As Min walked back towards the International House, he could feel his back starting to ache from the fall he took earlier. Even though he was feeling a bit of pain, it doesn’t compare to the happiness he was feeling from Aiden’s cute apology at their first meeting spot. Min could not stop smiling when he thinks back on how Aiden thanked him when he saved him earlier, and the way Aiden apologized to him. From a different person’s perspective, Min looked like he was going crazy, smiling at himself for no apparent reason. It was around 17:15 when Min got back at their suite. As he entered, he saw Ball sitting on the couch, eating some snacks as he watched some random YouTube videos on his phone. Ball immediately turned towards the door as Min entered, confused as to why Min was smiling out of the blue.
“What happened to you?” Ball asked as he started speaking in their native language.
“Oh, something came up as I was walking back. I had to go back to the Student Center” Min replied as he closed the door behind him.
“What happened?” Ball said as he put a potato chip in his mouth.
“Errr… I had to go to the Student Council Office to grab some stuff for the meeting with the International Student Council” Min responded as he walked towards where Ball was.
“Really?” Ball said giving Min a weird look as he nonchalantly put another potato chip in his mouth.
“What?” Min laughed as he looked at his best friend, “Would I lie to you Ball?”
“Yes! Absolutely! No doubt about it!” Ball immediately responded, “Something’s up!”
“You’re overthinking stuff” Min laughed as he tried to deflect Ball’s line of questioning
“You’re smiling like something good happened, I doubt it was because you grabbed some random stuff” Ball retorted as he grabbed his carton of orange juice, taking a sip out of it.
“I’m a normal person that smiles too, you know!” Min responded defensively, “Besides, it’s not a bad thing to smile every now and then”
“You win this round, my dear friend” Ball conceded as he pointed two V-sign fingers at his own eyes, then towards Min, “I’m watching you”.
Min laughed as he headed towards his room to get ready. As he entered his room, he placed his bag on the floor beside his study table. He then pulled the chair in front of his study table to sit down before opening his bag, pulling out the folder the received from Director Guerrero that contained the information of the International Student Council members. Min opened the folder and looked at the paper inside:
President: Monica Sawyers – Monsaw@ CGS3.MJU.EDU
Auckland, New Zealand – Auckland University of Technology; Sophomore, Japanese
Vice President: Emeline Marcelle Cailteux - [email protected]
Bordeaux, France - Bordeaux Montaigne University; Sophomore, Japanese
Secretary: Feng Mian Wong – [email protected]
Kaohsiung, Taiwan – National University of Kaohsiung; Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
Sergeant-at-Arms: Justin Rivington – [email protected]
Calgary, Alberta, Canada – Mount Royal University; Sophomore, English
Peace Officer: Shin Lee – [email protected]
Kampar, Perak, Malaysia - Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman; Sophomore, Psychology
North America Representative: Fiona Ridein - [email protected]
Maine, United States – University of Maine; Sophomore, International Relations
South America Representative: Julio Martinez – [email protected]
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico - Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca; Sophomore, Biology
Europe Representative: Augustin Camoin - [email protected]
Bordeaux, France - Bordeaux Montaigne University; Sophomore, Japanese
East Asia Representative: Momoko Watanabe – [email protected]
Wakayama, Japan – Wakayama University; Sophomore, English
Southeast Asia Representative: Kimnai Inchareon – Kiminc@ CGS3.MJU.EDU
Khon Kaen, Thailand - Khon Kaen University; Sophomore, Japanese
“I’ll probably email everyone after we get back” Min told himself as he closed the folder and placed it on top of his laptop. He then reached into his bag and grabbed the empty C2 bottle he got from Aiden earlier. He lifted it up close to his face, smiling, as he remembered the way Aiden apologized to him earlier. Min snorted as he shook his head, before placing the empty bottle next to his laptop. Min got up from where he was sitting and opened his closet, pulling out Aiden’s polo which he kept, instead of throwing it away as Aiden told him to do.
Holding Aiden’s polo in front of him, Min told himself, “I want to know more about you. I promise I will get to know you better before I head back to Thailand”, before walking towards his door to close it, and hang Aiden’s polo behind it. Min then went back to his desk and grabbed a piece of his Post-it notes, writing “Not going to throw this away! I’ll befriend Aiden and return it to him when the time comes” and stuck it on Aiden’s polo. Min then grabbed his towel which was hanging on his closet door before walking out of his room and entered the bathroom.
Meanwhile, in the Student Council room, Moira, Angela, Katrina, and Aaron were sitting around the conference table working on homework and studying, as they waited for Aiden to give his feedback about the proposals they sent him earlier in the afternoon.
“Anybody heard anything from Aiden?” Aaron asked as he placed the book he was reading on top of the conference table.
“No, I haven’t heard from him” Moira responded as she wrote down notes for class, “We’ll probably hear from him soon”
“Hey guys, check this out” Angela, who was looking at her phone suddenly interjected.
“What is it?” Katrina said as she continued reading her book.
“It seems like the video of Aiden pouring his coffee on Hazelyn is trending among the social media accounts of the different groups here on campus” Angela added.
“Naturally, there were a lot of people in the cafeteria earlier. There’s bound to be more videos of that on different angles” Katrina responded, her eye still glued to her book.
“It seems like the hashtag #CoffeeShower is trending right now” Angela continued.
“That’s something you don’t hear every day” Aaron laughed as he took out his phone, taking a break from reading his Linguistic class textbook.
“Well, it’s not every day you get showered with coffee either” Katrina commented.
“Speaking of coffee-” Aaron said before being interrupted by Aiden entering the Student Council Room.
“Oh, Aiden. Have you had the chance to look over the proposals and we sent earlier?” Moira asked as she stopped writing.
“Working on it” Aiden replied as he closed the door behind him.
“I see. We’ll be here if you need anything” Moira replied as Aiden headed straight to his office.
“So, you were saying?” Angela asked Aaron what he was trying to say before Aiden entered the room.
“Oh, yeah. Min changed the name of our group chat” Aaron replied, getting the attention of Katrina and Moira who stopped what they were doing.
“Min did?” Katrina asked, looking at Aaron.
“Yeah, check it out” Aaron said, causing Katrina and Moira to take their phones out, and Angela opening her LINE app.
“That he did. Why did he change it to ‘Cappuccino Power’ though?” Angela asked, curious as to why Min chose that name for their group chat. Just as Angela said the group chat name, Aiden stopped what he was doing as he stepped out of his office.
“What did you just say?” Aiden said, poking his head outside his office door.
“Oh. Min changed our group chat name from ‘G1’ to ‘Cappuccino Power around 15 minutes ago” Angela replied as Aiden took his phone out of his pocket to check out what Angela was saying. As Aiden opened his LINE app he saw that Min did change the group chat name to ‘Cappuccino Power’, causing Aiden to facepalm in disbelief.
“I swear to God, I’m going to kill that kid” Aiden whispered to himself, his hand still on his face, feeling embarrassed and annoyed at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked, looking at Aiden as Katrina, Moira, ang Angela faced Aiden.
“Nothing. It’s nothing” Aiden responded as he took his hand out of his face, before walking back towards his desk to continue what he was doing.
“Huh. Weird” Moira said, still looking towards Aiden’s office.
“Let me ask Min” Angela announced as she sent a message to ‘Cappuccino Power’.
“Hey Min! What’s up with Cappuccino Power?” Angela asked.
