"Welcome!" Asher happily welcomed Shiro and Lynx who are about to enter their private room which specifically Shiro is talking about after she joined lunch with them last time. Even though the two best friends had a chance to see them several times they still can't help raising or frowning their eyebrows at these weird rich species around them. Asher became more clingy to Shiro than before, she had always been in Shiro's arms like a Koala as per Shiro's point of view, and the never-ending stories that sometimes Shiro cannot relate to but still have her urge to give attention to—just to make sure Ash will never be asked her "Shiro are you listening?" or "Shiro did you hear what I said?"
"Hey! That's cheating!" Mark yelled at Yangyang who is grinning his teeth again like a demon while they are playing with their Nintendo Switch.
"Mark you dumbass weak ha-ha!" Yangyang teasingly said to him that makes Shiro secretly smirks at him.
"Damn there he goes!" Mark exclaimed when Nana popped up into their game effortlessly.
"Tsk, this omen," Yangyang said while focusing on the game.
"Game over!" Nana said with his lazy voice but a little bit of pretension as he won in the game. Yangyang just drops his blue Nintendo and pouts in disbelief from his overwhelming competitiveness as if he never beat him last time.
As they are all busy in their own business a sudden motion of aggression opens the door, and they normally know it came from Austin.
"Ha-ha, your mom nags at you again Young master," Yangyang cited with his slang accent and Austin automatically turns his head to him.
"Shut up Xiao Yang! Stop ruining my da—" Austin suddenly stopped talking when he realized Shiro is beside him reading their research paper while Asher is sweetly leaning on her shoulders. Austin gulped while looking at them and he impulsively stamps his feet and squeaks his rubber shoes loudly that making Shiro looks at him and eventually go back to reading.
"Hey!" Austin suddenly shout and nudged Shiro's shoulders that's why Asher quickly rises up and fiercely look at him.
"Austin don't you dare to disturb us we are studying!" She exclaimed whereas she was crossing her arm and dramatically widening her eyes to Austin.
"You even called that studying! You are simply wasting time and snuggling together!" Austin said while looking at them.
"Asher just get back in here stop wasting your time talking with a mosquito buzzing around in there," Shiro suddenly speaks up which makes everyone crack up while looking at Austin.
"Hey!" Austin calls her out and shoves his hands to Shiro and sits beside her and he looks deeper into her as their eyes meet.
"You pale girl you even have your courage to say that! I'm not a mosquito!" He stubbornly demanded to her while intentionally moving closer to her and Shiro hastily grabbed her folder and snapped it on Austin's face just to single out herself from him.
"Stay away you creepy idiot Austin!" Shiro said and instantly stands up and grabbed Lynx with her for they already have their class in Math. As they take off themselves, Austin leans on the sofa while looking at the ceiling as well as touching his forehead which Shiro smacks her folder earlier, and he suddenly giggles because he is very delighted to tease Shiro like that.
"Her face is so round in a closer look!" He said while still giggling with his eyes closed, that's why his friends frowned their faces again and Asher steadfastly punches his arms and also pardons herself for the next class.
When afternoon came, Shiro and Lynx are happily walking on the grounds as they got the highest scores in Steno (All thanks to Shiro's perseverance and patience to teach), and when they have their vacant because one of their professors was not present, they decided to go to the library to finalize their chapter one on Research.
"SHIRO!" They see Asher from far away as her red hair still shining but quite fading a bit from the distance and she instantly runs towards them happily. As she exhibited her cuddle gestures to Shiro, Shiro panicked and hastily hides on Lynx's back. Asher is wearing her cream-colored stilettos that is why she is out of control and unintentionally falls over in Lynx's chest that's why Lynx catches her whereas he's holding her waist for she is almost falling.
Shiro tries to hold her laugh as she sees Asher being dumbfounded touching Lynx's chest and she is looking at him with her surprised expression. Lynx also looked at her and their eyes met, that's why he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head from wondering.
