Ch.12Kahlua Milk 3

Anna’s hair tickles my neck.

She whispers to me, close enough that I can hear her breathing.

“Is that really all you’ve got?”

A strong scent of soap wafts to my nostrils.

“Just wait and see. My drinks are among the rarest delicacies in this world.”

I swallow dryly and speak with rigid posture.

Anna stares at me intently, as if she’s heard something unexpected.

After a moment, she seems to recall something and smiles slyly.

She approaches me and gently touches the side of my hair with her finger.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

The silver-haired killer brushes past me with those words.

She slowly looks around the shop before taking a seat.

Phew…

I can finally breathe again.

Thanks to that, I was able to check on the only other survivor of this living hell.

Sehee is still sitting on the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

I fetch a blanket from the kitchen for her.

It’s a cute blanket with cats printed on it.

I drape it over her short skirt.

But her trembling shows no signs of stopping.

“Unni, I’m sorry…”

Sehee mumbles.

“Sorry for what…”

“Actually, I was being harsh earlier because I wanted to keep you from meeting Siung. He has a thing for short women…”

So that’s why she blew cigarette smoke at me and told me to get lost.

It was unpleasant, but effective.

It made me so nervous I felt like I was back in school.

“I see…”

“I didn’t actually want to hang out with them.”

As she begins her story, her voice quavers.

Perhaps from pulling painful memories from her chest.

“When I first enrolled, I was known as my father’s daughter, but I actually inherited almost none of his abilities.”

So that’s why I felt almost no pressure from her when we first met.

“Thanks to my reputation, I was assigned to a class with strong kids, but when they found out I was weak, they treated me like a burden.”

I know that feeling.

No matter how hard you try, you just can’t get stronger.

Who could understand that feeling better than my past self?

“Because of that, I started getting bullied at school. I joined Siung’s gang to try to overcome it somehow…”

Sehee pulls her knees to her chest.

She buries her face completely.

“Have you talked to your father about it?”

“Absolutely not. If my already unstable father heard about this…”

Sehee’s muffled voice seeps through her knees.

“Dad thinks it’s his fault that mom died.”

So her mother passed away too.

“Mom went to the inn to see dad, who was serving a regular customer late at night…”

The girl continues speaking matter-of-factly.

“She was torn apart by a nocturnal monster. Since then, he just drinks like this.”

I recall the night streets I was walking through earlier.

I imagine a long, dark silhouette watching me from an alley.

The thought alone gives me chills.

“If he finds out I’m being bullied, he’ll definitely blame himself again.”

“So you joined this pathetic group to try to do well at school?”

Anna’s dead eyes look down on Sehee.

The girl shrinks even more.

“…”

With each word from Anna, Sehee trembles as if hearing the cry of a natural predator.

Of course, Sehee’s mistakes were significant.

After all, Siung’s group turned out to be drug addicts and perverts.

Perhaps she’s already suffered the same harsh treatment I narrowly avoided.

I don’t want this young girl to experience such things ever again.

With that thought in mind, I got up from the floor.

“Wait. Let me make you something to drink.”

“Alcohol?”

“Um… yes?”

“I hate alcohol. It just makes people drunk and violent…”

That’s rich coming from a smoker, but I understand.

It must be because of her alcoholic father.

“Don’t worry. Not all drinks are consumed just to get drunk.”

I patted Sehee’s head.

“Sometimes people find comfort through drinks.”

I headed to the kitchen.

I filled a kettle with milk.

I have a drink in mind for her.

It’s neither cold nor strong.

It will be warm, soft, and soothing.

While I’m busy preparing the ingredients, I feel a piercing gaze.

It must be that silver-haired killer sitting there with her chin resting on her hand.

Anna looks surprisingly calm for someone who just killed six people.

She follows my every movement with her eyes.

Looking at her like that, she resembles a pet cat watching its owner, which isn’t entirely unpleasant.

However, the blood smeared under her eyes makes my skin crawl.

I guess she’s more like a cheetah or leopard than a house cat…?

“Um… sorry, but could you stop staring?”

I hand her some wet wipes with my request.

“Do you have something to say?”

When I ask, Anna points a finger at my face.

She narrows her eyes and smiles slyly.

“You’re hypocritical.”

“What?”

This girl’s Korean vocabulary is surprisingly diverse despite her awkward grammar.

Hypocritical… when was I ever that?

“When I was about to. Kill that child. You recklessly jumped in.”

Anna wipes her face with the wet wipes I gave her.

“What’s wrong with that?”

I asked, dumbfounded.

Is risking my life to protect a child considered hypocrisy?

“You knew. If you intervened. I would stop. You used that.”

It was just a gamble.

She had been hesitating to kill me, so I trusted that momentary hesitation.

“I had a similar experience before. I’ve regretted it my whole life.”

I said as I removed the hot milk kettle.

“I don’t want to repeat that past.”

Anna’s smile disappeared at the word “past,” and her expression turned serious.