A few seconds later, a reply appeared on the group chat, “Min’s in the shower right now” Ball wrote.
“Hey Ball, do you know what ‘Cappuccino Power’ stands for?” Aaron messaged.
“No. Actually, I was wondering that myself. It felt so random” Ball responded.
“I mean, I like it, it sounds cute and all, but I’m wondering how Min thought of that group name” Angela messaged.
Katrina: “I like it too, actually”
Moira: “Same. It’s a cute name”
Mingyu: “I like it too! Sorry I’m at Volleyball practice”
Jasper: “It’s sounds catchy. I like it”
Angela: “It seems like everyone likes it; I haven’t heard from Bank though?”
Ball: “Oh, Bank is sleeping right now”
Moira: “Isn’t it too early to be sleeping?”
Ball: “He was reading Aiden’s notes for our History class, and I guess he fell asleep”
Angela: “Wait, you and Bank are in the same History class as Aiden?”
Ball: “Yes. Min is also in the same class”
After reading Ball’s message, Angela and Moira looked at each other, smiling as if they had evil intentions in their heads. Aiden who was in his office, was also reading the conversation happening in ‘Cappuccino Power’, anxiously waiting for Min to reply and see what he says.
Ball: “Hey, I think Min just got out of the shower. He might reply in a little bit”
Moira: “Good! I can’t wait to hear Min’s reason for choosing ‘Cappuccino Power’ as our group chat name”
Angela: “Same”
Katrina: “Same”
Aaron: “Same”
Jasper: “Same”
Ball: “I’m curious too”
After a few minutes of waiting, Min finally responded in the group chat conversation. Everyone was excited to hear Min’s reason for choosing the name. More so for Aiden who was anxious about what Min would say in the group chat.
Min: “Hey guys. Sorry for replying late. I was in the shower”
Angela: “Yeah, Ball told us. So, tell us why you chose ‘Cappuccino Power’ for our group chat name?”
Min: “Oh. I was just thinking, a cappuccino has three layers of ingredients to it; Espresso, Steamed Milk, and Milk Foam. I feel like it resembles our group. The Espresso is the foundation of our friendship; the Steamed Milk is the warm relationship we share (or hopefully share); the Milk Foam is the empty canvass, and the latte art signifies the memories we would all make together. Basically, the power of cappuccino”
Moira: “The sounds beautiful”
Katrina: “That’s really deep Min. It’s really beautiful”
Angela: “I’m so touched”
Aaron: “Wow. The name sounds cute and all, but I never thought that it has a deeper meaning to it”
Ball: “Wow”
Jasper: “Now I’m really loving the name”
Min: “I’m glad you like it guys!”
Angela: “What made you think of cappuccino though?”
Aiden bit his lip when he read Angela’s question, annoyed at the prospect that Min might say something about his apology earlier. Not only does Aiden consider that as the ultimate mockery Min could inflict on him, it probably would be the most annoying, pain in the ass situation he would have to deal with, which he was not in the mood for. Furthermore, Aiden was not the type to tell people about himself, finding it annoying and unnecessary, but was forced to in order to compel Min to accept his apology. Finally, if any information about him reaches the AG and the Hunters, it would be quite troublesome for him.
Min: “Oh, it made me think about it while I was drinking cappuccino earlier after my meeting with Director Guerrero at the International Exchange Program Office”
Ball: “Is that why you came back late!?”
Min: “Kind of. LOL”
Angela: “That’s understandable then. LOL”
Moira: “LOL. Ball”
Katrina: “To think something random would decide our group chat name. LOL”
Aaron: “IKR?”
Jasper: “This is just hilarious”
Aiden was able to give a sigh of relief after hearing Min’s explanation. He thought for sure Min was about to share something about him that would be troublesome down the road. He was just glad that Min found it prudent not to divulge something that was pretty much coerced out of him out of nowhere. Aiden then locked his phone before going about his business. Before he could resume what he was doing, he looked at his phone for a few seconds. He then grabbed his phone again and went back to the LINE app.
“I think the name is good. Now all of you stop being so annoying” Aiden sent on the group chat before locking his phone again and got back to what he was doing. The messaged surprised everyone on ‘Cappuccino Power’, except for Min who just smiled at Aiden’s message, knowing that Aiden was grateful, at least in his own way, that he didn’t mention their short meeting earlier.
After reading Aiden’s message, everyone went back to what they were doing, as Min got dressed for the “exploring” he was going to with Ball and Bank. A few minutes later, Min got out of his room and went to the living room where Ball was. As soon as Min arrived in the living room, Ball looked at him, eyes squinted, his gaze focused on Min.
“There’s more to that explanation isn’t there?” Ball asked in their native language. Min froze and was internally horrified at the accuracy of Ball’s deduction. While Min thought that his explanation was fool proof, he never expected his best friend to easily see through the incomplete meaning of what he explained at ‘Cappuccino Power’.
“Are you paranoid or something?” Min replied as he laughed awkwardly, hinting that there was more to what he said at the group chat. Ball only responded with another two V-sign fingers at his own eyes, then towards Min, repeating the gesture twice for emphasis before walking towards the refrigerator to grab a handful of ice.
“Here” Ball said as he poured the ice on Min’s hand, “Let’s wake Bank up” before walking towards Bank’s room to wake him up so they could go exploring. When they entered Bank’s room, they found him asleep on his bed, laying on his back, hugging a pillow to his chest, and his legs spread open.
“We won’t be able to slide this in his back” Min whispered, being careful not to wake their friend up.
“Plan B then” Ball said as they tiptoed towards Bank’s bed.
“What are you planning Ball?” Min whispered as he followed his best friend’s lead. When they reached the side of Bank’s bed, Ball lifted Bank’s shorts by the waist as he signaled Min to throw the ice in.
“Are you crazy!?” Min whispered as Ball insisted using facial expressions to dump the ice inside Bank’s underwear. Min hesitated for a moment before he yielded to his best friend’s request. Min closed his eyes as he dumped the handful of ice inside Bank’s underwear, causing an immediate response from Bank who suddenly jumped out of bed, prancing around to try and get the ice out his underwear.
“What the Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!” Bank cried out as Ball laid on the floor laughing, while Min covered his mouth trying his best not to laugh at Bank’s reaction.
“Do you guys hate me that much!?” Bank continued as he shook all the ice off his underwear, giving a sigh before sitting on the side of his bed. Ball was still on the floor, gasping for air as he continued laughing.
“First you drop a bag pack on my nuts, now you try to freeze it” Bank added, crossing his arms.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it” Ball said as tears rolled down his eyes.
Bank sighed again, “So, what’s up? Why did you wake me up? And why are you all dressed?
“Ball wants to go exploring outside the university, hurry up and get dressed before it gets too late” Min responded as his urge to laugh disappeared.
“Fine, let me get changed” Bank relented as Min helped Ball up from the floor before stepping out of Bank’s room to allow him to get changed. Min and Ball waited in the living room, as Ball laid his forehead on Min’s shoulder still laughing at what they just did.
Bank came out a few minutes later and the three of them left their suite, heading towards the main gate of the university. It was already 18:30 and most of the students on campus have left, except for those who lived on campus and small groups of students and university staff leaving for the day.
“Hey Ball, are you sure this is a good idea? We don’t know the area that well” Bank asked as they walked across campus.
