Part 02: Simmering Tensions
Meanwhile in Professor Chua's class, their lecture on the Napoleonic Era of French History was abrupted due to the announcement, as the entire class became silent everyone's attention was focused on Aiden and Ball – the former collecting his thing before slowly getting up from his seat.
Min and Bank were confused as to what was happening since the announcement came out of the blue, and the summon was completely unexpected. Ball was equally as confused as his friends since he doesn't know what this was all about, although he was starting to feel nervous given the fact that he was being summoned to the International Exchange Program Office together with the Student Council President, and his only conclusion was he was in some sort of trouble.
The announcement reminded Min of the time he was summoned together with Aiden to the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, he can still feel the dread and nervousness he felt that day, and he can relate to whatever Ball was feeling at that moment. He looked at Aiden and noticed that he had his usual stoic expression on his face, a complete opposite of Ball who looked so pale like all of his blood was drained and was ready to pass out at any moment.
"Ball let's go" Aiden said in a bland voice as he put his backpack on before making his way towards the front of the classroom, Professor Chua and the rest of the class following him with their eyes. Ball complied without question, collecting his things before slowly getting up from his seat and followed Aiden.
As soon as Aiden and Ball left the classroom, the students started chattering amongst themselves, talking about what was going on. "What was that all about?" Bank asked in Thai as Min shrugged his shoulders.
It took a few minutes for Professor Chua to collect herself, as she was also curious to what was happening. She wouldn't have thought about it if it was Aiden and Min since they were both members of the Student Council and being summoned out of the blue was normal, but Ball who was just a regular student, and by all accounts the announcement was a bit irregular at best. After snapping out of her thoughts, Professor Chua quickly silenced the class before resuming her lecture.
As soon as Ball stepped into the hallway, Aiden started walking towards the direction of the elevators so they can get to where they needed to go before the first period ends. Aiden was fully aware it was risky being seen together with Ball since both of them are in the Top 10 of the Hotlist, and there was a risk of them being rushed by the students – it's already bad enough for Aiden that students line the hallways to take videos and pictures of him when he gets out of class, and it could be a lot worse with Ball.
After leaving the Humanities Building, Aiden and Ball walked through the Quad as they made their way to the Student Center. Although there were a few students in the area as well, it wasn't much of a concern for Aiden than having the entire student body bearing down on them. At the same time, Ball was thinking of different possible reasons as to why he was being called to the International Exchange Program Office with Aiden – to no avail.
While Ball was in deep thought, he suddenly felt a quick pull on his left arm, snapping him back to reality as he realized that Aiden was pulling him towards the CGS3 Building.
"Why are we going here? Aren't we supposed to report to the International Exchange Program Office?" Ball asked in a puzzled and confused tone as they walked through the entrance of the building.
"I'll explain everything in a little bit, for now I want you to follow me" Aiden replied as they walked towards the elevator and rode to the 10th floor of the CGS3 Building.
When they reached their floor, they walked down the hallway until they reached a stairwell that Aiden started climbing, Ball of course, followed without question. At the top of the stairwell was a metal double door that has a long LED screen above it, the screen has the words "LOCKED" written in bright red, which really stood out in the black background.
Beside the door is a keycard reader which has a small indicator light that has a solid red light. Above the reader was a sign that reads: "Rooftop Garden Access: Faculty and Staff only!". Aiden walked up to the card reader and took out his WolfCard before swiping it. The indicator light immediately turned green and the words on the LED screen changed to "UNLOCKED", now in a bright green font.
"Let's go," Aiden said as he pushed open the metal door.
Ball hesitantly nodded before following him out the door. As they stepped outside, they were immediately greeted by a gust of wind. Aiden walked towards the stairs on the right-hand side of the door they just came out from, Ball following him silently. When they reached the top of the stairs, Ball was welcomed by a large, curved pergola with water-proof couches and chairs under it, a waterfall fountain, small outdoor firepit, roofed canopies, and an assorted number of potted flowers and plants.
"What is this place?" Ball said in amazement as he scanned the area they were in.
"This is a rooftop garden reserved for the faculty and staff of the CGS3 – this is also one of my hiding spots here in the university" Aiden revealed as Ball looked at him with a surprise expression on his face.
"Why would you bring me here?" Ball asked in confusion.
"Follow me" Aiden said as he started walking towards one of the canopies close to the edge of the rooftop, which gave them a perfect view of the entire quad, and the university.
When Ball saw the amazing view in front of him, all he could do was stand silently as he looked at the beautiful scenery in front of him. The gentle breeze, blue sky, and the calm atmosphere around them felt like he was on top of a mountain, isolated from the hectic and bustling life In the city. The calmness and serenity that the place was evoking allowed Ball to forget the nervousness and anxiety he was feeling a few minutes ago, allowing himself to relax and release all the tension and negativity from his body.
"You're the first person I've ever brought here" Aiden suddenly spoke as Ball was basking in the calmness of the rooftop garden, "Consider this as a gesture of good faith and trust that I'm affording you" he added as Ball looked at him, still confused as to why he was brought at the CGS3 rooftop.
"I thought we were supposed to go to the International Exchange Program Office. Why are we here?" Ball asked, choosing his words carefully, not knowing how Aiden would react.
"That was not a real summon, I just needed something to separate you from Min" Aiden revealed to the surprise of Ball who was not expecting the turn of events that just unfolded.
Earlier in the day, after Beatrice uttered the words "Rolling the Ball", Aiden came up with the idea to solve the conundrum that was troubling him earlier. Since he cannot risk asking either Min or Mingyu, he had to go for the next best option – Min's best friend and close confidant.
After Beatrice left his office, Aiden immediately placed a call to the Central Broadcasting Office which is charged with university announcements and summons. As the Student Council President, Aiden has the privilege of summoning any student of his choosing – at any time, any place, and for any reason.
The summons is usually utilized by members of the university's faculty, staff, and administration to call on specific students, or members of the university personnel and have them report to a specific location on campus. Additionally, the Central Broadcasting Office is also charged of announcing important messages from the Office of Public Safety and other major announcements, albeit in a briefer manner than official announcements or memo they release via email. Unlike the Student Council PA system, which is only used for Student Council related announcements, the Central Broadcasting Office is used by the university in general and is frequently used than the latter. Like other communication mediums at Mount Juliet, the office is also staffed by students, mostly communications majors, and supervised by an overseer.
"I apologize for the deception, and for any emotional distress this might have caused you, but I needed a way to separate you from Min" Aiden apologized after noticing Ball's reaction.
"Why do you need to separate me from Min?" Ball asked.
"There's something I wanted to discuss with you that's somewhat sensitive and a bit personal" Aiden said, his face somewhat blushing, and his eyes shifting from side to side.
"Does this have something to do with Min?" Ball further inquired.
"Yes. Actually, I wanted to talk about Min" Aiden confessed, "I didn't want to ask him personally since I might end up sending the wrong signal, and I didn't want to ask Mingyu since he'll probably make fun of me for even asking something like this" he continued as Ball listened.
"So what about Min that you wanted to talk about?" Ball asked as Aiden's face became flushed.
"I.. Uh.." Aiden stammered, completely avoiding eye contact with Ball, "Does.. Does Min really like me?" he finally said, clearly using up all his strength and willpower to even utter those words. Ball couldn't help but smile at the fact that the cold and stoic Student Council President would ask something so adorable, and the way he asked the question was somewhat effeminate in a way.
