The Story of Becoming a Drinking Friend When I Saved the Cutest Senpai in University - Vol 1 Chapter 1

Itomori’s POV

It’s been a month since I became a second-year university student.

The petals of the cherry blossoms have completely fallen, and the excitement of the campus has been lost somewhere.

Perhaps because of their curiosity, the cafeteria, overflowing with first-year students, has settled down quite a bit, and there is a pleasant atmosphere of students chatting and having meetings beside meals.

“Oniisan, the usual again?”

 “Yes, please.”

Before putting a meal ticket on the counter, Obachan, a clerk, found out that I was ordering udon noodles, and began to hot-water the udon with a familiar touch. Since last year, I’ve eaten udon noodles almost daily, so they’ve completely remembered my face.

“Come to think of it, have you made any progress? You said before that you’ll be serious when you’re in the second year?”

 “W-well, it’s quite difficult…”

By progress, they meant whether I had made any friends.

I―Itomori Kaname has devoted my youth to studying and reading at the bottom of the class since I was in junior high school.

So at the very least, I thought I should make my university life better.

I tried my best to dye my hair and study fashion, but I couldn’t fit in with the tennis club that I entered. I couldn’t say a word at a party and was never invited again, and in the latter half of my freshman year, my transformation into the ultimate loner was complete.

“But it’s all right. I don’t have any inconvenience.”

Then Obachan smiled bitterly and put the finished udon on the counter.

“Thank you for the meal.”

I sat near the entrance of the cafeteria, clasping my hands and murmured.

Three male students who came into the cafeteria at the right time turned their eyes to the back of the cafeteria and shouted, “Ugh.”

“Wow, it’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

“It’s really cute when you see it in person”

“…I think I’ll talk about it.”

“”Don’t ever do that.””

They spoke in unison and walked towards the counter with their food ticket in hand.

I slurped the udon noodles and looked a beat later at what they had been looking at.

There was a group of several guys and girls.

There was a beautiful man and a beautiful girl who made me sigh, but one of them was a girl who was different from the others.

Tennouji Akebi.

Her blonde hair, which seemed to be braided by sunlight, shone down to her waist, and her sun-flowered eyes shone like jewels.

She has a well-organized face like a top-notch doll artist, and she is tall and has a style comparable to that of a model.

She is now in her third year, and with her overwhelming beauty, she won the beauty pageant last year and the year before last. When asked, “Who is the cutest person in our university?” everyone would name her in unison.

“Tennouji-san, are you free tonight? I was told that we should all go to the cafeteria you mentioned before.”

One of the men in the group spoke to him, desperately hiding his ulterior motive.

Senpai tilted her head, “Tonight?” without moving a single eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, but I have plans to have dinner with my father. Let’s do it together another time.”

An overly soft manner to one’s classmates.

A maskless expression.

It’s a kind of sarcastic joke when ordinary people do it, but in the case of senpais, it’s different.

A princess-like aura combined with a Japanese-like appearance makes it suits her perfectly.

“Oh, I see! … But isn’t there a lot these days? No, it doesn’t mean that being close to your father is bad.”

“Now that I’m in the third year, I have a lot to discuss about my future. I’m worried about it.”

“Oh, that’s it. See you next time.”

“Yes, thank you very much. Please tell us how you feel about the food.”

She raised her lips happily for a moment, though it was just a straight face, with the sophisticated beauty of a white rose. However, she immediately shrugged off the fact that she was not coming.

“Dinner with my father, you know…”

The moment I gave a ridiculous round of applause for the convincing acting, my phone vibrated in my pocket

[Akebi: So, let’s drink together tonight too♡]

The message displayed on the screen and the rabbit stamp with one hand of the sake bottle.

Suddenly, I looked at senpai again.

At that moment, senpai waved a small, innocent smile at me, emphasizing her perfect teeth, which are far from gentle.

“I understand…”

When I replied, senpai gave a satisfied snort and returned her attention to the others at the table.

By that time, she had already recovered her elegant expressionless expression, and no one had noticed anything unusual about her.