“It’ll be fine, we’ll just explore close by, we won’t go far” Ball replied.
“Hopefully there are also English speakers outside the university. I don’t know any Tagalog” Bank added.
“It should be fine, I think. The Philippines has a lot of fluent English speakers than in Thailand” Min reassured Bank.
“If you say so” Bank replied, still a bit worried about the prospect of exploring an unknown area without someone with them who can interact with the locals and can show them around.
“We could always ask for help from ‘Cappuccino Power’ if we get lost or something” Ball said as he walked in front of Min and Bank.
“What the hell is ‘Cappuccino Power’ Ball?” Bank asked, confused as to what he was talking about.
Ball turned his head, looking at Bank as he kept walking towards the direction of the main gate, “Oh, I forgot, you were asleep when we had this conversation earlier” Ball said, as he turned around to face Min and Bank, walking backwards, slowing his pace.
“It’s the name of our group chat on LINE. Min changed it from ‘G1’ to ‘Cappuccino Power’ earlier” Ball explained.
“Why ‘Cappuccino Power’ though?” Bank asked Min, who was walking beside him.
“You can just read the conversations on the group chat” Min responded. Bank pouted, feeling left out of what was happening.
“Well, you didn’t miss much Bank, our friend here is still hiding something” Ball said as he gave Min that weird look of suspicion.
“What do you mean hiding something?” Bank replied as he turned his eyes towards Ball.
“Min here may have fooled everyone else, but he can’t fool me” Ball said, looking at Min with a grin on his face.
Min clicked his tongue, “L-Like I said, you’re overthinking, and becoming paranoid”.
“If you’re not hiding anything, why did you stutter just now?” Ball smiled, pointing his right index finger at Min’s face.
“He’s right P’Min” Bank chimed in, looking at Min who’s facial reaction is like that of someone who was just caught in a lie, and was cornered.
“Bank, you don’t have to call me P’Min you know” Min sighed as he tried to sway the conversation somewhere else.
“Ah, the deflection strategy” Ball said as he stopped walking, “That’s the basic tactic of someone who wants to avoid the topic they know they can’t evade”
“When I’m ready. I promise to tell you guys, is that a deal?” Min said as he offered a compromise.
“Does this have anything to do anything with Aiden?” Bank asked, his eyes overflowing with curiosity.
“Why Aiden?” Ball asked as he looked at Bank who was getting on to something.
“I mean, think about it, when it comes to Aiden, Min has been pretty secretive. We still haven’t heard about the explanation for the whole polo thing during orientation, and when we asked him about Aiden tutoring us for History class, he didn’t even give us an explanation why he wouldn’t ask him, and now the ‘Cappuccino Power’ thing. If you think about it, all of those things are connected to Aiden somehow” Bank explained his reasoning as Ball shook his head as he realized that there was some sense to what Bank just explained.
Min was left internally shocked and surprised. Although Bank may not have realized it, he pretty much hit a bullseye on everything he just said. Min couldn’t tell them without Ball and Bank thinking he’s into Aiden, but then again, the way he has been hiding things from his friends make it seem like he has a thing for him. Min was really cornered this time; he was trying to come up with a plausible explanation that would not make him look like he’s crushing on Aiden or anything in in that nature. Deflecting the topic would only make Ball and Bank a lot more curious and they would probably not stop pestering him until he could give them an answer that they would accept. Min was also wary about the fact that Ball can see through his deceptions, and Bank spitting out theories that may seem far-fetched but are deadly accurate.
“Hey Min!” Ball raised his voice as he snapped his fingers in front of Min’s face.
“Huh? What?” Min reacted in confusion.
“You were spacing out for a few minutes there Min” Bank said, looking at Min with a worried expression on his face.
“Oh, I was just thinking” Min responded as he scratched the back of his head, giving out an awkward laugh.
“Probably thinking of an explanation out of this, aren’t you?” Ball laughed as he once again hit the bullseye without realizing it. Min clicked his tongue in response, crossing his arms as he looked at his best friend.
“In any case, you still owe us an explanation” Bank said with a pouting face.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll tell you guys tonight” Min sighed, finally yielding to Bank and Ball, “Let’s just get going”
“Right, let’s get going before it gets late” Ball agreed as he turned around and started walking towards the main gate, Min and Bank following behind him.
As Min, Ball, and Bank reached the main gate of the university, they could see the bustling nightlife of Quezon City. They were particularly amazed by the Tricycle and Jeepney, which reminded them of their home country, as they have something similar back in Thailand – the Tuk-Tuk and Songthaew. Although this wasn’t the first time that Min, Ball, and Bank saw what was outside the walls of Mount Juliet, this was the first time that they were seeing the city’s nightlife. Bank and Ball, together with the rest of the International Students arrived at Mount Juliet around 3:00 AM, when the city was basically already asleep. Min arrived during the morning, and so the number of people were sparse, since most are either at school or at work, compared to what they were seeing now.
As the three Thai students stepped out of the university, it felt like a completely different world to them, they were now stepping on uncharted territory. From where they were standing, they could see a lot of different stores that they haven’t seen before and were starting to grow curious what was beyond the walls of Mount Juliet University. Min, Ball, and Bank crossed the street in front of the main gate and walked towards the line of convenience stores and fast food restaurants across from the university, which was also dotted by street food stalls. As they walked around, they were started getting amazed and curious about Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Andok’s, Tokyo Tokyo, Red Ribbon, Yellow Cab Pizza, and Gerry’s Grill. Bank was particularly amazed at the variety of street food that they were seeing, like Barbeque, Isaw, Tokneneng, Turon, Banana cue, Camote cue, and Dirty Ice Cream.
The sight and smell of the food around them suddenly made them hungry. Although they want to try out the food that they were seeing, they had two problems: money and language barrier. Since arriving at Mount Juliet, most of the International Students haven’t had the chance to convert their money to the local currency, hence the only money that they have with them is the Thai Baht. Although Min gave his reassurances that most people in the Philippines can speak fluent English, he was particularly nervous about starting a conversation with random strangers. Although he went to the United States, there was never a time that Min had to interact with local people without someone guiding him, he was usually accompanied by their teacher or a small group of his classmates when he went around the city where his High School was located.
As they walked around, Min noticed that people who were walking by, and people who were just hanging out around them were staring at them. Min wasn’t particularly surprised as he knew that they were standing out, the three of them were particularly tall and have very fair complexion, in which case, they could easily be mistaken as tourists, and not exchange students, given that they weren’t wearing their uniforms. As they walked around the area, they could also see street children playing around, some even walked up to them asking for some money. Given that they were not carrying any legal tender that can be used in the country, Bank, who was carrying Thai candies with him, gave it to the children instead, much to their disappointment.
After walking a little further down the road, they noticed that the area was starting to turn into a residential area, and so they decided to walk back towards the part where the concentration of convenience stores, restaurants, and fast food establishments were the heaviest. As they walked back close to their starting point, they decided to stop in front of a Lawson’s to discuss their next plan of action.
“This place is so awesome, too bad we don’t have any money” Ball commented.
Bank gave a sigh, “I know, I wanted to try out the street foods too!”
“Maybe we could come back another time, we should ask Katrina and the others to show us around. Maybe take us to the mall or something” Min suggested.
“That’s a good idea, maybe we could message them right now” Ball suggested as he put his hand into his pocket to grab his phone.
