33- New Kid On The (B)Lock?

Pan and Yara walk pass the long corridor after class. Both of them remain silent for a moment, exhausted after attending a full day classes. Plus, they have to attend the orientation gathering, too. So, the whole schedule is packed tight.

"The orientation will end next week. Then, we have to attend the official mentorship program before the binding ceremony..."

"What's with your sad tone? Don't tell me you already missing those seniors..." Pan subtly teasing Yara. The girl smucks. She rolls her eyes up.

"I like them, but miss them? That's never happen!" Yara swipes her hand left and right. Pan chuckles a bit before making a left turn, towards the cafe.

But, she probably engaging too much with the conversation, she almost collided with a person who comes out from the other direction.

"Watch out, Pan!" Yara grabs Pan's hand as fast as the lightning. She pulls her to the side, causing the person collides with her instead.

"We're sorry!" Pan shrieks. Yara falls into the deep embrace. The person holds her tight so she won't falls onto her knees.

"It's okay. It's my fault, too. I was occupied with my tab, but didn't see you're coming," the person helps Yara straighten up her body. As she looks up to thank the person, her face falls in shock.

"You!"

"You?!"

Both of them squeal. Eyes enlarge, staring at each other.

"Wait, I remember you. The basketball senior!" Pan finally notices the man.

"Yeah, the game was nice. But, let's put that aside. Who is she?" Aye Yi points his finger at Yara.

Yara steps back, almost look like she wants to hide from the man.

"This is my friend, Yara..."

"Pan! How dare you introduce me without my consent!" Yara pinches Pan's forearm. She yelps in pain. The two starts bickering, while the man watches them attentively.

"Now I got both names; Yara and... Pan. Last time, you refused to tell me your name," says Aye Yi.

"It's not that important..." Pan glares at Yara. Her cheeks turns red all of a sudden.

"You...two... Know each other?" Yara slowly asks Pan.

"Oh, it's a long story. This is Aye Yi, second year senior," Pan introduces Aye Yi to Yara.

"I don't wanna know..." Yara replies. Pan chuckles as she pats Yara's head a bit.

"So, your name is Yara... Nice... Oh, you left your scrunchie..."

Even before Aye Yi can finished his sentences, Yara jumps at him and cups his mouth with her palm.

"Not here, you fool!"

Pan feels weird when she watches Aye Yi ans Yara wrestle a bit in front of her.

"Guys, is everything okay?" she asks them.

"Yeah! Actually... Actually... We attended the same high school!" Yara pretends to act friendly. Aye Yi refuses to play along with her, but with one nudge on his waist, he nods unwillingly.

"Pan..."

They halt a bit when suddenly Zee comes towards them. Yara lets Aye Yi go, fixing her hair before swats Aye Yi with a sharp glare, warning him not to expose her.

"Senior Zee..." Yara greets him politely. He nods before falls his sight at Pan.

"There's a changes in your mentorship program," says Zee.

"What do you mean?" Pan asks. Zee glares at Aye Yi. The man stares at him with a smile.

"The mentor for one of the group withdraw last minute. She was assigned to help the faculty with The Campus Freshies' project. So, the Dean decided to revamp the whole batch. And, for that you'll get a new mentor," says Zee.

"Who?" asks Pan.

Subtly, Zee glares at Aye Yi. The man nods in tiny.

"I'm the new mentor for your group. Hope we can strive together," says Aye Yi.

Pan watches Aye Yi, blinks her eyes in disbelief.

"Oh, Yara... You'll have to join them as well. Lauring has a new set of mentee. So, they put you in the same group as Pan," says Zee.

"No!" Yara suddenly shrieks, making Pan, Zee and Aye Yi startled.

"What's wrong, Yara? Do you have a problem with that?" asks Zee.

Yara stares at Pan with a sad face. She slowly shakes her head as she stomps her feet a bit.

Aye Yi nods and slowly smiles. Things are getting better and better for him.

"Sweet! We can get to know each other even more!" Aye Yi puts his hand on Yara's shoulder. The girl refuses him but Aye Yi forces her to play along.

"I thought you two are friends?" asks Pan.

"I mean, you, and me..." Aye Yi winks at Pan. He then flashes his set of beautiful white teeth.

Pan halts a bit. Yara, who stands besides Aye Yi frowns as she stares at him who watches Pan attentively.

Zee glares at the man, with upset feelings inside. His new competition has been added on his list.

This will be hard for him!

***

"But, he's just a second year!" Seth shrieks.

"Sorry to say, but bro... Have you seen his profile?" asks Cherry.

With that inquiry, Seth sighs.

No one.

Literally no one in this room dares to question Aye Yi's capability.

Although he's just a second year student, his grade, his participant and his ability is far beyond questionable. He's a black sheep of the BBA, but it doesn't mean he will continue holding a bad reputation.