I had earlier told Obachan behind the counter that it was difficult, but that didn’t mean I had no friends.

Recently, there was only one person who I could call a friend.

And that person is none other than Tennouji Akebi.

For the past few days, I’ve been drinking with the cutest senpai at this university.

How did this happen?

―To find out, we need to go back a few days.

◆◆◆

“Ah, what is that! This is impossible!”

It’s my second Golden Week since I entered university.

I stayed alone in my apartment, just like last year.

The difference from last year is the presence of alcohol.

Early in April, when I was old enough to drink, I was immediately fascinated by its magical charm.

Drunkenness brightens up every day which is not particularly interesting. In particular, B-rated movies that I watch while drunk are the best, and everything from cheap production to poor acting is interesting.

“The shark’s head split in two!? Stop, stop… my stomach hurts… ughhh…!!”

I lay down on the table, trembling all over, and agonizing over the absurd development.

Before I knew it, the movie was at the end credits. As I watched the lines of text scroll from top to bottom, I let out a big sigh.

A brief moment of silence.

The excitement, which had been rising to the limit by the power of alcohol, suddenly dropped, and at last, I hit rock bottom as a wave washed over me.

The residents of the next room called in their friends and made a fuss.

The fun-looking hustle and bustle makes me realize that I am a lonely university student who drinks alone with a crappy movie on holidays.

“I want to die…”

Damn it.

This is always the case when I drink.

I feel terrible when I become emotionally unstable and calm down even a little.

I stirred the wine to shake it off.

After the burning sensation of the throat, the scent of alcohol passed through my nose, and a fluffy feeling enveloped my whole body.

“…Is there no more of this?”

The alcohol disappeared from the table in one bite, and I went to see the refrigerator, but there was nothing in it.

It’s past eleven o’clock at night. It was time to go to bed, but I still felt like I needed more to drink.

“Whoa, whoa, that was close!”

I want to walk straight, but I keep swaying right and left.

I walked unsteadily down the trashy corridor to the front door. I went out into the streets at night with my wallet in my hand.

The apartment I live in is very close to downtown.

Therefore, even at this hour, the streets were crowded outside and it was noisy.

I managed to avoid the same drunks as myself, while I was heading for a convenience store nearby.

“…Hm.?”

A familiar figure was walking toward me, and I tilted my head in confusion.

She was dressed in a White rib top and black skinny pants. On top of that, a beige trench coat is worn, and a combination of black boots is a cool outfit.

The phrase “beautiful-looking” suits her perfectly, and just walking makes her think this place is a Paris Fashion Week, so I can’t help but admire her.

Most of all, the blonde hair and bright yellow eyes, which show a strong presence in the twilight of the night, are eye-catching. It’s not a hair color, it’s not a color contact—it reminds me of something noble and holy, beyond human.

“Tennouji-senpai?”

Tennouji Akebi.

The cutest senpai in the university I attended.

It was the first time I had seen her in the city, although it was noticeable at the university because of her appearance and surroundings.

I wonder if she’s on her way home from a night out.

However, the road to the station is not this way. There’s only a cheap bar or a love hotel ahead, and I don’t think anything is interesting…

“…”

Suddenly, our eyes met.

Her eyes, usually equipped with calmness and strong confidence like the surface of the lake, are shaking with anxiety and fear for some reason.

…What are those?

It was hazy because of her overwhelming beauty, but when I looked closely, I saw a large man on both sides.

Both of them are so handsome that they put their hands on the shoulders of senpais.

“Oh, so that is what’s going on…”

Judging from senpais complexion, it is obvious that she is being forcibly taken away by those men.

There is a love hotel ahead.

Well, I guess that’s what it is.

The passersby were aware of the unusual situation but were frightened by the two men and could not move.

I too, like the other passersby, looked away.

I looked down, as did the other passersby.

The only connection between me and senpai is that we’re students from the same university.

There’s no personal relationship—just strangers.

I feel sorry for girls, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fool to put myself in danger. I outgrew playing the hero when I was in elementary school.

―Or so I thought.

