episode_0050

“A few days ago, 30 tons of illegal aphrodisiacs were seized in a Chinese village.”

“The domestic criminal organization is now occupying this Chinese village and is in confrontation with the Hunter Association.”

Various troubling news poured out from the radio.

Feeling a sense of fatigue from that news, Sanae quickly turned off the radio.

Then, he took out his phone and browsed through his own blog.

It was time to post the next store review.

“Where… Is there any decent place nearby to grab a drink?”

He searched for cocktails on his phone.

Instantly, information about a bar near Sindorim appeared.

The blogger, Jung-gil, scrolled through the store reviews while fiddling with his phone.

They were reviews about the bar ‘Moment.’

“The bartender is great, and the drinks are delightful.”

Jaehi10.

“The bartender sister is cute, and the place is lovely too.”

Seah12.

“The Red Eye at this place is delicious. Order plenty.”

Redsnake1sim.

Year 2028.

Now that the government has disappeared, and the Association has taken over the country.

A bar with such excellent reviews is unheard of.

Is there something special about this place that people would spend money on expensive cocktails?

Even the popular singer these days, Jaehi, personally verified her visit through a short video.

Amidst skilled bartenders struggling with their livelihoods, it’s unfathomable that there’s a place thriving solely on viral fame.

Unforgivable.

It’s time to showcase the power of a top blogger.

With that determination in mind, he drove towards the distant sight of Moment.

Jung-gil adjusted his heavily waxed hair.

In his early thirties, he had a purpose beyond just reviews.

The appearance of the bartender in the short video wasn’t bad at all.

Especially those dimples were quite charming.

He chuckled as he began parking in front of Moment.

Suddenly, he glanced at the Jaguar parked next to him.

An imported car in these times…

The owner of such a car must be a useless rich person contributing nothing to society.

He grumbled and carefully finished parking, avoiding the foreign car.

After getting out of the car, Jung-gil alternated between looking at his Avante and the Jaguar XJ.

Unhappy with the contrasting visuals, he deliberately looked away and opened the door to the bar.

Soft music, ‘Hola’ by Jaei, flowed from the speakers.

He furrowed his brow.

Starting with idol music was a deduction in his book.

At this point, according to his standards, Moment had turned into a cheap all-you-can-drink cocktail bar.

Moreover, the messy interior.

The ceiling still exposed steel beams as if the construction was ongoing, and the walls seemed partially patched up with plaster.

Although this construction site concept might be trendy these days, this was truly a laborious scene.

Jung-gil pondered on what comment could crush the owner’s morale as he entered the bar alone.

There were no customers at the tables.

However, two women sat at the counter.

An elderly woman with pressed-down white hair and a woman in a suit.

Especially the woman in the suit, her clothes clung to her body, accentuating her beautiful curves.

Staring at her figure, Jung-gil slowly made his way to the counter.

And he thought, “Could it be that the water here is good, hence the high ratings?”

With his arms crossed, the blogger waited for the staff to appear.

Meanwhile, Jung-gil briefly scanned the two women, turning his head back and forth.

Indeed, the woman in the suit looked beautiful even from the side.

Under her stunning black long hair, sharp features caught his eye.

Especially the ruby-like red eyes fixed on her were striking.

The woman sitting on the left was also not to be underestimated.

Despite wearing a hat, mysterious silver hair and fair skin beneath captivated his gaze.

Her cloudy white pupils exuded a subtle decadence, and her rough hands felt sexy.

The shadowy sharp features hinted at a protective instinct involuntarily.

He debated internally whether to strike up a conversation with them.

However, as I was contemplating a response, I heard a rustling sound coming from the kitchen and turned my gaze.

“—.”

Soon, an elegant bartender appeared in the kitchen.

Seeming apologetic for not attending to the guests, she hurriedly went behind the counter.

A strange floral scent seemed to emanate from her as she drew closer.

It was a peculiar and intoxicating fragrance.

“I’m sorry. I was just taking some medicine…”

She murmured in a neutral tone.

Her name tag bore the name “Siho.”

While her height was average, hidden beneath her apron was a figure that surpassed the norm.

Contrasting with her modest attire, her exceptional figure was as alluring as swimwear.

“It’s okay.”

He muttered, gazing fixedly at Siho’s tear mole.

