Aaron and Katrina were working on their assigned duties from the Student Council. The central cafeteria was packed with student eating breakfast and grabbing food before they headed into class.

“Hey, so I had class with cute female International Students earlier” Mingyu announced as he was checking out the girls’ Instagram accounts..

“Same!” Jasper added as he played with his phone.

“How many did you score Jasper?” Mingyu asked, looking at Jasper who was sitting in front of him.

“Four of them asked for my Kakao and LINE” Jasper responded as he looked away from his phone and focused his attention on Mingyu, “What about you?”

“Six from class, and seven from out of class” Mingyu proudly stated, Katrina responding with a sigh as she typed on her laptop.

“What’s wrong Katrina?” Mingyu asked, looking at Katrina who was sitting beside him. Katrina stopped typing, as she glared at him, with almost the same coldness and intensity as Aiden’s.

“Can’t you talk about anything else other than girls?” Katrina asked, her gaze intensifying as the second goes by.

“Not really” Mingyu laughed as Katrina almost immediately slapped the back of Mingyu’s head.

“Are you guys at it again?” Aaron commented as he typed on his laptop.

“What else” Jasper laughed as he watched Katrina slap Mingyu’s head.

“I swear to God Mingyu” Katrina said in exasperation as she returned her focus on her laptop.

“Here” Mingyu said as he gave Katrina his unopened water bottle, “Drink this to cool your head down”, Katrina snorted, before grabbing the water bottle that Mingyu offered her.

“What are you guys working on anyways?” Mingyu asked, putting his phone down in front of him, next to the unopened sandwich he bought.

“I’m doing a breakdown of the budget for the International Students’ welcome party on Saturday” Katrina responded as she typed on her laptop.

“Ah, Student Council stuff” Jasper chimed in, “Is it the same for you Aaron?”

“Yeah, working on the outline proposal for crowd and traffic control for the Student Organization Fair this Friday” Aaron responded, not taking his eyes off his laptop.

“Aiden sure is keeping you both busy” Mingyu commented as he opened his bag of sandwich.

“We do have a lot of things planned out for the semester, and both the Student Organization Fair and welcome party are this week” Katrina said, taking a break from typing as she took a sip of water.

“Oh? What’s all planned for this semester? Are we having the Battle of the Bands again?” Jasper asked as Aaron stopped typing, opening the bottle of sprite he has sitting next to his laptop.

Aaron took a quick sip before responding to Jasper, “That’s the plan, basically Aiden decided to keep most of the events from last year, we’re also adding a new event as well”

“Do you plan on signing up for this year’s Battle of the Bands Jasper?” Mingyu asked.

“If we could find another bass player and a vocalist, maybe” Jasper responded with a smile.

“Maybe we could scout from the International Students” Aaron suggested, prompting Katrina to stop typing and listen on the conversation.

“Do you think we can find one who is willing?” Jasper asked, looking at Aaron.

“I’m sure there’s someone, it’s a good chance for the International Students too, since it’s a good experience” Aaron responded.

“You know, that’s a good idea” Mingyu said while chewing his sandwich. As Katrina slapped the back of Mingyu’s head again.

“What was that for!?” Mingyu, startled, asked Katrina.

“Stop talking while your mouth is full, it’s rude” Katrina said in reply, “I do agree with Mingyu though”

“We could probably ask around during the welcome party” Aaron further suggested.

“Alright, I’m game” Jasper responded, giving Aaron a fist bump.

“Anyways, what events are you guys planning for this semester?” Mingyu asked as he swallowed the piece of sandwich he was eating.

“So basically, it’s going to be the Welcome Party, Battle of the Bands, Foundation Day Festival, Halloween Festival, MJU Olympics, F/S Prom, and the End of Semester Festival, in that order” Katrina explained.

“We haven’t decided on the dates yet though, I’m sure Aiden already worked on it, he does have to present most of what we talked about last night at the Executive Council meeting on Thursday” Aaron said.

“It’s going to be rough for Aiden this year” Katrina commented, “I bet he’s going to be busier than all of us combined”

“I wouldn’t worry about Aiden, he’ll manage” Mingyu replied in confidence.

“I know, but this is probably the most he’ll be doing since High School though” Katrina said.

“Mingyu’s right Katrina, Aiden has this covered” Aaron said, reassuring Katrina in the process. As the friends were talking, Angela and Moira walked by, each carrying a tray with food and drinks on it.

“Hey guys!” Angela greeted Mingyu, Katrina, Jasper and Aaron.

“Oh, Angela, Moira. How are you guys?” Katrina greeted back as everyone focused on Angela and Moira.

“We just got out of class, our professor this semester is super strict, she already gave us a bunch of things to do for class, and it’s only our first meeting too!” Angela complained.

“What class? Who’s the professor?” Aaron asked.

“English 112, Professor De Castro” Moira replied as Mingyu and Jasper cringed, “Why what’s up?”

“He’s a terror professor, from what I heard from our seniors” Mingyu said.

“Yeah, that’s the reason why I didn’t take English 112 this semester, because his class was the only one left that was open” Aaron added, to the disappointment of Moira and Angela.

“You could’ve told us that” Angela said, sounding defeated.

