Firing Range (1)

A few weeks had passed, and the long-awaited day of the exams had finally arrived.

"I hope I'll do well," Augustus muttered to himself, his heart filled with nervousness as he thought about the challenging test ahead.

"You'll do great. We've been studying tirelessly for weeks," Matt, who was seated behind Augustus, overheard his muttering and offered words of encouragement.

Augustus nodded, but his mind was still plagued with doubts. "Yeah, I should pass without a problem, but aiming for the top score might be a stretch."

As the students settled in their seats, the proctor's stern voice echoed through the exam hall, reminding them of the strict rules against cheating.

"Quiet!! Remember, no cheating! No using Eyephone to cheat. We have sensors to detect any usage, and there will be no excuses when you're caught. Also, no talking to anyone behind you, no hidden papers or any other form of cheating!"

"The exam will now begin."

...

...

Augustus answered the questions to the best of his ability, his mind racing with the pressure to perform well.

"Woo hoo!! Finally, the exam is over! What should we do to celebrate? How about treating ourselves to a fancy restaurant? It's on me!" Matt exclaimed, relieved that the exam was behind them.

"I'm not sure. Let's ask Julia. She deserves something special for all the tutoring she did for us," Augustus suggested, acknowledging Julia's efforts in helping them prepare for the exams.

"Sounds like a plan," Matt agreed.

As they just mentioned Julia, she then approached them with a curious expression. "What are you guys discussing?"

"We're planning to go to a restaurant to celebrate the end of exams, and Matt insisted on treating us," Augustus explained.

"It's about time you guys repaid me," Julia retorted with a hint of annoyance. "But first, we're going to a salon to freshen up, and I'm also getting a haircut."

Julia had changed since they first met her. She had become more outgoing, akin to Matt's personality.

Matt's face paled when Julia mentioned the salon. "Don't tell me you're going to that expensive place? Julia, please, I'll go broke if we go there."

"What?! I almost went bald from tutoring you, especially you, Matt!" Julia shot back.

"Okay, fine," Matt relented, realizing he had no other choice.

Augustus, who had saved up some money from a previous venture, spoke up. "Is the money I earned enough to cover the expenses?"

Hearing Augustus's offer, Matt's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it should be. If you're willing to pay, I'm in."

Julia looked puzzled but chimed in, "If Matt's not treating, count me out."

Augustus smiled. "No worries. Matt helped me earn that money anyway. How about we split the bill? I'll pay half, and Matt can pay the other half."

Ring!

"Hm... Okay. Come on, my butler has arrived, we're going to the salon first," Julia exclaimed, pulling us along and preventing any further conversation.

We hopped into the car and headed straight to the salon Julia had mentioned. The moment we stepped inside, we were greeted by the soft glow of LED lights and the tantalizing scent of essential oils.

Julia strutted over to the reception desk and was promptly greeted with, "Welcome, Miss, how can we help you?"

"My hair is a mess. I need you to help me tidy it, and both of them," Julia gestured towards us, "Get them a new set of formal clothes and clean them up."

"Right away, miss," the receptionist replied, jotting down Julia's requests.

In no time, a team of salon staff appeared and whisked us away to individual rooms to work their magic.

"See you later, August. Just let them do their job," Matt said with a knowing smile, aware that it was my first time here.

"Okay..." I replied, feeling a little apprehensive.

The person assigned to me bowed politely and asked, "What should I call you, sir?"

"Just call me August," I replied.

"Understood, please follow me, sir."

...I thought you're calling me by my name.

Despite the strange behavior, I followed the attendant to a grand, opulent bathroom where several women were waiting.

"What are we doing here? Are we taking a bath?" I wondered inwardly, a tad bewildered.

Ah, so this is what Matt meant...

The women began undressing me, and I couldn't help but notice their surprised expressions as they took in my muscular physique. Some of them seemed speechless for a moment.

"What are you doing? Get this done quickly," I said firmly, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"I'm sorry, sir, please follow me," one of the women said, leading me to another area.

Without a second thought, once Augustus finished his bath, his hair was meticulously styled by a skilled stylist, and he changed into a dapper formal suit as per Julia's request.