Although Aiden's face was still expressionless like usual, it has a much softer side to it than normal, almost to the point where he's vulnerable, and his face was almost to the point that he was about to make an embarrassed expression – unbeknownst to Ball, Aiden was trying his hardest not to expose his vulnerable side like he unintentionally did with Min when they first met, and during their awkward encounters.
Ball was completely shocked to see a much lighter and different side of Aiden, a complete break from the usually cold, stoic, and serious Student Council President he has known up until now. He finally understood why Min has an unusually strong attraction to Aiden, to the point he was able to confess his feelings, do the things that he did, and committed to finally moving on and letting go of Yu-Yu.
"This is really embarrassing for me, and I'm using up all my strength to ask you something so humiliating" Aiden added as Ball finally gave in and let out a muffled laughter, causing the latter to fully blush.
"I'm sorry President Kobayashi, I couldn't help myself" Ball said as a bigger smile formed on his face.
"Please stop laughing… I'm already embarrassed enough as it is" Aiden replied, turning away from Ball, his face fully flushed, his dignity and pride yet again took another hit.
"I apologize, I just didn't think you have this side. It was just surprising" Ball admitted as he removed the smile on his face, "I meant no offense or disrespect for my reaction President Kobayashi" he added as Aiden gave out a relieved sigh.
"Just call me Aiden, you don't need to be so formal. It's not like you're an ROTC Officer, or a member of the university's staff" Aiden said as he looked towards Ball's direction, still avoiding eye contact.
"Alright, er.. Aiden.." Ball replied awkwardly, still feeling uncomfortable addressing him by his first name.
"So, does Min really have feelings for me? Or is he just playing around?" Aiden reiterated his question.
"I'm not entirely sure I can answer that question" Ball responded, surprising Aiden.
"How come? As his best friend and closest confidant shouldn't you have some sort of idea?" Aiden asked.
"It's not that I don't know anything, it's more like I don't want to betray Min's trust. Whatever he told me, he told me with confidence that I wouldn't tell anyone else" Ball replied as Aiden slowly turned away from Ball and gazed at the scenery in front of them.
"I'm really sorry!" Ball apologized as he did the Wai, "I know you went out of your way to separate me from Min and show me your hiding spot as a gesture of good faith, but I just cannot, in good conscience betray his trust like that" he continued as he profusely apologized, unsure how Aiden would react.
"That's a shame" Aiden finally spoke, his focus still on the scenery, as Ball pressed the back of his thumbs on his forehead, still giving a Wai, his head slightly lowered.
"Honestly, your answer is disappointing to say the least" Aiden continued as Ball pressed the back of his thumbs harder on his forehead.
It was a difficult dilemma for Ball, having to choose between his best friend and betraying the trust of the most powerful and influential student in the university. He knows that his answer wasn't the one that Aiden was expecting, and that it almost certainly earned him his ire, an unenviable position that no one in the university would want to find themselves in.
"I'm really sorry Aiden! I'll do anything you ask me to do but betraying my friend's trust is something I just cannot bring myself to do" Ball continued as he kept apologizing, pressing the back of his thumbs even harder on his forehead, lowering his head even more.
"Stop it Ball, you don't need to apologize" Aiden finally replied as he turned towards Ball again.
"While it's true that I'm disappointed with your answer, your integrity, and the loyalty you just showed just earned you my trust and respect" Aiden continued, causing Ball's eyes to widened.
"I would've been glad if you told me Min's true goal and intentions, but I wouldn't have been able to trust and respect someone who would easily betray their friends" Aiden continued as Ball slowly removed his thumbs from his forehead and raised his head up.
"I'm not going to force you to say or do something that's against your will. If that's the answer you're able and willing to give me, then I can respect that. I'm not going to hold it against you" Aiden added as Ball stood in shock, and disbelief.
Ball was completely taken aback, although he acknowledges that Aiden does have a different side to him, his initial impression of him was that he was someone who would use his position and authority to get whatever he wants, and whenever he wants it – at least that's how he sees it from his observations and how the other students would talk about him.
Aiden's serious and commanding way he leads the Student Council, in addition to his cold, witty, and stoic personality blurred Ball's perception and opinion of him, something that everyone in the university shares – except for Mingyu, Katrina, Aaron, Jasper, and Vice Chancellor Gutierrez.
The veil of dismissive and unsocial personality that everyone sees in him has perfectly masked the kind-hearted, understanding, and caring person he really is – the few remaining remnants of Aiden's past that still lingers in him, albeit overshadowed by his new persona – and something that only a handful of people in the university actually knows about.
The reason for why Aiden even wears that veil at all remains a mystery for Ball. Although it did pique his interest, he knows that it was something that he doesn't want to get involved with, much less something he wants to ask. This was the same realization that Beatrice had, however, unlike Ball she allowed her curiosity to get the best of her and ended up getting a small sample of Aiden's ire.
Ball now understood why Jasper, Katrina, Aaron, and Jasper stood by Aiden all these years, regardless of how people viewed him. They know that somewhere deep down his cold personality was a much more caring and nicer person than what everyone else assumes – albeit he shows it in his own way, and in a manner that those who understands him can only see.
It was that moment that Ball saw Aiden at a different light, his initial impression towards him completely disappearing, and replaced by a newfound respect for the Student Council President.
"That's all I really wanted to ask you Ball. You could go now" Aiden slowly nodded his head before turning his attention back to the view of the quad.
"There's a button on the side of the doors, just press it and it will let you enter back into the building" he added as Ball looked at Aiden, "Sorry again about this, and thank you for your time".
Ball nodded slowly before walking towards the stairs, not saying anything. When he reached for the stairs' railings, he took a glance at Aiden who was looking at the view of the quad and the university. Ball softly bit his lips before slowly proceeding down the steps, feeling guilty that he wasted all of Aiden's effort and not giving him anything in return.
When he reached the halfway point of the stairs, he suddenly stopped, and stood there for a few seconds before turning around and quickly dashed up the stairs, "Aiden!" Ball called out as he emerged from the staircase, surprising Aiden who immediately turned towards the direction of the voice.
"Did you forget something?" Aiden asked as he turned towards Ball who was cantering towards him.
"No, actually I have something to tell you" Ball said as he stood in front of Aiden.
"What is it?" Aiden asked, curious to what Ball wanted to tell him.
"I can't betray Min's trust, nor intervene in whatever Min is doing. But I can share things about him that you want to know, like you said, I'm his best friend and close confidant, and I've known him since we were in Elementary school. Just ask me whatever you want, as long as it doesn't relate to your question earlier" Ball said with a smile on his face.
"Why are you telling me this now? You could've walked away" Aiden replied, "I don't want to impose on you and make you feel like you have to tell me something" he continued as Ball started scratching the back of his head.
"I didn't come back because you made me feel like I have to tell you something, nor you are imposing on anything, not at all. I came back because I didn't want to waste your effort of bringing me all the way here and not getting anything out of it" Ball explained as Aiden raised a brow, "Consider this as my gesture of good faith and the trust I'm affording you" he continued as Aiden scoffed, shaking his head in response as he turned towards the railings before leaning on it.
Ball softly gulped, unsure how Aiden would react as another light breeze blew through the rooftop. After the wind died down the former looked at Ball, "Tell me, what kind of person is Min?".
Meanwhile Cadet-Captain Francisco, Cadet-Sergeant Cruz, Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad, and the Nirvana team were approaching the International Exchange Office, intent on securing Aiden before the first period of classes ends, and the entire university is flooded by the students changing classes.
Cadet-Captain Francisco and her team's approach can literally be heard from a distance due to their boots making loud thuds on the floor as they made their way through the partially empty corridor that leads to their destination. As soon as they got close, Cadet-Sergeants Cruz and Trinidad went ahead and opened the glass doors of the International Exchange Program Office just before the officers entered.
