Near Miss (1/2)

"That family name be damned" Aiden said, wiping the blood dripping from his forehead as he stood back up, "I HATE YOU!" Aiden added before he started running towards the burning wreckage of the car.

"Maya! After him!" Carlos ordered as Maya placed her phone back in her pocket as she tried to run after the young boy. It proved difficult for Maya, given that she was wearing a business suit, and heels.

As Aiden ran past the burning wreckage of the car, Maya called out "Master—" before the car suddenly exploded, throwing her back a few feet from where she was, her ears ringing from the loud explosion, the blaze engulfing the young boy's silhouette as it disappeared from her view.

Maya tried to get up from the pavement as the sound of sirens started bellowing from the distance. She tried to get back up on her feet when a black car pulled up behind her and was quickly pulled inside the vehicle before speeding away from the burning wreckage.

As her senses came back to her, tears started rolling down her eyes, "The young master… I- I couldn't.." Maya cried, feeling the burden of guilt for not being able to save the young master from the same fate as his mother and younger brother suffered.

"Crying about it will not bring him back, nor will it bring back Yuriko and Itsuki!" Carlos coldly quipped as Maya continued crying, her clothes torn at different places from the explosion.

"He was just a few feet away from me, but.. I.. I couldn't save him" Maya responded, her voice cracking.

"There's nothing you can do for them now. You need to get a hold of yourself Maya!" Carlos coldly replied as they made their way back to the Labrador Group of Corporations' Headquarters.

All Maya could do at that time was to cry, bearing the mantle of guilt for not being able to save the last and only remaining heir to the Labrador Group of Corporations. The deaths of lady Yuriko, and the young masters were huge blows to Maya, as she was close to them like they were her own family.

The fact that she wasn't able to save at least one of them continued to haunt her since that fateful night, always carrying with her the feeling of survivor's guilt, and consumed by so many "What ifs" scenario. Although she was haunted by all of these, she has learned to not show these feelings and emotions when in front of Chairman Labrador, members of the Labrador Family, and at work.

It's been four days since the new members of the Student Council were sworn-in, and in the short amount of time since then, Aiden has already made progress on the most pressing issue that they were facing – the Student Congress. Ever since they delivered their demands via Grace, the Student Council hasn't been able to respond or react to it, given the nature and sensitivity of the situation.

The inclusion of Beatrice as the Attorney-General, emboldened Aiden to finally confront the opposition within the Student Congress. A day after being sworn-in, Beatrice, along with Grace and Moira, were dispatched by Aiden to defuse, contain, and control the situation. Per Aiden's instructions, Grace informed the opposition leaders that the Student Council was outright and vehemently rejecting their demands.

The opposition leaders were up-in-arms due to the Student Council's response, threatening Grace that the Legislative Branch would bring this matter to the Judicial Branch for adjudication. The matter almost went out of control until Beatrice intervened, giving a complete and detailed legal interpretation of the Student Government Constitution to the opposition leaders.

Beatrice turned the situation into the Student Council's favor after forcefully and wittingly explaining to the opposition leaders why they would lose any adjudication they request from the Judicial Branch as the demands they were asking from the Student Council were completely unconstitutional. Beatrice also added that their argument carries very little weight and have no chance of surviving the rigorous judicial review of the Student Courts, Student Court of Appeals, and the Student Supreme Court.

Beatrice's aggressive and expertly delivered interpretation of the Student Government Constitution to the opposition leaders effectively silenced them, forcing them to begrudgingly drop the demands they were forcing on the Student Council - wanting to prevent any kind embarrassment and humiliation that they might suffer from losing a Student Court fight with the Executive Branch.

Grace and Moira were left in awe after witnessing Beatrice single-handedly silencing the opposition leaders with her command and in-depth knowledge of the Student Government Constitution - a feat that left a huge impression on both Moira and Grace, given that Beatrice only transferred to Mount Juliet just over a week ago. The Student Council victory over the opposition from the Student Congress effectively ended any further opposition to the current standing of the Student Council, giving Aiden another small amount of reprieve he desperately needed.

Of course, Aiden's other appointees didn't disappoint either. Antoinette, the newly appointed Student Ambassador Attaché has been working diligently with the International Exchange Program to expedite the creation of Aiden's other brainchild – the Student Diplomatic Corps.

The Student Diplomatic Corps is a new program that would be administered by the International Exchange Program and managed by the Student Ambassador Attaché. The program calls for Mount Juliet to send their Student Ambassadors to their partner universities abroad to foster student-to-student relationship, promote the university, attract prospective international students, and stimulate the exchange of ideas, collaboration, and cooperation.

The program also calls for their partner universities to send their own Student Ambassadors to help promote their own universities and attract prospective international students from Mount Juliet. The Student Ambassadors from the partner universities would share the same duties, responsibilities, and functions as Mount Juliet's Student Ambassadors.

In the event that this program is launched, the Student Ambassadors from the partner universities who would be sent to Mount Juliet would be collectively known as the Student Diplomatic Corps, with the Dean of the Student Diplomatic Corps acting as the most senior ranking Student Ambassador, a title which will be held by the Student Ambassador from the university which Mount Juliet established its first partnership with. After a three-year period, the title of the Dean of the Student Diplomatic Corps would be held by the longest serving Student Ambassador in Mount Juliet.

Student Ambassadors from Mount Juliet's partner universities will be given special privileges not afforded to regular international students, such as an extension of their exchange program to a maximum of a six-year period, whereas the international students are only allowed a maximum of four. Other privileges afforded are invitation to the Chancellor and Student Council President's State of the University Address, university-wide events, yearly allowances, and discounts, among others.

The most important privilege that the Student Ambassadors will be receiving is diplomatic immunity, which would protect them from any kind of punishment for any violations to Mount Juliet's Student Code of Conduct. This protection will prevent them from being summoned to the Student Courts and being labeled as an outcast by any members of the Gang of Eight.

Although they are immune from being punished for minor violations, they are not exempt from punishment for major violations or any violations that would break local laws. Should this happen they will be labeled as "Persona non grata" and will immediately be expelled and returned to their home university, forever banned from returning to Mount Juliet. Any other punishment to the Student Ambassador in question will be handled by their home universities pending further investigation to the matter and degree of their violations.

Sherwin for his part has been closely working with Angela and Aaron to iron out and perfect the events that the Student Council have planned to organize and are planning to organize. It was also Sherwin that proposed changing the location of the joint announcement of the Student Council and Music Club in regard to the Battle of the Bands Festival from the regular briefing room to the Track and Field Stadium, which would give the joint announcement a somewhat more casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Sherwin's decision to move locations was also in part to give more focus on the event itself, as the location is where the Battle of the Bands have always been held in. The openness of the area meant that students are able to participate in the announcement and would not be entirely exclusive for the Student Press Corps, which has been the norm when it comes to major announcements from the Student Council.

These changes were met with positive feedbacks, especially from Angela who has always focused her attention on the optics that the Student Council will be projecting, and with this change, it would allow the Student Council to be seen as more inclusive and closer to the students that they serve.

