Part 01: The Executive Council Meeting
"Ma'am, I have President Kobayashi and a Mr. Thapthim Nontanakorn here to see you" Annette said, holding the phone receiver on her ear as Aiden and Min stood in front of her desk.
"Yes ma'am, right away" Annette responded before hanging the phone up, she then led Aiden and Min in front of the Vice Chancellor's office. Anette knocked on the door before entering, leaving Aiden and Min outside. As they waited to be called in, Aiden glanced at Min, who looked uneasy and nervous, fidgeting as they stood outside the office.
"Stop fidgeting!" Aiden whispered as Min continued to fidget.
"I can't, I'm too nervous right now" Min whispered back as his hands started getting cold, his heart racing, not knowing why he was summoned to the Vice Chancellor's office with Aiden out of the blue.
"Breathe and calm down. I don't know why you're so nervous" Aiden whispered again before Anette emerged from the office, carrying folders and paperwork on her arm.
"You can come in now" Anette said as she gestured for Aiden and Min to enter as she stood close to the office doors. Aiden and Min walked into the office before Anette closed the door behind them. When they entered, they saw Vice Chancellor Gutierrez signing paperwork and documents, which was literally piled up on her desk. Aiden and Min just stood in front of the circular mat that bore the logo of MJU, waiting for the Vice Chancellor to say something.
"Well, don't just stand there, come closer" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she continued signing the documents on her desk. Aiden and Min walked towards the Vice Chancellor, standing in front of her desk as they arrived. After signing one more document, she finally placed her pen down, taking her glasses off before looking at Aiden and Min.
"You both can take a seat" The Vice Chancellor said as Aiden sat on the armchair to the Vice Chancellor's right-hand side, and Min to her left-hand side. Min was still nervous at this point, he looked at Aiden, and was surprised to see him so calm.
"The Executive Council meeting won't start for another 20 minutes" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she started the conversation.
"We could use this time to explain everything to Min, he looks like he's about to die of nervousness" Aiden commented as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez looked at the other boy, who was clearly looking anxious and uneasy just by being there.
"Don't be nervous Mr. Nontanakorn, you're not in trouble or anything" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez told Min as she tried to reassure him.
"May I ask why I was called in here?" Min asked, still feeling nervous. Vice Chancellor Gutierrez was surprised, as she assumed that Aiden already told Min why he was called over to her office.
"Aiden, don't tell me you didn't even inform Mr. Nontanakorn?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, looking at Aiden who was just sitting nonchalantly.
"I may have forgotten to tell him" Aiden replied sarcastically as he kept his eyes on Min.
Vice Chancellor Gutierrez sighed, "You shouldn't tease people like that Aiden". Min looked at the Vice Chancellor first, and then shifted his eye towards Aiden, confused as to what they were talking about. The vagueness of their conversation wasn't helping Min one bit, who was feeling more uneasy and nervous.
"Fine, fine. I'll tell him" Aiden reluctantly conceded, ending his psychological torture on Min, which in every aspect was uncalled for and somewhat mean.
"You were summoned here today because you're going to help me with the presentation of my proposals to the Executive Council meeting" Aiden explained.
"Proposals? You mean your proposal to expand the Student Council, and inclusion of the International Student Representative as an official member?" Min responded as he remembered what was talked about at the end of the Student Council meeting at the beginning of the week.
"Not just that, but the proposals for the university events, and the re-allocation of the funds from the ISO to the Student Council" Aiden added.
"What do you need me for?" Min asked, curious as to what part he would play in all of this, "I'm not wholly familiar with the proposals you will talk about".
"You're not talking about the proposals, you're merely there to support the proposals I will be presenting today at the meeting" Aiden responded as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez listened on.
"That's good, I thought for a second I was in trouble" Min said as he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"You will be if you mess this up for me" Aiden wittingly remarked, his right brow raised.
"Aiden!" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez embarrassingly exclaimed, "Apologies Mr. Nontanakorn, Aiden can be cold and insensitive sometimes".
"Oh, it's okay. I'm a little used to it" Min chuckled, "That's what makes Aiden "Aiden" if you ask me ma'am"
"That's true, but still, he needs to work with his socialization skills" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez replied as Aiden pursed his lips.
"I would agree" Min said concurring with the Vice Chancellor as they started chuckling, Aiden just rolled his eyes in response.
"In any case" Aiden raised his voice, drowning out Min and Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's chuckles, "When I present the proposal for the expansion of the Student Council, I would need you to stress the importance of the need for us to be able to do our duty efficiently and effectively, and to safeguard the safety, and well-being of our students, and the reputation and credibility of the university. You have to stress and underscore the importance of our image, both the students and the university in the eyes of the international students on campus, as well as our partner universities abroad".
"I see now. You needed an international student to put credibility and weight on your proposal" Min responded, as he understood Aiden's reasoning for bringing him to the Executive Council meeting. Aiden and Vice Chancellor Gutierrez were both surprised and impressed on how fast Min was able to catch on with what Aiden was trying to do.
"So why me? Why not any members of the International Student Council?" Min asked, curious as to why he was the one chosen to participate in the meeting.
"First off, you're technically part of the Student Council, hence you already have insights and knowledge of the body's inner workings; secondly, last night's meeting exposed the inadequacies of the International Student Council President, not to mention that most of their officers seems to only act and move on Monica's orders, showing their lack of drive and initiative – though I could be wrong, we'll see; thirdly, you're extremely sharp, and catch on to things rather quickly, just as you have shown a few seconds ago; lastly, you seem like the person who excels in both academics and extracurriculars" Aiden explained as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez gave him a teasing look after his last reasoning, although Aiden didn't notice it as she did it discreetly. Min was able to accept and comprehend Aiden's reasoning as he gently nodded his head after Aiden concluded his explanation.
"If you put it that way, it does make sense. I'll will do my best to assist" Min responded confidently, his initial nervousness and uneasiness finally disappeared.
"Well, now that everything has been explained and smoothen out, let's lighten the conversation a little bit, shall we?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez suggested as Aiden and Min looked at her.
"So, Mr. Nontanakorn, how are you liking Mount Juliet so far? I saw you on WNN the other day" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added.
Aiden immediately facepalmed, as he remembered the "Gerry's Grill" incident. Min looked at Aiden before looking back at Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, "So far my stay has been enjoyable, I find the student and university culture of Mount Juliet to be quite interesting and unique, far different from what I'm used to back in Thailand, ma'am" Min responded with a smile on his face.
"That's good to hear. You've heard this a lot already, but this is the first time Mount Juliet is accepting international students, and so the administration is particularly interested on how the university body is reacting and interacting with the new changes. This is also a learning opportunity for us to see how we can cater and improve our accommodations for our future international students" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added.