Their arrival surprised Assistant Director Sarmiento who happened to be at the lobby, as well as the staff and the International Students who were present.
"Cadet-Captain Francisco, how may I help you?" Assistant Director Sarmiento asked, visibly confused at the ROTC's presence in their office.
"Assistant Director Sarmiento, ma'am!" Cadet-Captain Francisco said as she gave a salute, followed by the Nirvana Team who were right behind her, "We're here for President Kobayashi, is he still here?" she added as she lowered her arm.
"President Kobayashi?" Assistant Director Sarmiento said in a confused tone.
"Yes, the announcement earlier said he was being summoned here" Cadet-Captain Francisco replied.
"Oh, that! I honestly have no idea where that came from, we were also confused when we heard it, but no one in this office called for President Kobayashi and Mr. Pattaya" Assistant Director Sarmiento said.
"What's going on here Cadet-Captain Francisco? Where's President Kobayashi?" Cadet-Captain Kim asked, confused at what was currently happening.
"We've been duped Cadet-Captain Kim, that's what happened" Cadet-Captain Francisco deeply sighed, "More than likely, President Kobayashi himself was that one that called for that announcement" she added as she noticed some of the International Students and International Exchange Program staff looking at the Nirvana Team – a situation she and Cadet-Major Del Rosario knew was going to happen.
"I'll explain later, first we need to go back to the ROTC Quarter, and fast!" Cadet-Captain Francisco replied.
"What's the rush? We can stay here and wait, maybe President Kobayashi will eventually show up" Cadet-Lieutenant Heo said, blithely unaware of how dangerously close they are from the risk of being rushed by the students if they are caught in the middle of the students changing classes.
"I strongly suggest that we return to the ROTC Quarter Cadet-Captain Kim, I don't want to put the Nirvana team in a difficult situation, and we're running out of time" Cadet-Captain Francisco said, urgency evident in her voice and her face.
"If the three of you are new here, I suggest you listen to Cadet-Captain Francisco. If she's talking about the first period ending, then you won't have enough time until the students get out" Assistant Director Sarmiento suddenly chimed in, cognizant of Cadet-Captain Francisco's concerns.
"What are you guys talking about?" Cadet-Lieutenant Shin asked, her face puzzled.
"No time to explain, we need to leave now! That's an order!" Cadet-Captain Francisco said as she walked out of the office, the puzzled and confused Nirvana team reluctantly following her.
As soon as the officers left the office, Cadet-Sergeants Cruz and Trinidad closed the glass doors. The group then started making their way down the corridor to get to the elevators, hoping that they'll be able to make it back to the ROTC Quarter before or just after the students get out of class.
When they reached the ground floor of the Student Center, the large screen television that was mounted at the lobby caught the attention of Cadet-Captain Francisco – a 'Breaking News' from WNN. She quickly stopped walking and turned her attention towards the television, the rest of her team looking at the same direction, curious as to what made the ranking officer stop all of a sudden.
"Hey! Can you turn the volume up?" Cadet-Captain Francisco called out to the Student Ambassador at the reception booth of the lobby, who promptly followed her orders.
As the camera focused on the WNN anchor she began announcing the breaking news, "We have just received word from the newly created Min's Guardians that they have finally concluded their election. Freshman Council President Rose Cristobal has been duly elected as their first leader in a landslide over the other candidates vying for the organization's highest position last night" the news anchor reported as the words "Breaking News" continually blinked on the upper right screen.
"Furthermore, Rose Cristobal has confirmed that the make-up of the MGs are a combination of the fans of the International Student Representative Thapthim Nontanakorn, exchange student from Thammasat University and number three of this year's Hotlist, as well as breakaway members of the Aiden's Guardians, who has grown disillusioned by the draconian and iron fist leadership of Heide Enriquez" the news anchor continued as Cadet-Captain Francisco, Cadet-Sergeant Cruz, and Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad reacted with horror by the sudden and unexpected developments – the Nirvana team confused at their reactions.
"This was Rose Cristobal's victory speech last night that was delivered via Zoom to the MG Fanbase after her election victory – let's listen" the news anchor said as the video was played.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who supported me in our organization's very first election last night! I would do my very best to ensure that the Min's Guardians becomes an open and inclusive fanbase for everyone to enjoy. I'm happy to announce that our numbers are growing by the day, and that we are all able to stan and admire Thapthim Nontanakorn together! I would also like to announce that we are not only stanning the International Student Representative, but also MinAiden! Colloquially known as the #PoloCouple or #PockyStickCouple! In order to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities to all our members, I will not be imposing a restriction to our members approaching or even interacting with Min or MinAiden, all I ask is that we respect their personal space and privacy, as well as to know the limitations of our stanning and admiration. Once again, I look forward to stanning our beloved Min and MinAiden with everyone! Again thank you all for your support!" Rose Cristobal said in the recorded video of her victory speech, before being cut to the news anchor again.
"That was Rose Cristobal's victory speech after her election last night. Since this is a developing story, we will give updates as more information comes in. This is Shirley Lee for WNN Breaking News, have a good morning MJU Wolves!" Shirley announced as her segment ended.
Cadet-Captain Francisco was completely shocked and horrified by Rose Cristobal's victory speech, not only was it a subtle jab at both the AGs and Heide Enriquez, but she also quite literally gave the MGs free reign on how they would interact with Min and Aiden, a complete polar opposite of the "Collective Will" rule that the AGs have been meticulously following since their inception.
As a member of the ROTC Intelligence Division, Cadet-Captain Francisco has a good grasp of the possible consequences of her speech, and its effect on the balance of power between the two largest fanbases on campus – a worst case scenario that risks a repeat of the 'Daebak' incident. Additionally, although Rose's speech seemed harmless on the surface, it was basically a slap in the face and a de facto declaration of war against the AGs if one was to look at the substance of the speech.
Not only did Rose reveal and confirm the rumors about the infighting within the AGs, but she had also substantiated it and accepted the members who broke ranks with Heidi and the AGs – a move that would definitely provoke an equally proportionate, if not a more aggressive response from Heidi and the AGs. The unexpected shift in the balance of power only serves to strengthen and validate the argument made by the Commandant and the Vice Chancellor for assigning the Nirvana team as Aiden's personal guards.
Cadet-Captain Francisco was starting to feel the pressure, first with the Nirvana team, and now the victory speech – two different problems that shares a common source. Although worried about the repercussion of Rose's SNAFU moment, she had a more immediate and pressing problem at hand – ensuring that she safely escorts the Nirvana team back to the ROTC quarter before the students get out of class.
"We need to move, now!" Cadet-Captain Francisco ordered as she dashed out of the Student Center.
"What was that news all about?" Cadet-Lieutenant Shin asked as they followed Cadet-Captain Francisco.
"I don't know, but it seems to have alarmed Cadet-Captain Francisco and the two NCOs" Cadet-Captain Kim responded still unaware that the speech they heard would have reverberating effects.
"At least we're getting our cardio in for today!" Cadet-Lieutenant Heo joked as they ran towards the quad.
When they got a view of the quad, Cadet-Captain Francisco was able to internally breathe a sigh of relief as the area was still devoid of students, a good sign since all they have to do now was to get to the other side of the quad to reach the relative safety of the ROTC Quarter.
This was short-lived however, as soon as they reached the quad's mid-point, throngs of students suddenly started exiting the buildings around the area – a nightmare scenario that Cadet-Captain Francisco was trying to avoid from happening.