Christopher on the other hand has been working closely with Moira since he would be taking over most of her clerical duties – typing the meeting minutes, preparations of meeting materials, organizing, and filing hard copies of the proposals and directives issued by the Student Council among others – to allow her to focus more on assisting Aiden with his responsibilities and other duties. He has also assisted and worked with Katrina and Kobe in dealing with the high volume of paperwork and documentations relating to the Student Council budget, which includes proposals, appropriations, receipts, invoices, spreadsheets, and expenses documentation.

Christopher also created a dedicated google drive which all the Student Council members have access to so that they could integrate and centralize any file sharing, as well as increase their accessibility especially in regard to proposal and documentations that needs review, feedback, inputs, and editing.

He also introduced an activities calendar for the Student Council which allows everyone to see any upcoming meetings, activities, and events that they would be doing or participating in. More importantly, he was given the task of managing and updating Aiden's calendar which lists all of his class schedule, engagements, meetings, and important events – a task he and Moira share.

Christopher was also assigned different tasks within the Student Council room, such as answering the phones from the control room, monitoring their office and kitchenette supplies, keeping the conference area clean and organized, running documents to different offices and departments in the university, scheduling meetings, and assisting other members of the Student Council with what they need.

The even distribution of responsibilities has allowed Aiden to somewhat lighten his load, ceding most of his clerical tasks to either Christopher or Moira. This allowed him to focus more on critical and important matters that needs his most immediate attention, like the Battle of the Bands Festival, the International Student Outing, the Student Diplomatic Corps, among others.

Additionally, with Beatrice as the Attorney-General, he was able to delegate the task of overseeing and managing all the "Student Council Intelligence Operatives" within the campus. In that regard, the Student Council finally confirmed and verified that the AGs had indeed splintered and that the splinter group re-aligned themselves with the MGs, confirming the speculations that have been floating around – an effort that was made possible by the efforts of the 1st ROTC Battalion's Intelligence Detachment, the Student Council's Intelligence Operatives and most importantly, Min.

Although the Student Council was able to gather information relating to the AGs splintering, there has still been no word nor reaction from Heidi Enriquez regarding the matter. Which left the entire student body in the dark about the issue, a situation that the Student Council agreed to maintain for now as to not cause any unwanted reactions from the students.

In addition to matters relating to his duties as Student Council President, Aiden has another matter that he still hasn't addressed – a personal matter. Aiden and Min haven't spoken ever since Mingyu and Ball's appearance at the Student Court, where Aiden was forced to slap Min in order to calm him down after his emotional outburst in the courtroom.

Although Aiden wanted to apologize to Min for his actions, he hasn't had the time to talk with him in private as he has been busy with reorganizing the priorities and agenda of the Student Council and dealing with the fallout from Min and Ball's case, after knowledge of it became known to the student body, particularly the Mingyunatics and the Hoopers - Ball's fanbase. Aiden also has this nagging feeling that Min was somewhat avoiding him ever since Mingyu and Ball's case was dismissed.

Although not as busy as he was, Aiden was still spending most of his time in his office when he's not in class or dealing with meetings and other matters. The difference now is that he can disappear off to one of his hiding places when he's not in class or his office, something he hasn't been able to do since the first week of classes, usually leaving mundane Student Council matters for Grace and Moira.

Being able to visit his hiding spots enabled Aiden to return to his own bubble, closing off everything around him, so he can momentarily forget his duties and responsibilities, even for a short time, giving him a chance to clear his mind, considering all the with back-to-back problems and crises he has to deal with.

Aiden was still sleeping when his phone started vibrating, the annoying sound of his phone hitting his wooden bedside table forced him to finally answer it. "H-hello?" Aiden said, his face still buried on his pillow, his voice sleepy and dry.

"Aiden, did I wake you up?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez asked. The question quickly irked Aiden but was quick to control himself before he says anything offensive or rude.

"No, I've been up all night actually – you're not bothering me at all" Aiden responded sarcastically as he reached for his lamp so he could check what time it was – 4:15 AM.

"I do apologize for waking you up this early, but I have a favor to ask. I also just received this request, and you're the only person that I could think off that could help out" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez apologized before explaining the reason for why he was receiving this unexpected call.

"Can't this wait until the sun is actually up? This is really an inconvenience, you know" Aiden grumbled and complained as he rolled to his side.

"I know, and once again, I apologize. But this matter involves your college" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez revealed, catching Aiden's full attention.

"What happened?" Aiden replied, quickly sitting on the side of his bed, "Is it an international student?"

"No, this doesn't involve any of the international students. It actually involves a group of sophomores from the Department of Business, Accountancy and Finance" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez explained.

"They are schedule for a field trip this morning, and some of their assigned chaperones got food poisoning last night. The professor in charge of the trip is desperate for volunteers to cover for the incapacitated chaperones. We found some assistant professors and students to cover, but they need another person" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez continued.

"This is where I come in, correct? This doesn't feel like volunteering, it feels like I'm being conscripted" Aiden replied, a bit hesitant to commit, "How long is this going to be for?"

"The field trip is schedule for most of the day" Vice Chancellor replied.

"You are aware that the Student Council has multiple important events today right? One of them is the joint announcement for the Battle of the Bands Festival" Aiden countered.

"I could delegate that to my officers, but it would cause some disruptions to our plans for the day" Aiden continued, a bit annoyed and irritated by the extremely last-minute request from the Vice Chancellor.

"Grace and Moira could handle that for you. Besides, with the expanded Student Council, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez replied.

"You put too much faith on my officers" Aiden begrudgingly responded.

"Do you not trust your officers? They're more than capable in my opinion" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said sensing a lack of faith from Aiden's reply.

"Don't get me wrong, all of them are more than capable. But I don't think we should overestimate and overly rely on them" Aiden explained.

"That's understandable. It's the same with the Executive Council to be honest" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez mused as she hinted on the similarities.

"There are also times when the Student Council President himself should lead some of the important functions of the Student Council" Aiden added, "It brings more impact to our presentations".

"But, I guess I have no choice at the moment" Aiden continued as he reluctantly agreed, "Who is in charge of the field trip and where are they going?".

"The professor in charge is Dr. Raz Domingo. They're going on a trip to Unilever's office" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, "They would be spending their time touring their facilities and doing some in-depth study of their business model, practices, and approach".

"The typical field trip then, do I have to do anything? Business isn't really my forte nor my field of expertise. Personally speaking, I don't have much fondness nor taste for business – for obvious reasons" Aiden said.

"You just have to watch them and make sure our students don't go rowdy or do anything that they're not supposed to do – a babysitting job for the most part" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said.

"Also, I understand where you're coming from. Given that your childhood pretty much revolved-" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez was saying before Aiden cut her off. "I think you and I both know what those reasons are, there's no point nor reason why we should discuss it now".

"I apologize Aiden, that was my fault" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez sincerely apologized for nearly bringing up his past, "Anyways, you should get ready, they're having a pre-departure meeting in half an hour".

"You're kidding me right? You know the trains doesn't start running until 5:00 AM" Aiden said annoyed.

"I'll be picking you up. I'm on my way as we speak" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, surprising Aiden who was still in bed, "I'll be there in 15 minutes".

"This is such a pain in the ass. I'm getting ready!" Aiden finally said before hanging up the phone.