“I’m sorry” Aaron laughed, “You never asked though”

“Anyways, you guys want to sit down?” Katrina asked, “No point in just standing there waiting for your food to get cold”

“Yeah, that’s true. Do you guys mind if we sit with you?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead” Katrina said as she and Mingyu scooted over to make space for Angela and Moira. The two girls placed their trays on top of the table, taking their back packs off as they sat down. Moira sat next to Mingyu, while Angela sat next to Moira at the at the end of the bench.

Moira’s tray has a bottle of Coca-Cola and a plate of beef tapa, fried egg and garlic rice. Angela has a bottle of water and a plate of corned beef, fried egg, and garlic rice. The smell of their food made Jasper and Mingyu hungry, having only gotten a sandwich and a bottle of water. As the two girls prepared to eat, Mingyu introduced himself to Moira, followed by Jasper.

“Hi, I’m Mingyu by the way” Mingyu introduced himself.

“I’m Jasper” Jasper followed.

“I’m Moira, Chief of Staff of the Student Council this year, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff for Aiden, nice to meet the both of you” Moira said as she introduced herself.

“How are you Angela?” Mingyu asked after his introduction to Moira.

“I’m good, still a little bit sleepy though” Angela responded.

“You guys know each other?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah, Jasper and I ran into Angela and Kobe yesterday” Mingyu responded.

“So, you’ve met Kobe as well, huh?” Katrina commented.

“Yeah, that just leaves Grace from the Student Council” Mingyu added.

“Have you met, Amy and Min too?” Aaron asked.

Jasper was looking confused, “Amy? The ROTC Commander in front of the International House yesterday?”

“Yeah that one” Aaron responded.

“I didn’t know she was in the Student Council?” Jasper retorted.

“Amy is probably going to be part of the Student Council. Aiden is getting ready to expand the Student Council members” Moira chimed in.

“Really!?” Mingyu and Jasper reacted in unison.

“Yeah, he just told us last night at the meeting” Angela responded.

“So, who’s this Min person?” Mingyu asked, looking at Aaron.

“Oh, he’s the Thai student I was talking about yesterday” Angela answered before Aaron could say anything.

“Wait! The guy that switched polos with Aiden at orientation!?” Mingyu reacted in surprise, Jasper also surprised with the revelation.

“How did he ended up being a Student Council member?” Jasper asked.

“He was the elected International Student Representative, basically he represents the entire International Student population at the Student Council” Moira explained.

“Well, that explains it” Jasper commented.

“Wait, so did Aiden get his polo back?” Mingyu asked.

“No. Aiden returned Min’s polo, but Aiden refused to take his polo back, he pretty much told Min to throw away his polo” Angela answered.

“That’s so typical” Jasper said, “Did Aiden get smart with Min then?

Angela, Moira, Katrina and Aaron reacted; their faces cringed a little bit. This confused Mingyu and Jasper who had no idea about what happened at the beginning of the meeting; Moira and Angela’s reaction where more pronounced, given that they witnessed what happened between Aiden and Min at the conclusion of the meeting, after everyone left.

“Did something happen? Why is everyone’s faces like that” Jasper asked.

“Oh, nothing happened. Aiden was just extra cold with Min yesterday, but that’s pretty much it” Katrina answered defensively.

Aaron laughed awkwardly, “You know how Aiden can be”

“Yeah, yeah” Moira and Angela said in unison, backing up Katrina’s claim.

Katrina thought it prudent not to mention the “Cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life” comment made by Min to Mingyu and Jasper, which was quickly picked up by Aaron, Moira, and Angela. For the latter two’s part, they thought it prudent not to mention about Aiden snapping at Min at the end of the meeting to everyone else.

“If you guys say so” Mingyu said, closing the discussion about Min being a part of the Student Council.

“Anyways, have you guys finished your reports and proposals?” Aaron asked, changing the subject.

“I’ve already sent the email to the Student Organization and Club Presidents about the registration period closing this afternoon. I still need to work on the party program and itinerary for the International Student outing for this semester, though I need to wait for Min to discuss it with the International Student Council before I could finalize it” Angela replied.

“I’ve already contacted the International Exchange Program about the Gang of Eight, I still need to hear back from Min about the availability of the International Student Council” Moira added, “What about you guys? How are your proposals coming along?

“I’m working on the outline for crowd and traffic control outline for the Student Organization Fair on Friday. I’m meeting up with Amy at lunch time to finalize everything” Aaron said.

“I’ve already emailed the Office of University Relations about the changes to the video for Friday, they said they’ll work on it, and have a sample video by tomorrow. I’ve already finished the proposal for the budget re-allocation, I’ll send it to Aiden later for review. I’m working on the budget breakdown for the welcome party right now. I still need to talk to Min and the International Student Council regarding the music for the Organization Fair though” Katrina reported.

“That’s what we forgot” Aaron snapped his finger, “We forgot to ask Min about his LINE!”.

“You’re right!” Moira exclaimed, “We should’ve asked him last night”.

“Is there a way we could reach him?” Angela asked.