"Damn it! We're too late!" Cadet-Captain Francisco cried as soon as she saw the students leaving the buildings, "We need to hurry, or we'll get surrounded!" she continued as Cadet-Sergeants Trinidad and Cruz replied in unison, "Yes ma'am!".
Just as Cadet-Major Del Rosario predicted, when the students saw the Nirvana team, a chorus of squeals erupted around them, and phones were being aimed towards the Cadet-Captain Francisco's unit, taking pictures, and videos of Cadet-Captain Kim, Cadet-Lieutenant Shin, and Cadet-Lieutenant Heo, with some students livestreaming the encounter – a development that surprised and stunned the Nirvana team.
Almost immediately, Cadet-Captain Francisco, Cadet-Sergeants Trinidad and Cruz's phones suddenly started receiving a flood of notification from their phones, an ominous indication that the Nirvana team's existence had already began to spread on campus. Just as fast as the notifications were flooding in, more and more students were starting to congregate at their location.
"Cadet-Captain Francisco! Your orders ma'am!" Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad called out, his voice shaking as the number of students gathering around them started getting bigger by the second.
"Assume Triangle Formation! Protect the Nirvana team at all costs!" Cadet-Captain Francisco ordered as they moved into defensive formation.
"Ca-Cadet-Captain Francisco! Wha-what's happening!?" Cadet-Captain Kim stammered as the students started surrounding them, surprised, and puzzled as to why the students suddenly started squealing and pointing their phones at them.
"I don't know Cadet-Captain Kim, it would be a waste of time briefing you on something so irrelevant" Cadet-Captain Francisco wittingly responded, the Nirvana team's eyes widened upon the realization that this was the student culture that they were told earlier, but quickly dismissed as something irrelevant.
"Ma'am, your orders!" Cadet-Sergeant Cruz called out as their window of opportunity to break out the encirclement started closing.
"Tsk! Damn it all! Why now of all times!" Cadet-Captain Francisco cried in frustration as she scanned the encirclement, looking for a weak spot they can break through, "Opening at 11 o'clock!".
"Breakout on my command!" Cadet-Captain Francisco ordered before looking at the overwhelmed and confused Cadet-Captain Kim, "We're going to break through the encirclement, stay close!" she added as the latter nodded his head.
"Breakout now! Move! Move! Move!" Cadet-Captain Francisco ordered as her team broke through the weakest area of the student encirclement, keeping the Nirvana team inside their formation.
After escaping the encirclement, the students started running after them, intent on getting as many videos and pictures of the Nirvana team as they can – a hot new commodity that was sure to generate a large demand in the following days.
"Sh-shouldn't we call for reinforcements!?" Cadet-Lieutenant Heo asked, visibly shocked.
"Even if we called for reinforcements now, it would take time to mobilize a large enough detachment to handle the number of students after us, by then we would've already been overwhelmed" Cadet-Captain Francisco responded, "If I recall correctly, the Nirvana team has been assigned to far more difficult and complicated missions than this and can handle it without our help" she continued, using the Nirvana team's word back at them.
"Ah! Ssibal-saekki!" Cadet-Lieutenant Shin cussed as they zigzagged across the quad, trying to avoid the students bearing down on them, trying not get caught in another encirclement.
As they ran around the quad, a voice suddenly called out from the radio that Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad was carrying with him, "Cadet-Captain Francisco, come in! Over!".
"Ma'am! Incoming transmission from the radio!" Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad reported before handing his radio to Cadet-Captain Francisco.
"This is Cadet-Captain Francisco! Identify yourself, over!" Cadet-Captain Francisco responded.
"This is Aiden, I have eyes on you and your unit from the CGS3 building" Aiden radioed back to the surprise of everyone who heard the radio transmission, "Will guide you towards the ROTC Quarter, I've already contacted Cadet-Major Del Rosario, she'll be standing by with a detachment of Cadets by the gates, over".
"P-President Kobayashi!? Ho-how come you have a radio!? What are you doing in the CGS3 building!?" Cadet-Captain Francisco responded.
"I think you have bigger problems literally in front of you Cadet-Captain, over" Aiden responded.
"Apologies sir! Your orders!? Over!" Cadet-Captain Francisco radioed back.
"Keep going straight, you have a large group of students coming from your 11 o'clock and 3 o'clock, dodge and evade, then course correct, keep your formation tight, over!" Aiden instructed as he guided Cadet-Captain Francisco's group through the quad.
"After evading those students, there will be more coming from your 12 o'clock, break left and follow the paved walk way for at least 70 meters and then break right" Aiden continued as Cadet-Captain Francisco followed the directions over the radio.
After a few minutes of evasive maneuvers the gates of the ROTC Quarter finally came into view as well as the formation of the detachment that Aiden dispatched to assist them. As they got closer, a squad of ROTC cadets escorted Cadet-Captain Francisco's unit inside the ROTC Quarter, while the rest of the detachment quickly intercepted the students following them, halting their advance, and trying to control the situation.
"Good work on getting across the quad Cadet-Captain Francisco" Cadet-Amy Del Rosario greeted as she met them by the front gates, multiple columns of ROTC units marching outside the ROTC Quarter to help control the crowds of students.
"Ma'am! Wha-what just happened out there? Th-that was surprising and unexpected to say the least" Cadet-Captain Kim asked as he tried to catch his breath, visibly confused and shell-shocked by what just happened in the quad.
"I see that the Nirvana team survived as well" Cadet-Major Del Rosario scoffed as she placed her hands behind her back, "I assume that mini crash-course about one aspect of the Student Culture here at Mount Juliet has proved useful and insightful to you and your team?".
"I hope that was challenging enough for the Nirvana team" Cadet-Major Francisco added as her breathing started to normalize, "That was almost suicide to say the least".
"Did you know this was going to happen, ma'am?" Cadet-Captain Kim asked.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to it, but then again, you were going to have to go through this baptism by fire sooner or later – better now than later" Cadet-Major Del Rosario replied before a Cadet holding a hand-held radio walked up to her.
"Ma'am! President Kobayashi for you" the Cadet reported before he handed the radio to Cadet-Major Del Rosario, the mention of the Student Council President's name caught the attention of the Nirvana team.
"President Kobayashi" Cadet-Major Del Rosario said over the radio.
"I don't know who those three ROTC officers are, but they're making waves throughout the university. Not only did they cause such a commotion this early in the morning, but they unnecessarily risked Cadet-Captain Francisco and two other cadets' safety by irresponsibly walking out in the open like that" Aiden coldly said, the speaker on the radio was loud enough for the Nirvana team to hear as well as the other Cadets who were in close proximity to Cadet-Major Del Rosario.
"Apologies President Kobayashi, they are the newest addition to my unit and haven't been fully briefed about the student culture here on campus. I will take full responsibility for what happened in the quad" Cadet-Major Del Rosario radioed back.
"Make sure those three ROTC officers are fully briefed about the student culture here and impress on them the risk they are putting themselves into, and the people around them by walking casually around the university like that, especially during the change of classes" Aiden radioed back, his voice frustrated.
"I'll personally make sure that they are fully briefed on the Student Culture here President Kobayashi" Cadet-Major Del Rosario radioed back as she looked at the Nirvana team, her eyes squinted.
"Make sure you do, I will not allow any liabilities within the ranks of the 1st and 2nd ROTC Companies! Your unit plays an important role here at the university, and I expect them to be fully prepared when called at a moment's notice, do I make myself abundantly clear?" Aiden instructed, his tone of voice even colder.
"Crystal clear, sir. We'll begin a full debriefing as soon as possible, I'll have a report on your desk as soon as tomorrow morning" Cadet-Major Del Rosario responded.
