Few months after the Cubic Meter and Mharc met Aki, they were now in College.
The five of them were still in the same University and still go to school together. They decided as friends to take the same course so they wouldn't be separated, afterall they also have the same interest which was arts.
Of the five, Mharc was the only one who was often separated from the group. She took a course related to cooking. While Aki, Matthew, M, and Mario took a course related to music.
Mharc will only be their classmate in their minor subjects because they have the right to choose the class they want to enter.
Aki suddenly went very close to M when they met the new cleaner of their University. "Riri…" Aki couldn't help but call his name whenever they unexpectedly met her father.
That's right! Rhazen was the new janitor at the Music and Performing Arts building of the College of Arts at Maburac University.
Even though they have met Rhazen repeatedly and unexpectedly, these two still can't get rid of the feeling of nervousness every time they see the man.
Aki was worried that one day her father would suddenly bring her home to Vandeshna. While M was worried that there might be something he doesn't like about his treatment of his daughter. Add to that Rhazen's terrifying presence and the fact that he was so powerful. Another addition to his anxiety was that Mharc might discover something about them. This was he avoids the most from happening, getting his only sister involved.
But the intensity of the fear they felt was different this time. It is because of the thought that they will surely meet more often in their activities here at the University.
It was also strange that their friends don't even recognize him even though they've seen him several times. Only M and Aki noticed and knew that the security guard at their gig last month was the same guy they passed on the corner a week ago, and he was also the new janitor at their university.
The five of them were currently walking together while talking about random things. They had just finished a minor subject which was why Mharc was with them.
"I really thought that the bed was just a display. M always sleeps on the floor, so I thought that was a trend or the norm here," Aki said, pouting her lips. Her left hand was clinging to Mharc's right arm. She glanced at M from time to time to give a mocking smile.
Matthew's thoughts were mixed with amazement about Aki's ignorance. "Trend? …the norm?!" he said, unable to digest Aki's words.
The youngest of the group, Mharc, burst out of laughter. "Is there even a trend like that? Trend of not using certain stuff?" said Mharc. Her left hand covered her mouth and her shoulders bounced up and down as she laughed.
"You're really hilarious, Aki!" Mario also burst out laughing. He was walking beside Aki while M and Matthew were behind them.
"What a dumbbell," commented M before turning to his other friends. "That's why the first few days, she also slept on the floor. She's really a dumbbell! I didn't sleep on the bed, and she didn't sleep on it either. You really thought the bed was just a room decoration?!" he said, now giving the girl a teasing grin.
"I didn't know!"
Aki's tone was that she was slowly losing her temper but her friends were still laughing at her.
"Why? Don't you have a bed in your house and you don't know?" Matthew teased.
"That's right! We sleep in clouds and smoke!" the girl whined, not thinking about what she was saying.
"Huh?"
"You're really weird, Aki!" Mario patted Aki's head while his little laughs continued to come out of his mouth.
"I-I mean..." Aki was so shocked that she couldn't say anything. Now she doesn't know how to get over this slip-up.
Fortunately, M managed to turn the result of Aki's rashness into a joke. "Sleeping in smoke? Are you always a blast and high, huh Aki?"
M was as surprised and as nervous as Aki was with what she just revealed. They just covered it up with jokes and laughter so that their friends wouldn't think about it seriously.
M slightly sped up his pace to catch up with his friends in front of him. He walked between Mario and Aki; He gently pulled the girl closer to him and whispered to her simply, "You really are dumbbell. It's a good thing these three are dumbbells as well. What if they noticed?!" He scolded Aki with a low but snarling voice.
"I didn't mean it. I was shocked too," Aki whispered in her defense.
"See? You're always denying your relationship status but you hold each other like a couple," Matthew commented to Aki and M who were now walking ahead of the gang. Unbeknownst to them, these two were arguing.
Whereas M was the focus of Mario's attention. "Aki's sleeping in your room from the very beginning. Why are you still denying that she's your girl?" It was a probing question.
"It's because Mharc doesn't allow me to sleep in her room."
Aki was the one who reasoned since M couldn't weave an answer. It was only now that he thought about his friend's point. Sleeping on the floor of his bedroom was no longer a problem for him, so he never mind sharing a room with Aki. They were used to such a situation and no one else opposed the idea before. Maybe that was the reason why until now they were still in that setup at home.
When it was time for their next class, Mharc separated from them.
Their classroom was noisy and chaotic. Everyone's surprise was such when someone suddenly hit the whiteboard three times to silence them and get their attention. But that's not what shocked Aki and M.
"Everyone, be seated! I am Miss Xeina Escudero and I'll be your professor in musc1033."
The fact that Aki's mother, Xeina, was their professor was what greatly shocked the whole being of the two youngsters.
"Our class schedule is twice a week. Every Monday is our lecture day, while every Friday is the performance day."
'I knew it! I was uneasy that Forci was often absent whenever Victo visited and this is the reason why. I was right that she was cooking something,' Aki said to herself.
Their class continued but M and Aki still couldn't believe, especially the latter, that one of her parents was their professor.
This was the most unexpected visit of Aki's parents to Mhortaeo. They will meet them more than once a week.
Their class had ended. But before Xeina completely left their classroom, she once again glanced at Aki as if she was saying 'I'm watching you' and then smiled sweetly at her daughter.
It was different with M. Everytime his friend's mother's gaze fell on him he felt like she was always warning him 'I'm watching you, try to do something bad to my daughter and you won't like what might happen to you.'
There was a chance that M was just thinking too much about this. But he couldn't help it to overthink because of those looks. He felt Aki's parents were threatening him every time they gave him that look.