"So, how are you preparing for your first class, Instructor A?" Raddie asked, grinning at Acma, who was kneading some dough.

"Ugh... Not that topic again!" Acma winced.

"Instructor A?" Zyma's interest was piqued.

Trepie #23 explained, "Acma has been promoted to teaching assistant."

"Really? And you hid the news from Sensei?" Zyma frowned at Acma.

"It's just a trial period while Instructor Trepe's assistant is on maternity leave!" Acma exclaimed. "My stipend stays the same, so don't even think about ripping me off!"

Zyma tapped her head. "Is that all you can think of your Sensei?"

"Ouch!" Acma held her head. "Whose fault is that? Ouch!"

Zyma tapped her head again. "Gosh! I love your baritone voice. It sounds like opera!"

"Enough! Stop that!"

Trepie #23 put on a knowing smile and shook her head, returning to her chopping.

Raddie noticed some movement out of the window and took a sneak peek.

"Oh no!" he hissed.

"What's wrong?" Acma asked, moving to the window. "Oh no!" she echoed.

Zyma frowned. "Is Ultimecia paying us a visit or what?"

"Worse!" Raddie sighed. "I blocked the garage door before coming here, so Sean had to come over on a T-board. Somehow, he brought Instructor Aki. And look, his car is a mess now with Acma's Thundagas…"

"Excuse me!" Acma rolled her eyes. "I was saving your life!"

"Didn't you hit and run his car and start all this?" Raddie retorted.

"Urgh!" Acma exclaimed, then quickly smiled behind her fake mustache. "Good thing I'm in disguise!"

"Cheating!" Raddie narrowed his eyes. "But who are you supposed to be?"

"Um…" Acma stammered, just then Sean knocked on the door. "Coming!" She looked desperately at Zyma. "Who can I be with this Central outfit?"

Zyma shrugged. "Just tell Aki you grew up with me in Centra. His eyesight is so bad; don't worry. Now get the door."

With that, he disappeared into the kitchen.

"Why me?" Acma asked suspiciously.

"You've got this!" Raddie said before also hiding in the kitchen. "Please don't tell them I'm here!"

"Ugh! Men!" she exclaimed, then opened the door.

"Er... which one is which?" Sean asked, confused, as Aki handed him the two black gift boxes.

"I don't know. Why didn't you label them?" Aki frowned, then looked at Acma as the door swung open. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Instructor Aki," Acma greeted in a fake accent. "Nice to meet you. I'm Adam, Zyma's old friend. I just got here from Centra..."

"Centra traditionist! My honor!" Aki exclaimed, glancing at her yellow jumpsuit. To everyone's surprise, except for Zyma who was already giggling in the back, Aki grabbed her face and landed two quick kisses on her cheeks.

Aki then turned his left cheek toward Acma, seemingly waiting for her to return the gesture.

The girl in disguise was dumbfounded, frozen in place.

"How nice of you to remember our tradition, Instructor Aki!" Zyma exclaimed warmly. "Adam, kiss him back. Don't be rude!"

"Of course! Perhaps the young don't bother to keep the formalities, but I respect all tribal traditions..." Aki leaned closer to Acma. "Please, Adam! Let's finish our first meet up your way."

Reluctantly, Acma placed a quick kiss on Aki's cheek and glanced at Sean.

"That won't be necessary, A—Adam..." Sean cringed, then walked in and placed the gift boxes on the side table. "Now, where is my Hyne-damned brother?"

"In the kitchen," Zyma replied, then went to the living room to pour some hot tea for Aki. "Help yourself! Zelbagate tea, your favorite!"

"You still know my taste, son!" Aki nodded as he received the porcelain teacup with an intricate pattern that changed color from blue to red as the hot tea was poured in.

"I've also prepared your favorite," Zyma winked, then quickly set up a board for Triple Triad. "Adam, I suppose you're not familiar with Balamb's rules yet?"

"Um..." Acma was about to refuse, but Zyma was quicker.

"Don't be rude! Instructor Aki is an enthusiast who loves to play by different regions' rules. Am I right?"

"You bet!" Aki said, pulling out his thick, worn deck. "Sit down, Adam. We're going to have a long match. Please entertain this old man."

Without any option, Acma slowly took a seat.

"Did he kiss you like that?" she murmured to Zyma.

"Absolutely. Very long and wetty ones," Zyma replied with a soft smile, quickly adding to break Acma's temporary sign of relief, "I was a chubby little 5-year-old back then, though."

"You're dead to me!" Acma shouted silently. "That was my first kiss!"

"Oh... what?" Zyma frowned.

"So what rules should we play?" Aki cut them off.

"Zyma! Can I have a sec?" Sean also called out from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Zyma replied, then reassured Acma before disappearing. "We'll talk later, yeah?"

"Go away!" Acma grunted.

"I'm sorry!" Zyma grinned nervously, then left, leaving Aki and Acma with their deck.

Instructor Aki, as Acma soon realized, was a formidable Triple Triad player, especially in terms of speed.

It took him 'only' five minutes to place down one card. The real problem was that she desperately needed to pee. Not wanting to be impolite, she waited and waited for what felt like an eternity until Aki decided between the two cards multiple times. Finally, the old instructor placed one down and achieved a nice combo, bringing the deck to a draw.

"Nice! I really need to go to…" Acma murmured in her fake low, deep voice.

"Ah! With Sudden Death, we'll play another match!" Aki, whose hearing aids clearly had not awaken from their nap, shouted. "I'm still sharp, am I not? What are you doing, Adam? Sit down. Don't think I'll let you go that easily. Even if Ultimecia is at the doorstep, we've got to finish this. Your turn!"

The people-pleaser Acma suppressed her need and continued the match. She told herself to distract her discomfort by noticing the surroundings.

Not far away in the kitchen, Trepie #123 kept the water running as she washed the dishes.

"Man struggles upwards; water flows downwards," Aki quoted, pouring tea slowly from the teapot into his cup.

Acma shook her head, trying avoid glancing at the running tea with yellow tint. Her hand sweated and trembled from her internal struggle as she placed her card.

Then Aki filled her empty cup with more tea.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized as some tea spilled onto the table.

"It's okay, I'm good," Acma smiled through her internal protest, covering her cup.

"We're out of tea. Zyma! More hot water, please!" Aki called out.

"Coming!" Zyma quickly appeared with a kettle and poured the boiling water into the teapot. "Huh? Are you okay, Adam?" He noticed that her face had darkened.

Water. Water. Water. And…

"Darling so there you are…" Aki alternated between whistling and humming Eyes on Me, whose lyrics now sounded like a parody to Acma's buzzing ears.

"… with that look on your face

As if you never burst

As if you're never drown…"

The vibrating sound waves resonated through millions of her nephrons that kept going with metabolism, secreting molecules of two hydrogens and one oxygen.

Hyne bless her bladder!

samaqi: In my original work when I was 12, Acma was indeed Instructor A with a silly real name—so silly that, despite being unabashed most of the time, I decide not to disclose it XD.

As for Raddie, nowadays, his full name is Radiante Smailes, which comes from… Radiant Smile. Yes, I didn't know much English back then, lol. You can guess how even sillier Acma's name was!