"Yes, and I can say with confidence that the Student Council has been responsive with the needs of the international students. As you've said, you saw me on WNN the other night, the Student Council was able to resolve that matter within 24 hours, which is quite impressive, ma'am" Min replied as he commended the efforts of the Student Council.
"I'm not surprised, Aiden is in charge of the Student Council after all" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez responded as she gave a chuckle, "I can imagine that Aiden has had his hands full the past couple of days".
"That's an understatement at best" Aiden quipped as he rested his left cheek on his left fist.
"By the way, I do have a question. You don't have to answer ma'am if you think I'm overstepping" Min asked the Vice Chancellor.
"What is it?" the Vice Chancellor responded, curious as to what Min wanted to ask.
"From what I heard from the Student Council meeting; their budget for this year is ₱2.5 million. How does Mount Juliet have so much budget for school activities? And where does MJU get such funding" Min asked the Vice Chancellor as Aiden looked at her as well, wondering whether she'll answer Min's question.
"I didn't think you would ask such a complex question" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez responded, obviously surprised at the question Min asked.
"Are you going to answer that?" Aiden asked, curious to know whether the Vice Chancellor was going to answer something that's considered confidential, given that it's a university related matter, even to the President of the Student Council.
"I can't give you the details of it, but I can give you information that's already public knowledge, does that work for you?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as he looked at Min.
"Yes, of course" Min immediately replied, his curiosity already getting the best of him.
"Basically, 20% of Mount Juliet's income comes from the tuition fee that our students pay" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez started before Min interrupted.
"Only 20% from the students!? How is that possible!?" Min asked, both surprised and confused about the low percentage that Mount Juliet was getting from its students.
"If you let her finish, maybe you wouldn't be so surprised" Aiden interjected, his face looks uninterested in the topic they were currently discussing.
"Right, I'm sorry for interrupting your explanation ma'am" Min apologized to the Vice Chancellor.
"It's okay. I don't mind, it's a pretty normal reaction for someone hearing that information for the first time anyways. As I was saying, 20% of Mount Juliet's income comes from the students, 15% comes from the government, and the largest chunk 65% comes from the private sector, namely large and established companies, both domestic and abroad" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez explained.
"Of course, those companies don't give us the money for free, there's a catch" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added to which Min reacted, "Which is?".
"In exchange for their generous donations, these corporations are given the privilege to recruit our best and brightest students even before they graduate from the university. Of course, the highest donor always gets to choose our best and brightest first, for that reason, Mount Juliet doesn't have any shortages when it comes to financial matters, the highest donor changes annually, hence our annual budget increases every year. That's the reason why Mount Juliet is able to invest heavily in state-of-the-art technology, modern facilities, recruitment of experienced and prominent faculty, generous benefits and salaries for our employees, massive funding, and investments to our students and all their extracurricular activities, and of course materials and resources for a high-quality education for our students." Vice Chancellor Gutierrez further explained.
"You probably noticed that our Student Council is very powerful, and acts with full independence and autonomy. That's because Mount Juliet was founded with the vision of allowing our students to handle positions that are similar to actual jobs in the real world, to give them experience that would greatly benefit them after graduation. By allowing our students to sort out matters that relates to them and their peers, it hones their skills in leadership, intrapersonal communication, recruiting skills, diplomacy, marketing, broadcasting, management, organization, customer service skills, and other relevant and much-needed skills in today's workforce. As you probably already know, our media outlets here in the university such as the MJU Times, MJU Radio, and MJU TV are almost entirely run by students with minimal to no university faculty or staff involved. This also includes the entirety of the student government, which includes the Student Council, Student Congress, Student Supreme Court, and the Student Courts, this is to allow for our students to receive experience in a variety of real work environments without them having to do too many internships outside the university. What makes Mount Juliet a favorite for large companies and corporations for recruitment is that our students already possess experience, relevant, and vital skills within their field of study which allows for employers to integrate them into them their ranks without much guidance or training, this makes them highly effective, proficient, productive, and efficient in the work place" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added.
"That is an extremely efficient system, no wonder some major companies in Thailand always seek Mount Juliet alumni whenever they recruit workers from the Philippines" Min commented as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's explanation answered a lot of questions that Min had.
"Of course, this is not to say that anyone and everyone can enter Mount Juliet University, our entrance examination is extremely selective and rigorous, and is considered as the toughest here in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, on par or exceeds the entrance examination offered at University of Tokyo. Our Admission staff are experienced and well trained, any form of bribery or cronyism is expressly forbidden by the university board, and could result in termination for employees, and probably lawsuits from the university. All of our students here at Mount Juliet are the smartest and talented individuals that comes from the different corners of the country; hence our student body is extremely diverse, hailing from different backgrounds and classes within the Filipino society" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez responded as Min reacted with amazement and awe.
"Of course we tweaked our requirements and criteria for our international students since we can't apply our rigorous standards to our foreign students just yet. The university plans to implement the same standards we apply to our domestic students in phases, to ensure that the university maintains its standards and prestige that have been built since its foundation" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added.
"I never knew that Mount Juliet University has such stringent criteria and requirements" Min commented as he tried to absorb the information he just learned.
"So don't get fooled by the outward appearance and personality of our students, most may not look like it, but everyone here is smart, or some sort of genius" Aiden chimed in as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez and Min looked at him.
"Did you know about all of this, Aiden?" Min asked to which Aiden replied with a cold, "Obviously". Just then, they heard a knock on the door, before Anette walked in.
"Vice Chancellor, the Executive Council members are gathering in the Chancellor's conference room" Annette announced before stepping out of the office. As soon as Anette left the office, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, Aiden, and Min got up from where they were sitting and walked out of the office. Before they headed to the Chancellor's conference room, Aiden and Min grabbed their backpacks that they left on the couch at the waiting area outside of the Vice Chancellor's office.
Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, Aiden, and Min were one of the last ones that arrived in the Chancellor's conference room. The large conference table was already occupied by the members of the Executive Council, and Vice Chancellor Gutierrez was the last one to take her seat, sitting on the right-hand side of Chancellor Gazmin who was sitting at the head of the conference table, Aiden was sitting on the other end across from the Chancellor. Min on the other hand, was sitting on one of the armchairs inside the conference room. Among those present were the executive assistants of the Chancellor, as well as videographer, a stenographer, a photographer, and assistants to the other Executive Council members.
The conference room was an enormous room, the walls are made out of walnut and were decorated by multiple portraits of former Chancellors of Mount Juliet. There was also a large looking bookshelf that was filled with a mixture of books, decorations, and photos. As with other important rooms in the university, the conference room was equipped with a kitchenette and a restroom. The conference table is large enough to fit twenty people at one time, the center of the conference table has a speaker which allows for conference calls, and charging ports built into the table itself.
