Later that afternoon, the Student Council members convened at the Student Council room for the emergency meeting that Aiden called earlier that morning to discuss a few important subjects, which are: the situation with the Student Congress, the reports of the AGs splintering, the Attorney-General, as well as other matters that Aiden needed to report.
Everybody was in a cheerful mood as they took their respective seats around the conference table, since they were all looking forward for their celebration after their meeting has concluded. As they all gathered around the conference table exchanging small-talks, Aiden came out of his office with his iPad and several folders in his hand.
When everyone saw Aiden, the room became quiet as everyone waited for Aiden to take his seat so they could start their meeting, "All right, like usual, let's not drag this any longer than it should be" Aiden started as he placed the folders and his iPad on the conference table before taking his seat.
"Grace, go ahead with your report" Aiden ordered, not wasting any time as Grace pulled up a PowerPoint slide from the laptop in front of her, which was projected on the projector screen across from Aiden.
"Earlier this morning, I received a report that there's a growing opposition against us from the House of Representatives, regarding the expansion of the Student Council, which they alleged is a complete overreach in our part" Grace started her report, catching everyone in the room by surprise, except for Aiden, Min, and Angela who were already aware of the situation.
"Wait a minute! Moira quickly reacted, "Why wasn't I informed of this ahead of time?".
"That was my fault, with everyone distracted with the Hotlist release, I hadn't had the time to inform you of the situation" Grace said, admitting to her failure to inform Moira.
"Let's not make a big deal out of this Moira, you're about to be informed right now" Aiden said with his usual cold tone, "Continue, Grace".
"I have talked with the leaders of the opposition faction from both the Student Senate and House of Representatives, and they have given me their demands in regard to their allegations of overreach" Grace continued her report as everyone listened.
"The opposition leaders handed me five demands in total. I have read these demands, and by the looks of it, the opposition from the House of Representatives are giving much of the oversight to their colleagues in the Student Senate" Grace added before moving on to her next slide.
The demands that were being requested are as follows:
1. In the spirit of ensuring that the separation of powers between the three branches of the Student Government are maintained and observed, as well as to preserve the co-equal status of said branches, we hereby insist that any future appointments made by the Student Council President be presented to the Student Senate for the body's advice and consent,
2. In order to hold the Student Council accountable for their actions, the body's officers shall, at the request of the Student Senate, be subjected to investigations for any perceived malfeasance or misconduct in discharging their duties as duly elected officers of the executive branch,
3. To ensure accountability and transparency, the Student Council, at the request of the Student Senate, shall surrender any and all documents and records that the legislative body may require,
4. The Student Council, in the future, shall seek the approval of the Student Senate if and when they decide to submit a proposal to the Executive Council that would affect the Student Government, which would include budget proposals, budget appropriations, and Student Council expenses for each academic year,
5. Lastly, the Student Council, in the future, shall seek approval and authorization from the Student Senate when and if they decide to deploy any members of the MJU ROTC Cadets for any and all purpose that their deployment may serve.
"Have they completely lost their minds!? These demands are absurd!" Moira strongly protested as the other officers, with the exception of Aiden, Grace, Amy, and Min.
"I agree with Moira, although their demands may not be much, these would pretty much constrain our ability to discharge our duties as Student Council officers" Katrina added, concurring with Moira's protests.
"Aiden, if we turn over all our budget documents and data to the Student Senate, it would create a massive bureaucratic red tape, which would delay the budgetary approval process!" Kobe voiced out his concerns.
"Aiden, this is clearly a calculated move by the opposition to obstruct our duties to the Student Body!" Moira added as the room was filled with protests from the majority of Aiden's officers.
"I would have to agree with Moira, Aiden. These demands were crafted to ensure the Student Council's failure in carrying out our duties" Grace said, adding her voice in the chorus of protests.
"Aiden, this is clearly motivated by our increasing approval rating from the student body. We have to push back against the opposition from the Student Congress" Angela added, catching everyone's attention.
"According to the latest polls and survey, the Student Council has a record high approval rating of 93% in contrast to the Student Congress' 77%. Clearly, this is an attempt to sabotage us, they're just using the expansion of the Student Council as an excuse to damage our standing and reputation" Angela explained as the other dissenting officers vehemently agreed.
"For the record, there's no sense nor rationality for the Student Senate to stick their nose when it comes to the deployment of the ROTC, that authority has always been within the jurisdiction of the Student Council since its inception!" Aaron complained, with Amy remaining quiet as this was a matter outside the ROTC's jurisdiction, "This is obviously a veiled attempt to constrict the Student Council!"
"Angela" Aiden spoke, as everyone quieted down, "Have we heard anything from the Judicial Branch?"
"There still hasn't been any reaction yet" Angela replied, "The reason for that is, they're probably waiting for the Student Council to react or respond before they try and intervene in this matter".
"Well, if there are any silver lining here, is that the opposition has agreed to not subject the new officers Aiden has already appointed to any Student Senate hearing" Grace interjected.
"Then what about the Attorney-General? Aiden still hasn't appointed one, does that mean whoever the candidate for the position would have to undergo a Student Senate hearing?" Moira pointedly asked.
"About that…" Grace responded, somewhat hesitantly as everyone turned their attention to her.
"What? Is there something that you're still not telling us?" Katrina asked.
"I-I may have told the opposition that Aiden has already appointed all the new officers for the expanded Student Council" Grace stuttered as she revealed her maneuvering during her negotiation.
"You did what!?" Angela and Moira said in unison.
"Grace! If they find out that Aiden hasn't appointed an Attorney-General yet, that will give them more justification to push for more oversight and restrictions on our activities!" Aaron protested.
"If I had told them that Aiden hasn't appointed an Attorney-General, then his pick would be subjected to a Student Senate hearing, which would further delay the appointment!" Grace shot back, defending her decision to deceive the opposition leaders.
"That may be the case, but that was a risky move! We can't afford to look like we're actively deceiving the Student Senate and House of Representatives, we'll be playing right into their hands!" Aaron continued.
"It might have been risky, but if it means giving Aiden a speedy appointment for his Attorney-General, then it's worth the risk! Plus, it bought us enough time to look for an Attorney-General" Grace countered.
"Bought time? What do you mean?" Moira asked.
"I told the opposition leaders that Aiden will unveil the new officers on Monday, which they reluctantly agreed to, that means, it still gives us until Friday to find a candidate" Grace explained, which prompted Aiden to speak up.
"That was the best move, Grace – under the circumstances" Aiden said, "You bought me plenty of time to find a suitable candidate, given that I had to reject most of the prospective candidates given to me" he continued as Grace lowered her head a bit.
"Whatever Grace might have said or done is over with, our attention should be focused on what's happening now and what's going to happen moving forward" Aiden said, as he ended the heated bickering between his officers.
"In regard to the Attorney-General, I decided to choose someone who's not well-connected counter to what Grace and her side has suggested. We'll go with someone more unknown" Aiden continued as he decided on the qualifications he would be searching for his Attorney-General, a contentious debate which bogged their last meeting down.
"If that's your decision on the matter, Aiden, we'll support you" Grace said as she conceded her fight for choosing someone who was well known and connected. A similar reaction from Katrina, Aaron, and Kobe who sided with Grace.
"Should we start compiling a new list of prospective candidates, Aiden?" Moira asked.
"No. There's barely enough time to compile a list and for me to review it" Aiden responded, "We'll do this selection differently".
"What do you have in mind, Aiden?" Grace asked.
"I'll be attending Student Court hearings starting tomorrow, and find a suitable candidate from the Student Judges, Student prosecutor, and Student defense attorneys" Aiden explained, causing Grace, Moira, Angela, and Katrina to look at each other, as they started feeling anxious.
"Moira, Grace. Both of you will be accompanying me during this search" Aiden said, causing both of them to feel even more anxious as they started feeling a bit pressured.
Grace, Moira, Angela, and Katrina know that if Aiden attends the hearings for the Student Court, he is bound to accidentally attend Mingyu and Ball's hearing, which they deliberately hid from him. They were afraid that if Aiden finds out that they hid the fact that Mingyu and Ball were summoned to the Student Court, they will get an earful. Then again, if they say something to object his plan, it will raise a red flag that would make Aiden suspicious.
Although the Student Court hearings are open to everyone at MJU, the Judicial Branch doesn't publicly announce what cases are being heard, nor the people involved in said cases. This fact added to the anxiousness they were feeling, since they don't know when Mingyu and Ball's hearing would be. They also can't ask them since students summoned to appear before the Student Court are forbidden from sharing anything that has to do with their hearing, until after it's over.
As Grace, Katrina, Moira, and Angela were in deep thought, Min raised his hand, "Hey, Aiden. Do you mind if I go with you guys as well? I'm a bit curious as to how the Student Court works" Min asked.
"I don't mind. In fact, this could be a good educational experience for you as well" Aiden responded. Aiden's answer caught the girls by surprise, not expecting that Aiden would easily agree to Min's request, given their somewhat roller coaster-like relationship.
"Are there any objections to this?" Aiden asked as he scanned the room once again. Grace trying to hold her breathe, hoping that Moira, Angela, or Katrina wouldn't voice any objection, lest Aiden becomes suspicious of their actions.
"None? Alright, we'll move on to the last major topic we have for tonight" Aiden continued, as Grace was able to breathe a sigh of relief that no one objected to Aiden's plan.
"The next topic is about the reports this morning that the AG's have a splinter group that is now making up the bulk of the MGs" Aiden said, "Angela, you're up".
Angela was jolted out of her deep thought, looking confused for a second before she spoke, "Right, the splinter faction from the AGs" she said as she collected herself so she can give her report.
"As Aiden said, there were reports earlier this morning about a splinter group from the AGs that has allegedly joined ranks with the newly formed MGs" Angela started her report.