“Do you have WIFI connection out here?” Bank asked as he looked at Ball.
“Oh right, I don’t know if the university WIFI can reach here” Ball sighed in disappointment.
Even as they were talking, Min could still notice that everyone’s eyes were glued to them, even the people inside the convenience store were looking at them, some even have their phones out, probably taking pictures and videos of them. Min was starting to worry, as he recalled his chaotic first day in Mount Juliet, when he was almost jumped by students who were wanting to meet him. He was particularly worried this time around since Bank was with them, compared to him and Ball who were toned and athletic, Bank was skinny and lacks the stamina to run long distances.
“Maybe we should head back? I think we’ve seen enough for today” Min told Ball and Bank.
“You in a hurry to get back Min?” Ball asked, oblivious to Min’s worries.
“I mean, it’s not like we’ll be able to get anything, we don’t have any money” Min added as he tried to convince Ball to head back to the International House.
“He’s right, I think it would be best if get our money exchanged first, and then try again” Bank said in agreement with Min.
“Well, you guys are right. Without money we can’t do anything, and without anyone who knows the area, it’s not like we could get far” Ball finally conceded.
“So, should we head back for tonight?” Min asked.
“Yeah, I think we should, we still have classes tomorrow too. We should do another exploring during the weekend, but let’s take ‘Cappuccino Power’ with us, so we can explore more areas” Ball suggested.
“I think that would be good. We may be able to see a lot more and get to explore further away from the university with guides around” Bank added as Min and Ball nodded in agreement.
“I think I’ll message the group chat when we get back to the International House” Ball said as he looked at both Min and Bank.
“Do you think anything is still open at the university? I got hungry looking at everything out here” Bank said as his stomach started growling.
“Maybe we could check out the Student Center? If not we could try were the Graduate Centers are, there might be some stores there we could use our Student Cards” Min suggested.
“I’m starved too, actually. Let’s head back and check” Ball said as they prepared to head back to the university and find something to eat.
Just as they were about to head back, a group of three students from a different university approached them seemingly out of nowhere. Min, Ball, and Bank were caught off guard, not expecting anyone to sneak up on them like that. Although Min is highly confident in his English skills, this was a completely unknown territory for him, everything was unknown to them at that point, and interacting with the locals without any guide could prove problematic.
“Hi, I’m Rica” one of the female students introduced herself.
“I’m Rina” the other female student said.
“I’m Richie” the only guy in the group added.
“O-oh. Hi, I’m Min, this is Ball and Bank” Min responded as he introduced himself and his friends to Rica and her friends.
“Oh, they are so handsome” Richie said, as he fixed the head band on his head before taking out his lip-gloss from his pocket and applying some to his lips, puckering it up as if trying to seduce Min and his friends.
“OMG girl don’t be so flirty” Rina commented in Tagalog as she slapped Richie’s arm. Min, Ball, and Bank just smiled awkwardly.
“So, are you guys tourists?” Rica asked them in a thick Filipino accent, making it hard to understand what she was saying.
Ball smiled awkwardly as he whispered in Min’s ear, “What is she saying? Something about two wrists?” making sure he spoke in Thai as to not offend the female student.
Min was forcing a smile as he replied in Thai, “I don’t know, I’m hearing two wrists too”.
Rica was just looking at Ball and Min, waiting for a reply to her question. Richie and Rina behind her were looking at Min, Ball and Bank, adoring their handsome faces, particularly Min who stood out the most.
Min and Ball struggled to understand what Rica asked them. They were trying to come up with a reply that would not offend her or make her think that they weren’t paying attention. Just as Min and Ball brainstormed for the right words to say, Richie took his fan out of his “purse” and started fanning himself, sharing the wind he was generating with Rina who was standing beside him. Bank on the other hand was observing Richie’s mannerisms and movements closely, reminding him of some of his gay classmates and friends back in Thailand.
Bank suddenly elbowed Ball, which got the attention of the other boy. Bank leaned towards Ball’s ear and whispered in Thai, “Is that guy gay?”
Ball blushed out of embarrassment, “Fuck! Stop fooling around Bank! That’s rude, we’re not in Thailand!” Ball whispered back as he gently elbowed Bank in the stomach, keeping his awkward smile. Rina and Richie were giggling as they watched Bank and Ball whisper at each other’s ears, as Rica waited for a response from either Ball or Min.
“Ball! Ball!” Bank whispered to Ball again.
“What now!?” Ball whispered back.
“Look at Rina. He looks like a guy but resembles a girl. Probably a Katoey?” Bank whispered, as he commented on Rina’s appearance.
“Fuck it Bank!” Ball whispered as he tried to hold his laughter, “Now’s not the time to be saying things like that! You’re not helping at all!” Ball added as he stepped on Bank’s foot.
As Min struggled to break the impasse, Rina said something to Richie, which prompted Richie to say ‘Mahalay ka’. This caught Min, Ball, and Bank by surprise, thinking that the guy was speaking in Thai. Although they sound similar when spoken, the Tagalog word “Mahalay” can be translated to “Indecent”, while “Ka” is translated to “You”. On the other hand, the Thai word (มหาลัย) “Mh̄ālạy” is the informal way of saying “University”, while (ค่ะ) “ka”, is a Thai ending particle mainly used by females to end a sentence politely. The word is closely similar in the written and spoken form, but the meaning is completely different in Tagalog and Thai. This was a fact that Min, Ball, and Bank didn’t know at that point.
“Did he just say Mh̄ālạy?” Bank whispered to Ball.
“I think he did. Do you think he speaks Thai? Ball whispered back, before turning to Min and asking him the same question.
“I don’t know. Maybe? He did sound like he spoke in Thai” Min responded.
Rica, Rina, and Richie were just watching Min, Ball, and Bank as they spoke in their native language, not understanding what they were whispering about. In a desperate attempt to move past the language barrier, and diffuse the growing awkwardness of the situation, Ball took it upon himself to finally respond. Seemingly unaware of the miscommunication and wrongful assumption that would result in complete and utter humiliation and embarrassment.
“Ah! Yes, we’re ‘mahalay’ students!” Ball confidently said out loud, his response not only heard by Rica, Rina, and Richie, but almost everyone who was within a meter around them.
In Ball’s mind, he was saying “Ah! Yes, we’re university students!”, however for everyone else who heard what he said, Ball was saying “Ah! Yes, we’re indecent students!”. This prompted a chorus of laughter to erupt around them. Min, Ball, and Bank confused as to what triggered everyone’s laughter.
Ball had no idea what just happened, or if he said anything wrong, not realizing that what he said had a completely different meaning for those who heard what he said. Min couldn’t come up with anything to say, as even he was at loss at what just happened. Bank was just as confused as Ball was, and with his limited English skills, he could not come up with anything to respond. Just as the situation felt like it would turn worse, a familiar voice called out behind them.
“Min? Ball? Bank? What’s going on here?” Mingyu asked as he showed up out of nowhere with Jasper.
“Mingyu! Jasper!” Bank called out in relief; his eyes were sparkling, “We’re saved!”
“We seem to be having trouble communicating with those students” Min added, as he pointed towards the direction of Rica and her friends.
“Really? What happened?” Jasper chimed in as he took a sip of his Coca-Cola.
“I feel like there was miscommunication between us and the students. We had no idea what happened. They just started laughing” Min explained further.
