Chapter 1

Hah… Hah…

Um… First, I should–

Oya, Ushio. What’s wrong? You seem to be in such a hurry.

Natsume-san…! P-Perfect timing. Um, can I talk to you about something...?

To me? How unusual. What is it?

Do you have any bourbon?

Bourbon?

Yeah. Well, I was just in my room reading a douj- a book… and I came across a page showing a chocolate that had bourbon in it–

(Huh? No way…!? Reito giving handmade chocolate to Ouji! That's actually the best?! I think I might actually like this guy’s ReiOu..)

(I mean, Reito choosing to make whiskey bonbons? That’s wayyy too cool and mature. This is not good for my heart…)

…Whiskey bonbons…

–I kinda felt like I wanted to try making some myself after reading that…

I see. But, hm… Bourbon is a rather strong whiskey, so how about using a rum liqueur instead?

It's non-alcoholic, but it allows you to achieve a flavor and aroma quite close to that of bourbon.

So bourbon’s too much for a kid, huh…

Fufu, don’t be upset.

Your sweets already contain a magic capable of intoxicating others. If you were to add bourbon into the mix on top of that… It may be just a bit too dangerous.

You’re exaggerating….

Well, whatever… Then I'll go with the non-alcoholic liqueur. Can I take some?

(Alright… I guess it’s something like this.)

(Reito also added a bit of something in here as a secret ingredient, if I remember correctly…)

…Huh, so you put lime in. What an interesting choice.

! …Please don’t just talk to me out of nowhere.

My apologies. But that chocolate... It has such a lovely shine. It almost looks like a jewel, how captivating.

I can’t help but to be mesmerized by the way you handle the chocolate with such skill and grace.

…Thanks.

(I thought this earlier too, but there really are people who can say lines like this in real life without cringing. Scary…)

Anyways, could you just eat this and stay quiet for a bit?

Oh? You’re fine with me eating the chocolates you’re making…?

It's hard for me to work if you keep spouting cheesy lines.

Then, I will take you up on your offer–

!

The mature aroma of the rum liqueur... The sharp, refined taste of lime evokes a city skyline. And the bitter chocolate wrapped around it...

The lingering sweetness on the tongue is akin to the warmth of a lover melting in the morning sun. I wonder how many times I'll crave this again and again, just to savor this beautiful feeling of nostalgia...

How wonderful. Truly, a whiskey bonbon meant for adults.

—Hey, Ushio. How would you feel about serving these at my bar?

Yeah yeah, thank–

…Huh? Your bar?