For Some Reason The Girl Who's Too Popular Only Drinks with Me - Volume 1 Chapter 3.2

***

Before I knew it, the seasons had passed, and it was October.

Students at Ryokuoukan University were bustling about in preparation for the upcoming school festival, the “Rokuyou Festival.” Of course, the drinking circle I belong to, the “Sake Tomo Kai,” was no exception. We decided to meet at “Mipu,” a creative izakaya near the university, to discuss what we would do.

This meeting was actually our third attempt. I just hope that this time it won’t end up being just another drinking session.

Turning the corner and looking up, I saw several restaurant names on the sign of an old multipurpose building, with “Mipu” located on the second floor.

It’s a bit odd for Sugino-senpai to choose this place, or maybe this time it was Mikami-senpai’s decision? Either way, it felt rare as I climbed the stairs and found a very traditional-looking wooden door.

Entering the door, I saw a few customers already inside, mostly middle-aged and elderly people, making a university student like me feel somewhat out of place. Well, blending into the atmosphere isn’t exactly my forte anyway.

As I stood there, unsure of what to do, a young female staff member approached me. “Um, I’m here for a meeting. I think they’ve already arrived,” I mumbled, looking around for familiar faces. Then, from the backroom’s sliding door, Hamasaki Mai showed her face. Our eyes met, and she waved with a smile. I awkwardly bowed my head.

After explaining the situation to the staff, I was led to our table. Opening the sliding door, I found that the other members had already started drinking. So much for the meeting.

“Good work getting here. Isn’t it a bit early?”

“Eh, it’s not early. We’re right on time.”

“I’m not talking about the time, but about starting to drink.”

“Well, you know, ordering drinks is the first thing you do when you arrive at a place. It’s a matter of manners. Come on, Kirishima-kun, order some drinks too.”

“I doubt the manners of drunkards hold any weight. Aren’t we supposed to be discussing the school festival?”

“We can discuss while drinking. Without booze, we can’t do anything!”

Guffawing heartily, Sugino-senpai finished his draft beer in one gulp. While thinking, “What’s with this guy?” I took a seat next to Mikami-senpai and greeted him again.

Mikami-senpai, as usual, sipped his umeshu on the rocks and simply replied, “Yeah, good work.”

I ordered a draft beer for myself and Sugino-senpai and received a hot towel. Rolling the hot towel in my palm, Hamasaki Mai, sitting across from me, looked up from the menu and our eyes met. Definitely, absolutely, it was a coincidence.

“Kirishima-kun, what did you do during the summer break?”

Hamasaki Mai asked with curious eyes. I was at a loss. I really didn’t do anything worth mentioning.

“What? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“We were just talking about it. Sugino-senpai went to Mongolia.”

“Mongolia?”

I looked at Sugino-senpai, who was eating a piece of sea bream sushi he had apparently ordered before I arrived. “Just for about a month,” he said, munching. Since Sugino-senpai is a true-blue heiress to a corporate empire—once famously lighting up cash for illumination during a blackout, to the horror of everyone but herself—I wasn’t particularly surprised to hear he spent a month abroad. But Mongolia? It doesn’t exactly scream holiday destination to me, not that I know much about it.

“I was actually planning to go to England.”

“To England? What do you mean?”

“Eh, got tired of helping out with my dad’s business, snuck out of the hotel, and ended up going to Mongolia. Spent a month making friends with nomads, you know?”

I didn’t quite get it. Either way, it seems she had an enjoyable summer. As my ordered beer arrived, I was struck by the sheer difference in our summer experiences. I handed her beer, took my own mug, and toasted.

“Next year, they said they’d welcome me back. Hey, why don’t you come along, Kirishima-kun?”

“Absolutely not.”

Our usual banter accompanied the toast. I gulped down the beer and set the mug back on the coaster.

“So? What are we doing for the exhibit? Got any plans?”

After a sip of booze, Mikami-senpai asked Sugino-senpai. Sugino-senpai, with a look of triumph, drank his beer, and slammed the mug down on the table.

“This year, we’re running a bar! And Mai-chan will be the bartender!”

“…Me!?”

Hamasaki Mai’s eyes widened in shock. Last year’s victim at the Rokuyou Festival was me, and this year it seemed to be her turn. My condolences.

“Wait, what? I’m running a bar?”

Hamasaki Mai was visibly panicking. Mikami-senpai and I exchanged glances over our mugs, silently communicating.

—Don’t get involved, you’ll get dragged in.

—I know. Let’s just see how this plays out.

“Yes, we’re renting a classroom and turning it into a bar. You’ll be the bartender at ‘Behemoth.’ You have to serve a variety of demanding customers and make the cocktails they desire.”

Sugino-senpai cornered Hamasaki Mai with an explanation that sounded like a board game’s rulebook. She probably got the idea from some game she played recently; she’s easily influenced.

A bar, huh? It’s a good idea since it only requires preparing drinks and snacks, which means less work for Mikami-senpai and me. Plus, Sugino-senpai’s lackeys will probably handle the setup, so he’ll just have to foot the bill as usual. Yeah, this is a great idea. Sugino-senpai always has such clever plans.

“Wait, wait. I’ve never bartended before. There’s no way I can do this!”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got about two weeks until the Ryokuoukan Festival, right? Practice makes perfect. Besides, it’s drinks made by Mai-chan. Even if they’re a bit off, everyone will still drink them!”

