Chapter 3: 2

The next day, Bay once again tagged along with Amy to have lunch with the Golden Trio of the Faculty of Medicine. Of course, he didn't come only to accompany his childhood friend or support his high school friend on her social skill improvement journey. Amy might look fragile, but with Phu by her side, Bay had less worry. As for Phan, Bay only needed to watch over her as she seemed to have better control of herself lately.

His primary purpose was the older female student sitting across from him right now.

Chan's brown eyes looked down on her plate of fried rice—her favorite. Her eyelashes elegantly fluttered when she blinked. As her slender right hand moved the spoon to scoop some rice before leading it to her thin pink lips, the delicate fingers on her left hand gracefully tucked some strands of hair behind her left ear. Chan had her shiny shoulder-length brunette hair down like usual, but today, she was wearing a small light purple hairpin decorated with a cherry blossom flower on the left side of her hair.

Bay couldn't miss this opportunity. Girls usually like it when you notice even the slightest change in their appearance, and they will like it more if you compliment the transformation.

"Chan, that hairpin really looks good on you," Bay said in a gentle tone as he showed his most charming smile.

Chan looked up. Her downturned eyes met Bay's before they slightly squinted as the older girl smiled back at him. It was a casual smile, not the bashful and embarrassed smile of other girls when he praised them, but it was more than enough for now. Chan had just smiled at Bay.

"I'm wearing it so that my hair doesn't touch the food," Chan adjusted the hairpin. "I'm not used to short hair yet." Bay didn't know how many times Chan's gentle voice had played inside his head whenever he thought about her—which was near all the time, to be honest, but he liked it. Her voice was like an embrace of a mother, covering his whole existence with a sweet warmth.

"You look good in short hair," Bay threw another honest compliment. Chan should soon notice how genuine Bay was.

"Oh, thanks," Chan smiled—to him—again, broader this time. Bay felt as if a million fireworks were set off inside him.

"Chan, aren't you supposed to have a higher IQ than me?" Might suddenly asked. "I start to think I'm actually smarter than you."

Right, there were other people at the table. Bay didn't forget, but it was easy to ignore any other presence when Chan was around. Listening to Might's comment, Phan and Amy shared a giggle, while Phu only shook his head like a real father he was.

Of course, Might had to interrupt the sweet moment. When Chan turned her head to Might, Bay had the opportunity to see Chan's side view—her rounded chin, sloped nose, and delicate cheekbone—which was as equally beautiful as her front view.

"What's this all of a sudden?" Chan asked.

Even her obliviousness was cute.

"Are you really clueless or what?"

Again, Bay would use this opportunity to get Chan's attention. Girls like it when guys stand up for them, right? "I don't think Chan is clueless, Might—"

"Kim! Art!"

Everyone turned to the two people—who had taken Chan's focus off Bay's words, damn them—Chan had just called.

The first person was Art, the Ambassador of the Faculty of Medicine. For some reason, Chan seemed to be quite fond of this particular junior. She always talked to this guy first, while Bay had to keep looking for chances to initiate a conversation with her—which usually only lasted for one or two exchanges. As a senior and junior, Chan and Art were naturally familiar with each other—Bay was pretty aware of it. But Bay was the Campus Ambassador here, not Art. Shouldn't she notice him more?

Walking with Art was the supposedly "Kim." Bay's first impression of the guy was that he always looked sleepy, though it might just be his droopy eyes. Despite that, Kim seemed to be the athletic type.

"Oh, everyone's having lunch together again?" Art smiled at everyone at the table. When his eyes landed on Phan, his face lightened up. "Hello again, Phan."

"Hi, Art." Phan greeted back with a smile. If it'd been back in high school, the girl wouldn't even have shown a slight smile, let alone responded to the greeting. Seeing her attitude at the moment, Bay was happy for his friend. It was good that Phan tried to be more sociable because it meant she'd started to move on from her high school days.

"Do you want me to buy you something to eat?" Art offered, though from his tone Bay knew he was only following up on the joke from yesterday.

Phan laughed, understanding. "No need, thanks. I've got some here already." She showed the meals in front of her.

"Oh, this is Phan you told me about yesterday?" Kim asked. His deep voice sounded calm and soft despite the slight excitement in his tone. "I've gotta tell Choi about it!"