"Make sure Cadet-Captain Francisco and the two other cadets are properly looked after. I won't be able to move from this spot since the area is still full of students, I'll meet with Grace, Moira, and Angela later to discuss the quad commotion and that victory speech mess that Rose Cristobal made" Aiden continued.
"Yes sir, what of the Mount Charlotte matter?" Cadet-Major Del Rosario asked.
"Leave that matter to Beatrice, for now I want you and Cadet-Captain Francisco to coordinate with the ROTC Intelligence Division and find out how much damage the victory speech debacle caused. Deploy all your assets as well, and find out the situation within the AGs, I'll have Beatrice do the same on our end. Also, place the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ROTC Companies on standby – just in case", Aiden further instructed.
"Understood sir, Cadet-Major Del Rosario over and out" Cadet-Major Del Rosario said as she ended the transmission before returning the radio to the cadet.
"Cadet-Captain Francisco, once you've rested I need you to deploy our remaining assets and gather as much intelligence on what's happening within the AGs. After that head to ROTC HQ and coordinate with Cadet-Major Del Mundo and get a clearer picture of the situation" Cadet-Major Del Rosario ordered.
"Cadet-Sergeant Cruz, and Cadet-Sergeant Trinidad, both of you will be on stand-by at the barracks until further notice" Cadet-Major Del Rosario added before turning her attention to the Nirvana team.
"As for the Nirvana team, you are hereby relieved from further field operations for the rest of the day and are ordered to remain at the 1st and 2nd ROTC Companies' barracks for a detailed briefing on the Student Culture here at the university" Cadet-Major Del Rosario ordered.
"With all due respect ma'am, our orders are to protect President Kobayashi" Cadet-Captain Kim countered.
"Protect President Kobayashi? Not after that performance out there in the quad you won't. Not only did you risk starting a riot, but you placed three of my cadets in an unnecessary risk!" Cadet-Major Del Rosario said in a frustrated tone as the cadets around them looked at the Nirvana team with disdain.
"At this rate your team would probably send the Student Council President to the hospital faster than before you got here! Fine soldiers you are bested by President Kobayashi's 'Civilian' Praetorian Guards" Cadet-Major Del Rosario sternly berated the Nirvana team, the cockiness and confidence that they had earlier completely disappearing.
"I guess we greatly overestimated our abilities. We were trained to be effective and efficient in eliminating enemy combatants, not handling a large group of unarmed students. We also did not expect that hordes of students would come barreling towards us out of nowhere" Cadet-Captain Kim admitted.
"It was a mistake on our part for not listening to our superior officer, and almost risked the safety of our fellow officer and cadets, and for that we deeply apologize" Cadet-Captain Kim added as he bowed his head and apologized, Cadet-Lieutenant Shin, and Cadet-Lieutenant Heo doing the same.
"Not only did you cause such a commotion early in the morning, you also just inadvertently added to the things the President Kobayashi and the Student Council needed to fix" Cadet-Major Del Rosario added.
"What do you mean ma'am?" Cadet-Captain Kim asked as Cadet-Lieutenant Shin and Cadet-Lieutenant Heo looked at each other before looking at Cadet-Major Del Rosario.
"They'll probably have to do some major damage control for the commotion that the Nirvana team caused, in addition to the unexpected development that just happened – which has the entire ROTC Intelligence Division scrambling for any actionable intelligence" Cadet-Major Del Rosario explained.
"Are you talking about that breaking news earlier?" Cadet-Captain Kim asked as Cadet-Major Del Rosario raised a brow in response, "We were confused as to why it seemed like a huge deal for Cadet-Captain Francisco after watching it, and it looks like something that the ROTC in general is concerned about".
After hearing what Cadet-Captain Kim said, Cadet-Major Del Rosario looked at Cadet-Captain Francisco who had a guilty expression on her face, "I may have contributed to us being caught in the quad. I happen to saw the breaking news report while we were at the Student Center's lobby and got distracted by it" Cadet-Captain Francisco admitted.
Cadet-Major Del Rosario sighed after hearing what Cadet-Captain Francisco had to say before turning her attention to the Nirvana team, "I guess that was a blessing in disguise – to say the least. That unexpected delay enabled us to at least have the Nirvana team experience being rushed by the students, though I still feel uneasy burdening President Kobayashi with this. But all of it is done and over with".
"In any case, you all have your orders. I'll stay behind and oversee the mop-up operations here and head to ROTC Headquarters later. I'll send someone from the 1st ROTC Company Intelligence detachment to supervise the Nirvana team's debriefing. I'll also try and expedite the approval of your credentials so you can access the ROTC Archives and Database, which could prove useful in giving you more insight about the university and then some" Cadet-Major Del Rosario added as she gave a salute before excusing herself.
After Cadet-Major Del Rosario took her leave, she immediately left for the quad to personally command the ROTC companies that were trying to control and contain the overly excited students who managed to get a good look at the Nirvana team, particularly Cadet-Captain Kim. Although Aiden only deployed the 1st through 4th ROTC Companies, ROTC HQ also deployed the 5th – 12th in order to quickly get the situation under control and prevent any possible breach on the ROTC Quarter, or the situation escalating.
As Cadet-Major Del Rosario cleaned up the Nirvana team's mess, Cadet-Captain Francisco deployed her reserve assets before heading to the ROTC Intelligence Division to get more information on the unraveling situation in response to the speech. When Cadet-Captain Francisco arrived at ROTC Headquarters she was greeted by cadets that were frantically running around, the commotion and chaos inside the building was completely different to the quiet and calm atmosphere when they visited earlier.
The scene was even more chaotic and frantic inside the Intelligence Division's situation center, where Cadet-Major Del Mundo was trying to gather as much information as she can, deploying all their assets and HUMINT embedded within the AGs and MGs to get a good grasp of the situation – particularly with the AGs and Heide Enriquez who was in the receiving end of Rose's subtle jab.
The whole affair has pushed the ROTC closer to the edge especially the Intelligence Division, the memory of the 'Daebak' Incident, albeit something that happened three years ago, was still fresh in their minds. That incident was a humiliating reminder, and the apex of the MJU ROTC's failure to protect the student body, and the university – the two pillars that they swore an oath to protect and defend. The aftermath of the incident resulted in major reforms within the MJU ROTC, which included the creation of the MJU ROTC Intelligence Division – the body mandated to root out and prevent future university-wide unrests.
Cadet-Sergeants Cruz and Trinidad returned to their barracks as ordered and tried to relax after being caught up on what the cadets call a "Flash Rush". A situation wherein students who are considered Hotlist material are suddenly, immediately, and without warning rushed by a large number of students, which often results in minor injuries and hoarse voices due to excessive screaming and squealing. There was only one student who was able to conjure up a "Flash Rush" that was large enough that necessitated the deployment of the entire MJU ROTC Brigade, including their reserves – Aiden Kobayashi. The scale and scope of the "AK Flash Rush" made the "Flash Rush" created by the Nirvana team miniscule in comparison.
The Nirvana team meanwhile was made to wait in the 1st and 2nd ROTC Companies' Barracks for their full debriefing of the university, student body, and student culture in Mount Juliet, a subject that the Nirvana team earlier dismissed as irrelevant – which resulted in an embarrassing and humiliating experience.
Later that afternoon, the situation in the university has completely normalized. The incident at the quad, the speech, as well as Nirvana team had been making headlines in the news cycle as well as the dominating topic in social media as well. Although the situation has been considered normalized, the ROTC remained in stand-by alert in case something else happened – a decision that the Intelligence Division supports.
