Chapter 59: Hold Your Alcohol
Another day of filming has finished and boy am I tired! I should just relax tonight or else I'd totally lose all of my strength; sigh. The series is doing very well and became a hit in the ratings; the fan base sure got bigger too. Seeing everyone packing up in this studio makes me feel a bit sad and sentimental. It's kind of sad to know that we've finished filming half of the series already; that would mean that the show will end sooner or later. I'll definitely miss everyone for sure. Well...except for one person.
"Kaori-chan!"
I definitely won't miss Kunisaki-san. Not at all.
"Kaori-chan!"
Ugh, just hearing his voice makes me feel uneasy; seeing him run to me with that big grin of his gives me goose bumps of fear and disgust. I should get going before he comes any closer.
I grabbed my bag and was walking away already but I wasn't fast enough; I got caught by his annoying arm.
"Kaori-chan, I've been looking for you!"
"I-is that so?"
He's smiling and it's sending chills down my spine. What does this touchy freak want with me this time?!
"Kaori-chan, are you heading back to your place already?"
"Yeah. I'm heading home already so if you would kindly let go of my arm, I—"
"The night is still young! How about going out for dinner with me?"
"N-no, it's alright. I'm not hungry anyway."
"Oh c'mon, I won't say no for an answer from a cute lady like you."
His face is too close! It's so close that I could rip that smile off of his face with my bare hands! How I wish I could punch him!
"B-but if we go out together, what would the media say? You know the media's imagination is as crazy as it can be, right?"
Please take your arm off and get away from me.
"I wouldn't care about what they'd write about us. In fact, I'd be delighted if they thought we were dating. I won't lie to you, I am interested in you after all."
But I care! I don't want people to think I'm dating you! Besides, I already like someone else! If he thought I was with you, I'd rather quit being an idol and disappear; I'd cry for months! I don't want any misunderstandings.
"Kunisaki-san, I really have to go no—"
He grabbed my hands and leaned towards me.
"You're really hard to get, Kaori. You're such a challenge for me; usually I'd get a woman to go with me right away. This makes me want to make you mine even more." He smiles.
I really don't like this guy.
"Kunisaki-san, I really don't have feelings for you so I don't want to go out with you."
"Oh really? So does that mean you already have feelings for someone else?"
"N-no..."
Somehow, it hurts to say that...
"Liar, your eyes and actions say otherwise. You already have someone you like, am I right?"
He comes even closer to me.
"So, who's the lucky guy? I'd like to meet him."
Why is he so serious?! It's kind of scary.
"Well? It's either you lied to me or you really have someone. Which is it then?"
If I told him that I like Mikaze-senpai, he might tell on me or use it against me; I can't tell him that. This guy is unpredictable!
"Or is it that you haven't even told him you like him yet?"
I flinched at his words.
He grins. "I see, so he doesn't know you like him yet which means you're not even sure if he would like you back. You know, I don't mind being a back up for you; I'd happily welcome you with open arms any time."
I glare at him. He's really getting on my nerves; he's really a cruel jerk.
He releases my hands.
"How about we play a game then?"
"Game?"
"We'll write different types of games or competition that we could do and put it in a box; we'll then ask a staff member to draw one paper from the box that will decide what we'll play."
"What happens if I win?"
"You're really confident, aren't you? It makes you even cuter! If you win, you can go home but if I win, you'd have to go out with me. So are you in?"
"I'll do it." I reluctantly said.
We started writing some games we could compete in on small pieces of papers; I hope I win against this jerk.
We folded each paper in half and placed them in a small box; I started shaking the box to mix up the papers inside.
"Hey you, draw a lot from this box."
Ugh, Kunisaki-san, that person has a name. You could at least call him by his name; how rude.
The staff member took out a paper and unfolded it.
"What does it say?" I asked.
"Kaori-san, it says drinking competition."
"Drinking competition?!"
I see Kunisaki-san's grin.
"Well, it's settled then! Hey you, go buy 6 big bottles of the strongest beer you can find in any nearby store."
He gave the staff member money and we looked for a table and cleared up the things on top of it. We placed two glasses on the table and sat across one another.
"Kaori-chan, you don't look like the type to drink. Looks like you'll be spending the night with me. Don't worry, we'll have a great time together." he winks.
I definitely won't! I really hate your guts, Kunisaki! I'm going to win this!