“Oh, let me and Jasper handle this” Mingyu said as he and Jasper walked past where Min, Ball, and Bank were standing and stood in front of Rica, Rina and Richie.
“So, what’s going on? Why is everyone laughing?” Mingyu speaking in Tagalog, asked Rica’s group in a stern voice. Rica, Rina, and Richie’s laughter were replaced with nervousness as Mingyu and Jasper looked at them, their height up close intimidating the three students.
“A-Ah.. We were just asking them if they were tourist, and then one of them said that they were ‘mahalay’ students” Rica explained in Tagalog, catching both Mingyu and Jasper by surprise. Mingyu’s jaw dropped before facepalming himself, while Jasper accidentally spit out his drink, showering Rica and her group with his spit and Coca-Cola. Rica and her friends screamed as a result of the unexpected shower, as the three of them walked away from Mingyu and Jasper, disgusted and humiliated by the gift Jasper parted them with. Min, Ball, and Bank looking at the exchange with even more confusion.
When Mingyu fully absorbed what had happened, he turned around and faced Min, Ball, and Bank before speaking. “I think we should go someplace else; I’ll explain to you what happened” Mingyu said, his face still red from hearing what had happened, as he and Jasper walked towards the direction of where the restaurants were, the three Thai students followed without hesitation.
Mingyu and Jasper brought Min, Ball, and Bank to the nearby Gerry’s Grill to grab dinner and explain what had happened in front of Lawson’s and why everybody was laughing at them. As they were seated by the waiter on one of the free tables inside the restaurant, Mingyu took a deep breathe, trying to control himself before beginning his explanation. Mingyu and Jasper were sitting on one side of the table, their bags occupying the seat between then. In front of Mingyu was Ball, in the middle was Min, and across from Jasper was Bank.
“What did happen back there?” Min asked, curious to hear what that was all about.
“So basically, they were asking you guys if you were tourists” Mingyu started.
“Ahh! Tourists!” Min and Ball exclaimed in unison as Bank looked on.
“What did you think she was saying?” Jasper chimed in, curious as to what they heard the student say.
“Well, she had a really thick accent, so we though she was asking ‘two wrists’ so I got confused and couldn’t come up with a reply” Min explained.
“Then we heard the guy with the headband say ‘mahalay’ and we thought he was speaking in Thai” Ball added as Mingyu and Jasper tried to shush Ball whenever he said “mahalay”.
“What’s wrong with ‘mahalay’?” Ball asked again, his voice a little louder than before. Mingyu and Jasper’s faces turned red, with Mingyu covering his face with both hands as he tried to hold his laughter in, Jasper could only facepalm in response.
Min, Ball, and Bank looked at each other, confused as to why Mingyu and Jasper were turning red with the mention of “mahalay”. In their minds it meant university, but Min was beginning to think that there was something about that word that they didn’t know about.
“Does ‘mahalay’ mean anything in Tagalog?” Min asked as Mingyu’s head began to shake under his hands, seemingly unable to hold his laughter any longer. Jasper lowered his head as he bit his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing, trying to muster enough willpower to prevent himself from laughing in front of the Thai students.
“Is something wrong with ‘mahalay’?” Bank asked innocently as Mingyu completely lost it and laughed, the sound of laughter was muffled by both his hands as his face and ears started turning red.
“P-please stop saying that” Jasper pleaded, his face flushed. It took a few minutes before Mingyu finally calmed down, and for Jasper to return to his normal state before the waiter went to their table to ask them for their drinks. Min, Ball, and Bank hesitated when the waiter asked what they would like to drink.
“Is something wrong?” Mingyu asked as he looked at the Thai students.
“Well, we don’t have any money. We’ll just wait until we get back to the university” Min responded.
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll pay for you guys, just order anything you want” Mingyu offered, but there was still hesitation in Min’s eyes.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine” Mingyu reassured Min, “Consider this as my welcome gift to you guys”
“But-“ Min was about to say something when Mingyu cut him off.
“I promise it’s fine” Mingyu asserted.
“It’ll be fine Min, Mingyu always does this. You’ll get used to it eventually. Besides, it’s customary for the hosts to treat their guests with hospitality” Jasper chimed in.
“If it’s really okay” Min finally relented.
“Is it really okay Mingyu?” Ball asked Mingyu again.
“Yeah, it’s really okay” Mingyu chuckled as Min translated parts of what Mingyu said that Bank didn’t understand. Bank’s eyes sparkled again, feeling so blessed to have such a nice friend. After Min, Bank, and Ball told the waiter what they wanted, Mingyu returned to the original topic that they were talking about.
“So, ‘mahalay’, what does it mean in Thai?” Mingyu asked, using all his will power he had left to hold his laughter and keep a straight face.
“In Thai, ‘mahalay’ is the informal term that we use for ‘university’, it’s a pretty common word in Thailand” Min explained.
“That makes sense now, I feel like I understand what you guys were trying to tell those students earlier” Jasper said as he began to piece together what happened in front of Lawson’s.
“Could it be you heard one of the students say ‘mahalay’ and all of you thought he was speaking in Thai?” Jasper asked.
“Yes, that’s what happened” Min responded, “At first we were confused, but we just assumed that he was speaking in Thai”
“I see, you thought they were asking you guys if you were university students, not knowing that it meant something else in Tagalog” Mingyu chimed in.
“What does it mean in Tagalog?” Min asked, curious to what was so embarrassing and funny about that word. Mingyu and Jasper looked at each other, before Mingyu asked Min to lean towards him as he whispered it’s meaning in Tagalog.
As Mingyu whispered what ‘mahalay’ meant in Tagalog, Min’s face and ears started turning red. Sitting back down, all Min could do was to cover his mouth with his right hand, as his eyes moved from Mingyu, then to Jasper. Min never would have thought that something so common in Thai could have such a meaning in a different language.
“What? What is it?” Ball and Bank asked in Thai as they looked at Min who was clearly mortified after Mingyu told him what ‘mahalay’ meant in Tagalog. Min removed his hand from his mouth, taking a deep breathe to calm himself a bit before he started explaining in Thai what ‘mahalay’ meant. As he explained it, Ball and Bank’s faces started turning red, even more so for Ball whose ears were turning red faster than Bank’s did.
As Min finished his explanation, all Bank could do was cover his face in embarrassment. Ball laid his head on his arms that were on top of the table, clearly feeling embarrassed and humiliated after finally realizing that the ‘mahalay’ he so confidently said out loud outside Lawson’s had a completely different meaning than what he was thinking.
“Ah… I feel like my social career is over…” Ball remarked, his head still buried on top of his arms.
“Don’t think too much about it, Ball. It was an honest mistake, and besides you guys are not wearing your uniforms, so they don’t know you go to MJU” Mingyu reassured Ball as he patted his shoulders.
“Just breathe in and out Ball, it’ll help calm yourself” Jasper chimed in, as he gave his reassurances to Ball.
“They’re right Ball, don’t think of it too much. If it helps, I’ll tell you about the polo incident, the tutoring thing, and Cappuccino Power” Min added as Ball immediately raised his head after hearing what Min said.
“I’m ready! I want to hear it” Ball said in English, getting the attention of both Mingyu and Jasper.
“The Polo incident? Tutoring Thing? And Cappuccino Power?” Mingyu asked out of curiosity as the waiter returned with the drinks they ordered.