“Such luxurious words. From such a small body.”

Anna threw the wet wipe I gave her on the floor.

The white tissue had already turned dark red.

I smile at her and reply.

“Sometimes there are things more painful than death.”

If death is momentary pain,

Regret is the longest pain in the world.

The moment you have something to regret, the world’s longest suicide begins.

Just like my current life.

“…?”

As Anna listens to my words, a smile gradually spreads across her face.

The smile grows and transforms into roaring laughter.

She laughed so hard she pounded the table.

I found her exaggerated expression creepy, like a machine with a macro input.

“You’re really interesting, aren’t you?”

She finally stops laughing and approaches me.

The killer narrows her eyes and pinches my collar near my chest.

“I’ll strip it off for you.”

Did I hear that wrong?

What did this girl just say?

“That hypocritical mask of yours.”

Her eyes glint under the light.

I shuddered as if all my vulnerabilities were exposed by that deadly beauty.

“Go away. I’m bartending…”

I pushed Anna away with effort.

Having her nearby makes me feel dizzy, which is troublesome.

I shook my head to clear that feeling.

She watches me resume bartending with her arms crossed.

I respond by collecting myself and rolling up my sleeves.

“Well… let’s begin.”

I prepare a thick mug.

I pour in steaming hot milk.

I place the fragrant Kahlúa bottle against the rim of the cup.

I pour it slowly, as if gently rubbing the rim.

Finally, I tap cocoa powder over the top…

<Kahlúa Milk>

Grade: ★★☆

Effect: Recovers 30% of the consumer’s status ailments.

Information: A flawless Kahlúa Milk made according to the recipe.

It has a soft, subtle vanilla and coffee aroma.

Specially made for Sehee with a higher milk ratio, so the alcohol is barely noticeable.

Received a bonus ☆ due to the Angelic Hand effect.

“Try it, Sehee.”

“…”

Sehee held the warm mug with both hands.

The rising steam caressed her face.

“This is alcohol?”

“Technically, it’s a cocktail.”

I wiped my hands with a dishcloth.

“It’s just coffee milk.”

Anna asks expressionlessly with her chin resting on her hand.

“Don’t dismiss it. It’s incomparably better than store-bought milk.”

“Who would drink. Something like that. It’s not even vodka.”

Sehee looks down at the warm cocktail.

Then, as if she’s made up her mind, she slowly takes a sip of the foam.

“…”

I calmly wait for her reaction.

The girl coughs at her first taste of a hot cocktail.

“Be careful. It’s hot.”

Her eyes well up as her nose wrinkles.

I couldn’t tell if it was just from the heat or for some other reason.

The answer became clear shortly after.

Life gradually returns to Sehee’s pupils.

Having regained her composure, she wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

But no matter how much she wipes, tears continue to flow.

I helped clean her face with a tissue.

“It tastes… familiar.”

The fear had melted from her face like snow.

Sehee looks at me with a much calmer expression.

“This is exactly what my father made for me when I first entered the academy.”

I’m sorry, but I actually saw your memories when I covered you with the blanket earlier.

“It’s soft, but with a sweet and slightly tangy coffee aroma at the end. It’s really delicious.”

The Kahlúa Milk I made for Sehee contained only a small amount of liqueur.

The previous owner probably made it just as mild.

For his daughter who disliked alcohol.

“Let’s go see your father. I’m sure he’ll listen to you seriously.”

“Unni…”

“If it’s hard to go alone, I’ll go with you.”

Sehee hugged me tightly.

She gripped my shoulders and buried her face in my chest.

I felt a warm dampness, but I didn’t mind.

Right now, all that matters is Sehee’s feelings.

“…”

Anna watches this scene before standing up from the table.

Her face turns cold as if something has upset her.

“W-where are you going?”

“I can’t stand this anymore.”

She gathers her sword and prepares to leave.

“Wait a moment-!”

I hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a tumbler.

Then I ran outside the shop after Anna.

Her steps were so quick that I was panting as I caught up to her and managed to stop her.

“Do you have. More shows to put on?”

“Haa… here…”

I hand her the tumbler while dripping with sweat.

“What is. This?”

Anna seems surprised, as if she hadn’t expected my gift at all.

“Kahlúa Milk. I made some for you too, drink it on your way back.”

“I don’t drink this kind of…”

I abruptly pressed the tumbler into her hands as she was about to refuse.

“It’s cold out.”

I’m not sure what I’m saying in front of this murderer.

But I need to say what needs to be said.

I feel compelled to repay help received.

“Thank you for today. Even though your methods were extreme…”

Anna’s eyebrows twitch.

She turns her head away quickly as if trying to hide her reaction.

“I hate it. People like you.”

Anna muttered as she left.

Still clutching the tumbler I gave her.

I shook my head as I watched her leave.

What a twisted personality.

“Are all rankers like that?”

We were all broken in some way.

I hope my drinks can heal their wounds, even if just a little.