落とし穴５掘：弱点 (Part2)
"Deryu, your journey up until now must have been quite the ordeal."
*Sigh.*
When I noticed, the man had already emptied his mug.
Oh my, how unexpected. I didn't think he could down it in one go. Well, I suppose I just need to keep the pressure on.
"Sir, sir! Look, here's a refill!!"
"…Ah. Thanks."
*Hehehehe.* There was a slight hesitation there. That won't do. If you give me such an easy-to-read reaction, it makes me want to push you down. It’s a shame, but I suppose I’ll have to make you drink until your reason flies out the window.
…Where did I go wrong?
"Kuh-kaaa..."
"I can still drink more!! *Hic*"
The two drunks were already fast asleep. After all, they had all-you-can-drink access to fine liquor.
"I can still drink more, I tell you!!"
"Oh my, does Deryu look like there are three of her?"
"I may have small breasts, but I’m a girl, you know~~!!"
Deryu, Seraria, and Riel were clearly no longer in their right minds.
"Ugh..."
I pressed a hand to my mouth, desperately trying to suppress the rising tide of nausea. I’d had too much. And as for the target of my schemes…
"Looks like it's time to call it a night. I'm glad everyone seemed to enjoy themselves."
Why are you so composed!? You were competing with Narjia and Milly, so the amount you consumed shouldn't have been trivial! Yet, your gait was steady, you tidied up with ease, and you carried everyone off to our private rooms.
Since I couldn't walk on my own, I was—shamefully—carried to my room's restroom. I did, however, draw the line at letting him help me while I was actively losing my lunch. Even I have my pride as a woman!
Well, I ended up spending the rest of the night bonding with the toilet until dawn.
"…Ah, I think I'm finally back to normal."
I was relieved that the nausea hadn't carried over into today. Even though I was off work, I didn't want to spend my day off in the bathroom.
It was still before sunrise. As I was walking to the bath to wash away the scent of my misfortune, Aslin and Firia came running toward me, shouting in a panic.
"Big Brother is going to die!!! Waaaaah!!!"
"Brother!! Brother!!"
Eh? Wait a moment! Is something terrible happening? He's going to die? *Yuki*?
"P-please calm down, both of you!? What happened!?"
I scooped up the two of them as they clung to me, weeping, and hurried toward Yuki’s room while asking for details.
"B-Big Brother is… he’s throwing up so much!! He looks so miserable!! He’s going to die!!"
"I’ve never seen Brother look so pained before!! We need Lady Elju!!"
"…Wait, that sounds like…"
When we entered his room, Labyris was sitting in front of the bathroom door, looking worried. And from inside the bathroom…
"…Yeah, this is what happens when I drink past the limit… *Ugh*…"
The sound of his voice and the retching echoed out.
"Hey, Ratz. Is it really just the alcohol? Yuki suddenly jumped up and rushed to the bathroom like this."
"…I believe it is the alcohol. Sir, can you hear me? Aslin and the others are genuinely worried, so if you have the strength, please give us a sign."
After I called out to the bathroom, a reply came after a short pause.
"…Yeah, that's right. It's probably a hangover. When I drink, I might be intoxicated, but I have this habit of thinking I need to stay sharp, so I barely feel the effects of being tipsy or drunk. That’s why I can’t tell where the limit is… *Ugh*…"
He fell silent again for a while.
"…And the one symptom that hits me hard is this hangover. That’s why I don't like drinking. I can barely get drunk, but the suffering the next day hits me with full force. A nightcap is fine, but… well, I’ve kept statistics on it… I know exactly where the line is for when I’ll start feeling sick…"
What kind of reason is that for not being able to drink!? I slumped to my knees on the spot and hung my head.
"…Ratz, don't worry about it."
Labyris, I don't need that kind of comfort.
In the end, Yuki didn't recover until around 2:00 PM that day. Until then, we were scolded by Aslin and the others for making him drink too much.
Yes, I am truly sorry.
For this chapter, I based it on my own experiences. I can drink quite a bit, but since I rarely feel the effects of being drunk, I don't see much merit in it. However, the hangover hits me hard, so I honestly dislike it. I do have a nightcap occasionally, though. My favorites are single malts, whiskies, and bourbons. I'm not a fan of beer.
Drink responsibly, everyone.