Chapter 3: Chosen

Nine’s Point of View

The cold breeze touching my skin that gives me goosebumps, and here in the field near to the faculty of Music where Aya can be found, while waiting her I’m still wondering how I got chosen to be the Architects representative, like how?

“Architect Nine, would you answer this question please. How would you define success?” Professor Jedi ask me.

“Success is continuous, success isn’t the moment you achieve something but it’s the moment you finally found and chose something you love to do for the rest of your life.” I just give them how I really define success, no sugarcoating, nothing more and nothing less.

“What brings you here?” is she a girl or a mushroom? Showing up out of nowhere, well it’s her Faculty, but never mind.

“You, I guess” I just simply answer her, and smile.

“Hmp, Ahm by the way Nine, how’s the meeting?” she ask while she’s preparing to sit beside me.

“It was fine, so far so good, how about you? Did you got it?”

I didn’t receive any response but she lean her head in my shoulder, she just looking nowhere, maybe gathering her thoughts but I’m starting to get nervous, I know how she really wants to join this pageant.

“Are you okay?” this is a heartbreaking not just for her but also for me if she didn’t make it, you know failing to achieve what our heart wants break us into pieces, disappointments, discouragements and such is something you would really feel.

Though I trust the capacity, knowledge and beauty of the girl besides me I can’t still said it, because Faculty of Music also full of promising artist, they’re also hold exceptional beauty and undeniable genius mind.

“I made it” she shouted with a happy and excited voice

I’m quite shock, like this girl really playing mind games with me, the heck.

“Really?” while squishing her checks

“Yeah, it was quite hard to get it because Freya was there. Like, for god’s sake Freya competed national competition, she’s something that cause my shiver” she explained.

“That’s good, I know you really want it” I hold her hand with cheering voice

We stare each other for a quite while, maybe were just happy that we both made it, though it’s not my thing, it hers.

“Love or career? I would probably choose career over love cause I can’t call it love if it’s the cause of loosing one important thing in my life. Love is patient and understanding that must know that our world doesn’t revolve just the two of us. It’s reality, so be realistic.” Aya stating her winning answer

“That was a great point” look at her with full of amaze and admiration.

She’s indeed great, Aya is indeed smart with beauty, a typical full blooded Torres. As far as I know Aynna won Ambassadress in her time.

“Hey, Max called you but you seems busy and you’re not answering any calls” it’s Joong, out of nowhere just popping up. What’s wrong with the people right now, they’re killing me.

I check my phone if this guy really telling the truth, cause if not, he’s the one would going to die. He’ll bathe with his blood.

Upon checking my phone, I really had 18 miscalls and 5 text from Maxine

“Where are you?, Prof. Gao She wants us to present the project later at eight in the evening” the summary of all of her text.

“What the…” I cursed. This professor is strict and terror.

“Ya, can you go with out me, right, I can’t bring you home, I have urgent matter with my Architectural Interior subject.”

She just nodded and I go to our faculty building as fast as I can, I must not miss this project, this goddamn important.

When I’m near approaching in our room theirs Maxine, probably waiting for me.

“My god Nine, what are you doing?, come on, work.” She shouted

This is the first time that I heard Maxine shouting, she never did that. I understand, she may just pressured and exhausted by our rushed project of Prof. Gao She

I move, work all the things that we need, think and come up an idea as fast as we can, decide as effective as well as we can.

I know Professor Gao She expect a lot from our group, as well consist of Director Lister students, from Yhuan as our group leader, Maxine our assistant leader down to us members.

“Okay everyone, let’s check everything, presentation? Yhuan announce after of hours of cramming

“Done” Indra responded as she was the one assigned in that task

“How you two, you must be ready?” Yhuan point me and Maxine, as we’re the one who’ll be the presenter

“I’m quite ready Yhu” Maxine with trembling voice

“Maxine Torres quite ready is not enough” Yhuan’s voice ruling the whole room, like he’s the owner of that space.

“But, Yhu isn’t it a rushed project? we should understand it” Indra, sound nervous but she handles it so well, like talking back to Yhuan is not new to her anymore

“How about you?” Yhuan now facing me, showing his face like I’m his only chance to deliver this project, perfectly.

“I can handle it” I may tremble with nervous right now, but I’m more afraid of getting scolded. I hold Max’s hand for her to calm down and ease her.

Maxine looks cool in any time, but not like this situation, but trust me, she well make it, beyond your expectations and standards, knowing Maxine, mark my words.

“Okay, prepare yourselves, it’s almost eight, Prof Gao She is probably near here

At exactly 8pm, Prof Gao arrive, he command us to start our presentation.

“We come up this kind of project for us to distinguish and imply to the costumers the importance of having not just professional and license but also competent architect in a field”

“That’s good, It’s well presented, and it’s very impressive. Send me the files tomorrow so that I can give you good remarks for this. That’s all for tonight, dismiss”

“Yahoo” I heard my teams celebrating for the success of our presentation, though we crammed that project, we’re quite not prepared but Prof Gao impressed by it, knowing that he’s not just strict but also he is so hard to please and he has a very high standards when it comes to a project like this, plus the pressure of this team, like what I’ve said, our team composed of Director Lister students so we should atleast meet his expectations if we can’t exceed it. It so much reason for us to feel so much proud and happy.

“You did great Max, I know you won’t disappoint me” Yhuan smile at Maxine

“For all we know, you scolded Maxine earlier” Indra with her teasing voice.

