Once upon a time in the bustling realm of Kivotos, there lived a girl, Kosaka Wakamo, who was renowned for her exceptional skills in handling people, probably ranking in the top tier throughout the entire place, even from the infamous Hakgwiyaeng.
It took her exactly 1 minute to enter an alley and spot a group of those pesky Mangyangz.
Then, it took another 3 minutes to find a place suitable to purchase some drinks from the shady characters.
After hopping into a store and snagging two bottles of Junmai Daiginjo sake and two glasses with Mika, it took 6 more minutes.
In total, Wakamo returned in exactly 9 minutes and 30 seconds, but sweat was streaming down her forehead, which was very uncharacteristic of her.
Under the rare cherry blossom tree, she settled down, and after about 5 minutes of sipping her drink under the starry sky, she naturally began to notice something strange.
“Wakamo-nee, can you pour me just one more glass…?”
“…Mika, you said just one glass…?”
‘More importantly, Mika, your tongue is already getting loose! Plus, you’re calling me ‘nee’ now… heuu…’
Mika was far more tipsy than Wakamo had anticipated.
“Aren’t you going to pour it for me…?”
“I-I will, but… no, that’s not it. I really can’t, Mika. Yes, it would be best to stop drinking for today. I’ll keep the rest safe for later, and we can drink again in a cozy atmosphere.”
Despite the charming puppy-dog eyes Mika shot her that made it impossible to refuse, Wakamo clung to her rationality and barely held back from pouring more drinks.
While saying they should drink again in a cozy setting, she resolved not to even glance her way until Mika was ready to accept her.
“Really, really not at all…?”
“Yes. Really, really can’t. That promised glass is already—kyaaa?!”
“Yup… the choice is with the strong, big sis.”
“M-Mika…!”
Mika snagged the bottle away before Wakamo could even react, clutching her wrist tightly without exerting too much strength, as if she instinctively remembered to control her grip.
“…?!”
What happened next was enough to make Wakamo doubt her own eyes.
Mika lifted the bottle straight to her lips without pouring it into the glass, taking a big gulp instead.
Gulp. Gulp.
Seeing Mika’s throat bob up and down in front of her, Wakamo hastily pulled out her phone with one hand. This was definitely beyond her handling capacities.
But then, a horrific, despair-inducing thought crashed into her like a lightning strike.
Her contacts did not include anyone she could immediately call for help apart from Mika!
Heueng…
As delightful sounds escaped Mika’s lips, now even hiccuping, Wakamo found herself spiraling into a half-panic.
“Wakamo-nee… this is too good… how do I describe it… heehee.”
“Is… is that so? Then…”
“Should I pour you another glass too…?”
“Ah…”
With Mika’s casual question, a fierce debate broke out in Wakamo’s mind between her imaginary selves.
‘You should drink it, Wakamo. You need to reduce her intake to avoid a bigger disaster!’
‘No, you must refuse! Yes, definitely! If Mika drinks it all, there’s a high chance she might fall asleep, and that’s the only way to solve this mess?’
‘Do you really think so? Ufufufu…‘
Shoving the third voice aside, Wakamo lifted her gaze to study Mika’s face.
With her cheeks flushed and a bright smile plastered on her face, Mika appeared even more captivating than usual under the influence of alcohol.
“Mika, I… don’t need to drink anymore. So, um, for now—”
“Heueng… Wakamo-nee, you are an adult, right? An adult can manage more than just one glass, heeeng. It’s disappointing… ugh*.”
Breaking off Wakamo’s words with a gentle tilt of her head, Mika locked her enticing gaze onto Wakamo, filled with warmth and intensity.
Then, giggling to herself again, she tilted her head and took another sip of her drink.
Gulp. Gulp.
The sound of Mika swallowing the alcohol mingled with the audible gulp from Wakamo, who was nervously swallowing her own nerves.
Mika, after gazing at the sky, asked, “Sis, doesn’t the moon look so pretty today…? It’s so nice…”
Heeugh…! I… I don’t know how I’m supposed to deal with this mistake…
While it was drunken ramblings of a tipsy person, somehow it felt like a metaphorical confession of love.
Knowing very well the difference between how Mika looked at her versus how she looked at Nagisa or Hina, Wakamo found herself feeling two opposing emotions from just a single line.
Wakamo discovered that it wasn’t just a false confession of love but an earnest craving for a sincere gesture from Mika.
“Mika, Nagisa will be worried. So let’s stop drinking now…”
“Silence, heuheh.”
