─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

"" Sour!

Me and Ibuki raised their voices at the same time.

And stare at each other.

"Hey, you're kidding me! I said you didn't have enough lemons!

"That way, that way! Because I said there's a lot of coantro!

We put down the glass we had as we cursed each other as we sprung the bubbles.

It's a regular tumbler. There's ice packed inside, filled with thin white liquid that wraps them up.

It's whiskey that Ibuki and I usually drink at home, but not today.

The starting point was that coincidences had overlapped.

When I happened to read a piece called "City Hunter" in comic book coffee, Ibuki happened to get a ton of lemons from relatives.

The comic book "City Hunter" frequently comes up with the name of a certain cocktail.

Yes. [X.Y.Z] made me want to drink it.

We nodded and bought Bacardi (the brand of rum, this time referring to white rum) and Coantro, respectively.

But when I gathered all the ingredients, my house didn't have the shakers at its heart. There was no cocktail glass either.

Well, I poured the ingredients in a tumbler with ice in the eye mass, without even using a major cup, that I could handle with my amateur thoughts. Just be careful with the 2: 1: 1 ratio.

It was a rather uneasy portion of the pouring stage, but I closed my eyes and stirred the contents.

The result leads to earlier feelings.

"... let's not, it's an ugly feud"

"Right... well, yeah, well done, I'm sure"

So comforting, we put the liquid into our mouths again.

Sour first. And a little bitter.

It's refreshing, but it's such a heavy drink that it builds up all over your belly.

Aroma or what is the flavor? nostalgic sweet fragrance that reminds me of the old days...... oh, that's it, I think I've had this pastry before.

... Well, it's sour and spicy, but I guess it's not bad for someone who likes that.

"I knew this was an alley. He said there wasn't enough coantro and lamb."

Where I was comforting my own mind, Ibuki in front of me was adding up the ingredients I had brought from the kitchen in a way that I couldn't give up.

After stirring again, Ibuki included it in his mouth and said:

"... not sour, but not half alcoholic. What is this? When lemons are weak, alcohol comes out as soon as possible"

To see that sentiment and expression, it didn't seem like much of a success.

I put my liquid in my mouth again, and I said,

"I knew it was a mistake in the first place to make a 'shake' cocktail out of 'build'"

"No, before that, my amateur suddenly thought of making [X.Y.Z] was a mistake."

"You can tell."

We stunned ourselves with each other's shallow behavior and still included the unsavory cocktails we were able to produce.

Now that I'm used to alcohol, I can drink it, but if I had just started drinking it, I would have lost it.

That was about it, a cup that was fragmented, strong, sour and not very 'cocktail'.

"... I knew I could use a whiskey."

I reached for the 'Suntory Corner Bottle', which I always had, with a bitter laugh.

"Eh. Now let's buy a shaker and try."

"Why not? Nothing good, Lemon would put you in a [highball]."

"So how much are you willing to drink to consume?

I turned to Ibuki's gaze. There were still quite a few lemons she had received. Ultimately, to the extent that squeezing or squeezing doesn't seem to run out.

"In the meantime, you're allergic to this flavor. I decided to remember it as [total X.Y.Z]"

"You're kidding, you dare say [Ibuki's X.Y.Z]"

"Don't name me a failure"

"You think it would be nice if it was my name?"

As we speak, we tilt each other's glasses.

And we both looked sinister and laughed at each other.

Drink a failed 'cocktail' while saying it tastes bad. Again, that was fun.

"Well, good. It's time for me to go."

After a while, Ibuki stood up abruptly and said.

Even though her glass is still on the desk.

"Where are you going?

"Far away"

I was confused because I didn't know exactly what she was talking about.

Confused, but desperate.

"Wait, Ibuki!

"... yeah. Because I'm waiting. So come see me soon."

When I screamed, Ibuki only turned around once and said so.

Then, without looking back, he leaves.

I can't stand up for why.

Still, desperately, reach out and...

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

"Don't go!!

"Yikes!?

When I grabbed my arms, the Lord of those arms trembled as if stunned.

Keep pulling me, and the girl comes into my arms. I smelled fluffy and good and I felt soft skin.

What popped into my sight afterwards was the blue that just covered my eyes.

"... so, total,?

There was a girl trembling and I finally figured out who I was hugging.

