Ch.52Gimlet 3

“A way to give courage…”

Siho muttered while wiping a glass with a dry towel.

What did I say to Seah back then?

After meeting Seah, so many things had happened.

From Anna’s past to the Chinatown incident…

I didn’t have time to think about Seah.

Siho pondered deeply, but couldn’t remember anything except the expensive wolf ears he received then.

Rina seemed equally perplexed.

She looked tired, as if she had already contemplated “how to give courage to children” dozens of times.

Just because she met a bartender didn’t mean her lifelong worries would be easily resolved.

The inexperienced teacher eventually clutched her head.

Then she let out a deep sigh with a thoroughly depressed face.

“I guess… even I as a teacher can’t do it, so there’s no way Mr. Siho could solve it, right?”

The way she clutched her head, like a rabbit with drooping ears, was cute.

Siho stared at her for a while before finally apologizing.

“I’m sorry. You must have come a long way, and I couldn’t give you a proper answer…”

“Don’t be sorry! I should be the one apologizing. Coming here and saying strange things…”

She hastily waved her hands in dismissal.

The inexperienced teacher pressed her lips together and picked up a pretzel from the table.

Like a depressed rabbit eating food.

“Haah…”

Siho looked down at her dejected appearance.

Inwardly, the bartender clenched both fists and cheered.

It had been so long.

How long had it been since he’d seen such a thoroughly normal person?

Looking at all the people who had come so far, Rina was the most “sane” person he had seen.

When he realized this, Siho suddenly wanted to help her.

If he couldn’t help, he at least wanted to give her courage.

“—.”

The clock at Moment Bar now pointed to 11 o’clock.

Outside, sirens announcing the upcoming curfew echoed.

The Association’s signal that after 11, they couldn’t protect people if monsters appeared.

But Rina still remained at the bar.

She had every right to do so.

There would be no one stronger than Rina in Korea, and even if there were, they would be nearly equal.

While the bartender was making a cocktail, Rina muttered as if talking to herself.

Like pouring out a knot she had been suffering with alone.

“I probably can’t be a good teacher…”

Siho took her words as a joke.

The woman before him was one of America’s TOP 100 strongest.

What student would refuse her teachings?

“Actually, my teaching scores are the worst in Korea too.”

“That’s surprising.”

Siho said while cooling the glass with ice.

He had assumed she would be a good teacher, since America’s education standards were surely higher than Korea’s.

“My ability is muscle reinforcement. If I want, I can lift cars and become as hard as steel.”

She tapped the table with her finger, seemingly embarrassed.

“I adapted to my ability quickly. That’s why I became an S-rank hunter just a year after becoming a hunter.”

Rina recited her achievements in a gloomy tone.

S-rank in just a year…

Siho remembered how he had struggled as a healer for over three years, but ended up as F-rank.

Recalling that past, the corners of his mouth unconsciously drooped.

“So I couldn’t understand students who couldn’t adapt to their abilities at first.”

Ah.

So that’s it.

Like how a genius soccer player might fail as a coach after retirement.

Wondering why others can’t do something so easy.

Rina was a typical genius hunter.

Someone like her wouldn’t easily understand struggling trainees.

“If my teaching scores are last again this quarter, I’ll be recalled to America. My father is in Korea, so I want to stay here as long as possible…”

Rina’s large eyes wavered.

Siho couldn’t help but watch as she mumbled like a sad rabbit while chewing on pretzels.

Siho almost laughed at the sight but held back.

Then, with the most serious expression he could muster, he asked the young professor:

“Are you being forcibly recalled?”

“Yes… As a ranker, I can’t stay in a foreign country without clear reasons, even if my parents are there. Immigration is impossible too. A ranker’s departure means national power weakening…”

That’s right.

Suddenly having a ranker who was responsible for a country’s defense become another country’s ranker.

It would be like losing a nuclear weapon.

“But that’s a separate issue. Whether I’m in this country or not, I want to be a strength for my students.”

She spun the empty pretzel plate in circles.

“Because I love those children.”

With those final words, Rina met Siho’s eyes.

The kind and pretty professor smiled gently at the bartender.

Siho thought her smile was truly beautiful.

And the moment he saw that pure and bright smile, he wanted to help her somehow.

That feeling soon became words that left Siho’s mouth.

“I’ll make you a cocktail.”

The bartender responded with a mature smile, his eyes narrowed.

She placed the chilled glass she had been preparing while listening to Rina’s story on the table.

One ounce (30ml) of dry gin in an ice-filled shaker.

One ounce (30ml) of fresh, tangy lime juice.

Half an ounce (15ml) of sweet and smooth sugar syrup.

After adding all these, shake vigorously.

Then slowly pour it into a chilled glass…

<Gimlet>

Grade: ★★★★☆ (Flawless)

Effect: Permanently increases Will by 10.

Information: Not a traditional recipe, but Siho’s original. With a whole 30ml of lime juice, it has a strong sour taste. This is balanced with 2 pumps of sugar syrup.

“Ms. Rina, I actually don’t know much about the Academy.”

The pale green liquor filled the cold glass.

“Being a low-level ability user, I had neither the qualifications nor the money for tuition.”

She twisted a cut lime peel to sprinkle its juice.

“But when I went on raids, there was a senior who gave me courage, just like you do for your students.”

She slowly dropped the lime peel into the gimlet.

“There’s something she always said to me when times were tough.”

Siho slowly pushed the martini glass toward the young professor.

“Don’t be impatient. You’re doing well.”

The bartender spoke as if imitating someone.

Her gentle smile reminded one of a certain swordswoman.