"MGs?" Min asked, interrupting Angela. The question caused Aiden to sigh before giving a facepalm, the rest of the officers started snickering in response, as Min honestly didn't know what the MGs were.
"It's the abbreviation for Min's Guardians. Your official fanbase here at MJU" Amy explained as Min let out a prolonged, "Ahh".
"I though she meant Machine Guns" Min replied followed by an embarrassed laughter, to which Amy and the other officers responded by laughing as well – Aiden shaking his head out of embarrassment.
"Lord, help this Thammasat Kid" Aiden whispered as kept shaking his head, his hand still on his face.
"In any case" Angela continued, as she tried to hold back her laughter, "There hasn't been anything major reported in regard to the splinter group, Heidi and the AGs have so far been quiet about it".
"It would trouble if those reports turned out to be true" Katrina said, looking at Aiden who slightly nodded.
"If there really was a split in the AGs, that would mean that there's infighting going on within their ranks" Moira deduced.
"Can you blame them? The Collective Rule in itself is already draconian at best, Heidi is too controlling to all the members of the AG" Aaron added to the agreement of Angela and Kobe.
"Though we can't deny the fact that Heide has been extremely effective and efficient in molding the AGs to what they are now" Katrina responded, openly acknowledging Heidi's skills.
"Angela, what's your take on all of this?" Aiden asked as everyone turned their attention to Angela.
"Considering that the MJU Press Corps and WNN hasn't gotten wind of any new developments, it's best to assume that Heidi has taken a tighter grip on her members, making sure that no word gets out, assuming of course, that there's actually a splinter group" Angela explained.
"Then again, the sudden increase in the MGs ranks can be seen as evidence of a split, though this is just hypothetical at best since there's no substantial evidence to support that argument" Angela added.
"It could also be that Heidi is doing some major damage control, and reigning in her remaining members" Amy interjected, to Angela's approval.
"That's also a possibility. We can also assume that the reason the MGs have been so quiet is that they don't want to risk an open confrontation with the AGs – at least not yet" Angela said, catching Aiden's attention, especially the last part.
"What do you mean by "Not yet"?" Aiden asked, somewhat bothered by Angela's insinuation.
"Assuming that the split happened this morning, I'm guessing that the MGs are still organizing themselves" Angela explained, "I can't say with certainty who would make the first move, but I'm sure both sides are preparing themselves for anything at this point".
"I strongly agree with that assessment. Assuming that there is a splinter group, and they joined the newly established MGs, I'm sure their trying to re-organize and get their rank-and-file in order" Amy added.
"Optics-wise, whoever makes the first move will be seen as the aggressor, hence the probable reason why both sides have been quiet up until now and not making any moves" Angela continued.
"In any case, we don't have anything conclusive that this situation would blow out of proportion, but I's best to keep a close eye on the two camps" Aiden concluded, Amy and Angela agreeing with his conclusion.
"We're not going to be taking any chances, if an open conflict becomes evident between those two camps, will probably end up having another 'Daebak' Incident in our hands" Aiden continued.
"That would be a disastrous if that ends up happening, given that the MGs are now officially the second largest fanbase here on campus, surpassing Mark Chua's fanbase just after the release" Moira said.
"Just to be safe, Amy, task your intelligence detachment to do some information gathering on both parties. I rather not get caught off guard by anything at this point" Aiden ordered as Amy replied, "Yes, sir".
"It's not just Amy. All of you, keep your ears and eyes open for anything that relates to this, the more information that we have, the better we can come up with contingencies. Especially you Min" Aiden added.
"Me?" Min pointed to himself, "Why me?"
"Obviously, it's your fanbase, use your charms or whatever to pry out some information, don't overdo it though, and be as discreet as humanly possible" Aiden sternly replied.
"If those are my orders, will do Aiden" Min replied, taking his orders obediently.
"Right, does anybody have anything to add about this topic?" Aiden asked as everyone shook their heads, their faces' expressions started changing in anticipation to their celebration.
"If there's none, I have two more matters at hand. It's not as urgent as our first three topics, but equally important" Aiden announced as he pulled one of the folders towards him.
"I already finished and finalized the budget requests and appropriations for the clubs and organizations, and they are all in order" Aiden continued.
"Kobe, Katrina. Look over this final draft and make sure everything is accounted for. Once that's done, go ahead and sign it and hand it back to me so I can submit it to the Office of Student Affairs so they can disburse the funding" Aiden instructed as he passed the folder to Moira, who then passed it to Katrina who was sitting next to her.
"The other thing is the draft proposal for the International Student Outing. I've already finished the edits and amendments to it, and I would like everyone to add their input before I submit it to the International Exchange Program for review" Aiden continued.
"Really? The proposal's complete?" Moira said, surprised by how quickly Aiden finished it.
"Yes, it is. Though this is probably going to get amended multiple times once the International Exchange Office receives our draft. They are probably going to add their input on this as well" Aiden said.
"So nothing is final yet huh?" Moira replied, sounding a bit disappointed.
"I know it's still in the initial stages, but I'm already excited for this outing!" Min said smiling.
"Since this is the first time we're holding this kind of outing, I included a provision in the proposal that would include the Student Council, together with the International Student Organization in this trip" Aiden revealed to the excitement of everyone else in the room.
"Wait! So we're going to!?" Kobe exclaimed, unable to believe what he just heard.
"That's correct. All of you will be there to be extra chaperones" Aiden replied, "Given that some of the officers here at the Student Council are also officers of the International Student Organization, I decided to just include the Student Council as well".
"Hell yeah!" Kobe cried out as he leaned over the table and gave Aaron a double high five.
"Like Moira said, it's not final yet. The International Exchange Program will have the final say whether they would allow the Student Council to join or not" Aiden added, bursting Kobe and Aaron's excitement, "I'll send the draft of the outing proposal to everyone, add your input and send it back to me by Saturday".
"That's all I have today. This meeting is adjourned" Aiden said before dismissing everyone, with Moira hurriedly typing in the last parts of the minutes as everybody got up, excited for their anticipated celebration at Inner Seoul, Aiden grabbed his stuff and retreated back to his office. Everyone waited for Moira to finish up before heading to their meeting place to meet with Ball, Bank, Rebecca, and Alexis.
Inside his office, Aiden was working on matters relating to the Japanese Club, International Student Organization, and the Student Ambassador Association. He was planning on finishing what he needed to do before heading to work, given that the emergency meeting ended far sooner than he expected.
Around 30 minutes after their meeting concluded, Aiden's office phone started ringing. He quickly took a glance at the phone as he was typing, before placing his focus back on the monitor in front of him. Aiden didn't want to answer the phone, since he already had an idea who was calling him.
Although he didn't plan on answering, the constant ringing was making it hard for him to focus and concentrate on what he was doing. He stopped typing and swiveled his chair towards his office phone, giving a huge sigh before begrudgingly picking it up.
"This is the Student Council Office, President Kobayashi speaking. How may I help you?" Aiden said after answering the phone.
"I though you weren't going to answer. I was about to call your cellphone" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, responding to Aiden's greeting.
Aiden gave a quick sigh, "What do you want old hag? I'm a bit busy right now".
"I heard the Student Council, and some members of the ROTC and international students are celebrating at Inner Seoul tonight?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, catching Aiden by surprise.
"How do you even know that?" Aiden wittingly asked, curious as to how the Vice Chancellor heard about the celebration that Angela and the others were having.
"Believe me when I say that I have eyes and ears everywhere" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez replied, "So, why didn't you go with your friends?" she added.
Aiden leaned back on his chair, "I don't have time to go with them, I have things I need to take care of, plus I also have somewhere I need to be later on" he replied, sounding a bit annoyed.
"You really need to ease on being a workaholic, you know? Try to enjoy and relax from time to time" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez responded, sounding a bit disappointed.
"You are aware, that with the positions that I hold, there's very little time for any rest and relaxation" Aiden countered.
"If you want to, there's a way. If you don't want to there's a reason" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez fired back.
"You of all people should know the answer to that" Aiden quipped.
"I'm not the type of person to mingle with people, plus I don't eat dinner. I only do those things if it's absolutely necessary or if it's part of my responsibilities as President of all the organizations I lead".
"As always, Aiden, you're full of excuses" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez chuckled.
"You have to admit at least, they are valid excuses" Aiden quickly replied, vexed that the Vice Chancellor was giving out a chuckle.
"You need to at least make it up to them. They are your friends after all" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, causing Aiden to raise a brow.
"Why do I have to make it up them? It's not like I'm obligated to go with them" Aiden stubbornly replied.
"Think of it as a form of courtesy. At least do it for Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, as she tried to convince Aiden.
Aiden gave another sigh, "Fine. I'll do my best to try and make it up to them. No promises though".
Vice Chancellor Gutierrez gave another chuckle, "You haven't changed, Aiden. You always choose your words carefully when it comes to committing something that has something to do with your friends".
"What's that suppose to mean, Old Hag?" Aiden asked, "I'm not choosy with my words".
"You may not realize it, but you actually do. You always seem to choose words that's usually vague or non-committal in nature, but still diplomatic when it comes this" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said.
"You've always had that personality of being shy when it comes to opening up or expressing what you truly feel towards people around you, especially those you seem to distance with, but actually care about, like Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez continued.
"I-I don't have that kind of personality!" Aiden stuttered, his face somewhat blushing as Vice Chancellor Gutierrez hit his most vulnerable soft spot.
Vice Chancellor Gutierrez laughed, "I'm sure your oldest and closest friends would really appreciate it if you opened up to them more, it's always been a one-sided relationship with you ever since you met them" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez replied.
"Maybe. But at the end of the day, it's still my decision whether or not I open up to them or not" Aiden coldly replied.
