Clothes check.

  Shave check.

  Mouthwash check.

  Hair… uuurgh.

  Jun threw his hair brush into the sink in disgust and looked bato the mirror. Dressed to impress in a specially tailored suit gifted from his baby momma, Jun was looking pretty suave with simple silhouettes and silver framed gsses to establish the look of an intellectual. If only his hair would work with him.

  Desi had pnned out his entire look and was in charge of getting him ready. He could have asked Aunt Mary or Lily for help, but even till the st moment, he hadn’t given up hope that she’d show up.

  She hadn’t. But she would. She promised, after all.

  Frustrated hands roughed up ten minutes of failure, and the mop returo its natural state. Mopy.

  Leaving the men’s room, his feet feeling unfortable in his new shoes, Jun power walked towards the Student Square. Even from a distance, he could already see the crowds beginning to form around a massive white glowing cube that was dominating the public space, easily t over the heads of curious bystanders. It was a simple, solid magic light barrier that was hiding his surprise from view and access.

  The entire project had been designed into individual modules aly handcrafted during the past year. Hours had beehe night before, digging out a huge k of the square and assembling all the pos behind the veil of the barrier that would soon py the role of the backdrop for his presentation.

  A lot of preparation had goo pnning with a lot of help from Davie and Lily. Lily posed the apa and desighe acoustics programs while Davie had taken it upon himself to hahe fleet of drohat were going to make it all possible. Davie was great with drone cams and they all had a lot of fun ing up with the coordination. Even Aunt Mary e early to lend a hand with the setup while he was still finishing exams. Uncle Juan had a colborations project with a few other film prompters, but promised to make it on time.

  Juhem a lot.

  He sed the crowds in search of a face. One small group standing by his nervous looking aunt and Lily was especially noticeable as the only group of elders in a sea of young students. Professor Kindley and several of his colleagues amiably versed with Aunt Mary, while the Dean and a few other professors, including Professor Diass, looked like they had a thousand other, more important pces to be. What a bunch of dicks.

  Sing around, he still didn't see Desi or Danny. The pn was for Danny to che and ensure Desi came before the presentation. He was the only persorusted to take the assig. After his chat with Nicole, although he seemed calm, Jun was feeling a growing unease in his chest. He couldn't expin it, but he was desperate to hold the mother of his future child in his arms again. It had been too long.

  “Jun!”

  Excitedly, Jun turo the voice, only to be disappointed.

  “Geez, don't be so happy to see me bro,” said lil Davie, Danny's 18-year-old little brother who, along with Lily, was entering the Uy as freshmen. Although younger, it was clear that Davie was going to be much rger than his older brother. Even at just 18, Davie was already 6' and almost as bulky as his brother. He had the same good looks and dark hair his brother had, and an eveer blessed talent in body cultivation.

  Another iance of his mother was an impressive temper. Boy liked to fight. A week wouldn't go by without lil Davie getting into trouble. Thankfully, the parisons with the woman stopped there.

  Perhaps due to the trauma of the early abando of his mother, Davie valued bonds and loyalty as his persohos. His and the Khis Family were his number one priority. He didn't open up to others easily, but oneone earned his trust, lil Davie wouldn't mind making any sacrifice for a friend in need, so was especially hurt whenever a friend would betray that trust. Jun was always hoo be included in the core circle of Davie's heart.

  “Haha, sorry, I'm just anxious. Have you heard from your brother yet? They should be here by now.” Jun asked, giving the surroundings another s.

  “No, her of them have been answering our calls. Danny said he was going to have a talk with Desi on the way over. I'm sure they'll show up any sed now.” Davie reassured him. “Actually, I came by because of something else.”

  Davie became more serious, so Jun did too.

  “What's up?”

  “It's the streaming ptform. I 't seem to log in. I've tried tag the devs, but I've been on hold since forever. We o start soht?”

  Jun didn't like the sound of that. Davie helped with his streaming sometimes, but it was Danny that really drove the teical side to the business. Now the question was, could he afford to wait for Danny to resolve the issue, or did they o aow?

  The pn had been to stream his thesis presentation and the unveiling of his visioake this opportunity to reveal his identity while also introdug his rune cepts, as well as thank his supporters with the prepared gifts. Most of this had been pnned with Davie so as not to distract Danny from his own finals period. Now he was regretting not running things by him first. Whatever. Decisions had to be made.