“We could search up his school email at the database” Katrina proposed, “It shouldn’t be hard to find”

“That’s a good idea, you think you could do that, Katrina?” Moira asked, “I don’t want to put too much on your plate though”

Katrina nodded, “It’ll be fine, that’s an easy process”

“Maybe you don’t have to” Aaron said, “Speak of the devil, there’s Min over there”

Angela, Moira, Mingyu and Katrina turned around to look where Min was. Min was just entering the cafeteria, with Ball and Bank in tow behind him. Angela and Moira froze, remembering the awkward encounter they had with Min and his friends. Before they could react, Aaron called out to Min and waved for him to come to where they were sitting.

Min turned around after hearing someone calling his name. As he turned around, he saw Aaron waving at him, gesturing for him to come over, as he started walking towards where they were. Ball and Bank, wondering who was calling out to their friend. They followed Min as he walked towards where the members of the Student Council were sitting.

As the trio walked over to where they were, Angela and Moira immediately faced the table, their heads lowered, as if they were praying.

“Hey! Aaron, Katrina what’s up?” Min said as he reached his destination.

“We were just talking about you” Aaron replied, “We forgot to ask for your contact information last night”

“My contact information?” Min asked.

“Since you’re already part of the Student Council, we need something to get in touch with you quickly” Katrina added, “Do you have LINE? Or Kakao?”

“Oh, yeah. I have both, which do you want?” Min asked.

“I think LINE would be the best, since that’s what we use for the Student Council group chat” Katrina continued.

“Alright” Min responded as he took his cellphone out, Katrina and Aaron doing the same.

“Here’s my QR code, add me so I can add you to the GC” Katrina said as she pulled up her LINE QR code and gave her cellphone to Min for him to scan. After scanning Katrina’s QR code, Aaron handed his phone to Min to do the same.

“Hey, Angela, Moira, you should give Min your LINE too” Aaron called out, causing Min, Ball and Bank to look at the direction of Angela and Moira, who, from Min’s perspective looked like they were praying.

“Oh, Angela, Moira, I didn’t notice you over there” Min said as he returned Aaron’s cellphone.

“What’s wrong guys?” Katrina asked as she looked at Katrina and Moira.

“O-Oh, the-there’s nothing wrong” Moira stuttered as she took her phone out of her pocket, Angela doing the same.

“He-here you go” Moira said as she pulled up her QR code before passing her phone to Mingyu, who then passed it to Katrina for Min to scan. Angela did the same, as the two girls kept their head down as they covered their face with their hair, trying not to get seen by Bank and Ball. Min promptly scanned Moira and Angela’s QR codes before passing them back to Katrina, who passed it back to Mingyu.

“Are you done with classes?” Aaron asked Min.

“Yeah, we just got out of our World History class” Min responded, “We’re here to get breakfast actually”

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you guys join us? There’s still two spaces left over there” Aaron said as he pointed at the empty seat beside Jasper, “One could just pull a chair at this end of the table”

“If everyone doesn’t mind” Min said as he accepted Aaron’s offer.

Min then turned to Ball and Bank and asked them if they were okay sitting with the members of the Student Council, to which they agreed, “My friends said they’re fine with joining you guys”.

“You could probably sit at the head of the table Min; your friends could sit in front of Moira and Angela” Aaron suggested as Min pulled a chair and placed his backpack on it. Bank and Ball went to the other side and placed their bags on the bench right next to Jasper.

“Do you guys know what you want to eat?” Katrina asked Min.

“No, actually. This is our first time here at the central cafeteria. They served us food during orientation. What do you recommend?” Min asked.

“Do you want something light or heavy? You could get sandwich or what Moira and Angela has” Aaron said as he pointed at Moira and Angela’s food.

“That actually looks good” Min said as he looked at what Angela and Moira were eating. Min then turned to Ball and Bank and asked them in their native language what they want to eat. After a few seconds, Min turned back to Aaron and said that his friends would like to try what Moira and Angela have.

“Okay, Katrina and I will go with you guys” Aaron offered as he and Katrina got up as they walked Min, Ball and Bank to one of the stalls that were in the cafeteria.

“You guys praying?” Mingyu asked, looking at Moira and Angela who still had their heads down.

“You guys okay?” Jasper added.

“Are they gone?” Angela asked, keeping to the same position.

“Yeah, they just walked off to get something to eat” Jasper responded as both girls tilted their heads up.

“What’s the deal anyways?” Mingyu asked as he looked at Moira and Angela who were looking flushed.

“It’s nothing” Angela responded defensively, her face warm and red.

“You guys have a crush on any of them or something?” Jasper asked, referring to the three Thai students.

“Of course not!” Moira slammed her hand on the table, her face as red and warm as Angela’s, “We just had an awkward encounter with them last night, is all”

“What kind of awkward encounter?” Mingyu asked.

Moira quickly turned towards Mingyu, “It’s nothing, really!” Moira insisted.

“Well, if you say so” Mingyu shrugged as he looked at Jasper.

A few minutes later, Katrina, Aaron, Min, Ball, and Bank returned to the table. Moira and Angela returning to their previous positions. Ball and Bank placed their trays adjacent to where Angela and Moira’s trays were, as Min sat at the end of the table, his tray between Aaron and Katrina’s laptops.

“By the way, Jasper, Mingyu, this is Min, the guy we mentioned earlier” Aaron said as he introduced Mingyu and Jasper.

“Hey, I’m Mingyu” Mingyu introduced himself as he gave Min a fist bump.