Vice Chancellor Gutierrez gave out a sigh, "You need to stop pushing away people who cares about you and wants to help you. I may be overstepping here, but I think it will really help you if you open up to them and break that wall you've surrounded yourself with".
There were a few seconds of silence before Aiden responded, "I'll think about it, and consider your advice. All I can say for now is that I'll see if I can make it up to them or not, and like I said, no promises".
"If that's your decision, I won't push any further than I already have" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez replied.
"I just want to say that I do what I do because I care about you" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez added.
"I understand. You didn't overstep anything. You're just looking out for me" Aiden said in a somber tone.
"In any case, I still have work to do. I'll talk to you later" Aiden added before hanging up the phone.
After hanging up, he slowly swiveled his chair, looking at the bottom left-hand drawer of his desk. He leaned forward and opened the bottom drawer before pulling out a picture frame. It was a picture taken back at Mount Charlotte High School of him, Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper.
The picture was that of Aiden sleeping under a tree, an open book sitting on his lap. Mingyu was on Aiden's left-hand side, resting his right hand on top of Aiden's head as he did a peace sign, while doing the finger heart with his left hand. Katrina was beside Mingyu giving out a huge smile as she did the peace sign, her index finger touching her left cheek. Aaron was on Aiden's left side imitating the painting "The Scream". Jasper's next to Aaron and was doing the peace sign with both his hands. Aiden looked at the date the picture was taken, printed on the lower right side of the picture – 11/09/18 his 15th Birthday.
"Friends, huh?" Aiden whispered as he looked at the picture. Just then a sharp pain emanated inside his head as the memory and images of the night his mother and Itsuki died came flashing back. Aiden's whole body went numb, his hands started shaking and getting cold. His eyes widened as cold sweats started forming on his forehead. His breathing and heart beat getting faster as fear started taking over his body.
He quickly returned the picture frame in the drawer and closed it as he tried to calm himself down. He leaned towards his desk as he tried to control his breathing, lest he starts hyperventilating.
"What.. What the hell was that…" Aiden asked, as he tried to stabilize his breathing.
It took Aiden a few minutes before he could calm himself down. He was at loss at what just occurred, as it never happened to him before. He brushed it off sa an isolated incident before returning to what he was working on, trying to keep what just happened out of his mind.
It took Aiden another 45 minutes before he finished what he needed to do. After he saved the last word document he was working on, he took his phone out of his pocket and went to his Instagram. He searched Mingyu's handle and looked at his profile. As he did, he saw that his profile picture was surrounded by a colorful border, indicating he has new stories on his feed.
Clicking on it, he saw that Aaron had announced the formation of "Milk Foam" to everyone, which turned their celebration into a double celebration. The excitement and glee were notable on everyone's faces as they ordered another round of food. "At least their having fun" Aiden said before he snorted as he locked his phone before he started getting ready to head to Café Confiture.
As Aiden made his way towards Café Confiture, he suddenly realized that the route he was taking was close to Inner Seoul and it would only take 10 minutes to get there from where he was. He brushed off any ideas that were starting to form in his head and continued walking, just then, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's words started echoing inside his head.
"You need to at least make it up to them. They are your friends after all"
"Think of it as a form of courtesy. At least do it for Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper"
"I'm sure your oldest and closest friends would really appreciate it if you opened up to them more…"
"You need to stop pushing away the people who cares about you and wants to help you…"
As Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's words consumed his thoughts, he slowed his walking and stopped dead on his tracks as other pedestrians walked past him. Aiden softly bit his lip as he placed his hand over his mouth, in deep thought on what he should do.
Aiden suddenly clicked his tongue and ruffled his head in utter frustration before giving a deep, long sigh. "Damn that Old Hag" he whispered to himself before deviating from his course and started walking towards Inner Seoul, his face a bit flushed on what he was planning to do.
Since Aiden was literally power walking towards Inner Seoul, getting there faster than it would've normally taken. He stood outside the store, looking at the illuminated restaurant sign. His heart was pounding, and for the first time in a long while, Aiden was feeling nervous, which was becoming evident on his face.
Taking a deep breathe, he walked in the restaurant, and the first thing he heard were familiar voices and laughter coming from the back of the restaurant. His nervousness quickly dissipated as he heard Mingyu's annoying laughter dominating everyone else's, causing him to cringe.
As he was reacting to Mingyu's laughter, a member of the staff approached him, "Just one, sir?" the staff asked him with a smile on his face, holding a menu in his hand.
"Ah, no. I'm actually here to speak with your manager?" Aiden replied, his voice somewhat different from what he usually uses.
"Yes, sir. Right this way" the staff member responded as he gestured towards the counter where the cashier was located. Aiden walked towards the counter as the staff member made his way into the back office just behind the counter Aiden was walking towards to.
After a few seconds, the manager came out of the office, and walked towards Aiden, "Hi, I'm the manager of the restaurant. My staff said you wanted to speak to me?" the manager said with a smile on her face.
"Ah, yes" Aiden responded, his tone reverting back to normal.
"Do you have a complaint sir?" The manager asked, assuming that Aiden had a complaint based on the tone of his voice, "If it's the students being loud, I can head over there and ask them to be quiet".
"Yes, it's about the students" Aiden replied as the manager nodded her head, "But, it's not about them being noisy or anything". The manager was caught off guard by what Aiden said, confusion on her face.
"Oh? What can I help you with then, sir?" The manager asked as some of the staff members started to gather by the counter, trying to get a glimpse of Aiden, who they all thought was super cute and handsome.
"Those noisy students in there are…" Aiden paused, his face starting to blush, which caused the staff members to cover their faces in excitement on how cute Aiden looked. The manager also noticed it but was trying hard not react like her staff, out of courtesy and to remain as professional as she can be.
"Those students are my…" Aiden continued, but seems incapable of finishing his sentence, his face getting redder by the second as the manager waited for Aiden to finish what he was trying to say.
"They're my…" Aiden reiterated, unable to say the word he was wanting to say, "They're my… friends" Aiden finally said, his face turning tomato red, as one of the staff watching let out a small squeal.
Aiden softly bit his lip and slightly turned his face away from the manager out of sheer embarrassment, as his heart started pounding faster, "U-unfortunately, I'm not able to join them" Aiden stuttered as he looked at the manager, his face still red.
"I was wondering if I can pay for their meal for today" Aiden said, mustering up enough will and courage to go through with what he wanted to do. The manager tried her best not to smile and keep a straight face, sensing that the student in front of him was feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"That's no problem sir, I can get their bill for you" the manager replied as faced the counter.
"Izzy, can you get the bill for table 19?" the manager asked as the employee got the bill for Aiden's friends.
"Here you go ma'am" one of the staff members said as she gave the manager the bill she asked for.
"Sir, their total is ₱18,477" the manager said as Aiden removed his backpack to take his wallet out.
"That's fine, I'll go ahead and pay for them" Aiden said as he took out a credit card from his wallet and gave it to the cashier. "Here's another ₱5,000, in case they order more" Aiden continued, giving ₱5,000 in cash to the manager, "If there are any left overs from that, their waiter can have it as their tip".
As the cashier swiped his card, Aiden looked around, and saw that the restaurant was selling plushies of their mascot and some keychains. When Aiden noticed this, he spoke again, "Excuse me, those plushies and keychains" Aiden asked the manager as he pointed at what he was talking about.
"How much are those?" Aiden continued.
"The plushies sir, are ₱199.99. The keychains are ₱39.99" the manager replied.
"Can you get 14 of the plushies and the keychains?" Aiden asked as the manager immediately knew what he was trying to do.
"Yes sir" the manager replied as she gestured for one of her staff to get the 14 plushies and keychains.
"Izzy, can you include that as well?" the manager told the cashier, as she ripped off the receipt that just printed from the receipt printer, before ringing up the total for the plushies and key chains.
"Sir, the total for the plushies and keychains ₱3,359.75" the cashier said, as she looked at Aiden.
"Just use my card again" Aiden replied as the cashier swiped his credit card to complete the transaction.
"Also" Aiden continued as he faced the manager, "Is there a pen and a piece of paper I can borrow?"
"Yes, sir" the manager replied as she looked over the counter and grabbed a notepad bearing their restaurant's logo, and pen, handing it over to Aiden.
"Thank you" Aiden replied before writing something down on the paper. As he finished, he ripped off a piece of paper, returning the notepad and pen to the manager before folding the paper he tore in half.
"When they're ready to pay, can you give them this paper, and the plushies and keychains for me?" Aiden asked as the cashier returned his card before ripping off the second receipt from the receipt printer.
"Yes sir, I can do that" the manager replied as she handed Aiden the two receipts the cashier gave her.
"Thank you so much" Aiden said as he placed his card on his wallet before placing it in his backpack.
"I'm going to go on ahead, thank you very much" Aiden added before he started walking towards the door. As Aiden was about to exit, the manager called out to him, causing Aiden to face the manager.
"You're a good friend sir, I'll personally give these gifts and note to them" the manager said before Aiden nodded in acknowledgement before exiting the establishment, making his way towards Café Confiture.
As Aiden left, the manager covered her smile as she faced her staff behind the counter, "Oh my god! That student was so cute and handsome!" the manager admitted as her staff reacted in concurrence.
"Ma'am, we're actually amazed you were able to hold back earlier especially when he started blushing" one of the staff jokingly said.
"He got so cute when he blushed!" another staff added as they started squealing.
"I thought I was going to lose my composure earlier, I just wanted to squeeze his cheeks and hug him!" the manger further admitted as her staff started teasing her.
"That's child abuse, ma'am!" one of the staff members joked.
"That's sexual harassment too!" another staff jokingly added as the manger started blushing.
"Anyways, let's get back to work, we still have customers here!" the manager said, breaking their small conversation, "Izzy, let me know when those students are ready to pay, I'll hand over the plushies, keychains, and the note to them" the manager added as the cashier nodded, before heading back to her office, as the other staff member returned to their respective posts and resumed their duties.
