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“Aaand the last one”, X grinned while putting a baking sheet full of gingerbread cookies in the oven. The smell of his delicious baked goods was floating all over the studio apartment. He took his lovely gloves off alongside a red apron. The kitchen was a total mess, but he was just glad that it wasn’t on fire. A tough battle one could say. X will deal with it later. Now he could enjoy his peaceful evening, just eating the yumminess, laying on the couch and watching some low budget romantic comedy, because why the heck not.
There was a certain reason why not.
X grabbed a plate with a bunch of cooled cookies and started walking towards his favorite piece of furniture. Right before sitting, a loud ringtone from his phone, featuring “My Color” by Lucky Cyan, blasted on the countertop, disturbing the silence.
“Sometimes things may be so tough~”, X cheerfully sang with the singer, slowly making his way back to the kitchen. He looked at the screen surprised. Smile. What could he want this late? X was almost sure they were in the bar yesterday, but couldn’t really remember. Was it because he drank so much or that they didn’t meet... Anyway, he picked up the phone and answered the call. He could hear a quiet chatter in the background.
“Dude, where are you? I assumed you would be late, but there’s no sign of you and it’s past your usual tardiness”, Smile’s voice contained a bit of concern.
“It’s not like I am not on the way,” mumbled X “but, hypothetically speaking, where should I be at the moment?”
“No way, man”. A loud sigh was heard. “Yesterday I gave you an invitation to a masquerade ball organized by Xiuxian. You haven’t already forgotten, have you?”, he mocked in response.
“Ah about that... you see—”
“For God’s sake, just get here in 5 minutes. It’s not like I don’t like those people, but I feel lonely without my buddy, ya know what I mean.” X could hear his friend genuinely smiling. It wasn’t the same expression he would put on in front of the cameras. “I believe an envelope with the address of the organization member’s ballroom should be on your table. See ya soon.” With these words, he ended the call.
An envelope. Maybe X should have bought some stronger glasses — he couldn’t locate it, even after scanning the whole surface.
“Wait a minute.” X lifted the plate with cookies. A blue paper with ornaments and a mask in the middle showed up. “There you are.”
He opened the package and read the contents.
“The Xiuxian organization feels blah blah to invite blah blah to The Masquerade.” X skipped a few lines of text saying how grateful they are for coming. “The festivity takes place in District 6, on Ms. Blazing Fire’s Street. It starts at 8:00 PM. Please make sure to be on time as You don’t want to miss any pleasant moment.” He for sure didn’t want to miss anything.
Realization came to him when he checked the time on his watch.
“Wait, why am I even shocked if Smile told me I’m late.” X looked sadly at his gingerbread cookies, nearly saying goodbye to them. He hoped for some good food at the place.
If it was a ball, he had to change his clothes, present himself in a better light. X was sure his friend was wearing the best suit he could find in the closet. He couldn’t look worse.
But it wasn’t an ordinary ball — it was The Masquerade.
“Where the heck will I find a mask right now? And a proper suit? I can’t go in my office one. And be there in five minutes?”, he would for sure have thought like that and go a bit insane. But he didn’t. Because he was X. Having his own ways was one of the perks of being a hero. And he was an exceptional one.
X placed the letter in the envelope back on the table and stood up. He put his right hand in the pants’ pocket and raised the other one. A loud snap was heard interrupting the silence. A bluish light ran from the fingertips of his left hand, spreading all over his body, changing his Hello Kitty pajamas into a black shirt, white vest and suit jacket. He finished off his look by slicking back his white hair. This time instead of the orange glasses, the hero added a simple white mask to his persona.
X yawned while traveling through space. After all, it was just a mere way of transportation, nothing special. He was walking nonchalantly, passing alongside deformed buildings. They were changed to simple geometrical shapes, mostly in dark shades of brown and black. Only some streetlamps brightened the scenery. X was focused on one tenement, he could see it in a distance — it was emanating bright colors, almost like the destination in video games.
