Their first touch was electric.
Neo somehow followed her onto the floor.
"I can see you don't know how to dance. Let me guide you," Moon said as her hands reached over his shoulders, close.
Though she didn't show it on her face, she suspiciously intimate.
As the soft romantic music flowed in the backgroud, she began to move.
The world around them blurred.
Neo's heart was beating fast.
His movement was stiff. Mechanical. His feet moved half a beat behind the rhythm. And his arms had no idea what to do with themselves.
Moon's expression didn't change, but the slight tilt of her head said everything.
He nearly pulled back.
This is embarrassing. I should just—
But then her grip tightened, gently, like a hand placed gently on the shoulder of someone about to walk away from something good.
Feeling her care, he had no choice stayed.
But he couldn't let this continue for long.
His eyes lit up with a idea.
'The music. If I can't learn the steps, then at least feel the music.'
It was an instinct more than a plan. Neo closed his eyes for a brief second and reached inward, the way he had learned to reach for things that couldn't be touched by ordinary hands.
He listened, not with his ears, but with something deeper.
The melody was alive.
Beneath the surface rhythm of the bar's music, there were waves, frequencies.
He felt them travel through the air, through the floor, through the soles of his shoes, and slowly, deliberately, he began to pull them in.
To breathe them in.
To let them become part of him.
"Synthesize."
The process turned out to be surprisingly easy. It was like adjusting the strings of an instrument until the vibration matched the song already playing inside you.
The system notifications followed:
"SYSTEM NOTIFICATION"
〔 Synthesis Successful 〕
〔 Special Constitution〖 Musical Wavelength Body 〗Acquired 〕
Usage: By absorbing and harmonizing with ambient musical frequencies, the host has successfully synchronized body, breath, and neural pathways with the underlying wavelength structure of sound. Movement, reflex, and spatial awareness are now instinctively guided by rhythmic resonance.*
Passive Effects:
◈ Rhythm Attunement: User's body naturally synchronizes with environmental sound frequencies. Reaction time and physical coordination improve when music is present.
◈ Wavelength Perception: The host can passively sense vibrations in the environment, including sound, movement, and the smallest emotional shifts rippling through the air.
◈ Resonant Grace: Physical motion becomes fluid when harmonized with an external rhythm. Balance, timing, and flow are elevated beyond normal human capacity.
Hidden Potential Detected: With further development, Musical Wavelength Body may evolve into a combat-applicable vessel, capable of reading opponents through vibration alone.
---
"It really worked."
Neo was all smiles, feeling the magical changes within his body.
The effects of this change was immediate.
Neo's next step landed exactly where it was supposed to.
Then the one after that.
Moon didn't fail noticed. Her silver eyes, which had been quietly measuring him, went wide with surprise.
He wasn't mimicking her anymore. He was moving with her, feeling the same wave she rode.
His body was finally speaking the language the music had been offering him all along.
It wasn't perfect yet. But there was something genuine in the way he moved now. Something that couldn't be faked.
Moon's lips curved, barely.
From the table, Mr. Deus watched over the rim of his glass with a quiet expression.
The monk leaned toward him and whispered, "Vice Captain, did that boy just...?"
"Mm." The old vice captain took a slow sip. "Fast learner. Dangerous kind."
On the dance floor, Neo didn't say a word.
Neither did Moon.
But for the first time since stepping onto the floor, neither of them wanted the song to end.
The dance continued in a serene rhythm.
The surrounding guests cast them jealous gazes.
Some female complained to their partners for not being as adequate as Neo. The men shot back saying they are far more adequate in bed.
Lady Agnes and Captain Ajaz watched with amused smiles.
"Wow, that boy progressed so fast. Unlike a certain someone who took months to ask for a dance," she added, casting a disdainful glance at Ajaz.
Ajaz's face fell, but he said nothing.
On the other hand, beside Angelica's stiff figure, Max watched Neo's performance alongside Moon with bafflement.
"And here I thought I was the real player."
"A player? Hmph, you're an idiot, Max," Angelica snorted before heading out for a drink.
Max watched her go with a helpless expression.
Time ticked to 11 o'clock at night.
One by one, everyone started to leave.
The bill for Hydra Crew summed up to a total of 100,000 dollars.
The numbers shocked Neo and a few others, while Captain Ajaz looked as though he was bleeding on the inside.
Nonetheless, after paying the bill, Captain Ajaz and Vice Captain Deus started giving orders. They were still sober, unlike the junior members.
They carried the drunken juniors to their respective cars.
Once again, Moon and Neo were left under the same car.
When she was about to start the engine, he asked,
"Moon, will you be fine? I saw you take multiple drinks."
She replied calmly, "Yes. Those drinks can only work against amateurs, not me. Now, get on. I will drive you off to your house."
Somewhat assured, Neo took his seat.
The car levitated upward, then glided across the night sky with effortless grace.
The half moon hung above, and the traffic was very low, creating a romantic atmosphere.
"Moon, I forgot to ask, how did I do on that dance?" he asked, turning to her.
She replied, "I'd say you did satisfactorily enough. But just to remind you, I didn't agree to dance with you because of any romantic interest. I think it's important you make that clear to yourself, in case there's any misunderstanding later on. I prefer to avoid problems before they knock on my door."
Neo's hands froze, but he forced a smile.
"I get it. Honestly, though, I never imagined someone like me, a former laborer with no extraordinary talents, would even dream of something like that. But I appreciate the heads-up. I'll keep it in mind."
Moon's hands around the controller shook, but only for a moment.