Tokyo Wingman King

There was a time when adult Tokyoites who didn't drink on weekends were a rare breed.

Many Tokyoites, even if they don't go out for social events, will enjoy drinking alone at home, just like the protagonist in "The School of Evening Drinking".

Back then, Tokyoites always found a reason to drink: a drink when happy, a drink when sad, a drink when bored. For office workers, a late-night beer was a ritual of self-liberation from capitalist enslavement. Japanese novels, movies, and TV dramas set in Tokyo rarely avoid mentioning alcohol. Even today, in Japan where drinking as a form of social interaction has been rejected by Generation Z and drinking culture is gradually fading, Tokyoites still consume over 100 liters of alcohol per capita annually, arguably the highest in Japan. In the eyes of many Japanese, Tokyoites are the Eastern Europeans of Japan.

Over time, the stereotype that "Tokyoites love to drink" has become as prevalent as "Tokyoites love to lie."

Mie Aki figured out one thing at a very young age—Tokyoites don't actually love drinking; they don't depend on alcohol. They just use alcohol to test people, to connect, to pressure, to bribe, to deceive, and to show off.
Because, in drinking situations, people tend to condone things that are considered more outrageous in the context of [the air-reading nation].

Because the wine we drink isn't about deliciousness, it's about formality; the wine we offer isn't about etiquette, it's about power; and the wine we give as gifts isn't about friendship, it's about self-interest.

They merely use alcohol like swords and guns, as a weapon, but deep down they don't enjoy it; they even fear it. While this might be true on the other side of the world, Mieaki absolutely refuses to believe that "Tokyoites love to drink"—how could the calculating, repressed, and aloof people of Tokyo possibly be lovers of alcohol?

His father was a typical Tokyoite. Even if he had a whole cabinet full of wine, he would only remember who gave him this bottle and who he was going to give that bottle to. You would never see him open a bottle himself when he was at home.

My father's favorite drinks in private are energy drinks like Lipovitan and Yunker. He said he got into a good university by drinking these drinks.

Mieaki, standing at the bar counter, shook her head and put her thoughts aside.

He glanced at the already full booths in the bar, then looked at the two women at the bar.

Two women of similar build, dressed in matching black off-the-shoulder dresses, emerged from the crowd like two black cats flitting along a wall, walking towards him with haughty yet alluring gazes. Each ordered a drink. Both wore glossy, jelly-like makeup, likely around 30 years old, or perhaps older? Mieaki knew they weren't there because they enjoyed drinking; this supposedly "female-friendly" bar was full of women like them.

They didn't come here to drink, but to sit in comfortable, soft booths, nestled in the laps of young men, and enjoy their teasing and flattery.

Mie Aki figured it out in just one day: this [Morning Star Bar] is undoubtedly a host club.

But this bar is different from traditional host clubs. According to longtime employees, this bar is a new model created by Kadokura's mother. There is no so-called competition for host sales rankings, no forced sales of services or consumer loan business, and no tricks like forcing customers to open a few expensive bottles of alcohol while they are in the restroom.

More importantly, the average cost per person here is much lower than that of traditional male escort clubs. In today's economic downturn and declining living standards for the middle class, this laid-back, comfortable, and affordable bar quickly gained popularity among mature female white-collar workers and became the most popular women's bar in the area.

On the wall at the bar's entrance is a glowing sign with gold trim that reads, "[In the name of youth, a spiritual oasis offering women love, praise, and recognition]." This was a gift from several longtime customers who have experienced a second spring in their lives.

[Cheap] is not the bar's secret weapon. Compared to the low-budget male escorts made up of college students, underground idols, models, and YouTubers, what fascinates these mature women more are the younger, taboo waiters and bartenders with exquisite looks that make their legs ache—the so-called [Twelve Morning Stars].

