"This is the Ginjō-san we've been hearing about…"
Ito Rieko-san's gaze flicked from the photo in her hand to my face, as if comparing reality to the two-dimensional me.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"He's even more handsome than in the photo… Mochizuki is such a lucky girl."
…Eh? Handsome? Lucky girl? Did I just step into some kind of matchmaking interview?
The izakaya was only about ten minutes from my apartment—close enough that I could still hear the faint hum of the train line as I arrived.
After I told the receptionist I was here to "pick up a friend," she waved me through without even checking my ID. Must be nice to look trustworthy… or maybe I just didn't look like a debt collector.
I was led to the innermost private booth, and—there she was.
Mochizuki Haruka, cheeks flushed, eyes unfocused, swaying slightly in her seat like a boat caught in gentle waves.
"Come on, Ginjo-san! Sit here! Sit next to me!" she called, waving her hand like a beckoning cat.
"Uh… how much has she had?" I asked Ito Rieko-san, who was seated across from her.
She just sighed and shook her head, the universal sign for too much.
"Sit—down!" Mochizuki barked, the kind of drunken command that brooks no refusal.
Before I knew it, she had latched onto my arm, her soft shoulder brushing me with every sway.
"Hehehe… it's Ginjo-san… Ginjo-san…"
Her silly smile could've melted steel. My brain screamed danger zone, but my body apparently didn't get the memo.
"I'm sorry to drag you out this late," Ito Rieko-san said with a wry smile.
"Rieko… she taught me lots of moves, Ginjo-san… you'll see… how strong I am…" Mochizuki declared proudly before slurring into incoherent mumbling and—
—faceplanting into my lap.
"Oi, Mochizuki—" I tried shaking her gently. No response, except for the soft, rhythmic sound of… snoring.
"She's out," I said.
Rieko-san nodded, sipping her drink. "That's how she gets when she drinks too much. Normally she's careful, but tonight… well… maybe I pushed her a little."
"Pushed her?"
Rieko-san's smile was almost… mischievous. "Let's just say I teased her more than usual."
While she spoke, I looked down at Mochizuki's sleeping face. Even in this state, she looked adorable—her lips faintly parted, her breath tickling my thigh. Every slight movement of her body sent a tingling sensation through me.
"Could you take her home?" Rieko-san finally said.
I'd already guessed that was why she called me here.
"Actually, I could have walked her back myself… I just wanted to meet the man who saved our dear Mochizuki."
…So this was an interview after all.
She went on, "Back in college, she was the type to blend into the corner. Now she's talking boldly about men… It's a miracle."
I didn't know how to respond, so I just nodded. She seemed satisfied with that.
We eventually got on the topic of the college uniform Mochizuki had been wearing the day I met her. That uniform… which apparently belonged to Rieko-san.
When I asked why she still had it despite being married and moved out, she hesitated, then admitted, "…It's for private use… with my husband."
Private use. With her husband. Yeah, I got the picture.
But then she quickly added, "I only tried it once. He didn't like it. So no weird stuff happened."
…For someone who didn't want to explain, she sure explained a lot.
After Rieko-san left, I crouched down and tried to help Mochizuki stand, but she was a limp noodle. In the end, I scooped her up bridal-style.
Her upper body was soft and full, but her waist was unbelievably slender. She fit perfectly in my arms, light enough that my years of training made it effortless.
She murmured softly, nestling closer into my chest. A faint floral scent—her shampoo—mixed with the lingering smell of alcohol, creating a warmth that seeped into me.
Under the dim streetlights, our shadows stretched and overlapped on the pavement. Tokyo's noise didn't reach this quiet back street. All I could hear was her sleepy mumbling and… my own heartbeat.
When we reached her door, I tried waking her again.
"Mochizuki-san… Mochizuki-san…"
She stirred, eyelids fluttering, as if swimming up from a pleasant dream. Slowly, her gaze focused on me.
"…Ginjo-san? Eh… what's going on?"