The staff member came back and gave us each three big bottles of the beer he bought; Kunisaki-san looked at the label.
"Nice find, this brand really packs a punch. I wonder if you can handle this, Kaori-chan."
"I won't lose to someone like you."
"You really are cute."
Go to hell; I won't lose to you. There's only one person that I'd go out with and love with all my heart and that person is not you.
We open our first bottle and poured some into our respective glasses.
"Are you ready, little cutie?"
"Ready when you are."
"First one to finish all three bottles or lasts the longest wins."
"I'll be going home tonight!" I said in an irritated tone.
We asked a staff member to be the judge of our little competition. "Ready? 3, 2, 1, start drinking!"
We started drinking and our pace was fast and the same.
"I didn't know you drink, Kaori-chan."
"I can drink but I choose not to; I don't really like drinking so much."
"Well, you better hold your alcohol then if you want to get home. You could always stay in my place if you're too tipsy to get back to your place."
I drank one glass fast and straight and refilled it right away.
We're opening our second bottles and I can tell that Kunisaki-san is getting tipsy. He thinks he could win? He doesn't know that I have a high alcohol tolerance; my father trained me to drink a lot when I was a kid in case I meet men like you someday.
"We're halfway the second bottle, Kunisaki-san. How are you holding up there?"
"I-I'm d-doing....f-fine."
Total liar. He's obviously drunk already. He can't focus his eyes on anything for a long while plus his face is quite red and he's been less talkative compared to when we were drinking the first bottle. I'd admit though, this brand of beer really does hit you hard; I'd better finish the last bottle before I get tipsy too.
"Kunisaki-san, I'm ending this little game of ours. I'm going home!"
I finished off the second bottle and started drinking the third bottle; I didn't even pour it into a glass anymore and just drank it straight from the bottle.
"Whoa! Look at Kaori-san drink!" one staff member said.
As I finished off the last bottle, Kunisaki-san passed out after drinking half of his third bottle.
"And the winner is, Kaori-san!" our staff member referee said.
Haha. Kunisaki-san looks so funny on the floor; he looks so drunk and his nonsense murmuring is making him look even funnier. I win! I get to go home!
I was giggling to myself when Manager-san came into the studio and wondered why all of the staff members were gathered. I didn't notice that everyone was watching, haha.
"Eh? Kaori?! What's going on here?! I was waiting for you in the car for a while now!"
I stood up and I could feel the alcohol in my system; I really dislike drinking. I was walking towards Manager-san but thanks to the alcohol, I couldn't tell if I was walking straight and my legs felt like jelly. Haha. Jelly legs, haha.
"Manager-san...let's go home."
I lost my balance and Manager-san caught me; thank god.
"Kaori, you smell like alcohol! What the hell was going on here?!"
"Uhm, Manager-san, Kunisaki-san challenged Kaori-san to a drinking competition. He said that if he'd win then Kaori-san would have to go out with him. Kaori-san didn't want to go out with him so she accepted the challenge." A staff member said as he gave my bag to Manager-san.
Manager-san then saw the three big bottles of beer on the table; he sees the label.
"They were drinking that?! Most people get very drunk right after the fist bottle!"
Manager-san helped me stand up straight.
"Why didn't anyone intervene?!"
"Kunisaki-san was really persistent and he was holding Kaori-san."
"Is that so? I'm going to have a word with his manager tomorrow about his behavior then! I had it with that kid; honestly!"
Manager-san carried me on his back and brought me to the car. Haha. I couldn't tell the difference between the streetlights and the stars in the sky while I was looking out the window. Haha. Kunisaki-san was really screwed up on the floor.
I laughed as I recalled the image of his defeat. I'm thankful that I could stay sober enough to finish him off; I don't want to drink like that ever again...haha...
Manager-san parked on front of the dorm this time instead of on front of the agency office building; he opened the car door for me.
"Kaori, can you walk?"
I smiled. "Of course I can, Manager-san. I'm a healthy girl after all."
I got out of the car and when I tried to walk, I was staggering. Feeling that I would fall, I grabbed onto Manager-san's blazer.
"Manager-san...I feel really dizzy..."
Looks like...I'm...passing out...too...
"Kaori!"
Everything became black and I lost consciousness; that beer is definitely black listed in my life. Haha...ha...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the lobby of the dorm, Rei-chan and Kurosaki-senpai were playing cards to pass the time.
"Eh?! You won again?!"
