Chapter 112 - Jason & Ripley

Chapter 112: Chapter 112 - Jason & Ripley

As the young man stared up at this stranger in wide-eyed bewilderment, Vincent tossed the keys to him, and the guy stammered around, awkwardly catching it.

"I-I... thank you! I don’t even know what to say! If there’s anything I can do to repay you..."

"Don’t sweat it. I’m glad to help."

"No, really. You see, I’m... I’m Jason. Jason C-Cron... well..."

"Okay?" Vincent offered a relaxed grin, adjusting his jacket against the winter chill. "I’m Vincent Winters. And like I said, don’t sweat it."

Jason froze. He blinked twice in confusion as he stared at Vincent with a strangely searching look.

"Why are you looking at me like that, man? I would’ve expected you to be happy your ride isn’t sitting in a chop shop right now. Or, you know, actually gone."

"I-I’m! My name... is Jason Cronwell."

"And mine’s Vincent Winters."

Jason tried again, dropping only his surname this time while leaning in slightly. "Cronwell."

Vincent deadpanned straight back into his eyes. "Winters."

"........"

"........"

A beat of awkward silence fell over the partly snowy pavement. A silence that Vincent decided to break first.

"Right... Well, I’ve got somewhere to be. Take better care of your bike, Jason."

*Gasp!* "Wai–!"

Desperate to repay the favor – and thoroughly intrigued by this unbothered guy – Jason quickly stepped forward. "Wait! Please! Let me give you a ride! It’s the least I can do!"

"Ah, no thanks, man. I don’t want to trouble you–"

"It’s no trouble at all!" Jason insisted frantically, patting on the backseat. "Where are you heading?"

"... Shoreline University."

"Really?! No way! That’s where I’m heading right now! I’m a student there!"

"Wow. What a coincidence. Well in that case."

Without further hesitation, Vincent swung his leg over the back of the sleek black-and-crimson sport bike. Jason pulled his helmet down, kicked the kickstand up, and clicked the transmission into gear.

VROOOOOOOM!

The engine roared to life.

"Uhm! I’m sorry I don’t have another helmet for you!"

"It’s ok! I’m used to the rushing wind!"

"Oh...! Ok then!"

And with that, they were off.

Jason maneuvered the machine through the morning traffic with unbelievable finesse, leaning smoothly into turns and gliding over the roads with effortless mastery.

Soon, the scene curved along the dramatic ocean bluffs. Vincent looked out at the breathtaking expanse of the sea, where icy blue waves crashed dramatically against the cliffs under a horizon.

Before long, they pulled into the sprawling parking lot of Shoreline University.

"Damn, Jason. You’ve got serious skill on two wheels." Vincent complimented as they got off the bike.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck, shyly looking down at the pavement. "Ah... thanks. I’ve always loved mechanics, cars, and bikes. It’s kind of my passion."

"Nice. And you’ve got great taste in rides, too. Double whammy."

"H-Ha—haha! Y-Yeah! Thanks! Well...... bye!"

"Wait– So fast!"

Without another word, Jason turned and shuffled away toward the main campus at a breakneck speed. As Vincent watched him scurry off, he scratched his brown hair.

’Damn... I should’ve at least asked him where the admin... Huh?’

PAT-PAT-PAT-PAT!

Jason came sprinting all the way back.

He came to a stop dead in front of Vincent, took a deep breath, and formally bowed straight at forty-five degrees.

"I’m so sorry for walking off! The truth is... I don’t really have any friends, and I would really, really like to be your friend!"

Vincent was taken completely aback by the sudden, dramatic proposal. He stared at the bowing guy for two seconds before smiling.

"Hey, stand up, there’s no need to bow. Sure, let’s be friends. To tell you the truth... I’ve been on a leave of absence for personal reasons. I’m kinda lost at the moment."

"You’re new?!" Jason snapped upright. "Wait... really?!"

"Yeah. Do you think you could show me to the admin so I can unsuspend my status?"

"O-Of course, haha! I’d love to! Follow me, friend!"

As they walked side-by-side past groups of chatting students, Vincent noticed a sudden shift in Jason’s behavior. He was visibly tensing up.