“I’m Jasper, nice to meet you” Jasper said as he gave Min a fist bump as well.

“My name is Thapthim Nontanakorn, everybody calls me Min, it’s easier” Min replied as he introduced himself, “So this is Jasper and Mingyu you mentioned last night at the meeting?” Min asked.

“Yeah. I thought you’d meet them at the welcome party, but we didn’t expect to see you here with your friends” Katrina said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me introduce you to my friends. So, the guy sitting next to Jasper is Ball, and the other one is Bank” Min said as he introduced his friends to everyone.

“Hey Ball, Bank, I’m Aaron nice to meet you” Aaron said as he gave Ball and Bank a fist bump.

“Hi, I’m Katrina” Katrina said as he waved at Ball and Bank.

“I’m Mingyu, nice to meet you guys!” Mingyu said as he leaned over to give Ball and Bank a fist bump.

“I’m Jasper, nice to meet you” Jasper said as he gave Ball and Bank fist bumps as well. Everyone else then turned to Moira and Angela who still had their heads lowered.

“Hey guys, introduce yourselves. Don’t be rude” Katrina called out to Moira and Angela.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with you guys?” Aaron added.

There were a few seconds of silence, and by some miracle, Moira and Angela mustered enough strength and courage to tilt their heads up and face Ball and Bank. As they raised their heads, their hair was all over the place, their faces still flushed. As soon as their face came in to view, Ball and Bank suddenly reacted.

“Ah! It’s you guys!” Ball exclaimed in English.

“You guys are the Ra-“ Bank exclaimed before Moira and Angela leaned over to cover Bank’s mouth before he could finish.

“Wait, you guys already know each other?” Aaron asked, confused.

“When did you guys meet?” Katrina followed up as her and Aaron looked at Moira and Angela.

“Ah! I remember now” Min exclaimed, “We ran into them at the elevator in the Student Center last night”

“Really? If you all met already, why does it look like Moira and Angela were hiding their faces?” Aaron asked.

“Ah, it’s probably because of the Ra-“ Before Min could finish, Angela ran to where Min was. In fact, she ran so fast that Min didn’t notice it until Angela was already behind him covering his mouth.

Angela quietly whispered for Min not to mention anything. Min nodded his head as Angela released her hands from Min’s mouth, as she headed back to her seat. Min smiled, his dimple showing, then called out to Ball and Bank, speaking in Thai, to not mention the awkward encounter they had last night at the Student Center. Ball and Bank nodded their heads as Moira pulled her hands out of Banks mouth.

“What was that all about?” Aaron asked as he looked at Min.

“Oh, it’s nothing, never mind” Min smiled as he grabbed his spoon and fork.

“Anyways, my name is Moira. Nice to officially meet you guys” Moira said as she introduced herself to Bank and Ball.

“I’m Angela, nice to officially meet you” Angela said, parroting Moira’s introduction.

“I’m Rathavit Pattaya, you can call me Ball. It’s nice to meet everyone” Ball said as he introduced himself.

“I’m Chatchawee Chungwatana, everyone can call me Bank. It’s nice to meet you all” Bank said as he introduced himself.

Katrina shook her head, trying to move past the unorthodox introduction of Moira and Angela, “Anyways, Min, have you gotten in touch with the International Student Council regarding the music selection for this Friday, and the International Student outing and the Gang of Eight informational meeting?”

“Not yet, the council hasn’t convened yet. I’ll probably head to the International Exchange Office later to get in touch with the International Student Council, so we could discuss what we discussed about last night” Min replied as he took a spoonful of rice and corned beef.

“You don’t have to worry about the Gang of Eight matter and the International Student outing yet, but we do have to get the music compilation for the Student Organization Fair done as soon as possible” Katrina continued, Min nodding his head.

“Hey, Bank, Ball, do guys have LINE?” Mingyu chimed in, changing the topic of discussion.

“Yes, I have one” Ball said, as he took his phone out.

“I have one too” Bank added, as he took his phone out as well.

“Here’s mine, add me, so we can hang out” Mingyu said as he pulled his QR code in LINE and handed his phone over to Ball, “We all should make a group chat for our group right here” Mingyu suggested.

“Hey that’s a good idea” Aaron said in agreement.

“I’ll make the group chat!” Katrina volunteered as she pulled her phone out, and opened the LINE app, “What should we name the group?”

“That’s a good question” Mingyu said as Bank returned his cellphone.

“We could worry about that later” Aaron suggested, “If we think of something, we could just change the group chat name”

“That works. I’ll go ahead and add everyone to the group” Katrina said as she added Aaron, Jasper, Mingyu, Min, Moira and Angela, “Mingyu, go ahead and add Ball and Bank, so we could add them too”

“Alright” Mingyu responded as he added Ball and Bank to the group chat. Everyone else added the people on the group chat who weren’t their friends yet on LINE.

“Let’s add Aiden too!” Mingyu suggested.

“Yeah, we should” Aaron agreed.

“He may not accept it but go ahead” Katrina added as Mingyu invited Aiden to ‘G1’.