"Hey you dumb woman how long will it take for you to cling yourself to me?" He asked with his raspy voice that's why Asher got in a panic state and was unintended to push Lynx away from her and she quickly stood up properly while fixing her faded red hair without looking at them.
"S-sorry!" She stutters and that makes Shiro finally laugh at her.
"Ahhh! Shiro, you tricked me!" Asher said while stubbornly stamping her feet and immediately clinging to Shiro's arms who are still giggling from what happened just now.
"Whatever! A-at least I make you laugh!" Asher asserted as she also lifted her eyebrows.
"What a clumsy tsk… tsk…," Shiro teasingly trailed off to her that's why Asher clings to her tightly and leaned herself to Shiro's shoulder tenderly.
"Ahh, Shiro! You smell like a baby!" She said and still clinging to her that makes Shiro move a bit but Asher eventually grabbed her gently and they giggled once again. Behind them, Lynx cracked a smile quietly and stared at them at the same time. As he mended his sports bag he suddenly remembered their other groupmates.
"Hey, where are Lean and Kate?" Shiro asked Asher as if the question from Lynx's mind spoke out from her.
"Oh, they said they have appointments from a modeling company, that's why they will skip just for today. Haha! I almost forgot!" Asher reason out to Shiro.
"Ahh…" Shiro responded to her.
When they are continually walking to the library, Shiro suddenly feels something from her peripheral vision and she instantly looks from that direction. Her eyebrows got connected as she surprisingly glimpsed Lean and Kate behind the Zhong Building's Corinthian column and they quickly take off themselves but Shiro caught up with them already.
"Am I imagining things or Am I right?" Shiro asked herself and glanced at Asher who is innocently happy while clinging to her arms that is why Shiro just neglected it and maybe their two groupmates are about to take off or simply excuse themselves.
As they finalize their Research, Lynx excuses himself for his practice, and Shiro waves goodbye to him as she is ready to go home alone. When Shiro and Asher walk in the hallways, she immediately peeks at Asher seemingly having some problems while chatting on her phone and trying to reach out to someone that is not answering her several times. Shiro raises her eyebrows as she can read to her face how stressed she is whereas she's stamping her feet, pouting like a kid, and keeps on back and forth mending her hair.
"Shi-Shiro," She is stuttering and called her along with her rapid eye movements.
"Yes?" She responds.
"Can you join me at the mall today? She charmingly asked while exhibiting her puppy eyes looking at Shiro very deeply and convincingly.
"Sure." Shiro asserted with her cold response and thinned her lips.
They take off from the University and Asher lets Shiro join her SUV along with her driver wearing a formal attire black tuxedo. Shiro still notices Asher being uneasy while biting her nails looking at her phone. Shiro secretly peeks a bit on Asher's phone and she recognizes that Asher is talking to her boyfriend because it's evident to say from its contact label named Babe.
"Common Xavier, answer the phone," Asher murmured that's why Shiro hastily looks away to pretend she doesn't hear a thing from her.
Shiro and Asher are finally inside the mall and Ash invites her to have some dinner at the restaurant owned by Yangyang's mother. When they are already inside and Asher reserves their seats, Shiro still observes Ash's uneasiness in the library. They eventually seated down and Shiro cannot help herself anymore to ask.
"Are you okay?" She asked calmly which makes Asher widen her eyes and sip her red wine.
"I'm fine," she said as her eyes rapidly moved from her tension.
"No, you are not," Shiro asserted and raised her eyebrows, "It's obvious." She added.
"Shiro," she called her name whereas she bit her lips afterward and Shiro looked at her more deeply.
"Xavier… I-I mean… my boyfriend he is being unusual and now he promised me to have dinner with him but canceled it at the last minute. I'm anxious, I don't know anymore what's been happening to us since the first day of classes!" She reasons out then she suddenly realizes she talks too much and hurriedly raises her hand in front of Shiro.