“Min here still haven’t told us about the polo incident during orientation, plus why Aiden can’t tutor us for our History class, and the full meaning of Cappuccino Power” Ball responded, his embarrassment and humiliation disappearing from his face.
“Woah! Pause there for a minute” Jasper said, “I’m actually interested about hearing what happened with the Polo switch, we only heard it from Angela, so I’m really interested in hearing it from someone directly involved”.
“Ball, what do you mean by the ‘full’ meaning of Cappuccino Power”, Mingyu Chimed in.
Min was completely horrified, his eyes widened. He never expected Ball to make a quick recovery and spill the beans in front of Mingyu and Jasper, who were Aiden’s closest friends. He knows that he can’t escape this time, and all he could do now was to find a way to delay the inevitable. Min needed to buy time to get his thoughts in order and find a way to explain everything without everyone thinking he likes Aiden in that kind of way.
“A-ah, maybe we should order something?” Min awkwardly laughed as he quickly changed the subject of discussion.
“Yeah, you’re right” Mingyu agreed, “Let’s order something and you can tell us all about what Ball just said as we wait for our food” Mingyu added as he opened the menu in front of him.
“If you need help anything with the menu, don’t hesitate to ask us, okay?” Jasper said smiling at the Thai students.
“Just order whatever you feel like eating. I’ll pay for everyone’s food for tonight” Mingyu said as everyone was checking the menus in front of them.
“Oh? You’re going to pay for me as well?” Jasper jokingly asked Mingyu.
“No” Mingyu said as he looked at Jasper with a serious expression, “Just kidding” Mingyu added as he started laughing at Jasper’s expression.
Back in the Student Council room, Moira, Angela, Katrina, and Aaron already finished their schoolwork and was basically just hanging out, waiting for Aiden to finish reviewing their proposals and hear his feedback. Moira and Angela were hanging out in Moira’s office, a door down from Aiden’s office. Aaron was playing Mobile Legends on his phone, his feet propped up on the conference table. Katrina was laying on the couch right next to the door and was reading a book.
Aiden on the other hand, was just wrapping up his review of the material that was given to him and was writing his last feedback on a sticky note in regards with Angela’s proposed options for the program for the welcome party that Saturday. After finishing his notes, he gathered all the materials he had on his desk and walked out of his office.
“Right. I’ve written my comments and feedbacks on the sticky notes attached on your proposals” Aiden announced, getting Aaron and Katrina’s attention almost immediately, with Moira and Angela peeking out of Moira’s door a few seconds later.
“Katrina” Aiden called out as he looked at Katrina who was sitting up on the couch, the book on her lap, “I’ve reviewed the video from the Office of University Relations, it should work, personally I’d like it to be a lot better than what it is right now, but given the time constraints, I’ll leave it as it is; the breakdown of expenses for the party is satisfactory, go ahead and prep the catering service and any other preparations for this Saturday, if need be ask Director Guerrero for assistance; the re-allocation proposal needs to be tweaked a little, some areas of the proposal sounds forceful, soften the wording a bit, there are awkward grammatical errors and typos as well. I’ve listed it on the sticky note so revise it as needed” Aiden concluded as he extended his arm out, folder in hand, signaling Katrina to get up and get the folder from him, which Katrina promptly did.
As Katrina took the folder out of Aiden’s hand, he spoke again, “Also, have you heard from Min about the music compilation?”
“No, I haven’t yet, I’ll probably hear from him tonight or tomorrow morning” Katrina replied.
“Right. I’m setting your deadline on Thursday afternoon” Aiden added before he turned to face Aaron.
“I have no major problems with the outline that you sent; although it doesn’t include the number of cadets we’re requisitioning, the breakdown of responsibilities, patrol routes, checkpoints, and assistance stations in the event venue; Just add those and everything will be set” Aiden said before sliding a folder towards Aaron, who stopped it by slamming his hand on top of the folder.
“I’ll work on it right away” Aaron said as he opened the folder that Aiden slid, revealing the notes and feedbacks inside. Aiden then turned his attention towards Moira and Angela who were still peeking out of Moira’s office.
“Angela” Aiden called out as Angela walked out of Moira’s office, “I’ve reviewed the program options, everything looks in order, but we forgot to include sitting arrangements for the event. Can you handle that, please?” Aiden asked as he handed Angela her folder.
“Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem” Angela replied as she pulled a chair from the conference table and started working on the seating arrangement for the party. Aiden then looked at Moira, who was still peeking out from her office.
“I’ve already sent the final registration numbers to the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of University Relations for the Organizational Fair. They should have a general idea on how many tables and booths to prepare” Aiden explained to Moira, “Also, go ahead and help everyone out here” Aiden added as he walked towards the door, as he grabbed the door knob, Moira called out to him, “Where are you going?”.
“Coffee. I need coffee” Aiden replied before turning the door knob, opening the door, “I expect those revisions to be done by tonight” Aiden continued before stepping out of the room.
“I didn’t even notice these small typos” Katrina commented as she skimmed through the re-appropriation proposal that Aiden just returned, which included his notes, feedbacks, and comments.
“I thought I was already detailed enough on my outline, but apparently not” Aaron added as he looked through the outline for the traffic and crowd control proposal that Aiden returned to him.
“Well, he is going to present this to the Executive Council meeting on Thursday, so I can see why he’s very specific and detailed about this” Katrina responded as she flipped through the papers in her folder.
“Where is Grace and Kobe by the way?” Angela asked as she started drawing up plans for the seating arrangements.
“I think Grace has Music Club tonight, and Kobe has Basketball practice” Aaron replied.
“In any case, let’s go ahead and finish things up so we could go” Moira announced, “I’m probably gonna message Min and ask him about any updates regarding the International Student Council and see where we’re at on the music playlist, outing and meeting time for the Gang of Eight briefing” Moira added as she pulled a chair beside Angela as she took her phone out to message Min.
Back in Gerry’s Grill, Mingyu, Jasper, Min, Ball, and Bank just finished ordering their food. As the waiter walked off, everybody turned their eyes on Min who owed them an explanation on the polo incident, the Aiden tutoring thing, and the explanation about the full meaning of Cappuccino Power. Min could immediately feel the pressure as everyone locked their eyes on him.
“Start off from the polo incident” Jasper asked as he took a sip from his drink.
“Right, then work your way to the tutoring thing, and the full meaning of Cappuccino Power” Ball added, making sure he spoke in English so Jasper and Mingyu could understand.
Min gave out a huge sigh, before he started explaining the polo incident that happened during the first day of classes at MJU, “Right, so when I arrived at MJU during the first day, Grace, Amy and Katrina met up with me at the east gate of the university”
“Why is that?” Mingyu asked.
“Apparently, Katrina had a gut feeling. I was told that had I been dropped off at the International House, I would have been mauled by the students gathered there” Min explained as he looked at Mingyu.
“That does make sense, you’re pretty good-looking if you ask me, so I can see why Katrina and Grace would try and keep you out of sight from the rest of the student body” Jasper added.
“Although the Hunters knew about that meetup at the east gate, and we practically got ambushed as we made our way to the Student Center” Min continued his explanation.
“Yeah, we saw the pictures and the videos on their page. That looked rough though” Mingyu commented.
“What are the Hunters?” Ball asked as he and Bank turned their attention to Min as he they waited for an explanation. Understanding the look that his friends were giving him, Min started giving Ball and Bank a summarized explanation of what the Hunters were in Thai to make sure they understand and comprehend what kind of an organization they were.
