3.8: A Story About Aye Yi's Mentor

"Welcome to the Cafe Buddy!" two ladies welcome the group with a wide smile. Pan, Em and Aye Yi return the smile with a wai gesture. It's a huge cafe; industrial style mixed with muji, with grey and earth tone combine together in space, compliment each other in the most aesthetic way.

"This place is huge! So Instagrammable!" Em exclaims in excitement. Pan smiles and nod at her. This place, not only famous for the aesthetic, even the location is five-star as well. In the calm but vast road just a few walks away from the campus, it offers a place for students to hangout; studies, coffee break or a hotspot for a date. It's not limited only from InterTech, but for colleges nearby as well.

"Ah... Look who we got here!" Yun smiles widely as he slowly descends from upstairs with a dark brown tray in his hand. He wears a jeans apron, with a white shirt and blue jeans, makes him look so casual.

"Swaadeeka..." Pan quickly does a waii, followed by Em and Aye Yi. Yun chuckles as soon as his eyes land on Aye Yi.

"I know you... The Trouble Jungle Boy..."

Aye Yi turns pink. He looks away as he cringe. Pan holds her laugh inside, while Em cluelessly looks at both of them.

"Ah.. ah... No need to be shy! You should be proud that your mentees are talented under your wing. I never expected this, but I salute you for opening up to us," says Yun.

"Is he that bad, Pan?" Em whispers at Pan. The girl smiles and nods a bit, making Aye Yi smack her shoulder.

"This boy over here... He's the most problematic boy we ever had in our faculty. No one comes before him, and even after him. He's the true satan in the group," Yun roasts Aye Yi while presents them a table on the second floor, so they can sit down and talk.

"I am proud, although it sounds bad..." Aye Yi shamelessly admits the claim.

"Yep. Kudos to your mentor as well..."

"You have a mentor?!" Pan and Em widely stare at Aye Yi, making the boy fluster in wrongful emotion.

"Hey, everyone has a mentor, right? Of course this boy had one. He won't survive on his own without guidance..."

"They did almost nothing, but scolding me as if I'm a child–"

"If you listen well, and stop pushing me away, I won't scold you for nothing, Nong Aye..."

A voice from behind makes Aye Yi winches. He turns his head and glares at the figure. A slender, tall person with a black long hair is looking at him with a smile, and both hands cup the small waist; left and right.

"Looking good, P'Roast..." Aye Yi greets his mentor with a bleak expression. The senior walks elegantly towards them and takes a seat next to Yun.

"Swaadeeka..."

"Wadee everyone... I'm Roast. Your ajarn reached out a few days ago, asking for my help to guide this year's Entrepreneur Award winner–" their slender finger are looking for the person in interest.

"It's us, P'Roast. I'm Pan, and this is my business partner, Em. We have another one member, but she couldn't make it today," says Pan. Roast nods, but slowly leaning towards Aye Yi.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Did you miss your phi??" Roast flips Aye Yi's hair, making him jump in fear. Yun laughs quite aloud, making the table fall into chaos.

"I am not! This girl–" Aye Yi points at Pan. "She's my mentee. I come to make sure everything is in check."

"Everything is cool. You can go now," Roast suddenly replies to Aye Yi in a cold tone. Everyone looks at them in bleak, except for Aye Yi. He sighs as he stares at them. His sight suddenly changes, this time it's more soft and not too excessive to say, a bit tamer than before.

"Fine... I miss P'... Happy?" Aye Yi murmurs, making Roast slowly draw a wide smile on their face.

"That's more like it! Good boy, jaa...." Roast flicks Aye Yi's nose. The boy draws a straight line with his lips, annoys by the hot and cold mentor of his.

"You have a rare species as your mentor Nong Pan... I met a lot of kwaii, but this kwaii is a special case..." says Roast. They hangs their hand around Aye Yi's shoulder and taps it. "He is kwaii, but he's a talented student."

"I can see that..." Pan replies between her laughs. Roast nods as they watches Aye Yi sips his Americano in a gush.

"Do you have a girlfriend yet, nong?"

"Why would you care anyway?!" Aye Yi mumbles. Roast shakes their head a bit, before chuckles as he pulls the file from Pan's possession.

