Pub Crawl

[Hagen-Autem]

had had a difficult few months. All because of her decision to lead a double life.

She was currently in one of the pub's hidden offices, where she could hear the hubbub in the club's central ring, the music from the pub, and the sound of drinks being mixed at the bars. She couldn't help but look up from the pages, relax in her chair, and sigh wearily. Leading a double life was overwhelming even for a diligent student.

It all started when she decided to formalise her alter-ego thanks to the push she got from this faction. She is grateful that her faction is lenient with her and supports her in this game, giving her a space to study and a gentler routine than the rest of the workers and wrestlers. Although this was reflected in her official salary. But she received a comfortable commission for additional work within the ‘private company’, where she is doing her ‘internship’ abroad. This was the most elaborate and complex excuse she had given her parents so that they would not suspect that she was playing at being a luchadora in a wrestling club in the United Kingdom, while formalising her career in Japan's largest federation, L.A.W.

She sighed again, melting into her seat.

She was a model student, or at least she tried to be. Normally, those who are classified as such feel bad about lying, but Yusu doesn't feel terrible for doing so. However, she would like things to be simpler. Nevertheless, it was fun because it broke her routine...

She took

out of her backpack and inspected it. Without realising it, that garment brought a smile to her face.

Was it her fault that things were so complicated? For deciding to take on both things? For maintaining her passion for wrestling and pursuing a profession that suited her parents' tastes? For not being clear with her parents about what she was hiding?

That question always popped into her mind when she was even slightly distracted. Because of it, she was grateful that she had very little free time.

This week, Miss Alice did not assign her the task of helping with the pub's finances and organising Mr Gael's schedules. A man too busy for his age and nationality, according to Yusure. Instead, she spoke directly to Mr Gael, who put her in charge of attending to some important clients who had no arrival date but would be showing up at the pub any day this week.

It was an important job and he gave it to her because she was the most organised, as well as sharing the same nationality as the people of interest. And Yusure was willing to take on the task. However, when she left his office, she let out all the pressure with a sigh as soon as she heard the door close. She was being given more and more important tasks. She wants to think that she is doing an excellent job, even though she does not always feel capable, but her expressionless face does not easily reveal her concerns.

She was about to turn back, but she bumped into another girl as soon as she turned to return to her other tasks. The person she had bumped into was smaller than her. Her own glasses had moved a little, and she had to adjust them to see who it was, but Yusure already knew the other girl's voice, and she didn't like who it was very much:

, the third Queen.

With a radiant smile on her face, one of those typical smiles that a pretty woman gives you to control you or embarrass you or gain your trust, ViVi greeted her. Yusure know full well that this girl isn't condescending or pretty for no reason. But she was polite and friendly to this miss because they had never interacted before.

The pinkette beat around the bush with irrelevant questions. Yusure was polite and was about to ask ViVi if she could explain a couple of things about the place, since she knows more about it, but ViVi interrupted her mid-sentence to ask her for a favour: since Yusure was the one who had to welcome some important customers, she wanted to entrust her with one whom she herself had summoned here. More work?

"I don't—"
"She'll be visiting the pub sometime this week."
"Yes, but I'll be there, maybe, eh-ehg-"
"And she wants a full tour of the place, I'm putting you in charge! Anyway, it goes hand in hand with what Gael asked you to do, right?"
"Thg-tzz-BuT I-I—"
"I know you're the best at organising these things!"
"But...but... I no..."
"Bye!"

ViVi turned her back on her. Yusure was left standing in the middle of the hallway, wondering how she ended up in this situation. The two jobs were the same, but they felt more burdensome than simple. Both seemed like something too important!

