A giant cruise ship—
"Awoo awoo!!!"
"So fast!"
"This breeze feels amazing!"
Everyone was experiencing this luxury cruise ship for the first time and was incredibly excited!
Technically, they were supposed to try it yesterday… but… Amuro forgot...
As a result, after the seniors finished their explanation, the group scattered like a pack of huskies off their leashes—looking here, peeking there~
"Everyone, let's have a little meeting~"
Nanaka's gentle voice pulled the huskies away from the edge of the ship. If she hadn't spoken up, they would've turned into literal wet dogs.
The meeting itself was nothing special, mostly about local attractions and a repeat of the safety instructions.
This time, Iori and Kohei had learned their lesson and sat like good students in the front row, jotting everything down word for word!
"Well then, everyone, please get ready~"
"Got it!"
In perfect sync, over a dozen grown men stripped off their pants—unsurprisingly, they were wearing nothing underneath!
"Changing room! Go change in the changing room!"
Aina's eyes spun like spirals. For a delicate maiden like her, this kind of shock was way too intense!
Other passengers on the boat were stunned too, some even instinctively pulling out their phones to call the police.
Was… was this diving experience really legitimate?
"How are you feeling?"
Shiro looked to the four people beside him. It was their first time diving in such a proper setup, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"No problem!"
"Make sure to take good pictures!"
"I-I'm ready!"
"No problem."
The four of them gave a thumbs-up, their bright smiles so genuine and pure!
No one knew when it began or why—but they had all fallen in love with diving.
Perhaps it was the vibrant scenery underwater, or maybe it was the people who were always by their side—
Splash~
…
"The sea turtle was that close to us!"
"And it had little turtles with it too!"
"That was amazing!"
"Whew~ It was like being in an anime."
"Why does your 'dimension' keep going down?"
Back on the boat, everyone was buzzing with excitement, sharing everything they saw underwater!
The vibrant ocean was the most beautiful love letter they had ever seen, a scenery so captivating it made them lose themselves—
Sadly, forty minutes went by too fast, and even though they had just returned to the boat, they were already looking forward to the next dive.
Shiro leaned against the railing, gazing longingly into the distance. He dreamed of diving in faraway places, of exploring deeper parts of the sea!
Poof~
Something soft collided with Shiro from behind. Without looking, he already knew who it was!
With that size, it could only be Azusa or Nanaka!
But Nanaka would never do something like this!
"Azusa, quit messing around. Why are you here?"
Shiro didn't turn around and instead took out his prized camera to snap a picture of the distant scenery.
"Wrong guess~"
That gentle voice froze his hand mid-air. Surprised, he turned around—and saw that it was Nanaka who had jumped on him?!
"N-Nanaka-nee?! What are you doing here?!"
"Disappointed?"
"Of course not! Just surprised!"
If it had been Azusa, Shiro wouldn't have been shocked at all—she's always been carefree and bold.
But Nanaka was different. In Shiro's eyes, she had always been the epitome of grace and gentleness.
Nanaka didn't answer. She just brushed her hair aside and stood beside Shiro.
"How was it?"
The sudden question startled Shiro, who had been staring at her intently. After a moment, he understood what she meant.
Once he recovered, he grinned and replied, "It was beautiful—way better than our tea plantation."
"Hehehe, Shiro really does love the ocean."
Nanaka's eyes softened. She remembered how Shiro used to hate their family's tea plantation and always talked about going to the seaside—to feel the ocean.
(Actually, to check out Japanese bikini girls~)
"Of course! I'm the Sea God, after all!"
"Right right~ our little Shiro is the Sea God~"
"You know, being able to dive here is truly amazing!"
Shiro snapped a photo of a seagull in the distance. "It's not just the diving that's enchanting. Even the time spent on the ship is full of experiences I've never had before."
…
"Like everyone talking about what they saw underwater, or eating together, or soaking up the warm sunshine!"
Shiro flopped down onto the deck, lying there completely relaxed. This kind of feeling was something he had never experienced in the past twenty years.
It felt… so wonderful!
Nanaka gave him a doting look. He had changed a lot, but somehow also hadn't changed at all.
Ten years ago—
Nanaka had also gone through a rebellious phase. Back then, she wasn't like how she was now.
She loved the sea but hated being tied down. She wanted to see other places and witness different landscapes.
That's when she met Shiro—an equally mischievous kid who also wanted to run away and explore.
Maybe it was because of their shared rebelliousness, but Nanaka acted differently around him. She tried hard to play the role of an older sister.
That's probably why, even during her rebellious phase, Shiro still saw her as the ideal traditional Yamato Nadeshiko.
After that, Nanaka traveled all over—mountains, snowy lands, big cities…
In the end, she realized that the place she loved most was still the ocean—the one that brat always shouted about wanting to visit.
She never imagined that, ten years later, fate would bring them together again.
That brat had finally made it to his long-awaited seaside, and she had finally come to understand her own heart.
Nanaka's lips curled into a smile. This ocean really did seem to hold some kind of magical power.
It brought people joy, laughter, and happiness.
She looked around— Iori and Kohei were roughhousing, Aina and Chisa were sharing photos they took underwater, Tokita and the others were planning tonight's drinking party, and Azusa had somehow snuck over and was hugging her.
