Part 02: Student Organization Fair
It was around 19:00 when Moira and Angela arrived at Mount Juliet's west gate. By the time they got there, Ball and Mingyu were already waiting, both trying to hide their faces; Mingyu wearing a cap, while Ball wore a hoodie, a precaution suggested by Moira, so Mingyu and Ball doesn't draw any unwanted attention to them when they meet up. Since M.A.S.S. is a closely guarded secret between Moira, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball, anything that would risk revealing the group's existence had to be taken, lest they be discovered by Cappuccino Power.
"Sorry we're late, we had to finish some things for the Student Council" Moira apologized as she and Angela met up with Mingyu and Ball.
"It's fine, we actually just got here as well" Ball replied, looking weird and suspicious with his hoodie on.
"Guys, can we just go somewhere now? This hat makes me look weird and all" Mingyu complained as he slightly adjusted his hat.
"I think it suits you" Angela jokingly replied, causing Mingyu to frown as Moira and Ball chuckled.
"True, it does suit him. He looks like a tall 7-year-old" Moira added, earning more chuckles from Ball.
"I'm glad all of you are having fun. Can we go now?" Mingyu continued, his arms crossed.
"Acts like one too!" Ball chuckled, causing Moira and Angela to chuckle more, Mingyu could only sigh and roll his eyes as everyone made fun of him.
Noticing that Mingyu was starting to get annoyed, Moira finally steered the conversation and mood to a more serious one, "That was a good laugh and all, but we should get out of here, we don't want to attract any attention, or they might discover our secret group".
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that Mingyu" Ball agreed as he playfully punched Mingyu's arm.
"So do you have any place in mind?" Mingyu asked, shaking off the teases that was thrown at him.
"I do. It'll be a little walk, but this place is secluded and there are barely any MJU students that go there around this time" Moira said as she started walking, gesturing to the others to follow her lead. Although the sun has already set, the humidity was still heavy, the lights of the shops, restaurants, cafes, and eateries lined up across from the university filled the streets as Moira, Angela, Mingyu and Ball walked to the place where they could discuss Min's failed confession.
Like Moira said, the café was pretty secluded, it was close to a 15-minute walk from the university, and the group had to traverse the back streets to get there. The location of the café wasn't particularly located in an area where it's easily located nor make it seem stand out, and it wasn't an area frequented by people from Mount Juliet, making it the perfect place for M.A.S.S. to discuss Min's confession.
The café that Moira led the group to wasn't particularly big, it was located on top of a flower shop in a back alley. The exterior of the café didn't look promising, as it looked old and dilapidated, which made Ball and Mingyu nervous of the building's integrity. Moira quickly dismissed their concerns and opened the main entrance to the café, which was connected to a stairway that led to the main area.
The interior was completely different from what the exterior looked like. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing, and the interior design has a mix of a traditional and modern café. The smell of freshly grounded coffee beans and pour-over coffee filled the room, the shelf behind the main counter was filled with different kinds of coffee beans stored in large glass jars. Like Moira said, there was barely anyone there except for a few middle-aged customers who lived around the area.
As the group walked in, the barista, who is a middle-aged woman greeted them, "Moira! It's been a while! I haven't seen you since last semester" the barista said, a smile on her face as Moira walked up to her.
"Sorry Mrs. Montenegro! I have been busy during the final weeks of the last semester, and I've been pretty busy since the first few days of this semester as well" Moira said, a smile on her face as Mrs. Montenegro walked towards Moira and gave her a hug.
"Are these your friends?" Mrs. Montenegro asked as she looked at Angela, Mingyu, and Ball, "Maybe boyfriend?" she added as she looked at Ball, then Mingyu. Moira blushed at the suggestion, clearly embarrassed and taken aback by the insinuation.
"Oh, no, no! They're my friends. That's Mingyu" Moira said as she pointed at Mingyu, "That's Ball, one of our new exchange students from Thailand" Moira continued, pointing at Ball, "And that's Angela" Moira concluded as she pointed at Angela.
"Oh, I'm sorry dear. I just thought one of those handsome boys is your boyfriend" Mrs. Montenegro chuckled as she waved at Moira's friends.
"I don't have time for that Tita!" Moira responded, her face still blushing as Mrs. Montenegro laughed at Moira's reaction. Angela, Mingyu, and Ball awkwardly laughed as well.
(T/N: "Tita" is an honorific used for someone's aunt in the Philippines. It can also be used for someone, especially middle-aged women, who is not directly related to you as a sign of respect. This can only be used on someone you are close to or are closely familiar with. The male equivalent for this is "Tito")
"So, what are you all having?" Mrs. Montenegro asked, looking at Angela, Mingyu, and Ball, before focusing on Moira.
"We'll all have your special coffee Tita, please" Moira replied.
"Of course, I'll bring it to your table, just sit anywhere you like" Mrs. Montenegro replied before walking back behind the counter to prepare Moira's order.
"Thank you Tita!" Moira replied before she and the others walked towards a table close to the large window pane. Angela, and Mingyu saying thank you as the passed by Mrs. Montenegro. Ball did the "Wai", the traditional Thai greeting where they slightly bow their heads and palms pressed together, as he passed by the barista.
The group sat on a round table, Mingyu and Ball sitting close to the window, their backs turned towards it, while Moira and Angela sat on the opposite end, facing the window. Beside Mingyu was a wall, where the upholstered booth seats were located, closer to the back of the café.
As they settled in, Mingyu initiated the conversation, "So what happened? Was Min able to confess?" he asked with excitement. Moira and Angela sighed, their expressions suddenly turned depressed and defeated, as if they absorbed Min's initial reaction to his failed confession.
"What's wrong? You both look like you just saw someone die" Ball commented as Mingyu faced him, lightly slapping the back of his head.
"Min's confession failed" Moira responded, as she slouched towards the table, her voice disappointed.
"What!?" Mingyu and Ball reacted at the same time, looking at each other before turning their attention back to Moira.
"What happened!?" Mingyu asked, curious as to how everything went down.
"Did Min back out the last minute or something?" Ball added as he and Mingyu pressed Moira for more information, unable to control their impatience.
"It's more like an outside intervention more than anything else" Angela interjected, causing Mingyu and Ball to shift their attention to Angela.
"What do you mean?" Mingyu asked as he and Ball leaned towards the table.
"Min was about to say "I Like you" when Aiden's phone rang, from what Angela and I gathered, it was from Director Guerrero from the International Exchange Office" Moira explained as Mingyu and Ball once again shifted their attention to Moira, the two sighing after hearing what happened, sharing the same depressed and defeated reaction that Moira and Angela have.