As Aiden got closer to Café Confiture, his face was still flushed, his heart still beating faster, still feeling embarrassed at what he just did, "There, I made it up to them Old Hag" Aiden whispered as he tried to shake off his feelings of embarrassment before he gets to the Café, lest he be teased by Beans.
By the time Aiden arrived at Café Confiture, he already returned to his normal poker face and giving off an unusual vibe of "Everyone fuck off and don't talk to me", his natural response to that feeling of embarrassment he felt earlier.
As soon as Aiden walked in, Dani, Beans, and Chief immediately sensed Aiden's unusual vibe, and kept quiet, not even greeting Aiden for fear that it might put him in an even worse mood than he already was. Even Beans who constantly tease Aiden kept quiet, focusing instead on wiping the cups on the counter, with Chief and Dani doing their own thing as Aiden walked straight into the locker rooms to change.
Back at Inner Seoul Grace called for the waiter to get their bill, the moment she asked for it, the waiter went back to the front counter and told the cashier, who then called the manager. A few minutes later, the manager walked towards the table where Grace and the others were, carrying the note Aiden left, with two members of her staff behind her carrying the plushies and keychains placed in paper bags.
As the manager approached the table, Grace, and everyone else quieted down as they saw her name tag with "Manager" written under her name, "Here you go ma'am" the manager said as she handed Grace the note that Aiden wrote earlier.
Grace took the paper and opened it, confused as it wasn't their bill, "What is this?" she asked.
"Someone already paid for everyone's dinner, and I was instructed to give you this note, as well as these" the manager replied as she gestured to her staff to give them the paper bags, which they passed on to everyone at the table.
"Woah, what are these?" Moira asked in amazement as she opened the paper bag, revealing the plushie and keychain inside, "OMG! This is so cute!" she reacted pulling the plushie out of the paper bag.
"Wait! So our meal is already paid for!?" Mingyu reacted in shock.
"Yes sir, it's all been paid for, as well as the gifts in the paper bags" the manager responded with a smile on her face. Everyone's face was confused and surprised, not knowing who paid for their meal.
"I'm still confused about all of this, you're saying some random person just paid for our meal and got us these gifts as well?" Grace asked again for clarification.
"Yes ma'am" the manager responded as Katrina got up from her seat and walked over to where Grace is.
"Let me see that paper" Katrina asked, as she took the paper Grace was holding.
"What does it say Katrina?" Min asked, as everyone else looked at her.
"Mingyu, Jasper, Aaron, come here for a second" Katrina called out, her eyes still fixed on the piece of paper in her hand.
"What is it Katrina?" Jasper asked, as he, Aaron, and Mingyu got up from their chairs and walked over to where Grace and Katrina are standing.
"Look at this" Katrina said as she turned her hand slightly to the right, where Mingyu, Aaron, and Jasper could see it. As soon as Mingyu, Jasper, and Aaron saw the handwriting, they immediately realized who it was the left them the note and paid for everything, including the gifts. The four of them tried to keep a neutral expression on their faces as to not expose who it was that extended them such generosity.
Internally, the four of them were genuinely surprised as they didn't expect Aiden to do something like this, considering it completely out of character for him. Of course, they've known Aiden long enough to know not to expose it to everyone else, so they kept their cool and pretended to not know who it was.
"So, what does the note say?" Amy asked, causing Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper to look at everyone. Katrina walked closer to their table before she read what was written on the paper she was holding.
"I hope you guys had fun and enjoyed the food. Congratulations to everyone who made it to the Top 10 and Top 20 for this year's Hotlist. Congratulations to Aaron, Jasper, Bank, and Kobe as well for the formation of Milk Foam, I look forward to seeing your performance at the Battle of the Bands. Please take these gifts as well in commemoration of this milestone and accomplishments"
"That's what the note says" Katrina said after reading out what was written on the paper.
"Whoever it was, it's probably someone from MJU. I mean, they know about the rankings and Milk Foam" Rebecca deduced.
"That's true. It could be anyone from campus. It could be a faculty member, a fan, or an organization. Everyone did share our celebration on their Instagram story, so it's public knowledge" Grace concurred.
"I wonder who it was though? That's pretty generous of them to pay for everyone's meal and give us these gifts" Ball added, somewhat amazed and bewildered.
"No point in trying to figure out who it was. All we can do is be thankful for whoever it was that paid for our meal and gave us these gifts" Katrina replied, trying to deflect any attempt to figure out who performed the generous act.
"Thank you Mr. Stranger who paid for our meal!" Angela said putting her hands together like she was doing the Wai as she expressed her gratitude. This was followed by the Thai Students, then the ROTC Officers, and finally the rest of the Student Council officers and everyone else as the manager and the two staff members smiled – Aiden suddenly sneezed in Café Confiture as everyone was thanking him.
"We should at least give our waiter a tip, since our meal was already paid for" Amy suggested as everyone agreed. But before they could get their wallets out, the manager stopped them and said that the tip was also already taken care off - to everyone's surprise. Just as Aiden predicted, they did order more food, which had cost a little bit over ₱1600. Which left their waiter with an enormous tip for the night.
"I wish we could meet this generous stranger, I want to thank them in person or at least pay them back or give them something in return" Min said as he got up from where he was sitting.
Mingyu quickly bit his lip to try and hold his laughter before whispering to himself, "If you want to thank them, hurry up and date Aiden and make lots of love with him, that'll be thank you enough" before biting his lip again and covering his mouth with his hand, his eyes rolling back as his face started to look wacky.
"You okay, Mingyu?" Ball asked as he saw Mingyu acting weird, causing everyone to look at him.
"Ye-yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered something funny" Mingyu responded, giving an excuse as to not reveal to everyone what he just said and what he was currently thinking.
"Let him be, he's always being weird in serious situations" Katrina brushed him off as everyone started walking towards the door, thanking the manager and the staff as they left.
As everyone walked back towards the university, Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron, and Jasper remained at the back of the group as they talked about what Aiden just did, still trying to absorb his out of character gesture.
"We should give him something in return, you know, as thanks" Aaron suggested, keeping his voice low as to not reveal to everyone that Aiden was their generous mystery person.
"Yeah, I agree" Jasper added as Mingyu nodded as well.
"Leave it to me, I know what to do" Katrina said as they moved on from the topic and caught up with the others who were already a bit ahead of them.
It's been two days since the release of the Hotlist, and the day that Mingyu and Ball were set to appear before the CGS3 Student Court. The pressure was starting to weigh in on Aiden as this was the last day of the weekday and he still hasn't found a suitable candidate for the position of Attorney-General, even though he, Min, Grace, and Moira spent the latter half of yesterday attending Student Court hearings to search for a candidate.
After his Volleyball Class, Aiden headed to the Student Council office to start working on the draft for the joint announcement for the Battle of the Bands scheduled for next week. As Aiden entered his office, he was surprised to see cup of cappuccino, which he immediately recognized by the smell and a Styrofoam box next to the plushie and keychain he bought for everyone the other night on his desk.
Aiden dropped his bag on one of the chairs as he closed the door behind him, before walking towards his desk. As soon as he sat down, he reached for the cappuccino, however, as he was about to grab it, he noticed a yellow sticky note posted on the cup. Instead of grabbing the cup, he removed the sticky note and read what was written on it.
"Thank you for paying our dinner and for the gifts Wednesday night. We really appreciate it! Don't worry, we didn't tell anyone else that it was you. ♡♡♡♡♡ – K-JAM"
Aiden snorted as he folded the sticky note and placed it on the bottom drawer where the picture frame was, before grabbing a sip of his cappuccino. "So that's why Mingyu was stalling at the end of class earlier" Aiden whispered to himself as he opened the Styrofoam box containing his favorite coffee crumble cake.
Aiden clicked his tongue, "I hate it that all of you know me too well" before grabbing the fork beside the Styrofoam box and started eating.
As Aiden was enjoying his food and drink, compliments of Katrina, Mingyu, Jasper, and Aaron, his phone suddenly vibrated. He got his phone out from his pocket as he was chewing his food and saw that "Themis" sent him a message, which read:
"Apologies sir, but I couldn't get any information in regard to your request. The information you're looking for is compartmentalized. That information is only accessibly by the College of Law Faculty. There's only so much I can do with what clearance I have"
"That's fine. You have done a great amount of intelligence gathering for me. Your efforts are greatly appreciated" Aiden replied to the message before he started eating again.
Later that afternoon, Aiden, Min, Grace, and Moira were once again attending Student Court hearings as they continued searching for the right candidate for the position of Attorney-General. There was a growing sense of hopelessness from Grace and Moira since Aiden hasn't been able to find a suitable candidate, even though there were some Student Prosecutors and Student Defense Attorney who seemed suitable for the position, at least from their perspective.
"Aiden, I don't want to sound pessimistic, but we're running out of time here" Grace told Aiden as they made their way to the CGS3 Building.
"I would have to agree, we've been at it since 12:00. Can we get a small break at least?" Moira added as she dragged her feet.
"We'll attend this hearing then we'll take a 30-minute break. We'll attend whatever remaining Student Court hearings afterwards. If I don't find a candidate then, I'll choose someone you each think is suitable from the search yesterday and today" Aiden said as he opened the main door to the CGS3 Building.
"What time is it?" Moira asked as they entered the CGS3 Building, "I'm starting to feel hungry".
"It's 14:55" Min responded as he looked at his phone, "Aiden said this will be the last one, so it shouldn't be long before we can grab something to eat. I'm starting to feel hungry as well".
"At least these court hearings are only 30-minutes or less, so it should go by fast" Grace added as they made their way to the CGS3 Student Courtroom. When they arrived, they quietly entered and found the courtroom unusually empty. The only people present aside from them were with the Student bailiff, the Jury, and the auxiliary staff.