"The girl from the basketball court... She sounds really nice. Did you make a move already?" Roast's question makes Aye Yi goes flusters. He looks at Pan, and then gushes a bit.

"N..no! She has a boyfriend!"

"Too bad! The way you told me... It seems like you have a lot of interest in her," Roast non-chalantly says as they study the business proposal while talking at the same time. Yun already left the group to attend some customers, as the cafe still operating as usual.

"I am not!" Aye Yi gushes. He pouts as he looks away, winches in panic.

"Do you know the girl, Pan?" sudden attack from Roast makes Pan almosy choke her drink. She looks at Aye Yi, blinking her eyes for some unexpected question.

"I... I have no idea..." Pan laughs faintly, putting a layer behind her nervousness in her words.

"Ah.. ah.. ah... Let's talk about business!" Aye Yi gushes as he pushes the business proposal at Roast. They glare as they growl at him, before study the proposal again.

"I'll deal with you later!"

A slight warn from Roast makes Aye Yi shuts.

***

"Let's separate from here. Thanks for the evening, Pan.. P'Aye Yi!" Em bids goodbye as she softly waves at them and leaves the cafe. Pan tilts her head and check on Aye Yi. The boy just got a lot of snacks from Roast. They still take care of him, even though they already graduate years ago.

"Your mentor is a talented person, P'Aye! I never thought that you'll have such an incredible guide like him," Aye Yi chuckles upon hearing Pan's praises.

"They were the only one who willingly accept me as a mentee. The rest of the seniors kinda push me away. I can still remember, they were in a transition while at the same time, handling me as a mentee. They must had a tough time!" says Aye Yi. His mind wanders at the time when Roast was a final year student, and he was just a troublemaker junior.

"Trans... Sition?"

"P'Roast was born a boy. But, they told me, they always knew that's not really them. An accident during their sophomore year made them decide to take a step into a transition..." Aye Yi finally opens up the story.

"What happened during the accident?" asks Pan. The story kinds of attracting her to know more.

"During the accident, they happen to know that they were born with hermaphrodites condition; they got both male and female genitals. Their parents have kept this from him, because their father wants a son after two daughters..."

"But, P'Roast knows they were not meant to be a boy. Although they have a male feature,their emotions and interest are more to feminine side. In the naked eyes they look like a boy, but they are sensitive and soft, just like a girl," Aye Yi continues his story, as they ride his car back to the campus.

"The accident was the ultimatum for him. A second chance to rebirth. The male reproduction system got badly injured. The only thing that could save them was to get rid of it. If they decided to keep it, they won't function properly as a man. It was a bad news for their father, but for P'Roast, it was a good news. That means, they can be a woman, biologically. Just as they want."

"So, P'Roast decided to do a gender assessment surgery?" Aye Yi nods whilst hearing that from Pan.

"For them, they are lucky to have both. And to be what they want to be after so long. Although, it caused a strain relationship with their father. But, they were so brave to face the stigma and move forward as P'Roast that you can see now."

A smile slowly form in Aye Yi's face as he tells the story to Pan while driving his car. Although it seems that his relationship with that senior is a hot and cold situation, but deep inside, he is proud to be Roast's mentee.

"A brave man needs a fighter by his side, right?" Pan spurs. Aye Yi stares at her, and slowly nods his head.

"Yes. It's true, indeed. Only us know the road that we walk into. That's why, P'Roast could stand before me and stick around, although I'm not an angel mentee like the rest of my batch mates," there's a sad and gloomy tone in Aye Yi's words.

"I've told before, you're not a bad person. Even if you are indeed, there's always a room to change," says Pan. "Besides, P'Roast has a way to tame you down. They are truly a warrior."

"Did you just diss me, junior?" Aye Yi flicks his right eyebrow and glares at Pan. She laughs as she shakes her head faintly.

"So... What happened to Yara? Why she didn't join us today?"

Aye Yi's question makes Pan smiles. She knows eventually he will sticks his nose into Yara's business.

"She's not well. Besides, she looks gloomy these days. I don't know what's wrong with her..."

Aye Yi ponders as his mind flies away, thinking about Yara. His heart suddenly churns, as if he remembers something about her.

"Pan... Can you help me with something?"