"Ahh! I've been reckless again! Sorry for the drama Shiro! And please don't tell everyone! They might get worried and overthink again!" She pleaded to Shiro while exhibiting her pleasing gesture. Shiro withered from her action and grabbed the fork and the knife then sliced the Wagyu Steak they ordered.
"As if I'm going to tell that to them," She declared and ate the piece of steak. Asher hastily glances at her and sees Shiro munching her food. As Shiro promptly swallowed her food, she glimpses at Asher again and she took a deep sigh before talking again.
"If you have a problem then just let it out," She coldly asserted but it makes Asher's heart warm as she heeded that Shiro is concerned about her.
"Shiro I'm so scared… he is my first love, what if he doesn't like me anymore? What if he's cheating…" She instantly stops talking as she pressed both hands on her face. Shiro gently removes Asher's hands from her face and looks at her while raising both of her eyebrows as she comprehends what's happening between them.
"If he did so then ready yourself even though that cost too much pain. Yet for now, try to gather things up and if you already recognized many cynical things are coming through in your relationship and it's not healthy anymore, therefore, I think that would be the time you have to let go— never risk your heart and mental state for worthless people," She advice her without hesitation as for her, the best way to make this thing up is to let Asher heard the truth.
Somehow I never understood what is happening in their relationship but all I know, Asher never deserves what he is doing right now. Shiro let out to her mind as she clenched her fist under the table for she is unaware of the madness she feels inside her as if she saw Xavier in person. Shiro turned her head up and quickly realized that Asher is about to sob as her chest is pumping out.
"Sorry Shiro I did my best not to embarrass you right now but I can't help—"
"It's fine… Cry out if you want but if I saw you crying like this in front of many people because of him hence I will never stop myself from getting mad," Shiro said wherein she's on her way to cut her steak again as she is entirely conscious about what she's saying.
"THANKS SHIRO! NOW I KNOW WHY I LIKE YOU SO MUCH!" Asher suddenly cries out and that makes the other customers peek at them. Shiro immediately hushed her and lent her the extra handkerchief that came from her bag.
"What the… You don't have to shout! Seriously…" Shiro demanded to Asher that is why Asher chuckled a bit while she's still crying.
Shiro took a deep sigh as she looked at her new laptop which was given by Asher again. She remembered the day she rejected Asher's offer before and abruptly she felt guilty but somehow still justified by herself why she did it. Her laptop is not the MacBook anymore as Nana suggested to Asher that Microsoft would be better which she eventually agreed without saying it to them but she's thankful for Nana reading between the lines of her mind or possibly he is just not a big fan of Apple laptops even though he's an elite guy.
She keeps on tapping her fingers rapidly as if she's a gamer or a secretary in a hurry while typing her assignment. Lynx instantly looks at her while they are in the library of school at exactly 6:30 am.
"Hey Shishi what is wrong with you?" he asked her as he was also busy writing something on his paper for their Mathematics assignment. Shiro never responded and that was expected for Lynx and she sulked more this time so he never asked her again. When they are accomplished with their homework, they quickly stride themselves to the first class. They instantly see Asher from the hallway but this time they sighted her with her boyfriend who was coldly staring at them when Asher waves her hand to say hello and happily walks towards them.
"Good morning Shiro and Lynx! Why do you never go to our private room this morning? Austin is so noisy finding you two!" Asher demanded them. Shiro was about to answer but something made her stop as she was interrupted by Asher's boyfriend who is approximately 6 feet tall along with his shiny and neat straight undercut hair and his handsome traits that make another girl jealous of Asher.
He aggressively holds Asher's arms and gazes at her intensely, "We are not yet done talking! See me later!" He said and let go of her and fiercely stared at Lynx with his marble-eyed gaze but not fascinating for the two best friends.
