Chapter 15
“Yes, I understand.”
You can speak more casually. Is it because you're Asian that you're so used to using such formal language? Just call me Sasha. Or Dragon... whatever you prefer. It makes me uncomfortable to hear it.
It was a rather strange feeling.
What was this? Was this a bizarre situation where the interviewer and Boss were comforting someone who'd failed an interview by offering them a drink?
Before I knew it, I was led naturally by Boss Dragon to sit at the bar. I couldn't even say that I wasn't good at drinking. Beyond the counter stood the man with the languid eyes from before. Seeing him in a stretched-out polo shirt and yawning widely, Sasha clicked his tongue beside me.
Tsk, look at that guy, standing there all slouchy in his sloppy clothes. He thinks he's been here long enough to slack off, huh? Why are you just standing there blankly? Aren't you going to take our order?
“...We're not open yet?”
When the man replied grumpily, steam puffed out from the Dragon Helmet's nostrils.
Aren't these still work hours before opening? I'm buying this friend a cocktail, so mix something up. “Alright, put it on Boss's tab then... So, what are you ordering?” I'll decide that after looking at the menu.
As he said that, he pressed a button on the table, and a primary-colored Hologram Display popped up, a Holographic Menu with all sorts of never-before-seen cocktail names listed by category.
You can decide what to drink by looking at that. Anything's fine as long as it's not too expensive. Oh, come to think of it, you two haven't even been introduced yet, have you?
He said, pointing to the man behind the bar who was looking at me with a haughty gaze.
[This friend here is our Assistant Bartender, even though we only have two bartenders in total.]“It would've been a perfectly fine introduction if you hadn't added that last part.”[Even though he's always grumbling like this, his charm is that he's secretly quite diligent at work. His name is Tony. And Tony? This is Aaron. His last name is Nakamura.]“So, he's Japanese or something?”[Ha!]
Crossing his arms, the Dragon Head, encased in metal armor, snorted triumphantly.
Not just Japanese, but a *Pure* from Neo Tokyo, no less. He was working as a Chef at a high-end Japanese hotel restaurant until recently. “Huh? Why would someone like that come to our bar? He's a total elite.” What's wrong with our bar, what's the matter? Maybe I should put it in our promotional material? A bar even a top-tier Chef approves of! Something like that. “Wow, that's really lame.” What was that, punk? “I didn't say anything. So, what are you ordering?”
Boss Dragon narrowed his eyes and spoke about Bartender Tony's slick evasion.
[Me, I'll have my usual. Old Fashioned.]
“Oaxaca Style?”
[You know it.]
“Okay. And you... Nakamura-san?”
Nakamura-san? Oh, he's talking to me. I had been listening to their conversation with interest, like an observer, but when he suddenly addressed me, I was speechless.
The menu... honestly, I had no idea what any of it was. In times like these, it's best to just go with the flow. I pretended to scan through the various cocktails and then spoke.
“I'll have the same, I guess.”
[Hmm? Didn't you say you don't know much about cocktails? And that you don't really like alcohol?]
Then, the Mecha Dragon's snout popped out from beside me, as the Mecha Dragon interjected.
“Ah, yes.” [It looks like you just ordered what I did, but you shouldn't order cocktails like that. It's not just cocktails; it's all alcohol. You have to slowly find the style that suits you. Everyone has different tastes and tolerances, you see. Isn't cooking similar?]
Oh... Indeed, he had a point. It's true that it's always better to find what suits you rather than just following others.
For a moment, I could sense the seasoned demeanor of a bar Manager emanating from that bizarre Dragon Helmet. As I was admiring this, this time Tony, who was in front of us, interjected.
“Well, there's that, and also... If you're a cocktail beginner, an Old Fashioned probably won't suit your taste. It's not low in alcohol, and it has a heavy, bitter taste. Classic Cocktails are generally like that. It's a style that takes a lot of drinking to get used to, something only old-timers would enjoy, I guess.” [Are you calling me an old-timer?] “You're going to deny it when you love a cocktail whose name literally means “Old Fashioned”?” [Quiet. Classics are eternal.]
Watching the two bicker, I seized a brief opening and immediately asked a question.
“Then what cocktails are suitable for a beginner?” “Ah, if you tap on a category in the menu, you'll see the classifications the Boss has organized.”
At his words, I touched the category item, and the Holographic Menu flickered and changed.
Cocktail
: An alcoholic drink made by mixing various ingredients.
In modern times, most are alcoholic concoctions made by mixing artificial chemical compounds.
“You can't buy happiness, but you can prepare a cocktail instead. Either way, the result will probably be similar.”
Alcohol/Cocktail/Category
-Taste
-Difficulty
-Mood
-Style
It was neatly divided into four major categories.
