EP10

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“Everyone gather here!” The instructor in-charge of our trip to Davao is Miss Midorima. I can’t hear anything she’s saying. She’s too pretty. It’d be a waste if I don’t focus on appreciating her flawless figure and radiant beauty.

 

“Happy birthday.” I was startled when someone sneaks up to me.

 

“Alexus?! Why are you here?!” Definitely another surprise! When did he sign up for the robotics team?! He was obviously going along this trip. He was wearing the same college jacket as me.

 

“Ah, the chairman required me to come along. Danielle and Hyo are here too.” He says.

 

“And how did you know about my birthday? It’s not today, though.” I told him.

 

“I know. But, it’s tomorrow, so I just want to greet in advance.” He said. “We won’t have much free time during our stay, so yeah.”

 

“Right.” I suddenly remembered Dani and Hyo. “Where are the two anyway?” I ask him.

 

“Oh, they’re up front.” He pointed to the pair who were pinching each other from behind. Those two... why are they always fighting?

 

There were only fifteen of us from the Electronics department. From the College of Arts and Sciences, there were about twenty from the IT department.

 

“Ah! It’s so nice to see a lot of first years from our department!” The girl who was running for magna laude approached me and Alexus. “Hyo and Danielle already got inside the bus. Let’s go!”

 

We followed her to our bus. She was telling us how it was difficult to get first years to qualify for the robotics conference. I sat next to Dani. She looked pretty sour already, this early.

 

“Doua Dani-chan?” I asked her.

[What’s wrong, Dani-chan?]

 

She was pouting. “Nai.” She answered. I decided not to bother her further.

 

“Ma’am Midorima? Three of the first years aren’t here yet.” The president of our department piped up after he counted us.

 

“Ahh... Crampatanta, Minami, and Romero.”

“They’re late. The bus is leaving.”

 

“Huh?! Colin, Chiaki and Jaden are coming too?!” I say.

 

“Ma’am, they’re on their way to Davao. Chiaki has private service.” Danielle raised a hand as she told our instructor. Why do I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t know that everyone is coming?

 

“Ahhh... They should’ve at least told me...” Miss Midorima pouted.

 

Waaaaaah! Kawaii ne! Honto ni utsukushi!

 

“Alright, people. Welcome aboard! Its three hours to get to Davao. I hope you’ve all done whatever you need to do. We will have a one-hour stop at Digos City, but only for bathroom break. So, get some rest along the trip, keep safe and don’t forget to pray for a safe journey.” One of the IT instructors said. After his speech, he sat next to Miss Midorima.

 

The travel time flew by. We arrived at the convention hall in SM Lanang. We registered and got our seminar kits. I sat with my friends. There were only a few students representing their own respective universities. But despite that, there were a lot of people today.

 

The first discussion was about Mechatronics. It was really interesting! After that was a short break, then the seminar continued with a different topic: Arduino. The seminar ended by three in the afternoon.

 

After that, we were off to the hotel. While inside the bus, I decided to take a look at the events pamphlet.

 

Day one was the seminar, yeah. Day two will be a robotics exhibit. Each school will display their own robotics projects. I wanted to bring Sehun, but it will cause quite the commotion if he was here. I decided to present the robotic arm I displayed last time during the university week. The IT department presented an auto-driving toy train that will continue to move as long as it’s within the black line that is printed on a tarpaulin. They’ll set it on the floor. Without any controls, the train would move and follow the black lines on the tarpaulin. NEAT!

 

But, that aside, the third say is a free day. We get to go sightseeing.

 

We arrived at the hotel. We were asked to line up for the head count. Of course, I get to be with Chiaki and Dani in one room. The guys will be together in another room. In our department, there were only six girls and the rest are guys.

 

When we finally got inside our room, the three seniors who are with us joined us after a few minutes.

 

I finally had the initiative to ask Miss Magna Laude’s name. She’s called Evelyn Aldini. She says her sister is just like me. Although she was also good with electronics, she was not focused on it. She’s a frustrated fashionista, as she’d describe her.

 

I think being frustrated is in their blood. She cooked this strange pizza back at Hapburn. It was delicious, yet it was really weird. She made a squid pizza. Yes, it has squid. Yes, I repeat its squid. So I think she’s a frustrated chef?

 

“Tomorrow we’re going to D’Leonor after the exhibit! Waaah! I’m excited!” Chiaki says as she rolled on her bed.