The situation that happened earlier in the day has two different sides to it. The first is the perspective of the student body who sees the rush as something normal and a very unique part of the student culture of the university, and the speech as something that came out as a result of Rose Cristobal's election as the MGs very first leader – events that they all consider harmless, and normal by their standards.
The second is the perspective of the ROTC who saw the large rush at the quad as a threat to student safety and an event that could've easily escalated and spiraled out of control, putting the students that were part of the rush in harm's way, as well as other students, faculty, and staff. The speech, although dismissed as harmless by the majority of the students, was immediately flagged by ROTC Intelligence as an escalation of tensions between the dominant AGs and the neophyte MGs, something that has been brewing since the latter's formation, and made worse by the speech.
Ever since the creation of the ROTC Intelligence Division, they've always focused their full attention and resources on the largest and most influential organizations and groups on campus, keeping their close eye on the small changes happening on the status quo, ensuring that any changes do not directly translate to any disruptions or unrest within the students. The rise of the AGs was peaceful, although there were some grumblings and bitter feelings from other fanbases in the university, there was no indicators that it would lead to another university-wide unrest.
The rise and expansion of the MGs, however, was abrupt, which that in itself would only gain the attention of the Intelligence Division. The speech, however, changed everything. Whether it was an unintentional and honest mistake, or a calculated and strategic move was something the Cadet-Major Del Mundo and the entire Intelligence Division were trying to find out, as well as the possible reaction or moves that the AGs and particularly Heide Enriquez, would make – the reason for the frantic and chaotic scene that was happening at the Intelligence Division's situation center when Cadet-Captain Francisco walked in earlier.
One thing that helped normalize the situation was the fact that the AGs and Heidi hasn't responded to the victory speech and has been radio silent since it was reported to the university. In addition, there were no reports from any of the assets and HUMINT sources of the ROTC indicating that the AGs were going to responded, at least that's what they have concluded from the group's silence.
At around 15:30, Aiden was making his way to the Humanities Building to visit the only other person he knows that have extensive knowledge and expertise regarding BL, Yaoi, and the largest bloc that makes up the MGs – the FujoDanshi Community.
Although Cadet-Captain Francisco was very thorough on both her reports and explanation, Aiden needed to get a second opinion, and thought of visiting the Japanese Club and confer with his Vice President Jazz Salazar, who has a deeper understanding of Japanese Pop Culture than anyone else he knows on campus. Although Aiden also has familiarity with the Japanese Culture it doesn't fully extend to other genres and areas – hence his surprise when he heard about BL and Yaoi.
When Aiden entered the Humanities Building there were a few students who were hanging out in the lobby and roaming the hallways, this didn't bother Aiden since he knows he can manage a few students with his death stares and not worry about being rushed or approached. Even though none dared approach Aiden as he walked by, they did stare and took pictures, and videos of him as he passed by.
Inside the Japanese Club room, Jazz Salazar and Fujiyoshi Sakamoto were working on club activities for their next meeting, as well as planning for other activities for the rest of the semester. The other officers were working on making flyers and props for their next club meeting, while the other club members were just hanging out, chattering amongst themselves, watching videos, Anime, and J-Dramas as the flat screen television hanging on the wall acted as background noise as everyone did their own thing.
Suddenly, there were scattered squeals outside the hallway, which Jazz and Fujiyoshi quickly noticed since they were seated at the professor's table in front of the classroom, which was closest to the door. As the squeals got louder, other members of the club started looking towards the door, Jazz already had a feeling who was coming, and before she could even react, the door suddenly opened, the muffled screams then became louder as Aiden entered the room.
"Kobayashi-Kaichou! (President Kobayashi!)" Fujiyoshi suddenly exclaimed as Jazz quickly stood up.
"Kiritsu! (Stand!)" Jazz suddenly called out as everyone in the room stood up.
"Rei! (Bow!)" Jazz continued as everyone bowed and greeted in unison "Konnichiwa Kobayashi-Kaichou! (Good Afternoon President Kobayashi!)"
"Chakuseki! (Take your seats)" Jazz added as everyone sat down in unison.
"Ohisashiburi desu, Kobayashi-Kaichou (It's been a while President Kobayashi)" Fujiyoshi bowed again.
"Sou desu ne. Fujiyoshi-kun, genki? (It has been. How are you doing Fujiyoshi?)" Aiden asked, his face stoic.
"Ha-hai! Genki desu! Arigatou gozaimasu! (Ye-yes! I'm doing good! Thank you very much!)" Fujiyoshi stammered, visibly intimidated by Aiden's presence.
"Nani sono kao? Ochitsuke, Fujiyoshi-kun (What's with that face Fujiyoshi? You need to calm down)" Aiden replied after noticing his facial expression.
"Hai! Moushiwakearimasen, Kobayashi-Kaichou! (Yes! I'm sorry President Kobayashi!)" Fujiyoshi quickly apologized as Aiden gave a sigh.
"Ma-ii, jitsu wa Fukukaichou to hanashitain da (Oh well. I actually wanted to talk with the Vice President)" Aiden said as he looked at Jazz.
"Me? What is it about?" Jazz asked in a puzzled tone.
"You've been in the J-Pop and Anime Fandom for quite some time now, so you already have an established credibility and expertise on the subject" Aiden replied as Jazz tilted her head a little bit to the side.
"What of it, President Kobayashi?" Jazz asked, curious as to what Aiden wanted to ask her.
"What can you tell me about Yaoi, BL, and the FujoDanshi Community here at MJU?" Aiden asked with a straight face as Jazz placed her hand over her mouth; Fujiyoshi could only react with a loud "Ehhh!?" while the other Japanese Club members' faces started blushing as scattered squeals and gasps filled the room.
"I'm guessing with everyone's reaction that all of you are familiar with it?" Aiden said as he shifted his eyes towards the club members.
"I-I didn't think you would be interested in that kind of fandom, President Kobayashi" Jazz stammered, taken completely by surprise with the question she was presented with.
"Aho! (Idiot!)" Aiden quickly exclaimed, his face lightly blushing. Fujiyoshi quickly turned around to hide his laughter, not wanting to laugh in front of Aiden – his face red, tears forming in his eyes.
"I'm asking because this is something that relates to a matter that the Student Council is looking into" Aiden revealed, his eyes shifting towards Fujiyoshi who's back was facing him, his shoulders shuddering, still laughing at his reaction.
"I'm guessing this has something to do with Rose Cristobal and the other members of the MGs?" Jazz said, as Aiden lightly scoffed.
"I figured you'd catch on fairly quickly. Yes, this is a matter that involves Rose and the largest voting bloc of the MGs. Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that the Fujoshi and Fudanshi Community has a large presence here at MJU as well" Aiden explained.
"I reckon this came from ROTC Intelligence?" Jazz lightly scoffed.
"Yes, it did. Are you implying that their information is incorrect?" Aiden asked seeing Jazz scoff.
"No, I'm just reveling at how frighteningly accurate their information gathering prowess is. I just didn't think that the FujoDanshi Community will be discovered like this" Jazz admitted as she gave a light chuckle.
"From what I heard they like being kept away from the spotlight, hence the reason this fandom has been underground all this time" Aiden replied.
"I wouldn't say the fandom is still underground, those idiots and bandwagons from the Thai BL Fandom, most especially the '2getherists' made sure that the BL/Yaoi Fandom was brought under the spotlight – though this was over two years ago during the initial stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic" Jazz explained, the exasperation from her voice was evident, but seemed like it was supported by the members of the Japanese Club that were present since they all nodded their heads in agreement with her rant.