*To find a cocktail that even a beginner like me could enjoy, I should obviously click on 'Difficulty', right?*
As I brought my finger closer, the display immediately recognized my finger, and it changed its form.
Alcohol/Cocktail/Category/Difficulty
-Baby
-Intermediate
-Expert
“...The Boss organized this?” [Yep. I did. Why?] “Expert and Intermediate are fine, but why is 'beginner' listed as 'Baby'?” [Hmm? Did I set it like that? I don't know. My memory isn't what it used to be now that I'm getting old.]
Sasha Dragon's expression as he tried to deny it was completely hidden by the innocent-looking Dragon Helmet. *...Somehow, it was annoying.*
But my opponent was the Manager, President, and Owner all rolled into one. What could I do when he wanted to categorize his bar's menu however he pleased?
Besides, it was true that I was a newbie when it came to alcohol. With a somewhat mortified feeling, I tapped on the 'Baby' difficulty. *Damn it, I was the kind of person who wouldn't even look at 'Easy' difficulty when playing games.*
Immediately, a flood of 'Baby' difficulty cocktails poured forth. My eyes swam. I still didn't know what anything was.
I just picked one at random. It was a cocktail with a seemingly innocuous name.
*Iced Tea: Would it be an alcoholic drink that tasted like iced tea?*
Long Island Iced Tea
“This definitely doesn't taste like iced tea.”
“It's from Long Island.”
-Temptation, More Beautiful Than Love
Context: ngly innocuous name.
*Iced Tea: Would it be an alcoholic drink that tasted like iced tea?*
Long Island Iced Tea
“This definitely doesn't taste like iced tea.”
“It's from Long Island.”
-Temptation, More Beautiful Than Love, 1999
Among 1999
Lemon-scented black tea flavor is sweet and refreshing – a “working drink” (for getting someone drunk).
Variations: AMF, Texas Tea, Tokyo Iced Tea, Long Beach Iced Tea, Dusk Iced Tea...
What stood out most among the subsequent menu descriptions was the variations. *Dusk Iced Tea? If I drink this, will I be able to taste Dusk City?*
It felt awkward to deliberate in front of the menu any longer, so I impulsively spoke.
“I'll have the Dusk Iced Tea.”
“Okay, order received.”
Only then did I look up from the Holographic Menu, and Tony was already in the process of making the cocktail. His speed is quite remarkable.
He placed a sugar-cube-shaped synthetic sweetener on a round, low, and wide glass, and then sprinkled a few drops of an unknown red chemical liquid on top.
He crushed and muddled the liquid-soaked sweetener lump with a stick-like implement, poured in a bubbling liquid, and then added large ice cubes.
Afterward, he measured and poured a transparent alcohol with a unique smoky aroma, took out a long spoon with a twisted, screw-like end, and stirred the liquid around the ice.
What was remarkable was that the process of twirling the spoon between his fingers flowed so smoothly, as if one were watching a machine operate.
The Bar Spoon swirled quietly, with no error and at a consistent rhythm, mixing only the liquid without touching either the ice or the glass. It was like watching a centrifuge in a laboratory spin smoothly.
Although I didn't know much about cocktails or bars, I could tell that this was an outstanding performance that couldn't be achieved with ordinary skill.
They say true masters hide their power; so, was he a bartender of incredible skill, despite his somewhat sloppy appearance...?
Seeing my surprised expression, Boss Dragon, with his arms crossed, spoke from beside me.
Tony's *Stir* skill is superb, isn't it? Oh, right. Do you know what a Stir is? It's a cocktail technique. Literally, it's mixing a drink by stirring it around like that. “Oh, I see. It's certainly very smooth.” It's definitely smooth, alright. They don't call him “Perfect Stir” for nothing. They say he's a bartender who would never kill the ice.
What's he talking about? How do you kill ice? Ice is inanimate. As I blinked, unable to comprehend his words, the Dragon Head let out a deep sigh.
But the problem is that's all there is to it. His nickname is “Perfect Stir,” but also... “Stir One Tool.” He's only good at stirring; everything else is mediocre. He just likes to show off flashily without any substance. “Ah, I told you not to call me by that nickname.”
Sasha Dragon pointed at Bartender Tony's grumbling hands and said.
What's more, to be frank, it's hard to say that the “masterpiece Stir” is purely a result of his own skill.
What's he talking about? If that's not his skill, then whose is it...? Ah.
As I carefully watched the fingers and wrist deftly twirling the Bar Spoon, I realized the reason.
That hand, that arm.
I thought something was strange about it. It wasn't just that it moved so smoothly “like a machine”.
It was actually a machine. It was an arm, a hand, and fingers made of machine parts.