"It didn't seem that way when Min returned to our suite earlier. He looked normal and didn't act out of the ordinary" Ball shared.
"Well, Aiden did tell him that whatever he was going to tell him, he can tell him tomorrow" Moira added, reviving everyone's mood.
"Does that mean it's going to be during the Student Organization Fair?" Mingyu asked.
"That's probably the only chance that Min is going to get tomorrow. We don't have too many classes, but I imagine Aiden would be busy for the Student Organization Fair, and his classes" Ball added, Moira and Angela nodding in agreement with the last part of Ball's statement.
"The probability for that is really high, actually" Angela said, causing Mingyu and Ball to shift their attention towards Angela again.
"What makes you say that Angela?" Ball asked, stealing the words right out of Mingyu's mouth.
"It's probably going to happen during Aiden and Min's shift at the control booth tomorrow" Moira answered to the surprise of Mingyu and Ball.
"What shift!?" Mingyu reacted in surprise.
"What control booth?" Ball asked, curious.
"One at a time! I can't answer both questions at the same time" Moira responded. Before Moira could say any more, Mrs. Montenegro walked over to their table with four cups of coffee, placing one in front of Moira, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball. After Mrs. Montenegro place the cups in front of them, a high school aged girl walked up to the table, placing a bowl of halo-halo in front of everyone.
"We didn't order any halo-halo Tita" Moira said, confused about the halo-halo on their table.
"It's my treat" Mrs. Montenegro said, smiling.
"Really!?" Mingyu reacted, while Ball looked at the halo-halo bowl in front of him, amazed at how colorful and delicious it looked.
"No, Tita, it's okay. I'll pay for it" Moira insisted.
"It's fine, it's my parting gift to you and your friends" Mrs. Montenegro replied, causing Moira to stop digging in her bag for her wallet.
"Parting gift? What do you mean?" Moira asked, confused as to what Mrs. Montenegro meant.
"Actually, we're closing the café down at the end of this month, my husband and I decided to move back in the province" Mrs. Montenegro revealed to the shock and dismay of Moira.
"How come!?" Moira responded, her voice breaking a little.
"My husband's mother is not in good health, and the utilities and rent for the space has been getting expensive, and we're barely getting any customers" Mrs. Montenegro continued as Moira listened on, still trying to absorb the fact that her favorite café is closing down.
Moira lowered her head a bit after hearing the sad news, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball stayed quiet as they looked at Moira who seemed really affected by the impending closure of the café. There was silence at the table Moira and the rest were sitting, as the background was filled with chatters from the few customers present and the sound of dripping coffee.
Mrs. Montenegro placed her hand on Moira's shoulder, smile on her face, "It's okay Moira, my husband and I will be visiting from time to time. My daughter will still attend Mount Charlotte High School until she graduates, though she'll be staying in the dormitories once we move".
Moira lifted her head up as she looked at Mrs. Montenegro, "I really enjoy this place, I just find it hard to believe that it's closing" Moira said as she slowly scanned the interior of the café, reminiscing of the moments she spent there during her freshman year.
"It'll be okay, we can still meet up when we visit Liza. I can make you your favorite coffee" Mrs. Montenegro said as Moira stood up and gave her a hug.
"Thank you for everything Tita" Moira said, breaking off from the hug, "I'll visit as often as I could, and enjoy this place until the very end".
"You're always welcome here Moira" Mrs. Montenegro replied, "You're like my other daughter, and I really appreciate you coming here".
"We'll come back for sure!" Ball chimed in as he gave one of his bright and alluring smiles.
"Yeah, for sure! We'll bring our friends along the next time too!" Mingyu added in support of Ball's comment, Angela nodding in agreement.
"You guys…" Moira said, as she and Mrs. Montenegro looked at Angela, Mingyu, and Ball, "Thank you, this means a lot for me, and I really appreciate it".
Mrs. Montenegro chuckled, causing Moira, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball to look at her, "You have such nice friends Moira, I'm glad you all feel the same way. It's sad that we're all meeting like this when we're close to closing our business".
"We should be thanking you ma'am! The coffee smells really good, and this dessert looks really good too!" Ball said as his face brimmed with happiness and gratitude.
"Thank you so much young man, I hope you enjoy the halo-halo" Mrs. Montenegro replied, "Well, Moira, I'll leave you and your friends be, enjoy your coffee and halo-halo".
"Thank you again Tita" Moira replied before Mrs. Montenegro walked back to the counter. As she walked away, Moira sat back down and faced her friends.
"I'm sorry for being emotional like that, I've been attached to this place for some reason" Moira explained as she gave off a smile.
"It's fine Moira! We all have things we get attached to!" Angela said as she placed her hand on Moira's shoulder, lightly tapping it to comfort her friend.
"Thanks Angela" Moira smiled before looking at Mingyu and Ball's direction, the former giving a thumbs up, and the latter giving a peace sign, their faces looking wacky, which caused Moira to chuckle.
"Thanks guys" Moira said, "In any case, back to our topic. Where were we again?"
Before anyone could respond, a silhouette emerged from behind the wall where Mingyu's back was facing, "You were talking about the control booth and the shift".
M.A.S.S. turned towards the direction of the voice and was shocked and surprise to see a Mount Juliet ROTC Cadet Officer standing behind Mingyu, this left the group frozen in place and unable to respond.
"Mount Juliet University 1st ROTC Company Executive Officer, Cadet-Captain Rebecca Francisco" Rebecca introduced herself, saluting the flabbergasted group. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation regarding President Kobayashi and International Student Representative Nontanakorn, it seems like an interesting topic" Rebecca said as she lowered her arm.
"S-Since when have you been here?" Moira stuttered as she asked Rebecca.
"Long before everyone arrived" Rebecca responded, "I must admit, this is a really interesting group here, Student Council Chief of Staff Moira Sato, Student Council Public Relations Officer Angela Dela Cruz, International Student Organization Vice President Mingyu Park, and Thammasat University Exchange Student Rathavit Pattaya".
"Hey! How do you know all that!?" Mingyu retorted, his facial expression a mix of nervousness and anxiety. Ball and Angela's faces looked nervous as well, while Moira wore a stoic expression, trying not to overreact as she thought of a way to get them out of this unexpected situation.
Rebecca chuckled, "Don't look so tensed guys, I'm not going to report this to my superior nor President Kobayashi, I'm actually keen in joining this little group of yours". Rebecca's revelation surprised Moira, Mingyu, Angela, and Ball, not expecting that those words were actually coming from a Mount Juliet ROTC Cadet Officer.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Angela asked, stuttering, curious but cautious of Rebecca's intentions, "Why would an ROTC Cadet Officer want to join us? Why should we trust you?"
