Basic Training Graduation Ball (2)

"You wouldn't mind dancing with me, right?" asked Sally.

Jeston stared at her with a blank face.

His classmates beside him suddenly started shoving him.

Pah!

One even kicked his butt as rose from the chair after being shoved.

"Hey, get up!"

"Don't make her wait, you idiot!"

When he finally got up, he immediately approached her and offered his hand.

Sally ignored his hand and wrapped her arm around his arm.

"This is better, right?"

Everyone, especially the men, had their eyes wide and their mouths open while cheering inside their hearts.

As for Jeston, his mind was blank. All he could think were 2 things.

Sally's side-boob pressing against his arm and the smell of her sweet perfume on his nostrils.

Sally pulled his arm.

"Brother Jeston, are we going or not?"

Their male classmates were biting their tongues, suppressing the urge to shout at him and focus on the mission. Some of them even had their knuckles turned white from balling their fists too tightly.

"I'm sorry, Sister Sally. I was taken for a moment by your perfume."

"You don't like it?"

"No, it smells so lovely that I just want to stand here and bask in its fragrance."

"You never told you you're such a charmer, brother!" she said and smiled as she stepped forward and pulled him along. "Come, I want to win an award tonight!"

Seeing Jeston and Sally stepping into the middle of the hall and were also the first couple to step in, all of their male classmates were cheering loudly, causing the rest of the people inside the hall to look at them.

Roderick wiped the tears from his eyes.

"We were all wrong, brother. Sister Sally was the best girl after all…"

As for their female classmates, aside from Vivian who was busy enjoying a bottle of wine and some light snacks, the rest were staring at each other with a look of confusion on their faces.

But in the case of Kara, she also had a guilty expression.

Uliah and Samantha turned to Diane who was the closest with Sally, trying to look for some answers. However, her face said it all. She too didn't know what prompted Sally to do that.

Seeing Jeston and Sally as the first couple to dance, the couples from the other platoons decided to join in as well.

When the first song ended, Sally and Jeston along with some of the couples returned to their seats.

Jeston escorted Sally to her seat and bowed before returning to his seat. 

He had his chin slightly up and back straight than usual as he went over to his seat. And when he finally sat down on his seat, he was greeted with pats and high-fives from his male classmates.

And as the next song began to play, some of the boys, Brava, Daler, Ejaz, Jergen, Xander, Earl, Zean and Crew got up as well. But instead of heading over to their female classmates' table, they went to the tables of the other female platoons.

Uliah, Kara, Diane and Samantha didn't say anything and pretended to be busy.

Only Vivian and Sally remained calm and collected.

When the silence became unbearable, it was Uliah who spoke first.

"Sister Sally, I didn't know you see Brother Jeston that way."

"He's actually a good person but I don't see him that way. And plus, I don't want to see a classmate of mine getting embarrassed."

Uliah, Diane and Samantha glanced at Kara who lowered her head.

Sally let out a sigh.

"Just say it."

They all looked at each other but no one wanted to say it.

Uliah kicked Kara's leg, causing her to turn to her.

"Me?"

"You started this."

"I did not. It's not like I can control who approaches me," Kara said and turned to Diane. "It should be you."

"Although we're close, I wasn't the one who started this."

Kara bit her lip and turned to Samantha.

"Sister Samantha, you want to ask Sister Sally, right?"

"Um… Ah… Um…" she said as she began panicking and looking everywhere.

"Don't look away, sister. YOU WANT TO ASK SISTER SALLY, RIGHT?"

Samantha lowered her head and continued mumbling incoherently.

"Sister Kara, stop bullying Sister Samantha," said Uliah.

Kara turned to her.

"I am not."

She returned her gaze to Samantha.

"Right, sister?"

"Um… Ah… Um…"

Vivian, who already had enough of listening to the 4 women pushing each other, put down her empty glass of mine.

"What they want to ask you, Sister Sally, is that: Aren't you already engaged?"

Given that she all shared a room for 2 weeks, naturally, due to boredom, some secrets were revealed.

Sally put down her glass as well.

"Yes. But like I said earlier, he's a good person but I don't see him that way and I don't want to see a classmate of mine getting embarrassed. On top of that, we're in a ball, there's nothing wrong with dancing with someone."

Uliah, Kara and Samantha stared with their mouths opened and their eyes burning with adoration.

"So mature!" they all said.

Sally's lips slowly curled up into a smile and she picked up her glass once more and took a sip.

"It's nothing really."

Uliah, Kara and Samantha cast their gaze down and began contemplating.

Diane, on the other hand, given that she was close with Sally, already more or less knew how Sally thinks.

And as for Vivian, she couldn't care any less.

"S-S-S-S-Sister P-P-P-Platoon L-L-Leader! M-May I have this dance?!" a male voice suddenly interrupted.

All of the women turned to who spoke and saw it was Roderick.