All this lasted less than opening a canned drink. X was now standing in front of a designated building. He spotted a mask symbol on the door supposedly leading to the basement. He walked up, pressed the handle and entered the hall. Nobody was to be seen there, X was the last guest arriving that evening.
Muffled sounds of music blended with people’s chattering reached his ears. He took a deep breath, checked his hair in the mirror hanging to his right and gave himself a reassuring smile. He wasn’t really a party kind of guy, but with his friend everything felt worthy and exceptional.
After a few steps, X saw a fairly breathtaking view. The enormous place resembled a Victorian ballroom — slender Corinthian columns featuring stylized acanthus leaves, black and golden ornaments on the walls alongside blind arcades. Splendor could be felt in the air. Beneath well-known paintings there were standing long, richly set tables. Seeing lots of delightful dishes, appetizers, fruit and, most importantly, sweets, X was over the moon. While examining the food he spotted a man in light orange suit, wearing a mask with a painted smile.
Who could it be.
Their gazes crossed. They slowly walked up to each other then greeted with a secret handshake from the old days.
“See, I told you I was on the way”, X teased his buddy.
“Were there candies on a path that led you to a white van, which kidnapped you to Beijing and left you alone without your precious watch? Because if not I bet you were laying on your couch almost sleeping and not caring about me.” Smile looked at him with sad eyes, pretending to be hurt.
“You are quite close, there were sweets included”, he giggled in response. X reached out for a half-full glass of champagne. “It’s so much alcohol, I wonder why they haven’t made the portions smaller. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
“Maybe they saw us yesterday in that pub and calculated the loss risk. Yeah, I’m sure they are just looking after our livers.” Smile also grabbed a drink, raised the glass and smirked. “To your future victories, I’m too old for all of this.”
“Alright then, to my victories, but also to our friendship.”
They drank contents in one gulp and laughed. X couldn’t hold back anymore seeing all those delicious dishes and snacks. He treated himself to a chocolate parfait, which was looking at him begging to be devoured. It was not too sweet, delicate and mellow.
Behind Smile he noticed an astonishing figure elegantly sipping dark red wine. Her alabaster skin was dazzlingly composing with a strapless, white dress. It was plain and floor-length. This simplicity emphasized her natural beauty. She was wearing a lacy mask, decorated with pearls. Golden accents here and there toned in with a modest necklace and long black earrings. And her eyes. Her golden eyes. The cold gaze, scrutinizing everything. Starting from wall ornaments, running through guests and ending at him.
X felt like he was caught red-handed for staring at her. She didn’t stop her eyes at him, but their looks met. Her expression didn’t change, maybe she was used to bringing attention or just didn’t care. X casted his eyes down, perplexed. He cleared his throat.
“So, Smile, do you happen to know people here?”
“Yeah, I come here quite often after long weeks. Most of the time with my wife, but she planned something else today with her friends.”
“I get it, I get it”, he slipped. If X hadn’t interrupted him then, Smile would not have shut up about his lover. “Can you tell me who is that lady behind you?” As his friend started to turn his head he added quickly “Don’t turn around!”
“Chill, I am just grabbing this small tortilla with tuna”, laughed Smile, positioning himself to have a better view on said woman. As soon as he saw her, he whistled quietly. X frowned in curiosity. Smile faced him. “She’s one of the top members.
Sponsors most of the events. They call her Junzhu. No one knows her identity. She’s a real deal. That’s all I have, you gotta ask in person if you want to grasp more.” He raised an eyebrow, begging a question about his intentions.
“I-I just thought about getting to know someone other than you”, X stammered. “Trust me, I really like talking to an old chap, but I might want to widen my horizons.” He smiled and leisurely walked towards the woman. He took out his hands of the pockets to not seem rude.
“Good evening, ma’am”, X leaned slightly forward and offered his hand.
