Shiro really wanted to escape, but was firmly held down by two people who had sworn to stick by him till death.
Although Iori and Kohei still had no idea what was going on, just seeing this scumbag in trouble was enough for them.
What could be more satisfying than that?
Aina had also returned to her seat. Just now, she hadn't even dared to speak.
"Gulp…"
Shiro swallowed hard, temporarily giving up on the idea of escaping. Since he couldn't run, he might as well try another method!
"You two better watch closely! What comes next is a performance by a professional bartender!"
His demeanor had changed.
Since this was post-drinks time, there was plenty of room to maneuver.
"Hmm… not sure why your vibe suddenly changed…"
"But honestly, we'd rather watch over there."
Iori and Kohei very naturally turned their backs. On the other side, Kotobuki had already begun mixing a drink for Azusa.
Gin with calamansi—that's what Azusa ordered.
Kotobuki's movements were exceptionally smooth, and with just a few simple motions, he had made a drink.
The cocktail, like its name, was simply gin and calamansi…
Seeing this, Shiro turned his head in frustration.
They gave up a master's-level performance for this amateur nonsense? No taste at all!
Ignoring the two idiots, Shiro looked seriously at his editor.
"You said it depends on the mood, right? Don't worry, Boss—I'll definitely make something that satisfies you!"
Hanabi looked coldly at the pigeon in front of her. She knew he could mix drinks, but…
"I feel like any drink that would satisfy me definitely shouldn't involve that 'Water of Life,' so could you put that bottle down?"
(;'A`)
Damn it, why do the bottles here have labels?! This really limits the bartender's creativity!
"Ahaha… just a misunderstanding!"
He quietly put down the bottle of 'Water of Life.' Since he couldn't use that, he'd have to go with a nerfed version!
"Hey, Kamishiro, take this."
While Shiro was still searching for what he needed, Kohei handed him a drink.
"Ah, tha—wait!"
Focused on his search, Shiro took it instinctively and then… noticed a literal screwdriver sticking out of the drink.
(-ι_- )
"Can you explain what this is supposed to be?"
In all his years of bartending, he had never seen a drink with an actual screwdriver in it!
"Screwdriver!"
Seeing Kohei's proud face, Shiro didn't know what to say. Did they really make the drink based purely on the name?!
If that's the case, how would they make a "Godfather"? Stick in a Marlon Brando?
"Kohei, sometimes cocktails need a bit of nuance…"
"Exactly! That's why mine is the better choice!"
A drink with a flathead screwdriver in it was placed in front of Shiro.
He looked at the idiot Kitahara's bright smile and covered his face in pain. Why did these two morons think the problem was with the type of screwdriver?!
"Aina! How about you change your drink order instead?!"
Shiro immediately turned to the root of the problem. This kind of cocktail was clearly too much for these two idiots!
Tears welled up in Aina's eyes. Clearly, the two idiots had pissed her off. Why was Azusa's cocktail so normal, but hers involved a screwdriver?!
"Then I'll switch to this one!"
Shiro glanced at her new choice—something called a Moscow Mule.
"Pardon my bluntness, but you should really pick something else."
He didn't hesitate in advising her otherwise. He knew those two idiots too well!
"Why not?!"
Aina didn't want to give up. She wanted to trust Iori and Kohei one more time.
"Moss (苔)"
"Community (集团)"
"Algae Gang!"
"Yes! That's it!"
"..."
She was wrong. These two idiots couldn't be trusted after all. How did they go from 'Moscow Mule' to 'Algae Gang'?!
"You two, take this seriously already!"
"C'mon, everyone starts somewhere."
"You'll get the hang of it."
"..."
Shiro walked away from them. Better to take care of his editor.
"You guys seem pretty close," Hanabi said. Despite the constant bickering, without real closeness, they wouldn't be interacting this way.
"Those two are idiots. I'm nothing like them!"
He shook his head violently. Hang around idiots and you'll become one!
"Have you considered that you might be one too?"
"Impossible! How could you say something like that?!"
There's no way he's an idiot! This was slander! He had to make a stronger cocktail now!
As they spoke, Shiro had already finished a drink.
A dreamy red color, with a faint mist drifting above it—just in terms of looks, this drink could outshine anything in the bar.
"See you tomorrow~ This drink will help you forget all your troubles today~"
Hanabi quietly looked at the red cocktail in front of her. Its mesmerizing color seemed to lure people in.
"So, if I drink this, I won't wake up until tomorrow?"
"..."
!!!
Why was she so smart?! Wasn't a pretty drink supposed to be drunk without hesitation?
"Ahahaha, of course not…"
He forced an awkward smile. Even though he hadn't added the Water of Life, this cocktail was definitely too strong for Hanabi.
"You drink it first."
Her cool voice made the mood instantly awkward.
Shiro looked at the drink in front of him and swallowed. He wasn't even sure he could handle it himself.
Forget it!
Clenching his jaw, he downed the drink in one go.
Strong!
It hit hard at first, but surprisingly, it didn't taste bad. Actually, it was better than most drinks.
That's it?
Shiro's excitement faded. He had expected something crazier—like in the movies!
"See, Boss, it's fine! I'll mix you another one~"
This time, he was going to crank the strength way up! If he could handle it, she wouldn't go down that easily!
"No need. Just give me a glass of oolong tea."
"..."
Shiro's expression twisted like he had just eaten spoiled food. How could she be this fickle?!
"Didn't you say you wanted a drink?!"
"Ah, I suddenly remembered—I can't handle alcohol that well. But bars usually have oolong tea, right?"
A sly glint appeared in Hanabi's eyes. With a suspicious name and suspicious color, there's no way she'd drink that cocktail!
"Oolong tea…"
Shiro's face twitched uncontrollably. A bar wouldn't have that… unless it was PaB's special version!
He really wanted to serve her the PaB special, but that would have to be done stealthily~
"I'll go ask the manager~"
"Mm, and afterward, let's have a serious talk about the plot."
{{(°△°; ")}}!
Definitely!
He had to make sure she left crawling tonight!
…