"This is a pretty empty hearing" Grace commented as the four of them sat behind the wooden railing that separated the rest of the courtroom from the tables of the prosecutor and defense counsels as well as the bench where the Student Judge sits.
The CGS3 Student Courtroom was similar in design to other Student Courtrooms, which is an enormous room that are able to sit a maximum of 100 people. There are designated areas where spectators could watch, either on the ground floor of the court room, which can seat 50 people, or the observation gallery on either side of the courtroom which can seat 25 people each, accessible through the second floor. The entrance to the courtroom is a large wooden double door. After entering visitors are greeted by a row of movie theater-like seats on each side, which is able to seat 25 people. The aisle has a red carpet the goes all the way towards wooden railings which separates the participants from the observers.
On the other side of the wooden railings are two tables, one to the left-hand side, and the other on the right-hand side from the Bench's perspective, with the former reserved for the Student Prosecutor, and the latter for the Student Defense Attorney. In front of the tables is another table where the auxiliary staff – the Student court reporter and Student court clerk – would be sitting.
Behind them is the Student Judge's bench, which is made out of wood and on an elevated platform, with stairs on either side. In front of the desk is the sigil of the CGS3, and the wall directly behind the Student Judge's bench is a large seal of the Student Judicial Branch, illuminated by lights attached to the ceiling. Just below the sigil is the motto of the Student Judicial branch, engraved on the wooden wall, which reads, "Fiat justitia ruat caelum", a Latin phrase meaning "Let Justice be done though the heavens fall". Below the motto is a doorway, which is covered by a black curtain that leads to the back of the courtroom which contains the Office of the Student Judge, the Office of the Student Court Clerk, and storage rooms for court files and other documents.
Just beside the Student Defense's table is the Jury Box, which seats the 16 Jury members. Right next to the Jury box is a door, which leads to the prep room where the defendants wait until the trial begins. Across the room, close to the Student Prosecutor's desk is another door, which leads to another prep room where the Student Prosecution waits. Both prep rooms are equipped with two signal lights, just above the door, a green light, and a red light. The latter which indicates that they cannot enter the courtroom, while the former signals everyone in the prep room to enter the courtroom.
The Student Bailiff is standing on the right-hand side of the bench, from the Student Judge's perspective. Aiden, Min, Grace, and Moira were sitting directly behind the Student Defense's table. The Jury was talking amongst themselves as they waited for the trial to begin, their voices filling the courtroom.
"I think this is the first time we've attended a Student Court hearing with no one here except for the participants of the court" Moira commented as she scanned the room.
"Most of the students are in class around this time block, so I'm not surprised that it's empty" Aiden responded as he skimmed through some papers inside a black binder.
As they were talking, the doors swung open and a female student entered, carrying a brown business bag on one hand, and a stack of folders and document on the other. Min, Grace, and Moira looked behind them to see who was coming, as they watched the female student walked down the aisle and took a seat across from them, behind the prosecutor's table.
"Who is that?" Min asked as he looked at Grace and Moira, Aiden still have his eyes focused on the binder in front of him.
"No idea, but she seems like someone from the Student Judicial Branch" Grace deduced.
"How do you know that?" Min asked, "I can't tell from here. She looks like an ordinary student to me"
"See the lapel pin she's wearing, Min? That's a lapel pin given to Student Attorneys, plus her uniform has the College of Law's insignia on it" Moira explained as the female student settled in, placing her bag, folders, and documents on the seat beside her.
As the female student was getting settled on her seat, she perchance looked at the people sitting across from her, "President… Kobayashi!?" the female student blurted out loud, which caught the attention of everyone present. The members of the Jury started squealing as they realized that Aiden was in the courtroom, even the Student Bailiff and the auxiliary staff started looking towards Aiden and his group, the squeals became louder when they realized Min was also present.
"Oh? Angelbelle, I didn't realize you were attending this hearing too" Aiden responded as he closed the binder on his lap, ignoring the squeals from the Jury members. "You know her, Aiden?" Grace asked.
"Of course I do, this is Angelbelle Rodriguez, the 1st Circuit Student-Attorney, she has jurisdiction over the 1st Circuit which includes the College of Humanities, College of Global Studies and Social Sciences and the College of Engineering and Architecture" Aiden explained as Min, Moira, and Grace nodded their heads in unison as they pivoted their attention from Aiden to Angelbelle.
"Well, this particular case is something of an interest for the Judicial Branch, as well as my office, hence my attendance to this Student Court hearing" Angelbelle explained.
Before anyone else could respond, the Student Bailiff pressed on his earpiece before announcing in a loud voice, "Please All Rise! This Student Court is now in session, Student Judge Julia Mae Oliveros presiding".
The room suddenly became quiet as everyone in the courtroom stood up, a gesture of respect for the Student Judge and the court, as the presiding Student Judge emerged from behind the black curtain behind the bench. As the Student Judge sat down, everyone else took their seats.
The Student Bailiff looked at he presiding Student Judge, who nodded her head, before the Student Bailiff made another announcement, "Hearing for Mount Juliet University v. Park, Pattaya will now begin". The announcement shook Min to the core, as Grace and Moira sat speechless, their faces drained of color.
Aiden lifted his brow but did not seem surprise whatsoever. Angelbelle who was sitting across from them was shifting her eyes between the bench and Aiden, trying to observe the latter's reaction to the Student Bailiff's announcement.
After the announcement, the Student Court Clerk pressed a button on her table, signaling for the Student Prosecutor, Student Defense, and Defendants to enter the courtroom. The Student Prosecutor was the first to enter, followed by Mingyu and Ball – Min and the Jury looked in disbelief as the defendants entered.
As Mingyu and Ball walked towards the defense table, it felt like time slowed down around them when they saw Aiden, Min, Grace, and Moira. As they reached the table, Mingyu and Ball could only lower their heads in embarrassment, as they did not expect Aiden and Min to be in their court hearing.
"Ball!? Mingyu!? Why are you guys over there!?" Min shouted in disbelief, standing from his chair. His voice echoing through the courtroom.
"Silence in my courtroom please!" Student Judge Oliveros ordered as she banged her gavel multiple times.
"Sit down, Min!" Aiden ordered as he pulled on Min's arm to force him to sit down, his demeanor calm and collected, unlike Grace and Moira who were starting to get really nervous.
"Aiden, do something!" Min continued, "Mingyu and Ball are your friends right!? Why are you so calm!?" Min cried out, slapping Aiden's hand away from his arm.
"Order! Order! I will have order in this courtroom!" Student Judge Oliveros shouted again as she banged her gavel with more intensity.
Aiden suddenly stood up from where he was sitting, slapping Min in the face hard to calm him down, the sound of the slap reverberating, "You need to calm yourself down, Min! Making a scene like this won't help Mingyu and Ball one bit! Have a little faith in our Justice System here at Mount Juliet and stop making an ass out of yourself in front of everyone!" Aiden coldly said, as he scolded Min for his behavior. Min placed his hand on his cheek that Aiden slapped, slowly sitting back down as he absorbed Aiden's words.
Aiden then faced the presiding Student Judge, "Your Honor, I apologize for the International Student Representative's behavior, this will not happen again. I'm willing to accept any punishment for my subordinate's direct contempt of this court" Aiden said as the presiding Student Judge looked at him.
"I'm willing to overlook your subordinate's behavior, President Kobayashi, as long as he doesn't have another emotional outburst in my courtroom" Student Judge Oliveros responded in a stern voice.
"Thank you, your Honor. I appreciate your understanding" Aiden responded before taking his seat, Min only lowering his head down both in disbelief and remorse for his actions.
"Right. We'll proceed with this-" Student Judge Oliveros spoke, stopping herself mid-sentence when she realized that the defendants' Student Defense Attorney was not present in the courtroom.
"Defendants. Where is your Student Counsel?" Student Judge Oliveros asked, as Mingyu tilted his head up to answer the question.
"We don't have any idea, your Honor" Mingyu responded in a soft voice. The Student Judge then scanned the room and noticed Angelbelle to be among the observers.
"Ms. Rodriguez" Student Judge Oliveros called out as Angelbelle stood from her seat.
"Why doesn't the defendants have any representation?" Student Judge Oliveros continued.
"I apologize your Honor, I have received confirmation from the College of Law that they have been assigned a Student Defense Attorney " Angelbelle responded.
"You do realize that with or without a Defense Counsel, I would have to proceed with this hearing. I cannot delay this proceeding for any matter" Student Judge Oliveros said as Angelbelle panicked as she frantically looked at her phone to find the confirmation email from the College of Law in regard to the appointment of a Student Defense Attorney for Mingyu and Ball.
"Your Honor, there has been confirmation from the College of Law that a Student Defense Attorney has been assigned for Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya" Angelbelle replied.
"Well, where is their counsel?" Student Judge Oliveros asked, looking impatient.
"I have no idea your Honor. If you could just give me time to contact the college I wi-" Angelbelle reasoned before Student Judge Oliveros cut her off mid-sentence.
"I'm sorry Ms. Rodriguez, but I will not be delaying this hearing. Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya would have to defend themselves in this hearing" Student Judge Oliveros decided as she grabbed her gavel. As she was about to hit the gavel on the sound block, the doors to the courtroom opened, and a female student with a somewhat small stature entered. Everyone's attention was directed towards the female student, whose hair looked unkempt, her uniform wrinkled, as if she just woke up from a nap, a redness indentation on her cheek from where her arm was pressing. She slowly walked down the aisle towards the bench, holding a folder, carrying a black business bag, the sigil of the College of Law and her lapel pin becoming visible.
