5

"You can't study when you're hungry." Ben would always say every time Min threw any kind of fit before lunch. He knew it was just a case of hangry — hungry and angry.

Of every break time, they always sat in front of each other and never beside one another. Ben thought it was the most practical and more appropriate arrangement for conversing where you could see one's face. In fact, it happens every time they're together: libraries, malls, coffee shops, and their own homes — excluding concerts where they really have no choice. Ben didn't mind so Min had no reason to ask him at all. He did grow up Catholic but she wasn't sure that it was the exact reason. Min would sometimes tell herself that she thought about it too much. She wasn't secretly asking for some PDA action but only an answer to her curiosity. An academic kid will always be curious. Min was merely looking for a proper hypothesis.

"Are you in Rousseau yet?" Ben asked without looking up at Min. Books were flailing out of their cafeteria table. Min was slowly biting on her veggie stick, almost glaring at Ben. She silently wanted him to read the room.

"Social contract." She replied loudly chewing on purpose.

"You know that annoys me." Ben still hasn't taken his eyes off the book.

"They call it break time for a reason." Min made sure Ben heard the other bite.

"There's no rest in the academe." He proclaimed like he said it all before.

"It's not like your IQ would go down to forty if you actually took a break," Min mumbled but clearly enough to be heard by Ben.

Min dropped her finger food. "Can we talk, Ben?"

"What do you mean? We've been doing that the whole time." He acerbically implied, flipping back to his last page that he wasn't able to review thoroughly.

There was a moment of silence before Min finally asked, "Why won't you sit next to me?"

Ben dropped his hands on the pages in defeat. "What is this?"

"We're at a cafeteria. We are not studying right now." Min snapped. Ben could only look at her in disbelief. "It's been two years. I don't know a single thing about you. Even as to why you won't even casually sit next to me — most of the time!"

"I know a lot about you just by observation, Min." Ben was about to look back on his book. "You're a smart girl, I suggest you do the same."

"What?" Min snatched his book away. She was ready to stand up. She didn't care if she made a scene. "Ever since your professor gave you one satisfactory grade, you've been acting like this!"

"Please, Min. Please just let me read." Ben pleaded with genuine worry in his eyes. Min's glare softened until Ben looked around to check if people were staring. Min only looked at him. She only ever looked at him every single time with no care about what others thought.

Despite their eagerness that syncs them well together and the passion for knowledge that inspires each other, they want slightly different things. The elephant in the room Min had yet to see.

Min silently placed his book back, stood up, and walked away.

"Here we are!" Mr. Weiss placed a tray in front of him with two sandwiches and a canned soda. The two were facing parallel to each other. "As they say, you can't make decisions while you're hungry."

"As I've heard," Min replied monotonously, grabbing the other wrapped sandwich. "So, you really don't have any plans? Faculty meetings? Subjects? Difficult students to talk to?"

"Nope." He took the first bite of his sandwich and closed his eyes in satisfaction. "They really have good sandwiches here."

Min tapped her fingers on the table. Maybe she should run again. Say that she has to go to the bathroom and never come back. He had to say yes now, right?

She carefully unwrapped the plastic and looked down at a chicken sandwich with tomatoes popping out. Min hesitated.

"Do you do that with all your girl students? When they have lady problems?" She asked.

"Nope. I just knew you were lying." He replied with his mouth half-full. Min could see now why Ben found it irritating. But it wasn't that bad, in fact, it's kind of cute depending on the person who's eating. At least to Min's standards.

"How do you know?" Min skeptically asked.

"Let's just say that I have a secondhand source that I've dealt with my whole life."

"What, like a sister?" She scoffed.

The professor looked at her in confirmation. "She studies here actually. Taught me all the ropes between truth-telling and actual periods."

"Whack," Min finally took a bite, chewing through her words. "You're a weirdo."

"Should I be a gynecologist?" Mr. Weiss laughed. He had the cutest, contagious laugh to the point Min almost laughed with him.

"Who's this lost friend of yours?" The professor continued.

"Josephine Beren. I call her Jo. Sophomore in Multimedia." Now both of these adults are talking while their mouth is full.