"ROTC Intelligence did say that the Thai BL Fandom has played a major role in the uptick of people being exposed to the BL/Yaoi Fandom during the COVID-19 Era lockdowns – that corroborates their intelligence" Aiden said as he softly pinched his chin with his thumb and index finger.
"I feel like there's some kind of animosity in your statement, care to explain why?" Aiden continued.
"I guess ROTC Intelligence hasn't gotten that far yet" Jazz chuckled as the other club members looked at her, waiting to see how much she would reveal.
"Actually" Jazz began as she looked at Aiden straight in the eyes, "An animosity does exist, and there's a perfectly good reason why everyone is mum about it".
"The current situation between the Old Guards or the Senpais, and the COVID-19 Era fans of the BL/Yaoi Fandom is uncannily similar to the tensions between the Old Guards and the ARMY's of the K-Pop Club which resulted in the 'Daebak' Incident three years ago" Jazz revealed.
"Oh for fuck's sake" Aiden whispered as he closed his eyes before shaking his head.
"How long did you think you can hide those tensions with these '2getherists'?" Aiden continued.
"Goshinpainaku Kaichou (Don't worry Mr. President), every single member of the FujoDanshi Community is aware of 'that' incident and has exercised maximum restraint in interacting with the COVID-19 Era fans. Although they are small in numbers here at MJU compared to the old guards, we understand that there's a risk that it could spiral out of control and lead to another 'Daebak' Incident. We cannot allow ourselves to repeat the mistakes of the past and end up tarnishing your reputation and staining your legacy since you're both our club President and Student Council President" Jazz explained as everyone in the room nodded in agreement, Fujiyoshi though, was lost at what the 'Daebak' Incident was.
"I appreciate that, truly I do. The last thing the Student Council needs is for the FujoDanshi Community to follow in the footsteps of the AGs and MGs" Aiden responded as Jazz reassured him.
"In any case, I've also been informed that the FujoDanshi Community are harmless, albeit have a tribalistic mindset and borders a cult-like personality – would you consider that as accurate?" Aiden continued
"I admit that the FujoDanshi Community have a tribalistic mindset, but I wouldn't go as far as labelling us as having a cult-like personality. Quite honestly, I'm personally offended by that" Jazz chuckled.
"Wait! Are you.. Are you a Fujoshi!?" Aiden exclaimed.
"Huh? I thought you knew. I guess I forgot to mentioned that before" Jazz laughed.
"Mostly everyone here at the Japanese Club is a member of the FujoDanshi Community, I guess except for Fujiyoshi, and some of the Freshies who only watches Anime. The Korean Club also has members who are part of the FujoDanshi Community, as well as the other culture clubs here on campus" Jazz continued.
"To think that I've been acquainted with a Fujoshi all this time, and not even realized it" Aiden commented before giving out a deep sigh.
"We do live double lives and tend to act 'Normal' around other people but show our true colors in front of our fellow Fujoshi and Fudanshi" Jazz explained.
"I'm guessing you all have second accounts on social media as well?" Aiden asked as he looked at Jazz, the question shocked everyone in the room.
"More or less" Jazz added as she gave an awkward laughter, "Did ROTC Intelligence mention this as well?"
"Yes, although the report given to me was very thorough and detailed, I wanted to ask you as well so I can get a second opinion and corroborate their intelligence before I can make any plans or decisions in regard to this whole affair" Aiden sighed.
"It seems like their report was extremely accurate, If I say so myself, whoever gave you this report is either extremely knowledgeable or they themselves are a Fujoshi or Fudanshi" Jazz responded as Cadet-Captain Francisco, who was at a meeting with Cadet-Major Del Mundo suddenly sneezed.
"I hope it's the former, and not the latter, it would be a pain in the ass if it was the latter" Aiden scoffed.
"It would be interesting if it was the latter though" Jazz joked as Aiden pursed his lips.
"In any case, what did you want to learn about BL and Yaoi? I can give you recommendations" Jazz teased as Aiden squinted his eyes and stared at her.
"Fo-for research purposes only of course!" Jazz stammered as she awkwardly smiled.
"If you put it that way" Aiden relented, "By any chance have you ever heard of 'TharnType' or something" he continued as everyone reacted in horror, except for Fujiyoshi.
"What? Am I wrong? I was under the impression that it was a BL series or something" Aiden said, blithely unaware that "TharnType" is considered as one of the explicit BL live series known to the BL/Yaoi Fandom, almost a level short of the infamous "Boku no Pico" and "The Orc Bride".
Jazz cleared her throat, her face blushing, "You're not wrong about TharnType being a BL series, however, that's considered as an advanced level BL series, that is more or less only appropriate for those who are already considered as masters of the genre per say" she continued as Aiden's face lightly blushed.
"I was going to recommend something for beginners, which are light and easy to swallow, no pun intended. "Cherry Magic!", "Kieta Hatsukoi", "Ossan's Love", "Love Stage!", "Junjou Romantica", "Yuri! On Ice", "Super Lovers!", "No. 06", "Love Sick the Series", "2Moons", "SOTUS", and "Love by Chance", to name a few that are highly recommended and have great reviews" Jazz enumerated.
"You may have to email me all of those, I'll find time to squeeze these in on my schedule. Hopefully with these 'Research Materials' that you've provided, I can get an inside view of how this fandom works and learn more about it. We'll never know, maybe one day, a situation might come up that would require us to confront the FujoDanshi Community" Aiden replied, his face still warm from his embarrassing slip-up.
"How do you even know what TharnType is? That's something only people deep in the BL/Yaoi Fandom would know, or if someone from said fandom recommended it to someone else. You don't seem to have prior knowledge of this world before receiving intelligence from the ROTC" Jazz reluctantly asked, curious to know why Aiden would know something like that.
"I just so happen to stumble upon it one day. I didn't think too much of it until this business with BL, Yaoi, and the FujoDanshi Community crossed paths with the Student Council" Aiden revealed, remembering that time he accidentally stumbled upon it in Moira's office computer, and was caught by Min at the worst possible scene of the series.
"Whoever was watching that is clearly a Fudanshi or a Fujoshi" Jazz surmised as the image of Moira and Angela flashed in Aiden's mind.
"Clearly that's the-" Aiden was about to responded when he was interrupted.
"Kobayashi-Kaichou! Salazar-Fukukaichou! (President Kobayashi! Vice President Salazar!)" a club member suddenly called out, her face looked horrified.
"Doushita no? (What's wrong?)" Jazz asked as she, Aiden, and Fujiyoshi looked at the club member.
"Sore! (That!)" the club member replied as she pointed at the flat screen television.
Aiden, Jazz, and Fujiyoshi immediately walked towards the others and looked at what she was pointing at, it was another breaking news from WNN. The news crawler at the bottom of the screen came as a shock to Aiden which reads: "Surprise news conference called by AG leader Heide Enriquez starts soon!".
"Good Afternoon MJU Wolves! This is Shirley Lee for another breaking news! Aiden's Guardians Leader, Heide Enriquez has suddenly called for a surprise news conference to give an important announcement, we already have a team standing by at the AGs headquarters awaiting for the start of the news conference" Shirley announced as Aiden's phone was bombarded by messages from members of the Student Council.
"Sources on the ground say that this sudden news conference is a response to the victory speech by Min's Guardians leader Rose Cristobal gave last ni-" Shirley announced before being interrupted by the News Director who was communicating via her earpiece.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, but we've just received word that the press conference that the AGs have called is about to begin. Let's switch over to our team's feed that is covering the press conference" Shirley said as the screen switched over to the camera covering the event.