Lynx becomes bothered by those stares and instantly looks at Shiro and she is also annoyed by what he did to Asher. As their eyes met, Shiro rolled her eyes from the insanity of Asher's freak boyfriend and she hastily went inside the classroom.
After their Research, Shiro is more heated this time because Lean and Kate are not present in the class, "Tsk… what the hell that two nonsense idiots will do? If they never show up I will remove them!" Shiro demanded Lynx and he quickly rubbed his head.
"Asher is not also okay but still helping us for it is an obligation if they were a guy I'll probably punch them," Lynx responded. When they amble their feet going to a private room after some of their classes, Shiro instantly finds Asher but she's not in there instead, Austin and Yangyang are inside.
"Where's Ash? You have the same class as her later, isn't it? Shiro asked them and Austin quickly halted his playing.
"She said she and her ugly boyfriend will go somewhere right now," He responded and thinned his lips afterward. Austin stands up and sits beside Shiro, she instantly distant herself from him that makes Austin chuckle a bit, and looks at her without saying anything.
"I hate people looking at me like that you are creepy!" Shiro said and aggressively pushed him away from her.
"Then I will look at you more!" He teasingly said that's why Shiro grabs the pillow behind her and throws it at Austin's face.
"Hahaha! Why are you so arrogant this morning?" Austin asked her while giggling like a kid as if Shiro was playing with him.
"Tsk…" Shiro annoyingly said whereas she removed Austin's hands on her shoulder because he is teasingly nudging her.
"Stay away from me!" Shiro asserts when Austin keeps on nearing himself to her that's why Yangyang peek at them while frowning and goes back again to his game.
[BLAG] A startling sound interrupted Austin's teasing when Mark hastily opened the door. He's sweating, horrifying and hurried while looking at them.
"What's wrong?" Yangyang and Shiro rarely asked in chorus and immediately stood up.
"Asher! She's in trouble! She's with Nana because she is stopping him from his boyfriend that hysterically pushes her away and takes off,"
All of them quickly departed from the room and ran towards the Annex of Zhong Building which the College of Tourism is in there. As they sighted Asher and Nana they also noticed those students gawking at them while Asher held Nana's arms. She is surely crying and for sure Nana is intense by his egregious deep breathing even though they cannot see his face.
"Where's that asshole?" Austin asked them as they had already stopped in front of Asher and Nana. Asher looks at him with her shocking expression and her face says it all that she'd expectedly stressed and wary for her friends mostly anticipating something like this from the start. He isn't a good man for them as they perfectly know their kind.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," She reasoned out and tried to be as tough as possible, or else they will all use their powers just to eradicate Xavier with a snap of their fingers. It's a dangerous and more likely scandalous scene if Asher recklessly spills something that may cause big misinterpretations.
"This is between us and I'm going to fix this," she added. Shiro glances at her as she is holding her phone tightly and biting her lips that makes it obvious she's lying once again just to protect someone. Shiro can comprehend how selfless Asher would be just for someone she loves the most.
"Then tell us a good reason why he acted like that before I changed my mind-destroying his face," Nana furiously said to her.
Asher was frightened by his words and this time she cannot help anymore to get weak as she does not want to talk anymore about what is happening. Her tears finally fell through her eyes and her lips trembled.
"He misunderstood something and if I say this It will cause trouble for Lynx!" She impulsively whined with her high-pitched tone like a toddler being fed up with her school works she cannot take anymore. Lynx and Shiro simultaneously arched their eyebrows at her.
"Hey why me?" Lynx raised a question that makes all of them look at him.
"Someone sent him a picture, that— that day I-I… I accidentally tripped myself and you'd help me and the picture looks like I'm hugging you that's why he gets furious!" She nervously confessed to them that's why Austin forcibly grabbed her phone and checked it out.
Shiro promptly snatched it from him and she is also aggravating not because Lynx is being involved but she puzzled something that day and also Xavier got into her nerves from the beginning she only heard his name.