"Additionally, what are you doing here? Were you following us!?" Mingyu added. Moira was really cautious, not wanting to say anything that could further compromise their secret group. Ball on the other hand was starting to get nervous as he risked facing Aiden's wrath and Min's disappointment.
"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down guys" Rebecca said as she held her arms out, her palms facing the group, her mannerism and socialization were pretty chill and relaxed, something that M.A.S.S. didn't quite expect.
"Firstly" Rebecca said as she looked at Mingyu, "I know who all of you are, obviously I'm a Mount Juliet University Student and ROTC Cadet, it would be an embarrassment for me not to know and recognize the members of the Student Council. Of course everyone knows Mingyu Park, MJU's #6 Hottest, and Rathavit Pattaya, you two caused quite a stir the other night" Rebecca explained as she crossed her arms, "Even if I didn't know those facts, I would know eventually, I'm the commanding officer of the MJU 1st ROTC company's intelligence detachment, I also serve as Cadet-Major Del Rosario's second in command"
Moira, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball reacted with horror as Rebecca revealed more about herself, their faces losing color. Not only did they carelessly give away their secret group and their conversation to an MJU Cadet Officer, but she also turned out to be a high-ranking cadet officer that commands a vital and important detachment of the 1st ROTC company and the second in command of Cadet-Major Del Rosario, who works and reports directly with the Student Council and Aiden.
"Second" Rebecca said as she turned her attention towards Angela, uncrossing her arms and placing her hand inside her pockets, "I said what I said, I want to join your group" Rebecca smiled, making Moira more suspicious and cautious of Rebecca's intentions and motives, "I don't know what you guys have against towards the ROTC for you to distrust me so much, but I'm just curious and wish to help you guys with President Kobayashi and Representative Nontanakorn".
"Third" Rebecca said as she turned towards Mingyu again, "This is a public establishment, so anyone can freely come and go here. Like I said earlier, I've been here long before you guys showed up, so it would be impossible for me to follow you guys if I was already here" Rebecca answered before she sighed, looking disappointed, "It's disappointing that someone as handsome and hot as you would turn out to be a blockhead" she added as she shook her head.
"What was that!?" Mingyu reacted, looking like he was ready to fight Rebecca. Ball and Angela could only respond with suppressed chuckles as they agreed with Rebecca's last statement.
"You forgot to answer the other question" Moira interjected as everyone focused their attention on her.
"Which is?" Rebecca responded as she made eye contact with Moira.
"Why should we trust you?" Moira replied, feeling extremely nervous and anxious, but was keeping her external appearance as calm and cool as possible.
"Hmmmmm" Rebecca muttered as she placed her right hand under her chin, her left arm supporting her right elbow. Just as Rebecca was thinking of a way to make the group trust her, Angela's phone vibrated, and a notification banner showed on her screen. This caught Rebecca's attention and got a glimpse of Angela's wallpaper; she gave a smile after seeing the wallpaper and placed her hands back in her pockets.
"Raikantopeni mosomropuchom timi ayu sipsampi keun pai atmip phap sieng reunuha tetongchai wictherenayan negan rapchom puchom timi ayu noy kwa sipsampi keun de rap kanetnam" Rebecca suddenly recited, catching Moira, Angela, and Ball completely off guard, while leaving Mingyu lost and confused as to what she just said.
"What the hell was that?" Mingyu muttered in confusion, as Ball started laughing, prompting Mingyu to look at him, "What's so funny Ball?"
"Moira" Ball laughed, his eyes squinting, "I think we can trust her; don't you think?"
Moira and Angela just stared at Rebecca, half surprised and half concerned. Surprised because they weren't expecting her to recite the unofficial credo of the Thai Boys' Love Fandom, concerned because they weren't sure whether to believe what she was saying or not. Given that Rebecca is the commanding officer of the MJU 1st ROTC company Intelligence detachment, she could have researched that and used it against them to make them trust her. What concerned them the most was the fact that their hidden lives as Fujoshis may have already been compromised by the ROTC.
"Your wallpaper" Rebecca spoke again, as she focused her eyes on Angela.
"Who me?" Angela said pointing at herself, as Moira turned to look at her friend.
"Yeah" Rebecca replied, "That's 23:59 right?".
Moira and Angela almost immediately jumped out of their seats as they started hugging Rebecca, confusing Mingyu even more as he couldn't follow what was happening. Ball just continued laughing, knowing that this was going to be Moira and Angela's reaction to Rebecca's sudden revelation.
"OMG! You're one of us!?" Moira exclaimed as their squeals attracted the attention of everyone in the café, looking at what was going on.
"Proud Wanjaai!" Rebecca confidently revealed as Angela started slapping Rebecca's left arm out of excitement and glee to the unprecedented turn of events, "Also an ARMY, TaeKook and YoonMin stan".
"I could die right now girl! OMG!" Angela exclaimed as she gave Rebecca a hug after Moira broke off from their hug.
"We can trust her Mingyu" Moira confidently said as she faced Mingyu, who was looking at her like she had completely lost her mind.
"I think you all should calm down now, everyone is looking over here" Ball said as Moira, Angela, and Rebecca looked towards the other side of the café where the other customers were, and Ball was right when he said everyone was looking. As they settled down, Moira invited Rebecca to sit with them, which she did, but not before grabbing her stuff on the upholstered booth just behind the wall close to where Mingyu was sitting.
As Rebecca settled down between Angela and Mingyu, the latter was still suspicious and untrusting of the ROTC Cadet Officer, as she sat casually next to him. Additionally, Mingyu was still trying to process and comprehend Ball, Moira, and Angela's sudden change of heart. One from being suspicious and anxious to excited and trusting.
"So, guys what's up with the sudden change of heart?" Mingyu asked as Moira, Angela, and Rebecca looked towards him. Moira and Angela looked at each other before they looked at Rebecca who saw their facial expression from the edge of her eye. Before Rebecca could respond to Mingyu's question, Ball suddenly spoke.
"Personally, it's a gut feeling, and I think I can speak on Moira and Angela's behalf when I say it could be women's intuition, right?" Ball said as he looked at Moira and Angela, quickly winking, signaling the girls that he has their backs.
"Well, I didn't get that gut feeling." Mingyu said as she gave Rebecca a suspicious look.
"I don't know why you seem to distrust the ROTC so much" Rebecca said as she looked at Mingyu.
"Well, you guys are loyal to Aiden, and follow him like robots. You might reveal this group and our discussion to him and Amy" Mingyu responded, still highly suspicious and untrusting of Rebecca.
