Chapter 45

A new day kicked off, marking the beginning of another week on a Monday. Edward stuck to his usual morning routine, and around eight, he arrived at the campus, chatting with James as usual, and the friendly banter continued until the class began.

After the class, Edward handed off his tasks to Patricia, following their customary arrangement for her to handle them on his behalf.

After that, Edward headed back to the comforting familiarity of his apartment.

He changed his uniform into comfortable attire and then drank cold water to freshen up. This time, Edward did not immediately begin recording a song cover as usual. Instead, he switched on the TV and watched for a bit, allowing the news chatter to fill the room.

As time passed, a knock echoed at his door, and just as anticipated, the package from Musika Inc. had finally arrived.

Edward's eyes brightened as he signed the receipt and thanked the delivery man. After securing the door, he excitedly started unpacking the awaited item.

The acoustic bass guitar was simple yet visually appealing. The spruce top displayed grain patterns, complemented by the warm tones of the mahogany sides and back. Its satin finish gave it a subtle glow, highlighting its natural aesthetics.

The fretboard, with modest pearl inlays, allowed smooth finger movement along the frets. The guitar's design was comfortable, fitting well against Edward, and its balanced weight made for a pleasant playing experience.

When plucked, the strings produced clear, resonant notes, a testament to the quality craftsmanship. The guitar's unassuming design hid the complexity of the tones it could produce, capturing Edward's interest.

He gently picked it up and began playing basic bass chords, a grin spreading across his face. Although he is not an expert at playing the bass yet, he couldn't contain his joy. 

A while ago, he had contacted Musika Inc. to acquire a new instrument. His content had reached a bottleneck; the guitar alone couldn't cover all the accompaniments and instrumentals he wanted to add, making the songs lacking.

Others might not notice it, but as a traveler, he knew the basic trends of the times, and if he kept his current pace, he would be overtaken by others.

When he told Musika Inc. about it, they readily accepted. However, when he told them that he wanted a bass guitar, they were skeptical.

For a while, he even had a headache talking to the people in their marketing department, as they kept telling him that choosing other instruments such as ukulele, piano, drums, etc., would earn him a higher sponsorship fee.

It would be a lie if he said that he wasn't tempted. But thinking about the reason why he chose bass in the first place, he felt helpless.

Although other instruments could also work, at this time, the bass guitar was the most suitable. Not only was he familiar with it, but also because it had many characteristics like 'bass,' 'beat,' 'harmony,' 'groove,' and 'low-end resonance,' which the regular guitar couldn't achieve and was perfect for creating various accompaniments.

Edward played for a while, then carefully set the bass aside to start recording.

"For now, let's stick to the familiar," he murmured to himself, proceeding to prepare for his usual recording session—adjusting the microphone and checking the lighting in his recording space.

Realizing his current bass skills weren't sufficient, he decided not to include it in his present cover.

He knew that editing could fix his lack of skill, but it would complicate the process. For the time being, he planned to study and master the bass first before incorporating it into his content.

...

On Wednesday at 10:00,

Edward confidently stood in front of the class to present his report on Business Mathematics and Statistics for Finance.

"What is it anyway? What is its use, and why is it necessary?"

He delivered a clear, engaging introduction, explaining the basics, fundamental concepts, and importance of the subject, providing a concise 20-minute overview.

As he delved into the introduction, Edward picked up a piece of chalk and began to write various key words and phrases on the board, illustrating the core ideas of the topic—emphasizing each point for better comprehension.

"That's all," Edward smiled warmly as he concluded his presentation. "Any questions or thoughts?"

Upon concluding the presentation, Edward invited questions from his peers, but, as anticipated, none were raised.

Seeing this, he smiled, relieved that he wouldn't have to tackle unexpected queries.

"Thanks for listening." After a brief pause with no questions, he expressed his gratitude to his classmates and the professor, bringing his report to a close.

Edward felt a sense of accomplishment and relief as he concluded his presentation.

"Damn, bro! That was good! I never expected that you could do that," James whispered as soon as he sat in his seat.