  Jun accessed his wrist a a file to Davie.

  “I just sent you the list of my live stream supporters. Let's just start up a new el for now and only ihat list. We already notified them of tonight, so a quick message for the ge in room should be fine. Once you've got that done, release the drone cams. Okay?”

  “Got it.” Without another word, Davie was gone. Jun was thankful.

  “Jun!” Once again, Jun turned with anticipation, only to be disappointed, which he couldn't show.

  “Professor Kihank you for f my aunt. She's been very anxious.”

  “Not at all, not at all. Delightful young woman. Absolutely delightful. I reassured her she had nothing to be ed about, which is true, but then the Old Farts Gangs came over to be snotty.” The Professor actually spit on the ground at this, shog Jun once more, “Childish. Utterly disgraceful behavior. I'm very much looking forward to seeing their stupid faces when they see what you've brought. Hell, I'm looking forward to my stupid face when I see this. I've eve up my wrist for a selfie. Heehee.”

  His fideouched Jun a it was well pced. He, too, was ied in everyone's stupid faces. Recorder drones equals memories of youth, get.

  “Anyway, I uand it from the lovely Ms. Khis that you're pnning to start things off with a dedication? Has the young dy made her appearance? We should start soon, I think.” Professor Kindley said, looking around as if expeg to see her hiding behind Jun's back.

  “Um, no Professor, but she should be here any sed now.”

  “Good, good. I'm very excited Jun. Very excited.” The Professor said o time before sauntering back towards his aunt, waviedly with a smile. It seemed his professor was crushing on his aunt. Dirty old man was 165 this year and making moves. He was excited to see what would happen when Uncle Juan finally made it.

  “Yo, Jun!”

  Jun turned around, another shot of adrenaliing a wall of disappoi.

  An assembly of familiar faces approached with a stramosphere. Some were mutual friends he shared with Desi, and some were guys he khrough Danny. Jun liked them just fine on most days, but being more their friends than his, he didn’t really want to talk to them when he was feeling sile. But he smiled and waved a greeting and gave the ary banter and thahem for ing by.

  He normally got along fairly well with Desi’s friends sihey were usually iive fields as well, so they had lots of things to talk about and had a good rapport. Danny’s friends were the usual alpha pack jocks that Danny refused to believe he art of, and didn’t normally hang out with their physical lessers, so Jun ied with them the least. Not that they were overtly dicks about it, but they were usually some form of dicks. Nice guys though.

  The added peculiarity of the situation was that he’d never seewo groups iing before. Did they just naturally collide as they were approag to greet him? Was that why they kept nervously eying each other? Was this going to be the day multiple couples were going to form? Could he take credit for the formation of so many auspicious unions? He’d be made godfather to at least a few kids, right?

  Jun’s mind was w aimlessly as he looked at his friends and waited in the awkward silence while they g each other and unicated with their eyes. He’d just casually asked if they’d like to join their group for the after-party and was met with this se. To him, it looked like a bunch of boys and girls in the beautiful process of falling in love. It was adorable.

  Finally, after a few heavy moments of silence, Wendy looked like she was going to speak for the group. All eyes were on her as she looked Jun straight in the eyes and said.

  “Break a leg.”

  And ran off. The rest of the group was stunned as they watched her waddle away.

  Kennedy, the biggest of Danny’s friends, towered over Jun and patted his bad said, “You got this brother,” before running after Wendy. The rest of the group gave Jun a strained smile and hurried after him.

  ‘Oh my lordy, is Kennedy crushing on Wendy? He’s super gentle in trast to his image, so I think Wendy would be into him. Damn, I was hoping to get her and Danny together. Your loss my brother.’ He thought as he watched the group run off. That was a very odd iion.

  “Jun!” Heart in his throat, he turo find Nicole and Tiana running towards him, looking stri.

  Jun didn't know why his friends were so anxious but it awoke something. Somethiing that had been hiding in the ers of his heart. Something he couldn't face was now demanding his attention.

  He didn't know why he felt like he was about to suffocate, why a chill was f in his core, or why he suddenly wao run far away, but he khat there was a ge.

  Something had shifted.

  He didn't know what, but rather than finding out, he wao flee.

  But he didn't. He couldn't.

  He wished he had.