His satisfied expression suggested that he found her more appealing in person than on screen.

“I’m Jung Gil.”

The man extended his hand.

After quickly wiping her hand on her apron, Siho shook hands with him.

“If you’re a bartender, you must know about ‘Jung Gil’s Cocktail,’ right?”

“No. I don’t watch TV much, so…”

Siho casually brushed off the question.

As she touched her skin, the floral scent seemed to intensify.

“You don’t know about bartenders? Seems like you’re oblivious to trends.”

He tossed out the words somewhat reproachfully.

“Sorry.”

“Well, to put it simply, I’m a power blogger, and my reviews greatly boost a store’s sales.”

Arrogantly folding his arms, the blogger looked around the ordinary interior of the shop.

The counter was plain, nothing particularly special.

There were only two beauties seated on either side.

To exude a masculine appeal to the women, he raised his chin proudly.

“There aren’t many customers in the shop… If you’re okay with it, I can give you some feedback myself.”

“Feedback?”

“Yes. Even though it may not look like it, I have 500,000 followers.”

Siho smirked skeptically.

Her proposal seemed burdensome, and she fidgeted with her hands while keeping her lips sealed.

Feeling frustrated by her demeanor, Jung Gil made a suggestion.

“Let’s make a drink.”

“What would you like?”

“As a bartender, you should know how to make a Kimlet cocktail, right?”

Kimlet.

A very simple cocktail made with gin and lime, its taste varies depending on the bartender’s style.

Ordering a Kimlet can gauge the level of a bar, as it is a sensitive cocktail.

Considering himself a liquor expert, Jung Gil planned to test her through this.

Despite his arrogant attitude, Siho smiled subtly.

As her teardrop mole moved, her feminine charm became more apparent.

Jung Gil involuntarily cleared his throat at her sight.

Certainly, this place seemed to have a confident bartender in charge.

Soon, Siho brought dry gin and lime.

She began bartending with gentle gestures.

2 oz (60ml) of dry gin into the shaker

1/2 oz (15ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

Then, a dash of sweet sugar syrup.

After shaking vigorously, she strained the mixture into a martini glass.

Rating: ★★★

Effect: Stamina increase by 10%.

Information: The sweet sugar syrup, tangy lime, and clean gin harmonize well. Siho’s full potential hasn’t been realized yet due to her lingering illness.

An additional bonus ☆ from Angelic Hand was added.

“I present you the Kimlet.”

She slowly pushed the glass towards Jung Gil.

The pale green liquid shimmered.

Observing the color, Jung Gil thought to himself.

The color isn’t bad.

But…

There’s no basic orange peel garnish…

And the glass wasn’t properly chilled either.

The taste might be decent, but the details are definitely lacking.

Just an ordinary $8 glass from an average establishment.

With these thoughts in mind, he took a sip.

A fragrant drink entered his mouth.

Behind the tangy lime flavor, a subtle sweetness coated his tongue.

“…”

What’s this?

It’s clearly a regular Kimlet.

Yet there’s something oddly uplifting about the taste.

He glanced around, feeling the subtle aroma.

With only two female patrons and the bartender beside him, perhaps it was the ambiance that made the difference.

He chuckled and once again brought the glass to his lips.

The modest bartender watched him anxiously.

Finding his demeanor oddly endearing, Jung-gil felt a mischievous urge growing within him.

The blogger calmly adjusted her words and began reciting her prepared lines.

“Well, the taste of Kimlet itself isn’t bad. It’s just that…”

“No garnish, and the glass is lukewarm.”

Jung-gil twirled the glass around as he spoke.

“With such an ordinary taste, it’s hard to survive in this lawless era.”

Shiho’s expression darkened slightly.

She murmured an apology.

“Well, there are ways to increase sales.”

At Jung-gil’s words, Shiho glanced up at him hesitantly.

“If you show a little ‘sincerity,’ I’ll give you a higher review score. Right now, it’s just at a 6.”

He held out his palm, forming a number with his fingers.

“For each point, five bills, for a total of ten bills, and I’ll raise the review score to 8.”

“Ten bills would be 100,000 won?”

Shiho asked innocently.

At her naive question, Jung-gil chuckled.

“No. Of course, it’s 1 million won.”

At the price he set, Shiho’s mouth fell open slightly.

It was an unexpected and awkward expression.

