Since becoming this body, I’ve been too busy just trying to survive and have never had a chance to drink alcohol. Most of all, I strongly believed that if I wasn’t an adult, I shouldn’t drink.
Still, as someone who once lived in South Korea, I could boast about having tried quite a variety of alcoholic beverages.
Familiar soju and beer, makgeolli. Scotch whisky I attempted to look cool with after entering university. The illicit homemade rice wine I secretly brewed out of curiosity when I was young. Absinthe shared with a senior.
Cocktails of unknown names and some extremely strong liquors at the bar where my girlfriend took me. Difficult-to-pronounce Chinese liquors I drank while seeking wisdom from my professor during separate meetings.
So, to me, alcohol has always been something bitter, sometimes astringent. Occasionally spicy or sour ones too. It’s not like I haven’t tasted sweet ones; among various wines, there were those that were somewhat sweet.
But most of the time, any sweetness was overshadowed by bitterness. Not like now, where the sweetness is so overtly assertive.
“Sweet…! Incredibly sweet! What is this? Is this even alcohol…? Can alcohol be sweet?! Isn’t it supposed to be bitter?”
Contrary to its eerie name “Violet Hatred,” the moment I sipped it, the delightful sweetness was so overwhelming that it made me jump up from my seat. So, alcohol doesn’t have to make your tongue numb from alcohol but can do so from sweetness.
“Alterra, you probably haven’t had alcohol before, right? Sorry for not thinking about that earlier. Not all alcohol tastes bitter. This one is unusually sweet… Shouldn’t we take it slow? It’s your first time drinking, isn’t it? Otherwise, you’ll regret it tomorrow.”
Myungho, seemingly worried about her quickly downing the drink, advised her to pace herself. It’s fine; since I’m half Dragon, I won’t get drunk easily.
Most importantly, it’s just too delicious. Though it looks purple with floating flowers, making it seem more like a cleaning agent than a beverage, the exotic sweetness unlike sugar is addictive.
“…Huh, who’s worrying about whom? You look like you’ll wobble and fall over after just a little drink. Yuna, have you ever seen Myungho drink?”
Yuna, leisurely savoring the drink while flicking her ears, said after a slight pause that she hadn’t seen him drink until he got drunk.
“Hmm… It’s sweet… Hehe, uh… What did you ask again…? Oh, right. You asked if Myungho drinks… Hmm, he says alcohol is tasteless and claims he has things to do the next day… Somehow, he didn’t drink until he got drunk… Hmmheehee, hic. It’s a waste to leave it, so… I should drink it all…”
After only a few cups, Yuna already looked half-drunk, her face flushed red. She seemed weaker against alcohol than expected.
Leaving Yuna aside for now, I shot a playful smile directly at Myungho. Sensing my intent, Myungho smirked slightly and declared he wouldn’t back down from a challenge.
“It’s not that I don’t drink because alcohol tastes bad or because I’m weak against it like Yuna. Actually, I’m rather strong against alcohol. But will I be okay?”
“Hah! We’ll see about that when we drink. Surely, we won’t finish just one bottle here, so let’s order three more and see how it goes. Hey, ma’am! Whatever this is, bring us three more bottles!”
The innkeeper, though questioning if we could handle such strong liquor, still placed three bottles on our table. Yuna was already incoherent.
Alright, if either me or Myungho were to judge who gets drunk first, we might end up bickering annoyingly—”No, it’s not me!”—possibly even hurting each other’s feelings. We needed an impartial referee.
“Hmm. Akashi?”
“Yeah, drink up. Drink. I’ve been curious about what kind of drunken nonsense and actions you two will come up with. It’s not about who collapses first, right? Leave it to me. I’ll bet on both of you going down at the same time.”
This struck a nerve, as neither of us wanted to lose. As soon as Akashi said “both,” we immediately insisted it wouldn’t happen.
“…Do as you please then. Here, pour and drink. I was considering ordering something else since I detest overly sweet things, but this is turning into quite a show.”
Great, we have a referee. Spectators… weren’t invited, but when word spread about a drinking contest, people started gathering quietly.
Amidst the chatter, some were betting on the beauty there, others on the gentleman over there.
“Then… Let’s start!”
