Rin rarely drank, but he wasn't about to let her outdrink him. He soon realized Akane was trying to get him wasted.
He smirked. With his "Female Delinquent System" enhancements, his recovery speed was insane. To get him drunk, she'd have to pump him with 100-proof vodka like it was water.
"Try the yakitori," Akane said. "So, who is this artist, really?"
"Mashiro Shiina. Keep it a secret, Akane. I handle all her business."
"Mashiro Shiina?" Akane frowned. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"She just wants to draw. 'Baumkuchen' was created to protect her."
Akane nodded. She wanted to poach Rin, too. If she could bring "Baumkuchen" under her "Akane Planning" umbrella, she'd have Mashiro, Elf, and Eriri all in one go. She kept pouring, waiting for him to slip up.
But as the hours passed, Akane's own eyes grew misty. Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, while Rin sat there, perfectly sober.
Dammit, why can he drink so much? she thought.
Deciding to change tactics, she feigned being drunk. Men always let their guard down around a wasted woman. She slumped onto the table, eyes closed.
"Ms. Akane?" Rin gently pushed her arm. Her skin was smooth and firm, and her mature aura, combined with her black pantyhose and flush of intoxication, was incredibly alluring.
Any other man would have been tempted. But Rin was a veteran of "Kaede's parties." Even if she were naked, he wouldn't lose control. He wasn't some stereotypical H-manga villain.
"Ms. Akane?" He shook her shoulder, but she remained limp as a rag doll. Rin sighed. He didn't feel lust—just the annoyance of having to deal with a drunk.
He opened the system. Kaede had added every attractive woman Rin met to the "potential list." While not as detailed as Nino's, he could see her status. It said: [Drunk], but her consciousness was marked as [Awake].
Faking it? Rin almost laughed.
She was tipsy, but not unconscious. He decided to see how long she could keep it up. But then, he noticed a red exclamation mark next to her name.
[Major Health Risk!]
Rin clicked for details. [Risk of cerebral thrombosis/stroke. Highly critical.]
Rin's eyes widened. He didn't really care about her, but he couldn't let her die. He couldn't just tell her, though. He needed a way to get her to a hospital.
Wait... if he could put a "Token of Commitment" on her like Nino's, he could monitor her health perfectly.
As he pondered this, Akane grew restless. Why isn't he doing anything? Is he taking his clothes off? She just wanted to catch him in a compromising position or tease him. She didn't expect him to just sit there.
"Ooh..." she moaned softly, shifting her legs in her black tights. He's a doujin artist! His head must be full of filth! How is he holding back?
But the alcohol finally won. Her consciousness faded into darkness.
When Akane woke up, she saw a strange ceiling.
Panic surged through her. Where am I? A hotel? Did he take advantage of me?
Then, the smell of disinfectant hit her. A hospital.
Rin was sitting nearby, looking at his phone. "You look like you think I kidnapped you to a hospital-themed love hotel."
"A woman has to protect herself."
"Drinking yourself into a stupor in front of a man isn't 'protecting yourself,'" Rin laughed. He had taken her to the hospital owned by Ryo Yamada's parents. While she was out, he had briefly used the spare nipple ring from Kaede to confirm the "Health Risk" was indeed a serious stroke risk.
"I brought you here after you passed out."
"Thank you." Akane breathed a sigh of relief, then noticed she was in a hospital gown.
Rin stood up. "The doctors found something. The director here is a friend. I booked a check-up for you. You woke up early... go do the tests before the staff leaves for the day. Well? Move it."
Akane was dazed. "What's wrong with me?"
"I'm not a doctor. If I knew, why would we be here?"
"I'm perfectly healthy. I don't need—"
"You're already here. It's just a few tests. Don't worry, I'm not scamming you. You still need to introduce me to those editors, right? I can't have you dropping dead on me."
Akane hesitated, but when she heard the tests involved a CT scan and angiography, she started to feel a real chill of fear.