Rebecca shook her head before facepalming, staying in that position for a few seconds as Moira, Angela, and Ball looked at her reaction. Mingyu was keeping the same suspicious look as Rebecca lifted her head back up and looked at Mingyu, "Okay, first off, we're not loyal to any one person. We pledged an oath and allegiance to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Mount Juliet Student Government, but above all, the Philippine Flag and Constitution. Our loyalties belong to the Student Body and the Philippine Flag, we follow the orders of the Student Council President, as the duly elected representative of the entire MJU Student Body, whoever it may be, and are duty bound to serve the office of the Student Council President, not the office holder".
"Second, we're not robots. We're breathing, living human beings too, you know! Just because we stand at attention as ROTC cadets, doesn't mean we've lost our individuality, character, and personality. While it's true that Amy says that we are cadets first, and students second while at MJU, it doesn't apply outside of campus. Out here, we're students first, and cadets second, and as such are free to express ourselves and let our actual personalities and character come out" Rebecca continued as she rebuffed Mingyu before Moira defused the situation before it got out of hand.
"Right. Both of you calm down, we didn't come here to argue. We're here to discuss Min and Aiden" Moira interrupted as Mingyu, and Rebecca agreed to put aside their differences and focus on their main topic.
"In any case, what is this group all about? What does it have to do with Aiden and Min?" Rebecca asked as she looked at Moira.
"This group is the 'Min-Aiden Support Squad' or M.A.S.S. for short, we're here to support Min in his quest to confess to Aiden" Angela explained as Rebecca nodded, her face expressing strong interest and glee.
"Do you mind if I join you guys?" Rebecca asked, garnering a quick nod from Moira, Angela, and Ball. Everyone then looked at Mingyu who seemed unconvinced and cautious about letting Rebecca join them.
"I still don't feel comfortable letting you join us, truth be told" Mingyu said, causing Angela and Ball to sigh in disappointment.
"Come on Mingyu, she'd be a great addition to the squad. Think about it, she's a high-ranking ROTC Officer Cadet, she can help us enormously with this" Moira argued as she tried to convince Mingyu.
"She's right Mingyu, we could use an insider in the ROTC. The more eyes we have, the better we can track Aiden's movements, plus she's the commanding officer of the 1st ROTC Intelligence detachment, we could get lots of information that the four of us can't possible get!" Ball added, bringing additional weight to Moira's argument.
"She can be useful in monitoring Min and Aiden during the Student Organization Fair. Since she's ROTC she can move freely close to the control booth without arousing suspicion. If we hang around the control booth too much outside our rotation, it might tip off Aiden and Min" Angela also added as they tried to argue their case to Mingyu.
"As a gesture of goodwill, I'll share some inside scoop from the 1st ROTC company. Maybe it'll help you trust me a little" Rebecca spoke, piquing the curiosity of Mingyu.
"Fine, let's hear it. I'll make a decision based on the information you'll provide" Mingyu responded as Rebecca slightly nodded.
"There are two things I want to share. The first concerning Cadet-Sergeant Joyce Cruz and Cadet-Corporal Jane Domingo, from the 1st and 6th ROTC companies respectively. The second is the extent of Cadet-Major Del Rosario's knowledge in regard to Aiden and Min" Rebecca started, piquing the curiosity of everyone.
"First things first, the matter between Cadet-Sergeant Cruz and Cadet-Corporal Domingo. Both of them seem to be eyeing the International Student Representative, and a one-sided rivalry has formed between them, at least in the eyes of Cadet-Sergeant Cruz" Rebecca explained.
"If you want to succeed in assisting Min, you need to keep a close eye on the two of them. They may not seem like a nuisance between Aiden and Min as of now, but they could pose problems for M.A.S.S. down the road if their rivalry becomes mutual and starts getting serious" Rebecca continued.
"Secondly. I think Cadet-Major Del Rosario may be aware of something going on between Min and Aiden, although I haven't exactly ascertained the full extent of what she knows, or any kind of specifics about it" Rebecca added, surprising everyone at the table.
"Wait. What do you mean by that?" Mingyu asked, "Does Amy have something on Min and Aiden?"
"Like I said, I don't know the extent of what Amy knows, I'll try to poke around and see if she'll drop a hint, but knowing Amy, she doesn't usually let her guard down, especially within campus" Rebecca replied.
"How can you say that Amy might know something, Rebecca?" Moira asked, curious on how Rebecca came to that conclusion.
"It happened earlier, at the 1st ROTC company's barracks when we were briefed on our upcoming deployments and Aiden's order to rotate our personnel roster, as she was ending the briefing, Amy told Cadet-Sergeant Cruz, 'You'll never know, 'someone' may have already taken the International Student Representative's heart' before heading towards her office. I didn't quite understand it then, but after overhearing your conversation, everything just connected, though I don't have definitive proof that Aiden is that 'someone' Amy was talking about, but there's a strong possibility" Rebecca explained as M.A.S.S. looked at each other, surprised by Rebecca's information in regard to Amy.
"You might be right, Amy has been around Aiden a lot lately, it's not surprising if she noticed something" Moira concluded. "But when did Amy notice anything?" Angela asked.
"I bet it was during the Gerry's Grill incident, something must've happened there that Amy noticed" Rebecca theorized.
"Nothing really happened, except for that one cadet putting ice packs on Min's back, the ROTC dispersing the crowds, Aiden giving us an earful, and the run back to the student center" Mingyu said.
"Whatever it may be, I'll keep my ears open, someone must've noticed something" Rebecca said as Moira, Angela, and Bank looked at Mingyu.
"What?" Mingyu said as everyone intensified their gaze. Mingyu sighed, already knowing what the other three are signaling to him, "Fine, Rebecca can be our fifth member" Mingyu reluctantly agreed as Moira and Angela reacted with joy, high fiving Rebecca before Ball leaned towards the ROTC Cadet Officer and gave her a fist bump.
"Do you have LINE Rebecca?" Ball asked as he took his phone out, Moira, and Angela doing the same.
"I don't, but I can download it" Rebecca said as she took her phone out, opening the App Store and searching the LINE app. After Rebecca downloaded LINE and made an account, Moira borrowed her phone and used the IQ code to add her, she then added her to the M.A.S.S. group chat.
"This GC is our main line of communication, we'll share anything and everything that relates to Min and Aiden, any information such as location, movement, or if they are together" Moira explained as Rebecca nodded her head.
"Which leads us back to the rotation and control booth" Mingyu chimed in, catching the attention of the girls, who were busy adding each other on LINE.
"Oh, yeah! The rotation of the shifts. Moira partnered Min and Aiden for the final shift in the control booth for the Student Organization Fair" Angela said in an excited voice, causing Rebecca to smile and cover her mouth to hide her excitement.
