Chapter 27 – Who is the loser?

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The celebration for C-class continued with a lively atmosphere, glasses clinking continuously. Everyone, including Ibuki, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ibuki, with a glass in her hand, faced Yukio: "Though I'm still not fond of your violent ways of unifying the class, Yukio, I'll admit you've got what it takes to move us up to A-class. Cheers to you."

Unlike other girls who might drink juice, Ibuki was almost like a tomboy, hardly pausing in her drinking. Yukio, curious, commented, "You're quite a drinker. Seems like it's not your first time."

"Of course," Ibuki replied with a lack of typical feminine delicacy, casually wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, showing her spirited nature. "My family runs a dojo. I've been drinking with my father and students since I was young."

This revelation impressed everyone, explaining her valiant and prickly demeanor.

While Yukio was pouring himself another drink, Shiina subtly tugged on his sleeve, a move only she would dare make in C-class. Yukio looked at her questioningly, and Shiina, holding up her empty glass, timidly asked, "Can I try some beer? It seems everyone's having fun drinking it."

"Of course," Yukio replied, not a guardian or law enforcer, he saw no harm in letting her satisfy her curiosity and poured her a full glass, a habit he developed at home, often signifying respect and generosity.

Shiina, unaware of this custom, carefully held the glass with both hands, first observing the rising bubbles, then taking a big gulp, only to find it bitter, "It's a bit bitter."

Yukio laughed at her adorable expression, suggesting she switch to juice if she didn't like the taste.

But Shiina, determined, downed her drink, refilled her glass, and said, "Yukio-kun seems to enjoy it so much. Maybe there's some taste I'm missing."

"Good luck with that," Yukio responded indulgently. Shiina's innocence and simplicity naturally relaxed him.

Unexpectedly, when Yukio turned to chat with Ryuen, a sudden 'thud' drew everyone's attention. Shiina had somehow slumped onto the table, fast asleep, her forehead red but not swollen, her eyes slightly closed, looking peaceful.

Yukio quickly helped her lean back in her chair, grateful she had finished eating and cleared her plate, which could have made the situation messier.

"Is Shiina drunk?" Ishizaki, taken aback, then burst into laughter, "Haha! She can't handle her drink at all!"

As per the old tradition at the drinking table, the first one to pass out always becomes the subject of such teasing.

Yukio chuckled at Shiina's low tolerance for alcohol, amused by how quickly she got drunk on just a few drinks of beer with its low alcohol content. He thought to himself that in the future, he'd need to be careful with her drinking.

As he contemplated, his gaze naturally shifted to Ibuki: "Indeed, among the girls, Ibuki must be the best drinker."

"That's right!" Ibuki couldn't help but smile proudly upon hearing Yukio's compliment, her spirits visibly lifted. She boldly banged the table and called out to Ishizaki and Albert, "Come on, let's keep drinking!"

The focus then shifted to Yukio, Ryuen, and their class teacher Sakagami, along with the top student Kaneda, discussing matters related to class unity.

Meanwhile, Ibuki, with her neck outstretched, was teasing Ishizaki and Albert: "Ishizaki! What's with you? Your coat is all wet! You're drinking more with your clothes than yourself!"

"And Albert! Why are you leaving so much? Are you saving it to feed the fish?"

"Ibuki, stop yelling!" Ishizaki, clearly struggling, his face flushed, stammered, "I-I'm just sweating from drinking! It's normal!"

Albert, as usual, stayed silent. However, he had his own sense of competitiveness. He glanced at Ibuki's slender figure, then at his own sturdy build, and wondered why he wasn't outdrinking her despite his apparent advantage.

Unwilling to concede, Albert gulped down his drink but then covered his mouth and nose, feeling nauseated and on the verge of vomiting. He was struggling to keep up.

"Hahaha!" Ibuki, establishing her dominance at the drinking table, looked jubilantly towards Yukio's table, as if to show off her prowess. She seemed to be waiting for Yukio's further praise, feeling superior to Shiina and her meager tolerance.

In fact, Ibuki herself didn't understand why, but she felt exceptionally good at holding her liquor that day. She was aware that she might have drunk a bit too much, yet she remained unusually alert and upbeat.

As if she could drink three hundred more rounds, Ibuki noticed Yukio tenderly picking up Shiina in a princess carry, looking like a prince guarding his princess, and taking her back to the dormitory.

The joy Ibuki felt earlier turned into annoyance. She felt an itch in her feet and wanted to kick something. Glancing around and seeing only her classmates from Class C, she refrained from lashing out and instead vented her frustration on Ishizaki: "Damn it! Ishizaki, let's keep drinking!"

Ishizaki, already struggling to keep up, showed a face of resistance but his pride wouldn't allow him to back down. He forced himself to gulp down another drink: "Alright, let's continue..."

Ibuki wanted to drink more to ease the unexplained irritation in her heart, but for some reason, she could only manage a third of her glass before she couldn't drink any more. It wasn't that her tolerance had reached its limit; she simply lost her mood: "No more, it's tasteless! I'm drunk! I'm going back!"

Ishizaki was utterly confused: "Who am I? Where am I going?" After a while, he chuckled to himself, thinking he had won the drinking game.

Ibuki, claiming to be 'drunk', quickly caught up with Yukio who was now supporting Shiina on their way back. For some reason, Ibuki took over and said, "I'm heading back to the dorm too. I'll take care of Shiina."

Yukio trusted Ibuki and handed Shiina over to her. However, once they returned to the girls' dormitory, they encountered different reactions.

Ibuki regretted why she drank so much today, wishing she had gotten drunk earlier.

Shiina buried her face in her pillow, covering her head with a blanket and wildly kicking the air with her legs. She felt her face so hot it could cook an egg: "Was I a bit too sly...?"

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300 power stones = 1 extra chapter