The entrance to the Chancellor's conference room is in the form of hand-carved wooden double doors, a couple of feet from the doors is a wall that covers the interior of the conference room. The wall in front of the doors bears the logo of Mount Juliet University, illuminated by lights attached to the ceiling, either side of the small hallway leads to the interior of the conference room, and inside that is where the large conference table is located, situated in the middle of the room. At the right side of the room, there is an opening that leads to another small hallway that connects to the kitchenette and restroom. Behind the wall that bears the Mount Juliet University logo is a 75-inch flat screen television, a few inches in front of the television, located on the ceiling is a drop-down screen, the drop-down projector is located directly above the speaker on the conference table.
The other end of the conference room is where the desks for the Chancellor's executive assistants and stenographer are located. The wall where the small opening that leads to the kitchenette and restroom has multiple armchairs that are placed against it, were the other assistants and Min were seated. Across the room from where the armchairs are is the bookshelf that's built into the wall, beside that is a laptop charging station and a coffee table, equipped with a Keurig machine, a large selection of tea, and a tiered plate stands that held different kinds of pastries, expensive looking white China cups, saucers, dessert plates, utensils, and napkins placed beside it.
Unlike the previous meetings that Aiden has attended so far, this is the only one that he takes with utmost seriousness, and the only one that he feels a shred of anxiousness. This was evident by the fact that Aiden has meticulously prepared the materials he was going to present for this meeting, as well as the fact that he has gone over his talking points and proposal on multiple occasions leading up to this point. Of course, Aiden's anxiousness was not explicitly showing, given that his expression has remained stoic, even in the presence of the top echelon of the university.
Since Mount Juliet considers its students as the core foundation in which the university was founded, it has been the tradition of the Executive Council to grant the Student Council President the honor of officially starting the meeting and presenting their agenda first, a symbolic gesture that highlights the importance that the students hold in the eyes of the university. Since this was Aiden's first Executive Council meeting, he was not aware of this tradition, hence he was caught completely off-guard when Chancellor Gazmin asked him to officially start the meeting by presenting his agenda. Although caught off-guard, Aiden masterfully and professionally started the meeting, surprising Vice Chancellor Gutierrez who knew about the tradition, but purposefully did not inform Aiden about it - for amusement's sake.
Meanwhile, Ball and Bank's world history class just ended and were heading towards the cafeteria to grab some breakfast. However, halfway to the student center, Ball realized that he forgot his wallet.
"Shiaaaaaaa!" Ball exclaimed as he and Ball were walking towards the student center, startling the other students around them, which caused some to take their phones out and take pictures and/or videos.
"What's wrong Ball?" Bank asked in Thai while Ball patted his pockets, as if looking for something.
"I can't find my wallet" Ball replied as he checked his backpack, going through his stuff to see if his wallet was stuck between his laptop and binders, to no avail, "I think I left it in my room".
"I need to head back to the International House" Ball added as he put his backpack on.
"I can go with you" Bank offered but was immediately refused by Ball.
"Go on ahead to the cafeteria, save us a seat, and I'll meet you there" Ball suggested.
"Are you sure? I don't mind going back to the suite with you" Bank insisted, but Ball was adamant.
"There are a lot of students heading to the cafeteria, it would be bad if we can't find anywhere to sit" Ball said as he tried to persuade Bank to go ahead without him.
"I mean if you want to. I don't mind going on ahead" Bank finally conceded before Ball ran off in another direction to retrieve his wallet.
Bank shook his head as Ball ran off to the distance, he gave a sigh before he started walking towards the student center. When he got close, he noticed a large number of students, faculty and staff heading towards the same direction, more than likely the cafeteria, to grab something to eat. Seeing the number of people, Bank finally conceded that Ball was right about the possibility of not getting a table for them to sit and eat breakfast.
Bank picked his pace up, almost cantering at that point, so he could get to the cafeteria before the rest of the university gets to the student center. The central cafeteria was already crowded when Bank arrived, luckily there were still a lot of empty tables available, so Bank decided to head to one of the stalls to get some food and find a place to sit. Bank just stood in front of the stall he walked up to, as other students lined up to buy something to eat. Although he was hungry, Bank didn't get in line as he was worried that his English was not good enough to be able to communicate with the vendors. Up until that point Bank has had Ball and Min with him to help him get something to eat.
At the same time, Jasper just finished buying his food and was looking for an empty table when he saw Bank standing in front of a stall as other students passed by him. He wondered why Bank was just standing there instead of getting in line like the other students. Curious, he decided to walk up to Bank.
When he got closer, Jasper called out to Bank, who immediately turned towards him, "What are you doing Bank? Why are you just standing there?" Jasper asked as he stood behind the other boy.
"P'Jasper!" Bank cried, his face looked so lost and frustrated, Jasper looked to see if Min or Ball was around, when he did not see Min nor Ball, he turned his attention back to Bank.
"Where's Min and Ball?" Jasper asked wondering why Bank was all alone in the cafeteria.
"Ball get wallet in room" Bank explained in his broken English to the best of his ability, "Min don't know".
"So you're by yourself?" Jasper said clearly and at a normal pace so Bank could catch what he was trying to tell him, trying to avoid a repeat of what happened yesterday, even more so now that neither Min nor Ball were around. Bank just nodded his head like a little kid, his face looked so disappointed, Jasper unconsciously chuckled at the sight of Bank looking so adorable.
"Sorry Bank, I didn't mean to laugh" Jasper apologized, maintaining the clarity and rate of his speaking, "Are you trying to buy something to eat?"
Bank nodded again as Jasper figured out the reason why Bank was just standing in front of the stall and not getting in line, "Here, hold this for me" Jasper said as he handed Bank the tray he was carrying before getting in line. It didn't take Jasper but a few minutes to order a plate of food and a mango shake, after paying, he walked back to where Bank was standing, "Follow me" Jasper said as Bank followed him quietly. The two walked for a little bit before they found and empty table, and they immediately headed towards it so other students wouldn't take the spot.
When they arrived, Jasper and Bank placed the tray they were carrying on the table, "Here, this is yours" Jasper said as he slid the tray he was carrying towards Bank, before pulling the tray Bank was carrying towards him. Bank was taken by surprise, he didn't think that Jasper was going to buy him breakfast, he just looked at the tray that jasper slid towards him, not sure what to do.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what you wanted to eat, so I got you beef tapa, fried egg and garlic rice, since that was what you got the other day" Jasper explained normally and clearly, so Bank won't get confused.
"This food is mine?" Bank asked as he pointed at the tray and then to himself to make sure he was understanding what Jasper said.