He reached over his shoulders, pulled his hood over his honey-blonde hair, and slipped a pair of orange-tinted shades over his hazel eyes – hiding his face from the crowd.

"Uh... Jason? Everything okay?"

Jason let out a forced laugh behind his shades. "Hm? Me? Oh! Yeah! Fine! Perfectly fine! I’m just... more comfortable this way."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, but let it slide.

They soon reached the administration building. Outside the office doors, Vincent pulled out his smartphone. "Hey, let’s swap numbers."

"A-Awesome!"

When he pulled out his own phone to scan Vincent’s contact code, Vincent noticed the luxury custom model worth more than a small car.

’Holy moly. First the bike and now this.’

"Alright, it’s done. My first contact... Uhm! My first lecture is in Hall B. See you around, Vincent!"

"Catch you later, man."

Once he left, Vincent stepped into the quiet waiting room. As he took a seat on one of the vinyl chairs, a muffled and furious argument echoed from behind the closed door of the administrator’s office.

SLAM!

The door swung wide open.

Exiting the room was a striking young woman whose boots thumped heavily against the linoleum floor.

She had long, pitch-black hair, piercing storm-gray eyes, and wore a revealing, alternative gothic outfit – a torn black crop top, a leather motorcycle jacket, and fishnet stockings beneath ripped denim shorts despite the winter weather.

Tattoos covered her pale skin – a butterfly on her right collarbone, a viny rose crawling up her upper thigh, and a detailed, gothic skull resting over her left shoulder.

Her sharp eyes flickered toward Vincent, catching his gaze for a brief second before she disappeared down the hallway.

*Sigh* "Honestly... Oh. And you’re...?"

"Winters. Vincent Winters."

"Ah, yes. Mr. Winters. Your father called earlier to let us know you’re coming. You may step inside now."

Vincent stood up, adjusting his backpack. "Thanks."

The paperwork was straightforward. He submitted his medical clearance forms, officially unsuspending his enrollment after his absence.

"And with that, you’re all set, Mr. Winters," the registrar sighed, stamping the file.

"However, classes are already in session. Please wait in the student center until your next one so that you don’t disturb the class."

"Yes. Thank you, sir." Vincent stepped back out into the sunlit courtyard, pulling the cold winter air deep into his lungs.

"So... This is it."

Looking out at the bustling college campus, he let out an amused chuckle. The bizarre contrast between his two lives hit him like a wave – balancing political schemes in a fantasy world as a Familiar, fighting battles – against the divine or armies – and the wonders of the Divine Realm.

Here, he was just a normal guy handing in university registration slips.

BZZZZT.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Jason: Hey Vincent! Funny story, I got kicked out of the lecture! It was super awkward because I kind of walked in late... Are you still on campus? Want to grab something to eat? My treat!

Vincent: Sure. Meet me at the outdoor plaza by the student center.

A few minutes later, Jason arrived at the plaza carrying two heavy bags, still fully shrouded in his brown hood and orange-tinted shades.

He excitedly led Vincent away from the crowded main plaza, navigating to a quiet wooden table tucked beneath a large pine tree.

When they sat down, Jason set an absolute feast – a box of fresh dragon-roll sushi, high-grade sashimi, chicken wings, and two bottles of water.

"Bro... are you planning on feeding a whole club?! What’s with all the luxury food?!"

"Ah... haha! No! It’s just... I didn’t eat breakfast. A-Anyway! C’mon, let’s enjoy this!"

While eating, they pulled up their class schedules to compare. To their mutual delight, they realised they shared their upcoming History lecture and an afternoon sociology class together.

"Nice!" Jason grinned.

"By the way, Jason... while I was waiting at admin, this goth girl came storming out of the office. Black hair, black makeup, covered in tattoos – a butterfly, a rose and a skull."

*COUGH!* *WHEEZE!*

"Hey, watch it!"

Jason choked violently on his water. "You... You’re talking about R-Ripley?!"

"You know her?"

"Everyone knows Ripley!" Jason hissed while leaning across the table.

"She’s notorious on campus! Despite being an insanely brilliant art student, she’s super rebellious! She constantly gets into fights with the faculty, hangs out with the worst crowd off-campus, and doesn’t give a damn about authority! We have to stay away from her! Got it?!"

