Another win for Brahman meant another celebration. It was supposed to be small—Takeomi’s treat—but they were going all out. Senju wasn’t invited, obviously.

Wakasa suggested a nearby bar he’d heard about, always up-to-date on anything alcohol-related. By that time, the bar was bustling, several working adults engaged in conversation and drunken laughter.

It was him, Benkei, and Takeomi seated at their table. The two browsed the menu while Wakasa’s eyes wandered to a large group nearby as he shrugged off his uniform, noting that every man had a chick beside him. One guy in particular announced a joke that made zero sense. He pulled the dango skewer he’d been chewing on out of his mouth with a scoff, “she’s gonna dip.” Takeomi trailed off mid-speech to observe the group too. When he muttered a ‘how much?’, Wakasa instantly replied with a lazy smirk, reclining in his seat and resting an arm on the backrest as he watched, “2000.”

His smugness didn’t last. The woman giggled obnoxiously, placing her hand on her guy’s thigh. Wakasa cursed, taking out the promised cash and tossing it over to Takeomi. “Hurry up and order,” Wakasa grumbled, his mood dampened. Alcohol would surely make it better.

The waitstaff came over at Benkei’s signal when Wakasa spotted a name tag that differed from that of the rest of the staff attached to the woman’s dress. Why she laughed at a horrid joke finally dawned on him—she was a hostess. “Hey,” he glanced up at the server, interrupting his conversation, “ya got any more women?” The server nodded, and a half-hearted chuckle slipped past Wakasa’s lips. “Bring a ton of ‘em over here.”

The server left only to return mostly alone, explaining that all their hosts and hostesses were occupied due to a large group. Instead, he introduced you, adjusting your name tag at a distance behind him, as an in-training staff member as an apology from the bar.

Wakasa sighed, patting the spot beside him expectantly. As long as he had drinks and entertainment, he could try to make the most of his visit.