"Honestly, it'd be great if things could always stay like this."
"Heehee~ You mean you want me to keep hugging you like this~ (??ω??)"
Azusa started tickling Nanaka's sides, and the two of them started play-fighting right beside Shiro.
Eventually, everyone tired out and just lay on the deck to rest, the warm sunlight bathing each of them.
Click~
Another picture was added to the album of their youth. Everyone in the photo had a truly joyful smile—it was obvious how much they were enjoying this trip.
Perhaps this moment—for them—would be something they would never forget.
The first official dive, complete!!!
.....................…..
At the inn—
"As everyone knows, eighty percent of the reason we came to Miyako Island was for the 'round drinking' experience."
"But for some reason, the place we booked suddenly closed temporarily, so we had to give up."
Right after the two upperclassmen regretfully announced this, the entire room was filled with their wails of despair!
"Ehhhhh?!!"
"Noooo!"
"God, why?!"
"This can't be real!"
"..."
(???)
The trio—Shiro, Izumi, and Kohei—watched the scene expressionlessly. Not only did they feel no pity, they even felt a wave of relief.
What a joke!
There's no way they believed the reserved bar suddenly closed. It was obvious they were scared of them!
So just what the hell did this group do last night?!
It was only one night, wasn't it?!
"Round drinking is where everyone stands in a circle and downs their drinks one after another without pause, right?"
Aina asked the three. She had seen it before coming—it looked like a terrifying way to drink.
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter anymore~"
"Ah~ we've finally escaped from that endless nightmare."
"A peaceful and calm Miyako Island night~"
The three had expressions blooming with flowers. While they didn't mind parties, they drew the line at alcohol-related events where death by drinking was a real possibility.
Endless one-shot chugging?
Just imagining it was terrifying!
At that moment, Tokita wasn't finished speaking.
"But since we came all the way to Miyako Island, we have to hold our own round drinking event!"
"Ohhhhhhhhh!!!"
"Urah urah!"
"Drink!!!"
"..."
The roars of beasts echoed through the room!
Without a moment's hesitation, Shiro and the others bolted for the door!
They had a gut feeling—if they didn't escape now, something truly terrifying was about to happen!!!
But...
Once you stepped into this room, leaving wasn't going to be easy!
One senior casually poured an entire bottle of liquor on the floor, making it slippery and stopping their movement.
At the same time, two other seniors rushed forward and pinned the three to the floor!
"Hey now, don't be so nervous, first-years."
"Come on, let's get this party started!"
Shiro and the others looked up in horror—what they saw was a scene straight out of hell!
The gates of hell weren't opening…
Hell itself had descended upon the earth!
...
"Of course we're going to run from reality!"
"What the hell is PaB's version of round drinking?!"
"Don't tell me it's all oolong tea?!"
The three stared in horror at the massive tub in front of them. That thing could easily fit them all inside!
Normally, round drinking involved beer or something, right? Shiro had only spotted a few bottles of beer among Chisa's group. Just what were they planning to drink?!
"Haha, no need to get impatient."
"We're about to explain."
Tokita and Kotobuki were smiling. After finding out the izakaya was closed, they came up with the perfect solution!
"This time, we're all going to drink from the same tub!"
"Since it's rare for us to go on a trip together!"
Shiro and the others nodded. They weren't blind—the giant tub was right there. Besides pickling vegetables, the only other thing it could be for… was drinking. It really did feel like one of those huge communal rice pots.
"But here's the thing."
"It's actually pretty hard to find a drink that suits everyone."
The three nodded again. "That's true."
"Everyone has different preferences."
"Different brands, carbonated or not, different drinking habits—it varies from person to person."
Seeing how understanding the three were, Tokita and the others moved on to the main point.
"But if everyone drinks something different in different ways, it feels a bit… lonely, doesn't it?"
"So, we came up with a brilliant idea!"
With determined looks on their faces, the two declared, "To keep things fair, we'll all drink something equally strong! That way, no one's at a disadvantage!"
"YOUR IDEA OF 'FAIR' IS TOTALLY SCREWED UP!!!" ×3
The three of them shouted. How could this possibly be fair?! There was no way their alcohol tolerance could match the seniors'!
And weren't those seniors usually the "drink whatever's available" types?!
They… weren't they the kind who only ever checked the alcohol percentage?!
The two seniors looked away. Now was not the time to listen to three juniors whining.
Bang!
Tokita and Kotobuki stood in front of the massive tub!
"So now, one by one, we'll pour in our favorite drinks!"
"And before you pour, you must say an 'opening line'!"
{{(°△°; "}}!
"Opening line?!"
Kohei was startled. For someone with social anxiety like him, wasn't this a bit too much?!
"Just like those anime lines, you know? 'To the sea! To adventure!' or something like that."
"Ohh, I see..."
Hearing Shiro's explanation, Iori nodded. He understood, but… he had no idea what to say!
Even though he always joked around with the seniors, at a moment like this, he was completely at a loss for words.
Why did the mood suddenly shift like this?!
Shiro was also deep in thought. He had plenty of experience—after all, being a host taught you that words are everything.