"That's the advantage of being the Chief of Staff, you can manipulate things to your liking, and based on how Aiden does things back during our time in the Freshman Council, he doesn't like changing anything on things related to events that are happening soon" Moira said as she gave a maniac-esque laughter, the back of her left hand covering her mouth. Mingyu and Ball just winced in response but was lowkey happy about Moira's ninja moves with the shift rotation.
"I see what you did there" Rebecca said as she made a weird facial expression.
"So what is this control booth anyways?" Ball asked, cutting the excitement short.
"It's where Aiden and Amy will be for the entire time during the Student Organization Fair tomorrow. It's basically a mobile command and control center that is used by the university for major events" Moira explained as Ball focused his attention on Moira.
"The control booth is like a normal room, built with titanium and has sophisticated and state-of-the-art equipment in it, it can control different kinds of equipment depending on the venue and event. For the Student Organization Fair tomorrow, the music, video presentation, lightning, communications, and announcements will be controlled from the control booth. The CCTV feeds inside and outside the venue will be connected to the control booth and the check-in roster for the students attending will be directed there as well" Moira continued.
"I get it now. So it's like the nerve center for everything tomorrow" Ball commented as he got the gist of what the control booth is.
"So, what are you guys planning for tomorrow?" Rebecca asked as she shifted back the conversation to the main topic.
"I personally want to see the confession happen" Moira admitted, as Angela, Mingyu, and Ball nodded their heads in agreement.
"As much as I want to see it, all of us being in the control room will raise too much suspicion, plus Amy will be there with Aiden and Min" Angela said.
"Do you think Min would push through with the confession with Amy in there?" Mingyu asked as he looked at Ball.
"I doubt it. Knowing Min, he would rather him and Aiden be alone" Ball replied.
"Do you think we could get Amy out of the control booth?" Angela asked as she looked at Rebecca.
"It wouldn't be easy. It would take something major to happen for her to abandon her post, or if Aiden himself orders Amy out of the control booth" Rebecca said, prompting Angela to rethink her question.
"It seems like we're going to have a dilemma in our hands" Moira said as everyone looked at her.
"What do you mean by dilemma?" Mingyu asked.
"Well, let's just say we found a way to get Amy out of the control booth, and Min and Aiden are left alone. I don't think we can eavesdrop on the confession" Moira explained.
"This is true. The control booth will be positioned right in the middle of the Student Organization Fair, so if we eavesdropped it would attract too much attention. Furthermore, there will be cadets stationed on each corner of the control booth and two cadets by the entrance" Rebecca chimed in.
"So we have a choice, either we let Min confess to Aiden without us being able to eavesdrop, or…" Ball said, hesitating to continue what he was going to say.
"Or?" Mingyu asked, "What is it Ball? Don't leave us hanging like that man".
Ball turned towards Mingyu, looking at him for a few seconds before turning his attention towards the girls, who looked eager to hear what he's going to say, "...Or we could do the opposite and prevent Min from confessing to Aiden, at least just for tomorrow" Ball finally said.
"So you're suggesting we do everything in our power to prevent Min from confessing to Aiden?" Rebecca asked to the surprise of Mingyu, and Angela, "Basically, doing a complete 180 on this group's purpose".
"Unless of course you don't want to see the confession" Ball responded, causing Moira and Rebecca to sigh and lean on their chairs.
"I personally want to see it too. This is a once in lifetime opportunity" Rebecca said.
"I think it's a better alternative than finding a way to eavesdrop on Min and Aiden in the control room" Rebecca continued.
"Is there really no way?" Angela asked.
"The area will be crawling with ROTC cadets, and with the CCTV feeds connected to the control booth, it would be impossible to get in close and eavesdrop without attracting too much suspicion or attention" Rebecca said.
"Is there a way we could lure everyone out of the area? Amy included?" Mingyu asked.
"Not possible. The Student Council's Sergeant at Arms' crowd and traffic control plan is full proof, it has contingencies included that would keep cadets close to the control booth, the ROTC field tent, and the medical booth. Even if there was a major incident that would clear the area, Aiden, Min, and Amy would also have to evacuate the control booth" Rebecca explained.
Mingyu sighed at Rebecca's explanation, "Damn it, Aaron! Why did you have to do your job so well".
"Aiden would expect nothing less" Moira quickly replied.
"It seems like our only option would be Ball's plan" Angela admitted.
"We have no choice at the moment" Moira conceded.
"Min's next chance would be before, during, or after the International Student Welcome Party" Angela said before Moira started giggling, causing everyone to look at her.
"Something wrong Moira? Why are you giggling all of a sudden?" Mingyu asked, confused and curious as to what Moira was giggling about.
"It's a secret! All of you would just have to wait until the welcome party" Moira responded as she kept her plan a secret.
"You won't even tell us?" Ball asked.
"It would ruin the surprise" Moira said teasingly, "I promise though, it would be worth everyone's wait".
"If you insist then, I won't push further" Ball reluctantly conceded to Moira's wish.
"Right. So, just to recap, we're all going to prevent Min from confessing to Aiden tomorrow" Rebecca asked as everyone in the group nodded in agreement.
"We'll keep each other updated on the group chat. All of our communications will be done there, we can't be seen together in the open and discussing this, it will compromise our group" Moira said.
"Sounds like a plan. By the way, when are you guys planning on eating your halo-halo, and drinking your coffee?" Rebecca asked as she pointed at their almost melted treat. When everyone looked at their bowls, they started panicking since they forgot about the halo-halo, being carried away by Rebecca's sudden appearance and discussing their plan of action in regards with Min and Aiden.
Moira, Angela, Mingyu, and Ball started eating their semi-slushed halo-halo, and drinking their lukewarm coffee as Rebecca watched them, making small talks as they ate. It was already close to 21:00 when everyone decided to leave the café and push through with their plan to prevent Min from confessing to Aiden. Mingyu in particular was ready to go since he has a 7:00 AM class in the morning, but he still has to walk Ball back to the International House to make sure he gets back safely.
Before everyone left the café, Moira gave Mrs. Montenegro a hug, while the rest of M.A.S.S. gave their heartful thanks to the owner before they all left. The group walked together until they reached MJU's west gate, where they all said their goodbyes before they all parted ways. Mingyu and Ball entered the university and the latter walked Ball up to the International House before heading home. Moira, Angela, and Rebecca all rode the train together as they were all headed the same direction, this gave them ample time to bond and talk about their ships and other 'special interests'.
The next morning, inside one of MJU's field houses, Aiden was sitting on the bleachers, a hoodie covering his head to hide himself from everyone, as he reads 'Agenda 21' by Glenn Beck. His reading was interrupted when he noticed two figures standing in front of him, prompting him to lower his book. To his irritation and annoyance, it was Mingyu and Min, "Oh for fuck's sake" Aiden whispered as he forcefully closed his book before laying it down beside him.