Though Myungho seemed uneasy, his expression was ambiguous, whereas I felt inexplicably exhilarated. It truly felt like being in a tavern.
However, as soon as we began, we tipped our glasses, not to savor but with the single-minded determination to overpower the other, aggressively drinking without any unpleasantness.
Instead, the pleasant sweetness made the alcohol flow effortlessly. If such sweet drinks existed originally, I might have ruined myself financially just buying them.
“Ah, it’s killing me…! What is this, Myungho? I’m already starting to feel tipsy… If you need help anytime, just say the word!”
It was fun. While spending time alone together is great, I missed this lively atmosphere. Myungho, seemingly properly provoked by my taunt, grinned confidently, straining his neck.
“You’re the one who’ll end up begging to stop later.”
That’s the spirit. With a cheeky grin, I opened another bottle and poured it into the glass. Hmm, sounds seem a bit louder…
Maybe it’s just the excitement.
—
As Alterra drained her cup, she reached for the bottle to pour more but slipped and collapsed onto the table.
The crowd erupted in cheers and sighs, coins clinking as they changed hands.
“5, 4, 3, 2… 1. Alterra, defeated. After boasting so much at the start, is this all you’ve got? Hey, can you hear me? Ugh, the sweetness is lingering.”
“…Ugh, everything’s spinning…”
Altera tried to push herself up with her arms but only managed to flop back down.
…If I hadn’t secretly used magic to break down the alcohol, she would have fallen long ago. Winning like this feels hollow somehow, but…
For some reason, I absolutely didn’t want to lose. It was a matter of pride, something I wanted to win no matter what. Even if I was weaker in strength and magic, I wanted to hold my ground in this at least.
I don’t know why this sweet-tasting alcohol appeals to her, but it clearly does. She drank far more than me. Had we not been competing, she might have finished it all herself.
Seeing her lying sprawled on the table, I turned to the smiling innkeeper, who offered a hearty laugh at the spectacle, and asked if there were any rooms available.
“Oh, yes. We only have one double room and two singles left. Young man, why don’t you share with the lady here? That’ll be 36 silver including the drinks.”
Handing over a gold coin, the kind innkeeper smiled, saying we could stay longer if we wished, and handed over three keys.
Returning to our seats, I told Akashi to move Yuna and gently asked Alterra if she could walk.
“Altera. Alterra. Can you hear me? Can you walk?”
“Mmehh… Probably…? Just a little nap… Let me check… Ugh.”
Altera tried to rise upon hearing me but almost fell backward, catching herself with her tail.
In the process, one of the wooden floorboards split in half, but the innkeeper waved it off, claiming she’d replace it anyway.
“Ugh… I can’t walk… Lend me your shoulder… The world’s spinning around… I’m dizzy…”
After several attempts to stand, Alterra admitted defeat and asked to lean on me.
“Here.”
“Eh… Thanks… Hic, never thought I’d lean on a man’s shoulder in my life…”
Alterra, thoroughly drunk, exhaled warmly onto my collarbone as she leaned heavily against me. I nearly lost balance from the sudden weight but stabilized myself with a burst of mana. How could such a small frame carry so much weight?
After briefly complaining, the soft sensation of her skin against my back made me catch my breath. Struggling to maintain her balance, she subtly rubbed her soft, round figure against me.
“Hmm… It’s warm… Comfortable… Hic, you smell nice… Your scent… Hmm… Yeah, I’m less scared now… So… Can I lean on you a bit more…”
Scared of something? While adjusting my position to make her more comfortable, her words lingered in my mind.
“What are you scared of?”
“Mmhm…? Haha, there’s nothing to be scared of… Unless… Unless something impossible happens… Hmm, yeah… Like if you dated someone else… Or died… And left me behind… Then I wouldn’t know how to live… That’s what scares me… Myungho.”
“Huh.”
“Myungho. Stay close to me… Don’t go far… Because I can’t protect you if you do… And I won’t know who you’ll be with…”
So that’s what frightened her. Given the Demon’s antics affecting even Alterra, it makes sense she’d feel such insecurity. Understanding that now…
Even now, I realize how vulnerable Alterra perceives me to be.
A bitter smile escaped me despite trying to suppress it.