Matt also completed his grooming routine, but Julia's took longer due to the complexity of her style.

"Where are we headed? Do you know the place?" Augustus asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It's better if you find out later," Matt replied, struggling to find the right words to explain.

After some thought, I should have anticipated this side of Julia's image. She comes from a wealthy family after all. At least she didn't flaunt her wealth before, it doesn't change my opinion of her.

"Are you guys ready? We're going to be late for lunch," Julia announced as soon as she came out, making a grand entrance in a breathtaking deep blue gown that glittered and shimmered, adding a touch of enchantment to her appearance.

"Wow." Even Matt gasped a bit when he saw Julia's new appearance.

With her hair tidied up, she looked like an entirely different person, and now she wasn't wearing glasses anymore, which was the main difference.

The contrasting hue of the dress against her hair created a mesmerizing effect, setting her apart from the crowd.

"Ehem, did you just say Lunch? It's almost dinner time. Wait, we're having two meals there?" Matt complained.

"Of course! Why else would I go through all this trouble? Just for a single meal?" Julia retorted, not bothering to conceal her annoyance at the question.

"You look absolutely stunning," Augustus complimented sincerely, his gaze fixed on Julia.

"Huh? Thanks..." Julia blushed, caught off guard by Augustus' compliment. "The stylists here are truly talented."

"No, you look even more beautiful without the glasses," Augustus remarked, his eyes lingering on Julia's face.

"Oh. I'm wearing contact lenses now, but I usually avoid them because wearing the Eyephone on top of them can be too much for my eyes at times," Julia explained.

"Yeah, the rimmed glasses somewhat hide your cuteness. How about trying a different pair? Let me see if I can find one that suits you better," Augustus suggested, scanning the shelves of glasses, contemplating which one would enhance Julia's appearance.

'Cuteness?' Julia was taken aback by Augustus' choice of words.

"I think this one would be perfect for you," Augustus said, selecting a large square frame with thin rims that would make the glasses almost unnoticeable, accentuating Julia's features.

"Here you go," he said, putting the glasses on for her, and Julia blushed as she caught her reflection in the mirror.

"See, this type of glasses suits you much better," Augustus commented with a smile.

"Mhm, okay. I'll keep that in mind," Julia muttered softly. "Sometimes I feel like you don't realize how handsome you are."

"What?" Augustus didn't quite catch Julia's words.

"Nothing... Let's go quickly or we might be late." Julia left in a hurry, heading towards the car on her own.

"Nice one!" Matt, who was cheering from the sidelines, observed the whole scene without interrupting.

"Hm? Come on, we've got to go." Augustus was oblivious of it.

Meanwhile, in the car, Julia blushed, her face turning as red as a tomato.

"That guy has been getting taller and taller, fitting my type. His face isn't bad either. Just a few weeks ago, he was about as tall as me, how did he suddenly grow taller than me?" Julia pondered.

"Did Matt not notice Augustus' unusual growth?" Julia wondered.

"Is there something wrong, miss?" The butler, noticing his mistress's strange behavior, decided to ask.

"Nothing. Don't mention this to him," Julia replied, flustered.

"To whom, miss?" The butler inquired further.

"N-never mind," Julia stammered.

Soon, Augustus and Matt joined her in the car, and they set off towards their destination.

The drive was quite long as they traveled from the outskirts of the city to the inner city, where the affluent frequented. Towering buildings, sprawling malls, endless shops, and numerous restaurants lined the streets.

There were swarms of people everywhere, mostly couples or groups of friends hanging out.

'I've been to the inner city a few times before, for business purposes and a few dates with Laura,' Augustus thought to himself.

'For the younger me, it would be my first time here, as Matt always insisted on treating me and bringing me here, but I always suggested going to a nearby internet café and playing games instead.'

"You don't seem surprised. Is this not your first time here?" Matt asked.

"Hm? Yeah, I've been here a few times," Augustus decided to lie, but it was partially true.

"What family are you from anyway? I've never asked for your last name," Julia inquired.