But now, he didn't want to say the usual clichés. PaB had given him a completely different feeling.
One he hadn't felt in the past 20 years.
Maybe his high school self would laugh at who he'd become.
But let him laugh. Shiro was truly enjoying this life now. He didn't want to leave it behind!
"Well then, let us go first."
"We'll start with a few serious words!"
The two seniors held their bottles like microphones, their expressions softening.
"Though we all come from different places, we're now gathered like this."
"Riding the same boat, drinking from the same tub—it's such a joy!"
Their heartfelt words moved everyone, and the only sound left was that of alcohol being poured into the tub.
"Everyone here shares the same passion!"
"Even if we go our separate ways in the future, the time we spent together will never disappear!"
"Please treasure this as a memory of your youth!"
"Never forget this day!"
"Uwaaaahhhhh!!"
The entire room was swept up in the seniors' speech!
Shiro and the others were genuinely moved too!
But then—they accidentally saw something.
The bottle in the senior's hand…
It was Polish rectified vodka. 96% alcohol.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MINDS?!"
"What kind of youth memory is this?!"
"This stuff won't leave memories—it'll erase them completely!!"
That was Polish rectified vodka, for god's sake! At least respect the fact that it's labeled 96%!
Shiro and the others trembled. They had a very bad feeling.
Today...
They might not make it out upright...
.....................…..
At the inn, this unconventional round of drinking was proceeding in an orderly manner.
(T＿T)
One of the seniors who had earlier picked up Shiro and the others was crying while pouring his favorite Polish rectified vodka into the large vat!
"I'll never forget the days I spent with you guys!"
"Then why the hell are you pouring that stuff in?!"
"Are you seriously trying to remember our precious memories like this?!"
"Even if you're just going with the flow, this is too much, bastard!"
The three glared angrily—three people had already poured in alcohol, and yet the alcohol content was still at 96%!
They finally understood why even izakayas were afraid of this club.
With this kind of drinking, even the izakaya owners had to keep their phones on hand, afraid someone might just drop dead!
Yet the senior ignored Shiro and the others, turning his gaze toward his close buddy—
The other senior who had gone to pick up Shiro and the others—Senior Higashi with the afro.
Higashi looked at the large vat in silence. A wave of emotion came over him.
"I suddenly don't know how to express what I'm feeling. I really love chemistry. Outside of researching chemistry, I never really did anything else. So I don't even know what sort of sentimental things I should say right now...But at the very least, I should do something within my power."
As he said that, Senior Higashi pulled out a bottle of medical disinfectant alcohol from his pants pocket!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!!!
"Don't pour that in!!!" ×3
Shiro and the others were shocked.
Polish vodka was one thing—it was at least technically alcohol. But this was medical alcohol! Didn't he see the label saying "disinfectant use only"?!
Also, no matter how much you love chemistry, you shouldn't be walking around with a bottle of medical alcohol at all times!
"Haha, I was just kidding."
"Pouring this in would just dilute the alcohol content, right~"
The two seniors laughed. No way would they add something as weak as 80% alcohol into their PaB drinking tradition!
{{(°△°; "}}!
Hearing that, the trio regretted not letting him pour it in earlier. Since when did 80% alcohol become the low end?!
Are these guys even planning to leave Miyako Island alive?!
The three of them looked at the empty vodka bottles scattered around, horror dawning on their faces.
They had only joined this club a few months ago—and had barely touched alcohol before.
Drinking this stuff would definitely kill them!
Shiro's eyes turned sharp. He reached behind and pulled out three bottles of water, handing them to his companions.
Now was the time to unite and fight together!
With just a glance, the two instantly understood what Shiro meant!
Of course—what they needed was to silently dilute the alcohol with water!
If they could just bring the alcohol content down to a safer level, they might just make it through the night alive!
Shiro took the lead, approaching the large vat. Time to see just how terrifying this thing really was!
Swoosh—
As he got close—
A wave of intense alcohol fumes hit his eyes. If not for his perpetually squinting eyes, he was sure he'd be blind!
Shiro stumbled back in shock. Was this stuff really meant for human consumption?!
At this concentration, not even bacteria would survive!
And he sure as hell didn't think his life was tougher than bacteria!
"Ah! My eyes!!"
Iori cried out in pain, clutching his face.
He hadn't been able to resist the curiosity and peeked in—without squinty-eye protection, the alcohol got him immediately!
Pfft! (′?`)
As Iori stumbled back, he accidentally collided with a passing senior. The impact shattered the senior's glasses, and a fountain of nosebleed followed like it was free.
{{(°△°; "}}!
"Are you okay?!"
The three looked at the senior in a panic—was it normal to accidentally assault someone before the party even started?
To their surprise—
The senior and his buddy Higashi just smiled and waved it off casually.
"No worries~ just a small thing."
"Haha, no one in PaB would get mad over something like that."
Phew—
Seeing them unharmed, Shiro let out a sigh of relief.
PaB really was just as he imagined—no one sweated the small stuff. Come to think of it, he hadn't really seen any of the seniors get mad before.
"In that case, I'll go ahead and pour this in~"
Shiro grinned as he prepared to pour the water into the vat.
Even if it was like a drop in the ocean with 90%+ alcohol, at least it was psychological comfort!
