"A useful advice, use every chance."
-Serised
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Applauses and cheers fill the auditorium after the closing remarks of the host.
"Wow! this lecture is so fun and informative. Mr. Jean is really the best," Blake keeps on praising the lecturer's abilities.
Ken looks satisfied too. It brings him back to when he was still in college. Although it might not be as loud nor as fun as this one event, it remains precious to him because of happy memories he had with people he once treasured.
"Oh, the organizers too!" Blake says that snapped Ken out of reminiscing.
"I can now talk more without disturbing anyone! Yey!" Blake exclaims, feeling all the excitement on his nerves.
'He didn't stopped talking for the last three hours though,' Ken's expression says.
Ken clicks open his phone to look for the time, it's past eleven in the morning.
'If what Blake said is true earlier, that Shiela doesn't stay far too long in one place, then she might have exited the auditorium. I should've look closely to where she was,' Ken regrets in his head.
"It's lunch time, let's eat lunch together. Oh, but where's your ID? There's a free meal today," Blake says after looking on his wristwatch.
"Here," Ken shows his ID.
"Huh? I'm not referring to your national ID, what I meant was school ID," Blake says, a bit confused.
"Oh, but I'm not--" Ken was interrupted when Blake suddenly calls on someone.
"Iris girl!" Blake shouts pertaining to the girl who asked the professor early on his lecture.
Ken turns his head, the girl is looking back at them. Her mouth slightly open.
She points to herself then asks, "me?"
Blake nods intensely in response with a big smile.
"What do you need, Blake?" the girl questions Blake, walking closer to where the two boys is.
Ken begins looking around, starting from where Shiela was seating during the event, towards the exit.
"How do you know my name, Iris girl?" Blake asks, a bit baffled.
Ken observantly saw the exit blocked with a lot of people who are trying to get past the door, and among them he spots Shiela, standing patiently.
"We're classmates in two courses, and it's Iris, not Iris girl," Iris answers back to Blake, clicking her tongue.
Ken is in the middle of Iris and Blake, opening his mouth only to close again. He fails to pinch in to their conversation every attempt, so he ends up biting his lower lip.
"Really? That's unusual, I know everyone in every class I have!" Blake ponders how he can't remember Iris.
Ken sees that there are students from outside which are trying to enter the auditorium, they did it politely and slowly at first, so people from inside start giving way and line up on the right side of the door. Shiela is unaware of what's happening since the people in front of her block the view.
"Well, except me," Iris says towards Blake, shrugging her shoulders.
Ken's eyes enlarge as people entering became violent and push the people on the right side of the door inwards, so the people inside start moving backwards, colliding to the person from behind after another. In Ken's point of view it looks like domino pieces one by one falling to tip the piece behind, although it's a bit sarcastic.
"Excuse me!" Ken shouts then hurriedly runs to reach Shiela.
Iris and Blake's head follow Ken, both left with mouths agape.
"Ken! Where are you going?" Blake shouts in a rush.
When Ken reaches near the door, Shiela has noticed what's happening in front, she moves away swiftly from people, but the girl in front of Shiela lost her balance, so she held the girl's back to help.
"Are you okay?" Shiela asks creasing her forehead.
Ken halts, then shifts his eyes to the people beside him who are at the back of the line, one by one colliding, he supports them with his both hands, to avoid them from hitting the ground.
The pushing stopped but everyone was confused who started it, and where it came from.
People murmur their irritation while some students are laughing their anger out, joking and making fun of themselves.
"It's a relief no one's hurt," Shiela says still looking at the people in front of her.
Ken directs his attention towards Shiela, not wanting the adrenaline to subside without him saying something.
"Excuse me. Shiela, right?" Ken starts speaking that made Shiela turn her head.
Her well-chiseled brows curve a bit, lips in a straight line.
"Ken, don't just run like that," Blake says looking worried, coming from a sudden panic after seeing the commotion in the door.
"For sure it's another petty dare from first year students, they're really getting on my nerves," Blake starts dissing those he thinks liable for the chaos.
Ken looks at them--Iris is with Blake. Iris stares at Shiela, adoring her unique features.
"Ah! Shiela," Blake says after realizing Shiela's nearby. He becomes suspicious as to why Ken ran in a rush to Shiela, and connects invisible dots in his head. He nudges Ken's arm, and gave him a knowing look.
"What?" Ken asks sincerely.
Blake moves closer, whispering: "You went here because you thought Shiela was in danger, right?" he grins, speaking villainously.
Ken was dumbfounded and went speechless.
"If that's all, then I'll be going first," Shiela broke their secretive atmosphere and about to leave.
"Wait!" Blake shouts that stopped Shiela.
"Let's all eat lunch together," he adds.
Ken's face lit up, anticipating how Shiela would react.
"Iris, you, Ken and me, let's eat lunch together," Blake emphasizes with a bright smile.
"Why would I eat with you? I don't even know you," Shiela says, eyes shifting from and to the three people in front of her.
"It's my treat," Ken blurts out.
Ken is the type of person who's asked out for a meal, not the other way around.
"I can buy my own meal, I'll get going," Shiela attempts to get away for the second time.
"Summer's near!" Blake rebuts, stopping Shiela for the second time.
Blake starts kicking Ken and Iris by the foot to prompt them to add something so they could convince Shiela.
"Blake, stop kicking," Iris says softly, enough only for Blake to hear.
"You should create memories in college life by meeting new people while summer hasn't come," Ken says to make up from his weak answer earlier.
Shiela looks at Ken. Iris and Blake's eyes reflect their amazement to Ken's statement.
Shiela shifts her eyes towards the door for some minutes, contemplating something, then she starts nodding.
She releases a deep breath.
"Yeah, the month end is near," Shiela says looking down and touching her chin.
"Then, is that a yes?" Iris, who's quiet the whole time asks with wide eyes.
The two guys look at Iris, then turn their heads back to Shiela, waiting for her response.
"Yeah, but...is it still your treat?" Shiela says towards Ken.
Ken was mesmerized by Shiela's amber eyes again, not realizing he's looking too much.
"Hey, say yes already," Blake tries to get Ken's attention.
"Uh...yes. Of course, it's my treat," Ken replies blinking and nodding.
They went out of the school and look for a restaurant to eat. The two guys are walking side by side, as well as Iris and Shiela.
"What kind of food do you guys want to eat?" Blake asks, face away from the road and walking backwards to look at the two girls behind him and Ken.
"I want rice or pasta," Iris says, putting her phone inside her sling bag and lifting her head to face Blake.
"Me too, I'm good with pasta," Shiela agrees.
"Is pasta fine, Ken? You're the one buying anyway," Blake says turning around to walk normally.
"Hmm...sure," Ken agrees.
"It used to be my favorite, but that doesn't mean I hate it now," Ken mumbles with a sad tone, his hands in both pockets of his pants.
"Okay! Pasta, it is!" Blake poses like a superhero taking the two girls' attention, missing what Ken mumbled.