"Yo! Mr. Ikemen!" Mingyu cheerfully greeted Aiden as he sat beside him, putting his arm around his neck, as Min watched the cheerful Mingyu and the irate Aiden.
Aiden clicked his tongue, "Can you be any louder Mingyu?" he asked sarcastically as he pulled his hoodie forward, trying to hide his face as to not attract any unnecessary attention to himself.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Aiden continued in a colder than usual voice, so cold in fact that Mingyu and Min shivered in response.
"A-ah.." Mingyu stuttered, an awkward smile forming on his face as he slowly pulled his arm off Aiden.
"You're in the volleyball varsity team, what are you doing in a volleyball class?" Aiden asked, his voice cold and irate, his cheek twitching, "You just want an easy 'A' from this class don't you!?".
Min started scratching his cheek, "So, what's this Mr. Ikemen thing?" he asked as Mingyu quickly got up from where he was sitting and covered Min's mouth as Aiden slowly turned his head towards Mingyu and Min, his eyes giving off a sharp death stare.
"Min! Don't say that to him! He doesn't like it when people call him that!" Mingyu whispered in Min's ear as Aiden slowly got up from the bleachers. "But you just called him that?" Min asked, his voice muffled.
"Well, I'm the exception to that" Mingyu whispered in response as Aiden started walking towards them.
Before Aiden could reach them, the class instructor, Coach Anna Briones called everyone to gather up. The volleyball class formed four rows of ten - Aiden, Mingyu and Min lined up on the last row. Aiden is the last person on the first column, Mingyu and Min next to him on his left, in that order.
"Here I thought Min being in this class was bad enough, now even Mingyu is here. It's going to be a pain in the ass dealing with the two of them and everyone else" Aiden thought to himself before giving off a deep sigh, catching Mingyu and Min's attention; the former lowkey smirking, given that he is part of M.A.S.S., while the latter seemed a little concerned about Aiden.
Everyone in the volleyball class is wearing the standard Mount Juliet University PE uniform, a black tracksuit with a zip up polyester hoodie jacket and track pants. The jacket bore the Mount Juliet's signature wolf on the back, while the university's sigil was printed on the left breast area of the jacket. Underneath their tracksuit is a white PE shirt, that has "Mount Juliet University" written on the front, and below it is "PE", they also have shorts that went down to their knees. Aiden's jacket zipper was unzipped mid chest, exposing the white shirt underneath his jacket, Mingyu has his jacket wrapped around his waist, visibly showing the white PE uniform underneath, while Min has his zipper all the way up to his neck.
"Oh, this is interesting" Coach Briones commented as she skimmed through her roster, "It seems like Aiden Kobayashi is in my class" she said as the female students reacted in excitement. Aiden clicked his tongue as the class started reacting, pulling his hoodie forward. "Where is Mr. Kobayashi?" Coach Briones asked as she looked for Aiden.
"He's right here!" Mingyu called out, using both his hands to point at Aiden, "Fuck it Mingyu!" Aiden whispered as he reluctantly pulled his hoodie back, and raised his hand, "Here".
"I didn't expect the President of the Student Council to be in my volleyball class" Coach Briones commented as she turned her focus on Mingyu, "Mr. Park, what are you doing in this class?".
"Here to get an 'A' Coach!" Mingyu responded as everyone in the class laughed.
"Obviously you would, all MJU athletes already has an 'A' on all physical education classes" Coach Briones replied, "Well, since you're here, I'll have you help around".
"Let's see" Coach Briones said as she scanned her roster, "It seems like we have an international student in my class as well, "Mr. Nonta.. Non.. How do you pronounce this?"
Min raised his hand as the instructor looked at him, "It's Nontanakorn, coach! You can call me Min; I think that would make it easier" Min replied, as students who looked at Min reacted as well.
"It definitely helps, thank you Min. I'll take note of that" Coach Briones said as she wrote something on her roster before taking everyone's attendance. After taking the attendance, coach Briones had everyone spread out as they began doing warm ups, starting off with high knees, followed by sumo squats, quad stretches, lunges, high skips, jumping jacks, and arm rotations.
"All right!" Coach Briones said, clapping her hands signaling everyone to finish up with the warm ups.
"Next up, everyone will do five laps around the court! Let's go MJU wolves!" Coach Briones instructed as she blew her whistle to the whines of her students, who reluctantly followed her instructions.
Min and Mingyu didn't have a problem doing the laps, given that they played sports that have conditioned their bodies to be able to tolerate sustained physical activities for long periods of time. Aiden on the other hand seemed like he was struggling, running in a clumsy manner, as if he was already out of energy, or he just didn't want to do it.
"KOBAYASHI! Why are you running like that! Come on! This is a volleyball class, not a walk in the beach!" Coach Briones shouted as she watched Aiden run in front of the bleachers. Min and Mingyu slowed their paces down as they ran beside Aiden, as if trying to encourage him to keep going.
Min was a bit concerned, in his perspective, Aiden seemed to be struggling, although he wasn't really catching his breath nor breathing that hard compared to the other students. Mingyu on the other hand was just smiling and laughing at the fact Aiden was running like that.
"Come on now Aiden, this is just like that Gerry's grill incident" Mingyu joked as Aiden clicked his tongue in response, maintaining his clumsy running pace.
"Don't push yourself too hard Aiden" Min said out of concern, as Mingyu turned his head to the side, away from both Min and Aiden, biting his lips, a grin forming on his face.
It took 15 minutes for the entire class to finish the five laps, with over half the class catching their breathes. Aiden, although seemingly struggling at running, was barely catching his breathe. Before everyone could normalize their breathing, coach Briones instructed everyone to take off their tracksuits, pair up and grab a ball in one of the two baskets close to them.
"Everyone will practice setting, hitting, and passing! After 10 minutes, we'll start with an actual game!" Coach Briones announced as everyone partnered up. Aiden chose the lesser of the two evils and paired up with Mingyu, while Min paired up with a random male student.
"Not partnering up with Min?" Mingyu asked with a teasing smile on his face.
"Shut up Mingyu" Aiden replied as he threw the ball at his friend, who just chuckled as he caught the ball.
"So, what's the deal? Why not partner up with him?" Mingyu asked as he set the ball towards Aiden.
"What's it to you? Don't be too nosy" Aiden responded with an annoyed tone, as he received the ball and hit it back towards Mingyu.
"I was just curious" Mingyu responded as he returned the ball to Aiden with a gentle spike.