The dozen Polish vodka bottles scattered around were just terrifying!
Smack!
Just as he was about to pour—
A veiny hand grabbed his wrist, and another hand pushed down on his head!
"What the hell are you doing, Shiro?!"
"What kind of sneaky move is that?!"
{{(°△°; "}}
Shiro trembled as he looked at the senior before him, now like a wrathful demon. Guess he finally saw what the seniors looked like when they got angry.
But… your anger is directed at such a weird thing!
Why was it okay when you got smashed in the face earlier, but when he tries to add some water, it's like he broke some sacred law?!
Is your brain's anger switch triggered by alcohol levels?!
The overwhelming pressure made Shiro panic. He turned, hoping to find an ally. But all he saw were those two bastards holding bottles of awamori (60%)!
Where the hell was the revolutionary brotherhood?! You traitors!
Feeling betrayed, Shiro silently reached out and grabbed a bottle of Everclear.
We're all gonna die anyway!
"You bastard! We were supposed to lower the alcohol content!"
"You're raising it! Are you trying to fast-forward straight to hell?!"
＼(`Δ')／
"You two were the ones who betrayed me first! If that's how it is, then no one's making it out easy! Don't forget—the alcohol tonight must be over 80%!"
"80%?!"
"There's nothing in that vat lower than 90%, okay?!"
They had seen it with their own eyes. The seniors hadn't brought out a single bottle under 90%. With this stuff, even hospital blood tests would show positive for alcohol!
The three scrambled for the Everclear. Even if it wouldn't change the outcome, having it felt like some kind of mental relief!
Over on the girls' side, Aina watched the chaotic scene with envy. Since they were girls, the PaB members had shown their gentlemanly side and excluded them from the madness.
Even the brash Azusa didn't join in—because even she couldn't handle that kind of alcohol!
If they weren't going to drink, it wouldn't be fair to just pour. That would go against the rules.
So the girls were just sipping beer and watching the chaos unfold.
Azusa planned to join in once the event actually kicked off!
And she was really looking forward to what kind of speech Shiro and the others would deliver.
"Hey! Freshmen—time to give your opening speech!"
.....................…..
Hearing the shout from their senior, Shiro, Iori, and Kohei were all about to head over—only to realize partway there... someone was missing.
Seeing Kohei fidgeting in place, the two of them asked,
"What's wrong with you?"
"Did you get hemorrhoids?"
( っ °Д °;)っ
Kohei looked panicked, like he was back in that beauty contest all over again.
"I… I can't think of any lines!"
( ﾟдﾟ)
Ah… they forgot—this guy has social anxiety. Though seriously, after everything he's done—he even slept next to the upperclassmen already—how is he still socially anxious?
"Then just reintroduce yourself again, how about that?"
"Yeah, something simple will do."
After all, they were all already this close. No need to be too serious about it~
So, the two of them brought Kohei over. Shiro looked at the group of strong, beast-like but kind-eyed upperclassmen and suddenly felt something.
"Thanks to this club, I've experienced things I never had before… That dazzling sea, the joy of swimming together—it's all so wonderful."
As Shiro spoke, his eyes softened. He never imagined he'd one day be happily drinking with a group of guys like this.
He and Iori took turns expressing their heartfelt emotions. Everything was going smoothly until Kohei joined in…
"I realized something I used to hate—"
"Kohei Imamura!" (Kohei)
"—is actually charming."
"Even if I was reluctant at first, now I think—"
"Games and anime!" (Kohei)
"—are beautiful things."
"From now on, I'll work harder and harder until I can proudly say—"
"Kohei big brother, please marry me~" (Kohei in a fake girl voice)
SMASH!!!
Bottles of aqua vitae and awamori came crashing down on Kohei's head!
"ARE YOU FREAKIN' MESSING WITH US?!"
"Self-introduction is fine, but hitting the timing so perfectly every time—is that on purpose?!"
＼(`Δ')／
Shiro and Iori began furiously beating Kohei up. A nice heartfelt speech turned into a comedy skit the moment he opened his mouth!
"Pfft~"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"You suck, Kohei! Fight back!"
"Oi, careful with the booze—you guys are spilling it!"
"..."
The upperclassmen burst into loud, cheerful laughter. This chaotic, emotional way of bonding between the three guys was something you could never get tired of seeing.
Staaaaare~
After the commotion, Shiro, Iori, and Kohei stood frozen, eyes locked on their respective glasses.
The booze was filled to the brim—but it wasn't spilling over. The surface tension was maxed out!
Each glass was filled with 90-proof liquor. None of them wanted to drink it. Couldn't they just swap it out for beer?
"We gotta reduce the amount somehow."
"If not, we're definitely gonna die tonight. This is a life-or-death issue!"
"If that's the case…"
Kohei suddenly had a crazed look in his eyes—as if, standing between life and death, he'd made his choice.
"Kohei! You're not thinking…?!"
Shiro gasped. From the madness in Kohei's eyes, he already guessed the plan.
"Exactly! If I pretend to be drunk and accidentally spill the whole drink—it's fine, right?!"
Shiro and Iori looked horrified. If they got caught wasting the booze, they were done for!