"Who is Choi?" Might asked.

"My twin brother."

"You've got a twin brother?!"

Responding to the surprised expressions around the table, Kim recounted how he and his younger twin brother, Choi, who studied at a different university, had gotten their nicknames: since their mother was a big fan of Korean drama, she'd insisted that her children had Korean-themed nicknames, so when the twins were born, the mother decided to name them with two of the most popular Korean surnames.

Unfortunately, there was no chance to start a conversation with Chan for the rest of lunchtime afterward. But Bay wouldn't give up. He was a patient man. He would keep approaching Chan until he was the only one in her eyes. Then his feelings would reach Chan's heart, no doubt.

*

Mr. Teerawut's class ended later than scheduled the following day. It was a mandatory course that would help Bay perfect the design for his future house—which he'd always dreamed of since that time at the exhibition eight years ago, but the professor didn't look like the fun type. Not only had he jumped to the materials without making an effort to create a pleasant first impression, but he also seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Now Bay had to figure out a way to get through this class successfully.

When Bay checked his phone, numerous messages had been waiting for his response, two of which were from Amy and Phan. After replying [I'm definitely coming] to Amy and [My class has just ended] to Phan, he immediately headed to the parking lot. When he was about to walk out of the building, he heard someone calling his name.

Turning his head, he saw Ploy, last year's Campus Ambassador, walking toward him. Next to her was this year's Ambassador of the Faculty of Architecture, Nan. Bay recalled there was an unread message from Ploy on his phone.

"I asked you to discuss the event next month with Nan and the members of the Student Council," Ploy explained the contents of her message. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to the Faculty of Medicine," Bay replied, only remembering that becoming an Ambassador meant being involved in any kind of campus activities, and he had no right to refuse.

"What are you doing there, Bay?" Nan asked, her voice high-pitched, her tone melodious. Her cheeks flushed as she stared at Bay with a broad smile. It wasn't that hard for Bay to figure out Nan's feelings for him. There were a lot of girls like her.

"I'm having lunch," Bay smiled. Knowing full well that Nan would ask to join him, he added, "With Amy."

Looking at Nan's slowly faltering smile, Bay knew two things: Nan didn't know about Amy and Phu's relationship, and she was among those who thought Bay and Amy were going out. Bay felt kind of bad for using Amy like this, but he knew Nan was the type that would bother him nonstop if he didn't use this trick.

Moreover, people had always assumed the same thing about him and Amy, and it was getting tiring to correct them every time. The truth was, Bay and Amy could only see each other as siblings. They'd seen enough to eliminate each other from their romantic radar. Even their parents had agreed not to marry them to each other.

Unfortunately, the trick didn't work well this time. "Then, shall we discuss the event there?" Nan turned to Ploy. "What do you think, Ploy?"

Ploy was expressionless—or rather, stiff?—when she replied, "If you want to discuss it there, just ask Bank to go with you. I still have something else to settle here."

Without waiting for Bay and Nan to respond, Ploy left. Watching her walk away, Bay realized that he hadn't seen Ploy hanging out with the Golden Trio these days. Back in high school, she would've always been with Phu and Might. Could something have happened?

"So, Bay," Nan broke Bay's thought, her bashful smile returning. "Shall we go to the Faculty of Medicine together?"

How would Chan look like if she smiled like this? Bay suddenly thought, and now he wanted to run to see the girl right away. He'd wasted too much time here.

"I'm sorry, Nan," Bay showed an apologetic smile, specifically calling Nan by her name to give the impression that he was considering her feelings. "I think we must do it another time. Should I Line you later?"

At the food court—after leaving the reluctant-looking Nan—Bay walked to the same table as yesterday. It seemed that it had been public knowledge or an unwritten custom that the table was already reserved by the Golden Trio, who were now sitting with four extra people.

Four? As Bay got closer, he saw that other than Amy and Phan, there were two other extra people at the table: Art and Kim. When he arrived at the table, Kim had just said something that made the others laugh. He saw that the guy was sitting a little bit too close to Phan—who, if felt uncomfortable in any way, surprisingly did better at concealing it.