“Oh, speaking of Aiden” Ball interjected, “Bank, Min and I are in the same class as Aiden”

“Yeah! He’s really smart, and really nice too!” Bank added

Everyone was surprised on Ball’s revelation. Katrina and Aaron, because they know about the polo affair, and the “Cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life” comment; Moira and Angela more so since they not only witnessed the polo affair, and “Cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life” comment, but they also witnessed the encounter at the end of the Student Council meeting.

“What do you mean by ‘really nice’, Bank?” Angela asked, curious as to what Aiden did.

“Oh” Min interjected, “Bank was struggling to keep up with the lecture and taking notes earlier in class. Then Aiden suddenly passed his binder with his notes of the class to Bank”

“Yeah. He pretty much already covered over half of the material in class. His notes are extremely detailed and organized. His handwriting is pretty too” Ball added. Bank just nodded in agreement, to the surprise of Angela and Moira.

Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron and Jasper just smiled in response, hinting to the others that they already knew that Aiden could extend such gesture to other people, even though he has such a cold personality most of the time. Min noticed their smiles but was able to deduce correctly that Aiden’s closest friends already knew that Aiden has that different side to him.

“Are you guys not reacting about this?” Moira asked Mingyu, Jasper, Katrina, Aaron and Min, as only her, and Angela reacted with surprise.

“No, not really” Mingyu responded, as Katrina, Aaron and Jasper nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’m not surprised with that” Angela said, “You guys have known Aiden for a long time”

“That’s pretty much it” Aaron said, as he chuckled.

As the group discussed about what Aiden did for Bank, a group of students suddenly started clamoring on the other side of the cafeteria, opposite to where Min, Bank, and Ball entered. As Bank, Ball, Jasper, Aaron turned their heads to see what was going on, as several students were running towards the other side of the cafeteria.

“What’s going on over there?” Min asked, “Is it Aiden?”

“I doubt it, Aiden doesn’t eat anything before lunch time, so I doubt he’ll come here at the cafeteria” Mingyu responded to Min’s question as he looked on at the students converging on the other side of the cafeteria.

“I wonder who it could be then?” Min continued as he looked towards the direction of where everyone else was looking.

As the students converged on the other end of the cafeteria, they made sure not to block the main aisle that the students use to get from one side of the cafeteria to the other. After a few minutes, a silhouette of a female student could be seen emerging from the crowd of students, walking on the open aisle, with two other people behind her. As the trio got closer to where ‘G1’ was sitting, everyone except for Min, Bank and Ball recognized who the person was - It was Hazelyn Mendoza, the leader of the Greek Association at MJU.

Hazelyn was wearing makeup and eyeliner, her eye lashes were curled up, her lips were pinkish in color from her lip gloss. She has a fair skin tone and her silky black hair extended below her shoulders, which she had curled and layered. She was wearing expensive looking hoop earrings, a necklace and a bracelet on her right wrist. She was wearing the latest apple watch on her left wrist and was carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag on left arm. Her polo was silky white, making the sigil of the College of Tourism and Hospitality stand out more than usual, her jeans looked like they were made of high-quality materials, to top it all off, she was wearing a Jimmy Choo high heels, her every step was accompanied by the clacking of her stilettos. Her posse was as equally sophisticated as Hazelyn, almost on par to Hazelyn’s level of affluence.

“That’s Hazelyn Mendoza” Katrina commented, as students around them took videos and pictures of Hazelyn and her posse as they walked inside the cafeteria. Hazelyn of course, was enjoying the attention and the spotlight, savoring the moment to the fullest.

Min looked at Katrina when she mentioned Hazelyn’s name, “So that’s Hazelyn, the leader of the Greek Association” Min said, as Katrina nodded her head in acknowledgement. Min was in awe and amazed, he has never seen a member of the Gang of Eight before, apart from Aiden. What was equally surprising was the level of awe and admiration that the students have for her.

As they walked in front of ‘G1’, another female student, who was clearly a Freshman, accidentally bumped into Hazelyn, causing her to step backwards to catch her balance. The student immediately apologized for bumping into Hazelyn, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“What the hell!?” Hazelyn exclaimed, grabbing everyone’s attention in the cafeteria as she started causing a scene over something so mundane.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you” the female student apologized, “It was an accident”

The female student who bumped into Hazelyn was the opposite of her. She didn’t have the fancy accessories, gadgets or clothing that Hazelyn was wearing. She was a typical middle-class student, but in Hazelyn’s eyes, everyone who doesn’t level to her standards were all poor.

“How dare you bump into me with that, disgusting, hideous outfit!” Hazelyn shouted, her voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, “Your clothes look like they were brought from the side of the streets! Yuck!” Hazelyn continued as her posse positioned themselves behind the female student.

“Your face is disgusting; you have acne everywhere and you stink of sweat! And you dare bump into me!?” Hazelyn continued as she continued her harsh insults.

“I-I already said I’m sorry” the female student stuttered, her voice hinted a sign of fear and humiliation.

“Sorry!? Do you know how much my jeans are!? I bet your parents could work for years, and they still wouldn’t be able to afford these!” Hazelyn added as the female student tried to run away but was prevented by Hazelyn’s posse who held onto the female student’s shoulders and arms.

“I can’t believe MJU accepts these kinds of students! Yuck! Listen to me poor girl” Hazelyn said as she flipped her hair back, exposing her newly manicured nails, “You and I are on a whole different level, you belong on the dirt, and I belong on the class that steps on dirt”.

