Vol. 2 Chapter 108 – Adult Birthday (5)

“Hikaru.” (Reiya)

“Whaat~…?” (Hikaru)

“Are you drunk?” (Reiya)

“Mm~…? I’m not drunk… I didn’t drink any alcohol…” (Hikaru)

She answered in completely slurred speech.

I had used alcohol in both the stew and the scallops.

But it was cooking alcohol that high schoolers could buy without problems, not drinking alcohol, and I’d heated it properly so the alcohol should have completely evaporated.

Even if any remained, it would be a tiny amount, just enough to add flavor.

There was no way it could make someone drunk, but…

“How many do you see?” (Reiya)

I held up three fingers in front of Hikaru’s eyes—

“Mm~… Reiya-kun’s fingers~…!” (Hikaru)

She answered while giggling like a child.

Completely drunk.

So drunk you could call it dead drunk.

I never knew that Asahi Hikaru, the invincible light-attribute protagonist, had alcohol as her weakness…

While gaining this new strategy information, I held my head wondering what to do—

“Mm~… this really is delicious~… munch munch…” (Hikaru)

Contrary to her languid tone, Hikaru began eating the stew at a tremendous pace.

“H-hey, wait…! Stop for a moment…!” (Reiya)

I grabbed her thin arm and forcibly stopped her from eating.

“What~…? Why are you stopping me~…?” (Hikaru)

“Well, it’s probably because of the red wine in this… so stop eating this and try something else—” (Reiya)

“No.” (Hikaru)

“N-no isn’t…” (Reiya)

“Since Reiya-kun made it for me, I’m going to eat everything…!” (Hikaru)

“I really appreciate that feeling, but… in this state, it’s really…” (Reiya)

“Firsh of all, I’m not drunk at all…!” (Hikaru)

Her speech was so slurred I couldn’t understand what she was saying anymore.

Making her drunkenness worse was definitely bad.

In the first place, I was in a position where her family had entrusted their precious daughter to me.

Even though it was an unavoidable accident, getting her drunk was a huge problem.

“O-other dishes turned out delicious too, so please be satisfied with those—” (Reiya)

I steeled my heart and tried to take away the problematic dish, but—

“Opening~! munch munch…” (Hikaru)

“Ah!” (Reiya)

She seized the moment to snatch the bowl and devoured it in the blink of an eye.

“Ah, ahhhh…” (Reiya)

“Mm~… definitely delicious~…! Seconds~…!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru held up the bowl while laughing cheerfully.

I was already convinced that when she became an adult, she should absolutely never drink alcohol.

“That’s it for now. No seconds.” (Reiya)

“Eh~… but I want to eat more~…” (Hikaru)

Now she started stamping her feet lightly like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I’ll make it again for you… but right now, drink some water…” (Reiya)

For now, let me sober her up a bit and get her to regain her senses.

If I did that, she’d get embarrassed and calm down somewhat, I thought, offering her a glass—

“No~… I hate water~… I want something sweet~…” (Hikaru)

“Water for now. Then afterward you can drink whatever you want as much as you want…” (Reiya)

It was getting genuinely tough, but I couldn’t just leave her alone, so I patiently dealt with her.

“Then if Reiya-kun grants me one request, I’ll drink it…” (Hikaru)

“A request…? If I listen to that, will you really listen to what I say too…?” (Reiya)

At my words, Hikaru nodded her head up and down somewhat transparently—

“Hugs.” (Hikaru)

She stuck both hands out in front and made the most primitive and most fetishistic demand.

This was something that made her sulky even in normal mode if I didn’t accept, and in her current drunk state it would be even worse.

I let out a big sigh.

I patted my knees to signal agreement, and she leaped into my arms.

She came onto my lap sideways, and I supported her back with my arm, creating a sitting princess carry position.

“Well then~… next up~…” (Hikaru)

“H-hey, didn’t you say one thing…?” (Reiya)

“What…? Today’s my birthday, you know…?” (Hikaru)

Too incoherent.

“…Yes, so what’s next?” (Reiya)

But pointing that out to a drunk person would be as meaningless as bringing Cleanse against Malzahar.

I was already learning through experience the social skills that I should have learned as a college student or working adult, while still in high school.

“Kiss me.” (Hikaru)

“…And that’s really the end?” (Reiya)

Again her head nodded up and down transparently.

I should prepare for at least five rounds… I thought, tilting my head and lightly pressing our lips together.

Along with the soft sensation of her lips, I could faintly taste the beef stew.

But I couldn’t sense any trace of red wine.

How could she get this drunk from that…?

I held such doubts as I pulled my face away.

“How’s that? Satisfied?” (Reiya)

I asked about her current feelings, but—

“Completely not good.” (Hikaru)

With a face that matched her words of dissatisfaction, she gave me harsh criticism that would normally be impossible.

“You mean do it several more times?” (Reiya)

Thinking it was a matter of repetition, I asked, but this time she shook her head left and right dramatically.

“Hey… Reiya-kun…” (Hikaru)

“Wh-what…?” (Reiya)

Stared at with half-closed eyes, I involuntarily flinched.

“It’s my birthday today… you know that… right…?” (Hikaru)

“Of course I know… we were just celebrating it…” (Reiya)

“Then you know what we should do next… right…?” (Hikaru)

She narrowed her eyes further and asked with a bewitching atmosphere different from usual.

Apparently Hikaru wasn’t satisfied with something yet.

Apparently… but if kissing wasn’t enough, I had no idea what that was.

“Eat cake together while playing games…?” (Reiya)

“Totally wrong~…” (Hikaru)

“Then I really don’t know…” (Reiya)

“Then here’s a hint… I’ve gotten a year older before you and become an adult…” (Hikaru)

“I see… then should we play a Z-rated game…? One where heads fly off and blood spurts out…” (Reiya)

“Wrong~…” (Hikaru)

At my little joke, Hikaru shook her head with today’s greatest dissatisfaction.

“I really have no idea at all, so I want you to just tell me the answer…” (Reiya)

I was honestly getting tired of this position and dealing with a drunk person.

Thinking that, I demanded an answer, and Hikaru looked into my eyes and slowly opened her mouth—

“Do an adult kiss.” (Hikaru)

She told me that with dead seriousness.