Aiden dragged himself to the bathroom and started getting ready, still a bit vexed that he was rudely awaken so early in the morning and denied a cup of coffee. He stepped into the shower and relaxed under the warm water, getting his thoughts straight and forcing his body to wake up.

Getting out of the shower, he used a hair dryer to dry his hair quickly and completely. Applying moisturizer and sunscreen before heading to his room to get dressed. He donned his university polo, skinny jeans, and his black leather boots before putting his Apple Watch on, followed by his pendant.

He unplugged his iPod, iPad, and MacBook, placing the latter two in his backpack and the iPod in his pocket. He quickly grabbed his phone and made his way towards his bedroom door. When he emerged from his room, he was completely surprised to see Vice Chancellor Gutierrez sitting on his couch, scrolling through her phone, patiently waiting for him to finish getting ready.

"It's about time you finished" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said before she placed her phone inside her purse, "You're a whole lot slower than Margaret when it comes to getting ready in the morning". Aiden winced, not expecting to see the Vice Chancellor in his living room.

"What are you doing here?" Aiden said as he closed the door behind him, "You can't just casually enter other people's home like this, especially this early in the morning".

The Vice Chancellor got up from the couch, "Why keep a spare key if I'm not going to use it?" she chuckled as she stood in front of Aiden, fixing his messy hair.

"That's only for emergencies, not if you want to nonchalantly walk into my home early in the morning" Aiden responded as he gently pushed the Vice Chancellor's hand off his hair.

"Are you ready to go?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez asked as she started walking towards the entrance.

"No. Not really" Aiden sighed as he followed the Vice Chancellor, "This really is a pain in the ass you know".

"I know, but you have a duty and responsibility as the Student Council President to help out with this" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as Aiden locked his front door.

"Funny, I didn't read anything about babysitting in a university-sanctioned field trip in my list of duties and responsibilities" Aiden quipped as they walked towards the elevator.

"Pretty ironic that you should say that, given that you're poised to be a chaperone in the International Student Outing, or so I hear" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, "Is it because Mr. Nontanakorn is going?".

"Don't start with me early in the morning old hag" Aiden replied, "Besides, that's my responsibility as President of the International Student Organization, not the Student Council. Don't get it mixed up".

"Touché" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez laughed to Aiden's annoyance as they entered the elevator.

When they arrived on their floor and the elevators door opened, they were greeted by an eerily quiet parking area at the basement of the condominium. It felt like something out of a horror movie, a gloomy and dreadful sight with a few lights flickering on and off in the distance, giving Aiden the creeps.

"Have I ever mentioned that I hate this parking area?" Aiden said as he and the Vice Chancellor walked towards a black 2022 Audi RS 5 Sportback.

"You just did" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she pulled out her remote key from her purse, unlocking the Black Audi parked in front of them, "Anyways, get in, we're already late".

"Since when did you get a new car?" Aiden asked, surprised to see the Vice Chancellor sporting a new vehicle as he entered the passenger side of the car.

"I got it last week. I traded in my Lexus since it was a bit bulky to drive" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she put her seatbelt on, "Help yourself to some drink" she added as Aiden's nose directed him to the central console where a large cup of Cappuccino was waiting for him.

"Where did you get this from?" Aiden asked, curious as to how she managed to get a cappuccino so early in the morning, "All the cafes are still closed".

"If you look hard enough, you'll find some Cafes that are open 24-hours" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she pressed the ignition button and started the car, "Buckle up" she added as she started backing up.

"I'll admit, that's pretty perceptive of you" Aiden said as he buckled up before grabbing the cappuccino from the central console.

"My offer still stands, you know. If you want a car, just tell me. Do you want a Lexus? Mercedes? Audi?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez asked, bringing up an old offer.

"No, I'm good. I have no problems commuting like normal people do" Aiden replied, holding the warm cup of cappuccino with both hands.

"What's the point of getting a driver's license if you're not going to use it anyways?" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Identification first and foremost. Secondly, in case I need to operate a vehicle in an emergency" Aiden answered before taking a sip of his cappuccino.

"That's true. You were always the type to have backup plans for any occasion" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she took a quick glance at Aiden who was staring out the window.

There was not much for Aiden to see given that it was still dark out, with the street lights the only thing illuminating the empty streets and roads. He could see a few squatters sleeping on cardboard boxes and stray dogs rummaging through the garbage that littered the roads, a usual sight in Quezon City, and most parts of metropolitan manila.

The empty streets and quietness of the wee hours of the morning reminded him of the night his mother and younger brother died, which bore an almost uncanny resemblance to that tragic night – although the incident happened far earlier in the morning than what it was now.

The cold air coming from the car's air conditioner, and the dark atmosphere within the car, illuminated only by the car's consoles caused Aiden to consciously relieve the tragic night – at least the moment that was clearly and forcefully etched into his memory, the car his mother and younger brother were on being consumed by flames, with his father and Maya standing behind him.

"Your mother's defiance and stupidity run in your veins! I shall have you taught how to be a proper member of the Labrador family!"

His father's last words echoed inside his head, the words that pushed him into abandoning his name, identity, and status as the successor to the most powerful, and influential business entity in the Philippines. He recalled the moment he ran from his father, with Maya chasing after him - then a large and deafening explosion propelled him a few meters from where he was at.

The explosion caused his ears to ring, rendering him heavily disoriented and unable to get up. The muffled sound of the incoming sirens forced him to stand, not wanting to be found by the first responders only to be returned to his father. He mustered his remaining strength and limped away from the scene.

His recollection of the past was abrupted when the car they were on came to a stop. By the time Aiden realized what was happening, they were already at MJU. "Come on Aiden", Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she stepped out of the car.

Aiden gave a sigh as he unbuckled and grabbed his stuff before following the Vice Chancellor in the MJU Central Terminal, which is where the university buses, golfcarts, and mini buses are parked and receive maintenance. The terminal itself is not as big as the public bus terminals used to travel to and from the provinces but was modern and equipped with the latest technology and equipment.

The main waiting area of the terminal was akin to an international airport departure area. There were large monitors that shows the departures and arrivals for the day, charging stations, vending machines, lounge chairs, computer terminals, and flat screen televisions. This was also the same terminal where the international students disembarked after being picked up from the airport.

There were about forty students in the waiting area, along with Professor Domingo and the other chaperones for the field trip. The students were all still half awake, a feeling that Aiden could relate to, given that he also had to wake up so early in the morning.

"Good Morning Dr. Domingo, I'm sorry for being late" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said, as she reached out and shook the professor's hand.

"No worries Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, we're still waiting for other students to arrive. Thank you again for helping with my last-minute request, and so early in the morning" Professor Domingo said as he shook Vice Chancellor Gutierrez's hand.

"Dr. Domingo, may I introduce Aiden Kobayashi" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as he gestured towards Aiden, who was standing right next to her.

"Dr. Domingo" Aiden said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"President Kobayashi. It's an honor to finally meet you in person" Professor Domingo said as he shook Aiden's hand. He then turned towards the Vice Chancellor, a bit surprised.

"When you said you have a student in mind that could help, I didn't expect it to be the Student Council President of all people" Professor Domingo said in awe.

"Believe me professor, I didn't expect this either" Aiden quickly quipped, prompting the Vice Chancellor to lightly elbow Aiden to the side.