“What should I do… We don’t have money because our store is undergoing reconstruction…”

Seeing Shiho’s pitiful expression, Jung-gil’s lips twitched.

But soon he regained his composure and controlled his expression.

In times like these, you have to push harder.

Especially with a girl, if you press on strongly, she has no choice but to yield obediently.

“Well, then there’s nothing we can do. I’ll have to rate according to the standards of this cheap bar.”

Shiho ran her hand over her mouth as if hurt by his words.

Her disappointed gaze made him somehow want to torment her more.

However, that feeling didn’t last long.

He felt stern gazes from both sides.

Before he could turn his head, two hands suddenly rested on his shoulders.

They belonged to the two women sitting on either side of him.

With red and white eyes, they seemed to pierce through him simultaneously.

“Um… Do you have something to say to me…?”

He stammered in confusion.

The grip on his shoulders was unsettling.

“Did you just call this place a cheap bar?”

Juk-sa asked.

“Should I kill him?”

Anna inquired.

Feeling the pressure from the two predators, Jung-gil’s body tensed.

One was a massive leopard, the other a large anaconda.

The bartender intervened directly to calm the situation.

In a gentle tone, he said, “It’s okay. He’s a ‘famous blogger.’ It would be awkward if he saw something unpleasant…”

Shiho raised her head with a compassionate expression.

Seeing Shiho’s pitiful look, Anna instinctively put her hand in her pocket.

“Anna, sit down. Juk-sa, you too.”

Despite Shiho’s words, Juk-sa firmly held onto his shoulder.

In the chilling atmosphere, Jung-gil’s spine tingled.

If it’s Anna…

Isn’t she that famous killer?

A crazy murderer who kills anyone for money!

And Juk-sa…

A high-ranking member of Ilsim, Korea’s largest organization.

These two women being in the same place was simply unbelievable.

What kind of place is this, anyway?!

“It seems our esteemed blogger doesn’t know the taste of alcohol very well.”

Soon Juk-sa’s arm wrapped around his neck.

Like a snake.

She whispered to him kindly.

“Have another drink. How does it taste?”

Anna slammed a blade into the table.

Sitting on the edge of the table, she looked down at Jung-gil.

In response, his trembling hand moved.

He slowly picked up the Kimlet and took a sip.

But due to his trembling, most of the drink spilled down his chin.

“How is it?”

“What do you think?”

Both killers asked simultaneously.

“The taste… is good…”

“How good?”

The two women leaned in.

“To die for…”

He muttered as if entranced.

As Juk-sa’s red eyes seemed to hypnotize him, she stared intently at the blogger.

“And the rating?”

“10 points… It’s a 10…”

Jeoksa takes out his phone from his pocket and hands it over directly.

“And write. A review.”

Jeoksa smiles mischievously.

Watching him, Siho covers his mouth in bewilderment.

The two killers seemed like loan sharks drawing up a surrender agreement for the body.

The captured debtor, Jeonggil, tremblingly taps the screen, taking ages to correct the typos.

“Th-there… I’ve written it all.”

Jeonggil presents the review to Jeoksa as if offering a tribute.

Anna personally reads through the text meticulously.

“‘Three eating. Even if one dies. Taste unknown. The best. What? Die…?”

Anna, angered by the mention of death, grips her sword again as if ready to strike.

Upon this, Jeoksa interjects, “Oh, that means it’s that good. It’s high praise in Korea.”

After hearing his explanation, Anna lowers her sword once more.

At this, Jeonggil retreats from the counter as if shuddering.

The blogger starts sprinting towards the exit.

Seeing this, Siho hastily calls out to him, “Wait! If you leave a review, we’ll also treat you at the cafe!”

The bartender follows him with plates in both hands.

However, the blogger rudely slams the front door shut, saying he doesn’t need it.

“Ha…”

As the rare valuable customer escapes, Siho lets out a deep sigh.

He then gazes back at the two killers.

“Did I scare off our guests?”

As she shrugs, Jeoksa raises his clueless shoulders.

Even the usually emotionless Anna cocks her head along with her.

“At this rate, we’ll be known as a criminals’ den…”

Disheartened, Siho reluctantly discards the carefully prepared cafe treats.

Lately, she seems drawn to simple things, indulging in desserts.

“I hope the next guest won’t run away…”