I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 98: Haruka Shijouin Gets Drunk

“Ahahaha… I feel all floaty and fluffy, it’s such a wonderful feeling…”

Uttering in a blissful state, Shijouin was clearly intoxicated. Her face was flushed, her eyes dreamy, and her speech slightly slurred – it was evident that she was completely drunk.

“C-Come to your senses, Shijouin-san! Notice how strange you’re acting!”

Panicking and with a bright red face, I desperately tried to reason with her, but it seemed like she wasn’t comprehending.

“What are you talking about, Nyiihama-kun! There’s nothing strange about me! Fu-fufufu… I feel like I’m floating in cotton candy clouds… like a rubber ducky floating in a bathtub… puka-puka!”

(I-Incredible… She’s completely out of it…)

Based on my experience with various drunk individuals, when they start talking incomprehensibly, it’s challenging to get through to them.

It seemed that Shijouin had consumed alcohol without realizing it and was now behaving strangely.

“Ahh, Niihama! You’re so lucky to be at a summer beach hugging someone! But that’s besides the point! I’ve been so jealous seeing you having a romantic date during the cultural festival!”

“Hehe… Haruka-chan is really aggressive! Right there, right there! If you just lean in a bit, you’ll score a KO for sure! It’s written in romance manga!”

“Wahh! My my, Haruka-chan! Your sly body is making this summer memory an adventure at the summer festival!”

(Damn… Everyone is useless…)

Ginji, Kazamihara, and Fudehashi continued to talk nonsense, even after the alcohol had been taken away.

Despite having consumed only a small amount of alcohol, everyone’s faces remained flushed, and they were all acting as if they had completely escaped from the troubles of the world.

(I-I can’t handle this… How can I calm them down?)

As the only sober person in the group, I felt completely out of place. My goal was to calm everyone down and help them sober up, but considering the current situation, I doubted if they would even comprehend what I was saying.

(Someone… Can’t someone help me…? Do I have to deal with this situation alone?)

As I was becoming desperate, the sound of someone running on the sand reached my ears.

“N-Niihama-sama! W-What’s going on here!?”

“Oh! It’s Natsuzaki-san!”

I greeted the arrival of the hunky aloha-clad driver, feeling as though my savior had come.

Right, he was still here…

“I rushed over when I saw everyone from a distance; something seemed off… What on earth…!?”

“It appears that there was a mistake in the juice we prepared, and alcohol got mixed in! Moreover, it had the appearance of regular fruit juice, so everyone except me drank it, and now they’re like this!”

“What?! How could I overlook such a thing! As an adult accompanying you, this is a huge blunder!”

Natsuzaki was clearly feeling remorseful for having allowed underage drinking to happen.

“I’ll take care of these three over there since I’ve been watching Shijouin-san. They haven’t drunk much, so giving them some water and making them stay quiet should help them calm down!”

“You seem oddly familiar with handling drunk people! Yes, I understand! Please take care of them, too!”

With the help of an adult who remained sober, I felt a wave of relief.

Alright, as long as I let them rest for a while…

“Fufufu… Here you go, Niihama-kun ♪”

“Huh…?”

Before I knew it, Shijouin had shaken off her negativity and handed me an unused paper cup. As I received it, the intoxicated girl poured orange juice from a PET bottle into the cup.

“Hehe… When I pour drinks for my mother, my father always says, ‘Ahhh! The fatigue is blown away by the sake my wife poured!’ So, I’m imitating that! Of course, since we’re still underage, it’s juice instead of alcohol!”

“Y-Yeah… Thanks.”

It seemed she still didn’t realize she was drunk, given how she mentioned being underage. Looking at her slightly dreamy eyes, she seemed to be in a semi-dream state.

(But… even in a situation like this, having a girl offer me a drink with a smile makes me happy…)

In my previous life, where hierarchy was strictly observed, serving drinks was a duty. When I poured for my superiors or received from my junior colleagues, it was merely a ritual, complete with forced smiles, to express gratitude and courtesy.

So… maybe this was the first time.

The first time someone poured me a drink full of genuine gratitude and appreciation.

As I took a sip of the juice (which I confirmed wasn’t alcohol), Shijouin beamed with a content smile.

Her pure and adorable demeanor made the simple juice taste delicious.

“By the way, Niihama-kun… Thank you so much for inviting me today!”

“Huh!?”

Suddenly, Shijouin leaned forward and gently pressed her forehead against my chest, bowing to me. Her behavior was impulsive, like that of a drunk person, and I almost spat out the juice in surprise.

(Her emotional swings are so vast…!)

Her poise was even more adorable than usual.

“I’ve been wanting to do so many things at the beach, and I’m so grateful… really, really grateful! Why do you always fulfill all my wishes?”

While thanking me, Shijouin squeezed her fists against her chest, but her vocabulary seemed to loop strangely. Her speech became a bit childlike, clearly indicating a decrease in her cognitive abilities.

“But! There’s one more thing I want to try! Come on, please join me! Please!”

“Huh? Join you for what…?”

“That thing! You know, that thing! Haha, I’m going ahead!”

“W-Wait, Shijouin-san!?”

Without warning, Shijouin turned her back to me and dashed off towards the beach, her face glowing with delight. In the midst of the waves, she ran straight ahead, leaving the sound of her sandals on the sand behind her.

(That thing in an old movie… a beach dash during the sunset? Well, I do want to try it, but…)

“O-OJousama!? It’s dangerous to leave like this in your current state!”

Natsuzaki panicked, and that was understandable. It was almost sunset, and leaving in a drunken state was risky. If she accidentally entered the water while intoxicated, it could lead to a disaster.

“I’ll go after her! Please take care of Ginji and the others here, Natsuzaki-san!”

“W-Well, I suppose there’s no other way! I’ll leave it to you, Niihama-sama!”

Ginji and the others were still recovering from the effects of alcohol, but if I looked away, they might cause an accident. So, someone had to stay behind, and Natsuzaki-san entrusted me with the task.

“Wait for me, Shijouin-san!”

Fortunately, a girl running in beach sandals wasn’t that fast, and I was able to catch up with her easily. However, worried she might fall at any moment, I sprinted after the little figure of the girl, flapping my way through the shore.

(TLN) Get her bro!