Chapter 79: Passionate and Unrestrained, Gentle and Wild!
The vibrant, ruby-red strawberry wine slowly bloomed within the pale red "Water of Life," and as if by some magical chemical reaction, the mixture began to emit a soft, gentle glow. As the two liquids mingled, the light seemed to swirl and dance. The sharp, pungent smell of alcohol in the air seemed to soften, tempered by a new sweetness.
Minos's eyes went wide, staring in shock at the fantastical cocktail in Ryohei's hand. He had only simply mixed two drinks together. He hadn't even stirred or shaken it, and yet…
"Sugoi!" she breathed, the word escaping her lips instinctively. Her silver cow tail shot straight up. Her eyes shining, she eagerly reached for the glass. "It's glowing! Chef, quick, let me try it!" (´﹃｀)
"...That works, too?" Yurine, still seated at the table, elegantly took a sip of the mixed drink Jashin-chan had created with less-than-pure intentions. Tasting the strange concoction while watching the "miracle" Ryohei had just performed, her reddish-brown eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly in a look of unconcealed surprise.
"Here," Ryohei said, handing the glowing cocktail to Minos. A cocktail, by definition, was a mixed drink made from two or more beverages. His creation had clearly reached that level. Jashin-chan's, on the other hand, was just a mess.
"To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself," Ryohei said, turning to Yurine. "I was aiming to make a cocktail… and since mixology is a form of cooking, I guess my ability works on it, too." The value of his [Glowing Cuisine] skill continued to rise.
"Well, whatever the reason, I want one too!" Yurine said, no longer dwelling on the mechanics of it. She stood up, placed her tainted glass in front of Jashin-chan's seat, and turned to the demon, who had just managed to crawl up from the floor, a nosebleed dripping down her face. "Jashin-chan, this is for you. Don't waste it."
"Huh?! You're just giving me your leftovers?" Jashin-chan complained.
"It's your fault for spiking my drink in the first place." Ignoring Jashin-chan's protests, Yurine went to the liquor cabinet and returned with four proper wine glasses.
At that moment, Minos, who had been savoring the aroma of her cocktail with her eyes closed, finally took a sip. Then, she tilted her head back and—glug, glug, glug—downed the entire glass in one go.
"...Minos really likes to chug her drinks," Ryohei commented, his mouth twitching. The term "drinking like a cow" popped into his head. It was surprisingly accurate.
"Because it feels amazing!" Minos murmured, her eyes still closed, her expression softening, her voice taking on a lazy, dreamy quality. "Passionate… unrestrained… gentle… and wild…"
Under the hot lights of the dance floor, the beat of the drum was fast and fiery. The rustle of maracas, the crisp notes of a piano, and the deep, throbbing bassline created a heart-pounding rhythm.
Minos stood at the center of the stage, dressed in a black-and-white, cow-patterned Latin dance dress and matching high heels, her body moving to the music. Her fiery figure was a mesmerizing silhouette, her curves alluring. The fringe on her skirt swayed with her movements, drawing dazzling arcs in the light.
A familiar person had become her dance partner for the night, dressed in a tight, black dance outfit that highlighted his powerful, masculine lines. His hand rested firmly on her waist, guiding her through one fast, dizzying spin after another. At times their movements were passionate and unrestrained, their steps fast and fierce, as if pouring all their energy into the moment. At other times, they were gentle and tender, their bodies close, their eyes meeting and conveying a delicate intimacy. The stage lights changed with their dance, from fiery red to soft blue, echoing the rise and fall of their emotions. Their dance was not just a perfect coordination of movements, but a dialogue of souls, where passion and gentleness, the unrestrained and the wild, were all woven together.
Back in the real world, Minos's face was flushed red. ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄. She looked at the new wine glasses Yurine had brought over. "Another one, please!" she said to Ryohei. "Ah—! And I want to try the other ones, too!" She looked eagerly at the two unopened bottles on the table. She wanted to taste more delicious cocktails.
"No problem. Just wait a bit, after you've finished your meal," Ryohei said. He took his own glass of strawberry wine and added a splash of the Water of Life, mixing a cocktail for himself and Yurine to share. Of course, the ratio of the high-proof spirit was much lower than in Minos's drink.
"Subject, pour some strawberry wine in here for me," Jashin-chan demanded, having already finished Yurine's leftovers and now holding her half-full glass of the Water of Life. Ryohei casually poured some of the wine into her glass.
"Huh? How come my glass isn't glowing?" Jashin-chan asked, looking down at her "cocktail" with her 'dot eyes'.
"Hmm…" Ryohei was also a bit surprised. "Maybe it's because I wasn't putting my heart into it," he speculated. "I was just pouring you a drink."
"Then put your heart into it, you jerk!" Jashin-chan was on the verge of a meltdown, feeling personally targeted. She slapped her tail on the floor in frustration.
"Pfft—!" Yurine, who was sipping her own cocktail, burst out laughing. Jashin-chan only got angrier. Minos, too, smirked ungraciously.
"Don't get excited," Ryohei said. "You just asked me to pour some wine, so I just poured some wine." I'm not taking the blame for this. He looked at her glass. "Finish that one first, and then you can try a sip of mine." He was suddenly getting into mixology and wanted to try more combinations. He made a mental note to buy a book or watch some videos about it later.
"Fine," Jashin-chan grumbled. She tilted her head back and—glug, glug, glug—finished the drink in one go. She then picked up an unused wine glass and held it out to him.
"I'll have a little, too," Minos said, picking up the last clean glass.
"Hey—! You already had a full glass! Don't be so greedy!" Jashin-chan snapped at her.
"Tch, so stingy. Yurine-chan, can I have a little of yours?" Minos, her face still flushed, turned to Yurine with a pleading look. "Just a little. I just want to taste it." She was curious how the different ratios would taste.
"Alright," Yurine said, unable to refuse. Besides, she wanted to try Ryohei's other creations, too. She poured some of her cocktail into Minos's glass.
"Arigatou—!" Minos beamed, a happy smile on her face. She then tilted her head back and downed it in one go.
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