“So,” Jun started.

Even without hearing the rest of it, Aki could guess the rest of his sentence. He knew his friend was dying to know how his move went. He had been dying since this morning.

“Let’s find a seat first, I’m starving,” Aki said as they made a beeline for their foods.

Holding their trays on both of their hands, the scanned the cafeteria for any open tables. The place was packed during lunchtime.

“Over there,” Jun nudged at Aki’s shoulder.

Aki followed the direction where Jun pointed and coincidentally glanced over at the next table. Surrounded by a lot of people as always, Liam sat in the middle, laughing and talking with his friends. As if sensing someone looking at him, Liam looked up and caught Aki staring.

Aki glanced away and pretended to look for tables. He hoped there would be other open ones since some of the students had started leaving the cafeteria. After that awkward moment last time, he still did not know how he would act around Liam. To his dismay, the tables were already occupied.

“I think, it’s better to eat outside,” he grabbed his burger and drinks as he walked towards the exit, not waiting for Jun.

“What are you saying? You are unbelievable!” Jun ran behind him.

Liam watched as the two left the cafeteria. He slumped back on his chair, pushing his food away.

================

“What the hell!?” Jun said after Aki told him his condition to Liam. “I didn’t know you were so cruel.”

Aki looked down, pretended to pluck something out of his shirt. Anything he was going to say would all sound like an excuse. He really was cruel and unfair. And he was not proud of it.

They ate lunch in silence. Jun did not rattle him with questions. Aki was grateful for that. He was not in the mood to speak. Not when guilt gnawed on his insides. Even if he wanted to take back his words, he did not know how.

And it was not as if the two of them could be chummy-chummy overnight, right? They were not even friends, to begin with. ‘But you don’t have to be such a snob about it,’ he thought bitterly.

It was only when they were walking back to their classes that Aki found his voice and began telling Jun what happened.

Jun snickered beside him, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Are you sure you don’t like him? You sound like you have a crush on Liam and you’re just shy to admit. Come on, tell me. I’m your friend~”

To emphasize his point, Jun kept on nudging Aki’s elbow. Aki glared at him, fighting the urge to smack his friend when his friend came to a full stop.

“This is like deja vu,” Jun said.

Aki knitted his eyebrows at Jun’s sudden remark. His friend pointed his chin towards the bulletin board. There was an announcement posted there from the Dean’s Office for Aki.

Deja vu indeed.

Jun clapped Aki’s shoulders and walked towards the lecture hall. Aki went as ordered and tried to act cool in front of the Dean as she passed him a letter.

“That came in from the Accounting Department.”

‘Oh shoot.’ He went there before to get an update of his tuition fees but forgot to come back and get it. Now they sent it to his department.

“I’m guessing that’s the computation of your tuition fees?”

Aki nodded. The Dean looked at him with a dejected expression.

“You failed two more exams again. At this rate, you might not be able to keep your scholarship. If you have a problem with your studies, you can approach me or any of your professors for help.”

Aki thanked her and went to his class. While waiting for his lecture to start, he reads the messages on his phone. One message stood out. His bank messaged him telling him to deposit soon since his account was nearing the maintaining balance.

He rubbed his hand on his face. He needed the money and he needed it fast. Plus he needed to keep his scholarship. It was one problem after another.

‘Guess it’s time to say goodbye, finally, to the party animal me. Hello nerd Aki!’