9: Build a Boyfriend

Several weeks have passed since the senior Psychology students started with their thesis topics.

“If you have no clarifications for your next assignment, class dismissed.” Professor Montey ended his class.

The students are starting to pack their bags and leave the room. Some stayed to discuss more about their assignment.

“Alejandrino,” Ashmille approached and called him with an uneasy look.

He was sitting at the back left corner of the classroom while she sat at the front middle row. He stood up to face her at almost the same eye level.

The usual cool-looking Drino smiled. “Hi, yes? How’re you doin’?” he asked her.

“Things went smoothly so far.”

“Good to hear. I listened well to Sir’s lecture to not miss out on anything,” he chuckled.

There are times Drino is spacing out or doesn’t listen carefully to his teachers, especially if the lesson or the teacher bores him. However, this time, he’s keen and attentive to them. And he said it proudly to Ashmille like a boy telling his mother confidently of his accomplishment at school.

“Except for one.”

“Except for one?”

She nodded silently. “I’m having trouble with my survey questionnaire… I did five questions, but it doesn't sit right with me. I consulted with Sir Montey a while ago. I thought they were okay at first, but he said they’re a bit lacking with proper flow and enough substance. He gave me samples to follow. Somehow, it gave me clues to how it should be. How did yours go?”

“I did a few. I had minor revisions earlier, then after that, he approved it.”

“That’s nice,” she smiled.

“Will you be finishing yours soon?”

“Hopefully, yes. Anyway, we could chat if we need something from each other. Bye.”

“Oh, wait,” she called her before she left him. “By any chance, are you free right now?”

“I have no specific plans except revising my survey questions at home. Why?”

“We could swing by a café near the school. We could update each other’s progress.” He gestured with his thumb, pointing at the café outside the school he was referring to. “And I’d be happy to help with your survey.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, taken aback. “I don’t mean to disturb you.”

“Nah, you don’t. I’ve got plenty of time for this since I’m done with mine.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Ready to go?”

She nodded and smiled.

They packed up their belongings, slung their bags over their shoulders, and stepped out of the school grounds together. They went inside the jam-packed café with mostly college students.

“What a crowd,” Ashmille mumbled.

“Yeah.” He turned his eyes to different seats. “There’s a seat over there.”

They approached a man in his mid-20s, wearing a black shirt and light gray pants with a white cap and silver-framed eyeglasses, sitting alone beside the window in a 4-seater chair. He is reading a book.

“Sir,” Drino excused. “Are these seats taken?”

The man raised his head and looked at them.

“No,” he answered.

“Great,” Drino smiled. “We’ll share this spot with you.”

He nodded in agreement.

Ashmille sat beside the empty chair while Drino sat beside the man. Drino took their orders. He went to the cashier to order.

While waiting for him, Ashmille turned her gaze to the book the man was reading. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head to read the title of the book.

“Finding the Love You Desire,” she murmured.

She thought that it was interesting what the man had been reading. She took out her phone and connected it to the café’s free Wi-Fi. She typed to search what the book is all about. She slightly nods repeatedly when she reads the blurb and the background of the author.

She is contemplating grabbing a copy of the book and reading it for her thesis. However, she cannot guarantee to finish it on time because of the gradual pile-up of her to-do list. She also checked her money in her wallet to see if it would suffice to buy it at a nearby bookstore. She sighed in frustration to see coins and some paper money, enough to pay for a drink she had just ordered.

She forgot to ask her parents for extra cash. Her spending has increased since her thesis comes with expenses.

“Got ‘em,” Drino arrived and put their orders on the table. “I forgot to ask you if you want a dessert, so I got us one of each with 2 different flavors you can choose from.”

It took him a long time to request an order because of the long line.

“You didn’t have to. Thanks.”

Ashmille felt worried when she saw the cake Drino ordered. Her cash is not enough to pay for both her drink and cake.

They both took a sip after waiting patiently for their drinks.

“Before the questionnaire, why don’t we start by sharing a pitch of our final proposed solutions? I can help you figure out the best questions to write.”

“That’s a good idea. Let’s go with that.”

Drino placed his tablet on the table, and Ashmille did the same, but with her laptop, notebook, and ballpen.

“To further explain the idea and prototype, I hereby call this method ‘Build a Boyfriend’, based on a romance algorithm that builds a boyfriend for women who seek the right romantic relationships.”

She tapped a button on her laptop for the next slide.

She continued. “I based my proposed solution on the existing study, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of it. I also read a lot about it when I researched for my review of related literature for my proposed solution.”

“Uh-huh.” She tapped her laptop keyboard again. “Introducing… The 16 MBTI Personality Types. This will be my basis for my proposal.”

She continued her report. They both exchanged their opinions and clarifications.

“By the way, Sir Montey has brought up doing the same but not identical proposed solution for our topics.”

“He said that to me as well.”

Minutes later, after Ashmille’s short pitch, she started doing something.

“What are you doing?” Drino asked.

“I’m drafting my survey questionnaires,” Ashmille mumbled. She’s busy writing in her notebook with a black ballpen in her right hand.

“Here’s mine.” Drino gave her his printed questions on A4 white paper.

She reads all of it. “You’re already done,” she wondered, but was also amazed.

“Quite a surprise, huh?” he smirked, crossing his arms.

“Don’t get me wrong. You made these 15 questions pretty quickly. I thought you were going to add more because you said you did a few.”

“I can help you with yours.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure, why not. In which part are you having a problem with?”

“Hmm…” she contemplates. “Almost everything”

“Let me see.” He asked for her notebook, where she composes her questions.

“Your questionnaires are insightful. You’ll extract the information you need with these.”

“Are you overthinking stuff?”

“No… not really. Why did you ask?”

“I know this would be a piece of cake for you. So, I was wondering what’s hindering your mind from coming up with questions.”

“You’re overestimating me. I’m not that bright.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I suggest you stop getting your hopes up.”

They both laughed softly.

The café is getting noisier as more people come by, but there are no available seats at the moment.

Drino’s attention was pulled by the quiet man sitting beside him. He caught him staring at Ashmille.

She started typing something on her laptop, which Drino thought were her notes, but the man was sneaking a peek every 10 seconds at her for no specific reason.

“Maybe this method would work,” he said, clearing his throat. “I suggest reconstructing everything from the top, so that you’ll know the flow of your questions and get the answers you want from your respondents.”

“Okay”

“But you don’t have to delete the first five you’ve written. You can use it as your reference.”

He also gave her examples on how to start asking the respondents a question and how to follow up to form a connection and a satisfying outcome.

Ashmille typed something on her laptop.

“Um, what do you think of this?” She pushed and slid her laptop gently so he could read what was on the screen.

The man sitting beside you is staring at me

Drino glanced at the man she was referring to and saw the man looking at them. He averted his eyes and went back to reading his book.