Fortunately, the other girls weren't that difficult. In addition, the security staff and the boss's other assistants were very good to her—they helped her organise the tour, mark the important points of the wrestling club, and arranged to keep in touch with her so they could let her know when an important client showed up. Returning to reality, she rubbed her eyes and adjusted her glasses. Back to the pages of her pocket notebook. She had four important points to visit at Gart's pub, each marked with a different ink so as not to get confused in her tiny disposable notebook. She had also agreed with the workers on some moments to get on the good side of these clients, and security had even lent her a discreet earpiece so they could guide her in case of any last-minute changes. Everything was fine! Everything should go according to plan! Now, it was just a matter of waiting through the endless English nights for one of the important customers to show up, while she reviewed her notes and put ice on her shoulder, which was sore from sparring.

She just needed to listen for the security guards, who would let her know as soon as one of those customers appeared at the entrance and showed her their ‘special invitation.’

[Parker]

The Thursday afternoon crowd at Gart’s Pub was light, just the quiet shuffle of chairs, the muted chatter of a few early patrons, and the occasional clink of glass from behind the bar. Sunlight poured in through the high windows, cutting across the wooden floorboards in warm strips that caught in the dust motes.

Ayumi stepped through the doorway, pausing for a moment to take in the space. It was calmer than she expected, the kind of calm that revealed the bones of a place: the scuffs on the floor, the polish fading at the edges of the bar, the faint smell of citrus cleaner mingled with the lingering hint of hops.

Her attire was understated but refined, a crisp white blouse tucked into tailored charcoal trousers, paired with modest heels. Her dark hair was tied into a low bun, neat but not overly strict, a single strand slipping loose to soften her expression. She carried herself like someone used to command, though her steps were unhurried, each one deliberate and quiet.

Rather than drawing attention, she blended into the subdued hum of the slow afternoon. Her gaze swept the main room, noting the furnishings. Her hand brushed the edge of a nearby table as she walked, checking for balance, noting the craftsmanship without even realizing it. Her focus was precise, the kind of inspection born not of curiosity but of purpose.

No open floor, no ring. She noted several places, doors and stairs tucked off to the side. Perhaps somewhere else? A back room, a basement? She reached the bar and offered the tender a polite nod. "Afternoon," Ayumi greeted, voice smooth and low. "It’s quiet. I like that. What do you have on tap?"

[Hagen-Autem]

Five minutes earlier...

Vin would be at the bar, flipping through the pages of a cocktail recipe book, shrinking more and more as if, instead of reading detailed lists for making a good shot, she were trying to understand an algebra problem.

She turned each page with worrying fervour. And to make matters worse, the pub wasn't officially open, but a curious person had wandered in, and no one knew why they let them in. Others followed, intrigued, and no one knew why they had let them in. Although no manager or staff seemed to care, only her, the one who should be practising, not taking photos with fans!

The only good thing was that she could ask them for their opinion on the drinks. No one turns down a free drink, it seems.

There were only four people inside, sitting at a few tables, doing little more than taking a couple of photos inside the place and asking about the door on the side, the one guarded by two security guards, standing as firm on either side of the door as two royal guards.

Sitting at the bar, the only bar in the pub, was a petite girl with blue hair, who looked up at Vin, intrigued and concerned about her friend.

April Cyan

Click here

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She muttered.

"Of course! They're simple, although I'm not familiar with these..." Vin buried her nose in the little book.

"Are you sure? Because it looks like it's the first time you've touched the recipe book," said April. Vin replied with a murmur, unable to take her eyes off the pages, and the blueberry continued. "As if you hadn't done your share of studying since last month," she reproached discreetly; Vin muttered again. "And what if now you had to... learn everything you didn't skim through in three months in five minutes...?"

"Hm..."

"...Because those are the recipes that will be offered today," she concluded sharply.

Vin slammed the mixology recipe book shut.

"You know, maybe I'll consider serving you in shots to make up for everyone all night."

The brunette stood up, showing how tall she was in comparison, even with that dwarf sitting at the bar, and revealing that, surprisingly, she was dressed from head to toe like a bartender—long-sleeved shirt with black bands on her biceps and wristbands; dark vest, and she was even wearing a dark pencil skirt, black tights, and high heels. She, of all the girls in the pub, was so committed that she dressed in a manner that went against all her codes.