Hamasaki Mai was desperately trying to find a way out, but Sugino-senpai kept closing in, assuring her it would be fine. She’s not the type to let her prey escape. As someone without fangs, I couldn’t even think of helping, let alone intervene. Sorry, Hamasaki Mai, but you’re this year’s sacrifice.

“And look, we’ve even prepared a bartender outfit for you. Not just any cosplay, but a custom-made one. And, I’ve already told the school we’re doing a bar.”

Sugino-senpai laughed heartily, patting Hamasaki Mai on the shoulder. It seems the outer defenses were not just filled in but set ablaze from within. My condolences.

“Really, it’s just me? I’m doing it alone?”

As she said this, Hamasaki Mai glanced at us, her eyes pleading for help. However, all I could do in response was look away.

“It’ll probably be fine.”

Mikami-senpai threw out a nonchalant comment as if it were someone else’s problem.

Seeing Hamasaki Mai’s distressed face, all I could do was quietly drink my beer.

***

“Sigh…”

Walking towards the station, Hamasaki Mai beside me let out a heavy sigh.

Dressed in heels, a white lace long skirt, a white collared blouse, and a denim jacket, she looked bright and fashionable. Yet, the atmosphere surrounding her was gloomy and heavy.

It can’t be helped. She was suddenly told to be a bartender and had no way to resist.

“Well, as much as Sugino-senpai seems reckless, I think it’ll be fine.”

I lied on the spot, trying to cheer up Hamasaki Mai. She slightly pursed her well-shaped pink lips and muttered, “Is that so?”

The truth is far from it. That person can be quite unreasonable and even enjoys watching others flounder and panic from a safe distance, laughing uproariously.

Well, whether he would treat Hamasaki Mai with the same disregard, I’m not sure.

“But it’ll probably be fine. Even if it doesn’t go well, Sugino-senpai won’t mind. She thinks everyone except herself is an idiot. She’s just saying that without really expecting anything.”

“Eh… That’s somehow even worse… Am I being used that pathetically…?”

“It can’t be helped. That’s just how she is.”

Seeing my resigned gaze, Hamasaki Mai was speechless. Probably, she had never been treated so roughly and carelessly in her life. That might be why she’s so shocked by Sugino-senpai’s tyranny.

It’s the opposite of my life. As we walked on, I felt the human-level gap between Hamasaki Mai and me for what seemed like the umpteenth time, feeling disheartened.

“By the way, Kirishima-kun, what about you? What are you doing for the school festival?”

Hamasaki Mai, who seemed a bit down, suddenly perked up and asked me.

Puzzled by her vague question, I frowned and tilted my head with my hands still in my hoodie’s pockets.

“What do you mean by ‘what am I doing’?”

“What do I mean? I was just wondering if you’re going around with someone.”

“…Ah, are you making fun of me now?”

“Eh!? No, no, why?”

“The answer is, I don’t have friends to go around the school festival with.”

“Eh… Ah… Um, sorry?”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

Our painfully sad conversation came to an end, and Hamasaki Mai and I resumed walking in silence.

As we could see the station, Hamasaki Mai suddenly said, “Oh right!”

“On the day of the school festival, Misaki, my sister, is coming. Kirishima-kun, if you could, maybe take care of her?”

“No way.”

I cut her off mid-sentence. Sometimes I think, Hamasaki Mai isn’t just kind or broad-minded; she might just be a bit of a fool.

Hamasaki Misaki, Hamasaki Mai’s younger sister, is currently a third-year high school student. A beautiful girl with a height of 172 cm and a cool demeanor. That girl in her school uniform I saw at the entrance of Hamasaki Mai’s apartment building.

But, even if Hamasaki Mai asks me, there’s no way I can take care of her sister. That’s just ridiculous.

I still vividly remember. Her disdainful gaze was somewhat unusual.

The people who have tormented me so far were filled only with malice. There was no hostility. But Misaki is different; she tries to drive me away not because I’m a weakling, but because I’m a man trying to get close to her sister, Hamasaki Mai.

As someone at the bottom of the school caste system, I’m used to being oppressed by others. However, being so explicitly shown hostility and barked at is rather uncomfortable for me.

Honestly, I can understand her feelings. But being so openly hostile is troublesome.

Therefore, I can’t and don’t want to be in charge of Hamasaki Mai’s sister during the festival. Besides, she would probably hate it too. She called me creepy, after all.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but your sister doesn’t want to. Actually, I think she doesn’t even want to see me… Well, I don’t really want to either.”

“Hmm, is that so? But, when I went back home during the summer break, she asked about you, Kirishima-kun.”

“About me?”

“Yeah, she was saying some pretty harsh things, so I corrected her. I told her Kirishima-kun is a really nice person, who has looked after me several times at drinking parties, even gave me rides home several times.”

“Ah… That doesn’t sound like covering fire at all.”

Hearing Hamasaki Mai’s story, I could imagine Misaki’s face contorting. Hamasaki Mai is really too kind, or a bit foolish.

“She’s just misunderstanding, right?”

“I hope so.”

I muttered while scratching my neck. Before I knew it, we had arrived at the station. Hamasaki Mai and I parted ways there, each boarding different trains.