“Please, I’m really sorry, it won’t happen again” the female student begged as her eyes started to tear up, the entire cafeteria watched, taking pictures and videos of the scene – not a single person intervening.

“I can’t stand this anymore” Min angrily said, his fists closed as he watched the scene happening merely a few feet from where they were. The rest of the Student Council members were too distracted to make a move until Min started to walk towards Hazelyn.

Katrina suddenly held onto Min’s arm, “Hold it Min, she’s a Gang of Eight!” Katrina cautioned Min as he prepared to charge in and intervene.

“I’m aware of that! Are we just going to watch as she bullies that girl! I’m also a part of the Student Council, so I’m immune from the outcast label!” Min shot back at Katrina, his fist shaking, his eyes squinted.

“Technically you are, but on paper you’re not! They can exploit that fact and still label you as an outcast, let us handle this” Katrina replied, her eyes serious and determined. As Min and Katrina were having an exchange, Hazelyn pushed the female student, causing her to fall on the floor, her posse standing next to Hazelyn as they looked down on the female student.

“Katrina!” Moira called out as she and Katrina prepared to charge towards Hazelyn and intervene before she goes too far. Just as they were about to move forward, coffee splashed on Hazelyn and her posse from the balcony above, overlooking the aisle where Hazelyn was and the other half of the cafeteria. This shocked and surprised everyone who was watching the scene, filling the room with gasps – then laughter.

Min, Moira, Katrina, the rest of ‘G1’ and the other students looked up to see who poured the coffee on Hazelyn – it was Aiden, leaning from the balcony’s glass railings, his chin resting on his left fist, while his right hand held the tilted plastic cup where the coffee was.

Hazelyn screeched in a dramatic matter, as if acid was poured all over her. Her hair was drenched with coffee, her silky white polo, her jeans, and her Louis Vuitton bag were stained with coffee. Her posse had splash marks on their white polos and parts of their hair.

Hazelyn looked up to see who the culprit was, seeing who it is, all Hazelyn could say was , “Aiden? Why?”.

“Oh, sorry Hazelyn, my hand slipped. You just happened to be standing where the coffee landed” Aiden sarcastically replied, his expression staying the same as he dropped the plastic cup on Hazelyn’s head.

Hazelyn stomped her foot on the floor, extremely frustrated at what just happened. Under normal circumstances she would be fuming and immediately retaliate, but her feelings for Aiden prevented her from doing such a thing.

“Oh, it’s fine. I can always buy more of these” Hazelyn calmly replied, suppressing her inner anger and frustrations. Smiling awkwardly as everyone watched their exchange.

“I don’t particularly care” Aiden responded with his usual cold tone, “See ya” Aiden added before walking away from the balcony railings.

“Right. Let’s go girls” Hazelyn flipped her wet hair as she and her posse walked away drenched in coffee, obviously embarrassed and humiliated.

As Hazelyn walked off, the students in the cafeteria started shouting “Aiden! Aiden! Aiden!” and clapping their hands. Moira and Katrina helped the female student up from the floor. Mingyu, Jasper, and Angela gave each other a high five, while Aaron laughed. Min for his part, smiled in awe and amazement by how cool Aiden dealt with the situation, chuckled at Aiden’s response to Hazelyn as he dropped the plastic cup on her head, the anger he was feeling earlier faded away. Bank and Ball were left confused, but at the same time amazed about what Aiden just did.

“Hey, are you okay?” Moira asked the female student, tears in her eyes as Moira gave her a hug, comforting the student who was just humiliated in front of her peers.

“Hey, it’s okay” Katrina added as she rubbed the female student’s back.

Moira and Angela walked the female student to the closest chair let her sit down and calm her for a while. Aaron ran to one of the stores to get a bottle of water, as Min went over to where Katrina and Moira were.

“I’m sorry I lost my cool back there” Min said as he apologized to Katrina.

“It’s okay, I understand how you felt. I’ll be honest, I got too distracted at what was happening, my mind just went blank. If it wasn’t for you, Moira and I wouldn’t have been able to react” Katrina responded.

“Did you know Aiden was going to do something like that?” Min asked.

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting that either. But, the way Aiden did it was typical of him” Katrina snorted, as Min smiled in response, before they turned their attention to the female student. Aaron came running back water in hand, as he gave it to the student.

After the female student calmed down, she said her thanks to the members of the Student Council that comforted her, and went on her way, while a Janitor mopped up the coffee on the floor in the background. As soon as the student left, Katrina, Moira, Aaron, and Angela’s phone vibrated, accompanied by a notification sound – it was Aiden.

“All of your reactions were too slow. Next time react at will and intervene immediately. I expect a better performance the next time something like this happens – and tell Min to not get too emotional and think rationally, we’ll get his position official so he can get immunity from the outcast label, so if he does something stupid against any Gang of Eight members, he’ll be fine”

“What is it?” Min asked as the other Student Council members read the message on their phone.

“It’s Aiden, he’s basically scolding us for reacting too late” Moira responded.

“He also said to tell you to learn how to not get too emotional and think rationally” Katrina told Min, who snorted in response to Aiden’s message.

