It hadn't been long since Noa had gone to work. Saki felt bored.
The loneliness of the house started to consume her, as always.
"Why didn't I insist on going with him?" – she thought. Although it would have annoyed him, at least she wouldn't feel so alone.
Sighing, she decided to go out.
At least outside she could distract herself with something.
Saki proposed visiting some places and planning a date for herself and Noa.
She wouldn't invite the busty bitch.
It had to be just the two of them.
After all, that bitch had already taken her boyfriend for the day.
---
The streets felt a bit less boring than usual. At least while Saki thought about Noa and what they would do on their "date."
She went to a cinema, visited a café, and walked through a park.
Before she knew it, it started to get dark.
As she returned home, two guys passed by her. They had arms full of tattoos, several piercings in their ears, and quite threatening faces.
Seeing her, they stopped.
—Kai, what do you think of this one? According to my treasure detector, although she doesn't seem like it, this bitch is a 100.
—It's strange, but she doesn't seem attractive to me.
Both of them looked at her as if they were choosing something to eat.
Saki felt uncomfortable. She sped up to lose them. In her mind, she called Noa.
The guys followed her.
—Roa, it's weird. Why does my stomach churn at the thought of fucking her? She doesn't look bad.
—Tsk, it must be someone else's ability. It's actually quite useful. If we find him, let's try to eliminate him. His ability is quite annoying.
—I feel like the smell is fading. If we wait a bit longer, we'll drag her into the alley.
Saki didn't understand what was happening, but both of them were talking loudly. She didn't want them to do anything to her, so she started to run. The guys also sped up.
—Shit. She doesn't just have the smell. Let's leave her, Roa. The bitch also has extra camouflage. What idiot marked her with so many abilities? What a pathetic selfish asshole.
—I saw a good one in the park. Let's go, Kai.
Soon the tattooed guys left. Saki felt terrified. She didn't stop running until she reached her house.
---
***
It was quite late at night. The party lasted a long time.
I was surprised they didn't get tired. Mana was already sleepy, I was too. But the rest kept going and going.
"Did they take something else?" – I thought. I didn't remember putting any stimulant or drug in the drinks. And I had quite a few.
The officer left me a good amount of tip.
It wasn't until the early morning that everyone started to fall like puppets without strings.
Mana was already sleeping behind the bar, wrapped in my jacket. I was still serving drinks to those who were still awake.
Saya/Moño was one of the "survivors," as was the officer, who, although drunk, was still conscious. Also, a woman with a dog collar kept asking me for strong drinks.
The collar caught my attention, but I didn't give it much importance. In this type of party, some eccentric taste was bread and butter. Still, I felt a certain familiarity with that woman.
"Had I seen her before? Maybe at the last party? On the street?"
I didn't remember. I was never good at remembering people, at least not strangers. For me, if they weren't a client, acquaintance, or family, I tended to ignore them.
"Why waste memory or neurons on some random 'X' that I would never see again?"
That's why it surprised me a bit that I remembered her face or that she seemed familiar to me.
I decided to ask. After all, I had nothing to lose.
—Excuse me, have we seen each other before?
She just continued drinking, ignoring me. It seemed a bit annoying to me.
I waited a moment, but seeing no sign that she was going to answer, I decided to ignore her too.
Unexpectedly, she opened her mouth.
—Why? Are you trying to hit on me? Do you also want to fuck me? You're just like all the others, loser. You should practice your lines better. Or be more direct, huh?
Then, without more, she threw the drink at me.
It seemed offensive that she accused me of something like that in front of my boss. Moño was already looking at me strangely. Obviously, she was comparing me to the previous bartender.
"Did I just ask something and she threw alcohol at me? What did she think she was?"
I was starting to get angry.
Respecting the customer was a norm I followed. But... I could always define who was considered a "customer," right?
Before I could do anything, Mana got up. She looked annoyed.
—Well, well, if it isn't the school's favorite pet. What brings you here, Nee-san? Did your masters get tired of you? Or is it a break for the next round?
The woman was speechless. Her eyes showed a mix of panic, disbelief, and some anger.
—What the hell are you doing here, Mana?!
Mana just smiled as she leaned on my arm.
—I came to see my boyfriend work, duh?
The woman furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but then closed it.
She gritted her teeth and started to shout.
—Boyfriend?! Stop your games and go home at once! Besides, that guy was trying to fuck me. You don't know anything! They're all the same.
I felt attacked.
"At what moment did I ask to fuck this bitch?"
Although she resembled Mana, it was obvious from the collar that she had quite a bit of experience, and I wasn't going to change my standards. She was a definitive NO.
And even if I decided to change or ignore my principles, with her attitude, it was a double NO.
I tried to explain to Mana, but it seemed to affect her more than I imagined.
—Is it true, Noa? Do you want to do it with her?
Her hands gripped my arm. Her face showed a mix of sadness, disbelief, anger, and trust.
I started to feel a bit tired. Something like this had never happened to me before.
"How should I respond? Apologize? Explain myself? Would she believe me more or her sister?"
—I just asked if we had seen each other before. She seemed familiar to me.
Mana still seemed unsure.
While I thought about how to explain myself better, someone unexpected joined the conversation.
—Ufufufu, it's funny. It's cute to see lover's quarrels. I haven't seen something like this in a long time.
Saya/Moño started to speak.
—What the bartender says is true. He simply asked something, and your hysterical sister started to bark. I'm surprised you put up with her.
—I don't.
Mana murmured as she hugged me.
I was surprised that Moño defended me. I just gave her a nod and a grateful look.
She just elegantly shook her glass while continuing.
—It's wrong that you try to take revenge on someone who has nothing to do with your situation. Don't think that because the bartender is polite, he's easy prey.
Without stopping looking into the eyes of Mana's sister, Saya continued.
—After all, he works for me and... I take care of my people.
Her voice turned more serious. It was obvious that she was threatening her.
Sadly, Mana's sister didn't seem to take it seriously.
Saya didn't say more. She just laughed elegantly as she stood up.
As she passed by the officer, she said:
—Greet Director Nakamura. Tell him his dog needs a muzzle.
The officer just nodded as he continued drinking.
Hearing the director's name, Mana's sister trembled slightly.
I stopped caring. It was late, there were no more customers, and I had received enough tips. It was time to go.
I took advantage of the fact that Saya was still here and, before she left, told her that I was retiring.
She thought for a moment, gave a look around, nodded, and asked me to follow her.
Mana and me hurried to catch up with her.