'Cosy.' I thought as I entered the dimly lit bar, the scent of wood, alcohol, cigarettes and that floral scent hitting me all at once. I ignored the direction it came from and made my way to the bar, pulling out the wallet I'd found in my trousers.
The bartender—a bald elderly man—stood on the other side. He looked slightly down at me due to our height difference, gave a small smirk and spoke.
"Quite the young one to be here. Are you lost?"
I scoffed and began the first part of the plan. "My ID. Once you've checked it, give me something that'll make me forget everything by the time I leave."
He took the card, the smirk on his face fading slightly before he handed it back with a shake of his head. Without another word, he turned and grabbed a bottle of whiskey.
"Aged thirty years, with a slight citrus undertone."
I gave a small nod as he pulled out a glass and added ice. I sat down at the bar just as he slid the glass over. I caught it and eyed the contents for a moment. 'Would've been nice to pair my first drink with a cigar.' With a slight shrug, I brought the glass to my lips, tilted it and let the liquid roll down my throat.
"You're supposed to savor the flavor.." the bartender mumbled.
I just shrugged, extending the now empty glass for a refill. With a sigh he poured me another.
'Now to get through enough of this to start the next part.' I thought as I took another sip, feeling the warm smooth burn slide down.
-
An hour passed. I'd moved to a corner booth, surrounded by the heavy scent of aged whiskey and the faint burn in my chest that came with drinking far too much of it.
"P-Pour me 'nother one…" I mumbled, swaying on the stool. One hand cupped my face while the other lifted the glass—empty now, save for a single half melted ice cube.
"Sir, you've already gone through three bottles!" the bartender said with exasperation.
I snorted, slamming the glass down with a shaky thunk.
"I-I'm the one payin' f'r this shit, not you! So… so go fetch me more…"
My voice started strong but slurred into a drunken mumble. The bartender sighed again before turning to get another bottle.
'F-Fuck… h-hopefully Tsukin—Tsukasa's damn plan works...'
-
"Damn kid, you can drink!"
Garbled words sloshed into my ears. I slowly turned my head toward the voice, nodding at the bearded blur in front of me.
"D-damn fuckin' straight I can." I mumbled. My head felt like it weighed a damn ton.
'Yukiko-sama will—'
"Wanna join us for a bit?" the man mumbled. His voice wobbled like I was underwater.
I squinted at the open seats, then sat up a little straighter.
"Suuure! Yukiko-sama won't m-mind."
He barked out a laugh that rattled through my skull and I groaned as I stumbled over to sit beside him. The two other blurs at the table were already drinking.
"Oi, waiter!" someone called out, but my head dipped forward again, swaying as the voices blended into a low droning hum.
Then—
smack!—a hand clapped my back, jolting me awake again.
"The youngin' will grab a—"
-
The world… it was spinning. Like one of those stupid spinning tops. Just—whoooosh! I could feel it in my stomach, like I was on a boat—or, no, not just a boat—like a boat barely staying afloat and about to capsize.
"F-Fuck…" I mumbled, my feet dragging and swaying like they had a mind of their own. I tried to focus. Tried to walk. But everything felt… wobbly. The bathroom… it was right there. I was sure of it.
But then as I shuffled past, this—this smell hit me. Sweet. Floral. Strong—too strong. Like it could knock me out if I wasn't careful.
"Y-Yukiko-sama…" I slurred, my mind spinning and stumbling over itself as I fumbled toward the door.
I kicked it open, vision blurring. Okay. The stall. The stall was there. I knew it was. But somehow, my feet decided to betray me, and the next thing I knew—bang—my forehead slammed into the wall.
"Fuck…"
My head was thumping. Like someone had replaced my brain with a drum set. I shook it, hard. The world stayed dizzy, but at least the pain felt real. Grounding.
"Fuck."
And then—of course—here we go again. The world spun faster, like a blender on high. I saw the toilet paper holder. No… it wasn't just a toilet paper holder. It was a tool. A weapon.
Without thinking, I ripped it off the wall and stabbed it into my leg.
Hard.
'Stupid.'
But it felt… right, in some messed-up way.
The pain flooded my system, sharp and sobering, and I blinked as the fog began to lift. Memories clicked into place and I groaned.
'I assumed alcohol didn't affect me because of "Undying Spark"… Guess I was wrong.'
With a grunt, I yanked the toilet paper holder from my leg, ignoring the wound as it began to stitch itself shut. I stood, exhaling slowly to clear my head.
'Tsukino's way didn't work. Now it's my way. But first—'
I looked down at the hole in my pants just as I heard footsteps approach.
'One person.' I noted.
As I exited the stall, I spotted the newcomer. They nodded at me and I nodded back, watching as they walked past. 'Same height as me.. Poor bastard.'
I lunged. Grabbed their face. Slammed them against the wall. They slumped, unconscious.
