Chapter 72: 72
The glass doors slid open gently, letting in a heavy breeze of cool, perfumed air which carried the faintest hint of lavender and something expensive he couldn't name.
The hotel lobby's floor was ridiculously polished, marble floors so shiny Yuki could see his own slightly-disheveled reflection staring back at him. "Damn, can't believe you could afford this."
"Let just say I have my ways, she, now pretty boy." Airi raised her hand in the air as she continue walking to the reception room. The receptionist sighted them from afar, greeted them with a professional smile that weakened just slightly when her eyes switched between Yuki and Airi. Noticing, Airi leaning in casually on the counter.
"Reservation for Airi," she said smoothly, flipping her hair backwards from her shoulders.
The receptionist tapped a few keys and nodded. "Yes, Miss Airi. Room 1105. Deluxe suite." She slid over a keycard. "Enjoy your stay."
Airi took it with a small smile, then turned to Yuki, holding the keycard between two fingers as if she was presenting him with a winning lottery ticket. He snorted but followed her toward the elevator, the click of her heels echoing against the marble.
Inside, the lift was lined with mirrors, giving him a 360-degree view of how out of place he looked next to her. She caught him looking and smirked.
"You're thinking about something," she said.
"I'm thinking how mad you are going to be undressed," Yuki replied.
She stepped closer, her reflection multiplying around them. "Don't worry. I didn't bring you here for nothing."
The elevator dinged softly, and the doors slid open to reveal a carpeted hallway with so much quietness it felt like sound itself was afraid to exist here. Airi led the way to their room, swiping the card and pushing the door open with no efforts.
The suite was spacious indeed—floor-to-ceiling windows with a panoramic view of the city, a bed that could probably fit four people comfortably, and a subtle scent of fresh linen in the air.
Airi tossed her phone onto the bed and turned to him with a sly smile. "Well? Not bad for a broke girl, huh?"
Yuki stepped in, glancing around. "Not bad for someone who couldn't pay cab fare ten minutes ago."
She ignored that, stepping closer until she was just a foot away. "So… do you want to start with drinks, the balcony view… or me?"
Yuki blinked slowly. "That's… quite a menu to explore. Why don't we save the sex part to late at night?"
She grinned, unbuttoning her jacket just enough to make her point valid. Yuki pulled her by the waist, taking off two buttons from her shirt and pushing his hands into her shirt until it stopped right on her nipples. "Pick wisely."
Airi was about to open her mouth to respond to the audacity but then again loved the confidence he brought. "You can have those nipples to yourself. Let's explore the balcony first."
She removed his hand from inside her shirt, and moved towards the minibar. She crouched down, rummaging through the small fridge before pulling out a slender, frosted glass bottle. The clear, a bit frozen liquid inside the transparent bottle.
She straightened, holding it up. "What about some vodka?"
Yuki stared at the bottle, then at her. "Vodka? Aren't you eighteen?"
Airi gave him a look that was equal parts obviously and don't test me. "Yeah. And?"
He blinked. "And you drink vodka now?"
She smirked, twisting the cap open with just an index that made it clear this wasn't her first time. "Don't tell me you haven't tried it."
Yuki hesitated, the corner of his mouth twitching. If he lied, it would be too obvious when he gets drunk on his first drink and did he say no, she would never let him rest. "No comment."
That was all she needed to know. Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing into a wicked grin. "Wait—are you telling me you've never had vodka before?"
Yuki scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but her. "Not… exactly never. Just… not like that."
"Oh my god," she laughed, the sound soft, mocking and mellow. "You're telling me the big, bad Yuki, mister 'I'm too cool for rules', got beaten to vodka by a 'small girl'?"
Yuki felt heat creeping up his neck. "You make it sound like I lost my dignity."
"You did," she said simply, pouring a shot into one of the tiny glasses from the minibar. She slid it toward him across the counter. "Here. Consider it… a loss you can fix right now."
Yuki looked at the glass, then back at her, her smug smile daring him to say no. Somewhere deep down, he was more annoyed at his own ego than the vodka itself.