But Bay's focus was on Chan, who was laughing heartily until her eyes got teary. It was the first time Bay saw Chan laugh that way, and he felt a certain flutter in his chest. Chan's expression was beautiful. Chan's laughing voice was beautiful. In other words, Chan was beautiful. She would perfectly fit in Bay's dream house in the future. But it would only be flawless if he could also make her laugh.

"Bay," Amy waved her hand at him. As the others noticed Bay's presence, they turned to him, except for Chan. She was still wiping away the tears with her beautiful fingers.

"Sorry I'm late," Bay took a seat. Since he arrived last, the only free space left was the one across Phu, beside Phan. Sadly, it was far away from Chan, who was sitting at the other corner of the table.

"What were you guys talking about?" Bay asked. He wanted to know what kind of jokes could draw an uncontrollable laugh from Chan. He might be able to learn something new.

"I was telling Phan about Art's embarrassing moments in middle school," Kim replied laughingly. Art only shook his head, seemingly not minding the exposure. "Can you believe it? Art fainted twice after donating his blood in Grade 7, and out of panic, Choi and I pushed him in the wheelchair all around the school!"

"How is it, Phan? Have you fallen for Art yet?" Might asked, still cracking up. "He's a perfect man."

Everyone laughed again. Chan laughed again. Never before had Bay ever wished he could somehow embarrass himself.

*

On the day after that, Bay made sure he wouldn't be late for lunch. In Mrs. Sunathneeya's class, he politely reminded her that the time was up. Fortunately, the relatively young lecturer appreciated the initiative, saying that time management skill was a quality a Campus Ambassador like him should indeed possess. Hearing that, he only smiled and nodded because his mind had gone to a particular face at a certain table in a specific eatery.

Then, he sped up his car to pick up Amy and Phan and quickly headed to the food court. As if the situation couldn't get even better, when the three arrived, the table was occupied by only one particular angel, precisely the image Bay had conjured during Mrs. Sunathneeya's class.

If Bay had been picky, he would've complained about the first person Chan greeted once she saw them. "Amy," Chan waved her hand at Amy. Was it reasonable to feel jealous of your childhood friend? "Phu's still in class. We're having a pop quiz."

Amy nodded in acknowledgment, taking a seat next to Chan. "Yes, Phu messaged me earlier."

"What about you? Why aren't you in class?" Phan asked after sitting in front of Amy.

"Oh, I've finished it," Chan replied matter-of-factly, without a hint of arrogance. Brilliant, honest, and humble, as expected of Bay's future girlfriend.

"Aren't you a genius, Chan?" Bay quickly took the opportunity to compliment the girl once he seated himself across Chan, his new favorite spot.

Still, from her indifferent expression, Chan didn't seem to buy the flattery. But Bay couldn't be sure because before Chan said anything, two people suddenly claimed the free space beside Phan.

Art and Kim. Again.

"Are you going to have fried noodle and coconut water again today, Phan?" Art asked, smiling at Phan.

Phan laughed, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that Art was sitting right next to her. She was getting better at patronizing other people. "Yes, actually," she nodded.

At the same time, Phu and Might also arrived. Phu sat next to Amy while Might plopped down next to him.

"Oho, Art. You've remembered Phan's favorites now, huh?" Might teased. "Hey, Phan. Just fall for Art already."

"Yes, Phan," Kim chimed in. "It's not every day you can find a perfect guy like my friend here. Handsome, brilliant, the Faculty Ambassador, and full of love!"

Bay secretly sneered. All those claims might be accurate, except Bay also had the same qualities, even several levels higher. But, Bay thought, if Phan had been somehow convinced to go out with this person, Bay would've given her his blessings, for sure.

"Hey, you can't force someone to fall in love like that."

Chan's words were spoken at the perfect moment, for a second Bay thought she'd read his mind. It'd also happened the other day when she suddenly talked about getting a girl's consent before hitting on her. Bay was almost sure that Chan had only pretended to be oblivious of his moves.

"You two should at least get to know each other better," Chan added, smiling meaningfully. Bay was relieved. Chan didn't seem to mind the idea of Art hitting on Phan.

Also, her expression was adorable.

"So, if we know each other well, we can fall in love with each other?" Bay didn't think twice before seizing the opportunity to send his feelings across.

