A champagne tower built from stemmed glasses was inherently unstable.
Pouring wine over it would test the tower’s stability through both the added weight and the impact of the liquid.
Though the method was hardly rigorous, it could just barely serve to test the steadiness of one’s hands and one’s ability to perform fine movements.
Naturally, Kiryu Kazusuke had no objections.
The two of them came out from backstage one after the other and returned to the booth.
The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat strange.
The music was still melodious, but everyone’s gazes drifted this way, intentionally or otherwise.
However, Kiryu Kazusuke’s luck was truly good. The pyramid that should have become the focus of the night had only had its base layer assembled before it came to a stop.
The manager and several servers stood to one side, looking troubled and not daring to act rashly.
Nakamori Sachiko sat alone on the sofa, elegantly holding a glass of ice water, a faint smile on her face.
It was as if nothing had happened just now.
She raised her head, but looked only at Imagawa Ori, her eyes filled with indulgence. “Oh my, you’re back.”
“Nakamori-san, I’m truly sorry to have kept you waiting,” Imagawa Ori said with a slight bow.
Nakamori Sachiko waved a hand. “Don’t let it happen again, all right? Who told Imagawa-kun to be so lovable?”
Kiryu Kazusuke’s gaze, meanwhile, fell on the table.
The opened bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé was gone, replaced by several glasses of ice water.
Though he had no idea what had happened, it no longer mattered.
At that moment, Nakamori Sachiko pointed at the manager. “I told them this tower was built especially for you. Since the star of the show left halfway through, the ceremony naturally had to be paused. We’d continue once you came back.”
Imagawa Ori thanked her and was about to sit down.
“Know when to stop.”
Nakamori Sachiko suddenly spoke. She did not look at Imagawa Ori, but at the ice cubes swaying in her own glass.
Her voice was still as soft as ever, like a lover’s murmur.
But Imagawa Ori’s body stiffened.
She froze for a moment, then understood what Nakamori Sachiko meant.
There was a limit to everything.
Now, it was time for her to return to where she ought to be and properly appease this biggest patron of hers.
But…
The more something was out of reach, the more one wanted to obtain it.
And so, Imagawa Ori pretended not to hear Nakamori Sachiko’s words and still chose to sit across from her.
Nakamori Sachiko merely lifted the glass in her hand, tilted her head back, and drained it in one go. Even the few pieces of floating ice in the glass were swallowed along with it.
Very good.
Excellent.
Imagawa Nao, when I get you into bed, I absolutely, absolutely will make sure you can’t even get out of it, and can only sob and whimper as you beg me to give you a little more.
Nakamori Sachiko gnashed her teeth inwardly.
However, after she put down the glass, she once again returned to her calm and composed appearance.
As if, by mutual understanding, nothing had happened just now.
“Nakamori-san, can we continue now?”
Imagawa Ori tilted her head, looking expectantly at the champagne tower that still had only one layer.
“I’m getting a little impatient to see the champagne flow down from the very top.”
“It must be beautiful, right?”
At this moment, Imagawa Ori was like a young man who had never witnessed such a grand scene before.
Nakamori Sachiko, of course, knew she was acting, because she had already ordered an even taller champagne tower for her at the club before.
But she happened to fall for this act.
Nakamori Sachiko nodded to the manager not far away, indicating that they could continue.
Just as the server was about to pick up the second glass—
Imagawa Ori turned to look at Kiryu Kazusuke. “Speaking of which, this guest, didn’t you also pay? Why don’t you complete this tower?”
The suggestion left everyone somewhat astonished.
“Imagawa-kun, what are you…”
The manager stopped moving, his brows furrowing.
Building a champagne tower was work that only servers specially trained by the club could do. Though it was not exactly an advanced skill, it depended on practice making perfect.
If something went wrong, it would not merely be a loss of several million yen in alcohol; it would also spoil the mood.
Letting a guest do it?
That was against the rules.
Kiryu Kazusuke had already stood up and turned to look toward the booth.
“I’ll do it.”
“It just so happens that I’d also like to personally build a champagne tower for Imagawa-kun.”
Nakamori Sachiko watched the two of them echo each other and let out a soft laugh.
“Sure, I have no objection.”
“After all, this Kiryu-kun also paid. Letting him complete it by hand can be considered a gesture of sincerity.”
How naive. Did he think that personally building a tower would mean anything?
Kagura Club, located on a pleasure street, was not some TV drama set. Here, sincerity was the most useless thing of all.
“Then… very well.”
Since the manager had heard the biggest patron speak, he naturally did not dare object any further.
“Sir, allow me to explain the rules to you first.”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and began to explain.
For an eight-layer champagne tower, the number of glasses used for each layer was fixed.
The bottom layer had 36 glasses, followed by 28, 21, 15, 10, 6, and 3, with 1 glass at the very top, for a total of 120 glasses.
When stacking them, the foot of each glass had to be precisely placed in the center of the groove formed by the four glasses beneath it. Only then could the structure’s stability be guaranteed.
“I understand.”
Kiryu Kazusuke nodded. This was essentially the mathematical principle of stacking triangular numbers.
He walked over to the cart and picked up a champagne glass.
The pads of his fingers lightly stroked the smooth bowl and slender stem, feeling its weight and texture.
Then, he began.
His movements did not hesitate in the slightest. His left hand took the glass; his right hand placed it down.
One after another, row by row, layer by layer.
Kiryu Kazusuke’s hands were extremely steady.
Every stemmed glass was placed with incomparable precision. Between rim and rim, there was almost no extra gap.
Nakamori Sachiko could not help holding her breath.
She had seen servers build champagne towers before, their movements practiced and seamless.
But Kiryu Kazusuke’s movements had already gone beyond the realm of skill. They were precise in a mechanical way.
The manager’s expression gradually changed from his initial worry to astonishment.
Those hands did not look like an amateur’s hands at all.
The tower extended upward at a speed visible to the naked eye. Every layer sat perfectly in the center of the one below it, without the slightest tilt.
In less than five minutes, a glittering, translucent crystal pyramid stood before everyone.
Throughout the entire process, there had not been a single mistake, nor the slightest tremor.
“You can bring the champagne.”
Kiryu Kazusuke set down the final glass and spoke to the server beside him, who was already staring somewhat blankly.
“Ah, yes, yes!”
The servers immediately pushed over another cart, on which twenty bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne were arranged.
The manager picked up the microphone and cleared his throat.
“Honored guests!”
“Tonight, our most esteemed Ms. Nakamori Sachiko, together with this gentleman, presents this magnificent eight-layer champagne tower to express their affection for Imagawa-kun!”
“Now, let us welcome tonight’s Champagne Call with the warmest cheers!”
By the end, his tone had become excited and high-spirited.
The DJ immediately switched the music, and the powerful drumbeat instantly ignited the atmosphere of the entire venue.