Red Carpet

Ethan was lying down on the couch. His eyelids flutter furiously and a familiar ceiling comes into vision. He slowly wakes up and sits down on the couch. His head was throbbing with pain.

"…There is a glass of water and medicine besides you…"

Ethan heard her voice and turns around to look at her. She was sitting across the table on the couch. They are at Raven's Penthouse. It seems he finally left that place alive! Is it really over?

His head hurt as he tried to think about what happened. He picked up the medicine and swallowed it together with glass of water. Headache starts repressing and his mind finally become clear.

"…What happened to me?"

"You should start by telling me how did you ended up there?"

Ethan didn't hold back anymore and told her everything with just a slight edit of his cooler version. There is no way he is going to tell her that he was scared shitless there. She can differentiate between lies but he just need twist the words correctly to make it believable.

"Good job."

"…Really?"

Ethan had hard time believing her. He thought she will get angry at him for being careless but forgive him since he did bring useful information but she actually praised him. He can't help but feel that all of this worth it!

"…I wouldn't like it if you had come back empty hand…but you did bring something interesting."

"But you had to save me in the end?"

"…Using everything in your arsenal is the just another way to win."

"…What actually happened to me after that?"

"That man had poisoned you. It was highly lethal. It works slowly inside the body and melt with blood, making it untraceable to diagnosis. It was just your luck that I know someone good with poison."

"…you know a person who is good with poison?"

"I know a person in everything…"

"…"

"...Am I supposed to understand that it was another of those politics play right now?"

Officer had poisoned him even though he was supposed to be a victim. What other reason it would be, if not to silent him?

"…Yes, it was. He is not our problem anymore. He doesn't have anything to track us. So, it will better to forget about him."

"…I understand and thank you."

"…You already said that."

Ethan felt real gratitude toward her. She might be tough on him but that doesn't change the fact that she helped him in critical time. He doesn't care about that jerk anymore. It's not like he had strength to do anything to him.

"…I think you should start preparing yourself to infiltrate that birthday."

"…Haa?"

"...Did you not hear me?"

"…No, Why am I supposed to go there in the first place?!"

He was just a step away from death. Doesn't he deserve some vacation? Does this woman really have no compensation for him? No, wait a minute…

"Raven, do you hate parties?"

"…"

Her silence gave him the answer he was looking for. That praise wasn't nothing more than a carrot to make him run. She doesn't want to go to the birthday party at all. She is just dumping her work on him! ...but something did bother him.

"You actually live right above a club!"

Ethan still felt vibration of music and shouts from down below. It doesn't affect his sleep but there is no way she actually hate the parties. She lives right above a place where every night is a party night!

"…This party and that party is different, you will only understand that after attending it. It's a chance for you to see how this kind of places works."

"…I don't want to… It's one thing if it is to act in front of one or two people but it is entirely different thing to do that in front of many people."

"Everything is same as long as you believe it. Do you not remember how I took care of that trash in front of you?"

Ethan remembered how she played that officer. His frustration can't be more obvious to him. He won't deny that it was cool when she threw the envelope on his desk and turns around saying 'It was nice fooling you'. He would love to do that but he knows he doesn't have her charisma in him.

"…Can't you take over from here?"

"…If you successful took care of it, I will add this into your reward for that bet."

"…Learning Rune in one month?"

"…Hmm."

"…Isn't that unfair? I mean if I failed, I would stand with empty hand here…"

"Aren't you confident in winning? If you win, I would put everything in a single reward for you. I believe you will love it."

"…Really?"

"…Hmm."

Ethan smiled shyly as he looked forward to reward he will get. He got a sudden inspiration to do it. He will make sure to investigate that man to the end of his life!

"…By the way, you can't enter that place with facemask. There will be S-Rankers and people with various skills. They will see through your facemask in a heartbeat."

"…Isn't that a problem?!"

"It won't be, as long as you are careful."

"…I hope you aren't just encouraging me."

"I would at the least help you in that. It would on you once you get inside the party."

Ethan didn't say anything and lie down to rest. He still didn't fell that he has recovered completely.

*

The day of birthday party has come and Ethan had done nothing but practice runes till the end of the day. He was hoping he could learn it till the last day but he still lack when it comes to stabilization all three aspect of runes with mana outside.

There are only two more days left in end of vacation and start of academy. He is able to draw runes since third week but he had been unable to make it work. He is not really confident about making it work in two days but he can't actually give up now, can he?

He was training inside his room with handgun. His sword is broken and asking for Raven's help doesn't sound good to him anymore so he just stick to gun for rest of his time. He is sure that he can use both sword and gun with both hands now. He is getting excited about how it would turn out.

Tring.