Everyone followed the female student with their eyes as she placed the folder on the defense's table and placed her bag on the floor beside it. "Apologies your Honor, my name is Beatrice Ocampo, designated Student Defense Attorney for Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya" Beatrice said as she introduced herself.
"Good of you to finally join us Ms. Ocampo, the defendants almost had to defend themselves without representation because of your tardiness" Student Judge Oliveros said as she sternly chastised Beatrice for being late.
"Oh my God. Mingyu and Ball are done for" Moira uttered in disbelief as she looked at Beatrice. The Student Prosecutor gave a grin when he saw who the Student Defense Attorney was, confidence building up inside him, judging his counterpart based on her looks.
"For the record, I would like to inform Mr. Pattaya and Mr. Park that this court does not operate like a regular courtroom. Much of the proceedings have been condensed to expedite the process. But in no means that this courtroom shall forgo the proper application of the Judicial System" Student Judge Oliveros explained as Mingyu and Ball nodded in acknowledgement.
"Mr. Park, Mr. Pattaya. How do you both plead?" Student Judge Oliveros asked as Mingyu and Ball stood up from their seats. "Just say not guilty" Beatrice whispered to Mingyu and Ball.
"Not guilty, your honor" Mingyu and Ball responded in unison, taking their Defense Attorney's advice.
"Alright, the prosecution may present their opening statement" Student Judge Oliveros announced as Mingyu, Ball, and Beatrice took their seats, as the Student Prosecutor began his opening statement.
"Thank you your Honor, members of the Jury. Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya here has been accused of peeping at the MJU Female Swimming Team, which occurred at the MJU Aquatic Center. We have evidence that Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya were present at the building in question where the incident occurred, and the prosecution believes that, although weren't caught in the act, the defendants are guilty of violating Mount Juliet Code of Conduct Article 6, Section 14. Furthermore, if the defendants are found to have also engaged in taking photos or videos of the Female Swimming Team while they were changing, they would be in violation of the Mount Juliet Code of Conduct Article 6, Section 24, and REPUBLIC ACT No. 9995 otherwise known as the "Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009". Today, I will be presenting CCTV footage from the Aquatic Center showing that Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya were in the premises at the time this alleged crime occurred, as well as evidence showing that the defendants were in the vicinity of the Female Swimming Team's practice area." The Student Prosecutor said, concluding his opening statement.
"Thank you Mr. Valdez. Ms. Ocampo, you may proceed with your opening statement" Student Judge Oliveros said as Beatrice stood up from her chair.
"Thank you your Honor. All I have to say is that the defendants are not guilty of this alleged crime" Beatrice said before returning to her seat. "Is that all, counsel?" Student Judge Oliveros asked.
"Yes, your honor" Beatrice replied, her voice still sounding sleepy, to Student Judge Oliveros' annoyance.
"I hope you know what your doing counsel, for the defendants' sake" Student Judge Oliveros commented before turning her attention towards Mingyu and Ball.
"Does the prosecution or defense have any witnesses they would like to call in?" Student Judge Oliveros asked as both Student-Attorneys shook their heads.
"Alright, with both parties having no witnesses to call in. We shall proceed with the presentation of the evidence. Mr. Valdez, please proceed" Student Judge Oliveros said as the Student Prosecutor rolled a rolling mount in front of the courtroom.
After setting up the television, the Student Prosecutor inserted a USB drive into one of the ports behind the television before turning it on and showing a video taken from the Aquatic Center's CCTV cameras, both outside the main entrance and in the lobby.
Mr. Valdez played the video, showing Mingyu and Ball entering the aquatic center, just before the Female Swimming Team's practice began. It also showed them in the lobby before they walked off to the second floor, where there was no CCTV footage provided. As the prosecution showed the video evidence, Beatrice started writing notes on her notepad which she took from her backpack.
"As you can see, Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya were entering the Aquatic Center prior to the start of the swimming team's practice" Mr. Valdez said as he showed the court Mingyu and Ball's movements.
"In the next clip, we see Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya in the lobby for a few minutes before walking towards the stairs, leading to the observation platforms where the suspected peepers where believed to be at when one of the defendants' ringtone rung during the swimming team's practice" Mr. Valdez argued.
"According to the student who reported the incident and filed the case at the CGS3's Prefect's Office, the ringtone that played in the central atrium of the Aquatic Center is the ringtone used by Mr. Park for his incoming calls to his cellphone, which has been identified as 'Work Hard, Play Hard' by Whiz Khalifa" Mr. Valdez further argued.
"With the court's permission, I would like to prove in this courtroom, that this is the exact ringtone that Mr. Park has" Mr. Valdez continued.
"Ms. Ocampo, do you have any objections to the prosecution's request?" Student Judge Oliveros asked.
"No, your Honor" Beatrice responded as Mingyu reacted in shock and surprise. Grace and Moira could only watch in horror as Mingyu, and Ball's Student Defense seems to be losing on purpose. Aiden and Angelbelle kept their calm demeanor as they watch the drama unfold in front of them.
"Mr. Park, do you have your cellphone with you?" Student Judge Oliveros asked.
"Yes, your Honor" Mingyu replied as he took his phone out of his pocket.
"Will the defendant turn off the silent feature of his phone, if active, and present it to the Student Bailiff" Student Judge Oliveros ordered as Mingyu disabled his phone's silent feature and surrendered his phone to the Student Bailiff.
As the Bailiff walked towards the Jury, the prosecutor dialed Mingyu's phone number, and almost immediately the song 'Work Hard, Play Hard' by Whiz Khalifa started playing, cornering the defendants into a corner as Beatrice continued writing on her notepad.
"Thank you Bailiff, you may return the defendant's phone" Student Judge Oliveros ordered as the Bailiff returned Mingyu's phone.
"Members of the Jury, as you can see. This ringtone places Mr. Park in the central atrium of the Aquatic Center when his ringtone played, which was heard by the entire female swim team, their coach, and the person who reported this incident to the CGS3 Prefect's Office" Mr. Valdez reasoned before the Jury.
"I do hope that that the Jury would consider these facts when they decide on the defendants' verdict" Mr. Valdez concluded before returning to his seat, a smug look on his face as he glanced at Beatrice.
"Thank you Mr. Valdez. Ms. Ocampo you may counter the prosecutions' evidence" Student Judge Oliveros said as Beatrice got up from her chair.
"Members of the Jury, what I can say is that the prosecution has laid out a flawed and baseless evidence before this court, which I personally find distasteful and quite frankly, desperate" Beatrice said.
"Objection!" Mr. Valdez cried out.
"Sustained. Ms. Ocampo, please refrain from attacking the prosecution's presentation of the evidence" Student Judge Oliveros warned.
"Apologies your Honor, in my opinion-" Beatrice replied before being cut off by the Student Judge Oliveros.
"Ms. Ocampo, may I remind you that this is a courtroom, not an op-ed for the MJU Times. We present facts and evidence, not opinions and point of views" Student Judge Oliveros said.
"Noted, your Honor" Beatrice said as Student Judge Oliveros gestured for her to continue.
"Members of the Jury, Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya could have been in the Aquatic Center for a number of reasons, and according to the statement given by Mr. Park, he was giving Mr. Pattaya a tour of the Aquatic Center, which is understandable, given that the latter is a new student here on campus" Beatrice said.
"Furthermore, if you recall the CCTV footage that Mr. Valdez has shown this courtroom, we could see Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya staying in the lobby for a few minutes, with Mr. Park showing Mr. Pattaya the different trophies, medals, awards, and other accomplishments that our athletic teams have achieved in the past years" Beatrice continued as the Student Prosecutor shook his head.
"Furthermore, if Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya's intent was to peep at the swimming team, they would've immediately gone up the stairs towards the observation platform. Seeing that the prosecution has failed to provide and show that Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya indeed went to the observation platform to peep, we could only assume that this was pure speculation on the side of the prosecution" Beatrice added.
"Objection your Honor!" Mr. Valdez said, disagreeing with the Student Defense's statement. "Overruled. Objection unfounded" Student Judge Oliveros countered before Beatrice continued with her statement.
"We cannot assume that the defendant's guilt because of a ringtone. Unless of course the prosecution can provide video evidence showing Mr. Park at the scene of the alleged crime when his phone rang. Since the prosecution did not provide one, a reason for it is because they can't provide one." Beatrice continued.
"Finally, since the prosecution has failed to produce any witnesses to identify Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya being in the central atrium during the time of the alleged crime, reduces their evidence as nothing more than a standalone circumstantial evidence. Unless the prosecution can provide substantial evidence to support their allegation, or if they can provide direct evidence proving that the defendants were in fact at the scene during the time of the alleged crime, the prosecution is merely presenting speculations in regard to this matter" Beatrice concluded.
"You Honor, with your permission, I would like to disprove the prosecution's argument as it pertains to Mr. Park's ringtone" Beatrice requested.
"Does the prosecution have any objections to this?" Student Judge Oliveros asked as Mr. Valdez shook his head, giving Beatrice a chance to disprove one of the prosecution's main arguments.
"You may proceed counsel" Student Judge Oliveros said as Beatrice walked up to the Student Bailiff who is standing on his designated place.
"If you can hold this for me please and walk towards the Jury" Beatrice said as she handed her phone to the Student Bailiff, who then followed her instructions.
Beatrice then walked towards Student-Attorney Rodriguez, and asked to borrow her cellphone, which the latter complied with. Beatrice then dialed her own number which caused her phone to ring, playing the same ringtone as Mingyu's phone. Beatrice's presentation shocked the prosecution and surprised Aiden, Min, Grace, and Moira, who was not expecting that the Student Defense Attorney would have something like that to counter the prosecution.
Beatrice then ended the call and returned Angelbelle's cellphone, before walking up to the Student Bailiff to retrieve her cellphone, "Thank you" Beatrice told the Student Bailiff as she grabbed her phone before the latter returned to his spot.
