CH 43

Sigh…

At 10pm at night, Toma noticed a customer who was repeatedly sighing, with less than 2 hours left until the end of their shift at work.

“What’s wrong, sir?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I noticed you were sighing, so I wanted to check in with you.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s not that I’m unhappy with this place or anything. I just had something unpleasant happen.”

“Is this your first time at this shop?”

“I’ve been here a couple of times before, but this is my first time meeting you, Mr bartender.”

“Thank you for your patronage. If you don’t mind, would you like to tell me about what’s bothering you? It might make you feel better to talk about it.”

Whether or not he was interested, it was part of the bartender’s job to ask such questions.

Toma stopped in front of the customer across the counter.

“Well then, please feel free to tell me about it. Oh, by the way, would you like to have some whiskey?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll make you a straight whiskey as a thank you for sharing. Please enjoy.”After writing the order slip, Toma takes out the whiskey from under the counter.

He pours an appropriate amount of whiskey into a glass with ice and prepares water for the chaser.

Drinking the whiskey and chaser alternately refreshes the mouth and allows you to taste the deliciousness of the whiskey with each sip.

“Well then, let me tell you. I got dumped today by a woman I was head over heels for.”

“I see. I can understand how you must be feeling.”

“She was amazing, you know? A hard worker, smart, and beautiful. If you could be her boyrfrined, everyone would envy and congratulate you because she’s so popular.”

“I see. I actually know a woman like that.”

“So, you probably want her for yourself too, right?”

As the customer sips on his straight whiskey, he shares his thoughts with Toma.

According to the receipt, the customer has already finished four glasses of straight whiskey, so he must have a high tolerance for alcohol.

“To be honest, I don’t want any other men to lay their hands on her.”

“You understand me, Mr bartender. That’s why I invited her out today. To come to  this bar together. It’s a great place and perfect for a date, don’t you think?”

“Thank you very much.”

Toma bows his head slightly while touching the counter. He wants to express his happiness for receiving compliments on his workplace, but the story the customer is telling is dark. So, he gives a slight smile in response.

“But, you know, I got rejected when I asked her out because she lied and said she wasn’t good with alcohol. Well, I guess it’s pretty obvious since she’s here alone at a bar.”

“She lied to you…?”

“Yeah. There was one time when I overheard her talking about this place at university, and it turns out she’s a regular here. I mean, it’s not like someone who’s not good with alcohol would become a regular, right?”

“I see your point. Drinking alcohol should never be forced upon someone.”

Not making a definite conclusion was partly out of consideration for the customer, but also because they hadn’t realized that the regular they were talking about wasn’t good with alcohol.

“I even asked her out to a coffee shop, but she declined saying she doesn’t like sweet things. She kept turning me down so many times that she got angry and upset her. But I don’t think she had a reason to get angry, you know? It was just an invitation.”

Perhaps it was because he had been drinking high-proof whiskey that he began to discuss this topic in a complaining tone.

When he spoke to him, his tone was different from before. It seemed that the effects of alcohol were showing somewhat.

“Refusing an invitation… She must have a really strong guard up,” said Toma, speaking sincerely rather than simply flattery. The customer was good-looking, tall, and had a handsome face.

“Not only does she reject every confession from men, but she also turns down invitations. She’s a monster at rejecting guys. There’s even a rumor going around that she might be a l*****n because she’s turned down so many guys,” he continued.

“That’s… amazing…” replied Toma.

“But you know, I finally figured out why she rejects guys so much. Actually, it’s a pretty simple reason if you think about it.”

After taking a sip of whiskey, the customer who had been holding the glass revealed the most likely answer.

“…She had a boyfriend, right?”

“Exactly. She’s so famous for being the ‘Nursing’s Angel.’ It’s only natural that she would have a boyfriend.”

“T-That’s!” Toma stared at the customer in surprise as he suddenly revealed this information. As someone who had connections to the ‘angel of the nursing department,’ Toma realized who the regular customer was in an instant.

“So she stayed silent to avoid making a fuss… Wait, is something wrong, Mr bartender?”

“S-Sorry. I was just surprised to hear that she’s known as the ‘Nursing’s Angel.'”

