Chapter 35 : Chapter 35
Chapter 35 : Party
"Yeah, late is better than not coming at all!"
Hannah shouted from the circular auditorium stage, and Sal slowed his steps to look at her.
Wearing a form-fitting blue dress, Hannah was dancing with a plastic cup in her right hand.
Her blonde hair fell to one side, covering half of her face, but her bright smile was still clearly visible.
The music was fast-paced, but she rode the rhythm with contrasting sensual movements, and Sal suddenly felt memories of that night resurfacing.
He coughed awkwardly once, then looked away and approached the line gathered around an unfamiliar face.
The chatter of the students sounded strangely comforting.
Whether it was because everyone was wearing casual clothes or because everyone looked happy, for this moment, everything was just good.
And Sal felt oddly happy to be a part of it.
Stepping closer to the front of the line, he saw the man at the front pouring water into a plastic cup.
Then, using his Essence, he changed the color of the water and handed the cup to the waiting student.
The student immediately held out a card to pay.
Sal blinked.
'Selling drinks made with an ability? With hundreds of people in line, and the minimum transaction is 1 Q-Credit? That's incredible.'
Sal couldn't help but admire the creativity.
If he had transformed a large water tank at once, he would have saved Essence, but he might have missed out on sales opportunities.
That might be why this man was using his ability cup by cup.
As the line shortened, Sal gradually changed his mind.
He decided not to drink alcohol.
He hadn't eaten properly all day, and he was worried he might get drunk and recklessly spend his Q-Credits.
Looking around, conversely, quite a few students seemed to have drunk their fill.
The center of the dance floor was a mess of crude hip gyrations, and thanks to that, the sober students were leaving one by one to avoid it.
"What can I get you? It's 1 credit per cup."
It was a familiar and natural line.
The smile accompanying it was practiced, and even the hand gesture pointing to the drink combination sign next to him was smooth.
Sal scanned the sign briefly and ordered a cup of water.
A hint of disappointment flashed across the man's face.
Rather than embarrassing him, Sal held up his Q-Card and smiled.
"You're taking Jez's Administration class, right? That's a really clever idea!"
As the transaction completed, the impromptu bartender smiled broadly and nodded.
"I'm a second-year! Surviving Jez's class to the end is tough, but it's totally worth it!"
Holding his cup of water, Sal left the line and walked around.
Hannah was still dancing enthusiastically, but the stage had already been taken over by drunk men.
Sal had no intention of giving them any attention, but it was nearly impossible not to hear their drunken voices shouting over the music.
While circling the stage once, he was forced to hear about three or four ridiculous pickup lines.
What Hannah heard was a guy boasting about having many connections in the guild world.
Saying he would take care of her after graduation.
He also heard another girl being told she would be invited to the second-year showcase.
Taking a sip of water, Sal watched the men making a fuss over the women and spouting all sorts of promises.
Hannah rolled her eyes at those men and glanced at Sal, and he smiled and moved on.
Looking up towards the stairs above the stage, he saw people gathered, and the atmosphere was simply relaxed and peaceful.
Sal wasn't usually one to come out to places like this.
Although he had friends who enjoyed socializing, that kind of atmosphere wasn't Sal's taste.
Including places like clubs where music thumped loudly.
Since he was young, Sal had often attended charity events or balls with his parents.
If it was a large event even slightly related to the auction house, they were always invited to flashy places, the kind of places a real hero would never set foot in.
The spaces where rich people voiced their opinions loudly sickened Sal, and he never wanted to go to such places again.
Lost in such thoughts, he didn't even notice the music changing to a faster tempo.
What caught Sal's attention was the sudden sensation of two hands covering his eyes from behind.
The hands were warm, and the unexpected touch startled him.
Just as he was about to turn around, a gentle scolding came.
"No, no! You have to guess who it is~"
"Professor Sinclair?"
Sal answered with a deliberately scared voice, and Hannah burst into laughter, releasing her hands from his eyes.
"Can you save me, by any chance?"
On the stage, second-years were awkwardly tangled together dancing.
What was more embarrassing was that the entire group consisted of men.
Every one of them was trying to sneak glances at Hannah.
Seeing them boldly appear at an event meant only for first-years and acting so cluelessly, there was no need to think further about them.
Sal didn't want to get involved with them.
He shook his head slightly at Hannah.
But Hannah didn't give up.
She grabbed Sal's arm and pulled him toward the stage.
"I picked this song. I know you're a good dancer?"
Her eyes sparkled as she pulled his arm harder.
Just as Sal was about to make a vague excuse, a bold second-year approached and put a hand on Sal's shoulder.
"Why don't you dance with me, babe? If making me jealous was the plan, it worked."
Hannah looked at the man as if she were seeing him for the first time, then said firmly.
"No thanks, I've already made up my mind. Let's go, Sal."
She confidently pushed through the crowd of drunk men and walked into the center of the stage.
Then she spun around on her toes, making Sal's arm wrap around her waist.
Her shoulder slipped under his chest, and she tilted her head back to look up at him with a smile.
"I told you you'd regret it, didn't I?"
Sal sighed softly and laughed.
Holding her hand, he spun her under his arm.
"You said we'd bury everything we talked about that night, but to use it like this."
He moved lightly across the stage, gliding to match her pace.
Their bodies entangled and unraveled as if they were one.
Hannah's dress fluttered softly with every turn, and Sal's waist moved smoothly in time with her rhythm.
Sal glanced at her sideways and said.
"Is this what you wanted?"
Hannah turned and flowed with the music, bursting into laughter.
Her gaze kept returning to Sal, and Sal playfully pretended to throw her away before dramatically pulling her back, spinning her around his arm.
As Sal spun his body, he saw the men around them stepping back one by one.
They flinched as if afraid of getting swept up in her spin.