Just like Jeston from earlier, his upper body was bent down, making his body look like an inverted L, his hand was extended and he was sweating bullets. However, he had his eyes closed and his hand was shaking.

Shit…!

Vivian glanced at her classmates.

Should I still play the Sister Platoon Leader role…?

Would it leave a bad taste on my record…?

But…!

Fuck…!

Roderick who was still bent down and extending his arm with his eyes closed and handshaking was slowly losing courage when she suddenly felt something small and soft touch his hand.

"I would love to, Brother Roderick," Vivian's voice rang in his ears and he quickly raised his head, his face wondering if he was imagining things.

Everyone around was shocked to see Vivian accept his invitation because she was known to ignore all of her suitors. She even shut Warren down who had 5 Magic Art Affinities.

Vivian smiled.

"Brother Roderick?"

Roderick cleared his throat and escorted Vivian to the dance floor.

Once they reached the dance floor, he placed his right hand on Vivian's lower back and held her left hand. Meanwhile, Vivian placed her left hand on his right shoulder and held his left hand.

Roderick and Vivian didn't say a word to each other as they began dancing.

In reality, when it came to Roderick, he was simply speechless. In his arms was a beautiful, powerful and smart woman who could crush him in a blink of an eye. The feeling of having such a woman in his arms and leading her was too intoxicating for him that all he wanted right now was to enjoy this moment and wish it could last forever.

The song ended and they stopped dancing. They both step away from each other and Roderick led Vivian back to her seat.

And as they were making their way back to their tables, they noticed that some of their classmates already had partners and were heading to the dance floor.

Uliah was escorted by Crew.

Diane was escorted by Earl.

And Samantha was escorted by Turd.

Meanwhile, their other male classmates went to the other Platoons, particularly on the Orion Chapter Temple side.

Roderick and Vivian finally reached the women's table.

Vivian sat down. Meanwhile, Roderick suppressed the urge to kiss her hand and simply bowed instead.

"Thank you for the dance, Sister Platoon Leader."

"Thank you too, brother."

Roderick turned away and went back to his seat.

I'm feeling hungry again…

Vivian swept her gaze around to look for a waiter or waitress.

When she finally made eye contact with a waiter, she beckoned him to come over.

"How may I help you, Honored Priestess Crusader?"

"I want another steak, salad and also another bottle of wine. I also want a cake -- no, make it 4 pieces of cake but different flavors."

"Yes, Honored Priestess Crusader," the waiter said and then left.

"You're ordering for everyone, Sister Platoon Leader?" asked Sally.

"Oh, you wanted to order as well?"

"You weren't ordering for everyone?"

"No, that was just me."

"Oh…"

As Vivian poured wine on her half-empty glass, a Priest approached her.

"Good evening, Sister Platoon Leader Vivian."

Vivian turned her head and saw a somewhat unfamiliar man.

He was "unfamiliar" to her because although she knew his face and he was part of the 8-23rd Company, she didn't know his name and they had never spoken to each other before.

"Yes?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Brother Zack from the Holy Chapter Temple and the Platoon Leader of Platoon 1."

"I see. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to ask if I can invite you to dance."

"No thank you," Vivian said with a quick and dismissive tone as she picked up her glass and swirled the wine inside it before taking a sip, completely ignoring him.

"I understand. Have a great evening," he said and smiled before leaving.

"He wasn't your type?" asked Sally.

"I'm just not interested."

And just a second later, another Priest approached Vivian.

"Good evening, Sister Platoon Leader Vivian."

Vivian turned to him.

"What?"

The Priest was taken aback for a moment by Vivian's unfriendly demeanor but was quickly able to recover.

"I am Brother Platoon Leader Sam, the Platoon Leader of Platoon 5 and I would like to invite you to a dance."

"No thank you," Vivian said and looked away.

Sam's jaw dropped.

He saw Vivian dancing with Roderick earlier. And if he were to be honest, he was superior to Roderick in every regard. No, most people were actually superior to Roderick.

He also saw Zack trying to invite her to dance and got rejected. And although he and Zack had their strengths and weaknesses, they weren't that different from each other when it came to talent and prestige.

He wanted to ask Vivian what Roderick had that he and Zack didn't but suppressed it because he didn't want to cause a scene.

"Have a great evening," he said and bowed before turning away.

"Not your type again?" asked Sally.

"I'm just not interested in dancing with anyone."

"But you danced with Brother Roderick."

"Just like you, it's a privilege simply reserved for classmates. And plus, I'm your Platoon Leader."

Sally simply smiled and picked up her glass as she took a sip.

Vivian resumed eating.

Ever since she learned [Greater Origin Transformation] which gave her her Greater Demon Form, not only did her appetite increase which required her to eat at least 9 meals a day to feel satisfied, but even the water she needed and her tolerance for alcohol also greatly increased that she needs to drink at least 2 bottle of wine before she could start to feel something.

The song ended and their classmates who went to the dance floor to dance returned.

And as for Kara, she was simply quiet.

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