Goal of the day: 1047 words. Written: 1071.
Suddenly I noticed that one short-haired guy from the group was staring at me. He must have heard my last words, and they caught his attention. Or maybe he was in the Arena and recognized me? Is there anything else?
The guy, watching me and almost not moving back, probably secretly grabbed his friend's elbow.
"Shit."
I quickly turned away and rushed towards the door. As I was walking away, I heard the group stop arguing and say something. Maybe about me. Maybe not. But I wasn't going to let myself take any chances.
I ran to the door and immediately opened it. Inside, the walls were wallpapered in yellow and gold patterns, and the floor was all red. Under the doorframe, two nuts hung above my head. Not sure what they meant.
I immediately stepped inside and closed the door behind me. These were slower than expected.
"Recognized me? They know?"
- Hey, hey, take it easy, you bastard. Breathe, dammit! Naoki commanded me in my hand.
Breathing was difficult, but I breathed in immediately. And I breathed out. It got better.
"What are you going to do now?"
I turned and looked down the hall I had entered. This one immediately turned left into what I guessed was a room with tables that I had seen earlier. From it, you could hear the discussion of male voices, and somewhere there was some saxophone music playing {{Sax guy, eurovison}}. Someone was cheering for something.
"It's… What are you going to do?" And what possessed you to run here so quickly? he asked again in an almost mocking voice. I began to suspect it was his usual voice.
I scratched my head in thought. I then took off the hoodie and styled it, letting my hair fall over the top of the collar.
- I'm not sure - I answered laconically. Because, well, I wasn't sure.
"And what are you sure about?" he replied sarcastically.
I snorted. That was actually a pretty good question.
Then I lowered the Stone, picked it up a little more comfortably, and walked down the corridor inside.
Inside was something like a bar, arcade, and cafe all at once. And there were only men in it, I don't know why.
I took two more steps down. The guy I met was sitting in his neat black suit at the bar, sipping something from a small white cup. Behind the bar stood an equally neat bartender. I seem to have attracted the attention of several men with my entrance, but they did not rush at me too much, just looked at me with interest and continued with their business.
At the back of the club, several men were throwing darts at a target on the wall, while at the other end, a young blond man in a bright, shiny outfit was lounging on a brightly lit stage and playing the saxophone incessantly.
"Yeah. Interesting. Well, it's time to talk the man out..."
I gripped the Stone tighter and breathed a sigh of relief as I boldly stepped closer to him.
- Uh, you, bald, what did you want? - I snapped, peeking out from behind the man, drawing attention to his baldness.
However, it seemed that the man was not impressed by my words.
"Sit next to me and order True Love," he whispered to me without turning around and motioning to the bar stool next to him.
"True love? Who is he? He doesn't even look confused? How does he know me?”
"What the hell," Naoki muttered.
I stood confused for a moment. Then I obediently pulled up a chair and sat down on it. The bartender immediately approached me.
"Good afternoon, miss," he greeted in a deadpan voice, "what would you like to order?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the men who were standing further away and throwing arrows at the word "lady" turned, but I tried to ignore it for now. If it disappears from sight, then you can expect something.
"Uh..." I continued, confused. And then I remembered:
- Oh yes! …True love, please?
- Cool choice, - the bartender nodded his head, as if someone ordered "True love" every day and turned around and started mixing various liquids and didn't know what to mix.
I put the Stone on my lap so that if I needed it, I could grab it immediately, and I looked at the man sitting next to me.
He was a young, black-haired, slightly darker-skinned man with a short black beard that was several days old. And without turning around, he continued to sip, slowly raising and lowering the cup with his coffee.
"Who is he?" He annoys me with his actions!"
I looked around annoyed. It seems that the men went back to their activities and no one looked at me anymore. I then turned back to the bartender and began to watch his precise, methodical movements.
Finally, the bartender opened his mixer and poured a blue liquid into one glass. After bringing it, he placed it neatly in front of me.
"Delicious," he said, bowing again.
"Thank you," I answered quietly. Then I turned to the black-haired man and asked:
- Well, I ordered it, now what?
The man sipped more coffee, tightening a few more strings inside me.
- Now taste it. After all, you ordered yourself a drink.
I looked at the glass. The bartender was still standing in front of me, looking into my eyes as if he didn't know what to expect. I didn't move though.
"Careful," muttered Stone from his knees.
The man sighed after another moment, placed the coffee on the table, then took my glass and sipped it himself. He did everything without fully turning around.
- Here, - he confirmed, - if I had ordered some poison or you don't know what, I would have already died. Don't worry.
I looked at the slightly drunken glass.
"Maybe he's immune to poison?" Be careful! Naoki growled again.
However, after asking with some force, I looked into the barman's emotionless blue eyes and raised the glass to my lips.
- No! - shouted the Stone.
And then I tilted the glass and took a tiny, tiny sip. A burning, yet mildly pleasant taste ran down my throat.
"Absolutely delicious!"
I put the glass back.
"It's delicious," I nodded to the bartender.
"Thank you," he replied and bowed and returned to the other end of the bar.
- Stupid! DAMN IT! are you stupid??? Are you serious??? You want to kill yourself??? - Akmuos got up to pour in a fast-talker. Not knowing how to respond to his words, I just put my hand on him and supported him.
The black-haired man put the cup of coffee back on the table and suddenly, without my expectation, he turned directly to me. His other half was nothing special, just the same brown eyes and young man's face.
- Did you like it? It's fun. Thanks, he said, grinning and nodding. Then he held out his nimble hand to me and said:
- Call me Antonio!
"What happened here?" Thank you? For what?"
- What? - I shook my head without understanding and ignored his outstretched hand, - Thank you for what?
Antonio put his hand on his lap and bowed his head again, grinning stupidly:
- For the evaluation. I am the author of this cocktail!
"What a nonsense? He was so serious, and now he suddenly turned into something!”
- He is very strange, - commented Stone quietly, - what does he want from you?
- Well, - I hummed and leaned away from the man, if something were to happen now, - what do you want from me!?
Antonio turned and clapped his hands.
"Hey, hey, don't worry." Everything is fine. I'm not here to hurt you. - sincerity appeared on his face.
- ...And who are you? - I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Somehow I had too many adventures today when I trusted someone. And here's another one...
I patted the Stone with my hands, still looking at Antonio. The stone was silent.
- I know it may seem strange. - Antonio put his hands together, - ...But we are familiar. And I guess you don't remember me, do you?
"Acquaintances? How?"
- Acquaintances? How? - I rolled my eyes.
"Maybe he's your hairdresser..." Akmuos smiled sarcastically, clumsily, probably trying to make a joke, and laughed at his own joke.
I looked at the Stone.
"Forgive me, he's quite rude," I poked my finger at the Stone.