On his second day at work, Mieaki became one of these "rising stars"—because two rising stars had "graduated" that week, one of whose "graduation" was as unexpected as a celebrity's sudden pregnancy. Therefore, the bar's prepared pool of rising star candidates was insufficient. Being forced into becoming a rising star and signing a 300 million yen loan agreement was something he hadn't anticipated. But it made sense; signing indentures was a tactic the bar used to control its young bartenders.

However, Mieaki had no intention of selling her body to quickly redeem herself. Firstly, she had the mission reward from [Strange Cat] as a safety net, and secondly, the hotel paid its bartenders a fairly good salary. As long as she stayed in the bar longer, she could gather information about Kadokura Masanori and save up some money.

Mieaki thought optimistically.

The measuring cup had been cooled to a slightly chilled temperature by a few ice cubes. San Chongqiu picked up the bar spoon and added 45 ml of mid-range bourbon whiskey, 10 ml of unnamed Italian vermouth, 5 drops of bitters, and 1 drop of syrup to the glass. He continued to stir with the bar spoon for more than 20 seconds. Finally, he put an ice strainer over the mouth of the measuring cup and poured the mixed whiskey into the frozen inverted conical martini glass.

Finally, Mieaki placed a cherry with its stem still attached into the glass as a garnish, then placed the prepared drink on a leather coaster and pushed it towards one of the women.

“Ms. AO, your Manhattan Queen.”

“You should call her Your Majesty,” another woman wearing a hat joked.

“I’ve never even been to New York, how could I be the Queen of Manhattan?” the cocktail hostess laughed, a light-colored mole on the left side of her chin.

"How about we order a [Tokyo Queen]?"

"The name should at least appear on the menu before you can order it."

"How can you be so sure that Qiu Jun didn't prepare a secret menu for you?"

The two women laughed for a while, then rested their chins on their hands and continued to stare at Mitsuaki, who was wiping the counter with a rag. The woman with the mole's gaze was filled with undisguised admiration and infatuation.

"Do you have a hidden menu?" the woman in the soft hat asked.

"Being able to mix all the wines on the wine list to a passing grade is already quite good for me," Mieaki replied calmly.

"Not just good, but outstanding! Qiu Jun has only been here a few days and is already so skilled. No wonder the supervisor trusts you so much."

"Try it first. If you don't like it, I'll make you another one."

"How could something made by Qiu Jun not taste good?" the woman with the mole said, quickly taking a sip. "It's delicious!"

She wasn't lying; this Manhattan was much refreshing than any Manhattan she'd ever had—just like the boy's appearance.

"I bet if Qiu Jun added another 10 drops of bitter essence to it, you'd still find it delicious," the woman in the soft hat laughed.
"Qiu Jun, you think so too, right?"

The boy showed no reaction on his face, chose a classic cup, and buried himself in preparing the amaretto that the woman in the soft hat had ordered.

The women didn't find the boy rude; on the contrary, they found him amusing.

Men who are focused on their work are the most attractive, and a handsome 16-year-old man focused on his work is even more breathtaking.

Although he was a newcomer, his bartending skills were excellent; if he wasn't exceptionally talented, he must have worked in other bars.

What exactly did this 16-year-old boy go through before?
Asking the other people in the bar yielded no valuable information, since the boy had only worked there for three days.

Will Qiu-jun stay here forever?

The three autumn dry shakers paused their movements, poured the mixture of amaretto liqueur, whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, simple sugar, and egg white into a glass, garnished it with an orange slice, and handed it over, saying,
"I'll be staying here for the foreseeable future."

"recent?"

"Life is short. I want to experience more places I don't usually go and earn more money to support me to go further."

"Further places? Where does Qiu Jun want to go?" the woman in the soft hat asked.

"I haven't thought of anything yet, but I certainly don't want to stay in one place and stagnate."

"Qiu Jun speaks with a rather mature air, even though he is so young."

"At least it's not like we're doing nothing."

The woman with the mole chuckled.
“It’s good to be able to do what you want to do. When we were your age, Qiu Jun, we wasted so much time. Back then, our families were strict, and we didn’t even have the chance to experience working. We spent all our time on our studies.”

