"That was so good…" Soren leaned back in his chair, patting his full stomach.
"It better be, for what it cost." Felix scowled, earning a chuckle from Soren.
"Hey, relax. I told you already, I'm covering the bill tonight."
"Do you even have that much?"
"You should know better than anyone that I do."
At the mention of the gambling den, Felix clamped his mouth shut.
"Oi! What's with the doom and gloom?" Esper slid in between them, arms wide. "We're here to have fun!"
"Right, right."
"Anyways! Cutie!"
"Yeah?"
"When!"
"When what?"
"When are we ordering drinks?"
Soren pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Seriously, do we really have to…?"
"Yes."
"Yep!"
"Yeah."
Three voices rang out at once.
"Those two I get," Soren sighed, "but you as well, Amelia."
"Alcohol is nice."
"...Fair enough, I guess. And the rest of you?"
"Whenever's fine," Alex said flatly.
"M-Me too!" Olivia squeaked.
"Same here, Ren," Lilliana added with a small smile.
Esper clapped her hands.
"That settles it. We're ordering now!"
"...Fine, you win."
Soren called the waiter and let everyone rattle off their orders until it was his turn.
"What wines do you have?"
"Of course, sir. We carry a range of reds, whites and rosés. Would you like me to—"
"Cheapest red you've got, thanks."
"Very well. Your drinks will be here momentarily."
The waiter bowed and left.
Immediately, two pairs of eyes locked on Soren.
"H-He actually got Cutie's gender correct?"
"He called Soren, sir?"
Esper and Felix looked at him like they'd witnessed divine intervention.
Soren just wore a smug grin.
"Guess all that training's finally paying off."
""""...""""
The table fell silent, then…
Tug tug
Soren looked down to find Lilliana gently shaking her head.
"That's not why," she whispered.
"...It's not?"
She shook her head again.
Soren straightened.
"Since everyone's here, can I ask something?" He scanned the group, waiting until they nodded. "Do I really look that much like a girl?"
"Not just look," Felix muttered.
"...What?"
"The trash is right!" Esper chimed in. "Your voice is cute too!"
"Stop calling me trash!"
"But it's true!"
Soren turned desperately to the others.
"Someone back me up here, please?"
"It's true," said Amelia.
"I thought you were a girl for a while…" mumbled Olivia.
"...Sorry, Ren."
Even Lilliana agreed.
Soren slumped.
Then, like a ray of salvation, Alex spoke.
"Well, I knew you were a guy from the start. You just… gave off that impression."
"Really?" Soren asked, a little too eagerly.
Alex scratched his cheek.
"Well, I mean, you don't act like a girl at all."
Felix leaned in with a grin.
"Translation, you're an asshole, little hedgehog."
"I didn't say that. Just… his personality's unique."
"Wow. Harsh."
"Ugh…" Soren groaned, planting his face on the table.
'Is it really that bad…?'
"Professor Roseblood?" Esper suddenly perked up.
"Yes, Miss Rup—Esper?"
"Doesn't Stellaris Academy hold a crossdressing competition at the festival?"
Suddenly, a cold sweat ran down Soren's back as he slowly raised his head with a fearful expression.
"...No."
"Cutie?"
"N. O."
"Hee~"
"I said no."
Everyone's eyes lit up with mischief.
"He'd win for sure."
"Soren would look adorable."
"It wouldn't even be close…"
But Soren quickly cut them all off.
"Not. Happening."
"Boo!"
Their pleas bounced off his iron resolve.
"What about you, Alex?" Olivia asked hopefully.
"...I'd rather not."
"B-But I want to see…"
"..."
Esper turned to Felix.
"Mr Trash?"
"Is that even a question?"
Esper grinned.
"Heh."
"See, even just thinking about it, you're already laughing."
"But now I'm curious, hehe."
"Why should I care?"
Knock knock
The waiter returned like a divine rescue.
"Here are your orders."
"Drinks!"
"Yippee!"
"Finally."
The alcoholics cheered while the others accepted their bottles more calmly.
"Thank you."
"Enjoy your evening, sir." The waiter bowed and vanished.
"Ren?"
"What's up?"
"Why didn't you want to drink?"
The room fell quiet; everyone had wondered, but none had dared ask until now.
Soren rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's not a great reason, I don't really want to drag the mood down."
He was worried that if he explained about his time back on earth, even slightly, that it would only make the atmosphere depressing, so he didn't want to bother those who had come to have fun.
But instead of letting it go…
"I wanna hear!"
"Me too."
"Spit it out already."
"If you'd rather not, that's fine… but I'd like to know as well, Ren."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep! So spill it already."
Soren sighed.
"You guys don't give up, do you… Fine."
He paused, gathering his words.