Chan turned to Bay, still smiling. Their eyes met, and he was once again enraptured by the most beautiful pair of brown irises. If only there were technology to capture the entire reality of this very moment.

"Of course it depends on the heart," Chan said, her melodious voice resonating in Bay's ears. "No matter how much effort you exert, if the other person doesn't feel the same thing, nothing will come out of it."

Chan was only giving a general elaboration of her perspective, nothing particular. But even after she looked away, Bay was still stunned for a moment.

"Wow, Chan, you sound experienced," Kim commented.

Chan chuckled. "It's not like I've never gone through something like this before," she said before turning to Phu. "Right, Phu?"

Phu laughed. "Yeah, that's right."

There was no way Bay wasn't curious about Chan's past. But he somehow couldn't get himself to ask.

It was Kim who voiced Bay's inner thoughts. "Hey, hey. What secrets are you keeping from us?"

"Phu's and Chan's parents agreed to set them up for an arranged marriage when they were kids," Might nonchalantly replied.

"Seriously?" Kim exclaimed, now representing everyone's surprise.

Bay stole a glance at Amy, and sure enough, she looked appalled. No one else at the table—except maybe Phan—would notice the subtle change of expression, though.

"Yes," Chan nodded. "We were always together, just like Amy and Bay. So, our parents thought we liked each other."

Bay's ears perked up when he heard his name. Wasn't it the first time Chan had ever mentioned his name? Bay was elated. Storing the particular sound into his memory, Bay imagined Chan saying his name to him—calling him.

"But we didn't," Phu added, and Bay saw Amy smiled at her boyfriend after letting out a subtle sigh. "I always thought she was a show-off."

"I always thought you were a snob," Chan mocked back.

Now Amy could laugh with the others. Bay laughed too.

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"So you called off the arrangement?" Art asked.

"We didn't," Chan shrugged.

"The arrangement is still on?" Kim asked in disbelief. "What if your parents made you get married later?"

"Oh, come on," Chan chuckled. "Our parents were just joking. They might have forgotten about it already."

Chan's answer was supposed to make Bay feel relieved, and looking at Amy, his childhood friend didn't look bothered by the past arrangement anymore, either. Even so, something was still bugging Bay. It had never occurred to him that there was even a probability of Chan not having the same feelings for him. But could it be possible? Could there be someone else?

*

"It's possible," commented Phan.

"But I don't think so," Amy argued. "Phu's never said anything about it."

This evening, Bay and his friends were at Maracaturra Café, which was full of students like them going there to study. Although the three of them most likely couldn't assist each other in their respective assignments, for Bay the company was more important. Besides, they could talk about something completely unrelated to studying, like this.

"What if he keeps it from you?" Bay asked hypothetically. Phu seemed to be the kind that wouldn't spill his friends' secrets, like about the guy Chan liked. "They're best friends."

"Maybe," Amy agreed, though she still sounded uncertain. "But I think you worry too much."

"Aren't you, Amy? Phu was once arranged to marry Chan, you know."

Bay noticed an unfamiliar tone in his voice. It sounded like Amy's last year when she'd thought Phu had forgotten her. Bay had identified the name: desperation. But could Bay possibly be capable of feeling such emotions?

"That was in the past," Amy said, somehow speaking more softly. She must've noticed the unfamiliar tone too. "They said it themselves, right? They've never liked each other that way. Chan is like my big sister. Besides—" Amy shuffled in her seat before adding in a low voice, "—I know Phu likes me."

Bay didn't need to see her face to know she was blushing. Lovebirds.

"Right," Bay rolled his eyes. He was genuinely happy for Amy—after all, he'd pushed her to enter the Campus Ambassador contest to get Phu's attention. But for some reason, he felt annoyed. "You can say that because you're his girlfriend. I'm not Chan's boyfriend. Yet."

The unfamiliar tone was there again.

"Bay," Phan, who'd been quietly enjoying her drink while listening to the conversation, put down her glass. Despite being in a coffee shop, she'd ordered a chocolate float. "Are you always this..." her hand made a circling movement in the air, "restless... when approaching a girl?"

"Bay's never approached a girl before," Amy responded as if it was a general knowledge taught in primary school. But it was the truth. Bay might have a long list of relationships, but naturally, none of them was his initiative. Girls always flocked him, after all.