“In any case” Min continued, “Amy and her cadets held off the first and largest wave of students, as Grace, Katrina and I broke through the Humanities Building and exited on the other side before making our way towards the Student Center. When we had the back of the Student Center in sight, another group of students came out of nowhere, Grace volunteered to hold them off so Katrina and I could continue. However, just as we reached the hedged area behind the Student Center, another group of students appeared, and Katrina stopped to hold them off as I made my way towards the Student Center”
Mingyu and Jasper’s faces looked like they were watching a suspense movie as they closely listened to Min’s story as he recounted what happened before orientation. Ball and Bank shared the same expression as Mingyu and Jasper, as they held onto their drinks, with the straw between their lips.
“As I was making my way to the Student Center, I saw a couple of students, so I tried to hide, when I did I accidentally ‘found’ Aiden” Min explained, before Mingyu and Jasper interrupted.
“What do you mean by ‘found’ Aiden?” Jasper and Mingyu asked in unison for clarification.
“What I mean is, I accidentally discovered this spot where I found Aiden sleeping” Min said in clarification of his earlier statement.
“You found one of Aiden’s hiding spots!?” Mingyu’s eyes widened as he reacted with shock and surprise.
“Somehow, I did. It was by accident though” Min added as Jasper and Mingyu looked at each other, as they tried to process what they just heard from Min.
“Both of you seem so surprised?” Ball asked, looking at Mingyu and Jasper.
“Well, yeah. I mean, no one has ever found Aiden’s hiding spots on campus” Mingyu responded to Ball, “Jasper and I don’t even know where those are either”.
“Oh? How come?” Ball asked.
“Aiden is the type of person that keeps to himself and doesn’t like his personal space invaded by anyone” Jasper responded.
“Yeah, Jasper isn’t kidding about Aiden doesn’t like his personal space being invaded” Min thought to himself as he remembered Aiden’s Lesson # 03 from when they first met.
Mingyu cleared his throat, releasing Min from his inner monologue, and directing Jasper, Ball, and Bank’s attention towards him, “What happened next, after you found Aiden?”
“I had a rough entrance into Aiden’s hiding spot, so my polo ended up getting torn and dirtied” Min continued his explanation.
“That’s probably why Aiden switched polo with you” Jasper commented, “I think it has more to do with he doesn’t want to be bothered being asked about why he was walking in the auditorium with an International Student looking like they’ve been in a fight”
“I could see that, or it could be the paperwork” Mingyu added as he gave a chuckle.
“But Aiden’s not all that bad, I mean you he can be nice, in his own way” Jasper chuckled as he remembered what Aiden did to Hazelyn.
“Are you talking about what happened in the cafeteria earlier?” Min asked.
“Yup, that’s the one” Jasper responded.
“Is that all that happened?” Ball asked.
“Yeah, that’s all that happened” Min said as he concluded his explanation of the polo incident, explicitly leaving out the “Kabedon” and Aiden’s lessons from his explanation.
“That seems pretty straightforward” Jasper said, appearing content at Min’s version of what happened.
“By how Min explained it, it seems like the typical Aiden interaction that we already know” Mingyu added as he took a drink.
“Anyways, what about your reason for not asking Aiden for help in our History class?” Ball asked, shifting the discussion away from the polo incident.
“Oh, that?” Min responded, taking a sip from his drink before continuing, “Correct me if I’m wrong, Mingyu, Jasper, okay?” Min added as he looked at Mingyu and Jasper who nodded in response to what Min just asked them.
“From what was explained to me at the Student Council Meeting, Aiden is the President of the Mount Juliet University Student Council, President of the International Student Organization, President of the Japanese Club, Chairman of the College of Global Studies and Social Sciences Student Advisory Board, Chairman of the Foreign Clubs Association, Chairman of the Mount Juliet University Student Ambassador Association, Student Ambassador for both Mount Juliet University and College of Global Studies and Social Sciences, Chairman of the Mount Juliet University Honors Society, and Student Representative for the Mount Juliet University Advisory Board. Did I get everything right?” Min explained as he looked at Mingyu and Jasper to make sure he covered everything.
“You got all of it” Mingyu commented, with Jasper nodding his head in agreement to what Min just explained to his friends.
“That’s why I was hesitant to ask Aiden” Min said as he looked at Ball, and then turned towards Bank.
Ball and Bank’s jaw dropped on the floor; they were both surprised at how many positions within the university Aiden was involved in. Although Min explained it in English, Bank managed to get the gist of everything that Min said, and the heavy responsibility that was resting on Aiden’s shoulders.
“That’s the reason why I didn’t want to ask Aiden, he seems pretty busy as it is” Min continued.
“Aw man, I didn’t realize Aiden was such a busy person” Ball said as he scratched the back of his head.
“I’m glad you didn’t ask him Min” Bank added.
“Yeah, he probably would have just ignored me, or say something smart” Min said to the surprise of Mingyu and Jasper.
“I’m surprised you’ve learned a lot about Aiden in just two days” Mingyu laughed.
“It usually takes people a few months to get a grasp of Aiden’s character and personality” Jasper added.
“My friend right here is pretty smart and sharp you know” Ball chimed in as he bragged on his best friend.
“We could see that” Jasper responded as he gave a chuckle.
As they were talking, the waiter came back with the food that they had ordered. They had ordered a variety of food, namely: Pork BBQ, Sizzling Bangus Sisig, Fried Chicken, Crispy Pata, Lechon Kawali, Pork Sisig, Chop suey, Pancit Palabok, Halo-Halo, and a bunch of white rice. As the waiter placed their last order on their table, Mingyu took his phone out and started taking pictures of the food, before taking a selfie with Jasper, and the Thai students.
“I’m going to take a picture and upload it on Instagram” Mingyu announced as he took some pictures.
“You guys have Instagram?” Jasper asked as he took his phone out. The Thai students nodded their heads.
“We might not be able to approve your request until we get back to the university though” Min told Jasper as the latter was passing his phone to Bank.
“That’s fine” Jasper said as Bank added his account on Jasper’s phone, while Mingyu continued taking pictures of the food. As Ball entered his username and added himself on Instagram, he returned the phone to Jasper who promptly called everyone’s attention for a group selfie, that included himself, Mingyu, Bank, Min, Ball and the untouched food on their table. Jasper then posted it on his Instagram, which also automatically posted it on his Facebook Account. Mingyu followed suit after getting the Thai students IG accounts.
Back at the Student Council room, everyone was finishing up their revisions for the proposals that Aiden returned to them earlier, when Moira decided to turn on the 70” flat screen TV in the room, tuning in to the “Gossip Friends” where the hosts are talking about the #CoffeeShower incident that happened at the cafeteria earlier, as they replayed the video taken by one of the students in the background.
“This is going to be the talk at the university for a couple of news cycles” Aaron said as he turned his heads towards the television screen.
“You guys want anything to snack on?” Moira asked as she walked towards the kitchenette.
“Can you grab me some soft drinks and some random snacks?” Angela called out as Moira walked in the kitchenette.
“Grab me some Piattos and a bottle of sprite?” Katrina said, sitting next to Aaron as she worked on her revisions. Moira then peeked her head out the kitchenette to ask Aaron what he wants.
“Just grab me a Coke and any random snacks” Aaron responded as he turned his attention back to the television screen.