But…
They glanced at each other and nodded. Right now, this might be their only hope.
"If that's the plan—then let's do it right!"
"Good luck, you two!"
"You too!"
The three hyped each other up—time to put their acting to the test.
"Whoaaa~ I'm feeling tipsy~"
"Guess my alcohol tolerance still sucks~"
Swaying left and right, the three of them tried to use momentum to slosh the booze out of their glasses.
But every single time—
The upperclassmen would instantly teleport to their side and steady the drinks before anything spilled!
After several failed attempts, the three stood rooted to the spot, blank-faced, glasses still full.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
This defied the laws of physics. How the hell were these upperclassmen this precise and stable?!
"Haha, you haven't even drunk anything yet."
"Guess it's the atmosphere that's intoxicating!"
The real culprits—Afro-senpai and Glasses-senpai—laughed heartily. The air around them really did smell like booze now.
"Dammit! That plan failed too!"
Shiro clenched his fists, trying to think of another way to escape this alcohol death trap.
"I've got it!"
Iori suddenly lit up—like a lightbulb went off over his head.
"Quick, you devious bastard—what's your idea?!"
"...You scumbag. What's with that stupid title?!"
"Don't sweat the details, Iori. It's a compliment!"
"I seriously hate you guys."
Iori's forehead twitched. He could already imagine what kind of image he had in these two idiots' minds.
Still, for the sake of survival, he explained his plan:
"First, we prep an empty cup."
"Uh-huh!"
"Then we pour a little water into it."
"Okay okay!"
"Next, we pretend to take a sip—but we just swish the booze in our mouths and spit it into the water cup!"
"OOOOH!!!"
Shiro and Kohei instantly caught on. Just mouth it, no swallowing—brilliant!
"No wonder they call you the master of shady tactics, Iori!"
"You're the go-to guy for any dirty tricks!"
ψ(*｀ー′)ψ
"CAN YOU TWO LEARN SOME MANNERS?!"
Iori felt a twinge of regret. Normal people usually thank someone when they help, right?
Damn it…
Why did it take him so long to come up with something this simple? Was there some kind of supernatural force stopping his brain?
While Iori fell into an existential crisis, Shiro smiled confidently and headed to the table.
First, he placed the three full glasses of aqua vitae off to the side, then took out three empty ones.
Just need to pour the water in now—
Wait, where's the water?
In the corner, he spotted a forgotten bottle of mineral water.
Nice!
He happily grabbed it. They were only one step away from success!
Just pour it into the cup… Pour…
Why is the cup full already?!
{{(°△°;)}}!
Shiro looked up—and standing before him was a muscle-bound, bald upperclassman staring him down with a stone-cold face.
From the look in his eyes, Shiro could tell—
If you don't drink that booze, you're dead.
"IORI!!!"
Shiro and Kohei instantly teleported to Iori, who was still spaced out.
DOUBLE SLAP ATTACK! ×2!
With a flurry of slaps, Iori's face puffed up instantly.
"I didn't think it'd end up like this either!"
He was innocent! Who could've guessed someone would walk around pouring more liquor into empty cups?!
"Dammit! Isn't there any way out…?"
Shiro gritted his teeth. The smell of alcohol in the air was getting even stronger. Was that just fear…?
He looked down at the glass—wait. The liquid inside was still near the top, but…
Wasn't it overflowing earlier?
Someone drank it?
Wait—that's great news?!
"Hey, first years!"
"Better hurry and drink up, or there won't be any booze left!"
Right then, the upperclassmen Tokita and Kotobuki chimed in.
That's when Shiro noticed—the liquid level in Kohei and Iori's glasses had gone down too.
So that smell in the air wasn't just in his head…
(????)
The booze evaporated?!
That smell in the air was literal vaporized alcohol!
What kind of absurdly high-proof liquor were they drinking?!
"Wait! What if we just wait until it all evaporates?!"
Iori put both hands on the table. If they just stalled long enough, the booze would vanish on its own!
Great idea!
But…
( -_-)
Shiro looked past Iori with a deadpan stare—and silently lit a candle in his heart.
THUNK!
"Yo, Iori~"
"Wasting booze is a really bad habit, y'know~"
Tokita and Kotobuki were suddenly behind him. They'd clearly overheard every word of his "brilliant" plan.
GULP GULP Σ_(´Д｀ )_
Iori was promptly force-fed a full glass. His eyes almost rolled back in his head.
"...Sigh."
Shiro sighed. Looks like he'd have to handle this himself.
"I found it!"
Kohei's excited voice drew his attention. "What is it?"
"I found the real way to do this drinking ritual!"
?(Ò﹏Ó)ノ
Shiro lit up. All this chaos had been because the seniors wanted to do this Miyako-style drinking game.
If they had the actual method in hand—
Problem solved!
No way the upperclassmen could out-drink the monsters in PaB!
Without hesitation, Shiro handed the info Kohei found over to the seniors.
If he waited any longer, they'd come over with more drinks!
Toki and Kotobuki squinted at the phone screen, studying the info.
They realized—they'd been doing it completely wrong this whole time!
Miyako Island Exclusive Ritual!
The "dealer" opens with a speech, then downs their drink in one go!