"Yeesh. Ok, ok. I was just asking."

A short while later, they threw away their trash and began walking toward their next lecture. As they rounded the building corner, a loud argument broke out.

"Leave me the hell alone!"

Vincent and Jason ducked behind a row of decorative hedges to watch.

Standing at the secluded walkway was the goth girl – Ripley. She was surrounded by three tall, broad-shouldered jocks in varsity jackets. The lead jock was holding her leather jacket over his shoulder with a condescending smirk on his face.

"Come on, Ripley. Enough bullshitting. Dex told us you two had a little fight yesterday. He wants us to bring you down to the pit so you guys can talk it out."

Ripley didn’t back down. Her piercing gray eyes flashed with dangerous fury as she stepped right up into his face.

"Tell Dex to go screw himself. And give me back my jacket before I carve my name into your chest."

"Whohohooa! Don’t threaten me with a good time now."

Jason, watching from the hedges, trembled violently and grabbed Vincent’s sleeve. "W-We should walk around... like I said, those guys are trouble..."

"Hmmm..."

The jock’s smirk vanished, replaced by an aggressive scowl. "I’m done playing. You don’t get a choice, bitch. You’re coming with us to Dex."

He reached out and violently grabbed Ripley violently by her upper arm, yanking her forward.

"Hey–! Let go of me!" Ripley swatted at his hand – but her boot heel caught the slick edge of the curb. She lost her balance and stumbled backward toward the hard concrete floor.

Before her back could hit the stone, a steady hand reached around her waist, catching her smoothly in mid-air and stabilized her.

Behind the hedges, Jason gasped in pure horror, hissing under his breath, "VINCENT?!!!" He looked beside him only to realize that Vincent was no longer hiding next to him.

Ripley snapped her head up, her eyes wide with surprise as she met Vincent’s calm gaze.

Setting her straight, he stepped between Ripley and the three jocks, resting his hand gently onto Brad’s wrist. With a fraction of his strength, Vincent squeezed.

... c-crackle.

The jock’s grip on Ripley’s arm crumbled. He let out a sharp gasp of pain and released her arm, stumbling back towards his two buddies to clutch his crushed wrist.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

Vincent held up his smartphone with his other hand, displaying a glowing recording screen.

"I’ve been recording everything. Three big guys physically assaulting a female student on campus grounds. I can walk this video straight back to the dean’s office right now... or you can back off."

The jock’s face twisted in rage as he stared at the phone. He clicked his tongue hard, spat on the pavement, and tossed Ripley’s jacket onto the ground.

"Fucking hell. This isn’t over. Let’s go." The guys stormed off back around the corner.

’Heh. Dumbasses don’t know I’ve been recording nothing.’

Ripley picked up her jacket and slung it back over her shoulders. She turned around, giving Vincent a suspicious, searching look.

She offered him a subtle nod of appreciation as her lips curved into a dangerous smirk.

"Don’t think I’ve seen you around. You’ve got guts, new guy. Well, I’m guessing you’re new around here?"

"Yep. First day actually."

"Hmm... In any case, thanks for the save," Ripley said, stepping closer. "But you best stop playing the hero. Stay out of my business, or Dex’s crowd will come after you."

Vincent’s smirk broadened into a confident grin. "Already met him yesterday. Had a bit of a scuffle. Must say, I wasn’t impressed."

"Wait... you fought Dex–"

"VINCENT!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jason came running out from the hedges. He ignored Ripley and pulled at Vincent’s sleeve for dear life.

"W-We’re gonna be late for History! Come on!"

Ripley’s eyes snapped over to Jason. A sudden flash of recognition crossed her dark eyes. "Wait... aren’t you–"

"NO TIME! BYE!" He interrupted loudly,

He then started pulling Vincent by his arm at maximum speed toward the lecture hall doors.

Ripley let out a low, amused laugh, slinging her strap over her shoulder as she fell into step right beside them. "You said History, right? What a coincidence... I’m heading to the exact same lecture."

Jason’s shoulders drooped in despair.

Side-by-side, Vincent, a nervous Jason, and an intrigued Ripley pushed open the doors, walking into the crowded lecture hall together.