 

“What’s in it?” Evelyn and her friends looked it up on the internet. All of us gathered around the laptop she as using. I don’t know who owns it, but who cares! Everyone started talking at once.

 

“Woah! There’s a wavepool!”

“Aw, the entrance fee is too expensive!”

“I want to try the surfing station!”

“Hey look! Rides!”

“Ah! A Viking ship!”

“Waaaah! Look at those statues!”

“There’s that motor cart thingy, what do you call that again?”

 

“Girls! Girls!” Evelyn said finally. “We’re going with our classmates. So, we’ll plan our activities there outside. DO you want to join us?”

 

“Umm, we want to plan for our barkada though.” Dani says.

 

“If that’s that, then let’s all exchange numbers ahead of time so we can contact anyone in case of emergency, okay?” Evelyn took out her phone. Everyone exchanged numbers.

 

After that they went out to meet their classmates in the lobby.

 

Chiaki called her boyfriend, Jaden. Then our group meet up at the coffee shop. The hotel has this coffee shop that’s open most of the time. It was ten in the evening. A group of five people from the IT department were also gathered at a table, planning for their free time.

 

We sat down and planned our route for the free time.

 

After a while, I got hungry. I excused myself and went to the counter.

 

I was waiting for my cake, when someone greeted me.

 

“Oh, Arin! O Genki desuka?”

[How are you?]

 

That voice. I suddenly felt stiff.

 

[switch]

 

“What’s with your hair? Woah! This is the first time I’m actually seeing it.” Dani says the moment she and the girls entered the coffee shop.

 

“I see that every day.” Hyo says.

 

This is my natural hair. It’s like this when I just took a bath. I just had a bath after all that walk in the streets just to find this hotel. I got all sweaty; I decided to take a bath to relieve myself of all the sticky feeling.

 

I watched Arin take her seat in front of me. She was always next to Dani. She looked bored, though. Maybe she lacked sleep?

 

Although she was listening to what everyone is talking about, her suggestions would be blurred by the enthusiasm of the others. I could hear her suggestions though. So, I just repeat hers so the others could consider it.

 

Then she suddenly excused herself to buy something to eat.

 

From time to time I would observe her. She stood there waiting for her order.

 

Then this guy came standing next to her to order something. Before he could decide though, he gave Arin a glance. At the second glance, he taps her by the shoulder.

 

I saw his face.

 

The two started talking. I could see Arin was feeling uncomfortable now, so I decided to go and help her.

 

“Where are you going?” Colin asks me. I was surprised by the sound his voice. I forgot I was with my friends.

 

“Arin’s kind of like in trouble. I’ll be back.” I told them.

 

“What kind of trouble? Huh?” Dani’s voice faded away as I walked towards the two.

 

“Arin. Ikuso.” I told her. Her tray was already at the counter. “Did you pay already?”

 

“H-hai.” She kept her head down.

 

“Are you sick?” Seth asks her. He was about to put a hand on her shoulder. The moment it landed on her shoulder, she shuddered.

 

“We’re going back to our table.” I told him.

 

“Ah. You’re the guy from last time.” He says to me.

 

I pulled Arin closer to me. “Go ahead back. I’ll carry your tray.”

 

“B-but...” she began.

 

“I don’t know what you’re doing there, man. There’s no need to be so wary of me.” He spoke to me with every word bearing their weight. “You already know who I am, right?”

 

“I know.” I told him calmly. “But, can you please let it slide? We’re waiting for her and we’re kind of in a hurry.” I told him.

 

“Next time.” He told Arin.

 

“Sure.” She answered, without even looking at him.

 

We went back to our table. Our friends were of course very curious about it. But we couldn’t talk here. So, we decided to tell them once we get back to our respective rooms; me to tell the guys, and Arin to open up to the girls.

 

[switch]

After I told my friends about Seth and what Alexus had to do with it, we were quiet.

 

The three seniors were already asleep.

 

“Hmm...” Dani began. “I think you don’t have any other choice but to just open up to him.”

 

“Yeah,” Chiaki seconded. “Summon all your courage and tell him what you really feel.”

 

“We’re in the same university. He’s in the IT Department. You two are more likely to bump into each other. You have to deal with it so you can stop worrying about his presence.” Dani added.

 

“Uhh...” I don’t know. I just get so nervous!

 

“If you continue this, it will be ten times worse and worse as time goes by.” Dani says.

 

[SNIP]