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“Hey Mutou, can I get a sip of your water?” Without looking up from his game, Mutou pulled the opaque, card-patterned water bottle a little closer.
“It’s not water, I don’t think you’d want to drink it,” he said evasively, blocking a Bokoblin’s attack. Akira raised an eyebrow, setting his pencil down.
“What do you mean? It’s not alcohol, is it?” he asked warily. Mutou snorted, pausing the game and leaning back in his chair.
“You think I’d be that stupid? Grandpa watches his liquor stash like a fuckin’ hawk. No, it’s just a really strong energy drink,” he said, twisting off the cap. Almost immediately, a noxious fume wafted out, practically punching Akira in the face. He gagged, staring at Mutou incredulously. “It’s about 500 milliliters of Lipovitan,” he said, answering Akira’s unasked question. Akira choked, his heart aching at just the thought of that much caffeine.
“And you drink that?!” he asked. Mutou nodded, putting the lid back on. “Why?!” He shrugged, fiddling with the chain around his puzzle. Why he kept that thing around his neck, Akira had no idea. Some kind of sentiment?
“I.........have a hard time staying awake sometimes. This.....this helps. Sorta.” He shook his head, taking a swig from the Hellbottle. Akira raised an eyebrow, and Mutou flushed. “It works faster than coffee!” he defended. “Lipovitan has 50 mg of caffeine per 100 mL, coffee only has about 45! And besides, I don’t even like coffee all that much,” he muttered.
Akira snorted, grinning slightly. “Did you forget I work in a coffee shop?” he asked rhetorically. Mutou crossed his arms, leaning back even further until he was practically laying down on his floor.
“I didn’t, I stand by what I said. My helldrink works better and faster than coffee, and it tastes better, too,” he said firmly, barely holding back a smile of his own.
Swords, RANK UP! Rank III: You can now purchase [Lipovitan], which temporarily increases max SP.