“No one is strong from the beginning.”

Rina stared blankly at Siho.

With her mouth open, she pondered how to respond to the bartender.

Then she closed her mouth and silently accepted the glass.

The professor slowly admired the pale color.

Unlike Jeongil, she gazed at the cocktail for a long time.

“Can I become a good teacher?”

Siho confidently answered her question.

“Yes.”

She looked down at Rina intently, resting her chin on both hands.

“When you were talking about Seah earlier, you looked happier than anyone.”

The young professor listened to Siho’s words attentively, holding the glass.

She was so focused that the glass in her hand didn’t shake at all.

“How could someone who’s so happy about their student’s success be a bad teacher?”

“So don’t be too impatient about wanting to help your students.”

“Even if there’s no immediate progress, if you keep trying with that steady heart for your students…”

Siho took out a tissue.

“Someday your students will recognize your efforts.”

And gently wiped the young professor’s watery eyes.

“When they realize that, your students will also find courage to work hard.”

Siho tilted her head slightly and smiled.

The ranker stared at that smile blankly.

“I’ll guarantee it. Even though I’m just a bartender with mediocre abilities…”

Soon she sniffled.

And slowly blew her nose with the tissue Siho gave her.

“Thank you…”

She tried to compose her face.

The professor was still as pretty as when Siho first saw her.

No, rather than the previous gloominess, she seemed more refreshed and clear.

Soon she faced the gimlet placed before her.

With newfound peace of mind, the professor slowly pressed her full lips to the glass.

Rina savored the cocktail slowly with her eyes half-closed.

Siho deliberately didn’t ask her about the taste.

He simply admired Rina’s face as if watching a beautiful animal.

The rabbit who took a sip of the gimlet wrinkled her face.

She pushed out her lips and let out a short groan.

“Ah- it’s sour.”

Siho laughed at the expected reaction.

“How is it? Clears your mind, right?”

“Completely…”

Rina nodded.

Siho wasn’t disappointed by her reaction.

This was the proper way to enjoy a gimlet, and Rina’s grimace wasn’t one of displeasure.

It was a refreshing grimace, as if she had shaken something off.

Soon, as if to prove this, Rina picked up the glass again and drank the gimlet.

And as if recovering from a hangover, she exclaimed refreshingly:

“Whew- I think I could get addicted to this! It’s strong, but…”

The rabbit muttered to herself with a flushed face.

Watching her, Siho wore a satisfied expression.

Soon the bartender headed toward the ice maker as if struck by a good idea.

She crushed the ice into small pieces with a muddler.

“Can I have your glass for a moment?”

“Yes…?”

Rina returned the glass with a reddened face.

Siho then transferred the half-remaining gimlet to another glass.

And poured the crushed ice on top.

“There, this way it becomes a Gimlet Hammer.”

<Gimlet Hammer>

Grade: ★★★★☆ (Flawless)

Effect: Permanently increases Will by 10 and Composure by 5.

Information: Crushed ice added to a Gimlet. This has the effect of slightly lowering the alcohol content.

A small consideration for the tipsy Rina.

“That’s amazing. Just adding ice makes it a different cocktail…!”

Rina murmured while looking at the glass.

“It’s not actually a registered cocktail recipe. I just thought of a Sledge Hammer and made it up.”

Siho covered her mouth with the back of her hand, seemingly embarrassed.

Rina looked at the bartender with sparkling eyes.

“Coincidentally, my main weapon is a hammer too, so that’s nice.”

She grinned and pointed at the bag she had brought.

I followed her gaze and stood on tiptoe to look down at the bag.

I was shocked for a moment.

The hammer sticking out of the bag was covered in blood.

“Hahaha, great. A cocktail named hammer. Please make me one more, no, two more of these!”

Rina had already regained her cheerfulness.

But the bartender’s smile had completely disappeared.

She thought to herself:

As expected, there’s no normalcy here…

The American rabbit received and drank three Gimlet Hammers with reddened eyes.

The clock was already pointing to midnight.

“I’m glad I came here.”

Rina mumbled with hiccups.

“I’m grateful you say that.”

Siho responded with a bright smile.

Thanks to the young professor, she had sold three drinks today.

That meant crossing the break-even point.

“Mr. Siho, I’ve been thinking this every time I see you, but your eyes are really pretty. Especially when you smile.”

Rina suddenly compliments the bartender.

Siho is taken aback by the sudden praise offensive.

“What? That doesn’t suit me…”

“But it’s true… Those feminine eyes, that warm figure.”

She suddenly pointed at Siho’s body with her finger.

The bartender was surprised and turned away.

“And a warm heart too. There’s a saying in Korea for women like you.”

Rina licked the remaining ice.

Then her eyes lit up as if something occurred to her.

“Ah! Jogangjicho-.”

I don’t know where she picked up such a term.

Siho coughed as if choking on her embarrassing word choice.

“My father always told me to become a jogangjicho too…”

Rina mumbled.

And then fell asleep quietly with her flushed face against the table.

The bartender quietly approached the sleeping customer.

The Academy professor was sleeping soundly like a child.

Her face still retained the freshness of her Academy student days.

Siho envied Rina’s school days.

He suddenly thought:

If he had attended the Academy too.

If he had met good teachers like Rina.

He wouldn’t have died so futilely back then.

At least he and his sister wouldn’t have died so miserably…

“…”

Dohyun took out a blanket from behind the counter.

And gently covered the sleeping young professor’s back.

The early morning shop was very quiet.

Fortunately, it seems no monsters appeared in Sindorim today.

That’s truly fortunate.