Vin's outfit

Please note that Vin's hair is dark brown and her eyes are hazel. Those are the only relevant differences from the picture.

But it was a pleasure for her and a source of pride to dress as required.

"By the way, you're dressed like that because of what you did last week, right?"

"Aha, don't ruin it for me!"

April just snorted so as not to laugh out loud. Vin, for her part, began to gather ingredients to make at least three different drinks. She placed the recipe book on top of a cupboard next to her, open, and took items as she read each line.

April was about to take advantage and grab a jug to pour herself a drink. After all, she wasn't scheduled to fight today, and her contract stipulated access to an open bar... even if it wasn't the stipulated time for the open bar.

At that moment, they heard the doorbell ring again. A new customer was entering the premises, and Vin gasped, rolling her eyes. She didn't have time to deal with another guy who wanted to try a free drink. She would ignore them for now and let April flirt with them.

"Emh..Vin..."

"What?" She already had a mixer in one hand and two cocktail shakers in the other.

"I think you're going to want to switch places today..."

"Huh?"

The brunette turned with an arched eyebrow, pressing her face against April's cheek to look in the same direction as her—both were watching the elegantly dressed lady in designer clothes. A chill ran through Vin, although the possibility that it was what she thought it was seemed remote this month.

"Is she an inspector?" asked the twin Cyan rhetorically.

Vin abruptly turned her face away from hers.

"Can you not read my mind? Thanks!" She returned to her cocktails. But April would not let the subject die so easily; her eyes grew wide, and she pointed a finger at the woman.

The presumably Asian lady strolled around, surreptitiously scanning every corner of the pub, though not surreptitiously enough.

"She's not an inspector," Vin declared.

The supposed non-inspector slid her fingers across an empty table, examining the dust.

"Oh shit! She is an inspector!"

The barmaid's eyes grew huge, her elbows flying over the bar. Something inside her shifted. Every bit of her rudeness and boorishness left her system for the sake of her job. She planted a hand on her friend's hips and slid her backside off the bar, dropping April onto a stool.

"Ouch!"

But the complaints did not distract the brunette. She had a plan, a very simple one: don't screw up. She kept everything that shouldn't be out of place in its place, looking over her shoulder several times, noticing that the inspector was coming to her bar. The half-Scottish woman cursed under her breath, praying that her day wouldn't get any worse. And just as the woman greeted her, Vin looked up with the biggest smile she could muster, resting her elbow on the bar.

"Hey... hey! Yeah... whatever you want, on the house. Want something to get you through a rough patch, to end the day, or just to browse?"

Under the bar, her free hand found a beer, some wines, and some ingredients that were nothing new on their own and only served as part of a shot.

Feck, Vin thought.

At that moment, April poured herself a glass of water from the dispenser on the bar. The effervescent sound caught their attention.

"Yes, we can also offer you high-quality water."

High quality? What the hell does that mean? She screamed mentally.

[Parker]

Ayumi canted her head slightly, ever the perceptive woman, she could feel the nervous energy radiating off of Vin before the poor girl even opened her mouth. It was possibly they knew who she was, and were expected to treat a guest of Ms. Valentine’s with the utmost respect… but this woman hadn’t called her by name. They were strangers, perhaps both in meeting and reputation.

A brown was lifted at the offer for drinks in the house. Her folded one arm over the other as she leaned against the bar counter with an easy air of casual modeling, as if she were posing for a photo shoot. She met the brunette's gaze with her own, piercing pink eyes seemed to lay this woman bare before her as if she understood her immediately and any secrets she might hide were Ayumi’s to claim.