She looked at him from above, the way that gave him chills running down the spine. Her eyes were scanning every inch of his face as if gathering some intel. She stopped at his palm, which was waiting for hers to be held. X was trying to uncover her thoughts, but he couldn’t break this thick wall of ice.
The lady laid her hand on his. He felt cold opposing to his warmth. X cautiously placed his lips on her soft skin and got up, leaving her fingers.
“Good evening indeed. Have you been enjoying this banquet?”, she asked courteously.
“Of course, I must admit they have remarkably luscious champagne.”
“We can’t forget about the good vintage wine they serve.” She slightly lifted the corners of her mouth, probably thinking about a happy memory, then slowly swallowed the dark liquid.
“If you say so then I must try it too.” X reached for a glass of the same drink. He held it with its cup, palm under, thinking he looked fancy. As he was about to try the alcohol, the lady interrupted him.
“The temperature of this wine is already perfect. You don’t have to warm it up with your hand. Look,” she said while grabbing a new full glass “place your fingers on the stem. This way you don’t ruin the coolness of your drink.” She took an elegant sip. After putting the glass back on the table, she looked at him and saw his doubtful face.
“Trust me, it will taste much better”, she sounded like an expert in her field.
X chose to listen to her and placed his fingers correctly. The wine tasted exquisite. She slightly smiled at him in some sort of victorious manner.
A change in music could be heard. A little commotion occurred. Guests started pairing up for the upcoming dance. Classical notes indicated the Viennese Waltz. X knew he had to make a move. If he hadn’t, he was sure those distinguished hands would be in someone else’s. The man set his glass on the table, put on his charming smile and with pleasing eyes looked at the lady.
“Would you do me the honor and let me dance with a gorgeous woman?” X put all his courtesy in this question, body posture and expression on his face. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity to talk to her more. He would take every one of them. And dancing with her didn’t seem so intimidating. X thought about thanking Smile for taking him to dancing class on a random day.
“Who am I to decline your appealing offer?” She took one step forward, closing the distance between them. It was one small step for a human, but a giant leap for her.
X bowed in front of her, she responded with curtsy. He stood upright and placed his hands behind his back. Lonely notes started shaping into the acclaimed melody. With the right rhythm they both made a step to their right, then left, turning to each other. They spun in perfect synchronization. The sequence repeated once again as they returned to their previous position.
X reached for both her hands, raising one of them and twisting her elegantly. She let him take the initiative, still performing her figures with boldness. Their feet were finding the best ways not to disturb each other. After a few pirouettes she landed in his arms, placing her left palm on his shoulder and the right one in his hand. X gently held her back.
It was the first time they looked so closely and deeply into each other's eyes. While dancing in a triangle-shaped path, which X knew by heart, he was focusing on her eyes. He finally had an excuse to stare so intensively. The lady didn’t look away, there was no pressure on her — his gaze was tender.
After a couple of moves he realized they weren’t talking. It was a very comforting silence, if you don’t count the music in. But didn’t X want to talk to her a dozen or so minutes ago? After a couple of spins the melody turned slower and they faced each other. He decided not to throw away his shot.
“I’m not sure if you have examined the viands laying on the tables, but I can assure you of their high quality and extraordinariness”, X thought a conversation about food was closer to his heart rather than rhapsodizing about complexity of the ball room’s ornaments. And a lot better than a weather talk, which couldn’t even be seen there.
“Ah, splendid. I must say I haven’t got a chance yet, but I’ll make sure to try them.” She looked like a woman of her word, so X was certain he will see her at the table soon.
“May I ask, what is the likelihood of getting to know your name?”
They grabbed each other's hands, took a step back, one forward. X made the lady half-turn with his right hand, so she faced the same direction as him.
“I would say, under current circumstances, it wages around five percent,” the lady answered after a bit of thought like she actually calculated the chances.
He let the grip of her left hand so she could twist to their right, straightening her arms. She came back to the same position, turned and the sequence of triangle steps came back.