"Heh. Looks like lady luck ain't smiling at you tonight, Reiji."
"One more round! We're not sleeping till I beat you at least once!"
"You're on!"
Manager-san then enters the lobby while I'm unconsciously on his back.
"I will seriously give Kunisaki and his manager a piece of my mind tomorrow. I'll definitely crush his mind and spirit and his face if I have to."
Manager-san kept mumbling angrily.
"Is that Kaori-chan?" Rei-chan said as he saw Manager-san pass by.
"Kotobuki, Kurosaki, good evening."
"Wait a minute." Kurosaki-senpai stood up. "Is that Kaoru?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Manager-san sighs.
"What happened to the kid?" Kurosaki-senpai checks her temperature since her face was a bit red.
"Sigh. Kunisaki, a fellow actor for the drama series she's in, tried asking her out. He was so persistent so he suggested that they settle things with a random game. It turns out that the game they agreed upon by lottery was a drinking competition. Fortunately, she won and Kunisaki looked disgraceful on the floor back at the studio."
"Eh? Kaori-chan defeated him? What were they drinking?" Rei-chan asked.
"Each of them was drinking three big bottles of the strongest beer brand in the country. Kunisaki passed out without finishing all three bottles but Kaori on the other hand drank everything. Sigh, seriously this girl!"
"Whoa! Kaori-chan drank them all? That's quite impressive."
"Not bad. I should test her alcohol tolerance next time." Kurosaki-senpai said.
"What kind of senpais are you two?! Don't encourage drinking!"
"Need some help there?" Kurosaki-senpai points at my bags that Manager-san was carrying.
"If you're offering, I'd gladly take it. Carrying her things while she's on my back isn't exactly stable."
Manager-san hands over Kaori's bag and room key to Kurosaki-senpai.
"Thank you for the help. Today has been quite troublesome, sigh."
"Really? You don't say. Kaoru still gets my respect to be able to drink three large bottles of that kind of beer, haha."
"Haha. Very funny, Kurosaki. Now unlock her door before my arms give up."
"You gotta be careful there, Manager-san. If you drop her, I know a certain person who'd be really upset with ya."
"Yes, I'm aware of that. That's another matter to take care of as well, sigh."
I started to gain some consciousness but I was definitely still half asleep and the alcohol was still making me lose myself.
"Manager-saaaaan, I'm hungryyyy." I said in child-like voice.
"Alright, alright. I heard you." I was copying Manager-san's voice. "You're banned from alcohol, you understand? You're not allowed a single drop of it ever again!"
"Oh dear, don't be so harsh on our child. This is why I left you in the first place; what kind of father are you to let this happen? Sigh, what was I thinking of trusting you." I used a mother-like voice.
"Be honest, I left you and not the other way around!" I used Manager-san's voice again.
"How dare you! I was the one that LEFT YOU!" I used an angry mother-like voice.
"Pops, what the hell happened to her?! You left my lil' sis alone with a strange man again, didn't you?!" I used an older brother-like voice this time.
"Whaaa, why is everyone fighting?!" I used the child-like voice again.
I slowly went back to sleep on Manager-san's back; I wish he'd hurry up and put me on my bed already. I just want to sleep...
Kurosaki-senpai and Manager-san froze and were utterly speechless.
"Hahahahaha! What the hell was that?! That was hilarious! She even copied your voice!" Kurosaki-senpai said while laughing loudly.
"Oh god." Manager-san was utterly embarrassed.
"Haha, I didn't know you had a wife and kids! Hahahaha!"
"I don't! I'm not married; I don't even have a girlfriend yet! I'm not as old as I look, darn it!"
Kurosaki-senpai unlocks my door and we all went in. Manager-san puts me down on my bed while Kurosaki-senpai puts my things down near my desk.
I laughed a little since Manager-san said something quite funny just now.
"Haha...haha! That's so sad, Manager-saaaaan; aren't you so lonelyyy stuck with work all the time? You should find a girl some tiiime or else you'll have to resort to arranged marriage. Haha. I donn't feel lonely at all since I have Mi—"
Manager-san covers my mouth immediately.
"T-that's enough from you! Go to bed!" he panicked a little.
"What's she talkin' about?" Kurosaki-senpai asked.
"Don't mind her, she's drunk after all. She was probably going to say milk or mint chocolate or something."
"Food? Heh, maybe she's hungry."