Dragging the body into an empty stall, I quickly stripped off my own pants and swapped them for his. Once dressed, I stepped out of the men's bathroom my focus sharpening.
'Now… where's Mizuki?'
'There she is.'
Long silky brown hair. Kind eyes. Elegant posture.
But as our eyes met, a chill shot down my spine. She looked away casually and I did the same, turning toward the bar counter.
"Still not done drinking, kid?" the bartender muttered with a tired look.
I snorted and shook my head. "Won't just be for me."
He raised an eyebrow—then paled as heavy footsteps approached behind me.
"Excuse me, sir."
I turned and found myself face to neck with a tall man with light blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a stiff smile.
"My boss was wondering if you were free to share a drink with her."
I raised an eyebrow and the man tilted slightly to the side, revealing Mizuki in the distance. She gave a small wave at me.
Then the blond leaned back, blocking my view of her again. His expression was expectant.
I pretended to ponder, then turned to the bartender who hurriedly placed a bottle of whiskey in front of me before retreating to attend to another customer.
With the bottle in hand, I spun around and gave a slow nod.
The blond smiled.
"Splendid. Please follow me."
-
"My, you're even younger up close~"
I sat down next to Mizuki who leaned in close, placing her gloved hand on my leg. I turned to her with an expression I hoped conveyed a mixture of confusion, loneliness and drunkenness. She chuckled, leaning in further to grab the bottle of whiskey I had brought over. Reclining back, she turned to the blonde man who had accompanied me.
"Be a dear and return this." she said, holding the bottle out.
The man nodded and as he stepped away, I felt Mizuki gently squeeze my leg before turning her attention back to me with a light smile.
"If we're going to drink." she said sweetly. "we might as well enjoy it."
I gave a slight shrug, leaning back and taking a deep breath.
'It's like she's not even hiding it.'
The moment I'd entered her proximity, that sweet floral scent had clawed its way into my senses, overwhelming them completely.
'Feels like I'm being pumped full of aphrodisiacs…'
Yet, curiously, it wasn't arousal or clouded lust I felt. No, what overtook me instead was something far more familiar—submission, loyalty. It was subtle and unnatural.
'Yumiko never needed tricks like this to win my loyalty...'
My mood darkened at the thought, drifting to the woman I had once pledged myself to.
"My~" Mizuki's gloved hand left my leg and moved up to my face, gently turning it so I was looking at her. She wore a playful pout. "That kind of face won't do, my dear~"
Again, my senses reeled—flooded, crashing, recovering only for the cycle to repeat.
"You shouldn't feel so down." she whispered. "Not with me here~"
I gave a tired lopsided smile and leaned closer to her. "Sorry… was just thinking about someone I used to know."
Her curiosity sparked. "Oh? And who might that be?"
"Just… a woman who's no longer with me." I replied with low somber tone. "I never realized how big of a hole she'd leave behind."
Her hand slid upward, stroking my hair with a tenderness that didn't match the hidden intensity of her aura.
"I see~" she murmured and then, suddenly she drew me in. My arm and neck were enveloped by her soft chest as she leaned in, trapping me in her embrace.
"Those we love most tend to leave the deepest wounds. It's a selfish thing, isn't it~"
I feigned intrigue, eyes distant but my ears sharp as she cupped my face again, coaxing me to meet her gaze.
"We pour our hearts out." she continued softly yet firmly. "hoping for love in return, but so often… we're met with silence~"
'She really has a way with words.' I thought, nodding softly as I rested my head against her chest.
I had to admit—I was impressed with my acting. Though, to say it was all an act would be a lie. The perfume… the scent… it was triggering Undying Spark nonstop, overloading my system in waves causing a physical and mental drain.
"Say…" she whispered, raising my head gently as she poured a glass with one hand and brought it to my lips.
But before drinking, I turned and looked at her.
"We can't change the past." she said, her voice dripping with allure. "But we can shape the future. Why not make tonight… a future of your own design~"
I hesitated—just for a moment, then leaned forward placing my head back on her chest. I grabbed the glass, tilted it and poured the contents down the crevice of her chest, watching the amber liquid trail down her curves.
Then I leaned in… and slurped the whiskey straight from her skin.
A chorus of surprised gasps came from her companions. Mizuki herself blinked, but then smiled as I finished the last drop and sat back.
"Pave that way for me." I softly said
She chuckled, amused and clearly pleased, cupping my chin with her hand.
"I'll show you the love you truly deserve."
~~~~~~
Author here,
While I don't plan to start another fanfic alongside this unless just yet I thought: "I should let others decide what reincarnated/transmigration fanfic I should go for next." And with that in mind this poll shall start.
Record Of Ragnarok Fanfic (Info)
Demon Slayer (Demon MC)
Naruto (Non Ninja MC)
My Hero Academia (Unsure of MC)
Attack On Titan (Info)
Tokyo Ghoul (Info)
Others