Ch.87Cocktail Chocolate 8

Two women sit on the floor of a modest studio apartment.

One is an executive at Korea’s worst black company.

The other is a private business owner who can casually spend 300 million won.

I set up a round folding table for the two of them.

And placed the cake that Red Lion had brought in the center.

“But, what should I do… I don’t think I should eat cake…”

I muttered while taking out two plates.

Red Lion’s already crimson eyes flashed even brighter as she asked what I meant.

“Well, you see… Jaehee told me to lose some weight…”

“Why would you need to lose weight?”

Anna, who had been quiet until now, chimed in.

At her question, Red Lion also shook her head in agreement.

“Where do you even have weight to lose? You’re perfect as you are.”

The two women stared intently at my body, looking me up and down.

I twisted my head away, uncomfortable under their gaze.

“Don’t you dare lose weight.”

Red Lion told me in a very serious voice.

I eventually nodded in the face of their fierce opposition.

Then I murmured quietly.

“If both of you say so… I guess one slice should be okay…?”

I tried to discreetly take out a fork.

Red Lion pushed her plate and fork toward me.

“Thanks…”

Holding her fork, I carefully scooped up a slice.

The glossy chocolate mousse spread on the surface looks impressive.

When I press the fork down, it’s so soft that it sinks in like jelly before sliding right in.

I put the piece of cake in my mouth.

My cheeks puff out round from the large bite.

The sweet chocolate mousse caresses my tongue.

The soft bread melts like cotton candy.

“Delicious…”

I closed my eyes and savored the dessert to my heart’s content.

I wonder why I’ve come to like sweet things so much lately…

Just as I was about to finish the slice, my eyes suddenly widened at the sound of a “click.”

Red Lion was taking pictures of me eating cake.

My puffed cheeks froze for a moment at the sight.

“No, don’t stop. Keep eating.”

She smiled gently at me as I chewed.

Anna had somehow appeared behind Red Lion.

She whispered to the crimson-eyed woman while looking at my photo.

“Send that to me later.”

“Why would I?”

“How much do you want for it?”

“I’m not selling it, idiot.”

The two of them bickered in hushed voices, trying not to let me hear.

But I’m not stupid… I could hear their back-and-forth perfectly clearly.

“I’m the one who bought that cake. You should have brought something too.”

Why are they suddenly acting like this?

When I met them separately, they were more mature than anyone, but together they bicker like high school girls.

They’re like tourists at a zoo.

Throwing food and trying to take pictures.

So am I the squirrel in the cage?

It feels strangely unpleasant.

Anna frowned as if uncomfortable with her words.

She silently rummaged through her pocket until she seemed to find something suitable and stopped abruptly.

Soon, a tiny cocktail chocolate appeared in her hand.

It was the free chocolate we used to give to customers at Moment Bar.

So Anna had gone to the bar to see me too.

She stared down at that tiny chocolate for a moment.

Then she looked up at me thoughtfully.

“Here.”

A chocolate with a cocktail flavor.

She carefully handed it to me.

The corner of my mouth twitched.

I smiled slightly and unwrapped the chocolate.

I bit into half of it, almost too precious to eat in one bite.

Sticky chocolate covered my fingers.

It must have melted from being in Anna’s pocket for so long.

But that’s okay.

It’s sweet and delicious enough.

I smiled at her cloudy eyes.

“It’s delicious, Anna. Thank you…”

Anna lifted the corners of her mouth, mimicking my smile.

Then she tucked a strand of my messy hair behind my ear.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

It was just a short sentence.

And just a small chocolate.

But that was enough to comfort me.

Thanks to these two people by my side, I could momentarily turn my eyes away from the enormous wall I had faced.

Yes, that’s enough.

Maybe I’m not alone anymore.

“Looks like your first day was pretty tough.”

Red Lion seems concerned about me struggling because of the job she arranged for me.

Her once sharp gaze had softened as she looked at me.

“Should I just build a lounge bar in our company?”

Red Lion casually throws out an outrageous suggestion.

If that happened…

“Ohoho, is our new bride here~?”

I can clearly picture Vice Chairman Na-hyun visiting the bar every day to drink like this.

Plus Uncle Hwang Sa coming by daily to tease me…

That would be quite amusing in its own way.

A smile escaped my lips.

Meanwhile, Anna offered her own solution in her characteristic way.

She showed me a dagger from inside her coat and asked:

“Want me to kill someone for you?”

These two are going to cause serious trouble…

I hurriedly waved my hands in refusal.

“No, the work isn’t difficult at all. If anything, I wonder if I deserve to be paid this much.”

“Where do you work?”

Anna asks.