Mieaki seemed to realize something and said seriously.
"To be honest, I envy Ms. AO. She was able to devote herself wholeheartedly to her studies, so I don't think that was a waste."

“The knowledge gained in school is useless in society, so how can you say it's not a waste?” another woman retorted with a smile, the woman with the mole answering on behalf of Mieaki.

"If Qiu Jun says not to waste, then it means not to waste. I'll listen to Qiu Jun today because Qiu Jun speaks very nicely."

"AO, was the Manhattan drink you just drank some kind of love potion? You're completely bewitched by Qiu Jun, aren't you?"

"It's all because of you. The day before yesterday, when I met Qiu Jun, she told me that a first-magnitude star had finally appeared in the Morning Star, making all the other stars look dim. When I saw it yesterday, Qiu Jun was the only star in my eyes."

The two, who were playing along, had actually made a bet in private: whoever could win over this promising young man first could pick any coat from the loser's wardrobe—a pointless bet, but for the two who had nothing to do all day and no good men to accompany them, it was a rare treat.

Having rejected countless advances from strange women, even Mie Aki, who prides herself on being good at hiding her emotions, felt somewhat embarrassed by the undisguised flirting of mature women.

[She's just a woman who spends all her time in bars.]
Mieaki tried to think the worst of the two people in order to regain her composure.

Seeing that Mitsuaki's face was slightly flushed, the woman with the mole finished her drink triumphantly and ordered another glass of White Beauty.

She leaned on the bar, deliberately showing her snow-white skin to Mieaki.

Mieaki avoided eye contact, glanced at the time, and took out a bottle of gin.

A loud crash—

The bar was quiet for a moment, then became even noisier.

The sounds of men shouting, breaking glass, impacts, falling to the ground, and screams were all mixed together.

An argument broke out in the booth area.

The hotel manager and security guards rushed over upon hearing the commotion and tried to separate the people arguing.

A burly African American woman is straddling an equally tall, blonde woman, unleashing a torrent of brutal, large-scale punches.

Michiaki was not surprised; he had been keeping an eye on the bar for a long time.

The troublemakers were actors that [Strange Cat] helped find.

It was probably a direct job recruitment on the black market, with no middlemen taking a cut, so these two transgender people put on an exceptionally enthusiastic performance.

Before long, the situation changed again to the two of them facing off against seven or eight low-level security guards, back to back.

Transgender people claim they experienced gender discrimination and sexual harassment at the [Morning Star Bar], particularly when security guards tried to intervene and allegedly groped Black men—no, Black women. Another group of customers joined in, supporting two transgender men, and the situation became increasingly chaotic.

The bar manager sensed trouble brewing and pulled out his phone to call for backup while grabbing the manager and ordering him to guide the customers to evacuate. But before the two could exchange more than a few words, they were knocked down and curled up on the ground like two cooked squid tentacles.

"on fire!!!"

Blue flames suddenly erupted from the ground, which was covered in wine.

Amidst another round of screams, the guests who had nothing to do with the conflict abandoned their desire to watch the spectacle and rushed towards the exits. The male bar models and a few other "Morning Stars" who had been observing also joined the escape.

The two security guards who came down from the first floor to provide support were blocked by a crowd of people, like a school of fish in a warm current in front of a cape, while the smaller security guards had all been taken down. Seeing this, the two security guards who came to help pretended to be overwhelmed and were pushed back to the first floor by the crowd.

The group hired by the strange cat not only called the police but also sent two people to contain the fire on the ground, apparently as a way to clear out the guests. Mie Aki had already counted; the team he hired consisted of five people: four men and one woman—no, one man and four women. They were indeed a professional team; the 2.8 million yen price tag wasn't without reason. If he had hired these people with the mindset of paying 1500 yen an hour for a bear-hunting team, he definitely wouldn't have achieved such good results.

