Perhaps it was the intense "confrontation" they had just experienced, but for a moment, Kikukawa Kyo and Sakiko found themselves plunged into silence, neither knowing what to say next.
In the end, Kyo was the first to break the quiet.
"If only we were in a scene from a play right now."
"Hm? Why do you say that?" Sakiko tried her best to follow Kyo's train of thought—after all, she had just said she wanted to understand her better.
"Think about it. If our conversation just now had been in a play, it would've been the climax of the conflict, right?" Kyo crossed her arms, her expression serious as if she were making a grand statement.
"In a play, after actors perform a scene like that, the curtain usually falls, leaving the audience to reflect on what they just witnessed. Then, when the curtain rises again, the story has already moved on to the next scene. That way, we wouldn't have to deal with this awkward 'what do we say now?' moment."
Sakiko blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the reasoning. When she finally processed Kyo's words, she let out a helpless laugh.
"Honestly, your mind jumps around so much."
"Well, you see, for a bartender, having plenty of conversation topics is an important skill to keep customers engaged." Kyo shrugged, a satisfied smirk on her face. "And let's be honest—this did help ease the atmosphere, didn't it?"
From that rainy day when everything started, to the confrontation at the bar just now, to this casual chat… I've been dancing to her rhythm this whole time.
Is Kikukawa Kyo my natural enemy or something? Sakiko mused to herself.
If Kyo had been able to hear Sakiko's thoughts at that moment, she definitely would've said two things. One: "Natural enemy? Sakiko, you really are a chuuni." And two, with righteous indignation: "If anything, you CRYCHIC girls are my natural enemies!"
Heaven knows, Kyo had only planned to browse some books at the bookstore today, then swing by VA-11 HALL-A to mix a few drinks for the lucky customers who happened to catch the real owner behind the bar.
When she ran into Sakiko, she hadn't expected anything significant to happen—maybe just a quick check-in to see how her interview had gone.
Who would've thought that Sakiko would turn around and drop a bombshell on her instead?
Maybe it was the mental exhaustion from the earlier tension, or maybe it was something else entirely, but now, Kyo found herself craving another drink.
She started rummaging around the bar, originally intending to mix herself something new. But the thirst was getting to her, and her hands hesitated in midair for a moment before she ultimately settled on something simpler—a can of Sprite.
Sakiko watched as Kyo's expression twisted in sheer conflict, her usually unreadable eyes now filled with a mix of emotions as she stared at the can as if it were the embodiment of all the world's sins.
Carrying the can of Sprite, Kyo stepped out from behind the bar.
Only now did Sakiko get a clear look at her outfit—exactly the kind of thing Kyo usually wore, just a bit more refined in detail.
But Kyo didn't stop there. Her steps continued, heels clicking against the floor as she walked further and further away from the bar.
It wasn't until she was nearly at the door that she finally came to a halt.
"Pshh—ssss…"
The sharp hiss of pressurized gas escaping filled the air as she cracked open the can, followed by the steady fizz of lingering bubbles rising to the surface.
Kyo pressed the can to her ear, listening to the soft, bubbling whispers of carbonation. Only after she was satisfied did she tilt her head back and take a long drink.
Sakiko, still seated at the bar, had been watching this entire spectacle unfold in complete bewilderment.
"Why did you walk all the way over there just to drink it…?" she started to ask, then suddenly, a realization hit her like lightning.
She doesn't even allow herself to drink pre-made beverages while sitting at the bar?!
She actually followed that rule so strictly—even on herself?!
Sakiko facepalmed, an exhausted expression settling over her face.
She had just been thinking about wanting to understand Kyo better.
But now that she had figured out the reasoning behind her actions…
Why did it still feel like she had lost?
That feeling when you start to understand someone's bizarre, absurd logic—like, wait, am I going crazy too?
