29 Vol 1. pt. 29 Ramen and Bourbon (2/2)

”Wazzat supposed to men? Men! Wait, 'at isn't righ… mean!”

”It means that you just got us free drinks. Only problem is that I'm not sure we're ever goming to be welcomed back here.”

”But I wanna go back!”

”Then don't punch random guys in the face. Let the bouncer do that.”

”They weren'ts random! They was like those fucky garlicy boys we killed. Shoulda done more 'an just punchedify him in the… face!”

”I don't know how the adrenaline isn't sobering you up right now.”

”Hehe, adrenaline ish a funny word… adrenaline, adrenalyne, adraynapoop, adrenalena, andrenalina,” Ryouta continues saying various butchered forms of adrenaline.

…

Meanwhile, in the bar, Cassandra comes back out from the staff room with her costume better secured and her watery eyes wiped. She hates this job and knows that she only has it because of how she looks. She knows that her personality is rough and that most people can't stand her, she knows that she has no useful skills to get herself any service job not based off of being pretty and busty, and she knows that almost every single patron in here sees her as nothing but a sex object. It's all the same in-game. She tries escaping this by playing games, but it just happens all over again.

The other men she worked with in the Augus Empire, the Stinky Garlic guild, literally almost every single male character and NPC she has come across – they all want nothing more than to turn her into their personal hole, but she refuses no matter how much it makes them call her a bitch or prude.

She just wishes she could find one guy who sees her as more than just some thing with tits. Sure, she could always just play male characters or make herself less attractive in games, but she wants to be accepted for who she is – not as somebody she isn't.

Fenrir's stupid face pops into her mind. He may make perverted jokes involving her, but from what she's seen so far, he has treated her with respect and like an equal rather than a set of holes. In fact, she can't recall a single time where he has tried hitting on her or checking her out. Even if he has checked her out without her noticing, at least he doesn't do it to her face like most men do.

Cassandra finds herself smiling at the thought of him when she reaches another customer's table.

That boy that stood up for her looked nice as well. Even if she did catch his perverse eyes looking at her figure from across the bar without him noticing, he was respectful to her face and was able to only look her in the eyes despite being as drunk as he was. He even stood up for her and checked on her afterward – well, tried to check on her. Plus, he was actually cute unlike most of the crude men she encounters.

Cassandra realizes she's losing herself in thoughts. ”Sorry, is there anything I can help you with?” she asks the customer.

Serra and Cassandra's eyes meet. Each girl looks almost exactly like they do in-game, so they instantly recognize one another.

…

”My legs huuuurrrrrttt! Spence, carry me!” Ryouta whines, clinging onto Spencer's side.

”I knew this was going to happen,” Spencer says, lifting up Ryouta like a bride. He has tried giving Ryouta a piggyback before, and it would certainly get them less odd looks on the street by passersby, but he can't trust Ryouta to not let go and fall backward.

It has happened before.

Normally, one would call for an auto taxi in this case, but Spencer couldn't do that to Ryouta no matter how drunk he is. He's going to have to carry him all the way home on his own two legs.

At least Spencer has done this before. When Ryouta tries to give wrong directions to get back to his apartment, Spencer knows better than to follow them.

”Go right here!” Ryouta says.

Spencer continues walking straight.

”Left! I'm over thur!”

Spencer goes right.

”Where are we?” Ryouta asks with a giggle, not realizing the apartment building he is being held in front of is his own.

Spencer carries him all the way to the elevator before finally letting him down. His own legs are on fire at this point. ”I think you can walk from here,” he says.

Ryouta almost collapses.

With a sigh, Spencer helps Ryouta stay standing as he works the elevator.

The two finally make it back to Ryouta's room.

Ryouta stumbles through his apartment and falls face-first onto his bed as soon as he makes his way over to it.

”Yeah, this is what usually happens,” Spencer says to himself. ”Penguin, turn on the radio with low volume.”

Ryouta's TV turns on, switches to the radio stations, and automatically sets the volume low.

Spencer looks around. ”This place is a mess. You're going to be single forever if you don't learn how to take care of yourself and your things,” he says, picking up the nearest empty bottles of alcohol and scattered bags of chips to toss them away. ”Now, let's see if the cleaning supplies I bought last time is still here.”

”Why can't hentai be real?!” Ryouta shouts from his bedroom.

Spencer's blank stare rivals Cassiel's world record.