The Multidimensional Cocktail Bar of the Other World

Chapter 1

 

I’m tired. I’m fed up. The expression “disillusionment” might be accurate.

What I had barely suppressed burst like a balloon.

Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. There were problems? Way too many.

“Sena, you went on a business trip to that hotel last time, right?”

“Yes.”

“The manager there praised you a lot! Customers are still asking for you!”

“Yes.”

I responded indifferently while busily making a cocktail.

It wasn’t a time for idle chatter. There were tons of orders piled up.

‘Suspicious.’

This person always had a reason when giving unsolicited praise.

“So, can you go work there for a bit after you get off today? What are you going to do at home anyway? You can make some money too. Right?”

Like now.

I turned my back to the bar manager and handed a glass to a customer.

“…Here’s the ‘Daiquiri’ you ordered.”

“Oho. Is this the cocktail Hemingway liked? Even I’m sincere about that man.”

“Yes. But Hemingway disliked sweetness, so he preferred a recipe with no sugar and doubled the rum. Should I make the next one with that recipe?”

I briskly made the next cocktail while responding formally and politely.

“You’re quite diligent and kind for these days, missy. Maybe that’s why I want to take you home?”

The customer, no, the jerk, ignored my explanation and made a crude remark.

What sincerity to Hemingway. I could be around your daughter’s age, mister.

“Hey! One more!”

“I’m sorry sir, but you’re already drunk.”

“No, I’m not! I’m paying to drink!”

“You have a liver condition. Excessive drinking could…”

“Tsk. How dare you talk back to a customer. Serve me.”

The manager butted in.

“But…”

“Everyone has the right to drink alcohol.”

“Nonsense!”

The manager and customer teamed up and bickered loudly.

Right, your liver. Not mine. I silently made the cocktail, and meanwhile the manager kept pestering me.

“So you’ll go today, right? Go for my sake. You’ll go even if you say you don’t want to. You always do…”

“Manager.”

There were countless reasons, but that one remark was the tipping point.

Suddenly realizing I’d been living like a fool, I took out the pink envelope I’d been keeping.

“Oh? This is…”

“Please accept it.”

“Hah. Kids these days are so brazen. Ahem, let’s see…”

The manager, clearly mistaken about something, slowly opened the envelope with an awkward cough.

Ah, was the envelope the problem? A pretty flowery envelope. I had recycled an old wedding invitation envelope.

I couldn’t even afford a new envelope.

“…What! A resignation letter?”

“Thank you for everything. Please deposit my pay accordingly.”

I loosened my tie and placed it squarely on the bar counter. The gaudy jeweled decorations they put on us female bartenders always annoyed me.

“Ungrateful wretch! Don’t you know you became the head bartender by my training? Customers come for your pretty face, not your skills!”

“Then hire a skilled bartender as my replacement.”

“You insolent…!”

“You don’t have time for this.”

“What?”

There was no need to be polite after submitting my resignation.

It’s hard to hand it in, but once you do, there’s nothing to fear. That’s what a resignation letter is.

I hardened my expression and spoke.

“There are seven cocktail orders pending. Work hard.”

“Lee Sena! Hey, you jerk! Not going to help? How can I do this alone!”

Is that my problem? I did it alone too, so he can do it himself.

Whether the manager shouted or not, I ignored him, grabbed my bag, and went outside. In the midst of it, some customer cheerfully yelled “Order!”, making me snicker.

‘One more order added.’

A ‘Rainbow’ cocktail that requires a lot of work but has a unique taste that irritates customers.

But coincidentally, there were about five customers who ordered it just for the visuals.

Casting a bartender’s curse, I left the cocktail bar I had worked at.

Is this just an exceptionally bad cocktail bar with an awful manager?

I tried bouncing around, but everywhere was similar. Maybe I’m just terribly unlucky.

“Boring.”

To the point where I started carrying around a resignation letter.

“Humans must be better suited for leisure than work. I want to live off my savings…”

That’s why even a job I loved so much became tedious.

Sweet gum also becomes tough after chewing it for a while, as the flavor drains out.

Should I live like others from now on? Take the college entrance exam and go to university.

“All my friends are in their senior year…”

As I was walking with those thoughts,

“Hey, watch out!”

Right after someone shouted, a motorcycle hit me hard.

My body flew up and crashed onto the rough asphalt.

Excruciating pain enveloped my whole body. Blood spread out from me.

Am I going to die like this?

‘I just quit my job, couldn’t they have let me relax for a few days…’

Fate was cruel.

“What do we do! Hey, stay with us!”

“Call an ambulance!”

The voices around me grew fainter.

That was the end.

…Or so I thought.

How much time had passed?

Ding!

I opened my eyes to that crisp sound, and a translucent notification window occupied my view.

 

<Notice> Entering the dimension gap.

 

Did I get reincarnated somewhere? Was that motorcycle that hit me the famous reincarnation truck?

‘Surely not something so ridiculous…’

The protagonists of reincarnation stories always say that too when they first reincarnate.

Or is it more common these days to just accept it?

Unable to understand my situation, I slowly looked around. My body was placed alone in an empty, pure white space.

Right, it was my body. Not an unfamiliar one.

The same white shirt and black pants I had been wearing. Even the body that had been bleeding was unharmed.

Then the text in the notification window changed.

 

<Notice> Welcome! Grow your own world!

 

“Grow what?”

Despite experiencing all sorts of games and novels, I was perplexed.

“Usually, you get reincarnated into a familiar genre, but this rude opening feels intense from the start…”

Words do become reality, they say.

 

<Notice> Recommended membership: Basic (9,800 coins per month)

 

Huh?

What’s this now? Is it like N*tflix?

After they became popular, they started implementing subscription models everywhere to systematically drain my wallet.

The currency unit is even different, so I can’t tell if it’s expensive or not.

 

<Notice> You can freely view other dimensions.

To apply for a 10-day free trial with limited features, accept the quest.

You can cancel anytime.

However, failure to pay or cancellation will result in banishment to hell.

Will you accept the quest?

[Y]                                   [N]

 

So that means I’ll die if I choose N, right?

I recalled the many reincarnation stories I’ve read. Usually, the protagonist accepts the quest to survive, but suffers tremendously.

Y is YES and N is NO, I assume.

I reached for N. I had no lingering attachments and didn’t want to suffer anymore. But then,

“What? Why are you trying to run away all of a sudden!”

As I frantically tapped N repeatedly, it suddenly changed to Y.

The system was intent on not allowing refusal.

“What kind of messed up system is this?”

Against my will, I ended up selecting Y. The white world around me then shattered, transforming into a forest thick with lush greenery.

Soft grass touched my palm. Birds were chirping and the air was crisp. In a place perfect for retirement, there stood a dilapidated two-story building that looked ready to collapse.

“What’s that?”

Before I could check properly, a notification window appeared in the air.

 

<Notice> Please name your establishment.

 

“I don’t know. Stuff like that…”

 

<Notice> Establishment named ‘I don’t know. Stuff like that’ Cocktail Bar.

 

“Wait, no, cancel!”

🥂

Thank you for reading! ♡