Serendipity ○ All 14

9. Victor

Jesus. He couldn't believe that just happened. Victor tossed back his drink in one gulp, wiping away the excess liquid that dripped down his chin. He gagged at the strong taste.

"Ugh. It tastes like how rubbing alcohol smells." Victor scrunched his face up in confusion at his own words and crushed the plastic cup, then tossed it in the fire. "Nevermind. That didn't make sense. Whatever."

Kota gave him a sympathetic smile.

The girl looked way too sweet and innocent to be a fangirl. He should've known that looks could be decieving.

Kota stood up and walked with Victor to the edge of the lake, away from the fire. "It will work out."

"I don't know about that," Victor said. His shoulders slumped when he thought back to the spectical the girl had made. He was relieved that their neighbor rushed her away without asking questions.

Everyone probably knew he was famous now. He thought he escaped it all when the virus hit. He felt free of the responsibility of putting on a fake face.

He was happy that he could be open in his relationship with Sang without having to worry about the judging eyes of society. Even though they broke up, he still enjoyed the privacy.

He didn't want to be put under a microscope again.

Kota pushed his glasses up when they started to slip. "No one will bug you. Our neighbors said our privacy wouldn't be broken. I doubt they'll even care."

"You seen her face. She looked like she had won a big prize."

"No offense, but I don't think these people are big fans of your type of music," Kota told him as he looked at the survivors dubiously.

Victor started to feel more comforted. Kota was right. It was probably just a fluke.

He noticed how Kota kept tapping his foot nervously while he looked around for Jessica. It was a little overbearing, but Victor would be the same if he had one of his family members left after losing everyone else.

It would smooth over once they got used to the people around them. It didn't help matters that they already had one survivor fixate on the girls before they arrived in New Haven. Nobody wanted a repeat of that incident.

Victor shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on the heels of his feet. He tipped his chin in the direction of the party. "Go ahead. I'll be fine here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go make sure she's okay, then let her have fun. No fussing, Kota."

Victor turned back towards the lake and marveled at how clear the water was. The sun was just about to set, but he could still see the pebbles and other debris that lingered at the bottom.

Victor traveled a lot through his life. His piano performances were all throughout big cities in the United States. He never had the chance to go to small towns like New Haven.

He wondered if he would have enjoyed it as much when people were still alive all over the earth. He sure hoped so. From what he could tell, the people were diverse and down to earth. He liked that.

"Hey," he heard someone from behind him say. It was Addie who walked up with a tentative smile. "I'm sorry about all that."

Victor appreciated her appology, but she wasn't the one responsible, so he just waved her off. "It wasn't your fault."

Addie's sweet voice was still remorseful. "I know. I just figured I'd apologize anyhow. I didn't know she'd go off on you like that."

"It's a good thing I have plenty of experience with it," he said and flashed her a bashful smile.