"Yes, it's yours" Jasper replied as he took his backpack off, placing it on the bench before sitting down, smiling at the way Bank did the pointing thing, "You should sit down and eat" Jasper gestured as well to help Bank understand what he was saying. The gesturing seemed to work as Bank slowly took his backpack off and sat down across from Jasper.
Bank was still staring at the food on his tray as Jasper started eating. When Jasper saw that Bank wasn't eating, he quickly chewed his food and immediately swallowed, "What's wrong Bank?" Jasper asked, looking at Bank whose head was slightly tilted downwards. There were a few seconds of silence, then Bank lifted his head up, his face looks embarrassed, "No Philippine money, only WolfCard" Bank told Jasper, who was clearly embarrassed.
The "WolfCard" that Bank was talking about is the MJU ID. The "WolfCard" as it is colloquially known in Mount Juliet, is the official identification card of its students, it has the same dimensions as a credit card, and has a black magstripe on the back. The front of the card bears the official picture of the student, along with their name, ID number, major and college affiliation; unlike other universities, MJU students are not required to wear it around their neck, as long as they carry it with them at all times when on campus. It is a multipurpose card that can be used to pay for food or goods sold within the university; used as a key for students who live on campus to access their respective dorms, floor, and suite; used to operate the washer and dryers in the dorm basements; used to borrow books from the library; used when participating in a university-wide event; used when using a university printer; used when entering the Student Recreation Center; used when borrowing sports equipment in the Student Recreation Center; and used when entering student-only areas within campus. The cards can be linked directly to a bank account or credit card or use one of the loading stations on campus to use physical money and transfer the balance into the card to be used for any kind of purchases. Since the International Students haven't had the chance to exchange their currency to the local currency, all of them have been using their WolfCard to get food or buy things they need.
Jasper didn't say anything, he just leaned over the table and started ruffling Bank's hair, his face smiling, "Don't worry about it, it's okay, just eat" Jasper reassured Bank before he sat back down. Bank just looked at him like he was about to cry, "Thank you P'Jasper" Bank said, grateful at Jasper for buying him breakfast. When Jasper started eating again, Bank grabbed the utensils on his tray and started eating as well.
"So Bank, how was your quiz?" Jasper asked, gesturing the thumbs up and thumbs down. Bank responded with a thumbs up, followed by a smile. Jasper then leaned forward and ruffled Bank's hair again, prompting the younger boy to softly bite his lips to prevent him from smiling too much, "Congratulations!" Jasper added before he sat back down smiling, feeling happy that Bank did good on his quiz.
"It is thanks to P'Aiden and P'Jasper" Bank said as he tried to keep himself from smiling too much.
"I didn't do anything though?" Jasper replied, confused as to what Bank meant by that.
"You give me mango shake yesterday" Bank said, pointing at the mango shake on his tray, then pointing to Jasper, then to himself.
"Oh, that!" Jasper chuckled, "You don't have to thank me for that".
"It made me happy, help me study" Bank replied smiling as he lightly lowered his head. Jasper smiled as well as he leaned over the table and started ruffling Bank's hair again, "If you really like it, I'll keep buying you a mango shake" Jasper said slowly, but clearly. His words made Bank's heart skip a beat, as he lowkey started blushing.
As Jasper was ruffling Bank's hair, Ball suddenly showed up out of nowhere, which prompted Jasper to stop whatever he was doing and sit back down, to the disappointment of Bank, who subtly pouted his lips without Jasper or Ball noticing, "Sorry I'm late Bank, it took a while to find my wallet" Ball said in Thai as he took his bag off, placing it beside where Bank was sitting, "Sup Jasper!" Ball greeted as he turned his attention towards Jasper.
"So where was your wallet at Ball?" Jasper asked as Ball awkwardly smiled, his eyes squinting.
"I left it in Min's room last night" Ball replied, still smiling awkwardly as Bank sipped on his mango shake, still upset that Ball ruined his moment alone with Jasper.
"How did your wallet end up in Min's room?" Jasper further inquired.
"Min and I were studying for our world history quiz in his room, I ended up falling asleep on the floor, and it must've fell off when I got up this morning" Ball explained before he excused himself so he could buy something to eat. Bank watched Ball walk off as he continued sipping on his mango shake, removing the straw from his lips as soon as Ball disappeared in the crowd.
When Bank faced forward, he made eye contact with Jasper, who apparently, was looking at his direction. As the looked at each other's eyes, everything around them felt like it started going in slow motion.
"You guys having a staring contest or something?" A familiar voice said, breaking Jasper and Bank's eye contact almost immediately. Jasper turned towards the direction of where the voice came from, it was Aaron, with Katrina standing beside him.
"Maybe? Something like that" Jasper chuckled as Aaron sat beside him, Katrina sitting next to Aaron.
"Hi Bank!" Katrina greeted as she waved at him. Bank smiled as he waved back.
"Sup Bank?" Aaron greeted him as he leaned over the table to give him a fist bump.
"Looks like you guys already ate" Katrina commented as she saw Jasper's empty plate, and Bank's almost empty plate sitting on their trays.
"Yeah, Ball is getting something to eat right now. Have you guys eaten?" Jasper said as he looked at Aaron and Katrina.
"No not yet, we're about to get something to eat though" Aaron replied as he grabbed his wallet out of his bag, Katrina was already holding her wallet, and was just waiting for Aaron to stand up.
"Is it just the three of you here?" Katrina asked as Bank started sipping on his mango shake again, listening in on the conversation happening in front of him.
"Yeah. I haven't seen Mingyu, Moira, Angela, or Min" Jasper replied as Aaron got up from where he was sitting, Katrina following soon after.
"They might show up soon, I was about to message you when Katrina saw you and Bank" Aaron said as Katrina stood beside him.
"You ready Aaron? I'm starving" Katrina asked as Aaron nodded his head.
"We'll be back in a bit" Aaron said as he and Katrina headed towards the stalls. Just as Katrina and Aaron were walking, they passed by Ball who was carrying a tray with his breakfast and a bottle of water, exchanging greetings as they walked by each other before Ball headed back to their table.
"I'm so hungry!" Ball commented as he placed his tray on the table, sitting beside bank who has almost finished his mango shake.
"I don't blame you; I was too when my class ended" Jasper said as he grabbed his spoon and took a spoonful of rice and a piece of tapa from Bank's plate.
"So, what was the deal with Aiden and Min being paged this morning?" Jasper asked after he swallowed his food. Ball only shrugged his shoulders in response as he put a spoonful of food in his mouth.
"I don't know, Bank and I were curious about that too. Did you not hear anything from Aiden about it?" Ball asked after swallowing his food.
"No, I'm as surprised as you are. Maybe Aaron and Katrina know something" Jasper responded, scooping up the last of what was on Bank's plate.
