Ayano watched Kiyoharu mix the drink from start to finish.
Calling it a cocktail was a stretch. What he made contained almost no alcohol, merely borrowing a faint hint of whiskey's aroma.
"I remember Airi never drinks unless the occasion requires it."
"But when she wants to unwind and isn't working, she likes adding a little alcohol to her drinks to experience a slight buzz. Of course, the amount has to be strictly controlled. Even a tiny bit more would get her drunk."
Airi had an abysmal tolerance for alcohol. Whenever she needed to put on a brave face at social gatherings, she took hangover medicine beforehand. Even then, she could only force herself through two glasses of red wine.
Chihaya Genichiro believed the Chihaya Family's heir could not be some useless person incapable of handling the exchange of drinks at social occasions.
Sigh, those old tycoons really were all so stubborn.
Ayano sorted through her memories once more and confirmed that Airi had only picked up this habit after Ayano went abroad for high school.
Watching Kiyoharu's serious expression, Ayano felt inexplicably jealous.
She narrowed her eyes and, the moment Kiyoharu stopped, immediately suggested, "I'm interested in this kind of cocktail. Would it be convenient for Mr. Chihaya to teach me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
"And what is it called?"
"Uh, it doesn't have an official name. Airi usually calls it 'that blue one.'"
"Pfft, pfft~ That really suits Airi-chan's style." Ayano paused. "This should be Kiyoharu-kun's original creation, right?"
"You could say that."
"Then let's call it 'Azure Sea.'"
"There's no Water of Life in this, and besides, Airi doesn't like other people randomly naming things that belong to her."
Kiyoharu tactfully rejected Ayano's suggestion and began demonstrating the process for her.
Other than stirring the cream and shaking the ice, which required control over strength and timing, the rest were simple steps. Yet Ayano clumsily failed.
"Looks like I need Kiyoharu-kun to teach me hands-on~ Please stand behind me and hold my hands while you teach."
"That wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"
Kiyoharu glanced around uneasily and discovered that the bartender had vanished somewhere to slack off. The area nearby was unexpectedly deserted for the moment.
When he turned his gaze back to Ayano, he found that threatening expression on her face again.
With a sigh, Kiyoharu stood behind Ayano and spread his arms.
"Why are you standing so far away? Come closer."
"But..."
Before Kiyoharu could say anything, Ayano tugged at his clothes. Caught off guard, he stumbled and pressed tightly against her back.
The astonishing fullness concealed beneath her long dress immediately made Kiyoharu feel the utmost softness and elasticity.
Ayano turned her face slightly and murmured close to him, "I told you, becoming my boyfriend definitely won't leave you at a loss... All right, let's begin the lesson."
"Understood. Starting from here... you need to pay attention to the consistency of the cream..."
The moment he began explaining, Kiyoharu noticed something was wrong.
Ayano deliberately pressed herself very, very close to him. Whenever Kiyoharu tried to pull away even a little, she dragged him back by the wrist and turned her head to give him a warning look.
Kiyoharu instantly had a...
In order to hold Ayano's hands and teach her in the most direct way possible, he completely enclosed her delicate body in his embrace. Her slender waist, narrow enough to grasp in one hand, kept swaying awkwardly, and her excessively ample curves invaded Kiyoharu's reason like agile slime.
Fine beads of sweat formed at Kiyoharu's temples as he trembled and urged, "Miss Kitahara, please stop. If someone passes by and sees us..."
"This is Airi's private bar. I already sent away the only bartender while Kiyoharu-kun was concentrating on making the drink... It seems that even though Airi doesn't take you seriously at all, you still care quite a bit about her." Kitahara Ayano's voice carried wicked delight. "Could it be that Kiyoharu-kun secretly likes Airi?"
"We're already mutually in love. Why would there be any need to like her in secret?"
"Really, Kiyoharu-kun? Then I'll give you two choices: tell me the truth and satisfy my curiosity, or... do your best to maintain this dignified cocktail lesson. If you can hold out for over ten minutes, I'll let you go."
Ayano took out her phone, set a ten-minute timer, and placed it on the bar where Kiyoharu could see it clearly.
The truth?
Naturally, Ayano could not be allowed to find out about the agreement.
So Kiyoharu could only grit his teeth and endure the hardest ten minutes of his life.
"So slow. How is one lousy drink still not done after all this time?"
The antique Japanese-style hair-washing room was filled with soothing incense. Coupled with the masseuse's relaxing techniques, it was simply exquisite bliss.
If only there were another glass of... that blue thing, it would be even better.
Airi would not say it too eagerly, but she really was just a tiny bit craving it. By coincidence, Kiyoharu had actually offered first, which secretly delighted her.
But the cocktail here was taking so long... Perhaps there was some problem with the bar equipment?
In this sleep-inducing environment, Airi, who was trying to relax, did not have much energy left to think.
After an unknown amount of time, the glass door was pushed open, and Kiyoharu's familiar voice sounded:
"Young Lady, your blue thing."
There was something strange about Kiyoharu's voice. More precisely, it carried an unusual hoarseness.
He had survived the longest, most torturous ten minutes of his life, but he still felt terrible now.
"Mhm~ Put it beside me."
"...Understood."
Kiyoharu trudged forward with difficulty and set down the crystal glass.
The unsettled liquid swayed like Kiyoharu's emotions.
Airi glanced at him and saw the exhaustion on his face. Unable to hold back her laughter, she said, "You got this tired from merely mixing a drink, Kiyoharu-kun? What a joke."
Normally, even with Shimaura Hitomi nearby, Kiyoharu would have said something subtly sarcastic to needle her.
But this time, Kiyoharu obediently withdrew without daring to say another word, afraid Airi would notice something unusual.
Shimaura Hitomi took in their interaction and quietly pouted.
Airi was so mean to her senior.
Her senior had always taken such good care of Airi, so why was he treated like this? Shimaura Hitomi felt it was unfair to her senior!
Airi took a sip of the cocktail, her expression turning dissatisfied. "Tch, the layers of flavor are a little off... It took much longer than before, so why did it turn out so poorly?"
She looked ready to have the masseuse call Kiyoharu over for a scolding.
Shimaura Hitomi hurriedly stopped her. "Airi, let it go. Senior has been busy with schoolwork lately. Maybe he's just tired."
"Oh? I haven't heard of Kiyoharu-kun being assigned any extra duties, aside from helping Ayano get familiar with the school."
"Actually, I've been under a lot of pressure lately, and Senior has been helping me share the burden, so he's a little tired."
Shimaura Hitomi thought her cocktail-mixing senior was incredibly cool. She did not want to see her hardworking senior get bossed around and scolded by Airi.
This explanation more or less earned Airi's trust. She nodded. "Not bad. This guy has some sense after all... Hitomi, if you need help with anything, just order Kiyoharu-kun around. There's no need to go easy on him."
After all, Airi had paid a hefty sum to hire Kiyoharu, and that guy spent all day acting like a block of wood while doing nothing but making her angry!
Shimaura Hitomi hurriedly waved her hands. "Not at all, ordering him around and all that... I'm already very happy if Senior can occasionally help me."
"Hehe, Hitomi is so cute!"
A kind, simple, sensible girl like this becoming her best friend made Airi quite pleased.
Yet she could never have imagined that, at this moment, a slightly despicable thought was beginning to take root in Shimaura Hitomi's heart...
Before you continue