"Oh," Phan raised her eyebrows and nodded, dragging her words as if she'd just figured out a world-level mystery. "So, Chan is basically your first love."

"Yes. I think so... Yes. She is."

Of course, Bay was aware of it. He'd noticed the constant flutter in his chest and warmth on his face every time he thought about Chan, and the sensation would only intensify whenever he saw her. But, now that Phan had spelled it out, he somehow felt peculiar. The unfamiliar emotion—the desperation—suddenly felt real.

"And your first love happens to be someone who doesn't look at you like your past flings," Phan continued.

"...It seems so."

"This is like a typical plot of a TV drama," Phan concluded, shaking her head. Her face didn't show much emotion, so Bay didn't know if the discovery was unbelievable or amusing for her. Maybe both.

If it'd been a TV drama, Bay certainly would've been the handsome and charming main character. Chan would've been the female lead, whose beauty was like a goddess. Then it would've been obvious that they would end up together, and the entertainment would've been in how they overcame the obstacles along the way. It always looks so easy on-screen.

"Yes, complete with third wheels everywhere," Bay clicked his tongue. His mind went back to each time he'd attempted to get Chan's attention, and one face always appeared to block his way. "Like Art. He keeps stealing the spotlight."

"Hey, don't put the blame on him," Phan protested.

"Oh, so now you're defending him, Phan?" Bay taunted. He knew that Phan regarded Art highly because he was her first friend in university, but if it'd been a TV drama, this male lead would've been more than happy to see his sidekick getting together with the third wheel. "Do you like him now?"

Phan straightened her back. "I don't."

"Bay," Amy put her hand on Bay's shoulder. Looking at her reassuring smile, Bay realized that the unfamiliar emotion had filled him. "As someone who once had a crush on someone, I can assure you that what you're going through is normal. Now you know how those girls must feel."

"This is the first for me," Bay sighed. Denying his emotions to Amy was always futile.

After a brief silence, Phan said, "I know nothing about this sort of thing, but let's say you were Amy having a crush on Phu, or a girl having a crush on you. What do you think they would do in this situation?"

Bay imagined a scenario that had often happened in high school. There would be girls who liked him, but they would be aware of their numerous competitors. Usually, they would try to get into Bay's good side by showering him with gifts or using his interests as topic starters. Sometimes, they would approach Amy with the same intention. There would even be a rare case of argument and fight. No matter what method they'd used, the goal had always been the same.

"Eliminate my rivals."

"What?" Amy and Phan exclaimed in unison. The customers nearby turned their heads, and even the barista took a glance at their table.

"I don't think I've ever done that, Bay," Amy shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You've never had a rival. Phu has always liked you."

In Amy's TV drama, the story had come to a happy ending. In Bay's, the end depended on him as the main character. He would take the lead and pursue Chan. He would overcome every obstacle and get the girl.

"What are you going to do to Art?" Phan asked. There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"Stop defending him, Phan. You're on my team."

*

When Bay, Amy, and Phan arrived at the food court the next day, the Golden Trio's table was still empty because they had another pop quiz. Only a while later did Bay spot Chan walking elegantly with Phu and Might on her side. That was exactly how a female lead in a drama would look.

Unfortunately, Bay also saw Art and Kim alongside the trio. Looking at Chan talking with Art, Bay felt a burn inside his chest, but he didn't want to give in to that uncomfortable emotion.

"Is the pop quiz that easy? Even Phu and Might can finish at the same time as Chan," Bay grabbed the first opportunity to praise Chan. As they say, the early bird gets the worm.

"Nah, Chan finished early," Might said. "She stayed back for us."

"I had a bad feeling, and I was right," Chan glanced at Phu, whose face looked somewhat troubled.

Naturally, Amy noticed it too. "What happened, Chan?"

"Ask your boyfriend," Chan sat down.

Bay almost couldn't contain himself when Chan chose the empty seat in front of him. But when he saw Art sit beside her, he wished he could cast the Evanesco spell from Harry Potter at Art to make him disappear.