"A lager, something local, please " she began, voice smooth, low, and effortlessly warm. "I see this establishment has a good eye for aesthetics. Charming furnishings, all around." Ayumi traced her finger over the wood grain of the bar counter as she smiled at Vin. Clearly she didn't just mean the furniture. She was complimenting the brunette, as well. If her subtle words hadn’t given it away, the way she watched her would.

"Do you mind if I ask a few questions? Pure curiosity, I promise," she said with a soft laugh, the kind that lingered just long enough to feel like a tease. "I’ll only take as much as your time as you’d like."

[Hagen-Autem]

Vin began to sweat coldly.

She stood as still as a herbivore trying to blend into its surroundings. This woman's eyes were fixed on her. Raetchel was used to dealing with looks like this, but not from this position. She wanted to disappear from this predator's field of vision, but she couldn't just go to the storeroom and leave her waiting forever, praying that she would leave out of boredom so that she could return to continue experimenting with the cocktail recipe book.

The piercing gaze Ayumi had on was not helping. It made her feel foolish, as if this beautiful lady knew she was hiding something from her, something very obvious, but something she could even imagine. She felt as if Ayumi's nose were in front of her, waiting for her to make a mistake and confess.

The option of dismissing Vin for ruining something tonight was still on the table—what would happen to her if, because of poor service, they shut down the premises, or worse, she made more enemies for the business, or even worse, caused the club to be affected by this, and they had to close it down?

Bribing the inspector was never an option, as they always expected for more and more the next time they came back.So the brunette had to give them decent service, so she had to excel for the sake of the best job she'd ever had!

The ceremonious calm with which this inspector proceeded to cross her arms, pondering it and studying her, but taking bartender's offer, was consuming the Viper's peace of mind.

Did inspector feel as comfortable as she did at home? Vin also thought it was as if she were ready not to be caught off guard by a paparazzi, which worried them even more: she was a specialist; surely, she had experience with places like hers, damnit.

the brit's smile faded, she swallowed discreetly. Although, it was impossible not to notice.

"A-A lager..., huh?"

She took the beer and uncorked it underneath before placing it on the bar, presenting it to her. While Ayumi continued to inspect. Vin then brought out a modest glass jug. Ayumi complimented the pub's good taste in decoration. The pubgirl poured the beer into the glass jug, looking up at the last part of the compliment, thus catching Ayumi's flirtatous gaze, who making it clear that she was not only complimenting the bar's furnishings.

Vin swallowed hard, April on the other side of the bar stifled a laugh into her glass, enjoying this silent spectacle. Meanwhile, the brunette blushed, finding herself surprised after taking a tiny step back. Flirting doesn't usually surprise her, really; it's just that the naturalness of Ayumi with which it was said caught her off guard, or so she told herself.

The inspector's seductive tone and choice of words was Vin's skin was bristling. But that sly laugh struck a nerve in the brunette's ego. This helped her come up with a pleasant and well-thought-out response.

The bartender had raised an eyebrow before answering.

"HmHmHm... A few questions? Y-yes... I can answer a few as long as they're not about things I don't know about..."

She emulating her own version of that condescending laugh before flashing a crooked smile. Her hands would be clasped behind her back as she said it, so steady.

[Parker]

Ayumi watched the bottled pour with the faint, polite smile of a woman who had endured conference-room coffee and backstage vending machines, someone who understood disappointment, and yet refused to show it. Only when the glass was set before her did she gently slide it back across the bar with two fingers, calm and unhurried.

"I did ask for it from the tap, dear." It wasn’t stern, just matter-of-fact, softened with a hint of amusement. She tilted her head slightly, as though indulging a harmless mistake. "Let’s try again, hm?"

While Vin scrambled to course-correct, Ayumi rested her forearms lightly on the bar, posture composed and elegant. She looked around the tavern again, letting the silence hang just long enough to make Vin feel she ought to fill it, only to break it herself, graciously.

