Tsunagari

Chapter LXII.

Later, the same day...

'Another one, please!' Saien Natsume said at the bartender, putting his empty glass of whisky down onto the counter.

He had swallowed the content at one go.

'Me too,' a female voice called, and instantly, the red-haired male looked at the young woman who was sitting next to him. The said-woman had been sitting there for a while. She was now resting the upper half of her body onto the counter, with her face turned the other way, and just like him, she had been swallowing one glass of whisky after another since a moment now.

'Well, it doesn't seem to be going on well for you either!' he declared at the blonde woman, without really thinking.

Straightening up, the young woman turned her head around to look at him, surprised at being addressed by a complete stranger. When he saw her stiffen and avert her eyes to look the other way, he guessed that she must be wary of speaking to people that she doesn't know, especially in this kind of place, and that, without any doubt, he must have made her uncomfortable.

'I'm sorry. I'll go sit a distance away,' he told her, in reassurance, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Picking the glass of whisky the bartender had just served him, he shifted two seats away down the bar counter.

The young woman took a short glance at him to see where he had gone to sit, and he couldn't stop himself from giving her a reassuring smile. This had the opposite effect that he had intended on her. He saw her stiffen and avert her eyes again, this time more warily.

Oh god! I'm not helping!

He had succeeded to make her even more uncomfortable.

A whole moment went by after this, and the two had completely forgotten each other's presence to go back to drinking when, suddenly, a man got up from his table to accost the blonde woman.

'Hey, there! My name is Enmei. What's your name? Are you married? Not that I would mind! Can I invite you for a drink?'

The bartender, who was pouring yet another glass of whisky for Saien Natsume, paused down to look in the direction of the young woman and the man who had accosted her. The red-haired male couldn't help but look into their direction too.

The blonde woman had stiffened in her seat again, and keeping her eyes down, she replied, in an uncomfortable tone, 'No, thank you!'

'Oh, come on!' the dark-haired man insisted, moving to place himself against the counter to rest one of his arms there, so that he was facing her now. 'Only one drink!'

'No, thank you!' she repeated, her expression growing panicky at the man's insistence.

He had been about to take a firm stand when, Saien decided to intervene at that instant. Getting out of his seat, the red-haired male made towards the blonde woman to put his glass down on the counter next to hers, and placing himself behind her, he addressed the man who had accosted her, with an unhappy look, telling him, 'Oi! She said that she doesn't want to have a drink with you! So, stop bothering her now!'

The blonde woman looked at his face on the spot, her eyes widening at him in surprise.

'Eh? Who are you, man?' the dark-haired male demanded at him. 'Is she your wife or something? I don't think so! You wouldn't be sitting in a corner if that was the case!'

What an over-bearing jerk! Saien thought to himself, and unnerved, he snapped, 'Yes. She's my wife. Have you got a problem with that? We had a fight. That's all. Now back off!'

And on these words, he shoved the man backward a little.

'Alright! Alright! No need to get violent! I won't bother her anymore! Don't leave your wife sitting all alone next time, if you do not want another man to accost her!' the man muttered at him, putting his hands up in a sign of defeat, and making a small grimace, the dark-haired male paid his consumption and left.