Everyone else follows suit, one by one, then the dealer drinks again!
Dealer ends the round by saying "Finish!"—then passes the role to the next person!
"Ah, so that's how it's done!"
"Looks like we were wrong before!"
"That means… we'll need at least 12 rounds of this!"
"HAHAHA! This little booze won't be enough—let's add the rest!"
The seniors happily went to pour more drinks. Miyako-style drinking really was a blast, huh?
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
Shiro began furiously slapping Kohei again!
"Wahhh! I didn't know it'd say that!!"
"You IDIOT! Couldn't you have at least checked what kind of liquor they use?! You really think Miyako islanders drink 90-proof aqua vitae?!"
Shiro was done. Because of these two clowns, one glass turned into two, two turned into twelve.
He could only rely on himself now.
Under the expectant eyes of Kohei and Iori, Shiro took off his clothes—leaving only a pair of briefs with a blue elephant print.
He stepped out boldly in front of the beasts.
"EVERYONE! LET'S PLAY STRIP ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS! I CHALLENGE YOU ALL!!"
Standing proud in just his elephant underwear, Shiro stared down the upperclassmen.
The best way to conquer fear—is to face it head-on!
You want me to drink?
Ask my blue elephant first!
"OOOOOOOH!!"
"Pretty bold, first-year!"
"Let's go! Dare to strip off those elephant undies?!"
"This time… I'll stake my whole pair of briefs on this battle!"
"..."
Watching that noble, majestic figure standing tall—
Kohei and Iori were shook.
Was he… was he protecting them?!
Using his own life to shield them from alcohol?!
At that moment—both of their eyes went misty...
Kamishiro—that bastard—he actually went this far!
They absolutely couldn't let down his expectations. They had to survive no matter what!
The two of them picked up the cups in front of them, determined to finish what they hadn't managed earlier.
One of them pretended to be drunk and spilled the alcohol, while the other poured it into a glass filled with water.
"Of course, I'm not the only one. Iori and the others are already prepared as well!"
Just then, Shiro's voice rang in their ears like a sudden thunderclap.
The two of them froze on the spot…
The atmosphere suddenly turned silent.
Tall, looming shadows surrounded them.
Iori and Kohei's faces were now hidden in darkness.
Click—
They slowly turned their heads like robots. Sure enough, what came into view were the imposing figures of their upperclassmen.
Meanwhile, they were still frozen in their poses of spilling and pouring drinks.
At that moment, their bodies slowly turned grayish white—
Cracks began to appear on their skin. Judging from the sharp gazes of the seniors, what awaited them… might just be hell.
"Iori, Kohei! You two actually dared waste such precious alcohol?!"
"Still not honest enough, huh? Azuma! Bring over the whole jug!"
"Strip rock-paper-scissors! I lost a cup, you lose a whole bottle!"
"Don't think you can escape, freshmen!"
"..."
(′～`;)
"It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I passed out drunk!"
"I just… I was alternating cups to cool the alcohol down because it was too hot!"
The two kept trying to talk their way out of it, but unfortunately, an enraged gorilla doesn't listen to reason—
The two were immediately buried under a pile of beasts—
"Kamishiro, you bastard!"
"You screwed us over! Damn it, not there—don't touch that!"
(;￣Д￣)
Shiro averted his eyes quietly. Heaven and earth can testify—he only meant to drag them into a game of strip rock-paper-scissors to shift the attention.
He never expected they'd actually pull that stunt right in front of the seniors.
Truly… absolutely brilliant!
( ￣▽￣)
Now he could happily go drink beer with Azusa-nee~
Grab!
Two powerful hands yanked Shiro straight into the beast pile!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
"Damn it! What the hell are you two doing?!"
"Shiro, don't even think of escaping! We're your most important teammates!"
"The three of us are an unbreakable trio!"
"What trio?! The trio I want to join is over with Chisa—wait! Stop pulling my underwear!!"
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
And so, Shiro, Iori, and Kohei—tragically defeated~
.....................…..
"Have a safe trip～"
"Don't forget to bring back the booze!"
"I want Polish rectified vodka, nothing else hits right!"
"Hurry up! We're running dry here!"
"..."
Outside the inn, Shiro and the others enthusiastically saw off Iori and Aina.
Thanks to Iori and Kohei's reckless drinking, all the alcohol had quickly been drained. They had no choice but to send someone to get more.
And among everyone present, only Aina hadn't gotten the chance to drink yet, so... she very naturally took on the task!
Still, they weren't total devils—being humane and all, they threw Iori into her car too!
After all, it's normal for a girl going out at night to have a bodyguard.
Just… no one could say if this "bodyguard" was really a sunshiney young man or just pretending to be one～
As for why Shiro and Kohei were so pumped?
Well, with alcohol, you may resist it when you're sober, but once you start drinking, anything goes (??ω??)
Either you get knocked out or you knock out someone else!
As new blood of PaB, there's no room for quitting halfway!
"Are you sure this is okay?"
Nanaka looked worried—had it not been for the drinks, she would've gone herself.
"Don't worry, that guy Kitahara might be an idiot, but he never forgets to buy alcohol!"
"Exactly, trust that idiot!"
"..."
(???)