"... sui?

"Oh, you know, this is"

"... bad"

Immediately release the girl whose words are slightly out of constraint.

Sui was distancing himself from Ba and me, staring at me with a well-mixed eye of confusion.

I try not to look too swim in the face as I get up.

"What? What? Huh?"

"I'm so sorry, Sui. Hey, I was drunk."

When I sent him the right words of apology, Sui snorted twice with a face that didn't fall.

Shortly afterwards, my brain was in shock.

"What are you doing, kid? Ah!?

I had a slightly intense pain in my head to describe as a 'zkin' that held my head down and crouched in, while organizing my mind.

Thoughts are so clean. I can't feel lag anywhere in the thought circuit.

I get up and bow my head firmly to the man behind me who let me down my genius.

"Really, I'm sorry. No offense."

"... it is. Don't go crazy. Weirdly honest."

Mr. Oyaji seemed to feel disgusted that I apologized too lightly.

I looked around before I uttered any words.

Where I am now is rarely in Easys stores. That's inside the counter, too.

Next door is Sui, who still pats his eyes, and Oyaji, who has a subtle expression.

On the other side of the counter is the face of the boy and girl I found out about.

"What's the matter, total? Too much head slapping to go crazy?

Of a red-haired girl, half worried to half anxious. I give her a bitter laugh as I raise my hand.

"Are you sure you're okay? I went to get my things and I was worried because I wasn't coming back."

"You're gonna be okay. So when I came to see how it was, I couldn't believe I drank and slept on my own."

"Sally!

Silver-haired twins slap their worried voices and hatred at me, respectively. But I can see that both of them were actually very worried about me.

"What time is it now? How long has it been?

"The general went back to pick up his forgotten things, about thirty minutes?

"... right"

Was it just that much time?

It should have been a shorter time we had a direct conversation.

Even so, I... I remember.

There is one glass on the counter. It's been [X.Y.Z] a while since I made it.

She said, too perfect to be boring, such a cup.

And one more thing.

I didn't make it, there's one bullet in there.

"Total? Are you sure you're okay? I didn't know you were here, did I?

He finally calms his mind. Sui asks as he peeks into my face.

I respond to her kindness as I strive to smile naturally.

"... I'm really fine. That's sweet, Sue."

Usually I would say this.

But the look on my face makes Sui look different and sharp than he did earlier.

I roared to think for a while, mmm, and said with serious eyes.

"Total, what happened?

"Huh?"

"I've never seen you laugh like that."

…………

At first, I also wondered if Sui was drunk and saying the right thing.

But she also has a reputation for her resilience. If all this time had passed, the drunkenness would be cold.

"... No, you're right. If you ask me, things are weird."

"Sure, I feel like I'm showing some weird delicacy to total habits"

It is the Vermut family who say rude things so as to get on board with the words of Sui.

Who says there's usually no delicacy?

... Well, that reluctance, maybe, was cozy.

"Total. Things you don't want to talk about? Better not ask, okay?

The gentle inquiring voice of Sui.

I can't help but really want to hear it, but suppress it and ask well behaved.

I slapped myself in the head.

No more headaches.

How much I've thought about it, something that stops doesn't work.

"Kid, if you need anything, say it."

"... Mr. Oyaji"

"I'm not saying you can't do it if you want to hide it. If you want to think about it alone, it's easier said than done."

"... right"

When I answered unconsciously, another gen trick came down on my head.

"Huh!? Why!?"

"Nba Kid. I'm sorry. How can you be so respectful again?

"Ah..."

In Mr. Oyaji's voice, I noticed.

From an earlier incident, apparently, I was drawing the line again.

"Don't behave. I don't know what happened to you, but we don't care."

"Mr. Oyaji..."

"Talk to me because it's good. We're not family anymore."

Both Sui and Rai nodded to Mr. Oyaji's voice.

Phil smiles quietly and cares about Sowa and my words while even Sally looks disgusted.

I exhaled.

I suddenly sprung up, I wanted to spit out the alle in my head and make it easier.

By doing so, I wanted to be freed from such hindsight that I was using this store for some sort of 'cocktail'.

"... I, in fact, have forgotten something for a long time"

That's how I spoke of the past as a potpout, which I took back.

Me and Ibuki, just six months.

And now it leads to the presence of Trice.