"Short version? I only have bad memories of alcohol. Most times I drank, it was to forget something."
Soren glanced at Lilliana, reminiscing on the night he had gotten drunk and stumbled through the streets in a fit of depression.
"And the long version?" Esper pressed.
Soren hesitated, then looked around.
To his left, leaning against him was Amelia, slowly sipping her drink, to his right was Lilliana, watching him with patient warmth.
Then, to the side were both Felix and Esper, who were pretending to drink, while sneaking glances at him.
And finally, opposite him were Alex and Olivia.
Olivia was watching Soren anxiously, her lips opening and closing as if she were hesitating to say something; meanwhile, Alex stared but didn't comment.
The room was filled with people he would have never thought he could befriend: prominent figures in the world of Ivansia, ranging from dukes to a princess, and even a hero.
It once again made Soren realise how much had happened in the months since transmigrating.
A small smile tugged at Soren's lips.
"It was a while ago, but I had a friend I was close to." He began, "She had helped me at my lowest and was basically my saviour. We lived together for a long time…"
'It's a good job Louise isn't here.' He thought to himself as he told the story.
If she had been, she would have easily noticed the contradictions in his words.
"Then one day someone approached me." He smiled bitterly as he remembered her face. "She was a deranged person, completely insane. She didn't like how close we were, and she framed my friend, ruined her.
His voice tightened.
"She became a shut-in, hurt herself, shut everyone out… until I confronted the one behind it. She told me she'd done it for me."
He took a sip of his drink to wet his dried-out throat.
Although he had come to terms with everything that had happened in the year since, it didn't mean he was over it.
Plus, with the memories being recently amplified by the Wraith's curse, he could feel the emotions from that time even more strongly.
He let out a deep breath and began speaking once more.
"At some point after that happened, my friend's parents said they were going to take her back home to look after her and I ended up telling her what the person had told me, that she did it for me… She didn't respond to my words, and not long after, her father arrived and took her home. For a while after I didn't hear from her, I just hoped she was doing better…"
Then Soren suddenly bit his lip.
"…One night she suddenly sent me a letter—said she trusted me, liked being with me and all that, but then… she blamed me, said it was my fault. I tried replying, apologising, whatever, but by the next morning she was… gone."
Silence weighed heavily over the table.
"After that, I drank. A lot. That's the end of the story. Sorry. Told you it was depressing." He forced out a laugh, staring into his glass.
Throughout his entire story, he hadn't once looked up, worried about what expressions those around him would be wearing.
The group stayed quiet.
"...Wow, you weren't kidding."
Felix's blunt voice broke through.
"Mr Trash, read the room."
"But I'm right?"
"That's not the point, you living garbage."
"That's so harsh! Am I not allowed to point out facts?"
"Shut up," Amelia growled.
"This is unfair!"
Soren let out a small laugh, surprising himself.
Watching them bicker, the knot in his chest loosened.
'What was I so worried about…?'
"Thanks for telling us, Ren," Lilliana said softly. "I'm glad you're better now."
"I am." The words slipped out before he realised, but they were true.
"That's good." She smiled.
Olivia and Alex stayed quiet, their silence its own kind of kindness.
"Alright, enough sap. Can we drink already?!" Felix groaned.
"Go ahead."
"Finally! Let's get wasted!"
The night descended into chaos.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
""Chug! Chug! Chug!""
Esper and Felix shouted as Amelia downed an entire mug.
Thud!
Amelia slammed the mug on the table, foam dripping from her lip, wearing a smug smile.
"Whoa!"
"So fast!"
"Cutie! Get over here, it's your turn!"
"Ughh…. Fine…"
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"Rennnnn~ I'm hungryyyy~"
"Lily, not now."
"But whyyy…. Do you hate me? Sniffle…"
"...Why would I hate you?"
"Then feed meee~"
"I will later. Just… be patient, okay?"
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"Amelia?"
"Nnn…"
"Hey, Amelia, could you get off of me?"
"Stay still. Your lap's comfy."
"…Why is everyone like this?"
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"Waaaaahhh…"
"There, there, Cutie, it's okay now." Esper patted his back gently.
"I'm so thankful for all of you… You're the best…"
"Eheh, he's so cute like this."
"Essyyy~"
"Yes?~"
"I'm glad I met you…"
"Oh my god, this is insane! Felix, are you seeing this?"
"Wow… He's worse than me…"
"Lilyyyy… where are you…"
"I can't wait to tell him about this later," Felix snickered.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
"Esperrrr, let's go somewhere after this…"
"...zzz"
"Esper? Don't ignore me…"
"Zzz."
"Hahh… Soren's so unfair…"
"Zzz…"
"Ugh…"
Thud
And just like that, everyone had passed out, all except one.
"...Should I have just trained instead?"
————「❤︎」————