The bar's fire safety was inadequate, its security personnel were unprofessional, and the so-called "second-generation rich kids" of the mountain county were not providing sufficient protection. It all came out in one test.

Mieaki beckoned the two women to hide behind the bar, patiently waiting for Mencang, who was still having fun in the private room, to appear.

The deputy foreman, who had been lying on the ground, crawled over at some point and said,

"Qiu Jun! There's a fire! Don't stay here, get out of here!"

"Aren't we going to put out the fire?"

"Can't you see what these people are up to? Do you want to leave your life here?"

"What if the bar burns down? Are we just going to let these people run rampant?"

“They can’t leave. But to be safe, we have to sneak out the back door.”

"The back door?" the assistant supervisor continued in a low voice.
"Of course! The front door is so blocked, we have to race against time! There's a fire escape to the first floor behind the door on the left side of the bathroom. Grab a wet towel and follow me."

"Wait, should we notify the guests in the private room?"

"You still have the leisure for this? Let's get out of here!"

The deputy foreman has already started crawling on the ground.

Mieaki and the other two women also avoided the villains' gazes and crawled along.

After the group climbed into the corridor in front of the restroom, Mieaki couldn't help but ask,
"Where is the young master? I think I saw him earlier."

The assistant supervisor thought that Mieaki was worried about Kadokura Masanori, and said,
"You're so kind-hearted. I wonder what happened to the young master. He opened two bottles of wine today but didn't drink a drop before leaving. Maybe he went to visit his brother who's in the hospital? If he were here, he wouldn't have been unable to handle those people."

Michiaki was somewhat disappointed.

He was willing to pay such a large sum of money because he had the intention of [solving the problem of the person who created it].

Being chosen as the Morning Star was probably Kadokura's idea, but Kadokura hasn't bothered him these past few days, just leaving him out in the cold.

At this moment, he had neither the opportunity to play the role of a loyal bartender and gain the trust of the gatekeeper, nor did he see the gatekeeper suffer.

Speaking of which, why didn't that strange cat, who seems to know everything, tell him that Masanori Kadokura had left early?

Did I get scammed?
The group emerged from the bar unharmed.

The streets were as chaotic as Mieaki's mind.

A fire truck was parked at the main entrance of the bar, but no police cars were in sight.

According to the plan revealed by the strange cat, the police will intervene shortly after the conflict. Regardless of the gang forces protecting this bar, this troublemaking team is experienced and can easily get away unscathed.

Why bother with these people?
"Are you going to work tomorrow?" Mie Qiu asked the assistant supervisor.

"You still have the mind to care about this? Just wait for the notification."

"If Qiu-jun wants to see us, you can make an appointment anytime."

The two women were giving Michōshū flirty looks; they actually had the mind to invite Michōshū somewhere to calm her nerves.

Mieaki declined the invitation, but was forced to exchange contact information with the two women.

He spent another two hours near the bar.

The fire was extinguished very early on. The professional five-person team, along with the bar manager and security guards, were taken to the police station. The assistant manager worked hard to make arrangements for the aftermath and informed everyone that the bar would be temporarily closed for fire safety rectification.
Why hasn't Kadokura Masanori returned yet?
This bar is clearly their family's cash flow guarantee. What could be more serious than something happening to this bar?

Woof! Woof!
One of the executives of [KID], Cecilia Kashiwagi, calmed the somewhat excited dog, tucking it between her legs, and listened to Anna Scott King sharing intelligence.

The other officers of [Four Gates and One Pillar] were also at Kashiwagi's house, except for Moji Hisatoku.

"You mean, Moji Hisatoku is a member of [FAB]?" Kadokura Masanori asked, puzzled.

He didn't get along with Moji and Bomon from [KID], those two sly characters, but he never imagined that one of them would have this kind of problem.

“Of course, otherwise why would our Chief Yamagata have cleaned us out?” A hint of satisfaction appeared on Tomohiro Kadowaki’s face.