Toma offered a natural explanation as if nothing was wrong. The reason he didn’t mention that he knew her was simple: he didn’t want to attract attention to himself. If he accidentally let slip what Mio had done, it could cause trouble.

“You’d know if you saw her once. She’s really like an angel. It would be weirder if she didn’t have a boyfriend,” the customer said.

“That’s something to wonder about,” Toma replied.

The news that Mio had a boyfriend didn’t stir any strong emotions in Toma. After all, she had told him so herself the day before, even if it was just a joke.

“The reason why I’m not afraid to have male visitors in my room is because…you’re the only one, Toma-kun. I don’t have any intention of inviting any other men to my room.”

“I don’t hold hands with anyone else or let them hold my hand. I wouldn’t even think of doing that with anyone other than you…I’m not that kind of girl, you know?”

“Because you’re special to me… Toma-kun.”

And then they kissed.

Toma could easily guess that Mio was lying to reject his advances. He couldn’t help but think, “Maybe Mio really likes me?” But he knew that if he confessed his feelings and she rejected him, their relationship would be ruined. The fear of that possibility made it impossible for him to muster the courage to confess.

“Hey, are you listening?”

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry, what is it?”

Toma had completely immersed himself in his own world. He switched his mindset to “I’m working now.”

“To tell you the truth, I was aiming for it.”

“Aiming for it…what do you mean?”

“To hook up with her, just once.”

“Ugh…”

At that moment, the last thing Toma wanted to hear was said. He unconsciously bit his lip.

“I knew I would never get the chance to hook up with such a fine woman again, so if she had come today, I was planning to get her drunk and take advantage of her.”

A disgusting statement came out, as if his true nature had been revealed by alcohol. It was enough to shake Toma’s emotions.

“I will have to ask you to stop. If that happens.”

“Don’t stop me there. Well, if the bar allows it!”

“That goes without saying.”

His voice lacked intonation. It was not suitable for customer service, but it was all Toma could manage. He squeezed his dominant hand with all his might to keep his anger in check, dropping it under the counter so that no one would notice.

“Oh, by the way, Mr bartender, do you have a girlfriend? You’re cool and attractive, so you must be popular with women.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But, no, I don’t have one.”

He suppressed his desire to distance himself from this customer and focused on his usual customer service.

(This is also work. It’s work.)

He convinced himself so.

“What about the girl you like?”

“Well…there is someone.”

“Then why don’t you tell me about her?”

At this point, the customer’s tone completely changed. Rather than asking if it was okay to listen, there was a sense of rudeness in the way he spoke.

This was the scary power of alcohol.

This phenomenon, commonly referred to as “being a mean drunk,” was something that Toma believed to be indicative of a person’s true nature and intentions.

“She’s similar to the woman you fell in love with, sir.”

“Huh?”

“I fell in love with someone similar to the woman you fell in love with.”

“Well, let me tell you, as someone who got rejected, it’s better to just give up. Women like that have their guard up and probably already have a boyfriend.”

“…?”

“If you want to be with her, the only way is to get her drunk at a bar, take her to a hotel, take photos while you’re having s*x, and threaten her to be in a relationship.”

“Sir… please refrain from making such statements in the future.”

Toma’s forehead twitched with anger.

The customer had planned to do something like this to Mio, the woman he had fallen in love with.

He couldn’t hold back his anger anymore.

“Toma-chan.”

“Huh…?”

At that moment, he was called by the master of the shop, Miki.

“Go to the back room.”

“…”

“I said go to the back room. Hurry up.”

“Okay, I understand. I’m sorry…”

It was a command that brooked no objections.

Bowing his head in apology, Toma made his way to the staff room. Miki’s judgment was spot on. She wanted to give him time to cool down.

“Oh, so the next one will be a pretty lady for me to enjoy?”

“Of course. Let’s continue, shall we?”

“Sweet!”

Hearing the carefree voice of the customer as he entered the staff room, Toma trembled with frustration.

***

At midnight.

“…You’ve endured so much, Toma-chan. You’re really amazing. Thank you,” said Miki, placing her hand gently on Toma’s shoulder to soothe him.