For a moment, Sakiko found herself grappling with the strange thought of whether she was slowly being assimilated by Kikukawa Kyo. It was as if Kyo had this dangerously infectious charm—anyone who tried to get a glimpse of what lay beneath her thoughts would inevitably find themselves drowning in an unfathomable abyss. Dangerous, yet so mysteriously compelling that turning away seemed impossible.
Meanwhile, Kyo quickly downed the rest of her Sprite, letting out a small burp. Then, for some inexplicable reason—perhaps because she wanted to drink something else, or maybe for no reason at all—she suddenly stuck out her tongue briefly before retracting it just as fast. The motion was so fleeting that it went unnoticed by Sakiko.
Instead of returning behind the bar after finishing her drink, Kyo casually took a seat right next to Sakiko.
"You drank that way too fast. Bet you're choking now." Sakiko shot her a look as Kyo kept hiccupping, reaching out to gently pat her back to help her breathe more easily.
Having never drunk Sprite before, Sakiko assumed Kyo's hiccups were simply from drinking too quickly.
Kyo explained between hiccups, "Hic—Carbonated drinks need to be finished fast. The fizz is what makes it good. Once the bubbles are gone, it's just sugar water—hic."
Sakiko sighed, exasperated by the bartender's commitment to "proper drinking methods."
"That doesn't mean you have to chug it. Serves you right for hiccupping nonstop now."
Then she noticed Kyo staring at her with a peculiar expression.
"Wh-Why are you looking at me like that? Hic."
A hiccup escaped mid-sentence, completely disrupting her composed demeanor.
Sakiko immediately froze.
The moment the sound left her lips, her face flushed bright red—so red that she could have passed for a perfectly ripened apple.
Hiccupping in front of someone? That was downright mortifying. Everything she had been taught growing up about etiquette and composure—completely shattered in an instant.
"Hahaha, I knew it. Soda water makes you burp even more than regular soda does," Kyo said, shamelessly reveling in her mischief, her laughter coming out in gleeful little huffs.
The embarrassment from hiccupping, combined with Kyo's irritatingly smug amusement, quickly morphed into irritation. Without thinking, the hand that had been gently patting Kyo's back just moments ago suddenly delivered a sharp, decisive smack.
"Ow." Kyo winced, clutching her back, her eyes watering dramatically.
She had just seen Sakiko lower her pride to plead with her, so why was she acting even more dramatic over something like this? It made no sense.
"Sakiko, that really hurt," Kyo whined, turning to glare at her.
"Hmph, serves you right, Kyo—"
Sakiko hadn't even finished her sentence when she suddenly noticed something.
Tears.
Two shimmering trails of tears had already overflowed from Kyo's eyes, running straight down her cheeks.
"Did I hit you too hard?! I'm sorry, Kyo!" Panic flashed across Sakiko's face as she hastily grabbed a tissue, standing up and cupping Kyo's face to wipe away the tears.
Kyo, on the other hand, was utterly bewildered by Sakiko's sudden concern.
Wait… is Sakiko actually this softhearted? Just a little complaint and she immediately feels bad?
But then, she quickly realized what was actually going on.
"Wait, hold on, Sakiko. These are just—hic—reflex tears from burping."
"Huh?"
Sakiko blinked, finally registering what Kyo was saying.
Of course, she knew what reflex tears were—like the kind that formed after yawning. But she had never seen them happen to this extent before.
"It's probably because I drink so much water in general. My body just produces a lot of… liquid. Once it starts, it kinda doesn't stop. But seriously, I'm totally fine."
Sakiko sighed.
This entire night had been a rollercoaster—ups, downs, twists, turns. At this point, she wasn't even surprised anymore.
"Alright, as long as you're okay."
She let out a breath, but still gently wiped away the lingering tears on Kyo's face.
Kyo, now much closer to Sakiko, found herself staring directly at her—at the soft, delicate movements of her hands, at her lips, still slightly flushed despite being bare of any makeup.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the Mojito still sitting on the bar, with its two straws resting inside.
Her tongue flicked out again—an unconscious reflex.