Little Bit of Sunshine (Tokyo Debunker x OC)

Chapter 9: Jin

I kept the conversation with the other ball attendees to a minimum. Most of them complimented my work on the mission, applauded for a grand performance, and praised how incredible of a Captain I was. I just acknowledged them and moved on to the next person. I wasn't going to waste my time on bootlickers. Their empty flattery always came with strings attached.

The only thing that kept me going was the time remaining until the ball came to a close. I could finally be at peace in my room afterwards.

The music in the orchestra began. I stopped walking when I didn't recognize the song.

I thought I was hallucinating when I saw the source of the melody. Rory Castillo.

Fuck me.

It had nothing to do with the way the sparkling dress perfectly complimented her olive skin or how perfectly her curls cascaded down to her shoulders. It had nothing to do with her bright contagious smile or how the shine in her eyes could make diamonds dull.

The way she held the attention of the room. How she elegantly moved across the stage without messing up each note. How she brought out several couples to the dance floor in the first few notes. How she earned smiles from the orchestra with one glance.

She was beautiful.

I leaned against a column and observed the show. Those who weren't on the dancefloor took the opportunity to take videos on their phones of the performance.

I noticed the color of the floor changed from icy blue to a warm lavender. Suns appeared with each step the attendees took on the floor before dissolving into specks of light. She occasionally glanced at the dancing couples in between the notes. As she reached the climax of the song, the lilac crawled up the walls and reached the chandelier. The crowd gasped in awe at the transformation. Rory smiled at their reactions.

The lilac then changed to a fuchsia, then red, orange, and through several other colors.

Nearby, I overheard the conversation between two female students.

"No way....Aurora Castillo? Here?!"

"Who?"

"Have you been living under a rock? She's an international actress. I saw her perform in New York a few years ago. I never thought I'd see her again."

While at the infirmary last night, I was having a hard time falling asleep. To exhaust myself, I thought to look into Rory's background.

In regard to her family, it was surprising to see how little information was available online despite their high status. I had to search through dozens of articles and posts to glue the pieces together.

Her father, Amelio Trinidad, was an international fashion designer. Many of Frostheim's students wore his gowns and suits this evening. Her mother, Nicolasa De La Rosa, was the CEO of the ballet theater she was once a prima ballerina of. They had adopted ten children together.

One of them, Brayden Ivanova, had tragically passed away several years ago from a collision with a drunk driver. I would've been in middle school when it happened. He was a jewelry designer whose skills were high in demand by celebrities, politicians, and the like. Not much was available for the other children of the family.

For Aurora Castillo, it was the complete opposite. There were hundreds of videos showcasing her roles like Esmeralda in Hunchback of Notre Dame, Violetta in La Traviata, Maria in West Side Story, and Satine in Moulin Rouge. However, none of those held a candle to her role as Christine Dae in Phantom of the Opera. No wonder she was nicknamed the Angel of Music. The world was her stage.