After a few minutes, Moira came out, carrying a tray that had the snacks and drinks everyone asked for, laying the tray on top of the conference table as she distributed the drinks and snacks she grabbed from the kitchenette. Just as she finished, Aiden entered the Student Council room, carrying a coffee cup and a small plastic bag with a slice of cake inside, earphones in his ears, as he walked straight in his office.
Aiden laid his coffee cup on his desk as he removed the cake from the plastic he was carrying, putting the slice next to his coffee, taking his earphones off before he walked out of his office and headed towards the kitchenette to grab a plastic fork. Just as Aiden walked out of the kitchenette, Katrina, Aaron, Moira, and Angela’s phones started vibrating accompanied by a notification sound. Just as everyone was checking their phones, the hosts of “Gossip Friends” got the same notifications as well.
“It seems like Park Mingyu our #6 and Japer Hernandez our #10 hottest on campus just uploaded some pictures on their Instagram, and it looks like they’re accompanied by three hotties!” One of the hosts said as they enlarged the picture on their program, the hosts’ voices can still be heard on the background.
Aiden gasped, his eyes widened as his plastic fork fell on the floor, making a sound as everyone turned their attention towards Aiden, and then turned to the television where Aiden was looking, on it was the selfie of Jasper, Mingyu, Min, Ball, and Bank.
“Ohhh! That one in the foreground is so cute!” One of the hosts can be heard saying, talking about Bank.
“I like the one in the very back! His squinty eyes and nose are so adorable!” another host quipped, talking about Ball, as his voice was filled with excitement.
“I’m totally digging the one in the middle, hot jawline, baby-faced and that cute dimple, I feel like I’m dying girls” another one of the hosts commented, talking about Min.
Just as the hosts of “Gossip Friends” were talking about the Thai exchange students with Mingyu and Jasper, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram started blowing up, the primary hashtag that was immediately trending #MingyuHottieSquad. Aiden then cantered towards Angela where the remote was, changing the channel to MJU’s Hottest, where the picture that Jasper and Mingyu uploaded were being analyzed to identify who the three hotties that were Mingyu and Jasper are.
“Shit!” Aiden cussed, “Get Mingyu on the line!” Aiden quickly ordered as Katrina dialed Mingyu’s number. Just as Katrina was calling Mingyu, Grace, Kobe, Amy and Alexis Montanillo from the ROTC came barging in the Student Council Room.
“We have a problem!” Grace said out loud as she entered, Kobe, Amy and Alexis following behind her. Just as Aiden turned towards Grace, the hosts of MJU’s hottest was able to identify Min, from the pictures that was taken at the east gate on Monday.
“It looks like one of the hotties in the picture is an MJU International Student! The probability of the other two hotties with them being International Students are high as well” one of the hosts announced as the cropped picture of Min from the group selfie was displayed side-by-side with the picture of Min from the east gate.
“We are now going live to one of our ground team who is still on the university grounds as they try to track Mingyu and his hottie squad’s location” the other host announced as they showed a live feed of a Hunter team moving across campus.
“I can’t get a hold of Mingyu!” Katrina announced as Aaron tried to reach Jasper’s cellphone.
“All current activities are temporarily suspended! I want a location on Mingyu’s location now!” Aiden ordered as the members of the Student Council scrambled to get a fix on a location before the Hunters could beat them to it.
“Amy, how many cadets are still on campus!?” Aiden asked.
“Sir, we have the 6th and 9th MJU ROTC Companies finishing their drills as we speak” Alexis interjected before Amy could respond.
“You!” Aiden said as he pointed at Alexis, “Take command of those companies and prepare to initiate protection operations” Aiden ordered.
“Sir!” Alexis responded before heading out the Student Council room.
“Aaron, Katrina, anything!?” Aiden asked as Katrina and Aaron tried to reach Mingyu and Jasper.
“We have student movements from all over campus!” Moira reported, calling out from her office.
“I have a fix on their location!” Angela announced as everyone turned towards her, “The picture that was taken is on Gerry’s Grill across from the main entrance of the university!” Angela reported.
“Grace take charge here!” Aiden ordered as he grabbed two radios, keeping one and throwing the other one at Amy, “Amy with me!” Aiden added as he walked out of the Student Council room, Amy running behind him.
“Meet up with the cadets, and then head towards the target location, I’ll go on ahead and link up with Mingyu and the others” Aiden said as he and Amy parted ways. Aiden raced out of the Student Center and started running towards the main entrance of the university to try and get to Mingyu and the others before the Hunters could get to them.
“Aiden! Come in this is Grace! We have student movements from inside and outside the university” Grace radioed in.
“Location!?” Aiden radioed back.
“Movements confirmed at the East and West sides of the university, we also have a group coming from the central gymnasium, the football field, and the Graduate Programs Centers” Grace reported.
“Amy, where are you!?” Aiden radioed.
“Sir, just linking up with Alexis in the ROTC drill yard!” Amy reported back.
“Aiden! The Hunters have a fix on their location, the Hunter team that’s live right now is moving from the Humanities Building, they’ll reach the main gate in about 3 minutes!” Grace radioed in, updating Aiden of the new developments.
“Right, I’m close to the main gate, I’ll be at Gerry’s grill in about 4 minutes!” Aiden responded, “Amy have Alexis take the 9th and stall the Hunter team, and any other students trying to head out the main entrance! Amy, take the 6th and rendezvous with me at the target location ASAP!” Aiden added as he clipped the radio on his jeans.
“Have we heard anything from Mingyu or Jasper!?” Grace asked, looking at Katrina and Aaron who were still trying to get through. Aaron and Katrina just shook their heads.
“Oh, we’re getting another live feed from our separate Hunter team outside the university!” One of the MJU Hottest host announced as they split the screen between the Hunter team still inside the campus and the other Hunter team outside the university.
“Wait, isn’t that the Lawson’s outside the main gate!?” Angela pointed out as she recognized the convenience store being shown on the television screen.
“Aiden! We have a separate team of Hunters by Lawson’s across the main gate!” Grace radioed in to update Aiden.
“I just passed Lawson’s and the second Hunter team!” Aiden radioed in as Grace, Angela, Aaron, and Katrina saw Aiden on the television screen running towards Gerry’s Grill.
As Aiden was running towards Gerry’s Grill, he turned his head back to check where the second Hunter team were, as he ran blindly towards the restaurant. When Aiden turned his head forward, he slammed into someone causing him and the other person to fall on the ground, the other person groaned as they hit the pavement. When Aiden got a hold of himself, he realized that he was on top of Min – again. Their faces barely an inch apart, beside them was Jasper, embracing Bank from behind, with Mingyu and Ball holding dearly to the food they were carrying.
From the perspective of the second Hunter Team, Aiden bumped into Min, which caused Min to fall backwards. Bank who was directly behind Min, would’ve been hit as well, but at the last second Jasper pulled Bank towards him, wrapping his arms around the other boy. While Mingyu and Ball tried their best to save the food that they were carrying. The whole scene was caught live by the second Hunter Team and was broadcasted live in the entire campus. Mingyu and Ball were shocked and surprised to see Jasper’s arms wrapped around Bank from behind, and even more so with Aiden on top of Min, their lips barely touching. This wasn’t caught by the second Hunter team since a car was blocking their view of Aiden and Min; Jasper and Bank though, were visible from the perspective of the second Hunter team.