"I know you have a very busy schedule President Kobayashi, and I'm sorry for having to disturb you so early in the morning" Professor Domingo said as he apologized to Aiden.

"Don't worry about it Dr. Domingo, Aiden is willing and eager to help out, he is in the same college after all" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as he reassured Professor Domingo.

"Just a friendly word of warning though, President Kobayashi" Professor Domingo said, looking uneasy and uncomfortable, "Most, if not all my students are a huge fan of yours, so I would like to apologize in advance for any inconvenience they might cause you today".

"Thank you for the warning professor. I'll keep that in mind" Aiden responded, trying to suppress his annoyance and frustration in being thrown into the lion's den.

"That's a relief! In any case I'll go ahead and check in and see if all our students are already here. Thank you again, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez, President Kobayashi, please excuse me" Professor Domingo said before walking back to chaperon checking the attendance for the trip.

As Professor Domingo walked off, Vice Chancellor Gutierrez gave a forced laughter, "My Bad, Aiden."

"My bad isn't gonna cut it, old hag" Aiden said, keeping his stoic expression, "I feel like I've been thrown under the bus here. Waking me up this early in the morning was bad enough, now I have to deal with the type of students I don't want to be around with"

"I promise I'll make it up to you. Have fun Aiden!" Vice Chancellor Gutierrez said as she cantered back towards her car, leaving Aiden to fend for himself.

Aiden clicked his tongue as he watched the Vice Chancellor return to her car in a hurry, her heels clacking on the marble floor of the waiting area, "You definitely owe me big time for this, old hag!" Aiden whispered as he walked towards where Professor Domingo is.

As Aiden walked towards him, he noticed at the corner of his eyes that some of the students started waking other students up as they looked and pointed at him. The sleepy students suddenly springing to life the moment they saw Aiden amongst their group.

"Jesus fucking Christ, they're all coming to life like a horde of zombies" Aiden thought to himself, trying his hardest to ignore them.

"Professor, what do you need me to do?" Aiden asked as he approached Professor Domingo.

Suddenly, the female chaperon who was checking attendance gave out a loud scream, waking the rest of the students up as she began to flail and get excited at the sight of Aiden – startling and surprising both Aiden and Professor Domingo.

"Ms. Hernando!" Professor Domingo called out, "Please calm down!" he added as he reprimanded her.

"I apologize President Kobayashi, she's a huge fan of yours" Professor Domingo apologized, his face red.

"I can tell, Professor" Aiden responded with his usual expression, his tone a bit softer than usual though.

"You could just seat over there, President Kobayashi. Once everyone is here, I'll go over a few things with them and we'll start boarding our bus" Professor Domingo said, not wanting to inconvenience Aiden any more than he already has.

"I see. Also, Professor Domingo, you could just call me Aiden, there's no need to be formal" Aiden said.

"Okay. Thank you Aiden for being so understanding" Professor Domingo replied.

"Also, professor, do you mind?" Aiden asked as he raised both his earphones, asking permission if could listen to music while he waited.

"Of course, Aiden. Feel free to listen to some music while you wait" Professor Domingo said as he gave his permission before Aiden covered his ear and walked towards an area where there were no other students, keeping his calm and cool demeanor as the other students took pictures and videos of him.

"I might as well message the Student Council before they all see this in social media" Aiden told himself as he sat down on one of the empty benches.

"Be advised. I have been tasked by Vice Chancellor Gutierrez to go on an errand for the entire day. Please see to our scheduled events and act accordingly as the situation calls for. I'll be going on radio silent for the duration of this errand" Aiden typed on his phone before sending it to the Student Council group chat.

After sending the message, he turned off all his notifications and started listening to BTS' "Save Me" as he waited to board their bus. It almost 45 minutes before they were actually able to board since Professor Domingo had to go over a few instructions and rules with his students.

The bus that they were using is a customized bus rated for long distance travels. It's equipped with comfortable seats, television screens, charging stations, Wi-Fi, and lavatories. It has a maximum capacity of sixty people, and with only forty-eight of them going on the trip, there were a few empty seats left.

The students had free reign on where they wanted to seat. Professor Domingo and the other chaperones decided to stay at the front end of the bus. Aiden though, chose to seat at the very back of the bus, with the students giving him a very comfortable personal space – a fact that Aiden appreciated.

Unbeknownst to Aiden, Professor Domingo gave very specific instructions to his students prior to their departure. (1) give Aiden some space and don't disturb him unless they have an actual question for him; (2) refrain from taking pictures and videos of him unless he gives explicit permission to do so. A courtesy Professor Domingo extended to Aiden since he was suddenly thrust into their field trip at the last minute, and also the fact that he is the Student Council President – of course Aiden didn't hear any of these since he was listening to music when Professor Domingo issued those instructions.

Before the bus started moving, Aiden quickly created a customized playlist specific to this field trip he was forced to take part of. The songs that made up the playlist leaned heavily on J-Pop, and J-Rock, with the exception of BTS.

1. Airplane, Pt. 2 – BTS

19. Ride with Me – Hey! Say! JUMP

2. Dope – BTS

20. Super Delicate – Hey! Say! JUMP

3. Filter – BTS

21. Shinku – Yamada Ryosuke

4. Mic Drop – BTS

22. Bai Bai Dubai – Sexy Zone

5. Not Today – BTS

23. Ghost – Sexy Zone

6. SUGA's Interlude – Suga, Halsey

24. Chankapana - NEWS

7. Silver Spoon – BTS

25. Hadashi no Cinderella Boy - NEWS

8. Re:make – One Ok Rock

26. Pokopon Pekorya – NEWS

9. One Way Ticket – One Ok Rock

27. Sayaendou - NEWS

10. In the Stars – One Ok Rock ft. Kiiara

28. Test Drive – Jin Akanishi ft. Jason Derulo

11. Stand Out Fit In – One Ok Rock

29. Closer – Joe Inoue

12. Grow Old Die Young – One Ok Rock

30. Distance – Kana Nishino

13. Beat Line – Hey! Say! JUMP

31. Diver – Nico Touches the Walls

14. Boku wa Vampire – Hey! Say! JUMP

32. Hikari Are – Burnout Syndromes

15. Bounce – Hey! Say! JUMP

33. Kibou no Uta – Ultra Tower

16 Come Back…? – Hey! Say! JUMP

34. Rage of Dust – SPYAIR

17. Maji Sunshine – Hey! Say! JUMP

35. Raise Your Flag – Man with a Mission

18. Mayonaka no Shadow Boy – Hey! Say! JUMP

36. Zero – Bump of Chicken

After creating his playlist, Aiden locked himself inside of his bubble, closing everything else out – like usual. Meanwhile, Professor Domingo used the microphone next to the driver and made some announcements to the students as the bus exited the campus. The students were doing their own thing, eating snacks, using their cellphones, taking selfies, and talking amongst each other as the bus made its way towards C5-Road, their planned route as they headed towards Bonifacio Global City.

All was going smoothly until they reached C5-Road. There was a multi-vehicular accident that happened, and the traffic enforcers were rerouting all traffic towards EDSA, which was the worst possible alternative they could take at the moment. EDSA is a major throughway in metro manila and is infamous for its headache inducing traffic jams, especially during rush hour, which was already the case.