Ah, I guess Anna doesn’t know where I work.

“It’s a research institute affiliated with the Association.”

“Research institute?”

Anna’s relaxed expression returns to her usual blank face.

As if something occurred to her, she asks me again.

“Could it be the one managed by Congresswoman Park Shin-ae?”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s a lounge bar in the basement where I work.”

How does Anna, who’s officially an enemy of the Association, know about the research institute?

While I tilted my head in confusion, Anna crossed her arms and fell into thought.

“Have you been there before, Anna?”

“I’ve never been there. However…”

She became the expressionless killer she used to be.

Then, seemingly aware of my gaze, she shook her head.

“No. I’ll look into this myself.”

Red Lion must have read Anna’s mood as well, as she tried to maintain a relaxed expression.

Taking off her suit jacket, she said:

“Right, what danger could there be working under the high-and-mighty Association people?”

In her white shirt, she suddenly wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

Then she lightly pinched my cheek.

“They have no reason to bother a little bartender like you.”

Her lips came close enough that I could feel her breath.

The red-eyed woman whispered quietly while looking at me.

“If anyone bothers you, just tell me anytime.”

“Huh…?”

“If you tell me, that person might have an accident and be out for a few months, you know?”

“Ah, I understand…”

Satisfied with my answer, Red Lion stood up.

She draped her shirt over her shoulder, preparing to leave.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah. I just came to deliver this.”

My heart races whenever Red Lion comes to my place.

Is she just leaving today?

It feels somewhat disappointing yet also a relief.

Damn, why am I disappointed?

I shook my head back and forth.

My already messy hair became even more disheveled.

The faint scent of shampoo wafts through my hair.

I never used to notice it before, but now I can smell it so clearly.

Red Lion, who was about to leave, pauses.

She stares down at Anna, who is still sitting on the floor.

“What.”

Anna tosses a curt word at her.

Red Lion responds to Anna in a matter-of-fact voice.

“What do you mean ‘what’? Let’s go.”

“I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Red Lion snorts at Anna’s words.

She looks down at her with sharp red eyes.

“Read the room and get up.”

Anna showed no reaction to Red Lion’s intimidation.

Instead, she gazed at me thoughtfully.

“I’m fine. I’d like to be alone for a while.”

That’s right.

I don’t have the energy to socialize with anyone right now either.

Even if it’s Anna.

I’m truly grateful and sorry to both of them.

But right now, there’s a huge storm brewing in my mind.

I need time to overcome it alone.

In this situation, Red Lion’s dessert and Anna’s chocolate were a great help to me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come back to Moment soon.”

“Don’t push yourself.”

Anna frowned slightly as she looked at me.

Her face with expressions is so beautiful.

The white-eyed woman rose to follow the red-eyed woman.

She calmly heads toward the shoe rack.

“Call if anything happens.”

Red Lion made a phone gesture with her fingers as she slipped on her shoes.

I could only wave at the two of them.

This is surely a common farewell we’ve had many times.

But… somehow my heart aches as if this might be the last goodbye.

Like I’m about to embark on a long voyage alone.

The front door closed.

Only the quiet hum of the refrigerator fills the apartment.

I looked down at the cake box and chocolate wrapper left alone on the table.

“This is my battle.”

“I can’t keep relying on others for help.”

I can’t drag those two into this.

With that thought in mind, I headed to the balcony.

There was a cocktail box stored at room temperature.

When I opened it, various bottles of alcohol were inside.

I struggled to lift it out.

I can’t even properly carry a single box.

Feeling my weak body, I barely managed to bring the box inside.

Then I took out each bottle one by one to check their effects.

<Spirytus>

Grade: ★★★

Effect: Increases strength by 30 for 1 hour. However, judgment and composure decrease by 30. High probability of going berserk with excessive consumption.

Information: A nearly pure alcohol with 95% alcohol content. It’s the limit of consumable alcohol. Carelessly drinking it can cause burns to the esophagus.

<Absinthe>

Grade: ★★★

Effect: Increases agility by 30 for 1 hour. Composure decreases by 15.

Information: The green devil. A distilled spirit with a green color due to its herbal ingredients. It contains thujone, which causes hallucinations, and is banned in Korea. However, nothing is impossible in Ilshim.

I lined up all the alcohol prohibited from import into Korea.

And I maximized the manifestation of Angelic Hand in my palm.

“Sis… wait for me.”

“I’ll definitely come to see you.”

It was late at night.

Though covered by curtains, brilliant radiance endlessly poured out from a second-floor studio apartment.

A woman was watching from a distance.

She continued to wait until the light disappeared, only leaving the street at dawn.