"I'm not drunk!"
"Hiccup... So it's you, Tenya."
Shizuka's eyes lifted, and after recognizing the person, she immediately felt relieved, and at the same time, her guard unconsciously lowered.
"It's me."
"What a coincidence, Shizuka."
Tenya teased while having the bar attendant bring two bottles of whiskey.
Without using glasses, he flicked off the caps with his fingernail, picked up a bottle, and chugged down more than half of it.
Seeing this, everyone glanced over repeatedly.
"This kid, he seems to have something."
"Drinking whiskey straight from the bottle, bro, you're awesome."
Everyone was cheering, except for Shizuka.
The noise in her ears sobered her up considerably. She grabbed Tenya's collar, her brows tightly furrowed, but she lectured him eloquently, "Young people shouldn't be too impetuous."
"Drinking so much at once will harm your health."
"Oh, so Shizuka also knows that drinking too much alcohol can harm one's body?"
Tenya looked at the empty bottles piled up in front of her table with a mocking expression.
"This, this... I... I was just in a bad mood." Shizuka looked embarrassed, forcing an explanation.
"Is that so?"
"But I'm different from Shizuka."
"I'm especially happy today, acting on a whim..."
With that, Tenya drained the rest of the alcohol in the bottle.
"Tch!"
"With your character..."
"Your 'happiness' must be from a date with your girlfriend, right?"
Shizuka gritted her teeth, looking very displeased.
She was almost thirty, and not to mention a marriage partner, she didn't even have a proper boyfriend. Yet, this guy in front of her was already a seasoned veteran.
Why was the gap between people so huge?
"Shizuka is joking. Dates are just commonplace, nothing special." Tenya smiled calmly.
If Shizuka knew he had simultaneously won over Yui and her mother, she would surely show an incredible expression.
"Tsk!"
"You're as annoying as ever."
Unable to win with words or fists, Shizuka could only sigh helplessly.
She subconsciously picked up a bottle, found it empty, dropped it, and picked up another, only to find it empty as well.
"Waiter, bring me a bottle of..."
"I'll just have a glass of warm water." Tenya interrupted Shizuka's order for more alcohol.
"Ah, this..."
The waitress looked at the two of them blankly, unsure what to do.
Based on her intuition, she ultimately chose to follow the handsome man's instructions, which was very realistic.
"Tenya, you...!"
Shizuka glared at him in feigned anger.
"Shizuka, I'm thinking of your health."
Tenya held her wrist with one hand, while his other hand reached into her clothes, gently caressing her stomach.
"Tenya...!!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Shizuka immediately flew into a rage.
"Please calm down for a moment, Shizuka. I have some knowledge of medicine, so please feel free to entrust your body to me."
Tenya concentrated and quickly identified the problem with her body.
"Shizuka, you've been experiencing insomnia and excessive dreaming lately, and your menstruation is irregular... Mmph?!"
"You, you shut up."
Shizuka quickly stepped forward to cover his mouth, her face flushed with shame and anger.
Is this something... that can be said in public?
"Alright, that was my fault then." Tenya apologized sincerely.
Women, there are always those few days a month when their bodies are weaker, and their temper becomes exceptionally irritable.
"You, come out with me!"
Shizuka's face was beet red, she couldn't stay in this bar anymore. She grabbed Tenya's arm and forcibly dragged him out.
Before she could even say two sentences, she heard faint, ambiguous laughter from couples in the nearby shade of trees and various alleys.
This made Shizuka very awkward, her slightly parted red lips unsure of what to say.
"Shizuka, here. Drink more hot water." Tenya was still holding the cup of hot water he had taken from the bar.
Shizuka took it, felt the warmth emanating from the cup, hesitated for a moment, then took a small sip. Whether it was placebo or not, Shizuka felt her body seemed less irritable.
"Thank you, Tenya."
After calming down, Shizuka stopped yelling about using violence and thanked him normally.
"It's nothing, You don't need to worry about it." Tenya nodded with a smile.
After sobering up, the two of them went to the riverside to enjoy the breeze. This was also a popular spot for young couples to flirt and express their love.
"Sigh..."
Shizuka felt out of place and extremely awkward after abruptly entering.
Watching the passionate embraces of the couples, her heart felt both sour and heavy.
"You don't need to envy others. There's someone who likes you right by your side." Tenya seized the opportunity and actively took her hand.
"Someone who likes me...?" Shizuka's eyes widened at his words.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but her head felt warm and hazy.
"Yes, I really like Shizuka. Do you need me to prove it to you now?"
Tenya cupped her steaming face with his hands, their eyes met, and in a trance, sparks of passion ignited.
"...."
Shizuka pursed her lips, neither agreeing nor refusing.
If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent.
Tenya decisively seized the moment. With a pull of his arms, he held Shizuka tightly in his embrace.
"Wait, wait a minute!"
"I-It's too sudden, I'm not ready yet... Mmph?!"
Shizuka was conflicted, still wanting to maintain some modesty. Unexpectedly, Tenya cupped her chin and kissed her very domineeringly.
Shizuka's eyes widened, and from initially struggling and hitting him, she gradually changed to hugging him back tightly.
After a long while, their lips parted.
"Tenya..."
"Just now, I wasn't joking." Shizuka said, biting her teeth and huffing with anger.
"Don't worry, Shizuka. I always maintain my original intention when it comes to relationships, and I never speak carelessly." Tenya gave a firm reply.
"So, next, should we go to your place or mine? My suggestion is your place."
"Because I have quite a few women at my place, though if Shizuka doesn't mind, I have no problem with it either." Tenya went straight to the point without any pretense.
"Why do we have to go to your place...?"
"To do that kind of thing... it's too fast."
"And, the fact that you have quite a few women at your place is the big problem!!!"
Shizuka rubbed her forehead, indicating that there were too many points to criticize, and for a moment, she didn't know where to start.