“What the hell are you assholes doinggggggggggggg―!!!”

I’m not the kind of fool who would put myself in danger… when sober.

My head was completely full because of alcohol.

There is also emotional instability, and when I see senpai situations, my anger gauge hits the roof at breakneck speed.

At that moment, my body runs forward without hesitation, making a leap like a track and field athlete and hitting a dropkick in one man’s face.

“What!? W-what the hell are you?”

“Shut up, idiot!!”

I punched him and then followed by a shot in the nose.

I give no time to fight back and hit the vital points of his body.

“How long have you been touching senpai with your dirty hands!!”

As he staggered, I delivered a finishing blow kick to the groin.

Karate, which my father drilled into me to ensure I wouldn’t lose fights, had not been used since I graduated from elementary school. But alcohol has brought back my memories and experiences.

“Don’t mess with me!!”

The man who had been kicked down in the face got up and grabbed me by the chest with his nose bleeding.

The difference in our physique is obvious.

In boxing, there is a difference between lightweight and heavyweight.

He tightened his hold with arms as thick as logs, lifting me off the ground with both feet

In the moment of death, something came up from the inside of my body.

I remember this feeling.

I leave myself to that irresistible feeling, as I was subjected to the man’s exasperation.

“Uuuuugh!”

“Ahhhhhhhh!!”

I was drinking nearly two liters tonight, even though I wasn’t a good drinker.

I jumped, hit, and kicked in such a state. Moreover, since I had been lifted, it was only natural that I should feel sick.

The man who had been hit by the vomit sprayed out with tremendous force ran away, ran away in tears. “Wait a minute…!” they said and followed him, and only I and senpai remained.

“Oh! That’s amazing!”

“You’re so cool, niichan!”

“Are you some kind of fighter!? Wow, that was something!”

The workers and university students who were watching the scene gave a big round of applause and praise.

As for me, vomiting cleared my brain and I understood what I had done.

Violent incidents, reports, and withdrawal.

Unsettling words lined up in my mind, and I sweat coldly.

If the police come here, I’ll be in trouble.

I tried to step back, taking one step, then another.

At that moment, someone yanked on the hem of my shirt.

The one gripping the hem of my shirt was senpai’s hand.

At the university, I only looked at her in the distance, but she was breathtakingly beautiful when I saw her up close.

She was pure, powerful, and exuded an adult charm that made the one-year age difference seem negligible. Her violently sweet and yet refreshing pheromone makes me sober.

It’s been a few seconds since we looked at each other.

As the onlookers dispersed, “I’ve seen something nice,” tears burst into senpai’s eyes. She breaks down almost immediately, creating a childlike, unreserved crying face that doesn’t look like her usual self.

“Waaahhhh! I was so scared!!!”

“W-Wait a minute!? Oh no!!”

I was suddenly hugged around the waist and fell onto the ground on my butt.

Senpai buried her face in my chest and cried out loud.

Because of this, I drew back attention from people around me, and I patted senpai on the back made me feel it was getting out of hand.

“I-I’ll call a taxi. So shall we go home?”

From the other’s perspective, it looked like a couple cuddling in the middle of the street

I don’t know what kind of rumors I’d get if I were to be seen by people from the same university, and whatever it was, it would be damaging to senpais.

So I suggested going home, but there was no answer at all.

Scratching my head that I was in trouble, I came up with the next plan.

“…Um, my place is just over there. How about we rest there for a bit? It’s not ideal to cry here… Well, you know?”

If she refuses, I can force a taxi and push her into the car.

That’s how much I said it, but senpai shook her head without even showing any signs of worrying.

“…Yeah, let’s go. I’ll go with you.”

While sniffling, she clutched my clothes tightly with both hands

Her childish behavior, so unlike her appearance, almost made me say, “What a cute creature,” but I managed to hold back. There are things I can and cannot say in this situation.

“Okay then… um, this way. This way.”

Senpai nodded a little, holding the hem of my clothes tightly, and followed me like a parent and child of a karugamo^[1]Karugamo means a spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)..