The Bus driver and Professor Domingo had a quick discussion about changing their route, and both reluctantly agreed that EDSA would probably be their best bet to get to their destination. As the bus deviated from their original route, Professor Domingo used the microphone again to inform every one of the slight deviation – Aiden didn't hear anything about any of this since he had his earphones on.

As expected, by the time they arrived at EDSA, the traffic was already miles long, and the cars were moving at a snail's pace. At the rate they were going, it would probably take them a little over an hour to get to their destination, which was starting to worry Professor Domingo as it would upend their entire itinerary.

As their bus moved a few feet at a time, Aiden was contemplating on why he actually agreed to go on this field trip in the first place. It got so bad to the point that Aiden whispered to himself, even to his own disbelief, "I'd rather deal with that Thammasat Kid's antics all day than this".

Much to Aiden's annoyance, the bus passengers next to their bus, started looking at him, with some taking pictures and flailing at the process, as if they saw a famous artist. Aiden cringed at the random bystanders before closing his curtain, blocking his view of the outside, much to the disappointment of the passengers on the other bus. Aiden gave a deep sigh, "Even outside of Mount Juliet. God these people".

As he was uttered those words, Aiden realized that it could've been much worse had he remained a part of the Labrador Family. Since he was a child, people were always commenting on how adorable and handsome he was. He already lost count of the number of times people pinched his cheeks and gave him "squishy" hugs. Although he abhors and despises it now, he remembered how he used to like it as a kid, both him and Itsuki. Aiden suddenly mused at the prospect of him still liking it now if that tragedy never occurred – a ludicrous prospect that caused him to snort. The thought however, made him reflect on how much he has changed since that night, so much so that it felt like he was a different person altogether.

As the bus slowly traversed EDSA, Professor Domingo received an unexpected call from a representative at Unilever, where he received an unwelcoming news. Due to a sudden emergency at their office, their visit would have to be cancelled and rescheduled for another time. The unexpected news caused Professor Domingo's eyebrows to furrow. As he ended the call, he slipped his phone back in his pocket, and gave out a disappointed sigh.

"Dr. Domingo? Are you alright?" one of the chaperones asked after noticing Professor Domingo's change of expression.

There were a few seconds of silence before he started speaking, "Gather all the chaperones here, I need to discuss something with everyone", an instruction that the chaperon next to him quickly carried out. Since most of the chaperones were at the front end of the bus, everyone was quickly gathered around where Professor Domingo is sitting.

"Alright.." Professor Domingo started before one of the chaperones interjected.

"Sir, what about President Kobayashi?" the chaperon asked before all of them looked towards where Aiden is sitting. As they looked, they saw that Aiden was staring at the window, which was blocked by the curtain, earphones in his ear.

"It'll be okay. I'll inform President Kobayashi later" Professor Domingo responded as everyone turned their attention towards him.

"But isn't he a chaperone sir? Shouldn't he be included in this?" another chaperone asked.

"Yes. He is a chaperone, but I rather not bother him with this right now. We've already inconvenienced him enough with our last-minute request for him to join us here – though I quite honestly didn't think that Vice Chancellor Gutierrez had him in mind when I requested a student to help out" Professor Domingo explained to the other chaperones.

"As you all are probably aware, his position as Student Council President carries an enormous weight and responsibility in the university, and I really wouldn't be surprised if we messed up all his scheduled appointments, meetings, or events for the day. So out of respect and courtesy, we'll try and minimize any inconvenience to him as much as possible" Professor Domingo explained to the agreement and understanding of the other chaperones.

"The reason I called this small meeting is that we have a small situation at hand" Professor Domingo said.

"Did something happen sir?" a chaperone asked, somewhat worried at was happening.

"I just received a call from our contact at Unilever and I was informed that they were cancelling our tour of their office due to a sudden emergency that came up" Professor Domingo revealed to the surprise and disbelief of the chaperones.

"I rather not cancel this trip altogether since the university has already committed funds and resources for this, so we need to find an alternative while we're still stuck here" Professor Domingo continued.

"That's a long-shot sir, given that this would be a last-minute request, I doubt that we'll find any company that can accommodate us in such an extremely short-notice" another chaperone said.

"Let's see what we can do for now. If we can't find any alternatives by the time we get out of EDSA, we'll cancel the trip altogether" Professor Domingo proposed, "Any of you know anyone that works at any reputable companies around here?"

"I might know someone" Jennica Hernando said, "My sister's friend works for Ayala as deputy assistant marketing director. I might be able to pull some strings, but it's not guaranteed".

"Can you give your sister's friend a call?" Professor Domingo asked.

"I can try sir, but no promises" Jennica said as she took her phone out and made a call, Professor Domingo and the other chaperones listening in as Jennica's phone connected.

"Ate Kim! How are you?" Jennica greeted as the call connected, "I'm good, I'm good. Actually I have a favor to ask. I don't know if you can help us out or not, but our scheduled appointment at Unilever for our field trip was cancelled the last minute, and we were wondering if you could help us out as an alternative".

(T/N: "Ate" is an honorific used for one's older sister in the Philippines. It' also used for female relatives, friends, co-workers, or strangers who is older than you as a sign of respect. The male equivalent is "Kuya")

"You are still working as a deputy assistant marketing director at Ayala Corporation right?" Jennica asked, "Do you think you can squeeze us for a tour of your office?". As Jennica listened in, her facial expression changed, causing the others listening in to become pessimistic.

"Oh, you're not working for Ayala anymore?" Jennica asked, garnering a collective sigh of disappointment and defeat from those listening in.

"I didn't know that. The last I heard from my sister was you were working for Ayala" Jennica continued.

"Oh? You have a new job? Assistant Marketing Director? Really?" You think you could get us in where you're working at now?" Jennica said, causing the expression of those around her to change to a more optimistic and hopeful one.

"I understand. Thank you" Jennica said, her facial expression neutral.

"What did your sister's friend say?" one of the chaperones asked, anxious to hear what Jennica was told.

"She said she'll have to run it with her superiors and will let me know as soon as possible" Jennica said as she locked her phone.

"I guess we'll have to wait" Professor Domingo said before Jennica's phone started ringing, "Or not."

"Hi, Ate Kim. That was fast. Is it a no?" Jennica asked, pessimistic that their request was denied given how quick she called back.

"Wait! Are you serious!? 9:00 AM? Yes! That would work! Thank you so much! I'll see you then!" Jennica said excitedly as she ended the call, "She got us in where she's working at! She'll send me the address so we can just use the GPS". There was a sudden burst of celebration, albeit toned down as to not rouse suspicions from the students.

"What company are we going to? Did she tell you?" Professor Domingo asked, somewhat worried that the place they were heading was a company not on par or better than Unilever.

"She didn't say, but she said she'll forward me the information and the address to her work place" Jennica responded as she got a message on her phone. She quickly opened the message, and her face was quickly drained of color, her mouth and eyes widened.

"Is it an unknown company? It may not pass MJU's experiential learning standards " Professor Domingo commented after seeing Jennica's reaction, "We may have to end up cancelling this trip after all"

Jennica could only rotate her phone to where Professor Domingo and the other chaperones could see the message. The chaperones quickly shared Jennica's expression as Professor Domingo started processing what he is seeing in front of him. He slowly got up from his chair and went to the driver, informing him of yet another change in their itinerary for the day.