From a distance, it must have looked like Sal was throwing Hannah like a weapon and pulling her back.
His quick footwork must have also played a part in making the drunk men even more nervous.
Sal led Hannah to the center of the stage, fluidly circling her and leading the dance.
His legs flashed left and right in perfect harmony with her movements, and Hannah, wearing a breathless, beautiful smile, moved flowingly to Sal's guidance.
Her gaze moved between steps, measuring the distance, adjusting her body's direction, and entrusting herself to Sal.
But Sal was testing Hannah.
Since Hannah had opened Pandora's box first, it couldn't be closed again now.
Sal vowed to make sure she would never bring up dancing again.
Salsa, of course, but also tango and foxtrot... dances he had learned countless times at balls.
Swing dancing on a stage like this surrounded by drunks was all too easy.
And yet, Hannah didn't back down at all.
Though lacking technical refinement, her tenacity was impressive.
Eventually, when the music ended, Hannah gasped for breath, clutching Sal's sweater, her eyes sparkling.
"You went easy on me just now, didn't you?"
Sal realized in that moment that he had been outplayed.
She had a look on her face that said she would challenge him again soon.
Just as he was about to answer, applause erupted from the entire circular auditorium.
Sal looked around in surprise.
Students were whistling and clapping from various spots in the stands.
Sal raised his hand awkwardly in greeting and walked toward the stairs at the edge of the stage.
Hannah walked beside him, her arm naturally linked with his.
"Foxy bitch."
At someone's muttered words, Sal turned his head, and there stood the second-year male student who had spoken, with two guys behind him.
"What did you just say?"
Sal gave the opponent a chance to back down, but drunk on alcohol and the presence of his friends, the guy spoke even more openly.
"I thought you were a fox... but looking closer."
He pointed at Hannah, who was linking arms with Sal.
"Maybe you're something worse?"
He took out his Q-Card from his pocket.
"How much do you need, babe? You're still a first-year, right? How about 10 Q-Credits? Buy yourself something tasty."
His laughter burst out loudly like a hyena, and his friends giggled along with him.
Hannah's grip on Sal's arm tightened, but he could barely feel it.
Sal took a step forward.
"Are you serious? You're saying crap like that just because she didn't dance with you?"
Hannah let go of Sal's arm and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"Sal, just stop."
Her voice was weaker than usual.
At that single phrase, Sal felt a protective instinct surge from deep within his heart.
Thinking rationally, fighting three second-years was definitely not a good choice.
But right now, he didn't feel like acting very smart.
He was angry.
This was a place where first-years who had had a tough week gathered to take a brief rest in a feeling of safety.
But the second-years were trampling on that meaning.
Sal centered himself and looked straight at the guy running his mouth in front of him.
And he quickly calculated his options.
"Students training to become heroes..."
Sal shook his head in disbelief and turned back toward Hannah.
With an apologetic smile directed at her.
A fight was ultimately the scenario they wanted.
There was no point in playing into it.
Hannah looked relieved, and Sal was relieved that, at least in her eyes, he had made the right choice.
"What did you say just now?"
The second-year who had been running his mouth shouted and charged, flames erupting on his right arm.
There was an almost beast-like energy in his movement.
As Sal flinched, the burning fist bounced off a blue barrier hard.
Hannah's hand was trembling minutely, and it was visible that she was struggling to maintain the barrier without her gauntlet.
The flames grew fiercer, and the guy sneered.
"Do you still have the guts to play games?"
He thrust his head forward, shrugged his shoulders, and took a threatening stance.
And his two friends moved to both sides, surrounding Sal and Hannah as if to trap them in the middle.
Their intention to block any escape route was obvious, and the smirk on their faces clearly contained intent to attack.
"Everyone, everyone... hey! What do you think you're doing?"
A soft voice came from the other side of the stage.
It was Victoria.
As Sal turned his head, she looked straight at the second-years and spoke.
"Do you know how hard Hannah and I worked to prepare this party? It was made for everyone to enjoy. But you guys are ruining it. The effort we put in is going down the drain."
"Honestly speaking, weren't you guys only invited because one of you who makes drinks is useful?"
Her words were tinged with irritation and disappointment, and Sal genuinely wondered if Victoria lacked the ability to read the atmosphere.
Looking at the second-years again, Sal witnessed something unexpected.
They were looking at Victoria with expressions mixed with guilt.
Victoria continued speaking.
Her anger was no longer hidden but carried plainly in her words.
"Since I've given up so much, now it's your turn, right? Let's take off our clothes. Weren't you trying to put on a show?"
There was venom in her words, and Sal only then realized she had been listening to the whole situation.
"Why? Why don't you try acting like foxes for us too? Come on, smile for the camera!"
In shock bordering on astonishment, Sal watched as the students stopped what they were doing one by one and began taking off their clothes on the stage.
They all moved according to Victoria's instructions, completely obedient as if trying to satisfy her somehow.
Victoria didn't stop.
She made them take photos, and made them shout their names, grades, and dormitory room numbers loudly so she could report them later.
Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, she ordered the leader of the pack to burn all the clothes.
The male student used his ability without hesitation to burn the pile of clothes on one side of the stage, and Victoria released her ability at that exact moment.
Reality hit each of them differently.
One realized his belongings were burning, and another became aware of his naked body.
And the last one realized that everyone was looking at them and laughing.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Victoria looked at the student who had insulted Hannah.
"Indecent exposure on campus where everyone can see? And in front of innocent female students? How could you?"
The student hurriedly covered his private parts, jumped off the stage, and ran toward the dormitory.
His friends followed behind him, and seeing them off was a round of applause filling the circular auditorium.
When they had completely disappeared, Victoria turned to the audience and raised her hand high, showing three Q-Cards.
"Drinks are on them tonight!"