Chapter 5 : Trouble (2)

Today's rain... not that it matters, as I'm indoor, and I can go to Rodin's at an insta--- nevermind, I don't want to raise a flag...

The school's over and I'm walking down the hall while thinking about what to do. as a familiar blonde haired comic-relief character crashed into me.

"Hey watch where you're going!"

"..."

I simply stared at the audacity of this guy, I simply didn't mind the fool and kept walking.

when suddenly a hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned back to see, oh it's ryuji.

"Hey! A little apology at least!?"

"I simply swatted his hands away."

"You bastard!"

What's with him and being hot headed? oh yeah, it's his rebellious phase, so, I do the best thing to destroy flags; RUN AND HIDE!

"HEY GET BACK HERE!"

I ran as fast as possible... and I found myself in the gym, well not inside the gym, just outside the storage room.

"Shiho, you know what to do..."

"... KYAAA!"

a soft scream came out of the storage room... Oh yeah it was implied that kamoshida did sexualy exploit girls... I just didn't think that...

"I won't touch you unless you want it yourself... but... your spot is on the line... and there's other girls too that would give it their all in this situation!"

Hey man if you gotta do it at least not on school grounds... that's just... disgusting! not to mention manipulation and all that? well you will pay your due in the hands of the MC...

Having had enough of the disgusting exchange, I decided to find a rock and break the small window in the storage area, and after I broke it, I saw Ryuji running towards me... So, like the hero I am, I sneakily RUN AWAY! no one suspects the suspect that ran towards the crime scene right?

and like as expected, a raging kamoshida jumps out the window to find... RYUJI... sorry mate. but when I reached the gym, I saw Shiho coming out of the storage room... with untidy clothes...

"Ah, Liam-senpai."

"... I didn't hear anything."

I said as I walked away. sorry girl, but this is the most I can help you with... maybe the only time... I left the vicinity. The school emptied itself almost instantly even with the bad weather, it speaks volume of how much the students despised it...

and seeing no one around, the storm that's approaching, I find no more alternative except to go to Rodin's unless I want to soak myself, and so I head towards the third floor, and enter a room while thinking about Rodin... and it worked. it's that simple huh...

"Yo, you're finally back? How's school today? and what's with the long face? Who did you do wrong? tell uncle Rodin, he's reserved a few places in hell."

"... I'm not in the mood... It's just... I know that I can do multiple things to save an individual, but I can't... If I did, the Hero would not be a hero... and his journey won't even start..."

"And why would you think that?"

"Because that's one of the turning points in the story where they quit being a pussy..."

"Well that is somewhat important.. But ask yourself this... can you live with that?"

"Huh?"

"Can you live with knowing that you can save someone but you don't?"

... Is this supposed to be a hero pep talk... Can I just be a support character instead?

"Can we... not have this conversation?"

"No, no we cannot kid, you gotta choose a side, the sooner the better..."

"..."

"..."

"Can I not.... and just let me go to the infernal forge?"

"Nope, we already spent too much time on infernal and the forge. Plus... you haven't done your end of the bargain..."

"huh?"

he whips out a scroll of some sort... let's see...

"... The second party, in this case, Liam, is expected to work, with a minimum of 20 hours a week, in the bar Gates Of Hell, until his training is complete."

... I never signed this!

"But the Reds did."

"That doesn't make... you know what Fine, when do I start?"

"Well you see, I gotta find some... ingredients for dinner... You'll start right away! thanks for covering for me today lil' man!"

"HEY! WAIT A MINUTE! I CAN'T EVEN ---"

and he's gone...

"-- Make a drink..."

... Un f***** believable! Well at least now I got to drink some rare booze...

===

My shift started at 3, so if I need to do a 20 hours work shift, wouldn't coming here on the weekends solve it? I mean... There's nothing that I do on the weekends anyway...

as I was figuring out how each of the bar's equipment works, I found a book... Well at least I can keep myself entertained... But I really wish that it's a freaking manual book, is it too much to ask for one?

But imagine my disappointment to know that it's a porn mag... from the 70s...

... It's so ancient that it's not even worth looking at... But curiosity still made me do it... ya know for research purposes.

===

The espresso machine's my worst enemy thus far. Who would have known that making a good cappuccino is so hard!?

*ding*

ah one of the accessories is Rodin's bar, a grandfather clock... made from... God knows what. its design is ancient, although there's no rust, the clock still makes this... unnerving tick with every passing second...

the clock... tells me it's 9:00... but when I look at my phone, it's still 5:00 in Tokyo...

It's probably a detail I shouldn't pay too much attention to right?

The same thing with Pandora... err.... Erika... Where did she go? I didn't know, and I wouldn't want to know. Less people less trouble... that's my motto!

*ring ring*

the doorbell rang indicating that someone has come in;

"Welcome to the Gates of hell, how may I help you?"

"EHHHHH?"

"!?"

Shiho... and... Ann????? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?

*breath in*

*breath out*

"So... what are you lovely ladies having today?"

"A cocktail will be good! Right, Shiho? "

"Y-y-y-yes...."

"Two Pink Ladies please!"

"... Coming right up.."

