The wind-blown strands of hair brushed across Shan's cheeks, and he could even catch the faint scent of the girl before him, her pale fingers still clutching his. At such close range, with the small tray limiting movement, he had almost no room to dodge.
"Do you like my song?" the girl's words dissipated in the night wind.
How could he not like it? He was just a normal, ordinary person, faced with such a pretty girl who was also a top singer. Saying he didn't like it was impossible; the hesitation just now was only because he didn't understand why she was asking him.
"Then, would you like to join us?" she said, turning her gaze back to him, those pink-purple pupils shining like the world's most luxurious crystals.
As the girl asked again, facing such a scene, Shan felt his heart beating far faster than usual.
Sorry, Mom of Heaven, your son can't withstand this kind of temptation.
"Mm." Almost the instant he replied, the girl flung him into the night sky.
At that moment, the night lights brightened once more, converging on the boy soaring upwards, then gradually descending, only to be caught again by Alanna's hand.
As if using the momentum of his fall, Alanna gripped Shan's hand and spun in the night sky. Together, they ascended in a spiraling motion, tracing a large arc through the air before slowly descending hand in hand to stand atop the tray.
With one hand on the microphone, Alanna continued her song, while Shan stood by her side, also under the gaze of countless onlookers. There was curiosity, envy, jealousy, surprise, and more.
The final part of the song lasted just over thirty seconds, but in this brief time, Shan's emotions rollercoastered, unsure how to face the many spectators below or explain his relationship with the celebrity girl.
Fortunately, this moment finally passed, and then a silver motorcycle flew through the night sky, picking up the performers for the evening, and he was lucky enough to ride with Alanna.
The Levitation motorcycle whizzed through the night, and the cool evening breeze quickly sobered Shan. It was then that he realized he might have agreed to something serious.
He had just started school, and now he was considering joining such an organization. Was that really okay? Could he have second thoughts now? He looked towards the girl in front.
"It's too late for regrets." As if she knew what he was thinking, the girl in front spoke up.
Soon, the group landed on the roof of a building, a corner of the cityscape where they could overlook the expansive view.
After landing, the others greeted one another, discussing their routes home, then began to pack up their things, and with their instruments and equipment, went their separate ways.
At that time, several people passed by Shan on their way out, smiling and patting his shoulder before leaving.
"Not bad, eh? To have the boss lady come pick you up personally, you must be something special."
"Make the most of it, hehe, there's no shortage of people chasing after the boss lady."
"You looked totally stunned just now, hahaha, I noticed everything from behind."
"Is the boss lady's waist soft? You're one lucky guy; who knows when you'll get to hold her next time."
"Alright, you guys, if you're going to leave, then go."
After giving some instructions, Alanna returned and spotted Shan standing still, receiving the teasing greetings, and shooed those departing comrades away.
"Everyone is actually quite shy; this is just their unique way of expressing friendliness. Don't take it to heart," she said, words Shan found hard to believe. Shy? These people? But he didn't feel it was appropriate to say anything at that moment.
"I know you must have a lot of questions, but don't worry, I'll explain everything tonight." With that, Alanna took Shan's hand again and walked to the edge of the building, overlooking the vast city filled with twinkling lights.