Chisa silently watched Shiro and the others, all wearing nothing but underwear, feeling speechless. She had a feeling her sister wasn't talking about the alcohol…
Did these two not consider Aina and Iori's safety at all?
If she remembered right, there were often police around here… and Iori… didn't seem to be wearing clothes…
Shaking her head, Chisa figured she was just overthinking things. It's so late, those civil servants probably clocked out. What are the odds they'd bump into a random, bored cop wandering around at night?
At that moment—
Aina sat in her car, smiling at the starlit sky.
Her heart was full of emotion.
'On a first-time visit to this southern island—
Just by casually looking up, one could see a sky full of stars.
The vast sky and endless sea offered the ultimate sense of freedom.
Maybe…
That's why this idiot went out half-naked!!!'
Aina had tears in her eyes. She hadn't stopped the car to admire the stars—no! It was because they got pulled over by the police!
Why the hell would Iori walk out in just his underwear?!
And seriously, do civil servants in Miyakojima ever get off work?!
Her romantic moment was shattered again—this was supposed to be a special, intimate time for just the two of them to get closer…
Now it's all ruined!!!
…
"This is unbelievable!"
As soon as they stepped into the inn, Aina shouted angrily.
She couldn't believe someone would go out in just underwear. Would it have killed him to just sit properly in the car?!
If he had just sat there, they wouldn't have gotten busted by the cops!
"I just forgot, okay? Don't be mad."
Iori looked genuinely apologetic. He thought what he was wearing was totally normal. Tons of people dress like this at the beach, right?
"What's going on?"
"You ran into trouble?"
Tokita and the others were confused. What kind of trouble could you get into just buying booze? And Iori didn't look that odd either.
"This guy actually went out… dressed like that… and you guys put some damn clothes on already!"
Aina lost it.
Now she understood why nobody else seemed shocked. Compared to Iori, these lunatics were worse!
Aside from Shiro and Kohei, no one else was even wearing underwear!!!
"Zombie Beast!"
The accused, Iori, stepped up to defend himself.
"Think about it carefully: On a beautiful southern island, under a sky full of stars, going out with a guy—doesn't that sound super romantic? Isn't that the drama scene you've always dreamed of?"
Seeing Iori striking a shy pose on the table, Aina's forehead bulged with veins.
"Oh sure! If the guy wasn't a half-naked pervert!"
Shiro and Kohei watched with beady eyes from the side. They didn't really get the drama, but this scene was strangely entertaining.
So, it's Zombie Beast vs. Half-Naked Pervert now～
"I see… sorry, Zombie Beast…"
Hearing Aina's words, Iori looked as if he'd realized something important. He stood sincerely in front of her.
Shiro and Kohei were a bit surprised.
They didn't expect Iori to catch on so quickly—did that cold breeze outside raise his emotional intelligence?
"But even I wouldn't walk completely naked into a convenience store!"
"..."
(???)
Shiro and Kohei turned away in perfect sync.
Yup. Iori was still Iori. No amount of breeze could fix that idiot.
And no need to even watch what came next—it was clearly going to be brutal.
BANG!
"Who the hell asked you to go in completely naked, you moron?! Do you even know what clothes are?! And who the hell said you need to strip to drink?!"
(′｀;)?×5
Aina's rant earned five dumbfounded faces. What the hell?
Of course you strip when you drink!
"Don't look at me like that as if it's totally normal!"
Aina was so angry her chest practically jumped up a cup size. Damn it! If she ever had any authority, she'd make a law: no stripping while drinking!
"Haha, alright, alright, calm down and have a drink～"
Just in time, Azusa came over with two suspicious-looking drinks—rewards for their hard work fetching the booze.
Huff!
Aina exhaled and kept telling herself it wasn't worth getting worked up over. There was no way she could win against these lunatics in a debate about clothes and drinking.
She thanked Azusa without looking and casually picked up a cup.
"Wa—"
Before Azusa could stop her, Aina had already downed the suspicious liquid...
(ˉ?ˉ;)
In an instant, Aina's face turned bright red—totally drunk!
Seeing this, Shiro leaned in curiously to Azusa. That drink must've been potent if it took down the Zombie Beast like this—was it a sedative or something?
(?＿?)
"What was in that?"
"It's the same drink you all had before. Except I diluted it to half strength. Originally, it was meant for Iori."
Azusa's forehead twitched. She hadn't expected Aina to just grab and chug it...
She went to help Aina up. This was clearly too much for the little lightweight.
"Even diluted, it must've been over 30% ABV…"
Shiro was thankful they hadn't let Zombie Beast join the last drinking session. With how weak she was, she wouldn't have made it past one cup.
Poor girl. The party's only halfway through and she's already out of commission… but still—
"Haha, this is kind of nice too."
"It suddenly got quieter～"
"Yeah, drinking should be done in peace."
The three of them chuckled. With the Zombie Beast out of the way, they could finally enjoy the drinking vibes again!
Alright!
Let's play strip rock-paper-scissors!
SWOOSH!
Just as they finished, Aina, who had been lying on the couch, suddenly stood up, swaying a little.
"Eh? Still awake?"
"Her tolerance is improving."
"Wanna join the game?"