“Was he watching the entire time?” Min commented.

“So, it seems” Moira replied as she placed her phone back in her pocket as everyone returned to their table to finish their breakfast and continue working on the proposals and drafts they were doing before they got interrupted by Hazelyn’s entrance.

‘G1’ stayed in the cafeteria for another 45-minutes before everyone went their own way. Angela, Moira, Katrina, Min, Bank, and Ball went off. While Mingyu and Jasper headed towards the library to study and check out girls from other colleges. Aaron for his part stayed in the cafeteria to finish the crowd and traffic control outline for the Student Organization Fair.

Aiden on the other hand, was hanging out on the rooftop of the College of Global Studies and Social Sciences, staring out into the sky, with earphones in his ear.

It was already 15:00 when Min’s last class for the day ended. After he left the classroom in the College of Natural Sciences, he immediately headed towards the Student Center, to talk with one of the staff of the International Exchange Program about getting in touch with the rest of the International Student Council. On his way to the Student Center, Ball sent a message in Thai on his, Bank, and Min’s group chat.

Ball: “Are you both done with classes?”

Bank: “I just got out”

Min: “Same”

Ball: “Do you guys want to explore outside the university?”

Bank: “I’ll go!”

Ball: “What about you Min?”

Min: “I have to go to the International Exchange Program office. I have things I need to take care of. I can go if you guys wait for me”

Bank: “How long will it take?”

Min: “Probably an hour or so?”

Ball: “Let us know, I’ll head back to the suite and take a shower”

Bank: “I might do the same”

Min: “Okay, we’ll meet at the suite after I’m done”

Ball: “Kk”

Bank: “Gotcha”

After finishing his conversation with his friends, Min returned his phone in his pocket and continued walking to the Student Center using the same path that he, Katrina, and Grace took when they were running from the students the day before. When Min got close to the Student Center, he spotted Aiden in front of him, at least 20 feet away from where he was, wearing his earphones, his eyes focused on his phone. Min figured Aiden was reading the reports, and proposals that the other members of the Student Council sent him, and he decided to just pass Aiden and not disturb him, or risk having a repeat of what happened between them the night before.

Just as Min was walking behind the other boy, Aiden started crossing the street, not paying attention to his surrounding as his focus was directed at the reports that he was reading. Just as Aiden was halfway crossing the street, a car started barreling down the road where Aiden was crossing - the driver preoccupied with texting. Aiden, with his earphones on could not hear the car moving towards him, and with his attention focused on the reports, was oblivious of the oncoming danger. By the time Aiden noticed the car in the corner of his eye, it was already too late to react, the car was a mere six feet from him, and he wouldn’t be able to move out of danger in time. Just as the car was about to run him over, he felt a strong pull coming from behind, and the next thing he knew he was on the ground, his body and head laying on something soft and warm, he could feel a small pressure wrapped around his back - although he had his back pack on - and the area where his neck and head connected.

“Aiden are you okay?” a familiar voice called out. Aiden didn’t react immediately; his mind was still processing what just happened, his head was still buried on whatever cushioned his fall.

It took a few more seconds before Aiden was able to absorb what was happening. He slowly lifted his head up, the pressure he was feeling slowly easing, as he realized he was laying on top of Min, who happened to be close by, and was able to pull him out of danger in time. Aiden was confused on how they ended up in that position, all he remembers was feeling a strong pull before everything went blank.

Just as Aiden was walking across the street, Min realized that a car was headed towards Aiden. But since Aiden’s ears were plugged, he couldn’t hear the other boy calling out to him, warning him of the impending danger. Just as the car got closer, Min tossed his backpack to the ground and dashed towards Aiden. When Aiden noticed the car in his peripherals, Min managed to grab hold of Aiden’s right arm, and using his legs, pushed himself and Aiden backwards, using gravity to pull Aiden out of danger as fast as possible. Since Min pulled Aiden from his right arm, Aiden’s body rotated to where he would have hit the ground face first. However, as they were falling, Min wrapped his arms around Aiden and used his body to cushion the fall. With the added weight on him, Min’s back bore the full brunt of the impact when they hit the ground.

“Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Min asked, his head raised as he looked at Aiden’s eyes. Min’s heart was beating fast due to the sudden adrenaline rush, and the fear that he wouldn’t make it in time to pull Aiden away from danger.

“I-I’m fi-fine..” Aiden stuttered, still laying on top of Min. His heart was beating fast as well from the sudden fear of imminent death.

Hearing that Aiden was fine was reassurance enough for Min, as he laid his head down on the pavement, being able to sigh in relief that nothing bad happened. Aiden, overcome with mixed emotions, unconsciously buried his head on Min’s chest, he could feel Min’s beating fast, Min could also feel Aiden’s fast heartbeat. The two stayed in the same position for a few more seconds until Aiden pushed himself off from Min and stood back up, as Min stayed laying down on the ground, his eyes closed.

“Hey” Aiden called out; his usual cold tone replaced by a soft, warm tone of concern. As Min opened his eyes, he saw Aiden’s arm stretched out. Min reached onto Aiden’s hand as the latter helped him up. The back of Min’s polo was full of dirt and had a few tears due to the impact on the rugged pavement.

“Are you okay?” Aiden asked as Min got back up.

