Gin was not paying attention to the black-haired boy heading toward the bar; he tilted his head to glance at his own glass, then took another sip.
..
"You brought them?" While the Black-haired boy went to get the liquor, Gin had already finished his own drink.
"Gin and Scotch Whisky." The black-haired boy looked at him with a hint of wariness as he handed over the two bottles.
Gin took the two bottles, opened them, then carelessly poured them into different glasses.
There were a few more items on the table than when he had left, but before the black-haired boy could observe them closely, his attention was drawn away by the silver-haired youth's words.
"I didn't expect you to actually come back.." Gin said, almost as if he were sighing, but there was no sense of surprise in his tone.
He took action to mediate.
"What do you mean?" the Black-haired boy [male] asked in return.
"I thought you had grown a coward," Gin said mercilessly, his words cutting straight to the heart.
His movements were light and his speed was great; after mixing the liquor, he naturally added some lemon juice.
"Not at all!" the Black-haired boy said expressionlessly.
Gin leaned in slightly, a trace of a mocking smile on the corners of his mouth. "Is that so?"
The black-haired boy stepped forward, refusing to back down, his dark green eyes staring straight at him with a hint of stubbornness.
The two of them were very close, so close that the Black-haired boy could feel the pressure brought by the sharpness in his gaze, but he showed no sign of yielding.
He always felt that to yield was to lose.
I lost last time, but this time, I truly do not want to lose.
The thought appeared suddenly, a surge of ambition searing through his chest and overpowering his clamoring rationality. In that instant, the black-haired boy cast aside his usual composure and looked at him provocatively.
Even though he had subconsciously bitten his lower lip due to this pressure.
Gin suddenly gave a small smile.
He had just had a glass of Gin—only one glass—but he drank it quickly, the liquor had quite a kick to it, making him feel a bit lightheaded.
Gin's emerald eyes shimmered, clouded by a slight haze from the alcohol, yet a sense of clarity still lingered deep within his gaze.
Clear and sharp.
At their distance, the black-haired boy smelled a faint scent of liquor on him, carrying a crisp aroma of juniper.
And an even fainter scent of blood, almost masked by the smell of liquor, tinged with the chill of autumn.
The Black-haired boy's eyes widened in an instant.
His green eyes, which usually shone with a stubborn brilliance, now flickered with confusion. At this distance, Gin could see the boy's slightly trembling eyelashes and the faint creases beneath his eyes.
The youth's handsome features revealed a hint of unmistakable shock; his brows furrowed slightly and his lips pressed together. The wide collar of his shirt revealed his sexy collarbones, his temperament possessed a contradictory blend of youthful innocence and composure.
He was indeed quite handsome.
The Silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow; the alcohol he had just consumed was not enough to make him lose his mind, but it had undoubtedly clouded it slightly. He reached out his hand.
Gin's movements were swift; the Black-haired boy, who had been lost in thought just a moment ago, failed to react entirely, by the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late to dodge.
The Black-haired boy closed his eyes instinctively, bracing for the pain—the impression from last time was far too deep.
Although it sounded a bit cowardly, he still didn't want to have his collar grabbed again—the feeling of suffocation was not pleasant.
Then, he felt a coolness on his right cheek.
The youth opened his eyes in surprise, his green eyes filled with a rare, undisguised sense of bewilderment and shock. The dim lights of the Bar scattered into his green eyes, making them shimmer under the light, his eyelashes trembling as if tiny glimmers of light were resting upon them.
Gin's left hand brushed against his right cheek, his thumb stroking it gently. His voice was low, his words sounding muffled due to the alcohol, adding a touch of lazy intoxication to his tone.
“I told you.. mind your own business.”
After saying this, he decisively lowered his hand, straightened his posture, pulled away to create some distance.
Without any lingering attachment.
The black-haired boy maintained his previous posture, blinking his eyes somewhat slowly.
He quickly reacted and sat up straight as well.
A trace of annoyance flashed across his face, his green eyes held a hint of unwillingness.
Lost again.
The black-haired boy thought gloomily.
But he quickly suppressed that annoyance and turned to look at the Silver-haired youth [male]. Just as he was about to say something, he saw the other person leisurely push a drink toward him.
He had already finished the bartending.