"Maybe. Our professor and the entire class were surprised as well when we heard the announcement" Ball commented as he scooped another spoonful of rice.
"It's not every day that someone is summoned to the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs" Jasper replied as he started organizing his tray, getting ready to drop it off at the conveyor belt that brings dirty plates and utensils to the central washing station.
"Want to go with me Bank?" Jasper asked as he got up from his seat, carrying his tray. Bank nodded and promptly grabbed his tray, as he and Jasper prepared to go to the conveyor belt, "We'll be back Ball".
Although the central cafeteria was still crowded with students, at least half of those students were already getting ready to leave, given that some of them were only there to grab a quick snack before heading to their next class. When Jasper and Bank got to the conveyor belt, there were a number of students dropping off their trays. Jasper was able to get in line first, Bank was two people behind him. After Jasper dropped off his tray, he waited by one of the columns supporting the second-floor balcony above them, close to the conveyor belt.
After Bank dropped off his tray, he started walking towards Jasper. As he was walking, two students who seemed like they were in a rush, bumped into Bank, causing him to lose his footing and was well on his way diving into the floor. Jasper, however, was quick to react and was able to catch Bank before he actually fell on the floor, causing Bank to hit his head on Jasper's chest, which caused Jasper to hit his back on the column a few feet behind him.
The scene caused a small commotion that was accompanied by scattered squeals as the girls, and some boys, who were in the immediate vicinity of Jasper and Bank took their phones out to take pictures of the cute little bromance happening. Jasper's back was against the column, while Bank's forehead and hands were on Jasper's chest. Bank blushed, realizing the position he was on, he quickly moved away and stood upright when he noticed people around them were making a commotion.
Bank's face was clearly blushing, his heart pounding like crazy. In his mind, all he could think of was how Jasper smelled really good, how his chest felt so toned and firm. He really didn't think that his body was like that, given he just looked slim with his uniform on. Bank couldn't come up with any words to say, everything that was processing in his mind was in Thai and couldn't come up anything in English.
"You okay Bank?" Jasper asked after Bank was able to regain his footing. He could also see that his face and ears were really red, though Jasper only dismissed it as him being embarrassed by the situation, especially that people were taking pictures and/or videos of what just happened. Jasper, however, was oblivious to the fact that the reason Bank was blushing wasn't due to embarrassment, it was something much more than that. The commotion around them didn't last long however, as students started to disperse voluntarily, given that some of them have to be in class soon.
"I'm okay, thank you P'Jasper" Bank finally spoke, still a little bit embarrassed about what just happened.
"Don't think too much of it, I'm just glad you're okay" Jasper responded as he gave a thumbs up before they headed back to their table.
When Jasper and Bank returned, Aaron and Katrina were already back, eating their breakfast. Bank's face was still a little bit flushed, but not as pronounced as it was earlier. Bank's heart was still beating really fast, still unable to move on from that moment he had with Jasper earlier, it was practically the second time in a week that he was in Jasper's embrace, although both times were pretty much accidental.
"Hey, Aaron, Katrina. Do you know anything about that announcement earlier?" Jasper asked as he sat beside Aaron, while Bank sat next to Ball across from them.
"You mean the announcement for Aiden and Min?" Katrina asked placing her utensils down before she reached for her unopened bottle of water.
"Yeah, that one" Jasper confirmed as he looked at Katrina, "I was just curious if you know anything".
"If you ask me, it probably has something to do with the Executive Council meeting, though I don't know why Min was summoned to the Vice Chancellor's office as well. That's something you have to ask Min when we see him" Katrina responded, holding the bottle of water in front of her as she spoke, taking a drink after responding to Jasper.
"Let's ask Min later when we see him. I'm curious to know as well" Ball commented while chewing his food, earning him a glare from Katrina, "By the way, what's the Executive Council?".
Back in the Chancellor's conference room, the Executive Council meeting has finally concluded after Vice Chancellor Gutierrez presented her report to the council. Chancellor Gazmin announced the end of the meeting, but asked Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, Aiden, and Min to stay behind. The rest of the Executive Council, along with their assistants and other staff slowly made their way out of the conference room, when the door finally closed, and silence filled the room, Chancellor Gazmin spoke.
"It seems like there's a tie on your proposal for the Student Council expansion, Aiden" Chancellor Gazmin said, still seated on his chair.
"Yes, Chancellor, it seems like it" Aiden responded, his hands clasped together as it rested on top of the conference table.
"As with any tie in relation to Executive Council decisions, I as Chancellor have the tie-breaking vote on the matter" Chancellor Gazmin revealed to the subtle surprise of Min.
"I understand" Aiden responded, shuffling his hands together as the decision regarding proposal to expand the student council have been delayed per the Chancellor Gazmin's instructions, having faced stiff opposition from some of the Executive Council members.
Delaying a proposal presented to the Executive Council is highly unusual, and only matters that would have adverse and lasting effects on the university faced such delays. Aiden's gamble with Min has paid off, had it not for his vigorous and passionate defense for the proposals, the matter would have been easily defeated right then and there, but because of his reasoning, he was able to influence the decision of some of the moderate members of the council and pushed it into a tie. The only thing left was for the Chancellor to break that tie. Reading the Chancellor's motives is almost impossible, given that he can be extremely unpredictable, and his decision-making process can be quite complex and complicated.
"I'll be giving your proposal some more thought, Aiden, and I will let you know about my final decision as soon as possible. Would that be acceptable?" Chancellor Gazmin responded.
"Yes, Chancellor. I appreciate that you are giving much thought to my proposal" Aiden responded, his demeanor calm and poised, though his anxiousness hasn't quite disappeared just yet.
"Of course. Your proposal does hold some merit, and I was especially impressed by Mr. Nontanakorn's enthusiastic defense of your proposal" Chancellor Gazmin responded as he gestured for Min and Aiden to come closer, which the two promptly did.
As Aiden and Min stood beside Chancellor Gazmin, and across from Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, the Chancellor spoke again, "I never would have imagined that MJU's 'Polo Couple' would be working as a team to present such sweeping and bold proposals" The Chancellor chuckled as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez covered her mouth to hide her smile, which was still obvious since her eyes squinted.
Aiden was taken aback and felt embarrassed by the Chancellor's comment, although most of it was internal reactions as his demeanor outside remained calm and expressionless. Min on the other hand reacted conspicuously, slightly lowering his head, avoiding eye contact with the Chancellor, and scratching his cheek out of embarrassment.
"Mr. Nontanakorn is the duly elected International Student Representative, and now a guest member of the Student Council, so it's only natural that we would be working together" Aiden replied as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez took her hand down, her normal demeanor and composure back to normal.
"Understandable" Chancellor Gazmin chuckled, "Well, I expect great things from the both of you, keep serving our students and stay true to your duties" Chancellor Gazmin added before he got up from his chair, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez got up from her chair as well as a gesture of respect to the Chancellor.