His I-Link rings, Ethan looked at his wrist and found out its 6 p.m. already. It was time to get ready for his little party. There is no way he is going to with his looks, so by courtesy of a beautiful lady, he have appointment with one of the best salon of human domain. It seems his life is finally taking its turn for good.

Will he become more handsome than both of his two degenerate classmates? What will be first thing he would like to do once he became handsome? Looking into the mirror? Hitting on girls? He found himself thinking what good will being handsome will brought…

Ethan climbed the elevator and reached the upper floor. Raven was sitting there on the couch while reading a book and a black suit was lying to her side. Ethan went toward her and picked it up. It was a three piece suit of black color. He can tell that he will look good on it without even wearing.

"You do know you can wear it, right?"

"…Ahem, I am just checking it."

Raven glanced at him lazily from the corner of her eyes while reading her book. Ethan hurriedly picked it up and made his way to bathroom. He was sweaty and tired from training so he chose to refresh himself first before anything else.

Ethan was standing in front of a mirror after half an hour. He looked at his face that is going to change into handsome one. Ethan wants to click a photo of his old face for a reference but he recently found out that he is Scopophobic. It was not about his memory but it is more like a reflexive reaction of avoiding camera's like he is scared to be watched.

Ethan finally come out and looked at Raven, standing while resting her hips on the bar. She raised her head and looked at him as he comes out.

"You sure took your time."

"…I am kind of nervous."

"Don't mess up if possible."

"Yes! Ma'am!"

Ethan followed her and both of them went down with elevator. Both of them come out of the building and Ethan stands in front of it while Raven keeps walking to his left. She stopped and looked at the Ethan who was standing like an idiot waiting for wind.

"…What are you doing?"

Ethan turned toward her and noticed that he was the only one standing while Raven was walking away from him.

"…Aren't we going on a car?"

She just shakes her head at his stupidity.

"…First of all, do you really think that you are a celebrity or something? Because I don't. You don't even own your suit and are borrowing it by me…"

"…"

"…What did you actually think? You are going to come out of a car and walk on a red carpet and people will stand on the sidelines, clicking photos of you while shouting your name out loud or something."

Ethan turned silent at her painful remarks. He will be lying if he said he didn't… at the least not completely…after all there are S-Rank and many famous figures coming to this birthday party. Even though he is no one, that doesn't mean he will not attract any attention toward himself by going to this party.

Raven didn't bother herself with him anymore and keeps walking on her way. Ethan hurriedly catches up with her. He looked toward her and tried opens his mouth but suddenly felt his feet sink into the ground.

He looks around and found himself in her shadow. He wants asked her about more things he need to be careful of but stop himself as he thought time will answer everything by itself.

He must say that travelling through her shadow his more comfortable and faster than anything else. He can't tell its speed but he felt it as the fastest way he had travelled until now.

Both of them come out and stand in front of best salon in human domain. It is covered by transparent mirrors all around letting him see inside it. There is a reception in front of it, and wall standing behind it.

"Go."

"…Aren't going to come with me?"

"Should I also follow you to the party while we are at it? You might need my help into doing your job, after all…"

Ethan turned silent at her sarcastic remark. He never even went to cheapest salon in his life and now he is standing in front of one of the best salon in human domain. Shouldn't she help her slightly? What if they turn him into a clown by mistake?

"…Nothing like that is going to happen. Go in I will be here when you come out."

She walked forward without looking back, leaving Ethan standing on his place. He just looked around and took breath to release his nervousness along with his breath. He went inside and walk to the beautiful receptionist sitting there, looking at him with a smile.

"Do you have appointment, sir?"

"…Yes…Yes. I have."

"…"

Both of them stare at each other for some time. Ethan thought about what she is trying to do but her professional smile was only making him more nervous.

"…Your name, sir."

"…Hmm."

"…Your name, sir. I need to check your appointment. I can't do that without your name."

"…Ah...Ahem, It's Ethan."

Ethan faked a cough and licked his lips as he tried to hide his embarrassment. He is pretty sure that woman is looking down on him right now.

"You can go inside, you have special reservation, so you don't need to wait anymore."

Ethan doesn't understand anything she said and went forward in the direction she pointed to. Another beauty was standing there who leads him to the chair with mirror.

He sat down on it and a man with androgynous look comes to him not too long. He stared at him from the mirror and the androgynous man circled around him as if he was an alien.

"What would you like?"

"…"

"…Look, I would be honest with you. I have no idea about anything and it's my first time coming to a place like this. I am just hoping you will do enough to make me look good by any means…"

Ethan came clean as he knows it is time to be honest. Androgynous man grinned as he untied Ethan's hair and messed it up.

"…Then you came to right place, my friend~. I can even turn a clown into handsome stripper~"

Ethan didn't feel a least bit of assured by his words. He just closed his eyes and leave himself to his fate.