"No idea." The professor took another comfortable bite of his sandwich. His vibe had definitely changed compared to the first time Min met him. He was so formal, and cold, then he wasn't. A change of facade when faculties are not present? Perhaps because it was break time and they were both eating in a cafeteria. It was a breath of fresh air for Min. A person actually eats real food instead of paper in front of her.

"So how could we possibly find her?"

"Wait until it's exactly five and stand by the exit is a definite find."

Immediately crossed out for Min. "How about sooner?"

"Do you know her class schedule?"

Min raised her phone. "Yeah, but the room numbers aren't here."

Mr. Weiss pointed back at her phone. "That is going to be difficult."

"Don't you know your ways here?"

The professor snorted. "It's not like every floor is a certain department."

"Shouldn't it be that way?"

"I didn't make all the rules here. I was only creating its backbone." He grabbed his soda can with his finger sticking out, moving it around as emphasis. "All the bones, really."

Min grimaced. "Stop wording things so weirdly."

"You're stuck with me, Sarah Miller." He took one last sip from his soda.

Min was taken aback until she remembered that she was 'undercover'. She thought she should still keep her real identity hidden. She hadn't fully trusted him yet.

"Alright, Mister Weiss." She imitated his accent.

The professor's eyes softened as he slowly put his soda can down. "Lukas."

"What?"

"My first name," He shared. "It's Lukas — with a K."

"Lukas Weiss," Min leaned back. "I swear I heard that name before."

"Of course, I'm not the only one with that name." He laughed.

"No, I mean—" Min had a lightbulb moment. "Your sister's Brigitta."

Lukas' eyes widen. "You know her?"

"She talked to me before the start of class. She helped me try to find the exit and mentioned you!"

Lukas held his already gaping face. He had never looked so slightly vulnerable. Min found it amusingly cute.

"What did you two talk about?" Lukas only stared at his can in embarrassment as he drank one last time.

"About how a person such as myself could be easily lost in this maze you built."

He smiled and rolled his eyes back to Min. "Despite being partly told what to do with the place, I happen to like big spaces. Everything seems possible."

Min shrugged. "It's proven that studying in certain environments can affect academic or work performance. Spaces are one of them."

Lukas' face changed into something Min had seen several times by Ben: An intrigued face. She sometimes missed the way Ben looked at her. Sad that the "honeymoon phase" only lasted a year. A slight flicker of nostalgia hit her.

"Like?" He beamed.

"When you study in higher ceilings, it enables creativity, while in lower ceilings, it equips one with rational thinking and become more detail-oriented."

Lukas leaned in. "What are you studying?"

"Theater," Min tried to make a joke and immediately took it back, clearing her throat. "Graduated from Psychology."

"You went to med school?" Lukas started clearing the table.

She shook her head. "More like looking for an M.A."

"What's it for? Pre-law? Pre-something else?"

"Now that's crossing the personal line." Min joked. She wanted to get back to her friend, no matter how much she enjoyed their conversation. "For now, I'm looking for a Jo."

He set his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers together. "I only memorized the classes within my department. Which is not Multimedia." Lukas glanced over the 2nd floor. "But, I could ask a faculty member."

"Great!" Min slapped both of her laps and stood up. "I could come with." 

Lukas did not move an inch from his seat. "Aw, I just remembered, the person I have in mind is on leave today."

Before Min could have another idea, the professor snapped his fingers in recollection. "The entire department, actually."

"But it's submission day for her class." She emphasized with growing irritation. "How are they not here?"

"The protocol here is they leave it on the professors' desks. Someone else would be taking after the submissions until they come back." Lukas explained. "It happened once to our department."

"You guys go to outings now?" Min mocked in disappointment.

"Even the most corporate jobs you can find go to outings," Lukas smirked. From the implication, Min dropped back in her seat in defeat.

"I'm sorry," Min quickly mumbled.

"Hey," Lukas put his hands up and waved it around. "This is not for everyone. I take criticism."

Min couldn't stand his irritating mensch-ness, so she took it back.  "It was an insult, but, I'm glad you understand."