"Tell me, how long have you been working here?" Her tone was conversational, but there was a subtle, appraising edge beneath the warmth. "You have the hands of someone who’s either still learning… or trying very hard to impress." Ayumi’s eyes twinkled, she knew exactly the effect she had, and she wielded it with the precision of a well-placed wristlock. She reached for a stray coaster, brushing a fingertip over its edge idly, turning it so the Pub’s logo faced her as she continued.

"An acquaintance recommended this place to me. They said it was a rather inviting space with attentive staff…" her gaze drifted briefly along Vin’s figure before returning to her face, "…and that it occasionally hosts rather spirited entertainment. Combat sports, specifically. Is that true?"

She didn’t lower her voice,no secrecy, simply curiosity disguised as polite inquiry.

"Where do those bouts take place? And how often?" Ayumi waved a delicate hand as if trying to sweep back the tables and booths to make room for such a raucous event but finding it hard to imagine. She paused with a soft, knowing smile, as if she knew more than she was letting on.

"Purely out of interest, of course. I enjoy watching disciplined competition."

[Hagen-Autem]

April nearly spat out her water when she heard Ayumi's correction, while Vin's eyes widened in shock at the mistake. All that false confidence crumbled away amid stammering and a huge ‘Eh?!’ from her.

"Y-yes! Of course!"

And since they allowed them to, she poured a new jug, specifically one from the tap connected to its strongest reserve. An exclusive that they were forbidden to serve for free, but this situation warranted it.

Raechel thought it was the same from the tap as from a bottle; after all, both were beer to her. What difference could there be?

The silence that followed after placing the jug in front of the Asian lady was disturbing, to say the least. "Well, you—" Vin tried to bridge the conversation, but Ayumi was quicker, interrupting her with a comment about her skills at the bar. "No, I—" It was a mere show of sincerity, well-intentioned, which she continued to develop to clarify with more valid points, interrupting every potential excuse from the brunette, letting something else settle inside her, a notion that made her eyes stop being complacent and narrow, sharpening against the serene condescension of the inspector.

Vin's mouth sealed completely shut, letting the ma'am talk as much as she wanted while the bartender's head began to work.

April's eyes widened when she realised what her friend's look meant.

Oh, hell. She thought.

However, Vin's composure did not last long—half her mouth began to open, baring her teeth and wrinkling her nose.

Ayumi's excuses about how she knew this place seemed false. The insinuation from the other side of the business was not well received. And the other subsequent questions, the ones that seemed to answer themselves, as if this lady could read Vin through her skin, were not received any better.

Each of those doubts landed as the brunette's face became more tense and less cooperative with prudence. Perhaps that was what gave her away, Vin herself suspected, but she couldn't take the reins here. That was her cross to bear.

One of her eyebrows arched when she finally found an opportunity to speak. Ayumi didn't bombard her with any more questions. But the bartender didn't take any chances with her.

Purely out of interest? She repeated in her mind, satirising.

It was so difficult for her to continue resisting her warlike nature. The creaking of her gloves behind her back could be heard. Her fists clenched to restrain herself. Only the analogue clock on the wall pierced their silence. April slid down on her stool, distancing herself from the atmosphere.

The brunette finally contributed something to the atmosphere.

"Who... are... you?"

She said in a stern tone. She no longer looked nervous. Much less interested in being polite.

The woman in front of her didn't seem like an inspector right now. She was too polite when she spoke, and that attitude and methodology reminded her too much of her own boss. She could very well be from the competition or something much more serious.

That led her to three potential options for who the woman in front of her was. She didn't like any of them, but two of them would allow her to hit her, which gave her comfort.

[Parker]

Interesting.

Ayumi didn’t say it aloud, but the word glimmered behind her eyes as she watched Vin stiffen. Something in the brunette had shifted the moment a combat sports venue was mentioned. Shoulders braced, voice taut, a flicker of instinct flashing beneath the unease. That wasn’t the reaction of someone clueless.

It was the reaction of someone trained.