Asher begged to give her phone back and Shiro instantly gave it to her. Asher started to cry again and for sure she's thinking about Shiro being mad at her again, that's why Shiro immediately hushed her.
"I don't care if Lynx is involved in this but the one who took this picture matters most," she said without hesitations, and Nana quickly glanced at her quietly but he is convinced by her.
"No Shiro… let me handle this first, I promise I will clear everything to him," She hastily said and quickly took off herself which makes all her friends call her loudly but seemingly too late to convince her to calm down.
Yangyang rolled his eyes and began sulking again, "I knew it," he said with his annoyed tone of voice.
"So what are we going to do? Shall we follow her and punch that idiot Xavier?" Austin suggested and it sounds more complicated if they will let that happen that's why they immediately turn their back from him.
"HEY!" He tries to stop them but they are unstoppable from walking towards the private room so that Austin just follows them and jerks off his head.
As they were already inside Shiro and Lynx gave each other an exchange glance as they concluded something they have been talking about since the last time.
"Go spill," Lynx said to her and crossed his arms before he leaned himself on the sofa.
"That picture seems like our groupmates did it or I don't know. The only evidence I had was I've seen them hiding from us to the fact we're groupmates," Shiro let out with her intimidating voice and it gives rise to all of them to raise their eyebrows intensely.
"I knew it from the start but likewise, I don't have enough evidence to conclude," Yangyang said to her without looking and taking his deepest sigh for this day whereas he is massaging his forehead from the headache he felt. Nana stares at both of them as they are deeply thinking about what would be the best they may do for Asher.
Mark sat down on the solo sofa and put the keys on the coffee table and put his palms on his face. Austin who is also worrying but more likely wants to stare at Shiro as she biting her dead rose-colored lips still frowning her arched eyebrows like she's a 50's, beautiful lady. Austin obliviously gleams a teasing smile while staring at Shiro and she immediately turns her head hastily.
"Hey! What stupidity are you on? Would you mind thinking about your friend?" Shiro steadfastly screeches to him and she sits beside Lynx and Austin quickly follows her.
"I'm also worrying of course! It just makes your face look so funny when you are worried that's why I smile!" He breaks a smile again after he lets out his words. Shiro exhibits a smirk at him.
"Then stop looking at me," She said and rolled her eyes and mumbled her annoyance as if Austin is deaf to hear what she was complaining about.
Austin cracked a smile and quietly giggled that provoked Shiro to gaze at him and he gazed back on her like a kid, how I wish to hard slap this guy on his annoying face. Shiro said to her senses and turned herself to Nana who is browsing his laptop.
"Here Shiro," Nana suddenly talks to her, and she instantly near her head and peeks at the laptop.
"I contacted the security, the day your presentation was deleted on Asher's laptop the two of them went to school earlier than Ash."
Nana particularly said to her and click on the mouse intensely and Shiro sees Asher that left her bag in the classroom to take herself to the comfort room then Kate and Lean secretly go inside and go out again and peeks at Asher who was unaware of what they did. As they have seen Asher already inside the classroom, they pretend that they just got into the University before Shiro and Lynx came.
"Ah, those orcs!" Shiro mumbled as she gazing the laptop so bad and she furiously clicks the next button of the laptop that's why her hands and Nana's hands are near to each other, as well as their cheeks, are almost near that Nana can feel the warmth of her sweet minty breath and even the scent of her baby cologne.
[BLAG] All of them glance at Austin who aggressively thumps the table, slouches himself, and looks at Shiro— obviously, confused about what he just did.
"Hey, are you planning to swap your faces with each other?" He asked Shiro which makes her realize she is near Nana and her sheepish expression turned to Austin then quickly straight up her body trying not to be in a panic state.
"I'm helping for Asher, and stop speculating anything weird!" She said and goes back browsing the CCTV.
