3.7: Cat Out Of The Bag

Aye Yi hid his smirk when he saw Pan walking straight towards him. The girl had a straight-lipped expression while looking at him.

"Yara bailed out. She has something urgent to do," said Pan. Aye Yi nodded slightly, trying to keep his excitement inside.

"It's okay. We can get along just fine," he said. Pan's gaze was still locked onto him, but gradually she nodded and left the waiting spot with Aye Yi.

***

"This is the book I've been telling you about," said Pan. They were now at the bookstore, looking for some study material.

"Hm? You read this kind of book?" Aye Yi frowned. Pan smiled at him.

"Yeah. This is cool! I love James Rollins, by the way," she replied, tapping her fingers on the surface of the book.

Aye Yi's eyes wandered around the store. He finally found a book and showed it to Pan.

"You might like this..."

"Romance?" Pan chuckled. She grabbed the book and put it back on the shelf.

"That's Yara's preference. It's not my cup of tea," she rolled her eyes.

"Yara likes romance?"

"Based on her bookshelf, yeah. She has tons of it. I don't know how she can read that without cringing. I might curl my toes. It's so cringe," Pan explained to Aye Yi while casually reaching the cashier.

"What else does she like?"

Pan glared at Aye Yi. She squinted her eyes, lips curled up.

"You're digging for information from me..."

Aye Yi smiled, and this time, his smile was different from the previous one.

"Well... I..."

"You like Yara, don't you?"

Aye Yi bit his lip. He stared at Pan, who was waiting for his answer.

"Oi Aye!"

The conversation was interrupted when a group of boys suddenly approached them. One of them was Top, from Engineering, along with his friends, Agon and Twison.

"What are you doing, huh?" one of them nudged Aye Yi's waist. The other two smiled foolishly at Pan.

"Looking for books. What about you guys?" asked Aye Yi.

"Usual hangout. You've been bailing on us lately, by the way. Now we know the reason why..." Agon replied, though his eyes darted quickly to Top, who raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Hey, Aye Yi... Is she the one you were talking about? The one you bailed on to get to... you-know-who?" Twison pulled Aye Yi closer and whispered to him.

Pan, who had been browsing through her phone, caught snippets of their conversation. Her heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression neutral, pretending she hadn't heard.

"Does she know about the plan?" Agon asked quietly, glancing at Pan, who was now perusing a shelf of books.

Aye Yi quickly shot them a warning look. Top pulled Agon and Twison away before Aye Yi could kick them for being nosy.

"Okay... Time to leave, boys! Come on! We'll come to your room later, okay?" Top quickly dragged both of the nosy brothers away, leaving Aye Yi snickering alone on the spot.

"What was that?" Pan suddenly inquired. Aye Yi tried to keep a poker face, but Pan knew he was hiding something from her.

Pan finally had enough. She dragged him somewhere a bit more secluded so they could talk properly without causing a major scene.

"Talk."

"I..."

"If you lie to me, I'll kick your balls."

"Okay... But promise you won't get mad if I tell you the truth," said Aye Yi. Pan nodded as an assurance that she would keep her composure.

Aye Yi took some time to arrange his words. He took a deep breath before sitting still, facing Pan with an honest expression.

"The reason why I joined the mentorship is not because I wanted to be a mentor. I just wanted to get close to... you."

Pan couldn't hide her disappointment. She was almost this close to ripping Aye Yi's head off.

So, everything Cray claims is true.

"Why?" she asked.

Aye Yi took his time again. He licked his chapped lips and slowly opened his mouth.

"I wanted to get to someone. It's Zee. When I saw what they posted on the institute's X page; the shipping thing, I came up with an idea to get my revenge. You," those words were even more brazen for Pan.

"Ai hia, Aye Yi!"

"I lost an opportunity for a full scholarship because of Zee. Lucky for me, I got it in the second round. But, it's not the same as the first one. Then, someone told me Zee was cheating during the exam. Some seniors passed him what they called a forecast exam paper. Turns out, the paper was almost the same as the real exam," Aye Yi explained to Pan. She patiently listened.

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

Aye Yi softly smiled at Pan. He scanned her face with glittering eyes.

"Zee used to be my best friend. We shared some secrets. And I happen to know that he never dated anyone because he was kinda... committed to you..." Aye Yi tilted his head a bit and gave Pan a teasing look.

That caused her cheeks to blush all over.

"If I manage to snatch you from him, he might feel sad, and it will affect his studies. He is a nominated valedictorian. One tiny mistake can cost him the title."

"I was just a toy to you..."

"No. Listen. That was my intention... until..." Aye Yi fidgeted a bit. Pan was ready to be mad, and perhaps right now, the girl had a lot of ways to kill him on the spot.

So, he arranged his next words with care.

"Until I saw Yara."

"You want to use Yara too?!"

"No! Nope! No!"

"You better tell me the truth, Aye Yi! Right now, I can't guarantee whether you'll come out here alive or in a bag!"

Aye Yi winced a bit. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"When I saw Yara and you, I was taken aback for a while. When you called her name, that's when I realized her name was among the names in my mentorship list. I don't know her name, but I do remember her so well."

"She told me you're her friend," said Pan.

Aye Yi sighed.

"Yeah... a one-night-stand friend..."

"What?!?!?" Pan felt a pang in her chest. It felt like the sky of the mall had collapsed on top of her.

"I had a one-night stand with Yara. It happened so fast because she was drunk. And, I couldn't control it because... both of us were too wild that night," there was remorse on Aye Yi's face. He wiped his face with his hand twice.

"So, you're the stranger she mentioned to us!" Pan exclaimed.

"She mentioned me before?" Aye Yi asked.

"Not really specific, but she told Han and I that she woke up next to a stranger in a room at the male's boarding apartment," Pan shook her head slightly.

"Yep. That's me..."

"So, what's with Yara then? Why did you suddenly change your mind after you saw her?" Pan inquired.

"I... I don't know. I was trying to use you to get to Zee. But, my heart always leaned towards Yara. I used a lot of excuses to call or text her, pretending to ask for her help to get closer to you. But, it was all just an excuse. Just like today," said Aye Yi.

"Wow... You both are suckers!"

"No. I mean, just drop the charge on me, spare Yara please. She's just helping me. That's all..."

"You do like her. I can see that," Pan slowly smirked at Aye Yi. The man gave her a hopeless smile.

"I'm sorry for everything, Pan..."

"Spare that for later. Right now, I want you to go find her. Judging by the story, I guess, she's not that far from here. Go find her. Catch up before it's too late, Aye Yi!" Pan persuaded Aye Yi, with a smile crossing her face.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now, go!"

***

Aye Yi watches Yara, who meticulously combined a series of metal loops to form a chain for her jewelry creation. He smiles, looking at her like a fool.

Yes, he is indeed a fool.

After all this time, he kept living in denial because of his silly thoughts about getting revenge. So much that he ignores what is right in front of him. Yara didn't deserve to be deserted like that. She is a precious gem with delicate features.

Just like the sapphire on the top of the ring that had been placed on the table as a display.

Aye Yi slowly grabs the ring. He glances at Yara before leaning closer to her.

"Yara..."

The girl turns around. Aye Yi grabs her tiny hand quickly, sliding the ring onto her ring finger and giving her hand a quick peck.

Yara seems flustered. She quickly yanks her hand away, but Aye Yi grips it firmly.

"Aye!"

"Don't mind me, I just want to see your beautiful face..."

Yara pushes him away. Aye Yi steps back, laughing softly. Yara continues with her work, her cheeks blushing like crazy.

What is going on here!!! She screams internally.