In the brief respite between his previous clashes with the youth.
"Do you want to watch me drink? This liquor might not suit my taste." The Black-haired boy raised an eyebrow; his words were provocative, but his eyes held doubt.
No." Gin's eyes were indifferent. "This drink is my treat to you..
You could say.." The Silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "A return gift for the two bottles of liquor you treated me to?
He looked at the crystal-clear cocktail, which shimmered with a white hue, said with a suggestive tone:
It will suit your taste.
Whether it was an illusion or not, the Black-haired boy [male] felt that he spoke those words with a hint of mockery.
The next second, Gin stood up and left.
The black-haired boy, unable to stop him and not knowing how he could have, could only watch his retreating figure, his brow furrowing deeply.
He turned his head, looking at the glass of liquor on the table.
What is this??
After asking several people specifically, it was only half a month later that the youth named Akai Shuichi finally learned the name of this drink from a bartender he knew.
Silver Bullet.
Author's Note:
----------------------
In both "clashes," Akai suffered a crushing defeat, resulting in a landslide victory for Gin. Applause, flower petals showered~
At the same time, Gin's perverse sense of humor manifested once again..
Actually, Gin did not recognize Akai at first, only did so after seeing Akai change into his band uniform in this chapter; therefore, he prepared a drink—a Silver Bullet.
The two of them did not know each other's names or identities from beginning to end (I never explicitly wrote Akai's name, using "Black-haired boy" instead, until the very end).
But later, Gin used Scotch Whisky and Gin to mix a Silver Bullet; I hinted that he eventually discovered Akai's identity.
Akai's nickname later became "Silver Bullet," didn't it?
However, Gin was truly being mocking through his bartending. The way he crafted this drink was inherently satirical; he was making a Silver Bullet for Akai, who was not yet the "Silver Bullet"—he felt the man was still far too green.
There has always been a streak of arrogance in Gin's personality, facing this younger version of his "arch-nemesis," who was clearly no match for him, his attitude was overtly mocking.
..
The way they interacted in the original work was just baffling..
Compared to this chapter, the previous chapter was truly a serious fight.
By the looks of it, the list will only continue to grow.. By the way, Gin really loves touching people's faces. Currently, the list includes Shiratori Midori, Amuro Tooru, Akai Shuichi..
By my estimation, the list will continue to grow..
Chapter 17: I Promised His, I Cannot Lie To You..
Although I didn't recognize him at first, I later began to have doubts about the Black-haired boy's identity.
It feels.. truly consistent with Akai Shuichi's characterization in the Spoilers.
Regardless of whether he had mistaken him or not, in order to mock the one who was still too green and suspected to be his future nemesis, Gin used a few tricks to obtain the Black-haired boy's exact name without drawing suspicion.
Akai Shuuichi
It really was him.
Gin, who had just been momentarily unsettled, thought indifferently, a hint of mockery flickering in his heart.
Gin was displeased that his future arch-nemesis was such an inexperienced youngster.
He also knew that, given Akai Shuichi's current experience, it was only natural that he could not compare to him. In fact, reaching this level was already quite impressive.
But—
This was not yet enough to earn his approval.
Gin's personality inherently contained an element of pride, his strength was sufficient to uphold that "pride."
Even when facing a mission from the Black Organization—although he was happy to accept low-difficulty missions, it was actually challenging missions that truly piqued his interest.
The same applied to his opponents.
The current Akai Shuichi was still far from being someone he needed to take seriously; while he felt relieved, he also felt a hint of displeasure that such a person was destined to be his "nemesis" in the Spoilers of his future.
The Silver-haired youth curled his lips slightly, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes.
Well, well.. isn't it a good thing that the opponent is weak?
It's just.. it has become a bit boring, after all.
Perhaps he is also looking forward to something exciting happening? Even if there is danger, it doesn't matter to him.
In fact, if there's danger.. wouldn't it be even more interesting?
The young youth fell into expressionless philosophical contemplation, only to abandon that Möbius strip of thought upon his senior's reminder.
He blinked, holding his sniper rifle, a hint of excitement appeared on his usually cold face, his Green eyes sparkling.
He was still somewhat childish.. although he rarely showed it.
But boys—especially at his age and with his experiences—clearly have a love for guns!