As the live broadcast of the venue started airing on screen, Heide Enriquez flanked by other high-ranking members of the AGs walked towards the podium as flashes of cameras started going off. When she took the podium, the camera zoomed in closer to her face as she began her announcement.
"Our assets and the Intelligence Division never said anything about this!" Aiden thought as he watched.
"Good Afternoon MJU Wolves, members of the student press. I have called all of you here today to make a very important announcement in regard to the rumors going around campus about the infighting within our organization, and the future of the Aiden's Guardians" Heide announced as the reporters on the venue leaned towards the podium, and more camera flashes started going off.
"What the hell does Heide thinks she's doing? She's making the situation worse by responding to Rose!" Aiden whispered to himself as he nervously watched the news conference.
At the same time, Cadet-Major Del Mundo, Cadet-Captain Francisco, and the entire ROTC Intelligence Division were watching the press conference on a large screen television in the situation center, caught completely off guard by the sudden development that was happening, since there were no reports or even indications that something like this was going to happen. There was a complete silence in the room as everyone nervously and anxiously awaited where the direction of the announcement was headed.
The Student Council members, who were all gathered in the Student Council room per Aiden's request, were also watching the press conference with nervousness and anxiety. Cadet-Major Del Rosario, Grace, Moira, Angela, Katrina, and Aaron were on edge, knowing this could have reverberating consequences.
"Earlier this morning WNN broadcasted Rose Cristobal's victory speech after her landslide election as the MGs first leader last night. In her speech, she alluded to the rumors that there was infighting within our organization, and that disgruntled members who left the AGs have joined their ranks. While this is a turn of events that is nothing short of humiliating. I can confirm that there was indeed an infighting within our ranks which started right after International Student Representative Thapthim Nontanakorn, the stan of the MGs deliberately stole a kiss from our beloved stan and Student Council President, Aiden Kobayashi" Heide continued as the reporters started clamoring.
"The infighting that happened within our ranks is the fault of the International Student Representative, and by proxy the entirety of the MGs as well. Their open support for the individual who openly violated Aiden Kobayashi is an affront not only to our organization, but also the entire student body as well! The inaccurate and offensive label placed on me as draconian is ignorant at best, and their inclusion of the disgruntled former members of our organization to the MGs who have been spouting lies and smearing the reputation of our organization is an insult to our proud and loyal members" Heide continued as Aiden in a subtle way, the Student Council, and the ROTC Intelligence Division all reacted with horror by the unusually aggressive and forcefulness of Heide's response – a worst-case scenario gamed out by the Intelligence Division, but was considered as the least probable course of action that Heide could take.
"Furthermore, this thinly veiled attacks and insinuations against our organization by Rose Cristobal and the MGs is irresponsible and immature, and we demand an immediate public apology from her. In addition, to counter the lies that has been thrown at us, and to prove that the rumors of my leadership as being draconian is inaccurate, I have signed an executive order earlier this afternoon immediately rescinding and nullifying Initiative 66, otherwise known as the "Collective Will" rule. From this point on all members of the AGs will be able to freely interact or approach Aiden Kobayashi. In the next few hours, the AGs will also be announcing a candidate that we will be officially shipping for Aiden to counter the MinAiden ship. That's all I have for today, I won't be taking any questions, thank you everyone and have a good afternoon" Heide finally concluded before leaving the podium as the reporters simultaneously clamored, and flashes of cameras started going off again. The Student Council members were in shock, and the ROTC Intelligence Division gasped in horror at the announcement of the rescindment of the "Collective Will" rule.
"Has she completely lost her mind!?" Aiden cried, his hands fisted as Shirley Lee was shown on-screen again commenting on the concluded press conference. Almost immediately, everyone's phones started receiving notifications in reaction to the press conference, and scattered squeals can be heard from the hallway outside the classroom.
The ROTC Intelligence situation center once again descended into chaos as frantic cadets called the other ROTC departments to report the situation that just unfolded, the others frantically ran around the room issuing orders as Cadet-Captain Francisco hurriedly dashed out of the center. Cadet-Major Del Mundo immediately called Cadet-Colonel Belarmino to inform him of the situation and strongly recommended deploying all the active ROTC companies to handle the university-wide flash rush that was sure to follow.
In the Student Council room, Cadet-Major Del Rosario quickly grabbed one of the charging radios and radioed Cadet-Major Montanillo and quickly ordered him to put the 1st – 4th ROTC Companies on standby and prepare for the possibility of being deployed to protect Aiden from the now unshackled AGs and other students who watched the press conference. After issuing her orders, Cadet-Major Del Rosario quickly dashed out of the Student Council room to meet up with her unit back at the ROTC Quarter.
Grace for her part immediately ordered Aaron, Kobe, Christopher, and Sherwin to immediately escort Min back to the International House to ensure his safety after Heide painted a target on his back – an extremely irresponsible move which compromised the safety of two important members of the Student Council. The remaining members of the Student Council frantically tried to contact Aiden, but due to the sudden spike in traffic, both cellular signal and WiFi connectivity drastically slowed down to the point of being useless.
Meanwhile, inside the 1st and 2nd ROTC Companies' Barracks, the Nirvana team were still receiving their briefing from Cadet-Lieutenant Gino Anasarias, a member of the 1st ROTC Intelligence Detachment, who reports directly to Cadet-Captain Francisco.
"So, the rush that happened earlier in the quad is a normal occurrence here at the university, it's almost akin to what you see in Anime series, like Code Geass S2. Ep. 12, or from Hana Yori Dango, which is also known as Boy's Over Flowers in South Korea" Cadet-Lieutenant Anasarias explained.
"It may be normal to the students here, but the ROTC sees these events as a safety and security issue, albeit not a serious one that would require direct intervention from the administration – a rare occurrence. The ROTC Intelligence Division has six different designations for the different rushes that happens here: White, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, and Black" Cadet-Lieutenant Anasarias continued.
"White and Green are isolated rushes which involves 20 or less students, normally no ROTC deployments are required; Yellow are rushes which involves 20 or more students, this usually results in the deployment of four to five ROTC squads; Orange is usually called when a member of the Student Council is involved, and there at least 30 or less students, this results in the deployment of an entire company or even more depending on which member of the Student Council is involved; Red are rushes which involves 30 or more students, or if multiple members of the Student Council is involved or both, this results in the deployment of four to eight companies depending on the number of students; Black is rarely used, and usually involves 500 or more students, the entire university, imminent danger to any members of the Student Council, or a combination of all three, in this case all active ROTC personnel are deployed, depending on the severity of the situation, the reserves may also be called upon to help maintain order, and ensure the safety of the students, faculty, and staff of the university" Cadet-Lieutenant Anasarias explained before Cadet-Captain Francisco suddenly barged into the room, wearing an Improved Outer Tactical Vest, and combat gloves.
"Ma'am!" Cadet-Lieutenant Anasarias exclaimed as he rendered a salute.
"You can end the Nirvana teams' debriefing here Cadet-Lieutenant, we're on Rush Level Black, rejoin your unit and prepare for possible deployment!" Cadet-Captain Francisco said just before the ROTC Quarter klaxon started blaring, as the cadets outside and inside the barracks started scrambling.
"Nirvana team with me! The 1st – 4th ROTC Companies and the rest of the other ROTC companies are assembling at the rally point now! We have to get ready in case we get deployed as a spearhead unit, this will be as real as it would get, and I'm going to tell you now, this will be unlike what you've encountered earlier this morning" Cadet-Captain Francisco explained before everyone ran out of the room.