Airi leaned back against the headboard, one knee drawn up, twisting the vodka cap with a little click. The faint, sharp scent of alcohol drifted out immediately, and she tilted the bottle just enough for the liquid to pour smoothly into the cup.
"Since it's your first time drinking vodka, why don't you have the first taste?"
Yuki was sitting cross-legged on the other bed, still in his loose hoodie, watching her with half-lidded eyes. The corner of his mouth curved into a slow grin. "Pour me a cup then," he said, leaning forward like he was accepting her mission. "I love a challenge like that."
She raised her brows, clearly enjoying his bravado. The vodka flowed smoothly into a small glass, the clear liquid catching the light. She slid it across the space between them with a fingertip.
The smell hit him the moment his hand wrapped around the glass. Still, he didn't give her the satisfaction of seeing him hesitate. He tipped it back in one go.
The moment it touched his tongue, the heat exploded. The vodka burned all the way down, bubbling in his chest with fire. His cheeks flushed crimson almost instantly, and his eyes widened a fraction before he shook his head hard, trying to blink away the sting.
"Damn…" he coughed once, then exhaled slowly, his voice half-strained, half-amused. "That's… brutal."
Airi was already laughing, the sound light and wicked. "Good," she said, reaching for the bottle again. "Because we're just getting started."
Yuki narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion, watching her refill the glass. "What's the endgame here? You trying to get me drunk or kill me?"
She tilted her head, pouring for herself this time. "Neither," she said smoothly, taking a sip without flinching. "I just want to see how far you can go before you tap out."
He smirked, a competitive glint in his eye. "You might regret saying that."
Their glasses clinked, the sound sharp in the quiet room. One round became two, then three. By the fourth, Yuki's laugh had grown looser, warmer, and the burn in his throat had given way to a pleasant heat in his chest.
Airi, still sharp-eyed and steady, leaned forward on her elbows. "Not bad for a first-timer," she teased. "But let's see how much you can hold."
"Keep pouring. I'm not done yet."
Airi tilted the bottle over the glass, letting the vodka trickle in. "Easy, easy," Yuki muttered at first, raising the glass to his lips. He took a gulp, not a sip but a full throat-burning swallow. His eyes widened instantly, and he coughed once, shaking his head violently as if trying to fling the heat off his head
Airi laughed. "Wow, already turning red."
"Red? Please," Yuki scoffed, thumping his chest proudly. "This is nothing. I could drink more of this stuff."
"Is that so?" she teased, eyebrow arched. Without another word, she tipped the bottle again, pouring until the glass brimmed to the beam.
Yuki grinned like a madman. "MORE!" he shouted, his voice loudening across the room.
Airi paused mid-pour. "You didn't even drink that one yet!"
"Pour it! I'll drink them both!"
"You're insane."
"I am made up of the strongest thing," he said, raising the glass and tossing it back into his throat like it was plain water. This time, the burn hit him so hard his shoulders tensed and his foot stomped the floor.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" he gasped, fanning his mouth like it was on fire. "Are you sure this isn't just melted pepper in form of drink?"
Airi was laughing so hard she could barely keep the bottle steady. "Want more?"
"You think I'm scared?!" Yuki slammed the empty glass on the table like a samurai laying down a challenge. "Bring it on!"
Pour.
"MORE!"
Pour.
"MORE!!"
The cycle went on until the glass was a blur in Airi's hand, and Yuki was swaying in his chair, grinning at absolutely nothing. At one point, he pointed at the air conditioner and yelled, "Stop looking at me like that!"
"You're drunk," Airi said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"I'm not drunk," Yuki slurred, pointing at her with solemn seriousness. "I'm just… liquid confident."
Airi raised the bottle one last time, but this time Yuki waved her off and leaned forward conspiratorially. "If you pour any more, I might… marry you."
She burst out laughing. "Guess we're stopping here."
Yuki leaned back, still smiling, and whispered to the ceiling, "The ceiling is spinning… but it's polite about it. "You're drunk," Airi said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.