"Alright, I admit, it's my fault. I definitely won't borrow money to gamble again next time..."
After Ayanokoji's "interrogation" with words, Meari finally reluctantly left this statement.
Meari had indeed said this sincerely, but even Kurume Laiwei, who was nearby, could tell that this statement was like something said during a "sage mode" moment; although heartfelt, its credibility was not high.
Once the gambling frenzy took over, Meari would definitely cast this statement aside.
Ayanokoji didn't say anything harsh to Meari, only expressing his dissatisfaction with it in his words, which made Meari sigh in relief.
Having just won a large sum of money, Meari suggested celebrating again tonight, this time with her treating.
Everyone had no objection. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka originally wanted to go too, but a little later he suddenly received a call.
It was from Miharu Taki Sakura.
"Ayanokoji, are you free tonight?" Miharu Taki Sakura seemed to have something on her mind, her voice sounding a bit heavy.
"As long as it's Miharu Taki Senior's invitation, I'm always free." Ayanokoji asked with concern, "What's wrong, Senpai? You sound like you're not in a good mood..."
"Hmm, I'm indeed not in a good mood. There's something I need to discuss with you."
"Alright, when?"
After confirming the address with Miharu Taki Sakura, Ayanokoji told the girls he had to leave early, then departed.
This made Meari a bit dejected; she had originally wanted to celebrate with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka...
The place Miharu Taki Sakura arranged to meet Ayanokoji was a cocktail bar located in a quiet corner of Shibuya. When Ayanokoji entered, Miharu Taki Sakura was the only customer in the bar.
"Senpai, what did you want to see me about?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka walked up to her.
"I'm here to buy you a drink."
Miharu Taki Sakura smiled gently and patted the bar counter, motioning Ayanokoji to sit next to her: "This is my family's business. Didn't you treat me to a drink before? Today, I'd like to treat you too."
Standing behind the bar was a woman with short purple hair, a slightly cold and proud expression, and a very dashing appearance.
She wasn't wearing a uniform, but a high-slit red cheongsam that unreservedly displayed her tall figure.
A Western-style bar with a cheongsam, a distinctly unconventional pairing, yet under the warm yellow lighting, it created an atmosphere reminiscent of old Shanghai, exuding a unique and graceful charm.
Miharu Taki Sakura introduced, "This is Hojo Miyako, a graduate of Tootsuki Academy. She is currently the bartender and head chef of this bar."
The other party looked at Ayanokoji and nodded slightly, acknowledging him.
Her eyes showed a strong interest in Ayanokoji, constantly watching him. When Ayanokoji started to feel a bit uneasy from being stared at, the other party suddenly said, "Your name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, right? I heard from the young lady that you seem to be good at bartending. Would you like to have a competition with me?"
Ayanokoji looked at Miharu Taki Sakura.
Miharu Taki explained, "Hojo Miyako, whenever she meets someone with excellent cooking skills, she wants to compete with them. I described the taste of the cocktail you made, and she's very curious."
Miharu Taki Sakura remembered the taste of that drink vividly; just a small sip had swept away her fatigue and given her a dreamlike, ethereal feeling, making her feel light as a feather.
That night's fireworks, that night's breeze, that night's light show seemed woven into a fairytale dream.
She had once described this feeling to Hojo Miyako, asking her what kind of base liquor could create a cocktail with such a sensation, but Miyako told her that no liquor could achieve that.
Different cocktails only had different flavors; they couldn't affect a person's mental state.
Either she remembered incorrectly, or there was something mixed in the drink, and she was "high."
Miyako and Miharu Taki Sakura were close in age and Miyako had always regarded her as a good friend, taking this matter very seriously. She quickly took her to a hospital for a thorough examination and found that her body was perfectly healthy, with no symptoms of having "used" anything.
Miyako was still not at ease and wanted to carefully ask about what happened before and after drinking. Miharu Taki Sakura was too embarrassed to explain what happened that day, so she could only state that her body was fine and that she might have remembered incorrectly.
Miyako let go of her concern, but this also piqued her interest in Ayanokoji. She wanted to see how superb Ayanokoji's bartending skills were to make Miharu Taki Sakura misremember the cocktail's sensation to such an extent.
"I'll pass. My bartending skills are very poor, so I won't make a fool of myself." Ayanokoji smiled and shook his head.
He knew his own limitations; the reason his drinks had a special flavor was that the alcohol he used for mixing was from the system, inherently special in taste. If it came down to bartending technique alone, he was only slightly better than a novice bartender.
He had no confidence in competing in bartending with a chef from Far Moon Institute.
Hojo Miyako pouted.
How boring. If it were her, she would definitely be willing to show off in front of girls.
Miharu Taki didn't mind this and said with a smile, "If there's any cocktail you'd like to drink, you can ask her to mix one for you."
"Alright, since Senpai is treating, I won't be polite." Ayanokoji thought for a moment and said, "Could you mix me a 'casino'?"
This was the first cocktail Ayanokoji had learned to make, and he wanted to see the difference between his own mix and what others prepared.
Miyako nodded. She turned to get the base liquor and ingredients.
Triple Sec, cherry liqueur, orange bitters, lemon juice—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was familiar with these spirits, but in Miyako's hands, her bartending style was different from his.
As if to deliberately show off, she tossed bottles containing different liquors into the air, one after another. As soon as one fell, Miyako caught it steadily, and another bottle was thrown out by her.
Miyako's hands danced, and two or three bottles began to perform a "ballet" in the air. Each time a bottle fell, the liquor inside flowed like a thread into another bottle in her hand, mixing together, a truly delightful sight.
Two minutes later, several different liquors were mixed and harmonized in a clear shaker with ice. Miyako poured the drink into a cocktail glass and pushed it in front of Ayanokoji.
"Thank you," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said gratefully, picking up the glass and taking a sip.
The taste of this drink was quite good, leaving a lingering flavor, cold and refreshing, but only 'quite good'.
Although her performance just now was very enjoyable to watch, it seemed to make no difference to the taste compared to what he mixed...
Of course, Ayanokoji only evaluated it like this in his mind. On the surface, he still smiled, placed the glass on the table, and praised, "This drink has a very good taste, thank you."
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