"You both did exceptional today, I will see you around" Chancellor Gazmin commented as he placed his left hand on Aiden's left shoulder, and his right on Min's right shoulder, patting it before letting go. The Chancellor then turned around and faced Vice Chancellor Gutierrez.
"Aurea" Chancellor Gazmin nodded at Vice Chancellor Gutierrez.
"Chancellor" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez nodded back as the Chancellor slowly walked towards the exit, his hands behind his back. The trio watched as the Chancellor walked out the conference room, looking at each other when the door closed.
"You forgot to mention about the fact that I was supposed to open the Executive Council meeting" Aiden said as he gave a weird look at Vice Chancellor Gutierrez.
"Well, what goes around comes around" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez chuckled, referring to how Aiden did not inform Min about the purpose of him being summoned.
"Touché, I did deserve that, I admit" Aiden conceded as he gave a huge sigh.
"In any case, there's no point standing around here. We should go" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, Aiden and Min agreed, grabbing their backpacks as they walked towards the exit.
After leaving the conference room, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez excused herself before she headed back to her office. Aiden took his phone out and opened the Student Council group chat, typing a message to summon the Student Council members for a meeting later in the day to discuss the final preparations for the Student Organization Fair, and the status of the preparations for the Welcome Party on Saturday.
Before Aiden could finish typing his message, he looked at Min who was standing next to him, "You did good in there" Aiden told Min who looked surprised by the sudden compliment.
"I just did as I was instructed" Min replied to the surprise of Aiden who just raised a brow and slightly tilted his head.
"Duly noted, Min" Aiden said before walking off, forgetting to finish his message as he left Min standing in front of the conference room, confused as to what Aiden meant.
Min smiled as he shook his head, taking his phone out to send Ball a message to ask where he is before he started walking towards the elevator to leave the Administration Building. When Min got to the ground floor, he received a reply from Ball.
Ball: "I'm at the central cafeteria with Bank, Jasper, Aaron, and Katrina. Where are you at?"
Min: "I'm just leaving the Administration Building; I'll be there in a bit"
Ball: "You're still there?"
Min: "Yeah, the Executive Council meeting just ended"
Ball: "Oh! How did that go?"
Min: "It's too long for me to explain here, I'll explain it to you at a later time. I'm on my way"
Ball: "Fine. I'll see you in a little bit"
Min: "Okay"
After sending his reply, he put his phone back in his pocket and made his way to the Student Center, which was basically just across from the Administration building. It didn't take long for Min to reach the central cafeteria, and he was able to spot Ball and the others quickly, due to Ball and Bank sticking out.
"Min!" Ball called out as Min walked towards the table where they were sitting. As Min reached the table where the others were, he immediately took his backpack off and placed it on the table.
"Hey, Ball. Do you have a second?" Min asked, speaking in Thai, catching Bank's attention as he was the only other person who could understand.
"What's up?" Ball responded in Thai, attracting the curiosity of Aaron, Jasper, and Katrina.
"I need to talk to you about something" Min said, his face had a mixture of seriousness and indecision. Seeing how he looked, Ball agreed to go with him.
"We'll be back in a little bit" Ball said in English as he and Min walked towards the direction of the restrooms.
Ball and Min ended up going to a small lounge that was rarely visited by students around that time of day. The lounge itself have bean bags, couches, armchairs, a large flat screen television, computers stations, charging stations and some magazine racks, which has a few outdated magazines. The lounge was practically secluded, connected to a hallway that was close to the back of the cafeteria, near the restrooms.
There were barely any people on the hallway, except for a few students who have been going to the restroom, further down the hallway from where the lounge was. The lounge itself was empty and was the perfect place for Min and Ball to talk in private.
"So? What did you want to talk about? You make it sound so urgent" Ball asked in Thai, his face half-interested and half-curious as to what Min wanted to talk about. Min didn't respond immediately, still deep in thought about the subject he wanted to discuss with his closest confidant.
"Well? What is it?" Ball asked again, getting a little impatient.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking, especially what we talked about last night" Min finally spoke, speaking in Thai, getting the attention of Ball as Min opened the topic of discussion.
"About Yu-Yu?" Ball asked, even though he already knows what Min was talking about, although still oblivious to the real reason that Min pulled him at the lounge.
"I think you're right, Yu-Yu's gone, and it's about time for me to move on and be happy" Min admitted, having taking into consideration and deep thought about the advice that Ball gave him last night during their talk in front of the fountain.
Before Ball could even respond, Min spoke again, "I plan on telling Aiden my feelings". This surprised Ball, not expecting that this was what Min wanted to talk about. Although he knows about Min's feelings for Aiden, he didn't expect that Min would be bold enough to actually let Aiden know about it so soon.
"Are you seriously going to confess to Aiden!?" Ball responded, the shock and surprise were explicit in his expression and tone of voice, which reverberated not only in the lounge, but in the hallway as well.
"Keep your voice down!" Min shushed Ball who got excited quickly about the plan he just shared with him, "People might hear what you just said!".
"Relax!" Ball said, placing his hand on Min's shoulder, "Unless Bank is right outside, no one else can understand what we're talking about", he confidently reassured Min.
"In any case. Don't tell anyone in Cappuccino Power about this, even Bank, most especially Aiden's Old Guards" Min pleaded.
"Aiden's Old Guards?" Ball asked, confused as who the Old Guards were, placing his hand on his chin, trying to figure out what that meant.
"I mean, Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron and Jasper" Min clarified, Ball hitting his left palm with his fisted right hand, his eyes and mouth wide open.
"Yes. It would be troublesome if they learn about this. I don't know how the Old Guards would react. Moira and Angela will freak out if they learn about this
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Ball asked as several students passed by the lounge. Min went quiet as Ball turned around and watched the students pass by. When their voices faded into the hallway, Min responded to Ball's question.
"For one, I don't know how Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron and Jasper will take it if they learn that I have feelings for Aiden. Would they be mad? Would they try and stop me? I really don't know them well to make an accurate prediction. Moira and Angela are different though" Min explained as Ball listened attentively, only reacting to the last sentence concerning Moira and Angela.
"I get your concerns, but why is Moira and Angela an exemption?" Ball asked , curious as to what makes Moira and Angela special.
"I have a feeling that they are 'BL' Fangirls. I forgot the term that they call them, "F" something" Min responded.
"How are you able to tell that they are 'BL' Fangirls?" Ball asked, genuinely curious.
"Remember when we encountered them at the elevator?" Min asked as Ball remembered the encounter.
"Ah! The 'Raikantopeni' incident!" Ball exclaimed as he remembered his and Bank's first encounter with Moira and Angela.