"Curiosity kills Mingyu" Aiden replied as he hit the ball back to Mingyu, who then spiked the ball harder than the last time, flying right by Aiden's face as it hit the floor behind him.
"Shit!" Mingyu cussed as he nearly hit Aiden's face, unable to control the strength he used to hit the ball.
Aiden was surprised that Mingyu would spike the ball with that kind of strength, which was known to knock other players out from a direct hit in the face. Had it hit him on the face, he would surely go down on the floor hard, and probably unconscious. "You okay Aiden!?" Mingyu said as he rushed towards him.
"I'm fine. What the hell was that? Are you trying to knock me out?" Aiden asked.
"I'm sorry, I just really got into it" Mingyu responded as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well, don't. This is not a real game, so hold back a bit" Aiden said as one of their classmates threw the ball back, which Mingyu caught with his hand, "I take that back, just use 5% of your actual strength".
"I'm not worried, if it's you it wouldn't be a problem" Mingyu said as he walked back with the ball to his previous position, a smile on his face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Aiden whispered as Mingyu set the ball towards him again.
After the allotted time, Coach Briones divided the class into two groups, one group would be the first to play one set, while the second group would play the following set, pitting the winners of each group against each other on a third and final set. Coach Briones would be acting as the referee, while two students would keep score.
Min was part of the first group, which would play first, while Aiden and Mingyu were part of the second group. The match between the two teams of the first group didn't last long, since Min's group had pretty good players, plus a few tall players which allowed them to have a balanced offensive and defensive players, compared to their opponents who, although had good players which gave them a little more offensive power, they lacked players that could defend against their opponents.
After Min's team won the first set, the second group took the court, Aiden and Mingyu ended up on the same team which had a good mix of players in both offense and defense. The opposing team also had the same composition, but Aiden and his team had the advantage, given that Mingyu was a volleyball player.
"Mr. Park! Try to hold back, don't get too serious with the newbies!" Coach Briones instructed before she signaled for the server to get to position. The first one to serve was Aiden, which caused the girls and some boys to squeal and cheer for him – Min smiled as he watched Aiden get into position.
Coach Briones blew her whistle, signaling Aiden to serve the ball. Like he did when he was running, he spiked the ball clumsily and without much power, causing the ball to hit the back of Mingyu's head, which caused the entire class to laugh – Aiden's expression still the same. Coach Briones immediately blew her whistle, "KOBAYASHI! Serve the ball properly! Put some life into hitting the ball! Do it again!".
Aiden was given another chance to serve, this time, Mingyu crouched down, to avoid getting hit again. When coach Briones blew her whistle, Aiden started his serve, still clumsy, but with a bit more power than his previous serve, but it wasn't powerful enough as it hit the net and fell on their side of the court. Coach Briones could only face palm as Min chuckled at Aiden's second blunder.
The ball was then turned over to the opposing team, their server was able to get her spike across the net and the game officially began. Although it was a close game, mostly because of Aiden's clumsy moments, Mingyu was able to pull the entire team by adjusting his play depending on the situation, allowing their team to win their match.
The game between Aiden and Min's teams started almost immediately. The first to serve was Aiden's team, with Mingyu serving. After coach Briones blew her whistle, Mingyu started the opening salvo with a jump serve. The strength and speed of Mingyu's serve was enough to temporarily intimidate Min's team, causing them to have a delayed reaction and allowed the ball to land on their side of the net.
Aiden snorted, "To think they got intimidated by that, Mingyu was only using 10% of his actual strength" he thought to himself as coach Briones blew her whistle again. Mingyu served with another jump serve, this time, Min's team was able to react, with one of the female players intercepting Mingyu's serve. The force and speed of the ball caused the female student to fall backwards after receiving the ball, but she was successful in her intercept, giving another player a chance to toss the ball towards Min who then returned the ball with a spike, which successfully landed on the other side.
The game was extremely close, with no team leading by more than two points, that is until close to the end of the set, where Aiden's team was leading 24 – 23 and was on the verge of victory. Mingyu was once again serving, this time however, Min's team was now familiar with Mingyu's jump serves and has already devised a countermeasure for it. Mingyu was about to start his serve when Aiden spoke out of nowhere.
"Push it to 75% Mingyu" Aiden said, his focus still towards Min's team, which confused everyone on the court, trying to figure out what he meant. Mingyu smiled, knowing that Aiden was intending to beat Min's team, asking him to use ¾ of his strength on this serve.
Mingyu started his serve, but his movements were different from his previous serves, he was quicker and more focused than before. The moment Mingyu's hand struck the ball, it made a loud boom, sending the ball quickly towards Min who was located at the back of the court. Min knew that this was far different than Mingyu's previous serves, Min quickly bent his knees and moved into receiver position.
Aiden was sure of their victory, given that this was close to Mingyu's full strength. Mingyu felt bad for Min who was receiving his serve, since it was far stronger than his previous serves. But to their surprise, Min was able to intercept the ball, causing him to fall backwards due to the strength and speed of Mingyu's serve, this caused the ball to fly upwards, giving his team the chance to mount a counterattack.
One of Min's team members was able to toss the ball to another student, which he then spiked hard towards the opposing team. Aiden clicked his tongue and quickly moved towards the ball's path, bending both his knees as he quickly fisted his hands, and placing his arms in front of his face in a slanted position, his palms facing him as he intercepted the spike, causing the ball to return to the other court.
Just as Aiden relaxed his stance and moved his arms out of his line of sight, Min quickly intercepted the ball and spiked it back towards him. Min's intercept happened so fast that Aiden didn't have enough time to return to his previous stance and harden his arms to receive Min's counterattack. When the ball hit Aiden's arms, his arms moved backwards causing it to hit his face, knocking him down on the floor as the ball flew behind him. Luckily Mingyu was able to spike the ball back, the ensuing distraction of Aiden getting hit on the face was enough to remove the focus from the ball, which enabled Mingyu to land the winning score.
As coach Briones blew her whistle, signaling the end of the game, Aiden laid on the floor, a bit disoriented from the hit he took from Min's spike. Aiden could see the ceiling of the field house and can hear multiple footsteps approaching him. The next thing he knew, his classmates' faces were looking down on him, asking if he was okay. Min and Mingyu were among the students that went towards Aiden, coach Briones joined the crowd before she dispersed the students, with Mingyu helping Aiden up.
"You okay Aiden?" Mingyu asked as Aiden wiped his lip with the back of his hand, which was bleeding a little bit due to the impact of Min's spike. "I'm fine" Aiden responded.
"That was a good intercept Kobayashi, not so much with the second one. Are you okay?" Coach Briones asked as he checked up on Aiden. "Yes coach, I'm fine. No harm done" Aiden responded.