I go back to the counter... and whip them their drinks... it's not that hard... I may make a mistake here and there but...

"Here you go..."

I served both of them their drinks in a martini glass.

They took a sip.

"Hey, it tastes good!"

"So... this is alcohol..."

"Of course it tastes good, but sadly no alcohol for you girls..."

"EH!?"

"WHY NOT?"

"Look at the contract here..."

"... The second party, Liam, is going to serve customers, as per regulation in rule 6.9 ..."

and then I let the scroll drop down and find rule 6.9...

"... Rule 6.9: Customers under legal age are not to be served alcohol under any circumstance ..."

"Who wrote these rules!?"

"A devil."

"... If you don't want to tell us then don't make up some unbelievable bullshit!"

"Language..."

"..."

"..."

"Ugh !"

She's a bit pissed, but still drinks all her drinks in one gulp.

"ANOTHER !"

===

They ended up ranting about the dissadvantage of beeing attrative, like creeps looking at them, and sometimes though rarely... sexually assaulted them...

"They're the worst!"

I still keep it to myself that I saw what was about to happen to shiho... I mean it's not my place to tell, is it?

"Um.... Liam-senpai..."

"Yeah?"

"D-d-d... How long did you work here?"

... Yeah good question Shiho! how long exactly...

"3 hours ago..."

"oh that's quite... WAIT 3 HOURS AGO!?"

"Yeah. It's my uncle's. a cool dude."

both look at me in scrutiny.

"Oh, speaking of family, isn't your family super rich or something?"

"... I wouldn't say super rich... Mother's a fashion designer. Uncle's a bar owner. My other mother is a nun, I have an.. adopter brother who's a personal assistant..."

Enzo's practically family right?

"Wait, hold on a minute! a fashion designer? What brand!?"

"D'arc... that's my mother's brand..."

"D'ARC!?!??!.... Senpai... we're friends right? Does your mother need a model? Or even two?"

"... I'll ask..."

"You're the best senpai! Here, this is my business card!"

"... You're prepared aren't you?"

"Of course senpai!"

But I have a question... who is the real 'customer' for this bar... If this was some fantasy novel, one of the girls is the real 'client' while the other one just tagged along.

I got this hunch because Rodin's bar is special... in the contract it is said that there will be times where I'll need to draft myself up a contract with a customer. And I can set the terms and conditions myself!

Oh well, it's better to have company than to be alone in this... hell hole...

"So... how did you girls end up here?"

"We're shopping around shibuya, and when we're walking by your bar really stands out from the rest, so we just came in!"

Ann answered a matter of fact-ly... but there's more to it than that. because I'm pretty sure that if you have no deep regrets nor a wish you wanted to fulfill, you won't be here.

"Oh yeah, Liam, where's the toilet?"

I point towards the back. and off she goes. Now it's just me and shiho.

"Shiho... "

"Y-Y-y-y- Yes Senpai?"

she's startled when I called her name. I looked at her eyes, her eyes were shaking... like a prey being stared at by a predator...

That's a little too much now is it not?

"... Tell me, What is it that you truly desire?"

"... My desire?"

I stared at her intently. hoping for an answer.

"I'm back! EH!? Senpai? You making a move on shiho? hehehe..."

"EH!? ANN!? NO... That's not it!"

"I was just asking her about... Yes, about why she worked so hard on the volleyball team!"

*ring ring*

eh another customer!?

"Good morning Ladies, Liam, I hope you're ready for dinner tonight."

"Mother Cereza, of course I am. These are my cute kouhai from school. Ann, Shiho, this is my mom."

Cereza is currently wearing a midnight blue dress that compliments her short hair, and she's looking stylish with her back exposed.

"Where's Rodin, dear? Still on the hunt?"

"Yes, hence I was told to... substitute for him."

"Ah I see, Then let's put your skill to the test! hit me with your best shot!"

... Are you sure? We're meeting a lot of big shot's later tonight aren't we!?

"Whoa, that's her mother... She's so pretty. I wish I can be like her when I'm older..."

Yeah you wish Shiho, she's 500++ and still kicking...

"Oh, Naughty boy, thinking about something rude are we?"

"No mother, just thinking if it would be wise for you to consume alcohol before the main event..."

"What are you talking about dear, this much mundane alcohol got nothing on us... OH YEAH, you haven't tried ambrosia yet have you?"

Ambrosia... THE AMBROSIA? On second thought it sounds like trouble...

"EH? what brand is that aunty?"

"Oh little darlings... there are some goods that one can obtain only through unconventional means..."

"Eh? What does that even mean?"

"Well, since Jeanne isn't here..."

She grabbed thin air, as the air distorted around her hand...

"2002 Ambrosia, made in heaven..."

... she did just show everyone here magic didn't she?

"Woah nice trick Aunty! Are you a performer?"

Turns out Ann's a bit gullible... as I prepared 4 shot glasses.

"... now, now, drink first, ask questions later."

"Don't mind if I do! See Liam, that's how you treat ladies, with real alcohol!"

a sip... that's all it took for Shiho and Ann to turn red and fall asleep... I looked at the red liquid in my hand...

NOPE HELL NOPE!

===