Seeing that Mika was completely out of it, Wakamo reluctantly concluded that she had to contact the teacher for help. She was just about to check her phone again when…
Suddenly, she realized she was leaning against the cherry blossom tree, face to face with Mika. At that point, Mika’s hiccups had finally ceased.
Though her wrist was released, Wakamo understood she couldn’t push away Mika’s arm wrapped around her neck.
This wasn’t just because she was overpowered but also because her heart didn’t want that.
“Big sis… only I get to drink? How unfair! Alcohol is made to be enjoyed together. So…”
“M-Mika, please calm down…!”
“Okay, I’ll feed you… heehee.”
“Wait a second…!”
With the bottle almost on the ground, Mika brought it to her lips—slowly edging closer to Wakamo.
‘TH-THIS IS NOT OKAY. Mika, I don’t like this!’
She should’ve denied it; both her logic and emotions screamed that she should resist.
Wanting to share her first kiss without having gained Mika’s heart ended up being something she didn’t want. Yet, facing those beautiful, shimmering eyes of Mika, which sparkled like the night sky encased moonlight, Wakamo couldn’t help but give in.
Before she even realized it, her lips parted, unknowingly inviting the alcohol sweeping into her mouth.
Paha… delicious…?
“…Yup.”
Mika asked her without any subject if it was tasty while Wakamo dazedly replied with a blank face. Her lips still felt warm, and her heart was racing wildly in a total frenzy.
“Ugh… alcohol is all gone… Wah, big sis, should we go buy more…?”
Hearing that first, innocent inquiry from Mika, Wakamo snapped back to reality as if splashed with cold water, desperately racking her brain.
To buy time, Wakamo wrapped her arms around Mika’s waist and finally recalled a workable solution.
“Mika.”
“Uhee… big sis, you’re so fluffy… I wanna nibble you.”
“Mika…”
“Yup?”
“How about we take just one picture…?”
“A picture…?”
“Yup… If we send it to Nagisa, she’ll fetch a little more alcohol for us.”
To be frank, Wakamo didn’t want to know what kind of scolding she would get from Nagisa, but she accepted this was just karma for her excessive greed.
Upon hearing something that didn’t make sense, Mika released her grip on the bottle. It rolled denguru, empty and knocked over on the grass.
Then, giving Wakamo’s head a gentle pat, Mika smiled and fished her phone out.
The fingerprint unlock failed a staggering three times before she finally succeeded, her eyes narrowing as she studied the screen.
“…I can’t do it. You do it, big sis.”
“Ah, sure…”
Mika handed her phone over.
“Uhm? Aren’t you going to take a picture?”
“I’ve already captured one, Mika.”
“Whoa—really? Amazing, so fast! Big sis is the best…!”
Having naturally deceived Mika like breathing, Wakamo opened Momotalk. With just a glance, she noticed the friend count was different from hers.
Peeking at the favorites list, Wakamo pouted; every single student had set their profile pictures to ones they took with Mika, adorned with hearts next to their names.
Unknowingly feeling a pang of jealousy at that realization, Wakamo briefly considered if she should push things further since she had already lost her first kiss.
“Ah, no, that’s wrong. No, that’s not my desire…”
“Yup?”
“…It’s nothing, Mika.”
Quickly opening a 1-on-1 chat with [Nagisa ♥︎] from the favorites, Wakamo’s fingers flew over the keyboard without the need for lengthy sentences.
She knew the moment Mika might reclaim her phone was uncertain.
[Nagisa, it’s Wakamo]
[I’m sorry. It looks like I’ve gotten Mika drunk, and things have gone awry]
[I’ll accept the punishment; please come here quickly]
[Right next to me is… ]
Fastly listing the names of nearby buildings to pinpoint their location, she sent it to Nagisa.
Hyaat…?!
Just as she began to breathe a sigh of relief, a strange sound escaped her mouth.
“Dohee, your tail is so soft… it’s the best…”
As she heard Mika’s words, Wakamo recalled a chase she barely remembered having with Mika.
Mika had said she would pluck all her tail hairs to craft something.
Wakamo hoped so desperately that Mika’s interest wouldn’t drift elsewhere before Nagisa’s arrival.
Thus, she reluctantly accepted Mika’s gentle strokes of her ears and fluffy tail.
‘Mika, I think I’m totally married off now…’
If she didn’t respond after going this far, she might not be human at all.
Wakamo thought while her expression slowly melted into a soft blush, her tail swaying peacefully, revealing her emotions openly.
The fox might deceive people.
But ears and tails reveal the truth every time.
