People always say that once you're drunk, you're more likely to make mistakes, like you've gone muddle-headed.
Like you can't control yourself.
But in reality, alcohol numbs you. It blows your desires out of proportion, and it loosens the everyday restraints of law, morality, and social norms.
Isn't there a saying—booze makes the timid brave?
Once you're truly tipsy, you get emotional.
Things that wouldn't normally get under your skin, things you wouldn't normally take seriously, suddenly start working. You start going along with other people, chiming in, running your mouth.
And that's why it's also the easiest time to be led into saying things you didn't mean to reveal.
Of course, it's also the easiest time to be provoked into doing something you'd never dare do sober, because ethics and shame usually keep you in check.
Especially right now, when both sides are trying to one-up each other.
"Looks like we're out of booze?"
Shizuka looked around at the sea of empty bottles and then let out a big hiccup.
"There's plenty. Didn't we haul a whole cart back from that big shopping center?"
Rei said it, then staggered to her feet, swaying as she tried to go downstairs to fetch more.
Normally, she was one of the good kids. She wasn't even legally old enough to drink. Under normal circumstances, she never would've touched alcohol.
But she couldn't resist her teacher's relentless coaxing once the teacher got going, and her own feelings were complicated enough that she decided to drown them for a while, too.
The "worry" wasn't about her family, though. Her parents had already been found—at the Third Center Elementary School.
And the reason they hadn't come over to the Takagi household was simple: too many people had survived at the school, and the Takagi side couldn't possibly absorb them all.
So instead, they were helping clear out the dead around the school, transporting supplies, and delivering some Earth Elixir over there.
Once they'd cleared a wider perimeter near the Takagi area and stabilized things, they could gather everyone together properly.
Under normal circumstances, Rei should've stayed by her parents' side. In a world like this, anyone would want to cling to their family.
But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to leave this team behind. So she kept following along.
Then, after Saeko's confession and that candlelit dinner she'd prepared for him, Rei finally understood why.
And she couldn't help letting out a bitter little laugh.
Not at Saeko.
At herself—laughing at how fickle she'd been.
First Hisashi, then Takashi, and now him.
Was she really that shameless?
No. That wasn't right. She wasn't.
If she truly were shameless, she wouldn't still be a virgin. She wouldn't still have never even shared a lover's kiss.
"Mikoto, go help carry the booze up. Tonight I'm drinking those three under the table!"
That was Yuko.
In an apocalypse, you should stay clear-headed. Instead, she'd gotten competitive, gotten heated, and gone all-in.
Maybe, deep down, she believed they were safe—because that man was here.
Either way, she'd decided one thing: she was going to knock out Rika and Shizuka.
"Uh… you guys, seriously, enough."
Mikoto rubbed her head, genuinely miserable. She really did have a headache, and she was dizzy too—because she'd had plenty herself.
Mostly because Yuko had dragged her into it. The other side had three people, and with only her and Yuko, they couldn't keep up without help.
"Go."
"I-I know!"
Mikoto pushed herself upright, wobbling—and before she could even steady her footing—
"Wah!"
A body pitched into her. Rei, drunk out of her mind, couldn't even walk straight anymore.
Honestly…
"Aah!"
Mikoto let out a small yelp. The collision knocked her into a small crate beside her, tipping it over and spilling a bunch of Earth Elixir doses across the floor.
Thank goodness they weren't in glass. Otherwise it would've shattered everywhere.
"Mikoto… you're not doing so great either, are you?"
Yuko said it, sounding far too smug for someone in her own state.
"You've got some nerve saying that."
Mikoto shot her a look, and Yuko crouched down to help pick everything up.
Then Yuko paused, holding one dose up close, staring at it like she'd fallen into thought.
"What, you hooked on that smell now?"
That comment came from Rika.
Mikoto blinked, not understanding at first.
Earth Elixir wasn't addictive. How could anyone "hook" on it?
A beat later, her alcohol-numbed brain finally caught up.
Rika wasn't talking about Earth Elixir at all. She meant that other stuff—something that looked similar, something they'd accidentally swallowed earlier.
"…Rika, I've got a better way to compete. You got the guts?"
Yuko's voice sharpened, and her eyes gleamed.
"Oh? As long as you dare, why wouldn't I?"
"Then fine. We drink this."
Wait. No way. She was seriously using Earth Elixir as booze?
Kain had warned them not to take more than two doses if they could help it, or something could go wrong.
So Mikoto rushed forward, trying to stop Yuko—
"No. Not that."
Yuko corrected herself, and Mikoto's cheek twitched.
"The stuff that looks like it."
So it really was that.
"You in or not?"
"I told you—if you dare, I dare!"
"Good. Then we race to extract it the fastest, and we see who gets more. After that, we drink it right there in front of each other. Deal?"
…
"…Fine."
"Me too!"
Shizuka chimed in boldly.
No, she probably didn't even understand. She was just hazy and tagging along, like she'd heard the word "contest" and her body moved before her brain did.
"Then let's go find him!"
The three of them lurched up immediately.
You've got to be kidding.
Mikoto tried to argue, to talk them down, but they were beyond reasoning now.
These three drunken idiots had to have broken something inside their heads.
Still, maybe it would be fine.
If they wanted that stuff, it didn't mean he'd actually give it to them.
Even so, Mikoto didn't feel safe letting them go alone, so she followed after them.
Bang!
Rika kicked the door open with brute force.
Mikoto's head throbbed. Anyone inside was definitely going to be startled.
And it wasn't hard to tell there was someone in there—there was light.
Mikoto was terrified the person inside might mistake them for enemies and reflexively shoot. One bullet, and all three of these fools would be dead on the spot.
So she grabbed Rika before she could charge in, and stepped through first.
"Mr. Kain, I'm sorry, this is—"
Her voice cut off.
Mikoto had braced herself for seeing something she shouldn't.
But the scene in front of her still hit hard enough to leave her completely scrambled.
It was worse—way worse—than she'd imagined.
And right there, watching the chaos unfold without stopping it at all, was Saya.
(End of Chapter)
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