"As you can see, by the prosecution's logic and argument, even I could have been in the Aquatic Center's central atrium peeping at the swimming team during the alleged crime. If we're basing it on the ringtone" Beatrice said, causing the Jury to talk amongst themselves.
"Order! Order! Order in my courtroom!" Student Judge Oliveros said as she banged her gavel to silence the Jury members. Aiden could only snort in response as the Jury reacted to Beatrice's argument.
"My point here is that Mr. Park is not the only one who has that specific ringtone. This is a universal ringtone that anybody can use and is not used exclusively by Mr. Park" Beatrice added.
"Furthermore, this song can be downloaded by anyone, widening the pool of suspects who are able to use this ringtone. With that in mind, the prosecution cannot possibly use this as direct evidence to place Mr. Park at the scene where the alleged crime was perpetrated. Therefore, the defense would like to ask the court to strike the ringtone as evidence from this court" Beatrice added to the amazement of Grace and Moira who initially judged Beatrice based on her looks when she entered the courtroom.
"Objection!" Mr. Valdez called out.
"Overruled!" Student Judge Oliveros countered, "The Defense has a made a clear point. The facts are, the ringtone that the prosecution has presented is a universal ringtone that any other person may use, which the defense has clearly pointed out. Unless the prosecution can provide evidence that Mr. Park was the only one that has this ringtone on campus, then I have no choice but to rule that this evidence that the prosecution has provided is inadmissible" Student Judge Oliveros said as the Mr. Valdez stood in silence, at loss of words on how the Defense quickly turned the tables on him.
"Thank you your Honor" Beatrice said before continuing her argument.
"I would also like to point out that the prosecution only showed CCTV footage of Mr. Park and Mr. Pattaya entering the Aquatic Center and did not provide any footage of them leaving the area to show that they left the vicinity right after the ringtone was heard and discovered by the witnesses in the central atrium" Beatrice continued as she blew hole after hole in the prosecution's argument and evidence.
"Not only have the prosecution failed to provide CCTV footage of them leaving, but they also failed to present witnesses that can testify that they saw the defendants leaving the scene of the alleged crime after the ringtone went off in the central atrium" Beatrice added as Mingyu and Ball watched and listened in amazement how their Student Defense Attorney made argument after argument that virtually destroyed much of the prosecution's argument and evidence.
"To that end, I would also like to request this court to strike the prosecution's statement in regard to the Mount Juliet Code of Conduct Article 6, Section 24, and REPUBLIC ACT No. 9995, as this was not included in the official report that was filed nor was there any evidence nor witnesses produced by the prosecution to prove that the defendants committed the alleged accusation aforementioned" Beatrice added.
"Defense's request to strike the prosecution's statement in regard to the violation of Code of Conduct Article 6, Section 24 and Republic Act No. 9995 is sustained" Student Judge Oliveros said as she banged the gavel. "Thank you your Honor" Beatrice finally concluded as she took her seat.
"Thank you counsel" Student Judge Oliveros said before turning her attention towards Mr. Valdez who was now the one backed into a corner.
"Does the prosecution have any other evidence they would like to provide this court to support their case against the defendants?" Student Judge Oliveros asked.
"No, your Honor" Mr. Valdez said, his voice defeated and devoid of life and energy.
"Very well. Are there any motions to be put forth at this time?" Student Judge Oliveros asked.
"Yes your Honor" Beatrice responded, as she stood up from where she was sitting, "The Defense would like to put for a motion for the dismissal of this case due to lack of evidence"
"Sustained. In the matter of Mount Juliet University v. Park, Pattaya, this case is dismissed due to lack of evidence for conviction Mr. Park, Mr. Pattaya both of you are free to go. This court is adjourned!" Student Judge Oliveros said as she banged her gavel one last time.
"All Rise!" The Student Bailiff said in a loud voice as everyone stood from their seats as the Student Judge stood up from where she was sitting and entered the back room.
As the Student Judge disappeared, Grace and Moira were able to breathe a sigh of relief, while the prosecutor, Angelo Valdez stormed out of the courtroom after his humiliating defeat. Mingyu and Ball gave each other a hug, able to breathe a sigh of relief as their case was dismissed, Min quickly jumped the railings to hug Mingyu and Ball. Grace and Moira followed suit to express their relief to Mingyu and Ball.
The Jury was also relieved with the Student Court's decision to dismiss the case, as most of them weren't so eager to hand down a guilty verdict on Mingyu and Ball, given that they are in the Hotlist for this year. Although not eager, the Jury was determined to hand down their verdict based on the evidence and argument they witnessed had the process reached that point.
As everybody celebrated, Aiden quietly stood up from his seat and walked towards Angelbelle, before whispering something in her ear. He then walked towards the exit as Angelbelle grabbed her things before she walked towards Beatrice, who was packing her things inside her backpack. Angelbelle whispered something to Beatrice before they both started walking towards the exit.
As their hug ended, Mingyu turned towards the seat next to his to express his thanks and gratitude for their Student Defense Attorney but was surprised to see her gone. His reaction caught Ball, Min, Grace, and Moira's attention and they also wondered where their Student Defense Attorney went. Not able to locate her, they decided to leave the courtroom and see if she was somewhere outside.
Mingyu and Ball quickly ran back to the prep room to get their things before they all walked towards the exit. As they left the courtroom, they saw Beatrice walking away from Aiden and Angelbelle who were standing outside, looking at Mingyu and Ball's Student Defense Attorney as she walked off.
"President Kobayashi, if possible may I have a word with you in private?" Angelbelle asked before Mingyu, Min, Ball, Grace, and Moira walked up to them.
"Where is Beatrice going to? We forgot to say thank you to her" Ball asked, feeling bad that he wasn't able to thank the person who successfully defended them in the Student Court.
"She has some things she needs to take care of and things to think about" Aiden responded, "It's best if you do not disturb her right now. You two have plenty of chances to thank her later".
"Right. She's also probably busy as well" Ball responded.
"Well, congratulations to the both of you" Angelbelle said, looking at Mingyu and Ball.
"I was so nervous when Beatrice didn't show up. I thought we were done for!" Mingyu exclaimed.
"I know, I thought I was going to be sent back to Thailand" Ball added as Min placed his arm around Mingyu and Ball's necks.
"You guys don't have to worry, it's all in the past now. I'm just glad the two of you weren't found guilty" Min said, expressing his relief.
"I've been with Aiden, Moira, and Grace watching all these Student Court hearings, and I never thought my friends would end up being defendants in one of them" Min continued. Grace and Moira stood silently, still processing the fact that they hid Mingyu and Ball's case from Aiden.
Using up all the courage she mustered, Grace finally spoke, "Aiden, I would like to apologize for not te-". Before she could even finish, Aiden gestured for her to stop.
"It's fine. I already knew about Mingyu and Ball" Aiden confessed, surprising everyone present.
"When did you know!?" Moira asked in a surprised tone.
"After I got back from the meeting with Vice Chancellor Gutierrez regarding the Battle of the Bands" Aiden responded, catching Grace and Moira completely off guard.
"So you've known since day one, huh?" Grace said as she gave a face palm.
"How did you even know about it? This was a secret only known to a handful of people?" Moira asked, curious how Aiden knew about Mingyu and Ball.
Aiden took his phone out and showed them the crypted messages that "Themis" had sent him, starting from the day that Mingyu and Ball's case was reported to the Prefect's Office.
"Code-113A. 98-0337. 99-0146. 13:52"
"Code-113B. 98-0337. 99-0146. 8:20"
"Code-113C. 98-0337. 99-0146. !! . Be advised // 98-0473. 98-0488. 98.0491// C-M -> CGS3-P // CV-SU"
"I don't understand any of these?" Grace admitted after seeing the crypted message, "Who is Themis?"
"I don't know how you were able to know about Mingyu and Ball with just this, Aiden" Moira agreed, equally confused as to the meaning of the cryptic message, "And yeah, who is Themis?".
"113A" Aiden began, "is the Student Judicial Branch's code for a newly filed case in any of the Prefect's Office here on campus"
"98-0337 and 99-0146 are-" Aiden was about to explain when Mingyu cut him off mid-sentence.
"960-98-0337 is my student ID" Mingyu admitted. "960-99-0146 is mine" Ball added as Min, Moira and Grace looked at them before turning their attention towards Aiden.
"If those numbers mean our student ID, then why is mine included?" Grace asked, confused as to how she fits in those messages, "960-98-0473 is my Student ID". "Mine is 960-98-0488" Moira chimed in, surprising Min, Mingyu, and Ball.
"Exactly. Those numbers are in fact student IDs. The times at the end of those are the times when those codes are processed" Aiden said, continuing his explanation.
"Code-113A for Mingyu and Ball were processed on 13:52" Aiden explained.
"113B is the code that the Prefect's Office has completed processing a complaint" Aiden continued.
"So basically, the complaint against Mingyu and Ball was completely processed at 8:20" Aiden added.
"113C means that the Prefect's Office has already forwarded the case to the Student-Attorney, who then forwarded it to the College of Law, to be assigned to a Student Judge at the CGS3, as well as to assign the respective Student Prosecutor and Student Defense Attorney" Aiden further explained, as the coded message started to make sense to everyone.
"The // means a stop in between messages. 'C-M' means Covert Meeting. '->' means with. 'CGS3-P' means the CGS3 Prefect. 'CV-SU' means Covert Summon" Aiden said, causing Moira and Grace to look at each in disbelief, that Aiden even knew about their secret meeting with the CGS3 Prefect.
"So, if you put all of them together, the message reads, 'Grace, Moira, and Katrina had a covert meeting with CGS3 Prefect to issue cover summons for Mingyu and Ball" Aiden explained as everything became clear to everyone.