“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m fine, are you sure you’re okay? Min asked again.

“Y-Yeah.” Aiden stuttered.

“I’m glad I made it in time” Min responded as he placed his hand on top of Aiden’s head as he gently ruffled it. Min was surprised on how soft and silky Aiden’s hair felt, it was relaxing to the touch and had a soothing sensation. Min suddenly felt Aiden’s hand hold his arm, and slowly took his hand off his head.

Min was getting nervous again, he felt that he got carried away by ruffling Aiden’s hair like that. Looking at Aiden, his expression was back to normal, the soft and warm aura he had earlier disappeared. Realizing that he has overstepped again, Min was preparing himself for Aiden’s wrath that was sure to follow.

“Lesson Six” Aiden spoke with his usual tone before pausing for a little bit. Min closed his eyes as he mentally prepared for Aiden to grab his chin again.

“Lesson Six: Don’t ever touch me again without my permission” Aiden continued. When Min didn’t feel anything grab his chin, he opened his eyes and saw that Aiden’s back was turned towards him.

“FYI Three” Aiden added as he paused again.

“Thank you” Aiden continued as he picked up his cellphone and iPod on the ground, before walking across the street. Aiden was too flushed and embarrassed to face Min and thank him up front, so he decided to just not face him and thank him as he walked away.

Lucky for the two of them, the street was empty, and no one saw what transpired. Had any of the students saw what happened, it would have been the hottest story on campus for at least a couple of news cycles.

Min was left dumbstruck by what Aiden just said, he wasn’t expecting any of that at all. Min snorted as he smiled, showing his dimple again, before turning around to grab his bag that he threw on the ground earlier and continued his walk towards the Student Center.

Just as Min expected, it took over an hour to finish his business at the International Exchange Program’s office. It was already 16:35 when he left, but he was able to get all the International Student Council members’ contact information. When Min exited the Student Center, he took his phone out and sent a message in Thai on his, Ball, and Bank’s group chat.

Min: “Hey just finished at the International Exchange Program office”

Ball: “That took forever! Bank fell asleep 30 minutes ago”

Min: “Do you mind if I take a shower first before we head out?”

Ball: “It’s fine, but don’t take too long though!”

Min: “I’ll be fast, I promise! 5555555+”

Ball: “Okay. I’ll get ready. I’ll wake Bank up when you get here”

Min: “Yeah, wait for me. I want to wake Bank up! Put ice in his shirt! 555555+”

Ball: “His nuts could use some too! 55555+”

Min: “Asshole! That was your fault! 55555+”

Ball: “It wasn’t intentional though! 55555+”

Min: “That’s what you said. Anyways, see you in a few”

Ball: “kk”

Min just laughed at their conversation, laughing even harder when he realized Bank will be able to read their conversation when he wakes up. Min put his phone in his pocket as he walked back to their suite.

When Min was halfway to the International House, he felt his phone vibrate with a notification accompanying it. “I bet Bank woke up already and saw our conversation” Min thought to himself until he opened his LINE app. He was surprised at who messaged him, he stared on the screen for a good minute to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“New Message from: Aiden Kobayashi”

He quickly accepted the message request and added Aiden on LINE. A few seconds later, Aiden added him back. Min smiled, realizing that there was an opportunity to get to know Aiden more, and probably end up becoming friends. Aiden’s message was short and straight to the point: “Meet me where we first met”.

Min immediately stopped and turned towards the direction of the Student Center, making his way to the hedged area. When Min arrived, it took him a few minutes to find the hidden path that he accidentally discovered yesterday. As he entered through the hidden gap, he saw Aiden, earphones in his ears, his back leaning on the bark of the tree, and his left foot against it. Aiden’s right hand was holding onto his cellphone, while his left was holding a bottled drink. When Aiden saw Min, he immediately put his phone in his pocket, and pulled off his earphones from his ear. He walked towards Min, his right hand in his pocket.

“Here” Aiden said with his usual cold tone, as he extended his left arm to give Min the bottled drink he was holding, avoiding any eye contact with the other boy.

“What’s this?” Min asked.

“It’s an apology gift. For snapping at you last night” Aiden responded, “Just take it”.

“I’ll take it after you answer my question first” Min said.

“Hah!?” Aiden looked at the other boy, his arms still stretched out, “Don’t be stubborn, just take it”

“Answer my question first” Min insisted.

Aiden sighed, lowering his arm down, “Fine. I’ll answer just one question. Then that’s it”

“Okay, deal” Min replied, “What’s your favorite drink?”

“Is that it? Aiden scoffed, “Anything coffee, or closely related to coffee, but mainly cappuccino””

Min smiled, his dimple showing yet again, as he walked closer to Aiden, grabbing the drink from his left hand before opening it and started drinking. As Min looked at the bottled drink, he clearly saw what it was “C2: Apple Flavor”. Min started laughing as he remembered the AG Sales Division story.

“Weirdo” Aiden quipped as he left their meeting place via another route, leaving Min behind. After finishing his drink, Min placed the empty bottle inside his bag, and took his phone out, opening the LINE app, and going to the ‘G1’ group chat, where he saw that Aiden had just joined as well. Min grinned, as he changed the group chat’s name to “Cappuccino Power”.