Had Ayumi wandered into a hidden den rather than a private venue? Ms. Valentine’s correspondence had implied exclusivity, privacy, yes. Secrecy? That was new. And… intriguing.

She let the silence stretch just long enough to taste the tension, studying the woman across from her like a puzzle she very much wanted to solve. This bartender was suddenly a little too sharp around the edges to match the shaky pour and flustered tone.

Curious.

Ayumi finally lifted the glass mug, taking a slow sip. Her posture remained elegant, relaxed, as though she hadn’t noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere, never mind that she absolutely had. When she set the drink back down, it was accompanied by a warm, practiced smile. The kind that said, I see you, and I’m not bothered.

“My, my. So serious all of a sudden.”

Vin’s question, half-accusation, half-probe, lingered in the air, brittle. Ayumi could have simply answered. Offered her name. Revealed her connection to Valentine. But where was the sport in that? She came here to unwind. And a room full of strangers was hardly enough to make her nervous. Would someone more to actually assault her while she was being so passive, in this public setting?

“You could just ask for my number,” Ayumi said lightly, voice silk-smooth, as though she genuinely believed Vin’s inquiry was flirtation. “Or tell me when your shift ends, if you prefer to be forward.”

Her tone held a playful flick of challenge, a teasing sparkle like a blade glinting under candlelight. A gentle poke, deliberate enough to test, subtle enough to deny responsibility for any reaction.

Ayumi crossed her legs beneath the counter, then uncrossed them just as casually, shifting her weight slightly back on her stool. A tiny realignment. A preparation. She continued sipping her lager, every movement calm, languid, poised. She was ready though, no harm in being prepared for the worst. If Vin lunged, Ayumi would be off the stool before glass hit wood. But she didn’t tense. She didn’t glare.

She simply smiled like a woman who expected to be flirted with, fought by, or both, and would enjoy either outcome.

[Hagen-Autem]

The brunette furrowed the bridge of her nose. It was very obvious what this suspicious inspector was doing: she was challenging her to do something, diverting the subject and playing with her words at face value. Vin then showed her teeth, literally.

Vin already found words uncomfortable as it was…, but there was an ‘I'm invincible’ confidence in this inspector, the kind that someone has who knows what you're about to do, the kind of person who is prepared to make you look ridiculous if you go ahead. A situation very familiar to Vin. Which makes it even worse.

That was making the barmaid's face redden.

The worst part was that Ayumi was shameless! Twisting around on her stool like a arrogant bunny shaking her tail in front of a wolf’s jaws, well aware of how untouchable her is in front of its snout.

To hell with it.

She leaned forward, slamming her palm against the counter, while her other hand remained on her back, creaking her glove as she clenched her fist tighter. She had rolled her eyes up to the ceiling in the midst of the commotion, processing what she was about to do.
it will be worth it, or not?

To hell with it, of course it will be worth it!

There were only three possible identities for this hateful woman—she was a specialist inspector, one of those who takes her job very seriously, investigating rumours about her target and all that before jumping in. Vin hates that type. The second option was that she was from the competition, perhaps the owner of a similar establishment, who had come here to gather evidence of Gart's Pub's dirty laundry, which, in itself, would give her permission to tear it down and show her how dirty the floor is, personally. Vin detests busybodies. And the third option suggests that she is nothing more than a mere woman in search of thrills. That last one explains why she's so direct; they've had women in midlife crises come here for the same thing before, most of them leave satisfied, and most of them have a lot of money. Vin doesn't hate that last group, but she'll still put her boot in their face if they give her a reason. This Asian woman in front of her, for example, has given her a reason.

Trembling, Vin bit her lip and spoke as firmly as she could.

"Look... I don't know what you're looking for, but I assure you there's nothing down there for you... I mean! I'm not interested in your number, I already have mine!... Not, I mean, No, I!... ANYWAY And there's nothing down there for you..."

That's why she prefers to let her boot do the talking...