"Go sit down for now Kobayashi, that was a rough hit" Coach Briones said as she pointed towards the side of the court, Aiden nodded in response. "I'm sorry, Aiden. I didn't mean to hit you" Min apologized as Aiden shook his head.
"Don't apologize, it was my fault for not reacting quickly enough" Aiden replied as he walked towards the side of the court.
"Don't worry Min, he'll be fine, trust me" Mingyu reassured Min as he placed his hand on the other boy's shoulder, tapping it before walking towards where Aiden just sat.
"Good game class! I expect a better performance next week! We still have 15 minutes! Hit the showers, class is done for today! Freshies! Don't forget to go to the Student Organization Fair tonight!" Coach Briones announced as she dismissed her class, before walking back to her office.
Aiden was quick to grab his tracksuit before heading towards the men's locker room. Min and Mingyu were given high fives by their teammates before they could collect their tracksuits and head to the locker room to take a shower. Aiden was the first to arrive at the locker room, grabbing his soap, shampoo, and towel in the locker where he kept his stuff, before going to the shower room, using the very last shower stall, even though there wasn't anyone there yet. When Mingyu reached the locker where he kept his stuff, he took his shirt off, revealing his toned body and abs before opening his locker to grab his things. Min took his shirt off as he approached his locker, revealing his equally toned body as he opened his locker, throwing his white shirt inside.
"Sorry about that serve earlier Min" Mingyu apologized as he took off his shorts, revealing his American Eagle underwear, as he wrapped his towel around his waist before taking his underwear off.
"It's fine, though I admit that was a stronger than your previous serves" Min commented as he took his shorts off, revealing his Calvin Klein underwear, before pulling his towel out his locker.
"Yeah. Aiden said to make that last serve stronger, I just followed his instructions" Mingyu admitted as Min wrapped his towel around his waist before taking his underwear off.
"So that's what 75% meant?" Min chuckled as he grabbed his things before closing his locker.
"Yeah, he said to use 75% of my overall strength" Mingyu said as the two walked in the shower room. By the time they arrived, most of the shower stalls were already occupied, and the two started walking around to find any available ones.
"I wonder where Aiden is?" Min asked, causing Mingyu to realize something and lowkey give a naughty smile. Mingyu knows that Aiden has a habit of always using the last of anything when he does something in public, like the last toilet stall in the mall or at school, or the last fitting room in clothing stores. Going by this weird habit, Mingyu already deduced where Aiden exactly is.
Mingyu hatched a plan to help progress Min and Aiden's relationship, being a member of M.A.S.S., he felt duty bound to do something when an opportunity presents itself. He knew the possible reaction Aiden would have, but entirely unsure how Min would react, there wasn't enough time to go back to his locker and consult Ball about it, so he decided to push through with his hastily compiled plan and deal with the fallout later.
When the two got close to the end of the shower room, Min noticed that there was an empty stall right next to the last shower stall, "Hey Mingyu, you could go ahead and use this first. I can wait for another one to open up". Just then, the water running on the last shower stall, where Aiden is, suddenly stopped, and using this as his signal, Mingyu looked at Min.
"Oh hey, I think the person on the last shower stall is done, just wait for him to come out" Mingyu told Min, as he tried his best to keep his face as natural as possible, fighting the urge to smile or laugh.
"Oh, cool" Min replied as he stood in front of the stall, which was covered by a shower curtain. As Min waited, Mingyu nonchalantly walked behind Min, waiting for Aiden to open the shower curtains. Just as Mingyu positioned himself behind Min, Aiden slid the shower curtain to the side, surprised to see Min in front of him, although his facial expression didn't change, his eyes gave him away. At that exact time, Mingyu playfully pushed Min, causing the other boy to advance forward. This prompted Aiden to quickly move backwards inside the stall, trying to avoid any skin contact with Min. As soon as the two were inside the shower stall, Mingyu closed the shower curtain and cantered away from where Min and Aiden were, finding an empty shower stall close to the front of the shower room to hide.
Inside the shower stall, Aiden's back was leaning on the tiled wall, Min's face is just a few inches in front of him as they ended up in another "Kabedon" position. Min's heart started beating really fast, when he saw that Aiden was only wearing a towel around his waist. His hair still wet, but was ruffled, evidence that he was trying to dry his hair quickly.
It was the first time Min was seeing Aiden's body, although he looked skinny and clumsy during volleyball class earlier, his body is actually pretty toned, his abs still had a few droplets of water running down towards his navel, his biceps, triceps, and chest were pretty toned as if he's been working out. Min also noticed a mole just below Aiden's left collar bone, his skin looked soft and silky, his hair smelled really good as well.
Aiden on the other hand, found himself in another awkward situation with Min, this time, it's a lot worse than the ice pack incident in his office, as both of them were almost literally naked. Although Aiden's focus was towards Min's face, he couldn't help but look at Min's toned arms, biceps, chest, and abs, which made his heart skip a beat. Sweat was slowly rolling down Min's neck, down to his chest, then his abs, which made Aiden gulp. He then turned his eyes back towards Min's face, making eye contact.
Internally, Aiden was in a state of emergency, as panic, awkwardness, and just pure embarrassment consumed him on the inside, to the point where he can almost no longer maintain his usual expression. As they remained in the same position, Min slowly moved his face forward, as if he was going to kiss him, already in a state of panic, all Aiden could do was close his eyes.
He didn't feel Min's lips on his, but he felt Min's forehead touching his forehead, his eyes still closed, Min whispered, "You smell really good" his voice was soft and sincere, his breathe smelled like strawberries. Aiden knew that the situation was getting worse by the second, so he gathered all the strength he had and placed his hand on Min's chest, slowly pushing him away. Min went with the flow and slowly backed away from Aiden, widening the gap between them by at least a couple feet, just as Min took his last step backwards, his towel came loose and fell on the floor, exposing his dick and pubic hair, shocking Aiden to the core – his normal expression finally broke, exposing a surprised and embarrassed Aiden.
Panicked and in a complete state of shock, Aiden hurriedly tried to leave the shower stall, but slipped and fell towards Min, who was able to catch the other boy. Incidentally and awkwardly, Aiden's upper thigh touched and slightly rubbed Min's private part, this caused both Aiden and Min to blush. The former pulled away from the latter, quickly opening the shower curtain and closing it back before running off towards the locker rooms.
As Aiden ran off, Min's dick started twitching, a dangerous sign. Min was completely red and flustered, he quickly leaned his forehead on the tiled wall, before he started chanting, as if he was reciting a prayer, "Please, don't get hard, don't get hard, don't get hard, don't get hard, don't get hard, don't get hard". After a few minutes, Min was able to calm himself down, preventing a catastrophic event from happening.