"His grade is much better than you, even better than any of us in this room. Aside from Zee, Ta and Lau..."

"And Kim. Don't tarnish my bro's reputation..." Seth reminds Cherry. Kim is among the best students in final year. Although he's not a valedictorian candidate, he is indeed at his own level.

"Can't believe Lauring is among the best students!" Kitty teases her friend. The petite senior glares at her, lowering her thick black frame glasses.

"I might be short, but my mind is brighter than Seth's future," Lauring's reply makes the whole room shake with laughter.

"Did you check the list? Who's gonna be under his wing?" Bear asks.

"There's some changes, that's for sure. So, here is the final list from the dean's office..." Cherry hands the list to Bear. The man gathers with Ta and Zee, studying the list of the new group.

"Oh God..." Ta exclaims in silence.

Zee feels like his heart beats like crazy. It's somehow different from the previous list. Before, Pan is under Ta's watch. But now, the girl, along with her best friend, the cutesy, has been added into the new group under Aye Yi.

She's gonna be his mentee.

"Are you okay, Zee?" Ta asks silently. Zee stares at him, but somehow ignores his question. He grabs his bag and suddenly leaves the room.

"I swear to God, Zee is getting weirder everyday..." says Kitty.

"He's being too hard on himself!" Seth answers.

Ta looks at Bear. The two exchange glares before taking a leave as well.

"You guys are leaving?"

"We'll be back!" Bear replies to Cherry before following Ta from behind.

***

"Zee! Zee! Wait!"

Ta was chasing him from behind. However, Zee ignores him totally. He grabs the file tight and strude towards the faculty's administration office.

He was about to reach the door when Ta finally manages to stop him. The man grabs Zee's hand and pulls him away from the office entrance.

"What are you doing?"

"This. This is unfair!"

"Which area is unfair for you? The fact that you're stick with your valedictorian group, or the fact that your former best friend is now a mentor of your crush?"

Zee's eyes get wider. He stares at Ta. The man softly pats his shoulder and giving him a subtle look.

"Just as I thought. You're afraid if Aye Yi snatches your girl..."

"Pan is not my girl!"

"Come on, pal! Everyone can see how you're so into her! Whenever she's around, you're getting weird. Whoever close to her is a subject of your sharp mode killer side eyes. Even me! It's like she's belong to you. You're so in love with her," Ta finally releases all the things that he wanted to ask Zee.

"I am not..."

"Living in denial again, huh? You know, your strange act, all of us can see it. It's so super crystal clear, that we, can see it even from the Mars!" Ta definitely feels like he works so hard to make Zee realizes how his feeling is obvious to all of his friends.

Zee's head hanging low. He tries to calm himself for a while. He feels anxious and frustrated now.

"Aye Yi, he is not an honest man. I know, he has his motive for this. I don't think a person who discarded his seniors suddenly volunteering like this," says Zee.

"Maybe he doesn't even want it. Maybe the lecturer asked for his help. He's the first ranking out of second year students. It is acceptable if he suddenly becoming the mentor," Ta is trying to coax Zee.

"I saw him signing Pan's sign book..."

"So, it's all coming back to the girl..."

"You don't know Aye Yi like I did, Ta..."

"Yes, I don't know him. But I know you. And I know it's all because of Pan. What if Pan is not in his group? Would you dash your way to the dean's office, just like this?" asks Ta.

With that, Zee falls in a deep silence.

"Zee, I don't how much you're into Pan. But, one thing for sure, until she's truly belongs to you, you have no rights to let anyone close to her for her own good. Aye Yi maybe can help her. He might be a better mentor than I am. So please, act according to your sane judgement instead of your feelings," Ta softly talks to Zee.

"And, if you're afraid of losing her... I think you have to confess to her. Win her heart instead of caging her unnecessarily," the man continues.

The word caging drags Zee to his historical life with Pan. How he caged her until she had it no more and left. He slowly reminds himself of his wrongdoings, and the cause of it as well.

He's not gonna take a U-turn and becoming the old him.

"I'm sorry for my hasty decision. It's just... Aye Yi and I, as you know, we had history. And... For Pan... I-"

Zee looks at Ta. The man slowly blinks his eyes and wait patiently for his next statement.

"There is something that I need to tell you. But right now, I think it's not the best time," Zee sighs between his words.

Looking at Zee and how reluctantly he is, Ta nods in tiny. He taps Zee's shoulder a few times to let him know that he understands about Zee's position.

"Let's talk about it later. Now, we need to go back because Bear might roasts us for leaving him behind," Ta chuckles. Zee nods and they are ready to leave the spot when...

"Hey there..."

A man, standing in front of them, wearing his snicker smile while looking at Zee. Zee watches the man, before signalling Ta to leave them alone.

"Let's talk, Aye Yi.."