Shiro asked, hopeful. Aina still seemed a little tipsy, and this could be a perfect chance to bond! If she joined, maybe she'd stop nagging about the whole stripping thing!
But Aina ignored him completely, staggering past and stopping right in front of Iori.
(′｀;)?
"Did something happen between those two?"
Shiro didn't get it. Why would Zombie Beast go straight to Iori?
Definitely not due to charm—Aina's a total looks-obsessed fangirl, she even confessed to Kohei just for his face. No way it's about Iori's looks.
Only explanation: there's something between them that Shiro and Kohei didn't know!
Could it be… they have bad blood?!
"No idea. Maybe she's just suddenly fed up with that idiot Kitahara."
Kohei pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds from who-knows-where and took his place as a front-row spectator.
(ーー;)
Shiro, not wanting to be left out, grabbed a bowl of peanuts and joined him.
"Hey, Kohei, don't you think Kitahara kinda feels like a protagonist?"
"A protagonist? You mean of a gag manga?"
"He does have comedian potential."
Shiro alternated between peanuts and booze. He thought Iori had all the traits of a novel's protagonist:
A non-blood-related stepsister, an amazing childhood friend, a cute little sister, an enthusiastic upperclassman, 'like-minded' buddies, alcohol…
Okay, yeah…
This guy could never be the MC—what kind of protagonist is a clown?! This isn't Gintama!
Wait, Gintama?
Shiro suddenly pictured a silver-haired guy picking his nose with a sleazy grin.
Now he knew what novel to write next!
Once this trip was over—he had to write it! No way he was letting his beautiful editor down!
Heh heh heh…
Kohei looked on, bewildered at Shiro's sudden creepy laughter. What's this "like-minded" partner of his going nuts over now?
He subtly scooted away and turned back to the drama unfolding between Iori and Aina—this was the climax, he couldn't afford distractions!
"Iori (ˉ?ˉ;) Iori, you really are just so dense～"
Aina was practically glued to Iori, her bashful demeanor making her even more attractive.
But Iori was panicking. Something was clearly off with Zombie Beast right now!
Wait… no… he wasn't being dense! What was she trying to say?!
He had a bad feeling about this!
╭(°A°`)╮
Shiro and Kohei paused their snacks.
This tone… this scene!
They'd seen (or experienced) this in anime (and real life) many times!
It was the classic prelude to a confession!
"No matter how I try, you never notice!"
{{(°△°; ")}}
Confirmed!
She was definitely going to confess! Iori was cornered with no way out. At this rate, Zombie Beast might even go for a dramatic wall slam!
Their rookie team dynamics might never be the same after tonight!
"Iori, you really are dense. No matter what I say, I can't get my feelings across! So now—I'll show you through actions!"
With that, Aina cupped Iori's face with both hands!
"Whoa!"
"This is wild?!"
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!
Shiro and Kohei were shocked by Zombie Beast's bold move. Was this even legal to watch for free?!
Damn it! How come Kitahara the punk gets this lucky?!
Why couldn't she wait until she'd at least put her makeup back on first…
However—
According to Murphy's Law, things never go the way you expect them to.
"I'm gonna get a full view of this! Strip!"
Veins popped on Aina's hand as she suddenly shouted, completely shattering the so-called romantic atmosphere!
??
!!
"N-No! Even if you say that, I still—"
"Hah? Aren't you usually quick to strip?!"
"That's because—!"
"What? Cat got your tongue? Talking so softly now?! If you're not going to strip, then I'll do it for you!"
"No! Don't! Calm down, beast! Kamishiro! Kohei! Help me!!"
"..."
(???)
Kamishiro and Kohei didn't even know what expression to make anymore.
That's it?
All that buildup, all that tension—just for this?!
If you're gonna show it, just show it openly already!
This girl really is something. She always seems reserved, but her true colors are shockingly wild!
Shiro couldn't help but take out his beloved camera. Of course, a moment like this needed to be captured~
He was sure their adorable corpse-beast classmate would pay a very high price for this photo later~
Shiro, you're a genius businessman!
"Well, good luck, Kitahara."
"Hope you two have a wonderful night."
The two of them waved and turned to leave. There was no need to get involved in this kind of situation. Wasn't it better to just go drink more?
But Murphy's Law again—just because they wanted to leave didn't mean someone else would let them.
Having just torn off Iori's underwear, the corpse-beast turned her gaze toward Kohei and Shiro.
Her eyes were filled with the hunger of a predator!
"You two are next—Kohei, Shiro!"
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!
Seeing her charge at them, the two bolted.
"Holy shit, stay away! We were just watching!"
"Yeah! We already sacrificed Kitahara! He should be more than enough!"
This was unfair—they were just spectators! Why were they being hunted now?! If she wanted a specimen to study, Kitahara was enough!
After all, aside from size, it's not like things were that different down there.
"Don't you dare run! I'm going to strip you both down and compare sizes!"
?━=????(??? ????)
Hearing that, they ran even faster!
What kind of game was this?!
Lady, which site did you learn that from?!
Tomorrow, if you still have your memory, won't you feel like jumping off a building?!
Sorry! But for the sake of your future mental health, we have to run for our lives!
"Don't run!!!"