She had heard peculiar things about Augustus from Matt, but never really anything about his family. Moreover, everything she heard from Matt about Augustus wasn't accurate after she spent time with Augustus herself.

"My name is Augustus Gray," he replied.

Julia had never heard of the Gray Family before. "Could I be mistaken?" she wondered.

"Augustus isn't from a rich family; he hails from a humble background with no notable lineage," Matt commented.

"Yeah, not really from any prestigious family, sorry to disappoint you, Julia," Augustus said with a forlorn expression.

"Huh? No, I have no issue with it," Julia felt guilty for asking in this situation, having known Augustus for a while. "I'm sorry. Shouldn't have asked."

"I'm sorry. Shouldn't have asked," Matt mimicked her sarcastically. "We got her."

Both Matt and I high-fived, understanding each other's thoughts. We were trying to lighten the mood as the conversation had turned awkward.

"You both... I can't believe it... Boys can be so childish," Julia fumed, ignoring us for the rest of the ride.

Both of us just laughed, finding it amusing.

"We've arrived, Miss."

The three of us stepped out of the car, and the butler went to park it and wait for us.

"We're dining here?" Augustus asked, looking up at the towering building in front of us, one of the tallest in the area.

"Yeah, we'll grab lunch first, and then we can do some cool stuff," Matt said excitedly.

We rode the glass elevator, enjoying the view as we ascended to the higher floors.

We stopped at the 40th floor where the restaurant was located.

As we entered, we were greeted by an air of elegance and sophistication. The interior was designed to exude luxury and create an inviting ambiance, with meticulous attention to detail.

"There are a lot of people here," Matt observed.

"Yeah, many of them are students," Julia assumed, noting their youthful appearance and boisterousness. "They're probably here to celebrate the end of exams too," she added.

"Welcome!" One of the receptionists approached us. "Have you made a reservation, ladies and gentlemen?"

"Yes, under the name of Julia Sinclair, please."

"Three people, correct?"

"Yes."

"Right this way, ladies and gentlemen."

We were escorted to our seats, but unfortunately, there was a noisy group celebrating right beside us.

"Can we request a change of seats?" Julia inquired politely to the waiter who had guided us.

"I apologize, Miss," the waiter said, his tone deferential. "The other table is already booked. Should I ask them to quiet down?"

"No, it's fine," Julia interjected hastily, not wanting any trouble. She couldn't help but wonder who was sitting at the adjacent table. She didn't want to offend anyone.

"You guys are okay with it, right?" She looked at Matt and Augustus.

"Yeah, it's fine. We'll eat and then go have fun," Matt replied, his excitement evident.

Augustus simply nodded, indifferent to the noise, as he was there to enjoy himself.

The waiter left us alone, offering his assistance if needed.

As we wait for the food, Matt asked Julia, who was sipping her drink, "So, how often do you come here?"

"I used to come here often with my brother, but he's in the army now, and I've been busy with studies. How about you?" Julia responded.

"My family rarely eats out since we hired a chef at home, and I haven't been to this kind of place much after I met August. We mostly just play games all the time, right August?" Matt added, glancing at Augustus.

"Y-yeah," Augustus muttered.

The food arrived sooner than expected, and we dug in.

Augustus, unaccustomed to fine dining, found the food just okay.

"How's the food?" Matt inquired as we finished our last dessert.

"It's alright. I prefer regular food," Augustus expressed his candid opinion. Fine dining can be hit or miss, sometimes strange.

"I know, right? The barbecue joint we went to before was more fun, but the highlight of this place isn't the food," Matt agreed.

"What? The food here is good!" Julia, who had recommended the place, seemed displeased, having held it in high regard.

"Well, compared to other places, this place is decent," Matt conceded after a moment's thought.

Quickly after dessert, we ventured to see what had piqued our curiosity.

We took the elevator to the top of the building and arrived at a place that left us speechless.

It was like an amusement park within a shopping mall, with vibrant lights and lively sounds filling the air, drawing us in.

"What should we do first?" Matt's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Want to try the firing range?" Julia pointed towards a shop's name.

"What? Do they have firearm training here?" Augustus asked, his interest piqued.