Nights Of Fire: Overhauled

SIDE QUEST 4

"We're all here? Good. Now let us cruise through the nighttime of Okinawa." Mr. Kocho started to drive. "The seaside view and the little city lights of this town are really nice." I commented on my surroundings. "I wonder what the girls are gonna do." Achilles wondered. "Probably window shopping or going to a karaoke bar. You know, girl stuff." Keita theorized.

"I have an older sister named Saki, and she usually does those kinds of things on girls' outings." He leaned on the car window. We then found ourselves in front of a little hole in the wall bar. Here's the place that caught my eye when I looked around. The Crossed Pistons Saloon. The outside may look small, but when we stepped in...

An American style saloon bar was revealed. Bottles of liquor line up on the shelves. Antique and chopper motorcycles were displayed inside. Posters and flags hung up on the wall with rock music playing in the background. "Woah, this place looks rad!" Keita looked around.

Those chaotic aura stacked up with chattering people on chairs. Despair turned into laughter just by a tiny dose of drink. Got lucky seats, the ones where we could see a bartender in action.

"Daikou, what's your order?" Keita touched my stiff shoulder. "An orange juice is enough."

"Gulp! That is not enough in my 'enough-ness' scale. Gulp! Gulp! Order a booze," he finished a pint of beer in under 10 seconds. Brrrrp! He locked his mouth. 

"You know, I-I-I have a condition called, uhhh, that, uhh, alcohol in-intolerance. Yes, that. So, I am unable to drink. Hmmhmm," I continued the conversation while I was shaken. He interrogated me after he launched a mint candy into his esophagus, "Saeki told me that you have eaten chocolate cake with rum in her mother's cafe and you looked fine, no weird symptoms." 

"Tha-that's different matter. It's about the dose, really... really," I defended. "Can't find out if you don't try. Come on, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, then you can drink no more," he pushed me that much. "Alright, alright. Just this once," I trembled.

"Don't wuss out now boy, we aren't here to buy regular drinks. Now come on, order something. It's on me." Mr. Kocho enthusiastically insisted. I looked through the combos of liquor and liqueur on the board. I decided to get something called the "Pink Gin Spirit", combining rose flavored gin, lychee liqueur and sparkling water.

After the bartender mixes things up, my glass of fine alcohol came. It was very colorful and vibrant, much different from what I imagine alcohol is like. Dark, and bitter looking. I then took a sip of the ice cold concoction.

I tasted and clicked my tongue several times. Hmm, this is actually not bad at all. It's not very strong, it feels more like a soda, yet it's intoxicating. As if it's saying "drink me more". Maybe this is what real cocktails are like. The things I imagine when I hear alcohol are those crappy beers and bitter whiskeys.

"Haha! One glass and your face is red already," that boy with blonde-reddish hair taunted me. Other squad members were still as pure as pearls. Auugh... You could picture me as a Dengue Fever patient. My brain became a spectacular ballerina. A scuffed voice tried to reach my vibrating ears, "Daikou, you can buy another type. I'm treating you all." Uugh... Bum! Bar table was impacted by my forehead.

"Woah! He's out already. And it wasn't even a heavy cocktail..." Achilles frowned. "And he calls himself over 21! What a bozo..." Keita spoke, half drunk. "Ah, leave him be. He'll come to eventually." Mr. Kocho continued chugging his glass of beer. The men continued to have drinks while I was slowly regaining my consciousness after downing that drink.

After some time, I finally woke up. "Ah look, he's awake!" Keita pointed at me. "You really ain't having it huh? It would've been more fun if you were awake this whole time! Achilles just had a rap battle with another drunk man." Mr. Kocho recapped.

Ah great, the fun things always happen when I'm knocked out.

The cool bar ordered us to get out. It had been past 2 in the morning, according to my watch. "Uurgh. Who's gonna drive this thing?" All my fingers pointed to the rental car. "I'm sober, sonny. No need to be scared," Mr. Kocho turned the four-wheeler on. Achilles turned his head back and calmed me down, "Mr. Kocho won several liquor drinking competitions. 5 jugs and he's as fine as a gentleman. Uurp!" 

"I told you not to accept that challenge, Achilles! Now look at you, miserable." his leader scolded.