Some of our block mates teasing Yhuan and Maxine, like they’re thing.

“Congrats, you nailed it” Oliver said while he’s beside me, he was quite the whole time but now a creep of smile ghost in his lips, and he’s now laughing because of the jokes of our leaders.

“Thank you, you’re also good, you’re the one who suggested the idea of our project, right?

“Yeah, but you guys polish it, making it perfect and impressed that terror Prof” stating it while looking at me intently.

I feel little awkwardness the way he look at me, but I guess it his way of looking someone.

Every one decided to go home, and finish the pending projects that we have from other subjects.

“Nine, hop in, I’ll drive you home” it’s Joong with his Ashton Martin car

“No need, I can go home with my own” I deny him,

“Where’s your car, why you walking, it’s dark here, it’s not safe at all”

“I left it, I came here with a bus, I’m not in a mood to drive early in the morning ,so that’s why, don’t worry I can manage it” I smile and continue walking, assuming that he will go and let me do what I want, but I guess I’m wrong because he start the engine of his car, it’s starting to move but it’s too slow, he’s driving with me

“Joong, you should go, it’s okay, I can manage my self”

“What ever happens to you in the middle of this dark road will be my responsibility, because I’m the last person that’s seen with you” he hissed

It’s already 11 in the evening, even though I’m not scared but the thought of wasting my time walking instead of reviewing my lesson is haunting me.

“Fine” agreeing to him, though we don’t have the same reason

“Are you okay? How’s your feeling? You’re still feel dizzy?”

He bombarded me questions upon entering to his car

“Okay chill, Joong, calm down, what question do you want me to answer first?” I chuckled, this guy feel so close with me, were not even friends yet, my friend is Maxine not you, but what’s with him, why is he acting like this.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I was just worried” I see in his eye that he’s really worried, really?

“First, I’m okay, I don’t feel any dizziness. Second, you should stop worrying, I’m not even your friend Joong, you just know me because of Maxine, and do I so”

He didn’t reply anything, he stay quite, and goddamn I feel so guilty saying it, he’s acting like I inflicted him so much pain, what’s with this guy.

“Okay, I’m sorry for what I’ve said—”

“No, I’m sorry, you’re right, and it’s very odd of me acting like this. I’m really sorry.” After he said that he smile, like he’s giving me the assurance that it’s really okay.

He stop the car, and “Its your house, right?” while looking in the window, maybe he’s making sure that he stop in the right place

I wander my eyes, and yeah, he’s right, I’m home, and it’s already 11:20 pm, that was pretty fast. I thank him for bringing me home, after that he left.

My phone beep, and I see Aya’s messages, it quite more that usual, but mostly of her text was just asking me if I’m home, few of her text was sent two hours ago, and some of her messages sent few minutes ago, and this new that I receive just now.

I reply to her text, and I suppose to review but dozed off to sleep.

Waking up in the my alarm, it’s five in the morning, but I fix my self and my study table to review, our class schedule is eight in the morning, so I have time to do what I’m I suppose to do.

“Nine, breakfast?” it’s Juancho, my older brother. He’s a Police inspector of this town, and he’s quite famous because he close a lot case in just span of one year.

“Later, I’ll just finish reading this notes” I reply

He said okay, and close the door of my room. We’re okay, we just don’t hang out like we usually do before, when we were young and I understand it, he’s busy with his profession, and I’m busy with school.

After reading tons of notes, I eat my breakfast, Juancho cook it for sure, of course, who else? Theirs no one else. Juancho and I was orphans, our parents die when I was young. My parents are victim of mistaken identity, that’s the reason why Juancho pursue what he have right now, he wants to bring justice for our parents, because up to this day, the suspect is nowhere to be found, that bastard is still free.

“I have some updates on mommy and daddy’s case” he started the conversation as we always do, every time he have some new news about the case. I nodded as response.

“We located the real owner of the car that the suspect used that night, they don’t recognize the car because the culprit change a lot in that car, down from the color to its engine, and some other parts, that’s why investigator had a hard time to address the car’s owner” he explained while I’m reading the files he gave me.

“Is that it?” without any sound of disappointment, I making sure of it

“Yeah, that bastard is so hard to find, but I won’t fucking stop, I will bring him to prison” he massage the bridge if his nose sign of him being stress.

“You seems so stressed about it, I know how badly you want to bring the justice, but you handle that few months ago, that case was closed before, you just opened it, but you’re acting like you handle it years ago, stop pressuring your self. You’re indeed impressive Policeman, you closed a lot of cases—” I didn’t finish what I’m trying to say cause he interrupted me

“That’s the reason why I’m more stress right now. Why I can solve and close others case while this one is so hard, this is way more that important to me than those cases that I handled” he raise his voice, I’m shock, he’s not like that.

“I’m helping you” I said with finality and now he was the one who’s shock

“What?, no!” he aggressively said

“I maybe in the architecture field right now, but maybe I can use it as my pre law course, am I right?”

“Are you sure you want to enter law school after Architecture? I mean, we have the means for that, but if it’s for the sake of the case, then don’t” I’ll handle it. And it will take you approximately seven years to be an Attorney” he explain like I’m not aware of it

“If you solve and close the case within two years, then I may change my mind entering law school, but if not, give me another four years so that two of us will put that bastard in prison for the rest of his life”