"I guess we have to go to the security office so we can browse more of them except this, I guess you can help me Shiro for the dates," Nana suggested to her.
"Common," she responded and stands up to ready herself to go but suddenly Austin stands up too.
"I'll join you!" he quickly suggested and Yangyang takes a deep sigh as well as rolling his eyes.
"Sit down and help us to contact Asher, you may go now Nana and Shiro," Yangyang annoyingly let out and Austin is about to answer back but Yangyang gives him a deathly stare that brings out for him to sit down and stamp his feet arrogantly.
Nana and Shiro finally took off themselves and quickly went to the security office. Nana shows his pass and the officers let them in and they start browsing it as Shiro is guiding him. As they stand still, Nana leans his hand and slightly bends his body, and continuously clicks the computer mouse and steadfastly typing on the keyboard that makes Shiro secretly amazed by him.
"That one!" Shiro hastily points to the monitor and Nana paused it immediately.
"There is it," he proudly said and Shiro takes a look at it deeply while clenching her fist as she saw Lean and Kate taking a picture from afar and they also never left the premises of the University that day.
"I knew it! There is something wrong with them," Shiro vented without looking at Nana and she instantly requested Nana to have some copies of it as evidence for what they have done to Asher. They promptly left the room as they congregated the possible evidence for them and Shiro called Lynx to confront the two monsters (as per Shiro) to corner them. Since Lynx is good at making people honest because of his hostile manner especially when he is furious with the people he feels hostility toward, he takes Lean's phone easily and he instantly sees their picture.
Lynx drags them to Sir Younghyun's office as Nana and Shiro are already in with their gaze that gives rise to Lean and Kate to get frightened.
"Lean and Kate of BSBA 2-3 will stay here to explain themselves, you may go now," He said in a calm but intimidating manner.
"So they like you," Shiro indicated and scratched her head drastically. Lynx just angrily shrugged his shoulders and never spoke up to respond as they amble their feet towards the private room. They discovered on the phone that their two groupmates are extremely insane stalkers of Lynx and they are green-eyed to Asher for she is undeniably beautiful. Shiro and Lynx pardon themselves to go home and Lynx tries to apologize for what he feels he caused but still, all of them are furious with Xavier for that was unreasonable to hurt Asher that is why they explained that there is nothing to apologize in the first place and as long as they caught Lean and Kate, they're already thankful towards it.
Asher– who hurriedly followed Xavier at his home to explain herself, was already set her feet outside the gate of his boyfriend. She hastily drives her car without permission from her driver and still does not answer her friend's call. She quickly goes inside as well as stumbling herself from being hurried. As she went towards his room, she became stupefied by where she was standing and her hands started to quiver as well as her heart beating so fast. She eventually hides from the wall so she will never notice her boyfriend kissing his girl classmate as they lean against the door of his room. Asher can't help to cry quietly and hold her breath whereas she covers her mouth with her hand and instantly departs from the house.
Helplessly, crying and realizing her knees begin to weaken. "I was right… I knew it but I'm such a fool. That girl with him, he said she is just an OJT groupmate but I never knew it was beyond that!" She let out her weak voice as she drove along the streets and out of her mind driving through Shiro's village while sobbing from the pain she felt running through her heart.
"S-SHIRO!" She called out her name as she tapped the gate of Shiro's home.
"Shiro…" she said more with her weak voice and finally couldn't help herself to fall on the ground. She heard the front door hastily opened by someone and when the gates are finally open she sees Shiro along with her worried face upon her.
"Asher!" she gets panicked and Asher stands up whimpering.
"Shiro!" she said, again and again, that's why Shiro came close to her and she unintended to hug Asher which makes Asher get surprised by her action and she cried more as she hugged her back tightly.
"I was right Shiro… he is cheating on me!" Asher said to her that's why Shiro tries to calm her madness by clenching her fist.
"Ash, have some rest," she said in a calm convincing manner and she took Asher inside her home.