Lukas only cracked up. He got it. Not one soul was offended. Min wished she could have this kind of fun with a certain past person. Min thought about this a lot. She tended to be close friends with people who could join in with her slightly disagreeable, judgmental humor or disposition like Jo's. Ben was none of that. He was a textbook people-pleaser. Min started to wonder what she truly saw in him. It's weirder because she had been comparing him to another stranger. A cuter, better-listener, kind of stranger. 

"We could still go to their offices," He invited. "They could show us an entire schedule of Jo's class. They'll understand." 

The two stood up and paraded towards the escalator along with other students. As they gradually went higher, Min looked back to take in yet another beautiful view. 

"It's so airport-y," Min gasped in fascination. Lukas shook his head, trying to hide his amusement.

Min followed Lukas to what felt like multiple hallways, going by several windows and students that hung out by them. Not once that they enter an elevator. Mostly because a swarm of people always occupied it. Min was not exactly a fan of small spaces either. As they went on, she was at this point, confident that she had seen everybody in this place.

Soon enough, they reached a quieter hallway, the uniforms of each person have passed looked more similar to Lukas' and Mrs. Sunna's. The two had finally reached the faculty floor. 

"You built this place for walking didn't you?" Min panted in between her sentences. 

He grinned like a child. "I like to walk." 

"Okay, Lizzie," Min rolled her eyes as she held onto her chest in exhaustion. "It's like a maze around here." 

Lukas stopped at a door, knocking it first before it opened from the inside. He glanced back to signal Min to follow him. 

"Jackie!" Lukas spread out his arms and hugged an older woman in her early 50s. "Covering for the Arts Dept?" 

"Again," She opined like a sweet aunt. Jackie looked like Lukas' grandson at first look for sure. "What are you here for? You're rarely out and about here." 

"Well," Lukas stepped aside to expose Min to view. "Sarah here has a friend who lost her phone, now she's trying to find her friend's current class." 

"Her name is Josephine Beren. Multimedia sophomore." Min gave a polite smile. 

"Couldn't you wait until the dismissal?"

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but, it gets really bad if she loses it. She's been really stressed lately-" 

"Have you tried contacting her phone?"

"Yes! It's with another student."

"Do you know where this student is?" 

"No-" 

"Their name?"

"Um-" 

"Address? Email?" 

Lukas chimed in. "I believe, what she meant was, she wants to find Josephine first then they wait together at the exit after dismissal."

"She is not exactly in a great mood this week, I just want to be there to reassure her," Min added. 

  "You can reassure her by the exit." Jackie gave a sympathetic smile. The smile that somehow made Min's blood boil. 

"Could we see her classroom schedule?" Lukas pleaded. 

Jackie turned to the professor and softened her look. "I'm sorry, dear, but the instructions I was given is, that only within our departments can we give out personal information about students." 

"So many protocols!" Min beamed passive-aggressively. Lukas gently pulled her back behind him. 

"Thanks, Jackie. I'll buy you coffee as promised!" Lukas assured her as he guided Min and himself out of the office.

Jackie waved goodbye until the door closed shut. 

Min glared at Lukas. "Miss Jackie's super nice." 

"Let's find another way, shall we?" Lukas put his wrist up to read his watch. "After my class." 

"So you are busy!" Min chided. 

"Want to come with me?" He blurted out like it was the most casual invite. Min stood there in shock. 

"What?!" She almost shouted.

Lukas shrugged. "I'll tell you you're one of my interns or you're an irregular." 

"Oh, sure, Mr. Weiss! Let's go!" Min answered sarcastically. "I am wasting my time here!" 

"I'm covering a Gen Math professor today, it's a Multimedia class." Lukas insisted. 

Min sighed in frustration, continuing to glare up at the professor. 

"Your friend might very well be there." His voice went soft. His pleading eyes weren't exactly puppy-like, it was weirdly far from that. He just looked like a guy who wanted to genuinely help.

Min also didn't realize that they were actually inches away -- apart from their side of the hallway being narrow. She held her glare as Lukas watched her. It was as if he was viewing her entire face, guessing when it would change. As Min's face softened, she saw the exact moment when his face showed that he caught her. 

She cleared her throat and stepped back. "Lead the way, mister."