He then grabbed the microphone and made an announcement which filled the students' expressions with surprise and disbelief. Aiden only caught a glimpse of Professor Domingo making an announcement, quickly dismissing it before dozing off.

Aiden felt like he just dozed off when he started feeling someone poking his arm. He slowly opened his eyes and removed his earphones off, pausing the music he was listening to while the chaperone who woke him up waited. "How long have I been asleep" Aiden asked.

"A little over an hour President Kobayashi" the chaperone replied, "I apologize for waking you up, we've arrived at our destination and Professor Domingo asked me to wake you up".

Aiden gestured to the chaperon that it was fine as he got up from his seat, leaving his bag where he sat. As he did, he noticed the bus was already empty, and he was the only one remaining inside, except for the driver. "Is everyone outside?" he asked the chaperone as they walked down the aisle of the bus.

"Yes sir, we arrived just arrived a few minutes ago" the chaperone responded as she started going down the steps to exit.

When Aiden exited the bus, he immediately saw Professor Domingo standing outside, failing to notice his surrounding, still half asleep. "Professor, I apologize for dozing off and making you wait" he said.

"Oh! Aiden, that's alright. We just arrived, I'm sorry for having to wake you up" Professor Domingo said.

"It's okay professor, I-" Aiden quickly stopped as he got a glimpse of where they were. "Wha-" he tried to speak, but was unable to upon realizing where they were, his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Unilever cancelled the last minute, luckily we were able to find another alternative to host our field trip. I couldn't believe it at first, but we got really lucky with this one!" Professor Domingo excitedly said as Aiden stood semi-paralyzed.

"Let's not keep our hosts waiting" Professor Domingo announced as he and everyone else started walking towards the entrance, Aiden following a few seconds later, hesitation quickly filling his head.

As they walked towards the entrance, they were enthralled by the beautiful landscaping, fountains, florals, and statues that adorned the base of the building. The students were at awe by the number of luxury cars dropping off important looking people by the modern glass entrance. The presence of security personnel resembling the United States' Secret Service Agents added to the exclusivity and reputation of the corporation they were about to tour. The majestic building in front of them is the most famous landmark in metro manila, and the only structure that dominated the Bay City skyline. The symbol of power and dominance of the most powerful corporation in the Philippines, a familiar building that Aiden hasn't seen in over a decade – The Headquarters of the Labrador Group of Corporations.

As the group walked closer and closer towards the entrance, Aiden's heart started pounding, his hands getting colder, and his complexion getting paler. Adrenaline was pumping throughout his body as dread and fear took over, Aiden's fight-or-flight response was going haywire. He wanted to run away, but he kept on following his group, as if an unseen force was drawing him closer towards his past.

When they reached the entrance, they were greeted by Kim Madrigal, the Assistant Marketing Director of the Labrador Group of Corporations, "Ate Kim!" Jennica called out as she ran towards her, giving her a tight hug, grateful and ecstatic for giving them the opportunity to tour the corporate headquarters of the most famous, powerful, and influential corporation in the Philippines.

"It's nice to see you Jennica! How's your sister?" Kim asked as they broke away from the hug.

"She's doing great! I didn't think you were working here now! You should've told me when I called you!" Jennica said as her retinue stood behind her.

"I guess, but I wanted to surprise you" Kim said with a smile as Professor Domingo walked towards her.

"Ms. Madrigal, I'm Dr. Raz Domingo, Professor of Business and Finance at Mount Juliet University. Thank you so much for accommodating us in such short notice" Professor Domingo said as she shook Kim's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Domingo, Jennica's call actually came as a surprise. The Labrador Group of Corporations is actually considering investing in Mount Juliet University, we actually just finished a meeting about it, and we were planning to reach out to the university later this month" Kim explained.

"Is that so? I didn't expect The Labrador Group was eyeing Mount Juliet University" Professor Domingo responded, taken aback by Kim's revelation.

"Yes. Actually, the Labrador Group has been looking to recruit talented and gifted graduates locally instead of relying heavily on workers that received education abroad. Mount Juliet was the first in our shortlist, followed by UP Diliman, Ateneo, UST, and FEU" Kim explained.

"That sounds wonderful" Professor Domingo said, overjoyed by what he just heard.

"Before we get started Dr. Domingo, how many people are in your group?" Kim asked.

"We have forty-eight people in our group. Forty students from my class, four faculty chaperones myself included, and four student chaperones" Professor Domingo replied.

"This is a very large group, but the number shouldn't be a problem. Let's head inside and I'll explain the process we'll go through before we start the tour" Kim said as she led the group inside. Aiden remaining quiet at the back of the group, the last one to enter the building.

Upon entering, they were required to go through security, which consists of metal detectors and baggage x-ray machines, similar to those used at international airports, except the ones used by the Labrador Group was modern and high-tech. The screening area are manned by guards wearing black suits and tie, with earpieces in their ear, which appeared intimidating to first time visitors.

At the right-hand side of the entrance was a corridor separated by frosted glass which are used exclusively by employees of the Labrador Group. The employee entrance has the same metal detectors and baggage x-ray machines, and at the end of the corridor is a gate where employees would have to scan their badge to gain access. On the right-hand side of the gate is a small security booth equipped with monitors that shows CCTV footage of the exterior and interior of the entrance. There was also a monitor that shows the picture, name, title, department, and ID number of the employees that scans their badges.

After passing through security, the MJU Students entered the main lobby of the building where a number of people in business suits were walking around. They were at awe by how majestic everything was – except for Aiden. Not only were the floors, and columns supporting the balcony above the security area made out of shiny marbles, so was the front desk of the lobby.

The lighting of the lobby was natural light, coming from the dome above it. The second-floor balcony above them hosts a number of high-end cafes and restaurants for both employees and guests, the balcony is lined with glass railings, and had decorative plants hanging in front of it.

The center of the lobby is adorned by a large modern fountain, a large diamond chandelier hanging above. In front of the fountain is an interactive map that shows the different locations in the building. About a hundred feet on the other side of the fountain is the front desk, behind it was a marble wall the bears the logo of the Labrador Group, below it is a large engraving: "LABRADOR GROUP OF CORPORATIONS".

On either side of the front desk is a hallway that leads towards the back of the wall behind the front desk which houses the elevators. On the left-hand side of the front desk was a wall that has three large portraits hanging on it, the pictures not visible to where the students were. On the right-hand side were the bathrooms and hallway leading to the staff room. The entrance to the elevator area is blocked by security railings which has a security desk manned by the same black suited guards they passed by the entrance.

"Firstly, I would like to welcome you all to the headquarters of the Labrador Group of Corporations. Again, my name is Kimberly Madrigal, Assistant Director of Marketing" Kim said as she formally introduced herself and welcomed the MJU students.

Aiden, who was at the very back of the group was starting to panic, being familiar with the security protocols and procedures in the building, he knows that before they can access the elevator area, they would have to pass through security which would require them to scan their biometrics.