"Exactly. From what I heard from my 'BL' fan friends back in Thailand, Thai 'BL' fans from other countries use 'Raikantopeni' as a codeword or signal for all things related to Thai 'BL' or something" Min explained as Ball started to realize what makes Moira and Angela special in this case.
"I see what you mean" Ball responded as memories and scenes of 'BL' Fans in Thailand flashed in his memory, sending shivers down his spine, "What about Bank?".
"I don't think I'm ready to let Bank in on this yet" Min admitted, feeling a little bad for leaving Bank out.
"Well, it's your decision anyways, I'm sure Bank will understand. I'll support you in any way I can" Ball said reassuring and offering his unconditional support to his friend.
"Thanks Ball. I really owe you one for this" Min said, grateful for the support and reassurance his friend has given him.
"We should head back, Jasper, Aaron, Katrina and Bank must be wondering where we are. Mingyu and the others are probably there too" Min added.
"You go on ahead, I'll stop by the restroom before I head back" Ball responded as he started walking out of the lounge.
"I can wait for you" Min suggested as he walked beside Ball.
"I'm not a kid Min, I think I can manage" Ball laughed as he playfully pushed Min.
"Whatever you say" Min smiled as he regained his footing.
As Min and Ball left the lounge, they parted ways. Min walking back towards the cafeteria, while Ball started walking towards the restrooms, on the opposite side. Min was able to turn the corner before Ball could even walk a few feet. The hallway was empty, except for Ball who was walking towards the restrooms, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty hallway.
As Ball walked pass the third column that was protruding out the wall, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind, pulling him closer to the wall as their silhouettes disappeared behind the column. Ball could not say anything clearly, as his mouth was covered. "Ball don't struggle too much!" a familiar voice said.
Ball's eyes widened as he said in a muffled voice, "Asgsjdhib!?".
A few minutes earlier – Different POV.
"Huh? Isn't that Min and Ball? Why are they heading to the lounge?"
Curious, I decided to follow them. As soon as I got closer to where Min and Ball were, I could hear their conversation, although I couldn't make out any of it since they were speaking in Thai.
"I plan on telling Aiden my feelings"
I stopped when I heard Aiden's name in the indecipherable conversation that Min and Ball were having. I decided to take my phone out and record everything that was being said. I moved closer to the opening that led to the lounge, as close as I can get without my presence being felt or seen. I moved my phone closer to the entrance, close enough that my phone could pick up their conversation, but far enough that my phone's silhouette or presence would not be noticed.
As their conversation went on, I heard Aiden's name being spoken again, this time from Ball who seemed surprised by what Min just said. Although I couldn't understand what it was, judging from Ball's reaction, it had to be something big, big enough that Ball would react the way he did.
Min and Ball's conversation carried on, and I listened to what they were talking about. All I could hear and decipher was the changing intonation of their words, then suddenly 'Cappuccino power' was mentioned, followed by 'Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron and Jasper', and then 'Moira and Angela'.
Just then, a group of students appeared from behind me, I quickly turned around and placed my index finger on my lips, then gesturing at them to keep on walking. Luckily they complied without any hassle, had they reacted to my presence, I would've been exposed and found out by Min and Ball.
As the students passed by the lounge and turned the corner, Min started speaking again, repeating the names that were mentioned earlier. Ball then responded mentioning Moira and Angela's names again. Min responded and the only words that I understood from whatever he said were the words "F" and 'BL'.
There were a few more exchanges between Min and Ball, and all I could really understand was the same words being repeated over and over – 'BL'. After a few more exchanges, Jasper, Aaron, Katrina, and something-something, then Mingyu was mentioned again.
The conversation continued, then I heard footsteps heading towards my direction. I quickly ended the recording, placed my phone in my pocket, then quickly, but quietly ran to the third column protruding from the wall. I was going to wait until they've cleared out, but Ball walked past by me a few seconds later.
I didn't think through it, but I suddenly grabbed Ball from behind, making sure to cover his mouth as I grab him to make sure he doesn't scream for Min. As I got a hold of him, I pulled him towards the wall, where the columns that lined the hallway could hide us from anyone walking by.
Ball was really struggling, I know I'm strong, but Ball was really pushing my strength to the limits. I didn't think Ball was strong enough to even give me a hard time holding him down. When I felt he was about to break free from my hold, I spoke, finally revealing my identity to him. He calmed down a bit, but seemed surprised when he mentioned my name, though I could barely understand it as his voice was muffled by my hand over his mouth.
Present time - Return to normal.
"Asgsjdhib!?"
"I'm going to take my hand off, don't freak out or anything, okay?"
Ball nodded, agreeing to what was asked of him. But before his mouth was released, Moira and Angela suddenly appeared out of nowhere, both parties were shocked, unable to see each other due to the columns that lined the hallway.
"Mingyu!? Ball!? What are you guys doing!?" Moira exclaimed, shocked at what she and Angela are seeing.
"Moira! Angela! Perfect timing! Ball and Min were just talking about you guys" Mingyu explained, his hand still on Ball's mouth.
"Oh? About what?" Angela asked, curious as to what Mingyu was saying.
"I don't know, they were speaking in Thai. All I could understand was 'Cappuccino Power' and the names, 'Aiden, Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron, Jasper, Moira and Angela', and a word I don't know" Mingyu explained, still covering Ball's mouth.
"What word?" Moira asked as Ball started struggling again, Mingyu trying to hold him down and covering his mouth as best he can.
"Something 'BL' or whatever" Mingyu said as he mustered enough strength to keep holding Ball down. Moira and Angela looked flabbergasted, their eyes widened, they looked at each other, shocked and nervous as their hearts started beating faster. After making eye contact with each other, they turned their attention back to Mingyu and Ball.
"What is this 'BL' thing?" Moira asked as she nervously laughed.
"Yeah, never heard of it" Angela added as they tried to play innocent. Luckily for them, Mingyu was a little bit dimwitted, and was unable to see through Moira and Angela's charade. Ball on the other hand, wasn't easily fooled by Moira and Angela's lame acting and denial.
"Whatever it is, we'll find out" Mingyu said to the further shock and nervousness of Moira and Angela who both swallowed hard, "It primarily has something to do with Aiden, Ball seemed shock when Min mentioned his name earlier, it's probably something big" Mingyu added. The revelation stimulated Moira and Angela's curiosity, somewhat abating their fears of being outed as Fujoshis. Ball reacted to what Mingyu just said as he struggled hard to escape Mingyu's hold.
"I'm going to remove my hand, but you'll have to answer us" Mingyu demanded as Ball continued to struggle. Mingyu released his hand, and quickly moved his arm around Ball's neck, keeping his hold on him. Ball was able to breathe properly as Mingyu uncovered his mouth.
