Chapter 170

Jack bid goodbye to Phoebe and returned to his dormitory. There, he found Isaac, Joshua, and Samuel, who'd just returned from his hometown, waiting for him. It turned out this was also a welcome-back party for Samuel.

Joshua had given Jack a proper apology after the incident with Samuel, so this was the first time everyone in the dormitory was so unionized-except Luca, who had moved out of the dorm.

The welcome-back party was held in a relatively upscale restaurant. It had a good ambience, and Joshua told them there were occasional performances by talented musicians. If they were lucky, there was even a chance for them to run into popular celebrities.

This was Samuel's first time at a restaurant of this scale. He was starting to feel a little awkward when Jack said to Joshua, "This restaurant's pretty upscale. It's not too expensive, is it? I've never eaten at a place like this before."

Joshua laughed at that. "We're throwing a party to welcome Samuel back, so it's on me. Go ahead and eat to your heart's content." Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn find(ɴ)ovel.net

Samuel relaxed when he heard that. During the meal, Joshua apologized to him and asked for his forgiveness, saying things like he'd been blind in the past. He also promised that he and the rest of their dorm would do everything to help Samuel if ever necessary.

This warmed Samuel. He clinked glasses with Joshua, and they downed their drinks.

As they chatted, Isaac asked Joshua about his relationship with Queenie. Joshua indifferently said that Queenie had cheated on him and that they were on the verge of breaking up.

That made Isaac fall silent. Meanwhile, Jack comforted Joshua, telling him that none of his relationships had ever worked out. Joshua knew a few things about what had happened between Jack, Bella, and Amelia, so this put him in a better mood.

That was what humans were like. With comparison, Joshua found that Jack was still the worst of the lot. So, he started comforting Jack instead. He told Jack that he would soon find the best woman for him, seeing as there were so many other people in the world.

The atmosphere took a turn for the better.

After a few drinks, Joshua patted Jack on the shoulder. "The university is going to start selecting members for the official team, Big Jack. Isaac and I are going to sign up for tryouts. Are you interested?"

Jack spread his hands. "I don't think I have the time. I have too many things to do."

That didn't go down well with Joshua. "But it's clear that you've got skills! It'd be such a waste for you not to try out!"

Jack said helplessly, "I'd love to try, but I really don't have the time for it."

Joshua and Isaac were disappointed that he wasn't trying out for the team. After all, everyone knew what he could do with a basketball. If he were to join the team, he would definitely be one of its strongest members. The team would have hope of finally taking back its spot as champion.

Amid the disappointment, Joshua asked hopefully, "How about you give Isaac and me special training, then?"

After the competition with the music faculty, he and Isaac had thoroughly realized that there would always be someone better out there. Joshua had found it hard to deal with someone of Flynn's level. Though he would never admit it, the competition had been a huge blow to his ego.

He'd been practicing hard these days, but his improvement was limited because the people he trained with weren't exactly experts. He desperately wanted someone of better caliber to train him; he wanted to go up against people who were better than him.

Battling someone who was better than him was the only way he would improve, and Jack was the person he most looked forward to taking on.