Both employees and visitors alike are subject to the same procedure to be allowed entry to the elevator area and access the different offices and departments on the upper levels. All first-time visitors are required to register their biometrics before being allowed to enter. Only members of the Labrador Family, senior level executives, and select employees are exempt from going through the biometric scans.

As a member of the Labrador Family, Aiden didn't have to enter his biometrics when he passed through security when he was a child. However, his biometrics are already stored in the central servers, as there were areas and rooms on the upper levels that were only accessible to the Labrador Family, which required biometric scans to enter. In other words, the moment Aiden touches the biometric scanner, the guard manning the security station would discover his true identity.

As Aiden was brainstorming for any ideas that would allow him to avoid the biometrics scanners, Kim concluded her brief explanation of the procedures they were about to go through.

"Did everyone understand the procedures I just explained?" Kim asked, as everyone responded.

"Should we separate the students and chaperones? It might help us get the registration done a lot faster" Professor Domingo suggested.

"Yes. That would be helpful. If we can have the students stand on my right-hand side, and the chaperones on my left-hand side please" Kim requested as everyone followed her instructions. As the chaperones and students made their way to their designated spots, Aiden was left standing in the middle, his complexion getting paler by the minute.

"Excuse me. Are you a student or a chaperone?" Kim asked as Aiden lifted his head up, looking at Kim while everyone else looked at him. Aiden couldn't respond, as if he had lost the ability to speak.

"He's a chaperone" Professor Domingo interjected, snapping Aiden back to reality.

"Yes, I'm a chaperone" Aiden finally responded before walking towards where the other chaperones are.

When Aiden joined the other chaperones, Professor Domingo introduced Aiden to Kim, "Ms. Madrigal, I forgot to introduce you to the President of the Mount Juliet Student Council. Aiden Kobayashi".

"Oh? I didn't expect the President of the Mount Juliet Student Council to be here as well!" Kim responded in an energetic and excited voice.

"As you already know, he's actually helping out as a chaperone today, it was a last-minute addition actually" Professor Domingo said as Kim extended her hand towards Aiden.

"Nice to meet you Aiden!" Kim said before Aiden shook her hand. When Kim shook Aiden's hand she was taken by surprise, "Wow, your hands are really cold, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine Ms. Madrigal" Aiden replied before pulling his hand away, maintaining his stoic expression.

"Aiden" Kim said, placing her hand under her chin as if something jogged her memory, "You know, you have the same name as the late son of Chairman Labrador" she added, catching everyone's attention. Aiden was immediately paralyzed with fear at the mention of the connection.

"Late son?" Jennica asked, curious as to what Kim was referring to, "I thought the Labrador Family only had an only child?".

"Oh, I apologize. It's not really common knowledge to people outside of this company, but ten years ago, the first wife of Chairman Labrador along with his two sons sadly died in a horrible car accident" Kim explained, surprising everyone in the group.

"Actually, let me show you guys" Kim added before leading the group towards the three large portraits hanging near the front desk. Aiden was the last to start walking, with Professor Domingo looking at Aiden, noticing that something seemed off, since Aiden's face looked like it was being drained of its color.

Arriving in front of the large portraits, which are illuminated by lights attached above them, they got a better view of the pictures that didn't look visible from where they were earlier. The pictures hanging were the last pictures taken of Aiden, Yuriko, and Itsuki in that order.

"The picture to the left was the eldest son of Chairman Labrador, Aiden. At the center was the first wife of Chairman Labrador, lady Yuriko, and lastly Itsuki, the second and youngest son of Chairman Labrador. As I mentioned earlier, all of them perished from a car accident" Kim explained in a somber tone.

The picture displayed was the last official portrait taken of them weeks before Yuriko and Itsuki died. It was also the last time that Aiden was able to smile, a smile that was taken away from him by his father.

The female students quickly expressed their sadness over the story, with some of them commenting how adorable and handsome Aiden and Itsuki were, lamenting on the unfortunate fact that they died at a very young age. The male students on the other hand were quick to compliment the beauty of Yuriko and lamented that such a beautiful woman died tragically. Everyone in the group unanimously agreed on one thing; that there was innocence and joy in their faces.

Aiden couldn't bring himself to look at the portraits, afraid that he might shed tears for his mother and brother, an unusual behavior that could arouse suspicion. Though the thought of them momentarily released him from the fear that was gripping him earlier, a reprieve at the cost of reliving painful memories.

"If Chairman Labrador was a widower, and he had children before, why isn't this common knowledge outside this corporation?" Professor Domingo asked.

"I don't know the exact story, but according to my seniors, Chairman Labrador was deeply affected and inconsolable by their loss that he wanted to erase any memory of them. I also heard a rumor he went as far as using his connections within the government and the media to suppress any knowledge or mention of them, including the accident" Kim explained to the surprise of everyone, including Aiden who believes that it was all a huge lie and coverup to suppress the information about the truth regarding their deaths.

"So, if Chairman Labrador wanted to erase his memory of them, then why are their portraits displayed here at the lobby?" Jennica asked, a valid question considering it didn't quite fit with Kim's story.

"From what I understand, several employees, senior executives, and even some members of the board of directors fought tooth and nail to at least preserve their memory. One of my superiors, Maya Montalban, the Chief Executive Assistant to Chairman Labrador was the leading employee that spearheaded the fight regarding these portraits" Kim explained, finally clearing up the contradiction from her story.

"Chairman Labrador reluctantly agreed, but on the condition that these portraits be hidden every time he was present at the building" Kim further explained, "These portraits are actually retractable, and allows security to hide them within this wall when the Chairman is in the building".

"Then that means Chairman Labrador is not here today, correct?", Professor Domingo asked.

"That is correct. The Chairman and his wife are meeting with several government officials and Chief Executives of other major corporations to discuss the latest agreement they have concluded in Thailand" Kim responded to the disappointment of Professor Domingo. It was a relief for Aiden, knowing his father wasn't in the building, but he knows he's not completely off the hook yet.

Aiden's biggest problem right now is the biometric scan they would have to pass through, since that would be the single biggest threat that would reveal his true identity. He was also concerned about the possibility of crossing paths with someone he knows from his past that could potentially lead to his identity being revealed and him surviving the incident ten years ago being discovered.

"Alright everyone!" Kim called out to their group, "We got sidetracked for a bit, but let's resume our tour!" she continued as she led everyone towards the front desk.

Kim instructed the MJU group to stay in front of the security gate as she signed off on some papers and collected the visitor badges for everyone in the group. Aiden used this time to think of possible excuses he can tell Professor Domingo to remove himself from the tour but has so far unable to come up with anything, given that he was in a state of panic and could not properly think of anything feasible.

It didn't take long before Kim called out to the group, "Alright everyone, this is your visitor's badge" she said as she passed it around to everyone, "Please wear this at all times while you're in the tour".

The badges looked like a regular ID that has "VISITOR" written on it, attached to a lanyard that was emblazoned with "LABRADOR GROUP OF CORPORATIONS". Everyone was looking forward to beginning their tour and see the inside workings of the Labrador Group, at least the business aspect of it.

"At the end of the tour, you can detach the visitor badge, and everyone can keep the lanyards" Kim said to everyone's delight, except for Aiden who detested having to wear the lanyard bearing the name he has long forsaken and abandoned.