"So what were you and Min talking about earlier?" Mingyu asked, a smile on his face, as if he was enjoying interrogating Ball.
"It's nothing, really!" Ball stubbornly denied as he continued his struggle.
"Oh really? That was a long conversation, it has to be something. Also, what does it have to do with Aiden? You seemed pretty shocked when you heard Min mention Aiden's name" Mingyu added.
"Like I said, it was nothing!" Ball responded.
"Maybe we could tickle him until he reveals what it is?" Angela suggested to the shock of Ball who was extremely vulnerable to being tickled, especially on his sides and his belly area.
"I have a better idea" Mingyu suggested, a huge grin forming on his face, Ball just slightly turned his head towards Mingyu, curious as to what he has under his sleeve.
"Hey Angela, could you grab my phone from my pocket" Mingyu asked as he turned slightly to show Angela which pocket he was referring to. After showing his right pocket, Angela dug into it and pulled Mingyu's phone out.
"What now?" Angela asked, holding Mingyu's phone on her hand.
"Use my face to unlock it" Mingyu instructed as Angela held the phone in front of Mingyu's face.
After the phone was unlocked, Mingyu ordered Angela to open the most recent app that he used - his phone's recorder. Mingyu instructed Angela to play the latest recording, which she promptly did, revealing the conversation Min and Ball had, starting from "…about time for me to move on and be happy" up to the moment Ball started walking out of the lounge. Moira and Angela's worries came back when they heard the contents of the recording, they started suspecting that Min and Ball we're talking about them being Fujoshis, and should Ball translate any of it, they would be outed in front of everyone.
Ball's eyes widened in shock, Mingyu has backed him into a corner. If he decides to have Bank translate it for them, regardless of Bank's ability to speak English, let alone translate it, Cappuccino Power will have an idea of the conversation's topic, and would also upset Bank if he learns that they purposefully left him out of the conversation.
As Ball was processing his thoughts, Mingyu spoke again, "If you don't tell us what this conversation was all about, we'll ask Bank to translate this, if not him, I could ask Dr. Chiva-aree from the Modern Foreign Language Department".
Ball's worst nightmare was just realized, Mingyu had the same idea as he did. What's worse was that he also had the Thai professor factored in as contingency as well. Ball didn't think that Mingyu was capable of such intricate and complex train of thought, given that he could be slow and acted as a clown most of the time. Min's plan would be revealed before he could even make his move, at this point Ball didn't have any other choice.
Ball sighed; his struggling ceased. Ball tapped Mingyu's arm, letting him know to release his grip, which the latter did, "If I tell you guys, all of you have to promise not to repeat this to any other person".
Moira and Angela got really nervous, they looked at each other, brainstorming on what to do. Of course, Ball noticed this, sensing that Moira and Angela don't want to be outed as Fujoshis, Ball demanded one condition be met before he tells them what the conversation was all about.
"What's your condition?" Mingyu asked, looking at Ball.
"The only thing I will tell you is the part concerning Aiden. Do we have a deal?" Ball said, enabling Moira and Angela to subtly give out a sigh of relief.
"Deal" Mingyu quickly agreed to the further relief of Moira and Angela.
"Remember though, this will be our secret, okay?" Ball added as Mingyu, Moira and Angela agreed.
Ball asked Moira and Angela to move closer, completely hiding them behind the third column which lined the hallway. Ball explained everything that Min told him in regard to Aiden. The reactions varied, Mingyu was a bit surprised, but was game on supporting Min with his quest, even going as far as using his relationship with Aiden to assist Min – to the surprise of Ball. Moira and Angela's reactions were as Ball had anticipated, although in a suppressed and calmer manner. Ball was also correct in his deduction that Moira and Angela were more than willing to assist, though Mingyu was oblivious to the real reasoning behind Moira and Angela's real motivation and agenda, assuming that they just wanted to help Min with his confession as a friend.
"When does Min plan on confessing?" Mingyu whispered as they all huddled up.
"I don't know, he didn't mention anything earlier. My best guess is that he would do it as soon as possible, and when there's an opportunity to do so" Ball explained.
"Aiden is always holed up in his office, Min might just go there and do it" Moira added.
"It's only a question of when" Angela chimed in as everyone nodded in agreement.
"We all should make a group chat, just the four of us, we could continue discussing this there" Mingyu suggested as everyone agreed. Moira gabbed her phone from her pocket and opened LINE where she immediately created the GC with her, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball in it.
"What should we name the GC?" Moira asked as Mingyu signaled Angela to return his phone to him.
"How about M.A.S.S.? Min-Aiden Support Squad" Ball suggested as Moira and Angela grinned, Mingyu just nodded his head quickly in agreement.
"That's sounds pretty awesome, I like it" Mingyu commented.
"This sounds so official, I'm excited" Moira added.
"We need to be discreet though, we can't let Cappuccino Power learn of this. Especially around Katrina and Aaron, they're pretty sharp, any kind of hints and they will catch on with what's going on" Angela said, urging caution around Katrina and Aaron.
"For now, I'll observe Min's movements, you guys can report on Aiden's movements. If there's a chance that the two of them will encounter each other, just message on the GC. I'm interested in watching" Ball said as the other members of M.A.S.S. agreed to Ball's plan of action.
After working on a plan of action moving forward, the four ended their secret, impromptu meeting and joined the others in the cafeteria. At the height of the moment, and everything that has happened since Min and Ball's conversation in the lounge, Ball didn't even need to go to the restroom anymore.
"Just act normal, Min can be pretty sharp as well, he'll kill me if he learns that I told you about our conversation earlier" Ball warned as they started walking towards the cafeteria.
I didn't take long for M.A.S.S. to meet up with the rest of Cappuccino Power, which luckily were still at the table. As instructed, Mingyu, Moira and Angela were acting normally, so normal in fact, that Ball was internally surprised, being careful not to make any facial expressions or body language that could tip off Min about Ball revealing his closely guarded secret.
"What took you forever Ball?" I was about to message you" Min said as Ball, Mingyu, Moira and Katrina approached the table.
"Sorry, I ran into Mingyu, Moira and Angela and got sidetracked" Ball said as an excuse as he sat where he was sitting earlier, Mingyu sitting beside him, followed by Moira and Angela.
"Did we miss anything?" Ball continued as he looked at Min, then at Jasper.
"Not much really, Min was just explaining to us why he was summoned suddenly to Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's office earlier" Jasper responded.
"I was wondering about that myself" Mingyu chimed in, "What was that all about?".
"Apparently, Aiden wanted Min to help him with the proposal he had in regard to the Student Council. Though it was not explained to him beforehand, so he was pretty nervous and anxious until Aiden was forced by the Vice Chancellor to explain the situation to him" Jasper explained.