"So, you knew all along?" Mingyu said in disbelief, "If you knew all this time, why didn't you say anything?".
"It wouldn't change anything even if I had said something. If I actually said something, the situation could have become a lot worse. Grace and Moira's decision to keep this from me provided me with plausible deniability should this have become public knowledge before your hearing even began" Aiden explained.
"Furthermore, should I have been entangled with your case, it would put the Student Council in a bad light, and we could have been accused of inappropriately influencing the court decision, had you been acquitted, given that it's public knowledge that we have somewhat of a close relationship. Even if they are unsubstantiated rumors, it's enough to cause irreparable damage to the reputation and credibility of the Student Council" Aiden added.
"That's understandable. You're just trying to protect the Student Council" Mingyu replied, understanding Aiden's position on the matter.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Aiden" Ball said as he profusely apologized.
"It's fine, that matter is in the past now. We'll handle the eventual fallout over this issue, and if everything goes according to plan, this won't remain in the news cycle for long" Aiden said, with Grace and Moira immediately understanding what Aiden meant.
"I'll go ahead and inform Angela to draft an official response from the Student regarding this matter" Moira quickly chimed in as she began messaging Angela to give her instructions.
"So who is Themis?" Grace asked again, causing Moira to stopped typing on her cellphone as she looked at Grace, then Aiden.
"Themis is one of my informants embedded across the university, I have many others posted in different colleges and organizations to feed me information of things that I need to know so that I can make informed decisions about certain issues or problems that may arise on campus" Aiden explained.
"Given that this Themis has inside knowledge regarding the inner workings of the Judicial System, I'm confident that she's a part of the Judicial Branch or is a student at the College of Law" Grace deduced.
"She's actually both" Aiden said as everyone reacted to Aiden identifying Themis as a female.
"You don't have to look far to find out who Themis is, all you need to do is look at the student beside me" Aiden continued as she gestured towards Angelbelle. "Angelbelle's Themis!?" Mingyu reacted in shock.
"President Kobayashi, is it wise to blow my cover like that?" Angelbelle finally spoke.
"No need to worry about that, everyone here is a member of the Student Council and/or the International Student Organization, hence they are bound by the non-disclosure agreement relating to sensitive university matters, so you don't need to worry about anything. In regards with Ball, unless he wants to be sent to the Student Court again, it'd be best for him to keep quiet about this" Aiden said.
Aiden's statement sent shivers down Ball's spine, "I-I promise, I won't say anything" Ball said, enough of a reassurance for Aiden that Ball would not say anything about Themis' identity.
"If you are Themis, then you were providing Aiden with information all this time!? What about the meeting with Director Guerrero?" Mingyu spoke again.
"Obviously, that was all part of my job. Sometimes I have to bend the truth to protect my cover as a Student Council Intelligence Operative" Angelbelle responded, justifying her actions when she gave his and Ball's summons, where she claimed that Aiden doesn't knowing anything.
"Don't take it personally Mingyu, I was just doing the job assigned to me by the Student Council President" Angelbelle continued as Mingyu was left speechless.
"To think Angelbelle was some kind of secret agent, I never would've figured it out" Ball commented as Angelbelle let out a chuckle. "That's the whole point of being undercover, Ball" Angelbelle responded.
"Sorry to break this small revelation moment, but we still haven't found a candidate for Attorney-General" Grace interrupted. "Oh God! I totally forgot all about that!" Moira reacted.
"I forgot about that as well! With all of this going on, it slipped my mind that we were looking for a candidate for Attorney-General!" Min added as he removed his arms around Mingyu and Ball.
"I wouldn't freak out about that" Aiden responded, "I already asked Beatrice if she was interested in the position of Attorney-General". "You asked Beatrice!?" Moira reacted.
"Is there a problem with that?" Aiden asked, looking at Moira, "She's already proven that she's extremely capable, and given that people tend to underestimate her based on her appearance, she would be a potent addition to the Student Council as Attorney-General" Aiden continued.
"I don't have any objections to that" Grace responded, "I have to admit, I did judge her when she walked in, and thought that Mingyu and Ball were goners. But she proved me wrong after she presented her defense and poked holes left and right in the prosecutions arguments and evidence".
"I've got no objections as well. She does fit the criteria we're looking for" Moira added.
"That settles that other matter then. The only question is whether she would accept the offer or not" Aiden said. "What do you mean by that?" Grace asked.
"When I offered her the position of Attorney-General, she said she would think about it and give me an answer by Monday" Aiden explained. "So, we're still technically not out of the woods yet" Grace asked.
"Correct. It all goes down to whether she accepts it or not" Aiden admitted.
"I don't think I've ever heard of a Beatrice Ocampo before. She's pretty sharp inside the courtroom, but why wasn't she recommended by the College of Law faculty when we asked for possible candidates for Attorney-General?" Grace asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the faculty didn't include her in the short-list of possible candidates" Angelbelle responded, "She transferred here earlier this week. I was able to see her academic transcript from UP Diliman and her grades are exemplary. She has extensive knowledge about constitutional law, criminal law, and civil law, in addition to that, she also has a lot of commendations, awards, and achievements" Angelbelle explained. "Talk about an overachiever" Moira commented.
"That's the thing, she's doesn't even seem like she's trying. It's like everything just comes naturally to her" Angelbelle replied.
"Apparently, Angelbelle is the same. I saw your records and accomplishments, you were included in the shortlist given to us by the College of Law faculty for the position of Attorney General" Aiden chimed in.
"Where did Beatrice run off to? She looked like she was in a hurry" Grace asked.
"She said she was sleepy, so she's heading to the library to take a nap" Aiden replied,
"She sounds just like you, Aiden" Min teased as Grace, Moira, Angelbelle, Mingyu, and Ball laughed.
It was already Monday afternoon, and Aiden has yet to hear from Beatrice whether or not she would accept the position of Attorney-General. The Student Council room was filled with an anxious atmosphere due to the uncertainty regarding Beatrice, given that they have to present the newly appointed officers to the opposition leaders from both the Student Senate and House of Representatives after the new officers are sworn in and the official picture of the A.Y. 2022 – 2023 Student Council has been taken.
Since they were new to everything, Antoinette, Christopher, and Sherwin were feeling a bit uneasy with the atmosphere within the Student Council room. The trio forcing an uncomfortable and awkward smile as the Student Council members being consumed by anxiousness, except for Aiden, Amy, and Min.
Rebecca, Alexis, Mingyu, Jasper, Ball, and Bank, who were invited guests for the swearing-in ceremony, doesn't seem bothered by the current mood in the room, given that they were somewhat used to this kind of atmosphere.
"This feels more like a wake than a swearing-in ceremony" Mingyu commented before being elbowed by Rebecca who was trying to smile, as to not make the new Student Council officers feel any more uncomfortable than they already are. "I feel you there, Mingyu" Sherwin responded.
"Is it always like this in the Student Council?" Antoinette asked, as she moved closer to Sherwin and Mingyu who were by the couch, trying not to get caught within the radius of the anxiousness emanating from the conference table where the bulk of the Student Council members are.
"It's a bit of a roller coaster ride, actually" Rebecca responded, as she gave an awkward laugh.
"I guess, we can call this the storm before the calm?" Christopher interjected, inching closer towards where Mingyu and Sherwin are.
"Maybe it'll help if we think of something that makes us happy? It might relieve the anxious mood" Jasper suggested, brightening up Mingyu's face.
"The thing that makes me happy is watching the swimming team do their laps around the pool in the Aquatic Center…" Mingyu said out loud, not realizing what he just said, caught up and distracted by the thing that makes him happy. Just then, the anxious atmosphere quickly dissipated as Katrina came barreling towards Mingyu who quickly grabbed him by the ear.
"So you were peeping at the Aquatic Center!" Katrina cried out, catching Mingyu practically confessing that he did peep at the Aquatic Center.
"Well, we're in for a whole different atmosphere" Aaron joked as Katrina gave Mingyu an earful. Aiden could only give a sigh as everybody started chuckling at Mingyu and Katrina who looked like they were a married couple having a fight. "At least Katrina and Mingyu are back to normal" Jasper further joked.
"This is normal?" Sherwin asked, a bit surprised. "I didn't know Katrina had a temper" Christopher added.
"Now I really caught you red-handed this time! I have witnesses as well! I'm going to report this to the CGS3 Prefect!" Katrina said, half-serious, half-joking.
"Technically, you can't do that. That's considered as Double Jeopardy" Beatrice said as she entered the Student Council office, "One cannot be tried again for the same crime following an acquittal".
"Beatrice! You made it!" Grace said as she greeted Beatrice, who looked a lot different from when they first met her. "I guess you finally decided?" Aiden asked as Beatrice looked at him.
"Yes. I accept the position of Attorney-General" Beatrice announced, to the delight of the Student Council members, who was getting worried about their meeting with the Student Congress.
After announcing that she was accepting the position of Attorney-General, everyone started greeting the soon-to-be new additions to the Student Council, as they all exchanged pleasantries, the normal mood within the Student Council room finally returning. As everyone was conversing with each other, the official school photographer entered the Student Council room, the last person that Aiden was waiting for before he officially swore-in Beatrice, Antoinette, Christopher, and Sherwin as the new members of the Student Council.
After being sworn-in, the school photographer asked the members of the Student Council to take their seats on the conference table for a few shots. The photographer then asked the members of the Student Council to take seven chairs and roll it by the wall between the kitchenette and the control room so they could take the official picture of the Student Council for the academic year. Forming two rows, the front row sitting down, while the second row was standing up.
The positions from left to right:
First Row: Christopher, Beatrice, Grace, Aiden, Moira, Antoinette, and Katrina
Second Row: Kobe, Angela, Min, Amy, Aaron, and Sherwin
After their official picture was taken, the photographer called it the "Kobayashi Student Council".