"Hehe, it's okay; I didn't make the whole presentation; I just reported it," Edward replied, his tone casual, as if it were no big deal.

After all, Patricia had done everything for him. All he had to do was read, understand, and then report. How hard could that be?

"Damn, I swear I envy you for having Patricia do things for you." James expressed his admiration, but the playful note in the second half of his sentence caught Edward off guard.

"Wait... is that why they're looking at me with those gazes?"

Edward paused, suddenly realizing that the fact that he was paying Patricia to do things was a secret known only to the two of them.

Even James didn't know. How could others?

What else would they think if a girl was doing things for a boy for nothing? Doesn't that mean she's chasing him?

The implications hit him hard, and Edward couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and concern about the assumptions being made.

"Hey, how's it? Why don't you try it? I mean, she's definitely into you," James suggested, encouraging Edward.

Edward didn't know what to say. Should he tell him the truth? But explaining why Patricia did things for him would be too troublesome.

Knowing James and his nosy nature, he might accidentally spill the beans, and then the whole class or even the teachers could find out, which is something he definitely wants to avoid.

"... this, you wouldn't understand even if I explained," Edward reasoned, choosing not to elaborate any further.

"Oh, sh*t! I swear, bro, get it done early, or others might come first before you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Y-you!? Don't you notice how much she's changed since the start of the class?!" James snorted in annoyance and then pointed at the girl across the room. "She dyed her hair blonde, her clothing style has also changed, and she's wearing makeup on her face!"

"..."

"Look at her, bro! She's looking good, don't you think?"

Edward glanced over at the girl in question. "Well, she's okay..."

"She's just okay? Is that all you'll say? She's definitely dressing up for you. Ignore it if you want, but others won't. I'm telling you this because we're friends. Otherwise, I'll go for her myself."

"... you're not her type," Edward said with a bland expression.

"... F*ck you-"

"James Quezon? I see you're whispering something. Would you mind sharing with the class what it is?" the professor asked suddenly, standing behind James, who froze in his seat.

...

Later, after class, Patricia approached Edward's seat to gather his things as usual.

"Your notebooks?" she inquired.

"Just take them from my bag," Edward replied casually, engrossed in texting on his phone.

"Got it." Patricia shrugged, following his instructions. She walked over to his bag, unzipped it, retrieved his notebook, and was about to walk away when Edward added something.

"By the way..." Edward paused, stopping her and making her heart beat faster in anticipation. However, she forced herself to appear calm on the surface.

"Yes?" she asked, maintaining a neutral expression.

"Are you free to do anything after class?" Edward asked, looking at her with a nonchalant face, as if he were making a casual inquiry.

"Y-yeah... why?" she stammered in her reply.

"I mean, in general, what do you usually do after class?"

"Um, I watch TV and play games?"

"What about assignments and school stuff?"

"I do them before I sleep."

"Isn't that difficult? I mean, do you even have time to do all of that?"

Is it difficult?" Patricia asked in a doubtful tone and then shook her head. "It's not that hard. I'm used to it."

Edward's face froze upon hearing her words. He couldn't help but feel doubt—was it really that simple?

Sure, she's a top student, but... is the gap between humans really that vast?

He hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke. "Well... It's like this: I need someone who can help me with my work Monday to Friday. The tasks are relatively simple—assisting with all my stuff. I was thinking, maybe you can. Are you in?"

"..." At this moment, Patricia realized she had been overthinking things and felt a twinge of disappointment. However, considering the offer from the other party, she momentarily paused and hesitated.

Seeing her hesitation, Edward know that she was open to the idea, so he added, "Well, you did mention having four siblings, and with only your mom working to support the family. Wouldn't you like to ease your financial pressure?"

"... I- but, if it's Monday to Friday, what about classes? I mean, how can I do the work?" Patricia asked, expressing her concern.

"My work usually begins after class. It's only about five to six hours a day, and recording isn't really that complicated," Edward reassured, explaining the workload.

"Recording?"

"Yeah, I'm into music... well, it's a bit of a commercial secret, but I'll tell you about it later, after you accept."