Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V2 Chapter 17.5

Between Talks: “Drink in moderation, won’t you?”

Liquor Shop Hanamaru was founded as Hanamaru Sake Store by his grandfather and was renamed Liquor Shop Hanamaru by his father to match the western liquor boom. Now, the third-generation owner, Shigeo Hanamaru, manages the shop with his wife and two daughters. 

They handle a wide range of products, including the recently popular whiskey, local sake, shochu, and craft beers, even extending their business to online sales driven by the daughters.

Thanks to this, the shop remains unaffected financially even after the opening of a large supermarket nearby. 

Having long-standing relationships with wholesalers, they’ve managed to secure hard-to-find Japanese whiskeys in recent years.

However, they only sell these to regular customers to avoid resellers, who are also present in Mukaijima city.

One day, a familiar voice greeted the shop owner with a “Hellooo.” 

“Ginko-chan, welcome! Are you off today?” 

It was the voice of Ginko Aoyama, a regular customer, which made Shigeo greet her with a big smile. 

Ginko was a junior in high school to his daughter and often visited the shop.

Since reaching legal drinking age, Ginko became quite the drinker, indulging in beer, sweet potato shochu, whiskey, gin, and rum, spending her salary generously. Though occasionally reprimanded, she remained a valued customer, especially since her father was also a regular, making the Aoyama family important clients.

Upon greeting Ginko, who entered the store with a lively voice that could lift anyone’s spirits, Shigeo was taken aback. The reason was the presence of an incredibly beautiful woman he had never encountered before.

“Oh, so this is what a Japanese liquor store looks like. Nice, nice. What a great selection!”

“I’m telling you, Koume-san, keep it under 5,000 yen!”

“…Then, I guess we can only afford the cheap ones.”

“You just need to buy one good bottle of liquor. Here, Johnny!”

“Hey, what era’s ‘good liquor’ are you talking about! Sure, it used to be, but nowadays, it’s just ordinary. Well, I won’t deny it’s a famous brand.”

The impeccable model-like figure. The shining blonde hair. Yet, it was her rough way of speaking that scored high points with Shigeo.

“G-Ginko-chan.”

“Ah, uncle. Hello there. I brought a friend today. Please give us some nice whiskey.”

“Ah, right. I have something special for that.”

While shaken by Koume’s beauty, Shigeo brought out an 18-year-old Scotch from the back of the store, a rarity nowadays. The retail price was about 30,000 yen, but it often sold for much more.

“Didn’t I just ask for a ‘slightly nice whiskey’? Please don’t bring out such an outrageous drink!”

“Go on, buy it! Ginko! Pay with the magic card!”

“Please stop. This isn’t a magic card; it’s a brutally realistic card that bills you for exactly what you spend! Uncle, I’d appreciate it if you could bring out a drink that’s more reasonably priced!”

“Ah, ah, sorry. I was a bit out of it there.”

Shigeo went back into the store and returned with a brandy that looked expensive no matter how you looked at it.

“Whoa, I’ve seen that on TV! That super expensive drink they have at host clubs! Isn’t that the one that costs hundreds of thousands? And why the heck is it so spiky!? Is it a bludgeon!?”

“Ginko. The perfect drink for me has arrived. Go ahead, pay with the magic card!”

“Koume-san, you should just stick to drinking shochu from a plastic bottle!”

“Hahaha, as if I could do something that lacks all femininity! I’m not like you!”

“What did you say! You don’t know anything about my feminine charm!”

“Oh? And what exactly constitutes Ginko’s femininity?”

“I can grill squid, you know!”

“…That’s utterly devoid of feminine charm.”

While enjoying the girls’ cheerful conversation, Shigeo felt his ears blessed with happiness, but eventually, he regained his composure as the owner of the liquor store.

“Hey, welcome. Ginko-chan, what are you looking for today?”

“Why are you starting over!?”

“Hehe, don’t worry about it.”

Shigeo spent a fun time with the energetic Ginko and the model-beautiful Koume, even going so far as to offer tastings, which he normally wouldn’t do. At Koume’s slightly blushing request, he didn’t hesitate to bring out a popular whiskey from the back.

Seeing off a beaming Koume and Ginko, who was astonished at how much money she had spent, Shigeo muttered to himself.

“With Haruko-san and the Yura family, is there something that attracts beautiful women? Nacchan is so lucky.”

Knowing Natsuki, Shigeo truly envied him for living with Koume and Ginko.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

For a change of pace, this was a story featuring Koume and Ginko. Imagine your favorite whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, sake, or sweet potato shochu. By the way, the second daughter of Liquor Shop Hanamaru is Natsuki’s senior and the manager of the soccer club, a very popular person.

I thought about making this a short story, but since we’re at it, I decided to share it here.