"Where is Chief Yamagata? Why didn't he come to the temporary cadre meeting?" asked Hoho Natsukawa, an admirer of Yamagata Ariaki.

“Perhaps his actions were too drastic, and the Yamagata family has locked him up for protection. After all, he sent Principal Sakon and several board members to jail, and he also uprooted [FAB] in one fell swoop, even causing diplomatic problems. It’s not surprising that the Kujo family is furious.” Nobutatsu Boumon said thoughtfully.

He had anticipated a large-scale conflict between the two brotherhoods soon, but he hadn't expected it to end in such a blitzkrieg-like manner. Had the Yamagata family truly inherited the Takeda family's [Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain] military strategy?

No, such a feat could never be accomplished using those outdated military tactics.

“You’re wrong. You have to consider the owner before you can beat a dog. The prerequisite for taking action against the Sakon family is, of course, the support of the Kujo family,” Kim Anna said.

Cecilia Kashiwagi stroked the fur on the Labrador's back and asked suspiciously,
"What kind of owner hits their own dog? Why can't it be one of the other five households?"

"Of course it's because the dog is disobedient."

"Where's the evidence?"

"Hasn't Amin been helping Principal Sakon guard against the Kujo family's investigators?"

"So the Chief of Staff is the real investigator? No wonder we couldn't find anything this year no matter how hard we investigated."

Nobutatsu Boumon was once again filled with admiration, excitement, and even lingering fear at Yamagata Ariaki's astonishing wisdom and acting skills. If he were in Yamagata Ariaki's position, to what extent could he have achieved the same?

“Not necessarily,” Kim Anna said, shaking her head.

She was more convinced that it was Kujou Shizuichiro, who was actually Kondo Shinichiro disguised as a KKIS ethics teacher, who was the real investigator. He had always said that he valued Yamagata Ariaki very much, so it seemed that he had successfully turned Yamagata Ariaki against his cause.

Thinking about it this way, the assistance the Scott family could provide regarding KKIS was indeed negligible.

"Wait, you're wrong. The Chief is clearly doing things that advocate for the Emperor's authority and the expulsion of foreigners. How could it be the Kujo family's idea?" Kadowaki Tomohiro had no goodwill towards the Kujo family, who allowed foreigners to do bad things but never supported the locals. The Kadowaki family's business was mostly with the Yamagata family, and they had no respect or gratitude towards the Kujo family.

"Your information is outdated. The Kujo family's return to Japan is a foregone conclusion," Nobutatsu Boumon scoffed.

He had always looked down on the fact that the two pigs, Monwaki and Monkura, were ranked alongside him among the four gates. These two gates were utterly devoid of any prestige; they were not gates of noble families, but rather gates of watchdogs.

Kim Anna nodded.
"To fight external threats, one must first secure internal stability. The Kujo family's return to Japan to reorganize the Sakon family may well be part of a mobilization effort before a head-on confrontation with other families. The escalating partisan struggles in the United States before the full-scale competition between the US and China also follow this principle."

"The most important issue is that the KKIS landscape has completely changed. If we don't take advantage of the other two Brotherhoods' inaction to absorb the resources vacated by [FAB], Chief Yamagata will blame us for missing the opportunity once he's released." Nobutatsu Boumon steered the conversation back to the initial issue.

“Think about that princess from the Kujo family. Is it possible that the Kujo family not only wants to deal with Principal Sakon, but also wants to clean up KKIS? Will they stop doing what the fraternity did in cooperation with the board of directors and the parent committee? I think the reason [KID] is okay is because Chief Yamagata is protecting us,” said Hoho Natsukawa.

"Huh? I still have a lot of money that I've lent out and haven't gotten back yet. That won't do. I can't let my dog ​​go without dog food," Cecilia Kashiwagi said, feigning innocence.