"If everyone is ready to continue, can I ask all of you to form a line in front of the biometric scanners. One line for the students and one for the chaperones" Kim instructed which everyone promptly followed, Aiden making sure he was at the back of the chaperone line, panic starting to overwhelm him internally.

"As part of our security procedures, we would be collecting everyone's electronic devices before they register their biometrics. It's a standard procedure to prevent unauthorized pictures or recording of offices and operations of the Labrador Group" Kim announced as everyone started taking their electronic devices out of their pockets and bags, "We'll be sticking a label on your electronic devices with your name on it so everyone can retrieve their electronic devices at the end of the tour without a hassle".

Aiden held on to his phone and iPod on one hand, gripping it tightly as he started resigning to the fact that his real identity would soon be discovered after over ten years of hiding. That very thought made his hands colder, as dread, fear, and panic were pushing him to his very limit.

The closer he got to the biometric scanner, the more adrenaline was pumping in his body. His hands were cold almost to the point where he can't bend his fingers. His grip was so tight it could almost crack the screen of his phone and iPod. Cold sweats were starting to form on his forehead and his face looked so pale he seemed like he was suffering from anemia.

When the person in front of him walked towards the scanner, he had a sudden reckoning. The face of Vice Chancellor Gutierrez and her family flashed in his head, followed by Katrina, Mingyu, Aaron, Jasper, and the Student Council officers. He knew that his father would seek retribution to anyone he has known and came into contact with, he was especially afraid for the Gutierrez family who had went to great lengths to hide his identity and give him refuge.

It was first time since the accident that he feared for those he cared about, a fraction of his former personality that he thought he had lost the same night he lost his mother and younger brother. Aiden's eyes softened, he was at an extremely vulnerable state, he felt helpless like he did that tragic night.

After the person in front of him finished registering, the guard gestured for him to come forward. His feet started moving on its own, although they felt heavy, as if it were encased in cement. As he stood in front of the scanner, the guard stretched out his arm, holding a box where Aiden had to put his phone and iPod. He slowly raised his arm, using every bit of strength in his body to release his electronic devices.

After the guard collected his things, he instructed Aiden to place his index finger on the scanner. Before Aiden could do anything, the guard asked him, "Hey, are you okay? You look so pale?". The question caught Professor Domingo's attention, who was just standing a few feet away.

"I-I'm fine" Aiden stuttered, his voice cracking.

"Are you sure?" the guard asked again as Aiden slowly nodded his head.

"Alright. Please place your index finger on the scanner please" the guard repeated his instruction.

Aiden slowly raised his right arm and stretched it towards the scanner, his breathing started to become faster. As his finger got closer, he uttered something out of nowhere, it felt familiar, as if it were something he used to say, accompanied by a child's voice inside his head. "Mee-Mee! Help me!".

After uttering those words, a sudden, extremely sharp pain emanated from his head, he quickly retracted his arm and placed it on his forehead before his knees buckled, causing him to kneel on the floor. Aiden groaned in pain as the guard and Professor Domingo hurried to Aiden's aid, followed by Kim and Jennica.

Aiden's groan caught the attention of everyone close to the vicinity of the front desk, the students and chaperones expressing concern for Aiden. Coincidentally, as this was happening Maya Montalban, the Chief Executive Assistant to Chairman Labrador, so happens to have just arrived at headquarters and was walking past the fountain when he heard a groan.

Concerned and curious as to what was happening, she quickly cantered towards the group, her high heels making clacking sounds on the marble floor. When she arrived, she saw the guard and Professor Domingo kneeling on the floor tending to someone, with Kim and Jennica standing behind them.

"Kim!" Maya called out, "What's happening here?"

"Ms. Montalban!" Kim called out with a panicked and concerned expression all over her face. Hearing a familiar named uttered, Aiden's eyes widened, still cognizant of what was happening in his surrounding even though he was feeling a familiar but a more intense pain in his head.

"Aiden! Are you okay? What's going on?" Professor Domingo asked. The mention of the name "Aiden" caught Maya's attention, quickly pivoting her focus from Kim's panicked face towards the boy kneeled over on the floor.

"A-Aiden? Master-" Maya uttered, quickly stopping herself before finishing what she was going to say, "No, that's impossible" she added, dismissing any thoughts she might have conjured up in her mind.

"Aiden, are you okay?" Professor Domingo asked again.

"Y-yes.." Aiden stuttered in a weak voice, "It's just one of my migraines. It happens from time to time" he explained as tried to stand up, Professor Domingo and the guard assisting him..

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?" The guard asked as he looked at Aiden with great concern on his face. Before Aiden could say anything, Maya interjected.

"Manong Guard, can you get some medicine from the staff room please, and some water?" Maya quickly ordered as she walked in front of Aiden.

(T/N: "Manong" is an honorific used for a middle-aged man in the Philippines. Usually used to address strangers as a sign of respect. The female equivalent is "Manang". The title is sometime attached to the specific job of the person, e.g., Manong Guard, Manong Driver, etc.)

"Yes ma'am" the guard responded as he quickly ran towards the staff room to get the medicine and water.

"Aiden, right? Are you going to be okay?" Maya said as she stood in front of Aiden. The boy has his right hand firmly pressed on his forehead coincidentally covering his scar, his head tilted towards the floor, the pain still causing him great discomfort which negated his condition before his head started hurting. Aiden though, was aware that one of the worst-case scenarios other than the biometric scanner just happened.

Aiden took a deep breathe before taking his hand off his forehead, his hair quickly covering the scar that was visible for a millisecond. He slightly raised his head up, making eye contact with Maya who he hasn't seen since she tried to chase after him over a decade ago, "I'll be okay, thank you for asking".

Maya took a good look at Aiden's face, and in her mind, she was somehow reminded of the young master she failed to save. She softly snorted before giving a subtle smile, "That's good".

After making sure Aiden was doing alright, she turned and faced Kim who was somewhat relieved the boy was okay, "So, who are these people Kim?" Maya asked, curious about the unfamiliar faces.

"Ah. These are students from Mount Juliet University, they're here today for a tour" Kim responded.

"Mount Juliet University? I was under the impression that the marketing department was still considering about reaching out to them. I didn't expect for that matter to be concluded that fast that we're already offering them tours of our building" Maya said.

"Oh, no ma'am. Actually we were still discussing about that this morning, and by chance after our meeting ended, one of the chaperones here, who happens to be the sister of my friend called, asking if they could have a tour of our office since their prior scheduled appointment was cancelled the last minute" Kim explained to Maya who started nodding her head.

"Director Sangalang approved it, saying that it could be a good opportunity since we were going to reach out to Mount Juliet University at the end of the week anyways. I hope that's okay ma'am" Kim added.

"No, it's perfect actually. This just accelerated our schedule in regards with Mount Juliet. I will inform Chairman Labrador about this" Maya said approvingly as the guard came back with the medicine and a bottle of water, handing it over to Aiden.

"Here you go sir" the guard said as Aiden took the medicine and water, quickly drinking it.

"Thank you, Manong" Aiden said as he took another deep breathe before taking another sip of the water.

"I hope you feel better soon" the guard said before heading back to his station to help out the other students needing to register their biometrics.