Next to Phan, Might was animatedly recounting an incident that had happened. It turned out that a girl had hit on Phu earlier. "I hadn't finished my quiz, so I didn't see it clearly. But I could see Chan taking the girl down and rescuing Phu! I almost laughed out loud!"

"What did you do to the girl?" asked Kim.

"Not much, to be honest," Chan replied nonchalantly. "The girl insisted on giving Phu pink milk, for some reason. So I told her, 'Phu doesn't like pink milk. If you really like him, you should at least know this much.' Then I dragged Phu away."

"Wow, Chan. You are really cool," as expected of my future girlfriend, Bay smiled approvingly.

"It's not long until a rumor spreads about your past arranged marriage," Might snickered.

"Not as long as you keep your mouth shut," Chan retorted. Even when she spoke sharply, her voice was still as gentle as ever.

"Have you always covered up for Phu like this?" Art asked. Of course he would take Chan's focus off Bay.

Bay held himself back from actually incanting Harry Potter's vanishing spell.

"Not really. People usually assume Phu is dating Ploy, so I don't need to meddle."

"Still, you're really brave, Chan," Kim chimed in, clapping dramatically. Did Bay also have to handle the enemy's sidekick?

"That's what friends are for," Chan lifted her chin. "After all, I'm his childhood friend, so I know a lot about what he likes and dislikes. That's an advantage. I can evaluate every girl who gets closer to Phu."

Bay found it endearing that Chan took more pride in protecting her childhood friend than finishing early at a pop quiz.

"So, Amy has passed the evaluation?" Kim asked teasingly.

"Certainly. I can see how they complete and understand each other."

Phu and Amy blushed.

Turning to Art, Chan continued, "That's why I told you before, Art. If you're hitting on Phan, you should at least find out what she likes and dislikes. Who knows? Maybe Amy and Bay have been evaluating you all this time."

Art laughed. "I'm gonna have to boost my game, huh?"

Honestly, Bay was aware that there was nothing between Chan and Art. But Art could develop feelings for the beautiful, compassionate, and brilliant Chan. That was why Bay didn't mind Art being serious about Phan. Art was a decent guy for Phan, but Chan was only suitable for Bay.

Maybe Bay should help them.

"Phan, didn't you say you like Art?"

Amy's eyes widened hearing this. She didn't say anything, but her expression suggested that she reprimanded Bay for going along with the whole joke about Art pursuing Phan. Bay only raised his eyebrows meaningfully as a response.

"What? When did I even say that?" Phan seemed baffled, but Bay thought he saw a tint of red on her cheeks.

"A few days ago. You said you liked the performance from the Ambassador of the Faculty of Medicine the most, didn't you?"

Art, who looked surprised, somehow sounded delighted. "Is it true, Phan?"

Bay was ready to assist Phan if needed, but she unexpectedly could handle the conversation really well. "Well, I talked about the performance, to be exact," she argued sheepishly, "not the performer."

"Don't be shy, Phan. Just admit it." Might taunted.

"Don't tell me you can play yo-yo too, Phan!?" Kim followed suit.

"No, but my cousin can," Phan tried to explain herself. "I wanted to learn before, but I kept getting sidetracked, so I gave it up altogether."

Seeing the banter between Phan, Might, and Kim, Bay felt accomplished. Now it was only a matter of time before Chan's focus turned to him.

"Does it mean Phan has passed your evaluation, Kim?" Chan asked.

Yes, please be happy for them.

"Certainly," Kim gave a thumbs-up. "Phan may be the right person to fill Art's current loveless life."

It was the perfect time to launch Bay's next attack. "Hey, Might. Have I passed your evaluation?"

Being a jokester as he was, Might's brain caught up immediately. "Let's see," he pretended to think. "Looks, acceptable. Brain, okay. Attitude, not bad... Yeah, you're fine."

"Do you think I've got a chance?"

"The final decision must come from the person in question," Phu took over, probably preventing his friend from speaking any more nonsense.

But that was what Bay needed. Turning to Chan, he locked his gaze with the brown-eyed girl in front of him. "What do you think, Chan?"

Chan blinked. "Huh? Why do you ask me? I don't even know who you like. But if you're determined, just take action. I believe you'll get the best result."

Bay smiled. "I'm always determined. I'll take action for sure."

Time to step up the game.

***

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