"You're overthinking it. The Kujo family's princess is just a princess, not the head of the family. Since KKIS can earn money that ordinary schools can't, the Kujo family won't give up on it," Nobutatsu Boumon said confidently.

After listening to everyone speak without saying a word for a while, Kadokura Masanori frowned and said...
"But [KID] has also been targeted recently. Is this also the Chief's idea? Including my brother's hospitalization and the injuries of many Brotherhood members?"

"Wait until the Chief of Staff comes out, then you can ask him yourself." Fangmen Xinlong felt that these were all insignificant sacrifices, and besides, a few days ago, they had indeed been blinded by various smoke bombs.

"What? If Chief Yamagata says yes, are you going to beat him up?" Tomohiro Kadowaki sneered.

"I'm seeking justice for my brother and the people in my group, what's it to you?" Masanori Kadokura retorted with the same cold look.

Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Natsukawa Hoho quickly said, "Let's wait for the Director. It's still a question of when the school will reopen."

“A few days ago, the Parents’ Committee was already putting pressure on the Student Council and the Board of Directors. Now, it’s Vice Principal Songzhi who’s handling the situation,” Jin Anna said.

"Have you heard that rumor? Is Vice Principal Matsueda really the brother of Chief Yamagata?" Cecilia Kashiwagi asked curiously.

Everyone else was looking at her with eyes that seemed to say, "Why is it taking you so long to get internet here?"

"Huh? Aren't you curious? These two brothers don't look alike at all, do they?"

"Kashiwagi, your focus is a bit too strange."

Cecilia Kashiwagi shrugged. "It's strange that you guys keep talking about the Kujo family. Japanese prime ministers change so quickly, but life goes on as usual."

She laughed again, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

"Anyway, I have absolutely no interest in the Kujo family or anything like that. They're not going to take our family to develop our business overseas. Well, I'm actually hoping that classes will resume as soon as possible. While the principal is away, I'm planning to have some fun with that gambling-loving Shinichiro Kondo."

“Now that you mention it, I’m also a bit interested. That guy is really strange,” said Kadowaki Satoshi, stroking his chin.

"Didn't the Grand Master give the quota for his exorbitantly priced course to the Hall and the Master? Now that the Master has been eliminated, who will fill the vacancy? If none of you want it, then give it to me!" Kashiwagi Cecily said excitedly.

Anna Scott King looked at Cecilia Kashiwagi and thought to herself—

And you say you're not interested in the Kujo family?!
September 9, evening.

In the activity room on the third floor of the Toyo Eiwa Auditorium, two girls gaze at each other through the window.

"You won, but there's nothing to be proud of about the process."

Alice Kujo was somewhat disheartened.

"Luck and connections are both part of strength, so you don't need to worry about them. Because even if I beat you, I don't feel there's anything to be happy about. After all, I won half of the events in this competition."

Konoe Chiyo's smile vanished, replaced by a calm and composed expression.

"You should really remember the half you lost. Sigh, failure is more motivating than success, little one."

"Because I have pure blood, I don't feel inferior about it. On the contrary, I feel some sympathy for those Japanese people who have Western names."

Alice Kujo shrugged.
"There's no point in provoking each other. If you lose, you lose. State your demands."

Konoe Chiyo calmly looked directly at Kujo Alice, knowing the despair Kujo Alice felt when facing Asama Shizumizu.

Ironically, she hadn't even witnessed one percent of Asama Shizumizu's strength before being defeated.

She had no idea that she had become a pawn to be manipulated at will by Asama Shizumizu.

Konoe Chiyo suddenly revealed a playful smile.

"The demand is, of course, another match. This time, I will not allow Asama Shizumizu to interfere again."

"Oh?"

Alice Kujo laughed too; she didn't mind at all having another marathon race.

The experience of letting your abilities speak for themselves is always joyful. In this respect alone, the significance of a 7-day trip to Japan surpasses that of a 7-year trip to the United States.

How are you planning to compete?

"Next week, transfer to KKIS with me."

"." (End of this chapter)