“If it doesn’t equal to zero then it is always fifty-fifty", X chuckled. “You could tell me or not.”
“I don’t want to make any assumptions, but I think mathematics and you never got along very well on your educational path”, she teased him. X couldn’t tell if that was a joke, so he laughed only a little.
“Would you give me a hint of your name if I tell you mine?” He tried another way, hoping she would agree.
“Nobody here knows my name, and I don’t want to sound rude, but I can’t risk my reputation by revealing my identity to a man I’ve just met. I have faith in you, sir, that you understand my position,” she looked like she was sorry and that she didn’t want to finish their conversation, just move in another direction. “For now, you can call me Junzhu. What about you?”
“I see, that’s a nice alias.” He considered the question for a while and came up with his own nickname. “Would you mind addressing me by Shenmi?”
She made an expression almost like tasting the words on her tongue, wondering if the name resembled his appearance.
“You don’t really want to share any personal information either, Mr. Shenmi.” Junzhu didn’t look disappointed. “This evening is going to be quite lovely. I am starting to enjoy out time together.”
“Haven’t you started the second I invited you to a dance?” X smirked. “I believe my personal charm has brought at least a little magic in the air.”
Junzhu didn’t get a chance to answer since the waltz started to fade away. For a second an unnatural silence filled the air, just to be replaced with chattering right after. The guests started to slowly return to the tables with drinks, some of them formed discussion circles, others stayed on the dance floor and were preparing for another melody to play.
X and his partner however stopped where the music left them. Their hands still intertwined, bodies close, eyes focused on one another. The only thing they heard was their rapid breathing. After a few seconds, which felt longer for them, she was the first to realize there was no need to be in such a position. Junzhu loosened her grip, making their palms sense cold emptiness. She hesitated and wanted to reach for his hand again, but X had already lowered his arm and stepped back a little. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable staying right in front of her.
“This is what I would call a successful performance.” His smile didn’t fade away, whenever he looked at her it appeared instantly. And his eyes didn’t leave her for a second.
“Do you feel mugginess too, Mr. Shenmi? I think the ventilation system failed to provide enough fresh air for every participant.” Even though she was wearing some make up, her cheeks turned slightly pink.
“I can offer a professional escort outside if you’d like, Ms. Junzhu.”
The opportunity to hold hands occurred once again. They instinctively grabbed them when X started to make a path towards the exit. In the crowd he could spot an orange smiling face, about to call out his name, but resigned once seeing the other figure.
The fresh, but cold air struck them as X opened the emergency door. They breathed deeply and reveled in the coolness. He spotted little goosebumps on Junzhu’s arms.
“I know it feels refreshing, but after a while you’ll get cold.” X took off his jacket before she could refuse and hold it for her to put on. “Don’t say you don’t want to make me trouble, I’ve already made the first step. Getting it back on would make more inconvenience than you wearing it.”
She couldn’t come up with more excuses or any good reasoning for rejecting the offer. X helped her slip her hands into the sleeves. Due to their height similarity, the jacket fitted nearly perfectly.
“Thank you for your sincerity.” She smiled, thinking she can’t thank more than that. “Are you a baker by any chance?”
“Wha- why are you asking?” X didn’t expect such a question.
“Your coat, it smells like... cookies? Not in a bad way, I could say they must be delicious.”
“Oh no. My cookies.” He stared blankly at her, processing the stream of thoughts. X looked like he lost an important member of his family. “Before the ball I left the cookies in the oven. Sorry, ma’am, I really must go back.” He waved nervously and turned around. “I hope I have somewhere to come back to.”
Those were the last words she heard from him before he disappeared around the corner.
“Goodbye, Mr. Shenmi”, she whispered.
The woman he left was Queen, but X will never know.
To her attention came that she was still wearing his jacket. She checked the pockets for a potential business card with information she could use to return the clothing. Her enthusiasm rose as she felt paper under her left fingers. Queen took it out and read the contents. It was a check from a cheap restaurant.