Before Vin could finish asserting herself and regretting it, the door connecting to the basement opened loudly. A casually dressed young woman in a sweatshirt, miniskirt and black tights, with modest glasses and huge dark circles under her eyes, suddenly appeared in the doorway. She had thrown the door open with a smack and immediately cringed at so many stares, blocking her peripheral vision with her hands, and rushing to take refuge on one of the barstools.

"Sorry..." She whispered.

Her dark circles were huge!

"Hi, Vin!" she muttered again, although she sounded quite distant and eager not to attract any more attention.

Even so, a badge with her photo and other items identifying her as staff could be seen around her neck.

The brunette, shifting her gaze between her worst customer and her colleague, raised a finger to request some time out with Ayumi, then proceeded to bite her lip to control her temper. She spoke to her in the most sisterly way possible.

"Yusu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I did."

Vin raised an eyebrow.

"Love... what are you supposed to have done?"

"Be awake."

Vin raised her eyebrow even higher.

"Sure..."

"No one came last night, or this morning, and it's almost 19... or is it 7:00 p.m.? How do you say it in your country?"

"Either is fine. I understand what you mean."

"The potential partners were supposed to come, but not even ViVi's special guest showed up. And she hasn't even said anything, too..."

"Oh, is that so..."

She herself had heard a little about it. And she has no idea what to say to comfort her, especially if Yusure is sleepy.

Vin glanced sideways at inspector. She didn't want her involved in these matters, but on the other hand, she was grateful that Yusure wasn't saying anything important about the place.

Yusure adjusted her glasses, blinking her eyes, and turned in the same direction as Vin, looking at the tall woman in elegant clothes and refined posture sitting next to her.

"And who are you?" Yusure asked with an innocent smile. Then she looked at the glass jug alongside this beautiful lady. The one Ayumi rejected because it wasn't what she had ordered. "Is that drink taken?"

Vin swallowed hard. Was her companion so sleepy that she was even asking for other people's drinks?

Yusure Chase's outfit

[Parker]

Ayumi didn’t flinch when Vin slammed her palm on the counter, she didn’t even straighten her posture, instead Ayymi simply watched with that same soft, infuriatingly pleasant smile… the kind that always came right before an opponent lost a game they didn’t realize they were playing. Her eyes followed the barmaid’s every twitch, every breath, every attempt at reclaiming control of the situation.

When Vin sputtered through that disastrous tangent, Ayumi’s head slowly tilted, as she caught something she apparently liked in her words. She lifted her glass with practiced delicacy and let her voice glide out, syrup-smooth. “Mhm… ‘nothing down there,’ was it?” She took a slow sip, gaze never leaving Vin’s reddening face. Her smile widened,warm, gentle, but absolutely mocking. “Funny. You keep insisting it doesn’t exist, and yet you can’t stop talking about it.”

Then the basement door slammed open, and Ayumi paused only long enough to blink as the disheveled staffer shuffled out like a startled housecat. She watched Vin transform instantly, anger dissolving into sisterly fussing, as the sleepy coworker slumped onto a stool.

Ayumi allowed them the moment, bringing her drink back to her lips, expression peaceful and unreadable. She even hummed once, softly, as though this was all merely quaint entertainment.

Only when the exhausted girl turned toward her with that quiet smile and innocent question did Ayumi finally rejoin the conversation. She lowered her glass with a soft click.

“Oh, me?” she replied with airy politeness. “Just a customer… hoping to learn more about your bar’s downstairs entertainment.”

While her words were feather-light the implication heavy as granite. If Vin didn't give her what she wanted to know, she had no issues coaxing it out of her sleep deprived co-worker.

Her gaze drifted to the untouched rejected drink beside her. “This?” She gave it a gentle tap with a manicured nail. “It’s yours, dear. Our flustered barkeep said it was on the house.”

The smile she aimed at Vin afterward was beautiful, but laced with a smug sense of untouchability only Vin could read.

“Isn’t that right… hun?”